Australian Politics Forum - What are you currently reading?

UnSubRocky

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #225 - Jul 23^rd, 2014 at 12:29am

Annie Anthrax wrote on Jul 18^th, 2014 at 5:47pm:

UnSubRocky wrote on Jul 18^th, 2014 at 4:23pm:

I was reading up on Hitler. Then I stopped at his political era to start reading a book on JFK. Got about as far as his governorship, and stopped reading. Picked up a book on Napoleon. Read as far as his teenaged years as a military officer cadet. Put that down to start reading John Douglas "Mindhunter". Don't know which book to finish reading.

That could be a consequence of internet usage. People get so used to getting entire stories or concepts in short bites that restlessness sets in with anything more substantial.

No, I wouldn't think so. Probably the result of impatience after realising that I have to get things done before September, just to get ahead in life. Realised that I was wasting my time on the internet or doing other things, ie. getting drunk, when I found that I was getting old and needed to expand on my knowledge. By the end of the year, I want to get through my year 11 and 12 curriculum on math and science. Trying to redeem myself for a poor effort in those years.

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UnSubRocky

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #226 - Jul 23^rd, 2014 at 12:40am

Annie Anthrax wrote on Jul 18^th, 2014 at 6:56pm:

Soren wrote on Jul 18^th, 2014 at 6:26pm:

Annie Anthrax wrote on Jul 18^th, 2014 at 5:47pm:

UnSubRocky wrote on Jul 18^th, 2014 at 4:23pm:

I was reading up on Hitler. Then I stopped at his political era to start reading a book on JFK. Got about as far as his governorship, and stopped reading. Picked up a book on Napoleon. Read as far as his teenaged years as a military officer cadet. Put that down to start reading John Douglas "Mindhunter". Don't know which book to finish reading.

That could be a consequence of internet usage. People get so used to getting entire stories or concepts in short bites that restlessness sets in with anything more substantial.

Yes, easier to Google.

Books require focus and you can't click.

The best and worst thing about reading is getting lost in the story or language. Books that you take to bed and you struggle to stay awake to finish the chapter, with longer and longer blinks of the eye til you're waking up and didn't even realise you were drifting off. Or ones that make a telephone call or knock on the door seem like major irritations.

It's pretty cool when you think about it.

I have just gotten that feeling back after about 15 years away from concentrating on books. I would read a chapter a night, and then turn in for a good sleep. With Dallek's book on Kennedy, he has written the book to be easy to read. It does take me up to 2 hours to get through a chapter, though. So, falling asleep is quite easy to achieve upon completion. Someone suggested reading "Don Quixote". It's a novel that not only takes forever to read, but makes absolutely no sense. I could not even complete the first chapter without my mind wandering. I'll try again later, though.

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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #227 - Jul 23^rd, 2014 at 11:08am UnSubRocky, have you ever tried audio books? Passive reading. I use it quite a lot to re-read books I read ages ago. Books that are still in copyright you have to pay for but there are a lot of classics available free. Google Librivox.
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UnSubRocky

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #228 - Jul 23^rd, 2014 at 9:05pm

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 23^rd, 2014 at 11:08am:

UnSubRocky, have you ever tried audio books? Passive reading. I use it quite a lot to re-read books I read ages ago.
Books that are still in copyright you have to pay for but there are a lot of classics available free.
Google Librivox.

I know about that. I tried doing some passive reading whilst I played computer games. I have the books ready to read, but I have been listening to the same stories online before I read the books I have at home. Subconsciously, you focus better on the books you read because you are looking for the commonality of both book and audiobook.

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fezz Senior Member Offline Where's my red hat? Posts: 280 Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #229 - Jul 26^th, 2014 at 10:43am Imagined Communities - Benedict Anderson. Anderson believes that a nation is a socially constructed community, imagined by the people who perceive themselves to be part of that community.
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fezz Senior Member Offline Where's my red hat? Posts: 280 Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #230 - Jul 26^th, 2014 at 11:58am The previous book to Imagined Communities, more an essay actually was The Stolen Generations: A Documentary Collection by Robert Manne
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Postmodern Trendoid III

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #231 - Jul 28^th, 2014 at 9:47pm

fezz wrote on Jul 26^th, 2014 at 10:43am:

Imagined Communities - Benedict Anderson.

