What are you reading now?

Post by **apophenia** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:10 am

In addition to the usual distractions...

"Inside Scientology" by Janet Reitman. Fair, balanced and thorough, but ultimately somewhat dull. Interesting enough reading but it's not a "skewer the scientology weirdos" type book. More's the pity.

"Philosophical Investigations" by Ludwig Wittgenstein. One of, if not the seminal text of contemporary philosophy. I haven't started it yet. Unfortunately, my philosophy and atheist book groups are clashing, so after I finish the Scientology book, I'll have less than a week to digest the first part of the investigations.

"The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins is on deck to be read by the first week of October. I'm anticipating another experience of slugging my way through a book just to prepare for a discussion group, as I doubt there is much in it that I will find novel or astounding. Thankfully Dawkins is a good writer so I anticipate that the prose will itself be enjoyable.

"Kingdom Coming" by Michelle Goldberg. It explores the world of Dominion Theology -- the belief that Christians should take over all spheres of American life and make this a Christian theocracy. I bought this a while back intending to read it eventually; another local group is discussing it toward the end of the month, so if I can squeeze it in I will. (Unfortunately, I'm a slow reader, so this may not be possible. Correction: I just pulled it off the shelf, and it's a rather slim volume -- 272 pages -- that helps.)

Post by **Tero** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 5:55 am

Its a twitcher blog. An American and his brit partner, wife?, tackle 4000 birds in one year. The record was 3600.

Post by **Schneibster** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 6:52 am

The Aubrey and Maturin novels. I'm on the third one, H.M.S. Surprise. More slowly than I was before I discovered this place, in course.

Post by **Hermit** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 7:02 am

Ronja » wrote:
Exi5tentialist » wrote:The Power of Six. ... The books are insultingly reviewed as 'for younger readers'.
"insultingly" - as in "younger" is an insult?

"For younger readers" does sound to me like a bit of put-down insofar as it seems to imply that the books are not substantial enough to satisfy more mature readers. The insult consists of the diminution of the books' scope in regard to the suitability to various age groups.

Post by Kr » Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:01 pm

Terry Pratchett's Pyramids

Post by **Exi5tentialist** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:42 pm

Kr wrote:Terry Pratchett's Pyramids

Oh yeah, forgot I'm also reading Terry Pratchett's 'I Shall Wear Midnight', which I'm finding very challenging... it's also mega-insultingly described as 'for younger readers'. There seems to be a pattern in my recent book choices.

Post by **Animavore** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:45 pm

I'm also reading The Blind Watchmaker which I bought today and I found the first two chapters quite pleasant.

Post by **Millefleur** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:50 pm

Animavore wrote:I'm also reading The Blind Watchmaker which I bought today and I found the first two chapters quite pleasant.

Funnily enough I moved the last of my Dad's books out of my (his old) bedroom today and kept hold of The Blind Watchmaker to read next as I've never actually read a Dawkins book.

Post by **Animavore** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:57 pm

Millefleur wrote:
Animavore wrote:I'm also reading The Blind Watchmaker which I bought today and I found the first two chapters quite pleasant.
Funnily enough I moved the last of my Dad's books out of my (his old) bedroom today and kept hold of The Blind Watchmaker to read next as I've never actually read a Dawkins book.

Post by **Millefleur** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:59 pm

Animavore wrote:
Millefleur wrote:
Animavore wrote:I'm also reading The Blind Watchmaker which I bought today and I found the first two chapters quite pleasant.
Funnily enough I moved the last of my Dad's books out of my (his old) bedroom today and kept hold of The Blind Watchmaker to read next as I've never actually read a Dawkins book.

What?

I've never read any books on Atheism actually

I grew up on venomous antitheism

Post by **Animavore** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:01 pm

Millefleur wrote:
Animavore wrote:
Millefleur wrote:
Animavore wrote:I'm also reading The Blind Watchmaker which I bought today and I found the first two chapters quite pleasant.
Funnily enough I moved the last of my Dad's books out of my (his old) bedroom today and kept hold of The Blind Watchmaker to read next as I've never actually read a Dawkins book.

What? I've never read any books on Atheism actually

Dawkins only has one book on atheism

Post by **Millefleur** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:10 pm

On atheism, by atheists, for atheists, whatever.

Post by **Animavore** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:21 pm

No. Not "whatever". Dawkins books are on evolution by natural selection. They're not aimed at atheists they are to promote the understanding of biological science. They are theologically neutral

Post by **Brian Peacock** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:59 pm

Millefleur wrote:I grew up on venomous antitheism

Communist?

Post by **Clinton Huxley** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:01 pm

Schneibster wrote:The Aubrey and Maturin novels. I'm on the third one, H.M.S. Surprise. More slowly than I was before I discovered this place, in course.

Splendid fellow! Im up to about book 6. The second greatest sequence of historical novels ever written

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