Jairus Banaji - A Brief History of Commercial Capitalism
Jairus Banaji - Theory As History: Essays on Modes of Production and Exploitation

The Rebel, Albert Camus

Currently reading:

Dance Dance Dance - Haruki Murakami
Writings 1902-1910 by William James
EuroTragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts by Ashoka Mody
Understanding Disney: Manufacturing Fantasy by Janet Wasko

Haruki Murakami — Manuel

:100: :up:

I also like Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and 1Q84

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and 1Q84 — javi2541997

:cheer: :fire:

Both fantastic books! I'm re-reading this one and my next re-read is gonna be Hard-Boiled Wonderland, it was my favorite of his from what I can recall.

1Q84 was also great. :)

Haven't heard very good things about Killing Commendatore, so I'm very hesitant to read it...

Haven't heard very good things about Killing Commendatore, so I'm very hesitant to read it... — Manuel

Me neither! Because Murakami has an extent collection of books. In my case, I will give it a chance to Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage the title looks so interesting so I decided purchasing it.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage — javi2541997

I stopped after 1Q84, I read like 6 of his books in a row. But I wanted to read different authors.

I might try that one: some people say it's very good, other people not so much.

Also started The AI Delusion by Gary Smith.

You ever wish you could read all your books and all the ones that everyone else on here posts also? :chin:

You ever wish you could read all your books and all the ones that everyone else on here posts also? :chin: — Pantagruel

That would be so awesome. Also I made a goal to myself try to read at least one book from a Nobel prize winner. I find it interesting :sweat:

That would be so awesome. Also I made a goal to myself try to read at least one book from a Nobel prize winner. I find it interesting :sweat: — javi2541997

:up:

Mama's Last Hug, Frans de Waal

Selected Philosophical Essays by Max Scheler

Jesus from Outer Space – Richard Carrier
The Amazing Colossal Apostle – Robert Price
The Great Angel: A Study of Israel's Second God – Margaret Barker

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
I love Dickens as historical documentation of the exploitive excess of early capitalism and the counter-balancing social sentiments and trends. Dickens is a great complement to Marx.

The Framers' Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution by Michael Klarman

Highly recommended.

The Bourgeois: Between History and Literature by Franco Moretti

Liberalism: A Counter-History by Domenico Losurdo — Maw

This was brilliant, can't recommend enough

Franco Moretti — Maw

I've been mildly curious about this bloke but you should read him while keeping in mind that he is a prolific sexual abuser.

gah well that's quite upsetting.

:up: Seems like a worthy follow-up to Charles Beard's Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States which I'd read (clandestinely) as a high school senior.

86 - Asato Asato
Reflections on Socialism in the Twenty-First Century - Claes Brundenius

You forgot to include the word "allegedly".

I don't believe I did.

Right, I can only assume you didn't forget then; which is even worse.

Nah, I don't like treating sexual abusers with kid gloves. But feel free of course.

So, do you treat alleged sexual abusers the same as you treat sexual abusers?

No, but this one I do.

Fuck him.

Anthony Kenny's New History of Western Philosophy. It got a lot of good reviews as the best single volume overview. Trying to fill in gaps and revisit old ideas, but so far it's been things I already knew by heart. I might skip ahead to after Plato, although my ability to recommend the book to others is contingent on see how well it handles topics I already know I suppose.

Also listening to Will Durant's the Story of Philosophy. Maybe there is too much overlap here, but I appreciate Durant enough as a writer to want to get his own unique take on different philosophers.

Then I'm also listening to the Great Courses series on the Persian Empire because I have a 2,000 mile drive coming up and need to reground myself in Greco-Persian history of a novel I want to right. Fantasy set in a roughly "real" world, with Christianity and references to real people like Aristotle, but taking place in the context of made up geographies, with magic and monsters, is a growing setting in the genre. I think it has real perks in that you can do plenty of world building, but also can allow people's knowledge of history and culture to do some heavy lifting. It also allows you to tackle philosophical concepts by direct reference.

Very little fantasy takes place in Classical Greece. Most is set in the Middle Ages. I thought a Greco-Persian setting would work well. You know, it's just that Pythagorean school men can actually war reality and do magic with their musical scales, and Zoroastrian priests can actually summon fire; it adds a little flash, so will sparring doses of hydras or gorgons.

Have you ever read the wonderfully speculative historical fiction by Gore Vidal titled Creation or the more grounded but no less speculative novel Julian? It's been decades but what you're interested in writing brought those novels immediately to mind. If I may, I very much recommend them.

NB: Burr and Lincoln are also among Mr. Vidal's best novels