Anderson believes that a nation is a socially constructed community, imagined by the people who perceive themselves to be part of that community.

I've read snippets of this book before. I disagree with his separation of real and imagined communities. The nation state is very much real, particularly when people believe in and act out the behaviours of the nation state they're in. I have a feeling Anderson is an international socialist hell-bent on destroying the state for some universal ideal world. Ironically, that would really be an imagined community.

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Redmond Neck

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #232 - Aug 4^th, 2014 at 6:52pm

I though this was interesting in regards to the start of WW1.

I heard an interesting program on ABC Radio National related to the start of WW1 called "Guns of August"

It largely related to a book written in 1962 by Barbara Tuchman which is highly acclaimed and was a winner of the Pulitzer prize.

" After introductory chapters, Tuchman describes in great detail the opening events of the conflict. Its focus then becomes a military history of the contestants, chiefly the great powers."

They even suggest it influenced the handling of the Cuban missile crisis by JFK and Krusckev!

Have any of you guys/gals read it?

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BAN ALL THESE ABO SITES RECOGNITIONS.

ALL AUSTRALIA IS FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS!

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bogarde73

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #233 - Aug 9^th, 2014 at 9:46am

Transferred this, written in May, from another thread:

"Among 19th century writers, Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) is said to be making a comeback in popularity after remaining practically anonymous for a long time.
I heard a program recently in which a couple of modern writers were singing his praises, even going so far as to put him ahead of Dickens in their rating.
They particularly recommended "The Old Wives Tale".

I read 2 or 3 of his books many years ago and quite liked them. I'm going to have a listen to some on audio again (which is what I do now a lot of the time)."

I have in fact since read (listened to) a couple of his books - The Old Wives' Tale & The Price of Love.
He does have something of value to say in his observation of human nature and in an enjoyable way.
I think when I read him before I was in a hurry to consume as much as I could after many years of not reading.
Many people probably shy away from older literature because the language can sometimes be more complicated than what we are used to today, but imo there is a lot of pleasure and insight to be gained from it.
As to putting Arnold Bennett ahead of Dickens, not imo but they are completely different kinds of writers.

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Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.

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Emma Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 9853 OZ Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #234 - Aug 9^th, 2014 at 10:59pm The Son Jo Nesbo
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Emma Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 9853 OZ Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #235 - Sep 2^nd, 2014 at 11:38pm Ah Nesbo.. these scandinavian authors.. are really good. Lots of them too. But currently reading Australian.. 'Truth' .. Peter Temple.!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome. and a deserved winner of the Miles Franklin Award. A very worthy follow to 'The Broken Shore'. Well worth a read.
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Soren

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #236 - Sep 2^nd, 2014 at 11:59pm

Annie Anthrax wrote on Jul 21^st, 2014 at 10:14pm:

Whoever it was who was having trouble seeing a book through to the end, maybe you could try short stories to ease back in to proper reading. Chekhov's The Looking Glass is good.

Calvino has a short story about a soldier on a train who sits next to a civilian woman. It's really, really good and quite short. I can't recall the name of it and I'm snuggled in now, but I will post it tomorrow when I can check out the bookcases.

The Adventures of a Soldier (in the collection Difficult Loves).

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« Last Edit: Sep 3^rd, 2014 at 12:05am by Soren »

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Annie Anthrax Gold Member Offline Take the plan, spin it sideways Posts: 7057 Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #237 - Sep 3^rd, 2014 at 6:17am Oh, thanks. I'd forgotten my post.
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Annie Anthrax Gold Member Offline Take the plan, spin it sideways Posts: 7057 Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #238 - Sep 4^th, 2014 at 8:55pm I am about to start Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. I think I mentioned earlier in the thread that I loved The Handmaid's Tale so I have high expectations. It's the first in a trilogy which has very good reviews. I'm just a bit excited.
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Emma Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 9853 OZ Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #239 - Sep 4^th, 2014 at 11:43pm I'm saving Atwood for later. Have the Blind Assassin, and am saving it for a rainy day. Oh dear.. I wish there was three of me... but even then.. I'll never keep up.. But.. I recommend your local library... use it people... or lose it. And wouldn't THAT be sad.
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