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On November 03 2014 03:29 dmnum wrote: god american covers are the worst
gonna try something new: for every two new books that I read I'll reread one. it's already working out great, because I just started Anna Karenina again
Just make sure it doesn't become: for every two new book I'll rearead Anna Karenina
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On November 04 2014 17:43 sAsImre wrote:Show nested quote +On November 03 2014 03:29 dmnum wrote: god american covers are the worst
gonna try something new: for every two new books that I read I'll reread one. it's already working out great, because I just started Anna Karenina again Just make sure it doesn't become: for every two new book I'll rearead Anna Karenina not gonna lie, that is very possible
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I have been reading a lot of David Brin recently,and i found it to be one of the best SF i read since Fondation :
So far i read all the novels revolving around the Uplift universe and they are all absolutly worth reading.
from wikipedia : "This future history depicts a huge galactic civilization responsible for "uplifting" all forms of life which are potentially capable of developing sapience and star-travelling ability. [...]. In the "Uplift" novels humans are economically and technologically the weakest spacefaring race, and are an anomaly since they have no apparent "patron" species responsible for their uplift from animal pre-sapience.[...] This means that humanity (and its dolphin and chimpanzee clients) have entered the huge and fractious Civilization of the Five Galaxies unprepared; catching up to this advanced and uneasy culture provides tension for most of the Uplift stories."
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I haven't read much David Brin but his novel Existence I thought was pretty damn good
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Baa?21242 Posts
On November 04 2014 19:42 dmnum wrote:Show nested quote +On November 04 2014 17:43 sAsImre wrote:On November 03 2014 03:29 dmnum wrote: god american covers are the worst
gonna try something new: for every two new books that I read I'll reread one. it's already working out great, because I just started Anna Karenina again Just make sure it doesn't become: for every two new book I'll rearead Anna Karenina not gonna lie, that is very possible
And then for every time five Anna Kareninas you re-read you re-read Anna Karenina. What could go wrong?
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On November 06 2014 10:16 bookwyrm wrote: I haven't read much David Brin but his novel Existence I thought was pretty damn good
Yeah that is definitely the next book i'll read i was kinda hesitating but you just convinced me.
Right now i am taking a little break from science fiction by re-reading Flash ou le grand Voyage.
![[image loading]](http://www.livredepoche.com/sites/default/files/styles/cover_book_focus/public/media/imgArticle/LGFLIVREDEPOCHE/2013/9782253000143-T.jpg) It's a great french classic and it seems that it has an English version. I strongly recommend it as well. It's an auto-biography by Charles Duchaussois about his experience travelling on the hippy trail.
This is a roughly translated summary:
Charles Duchaussois tells his journey from France , through the Middle East , arriving in Asia , the discovery of drugs and new territories. The protagonist is just drifting at the mercy of adventures and encounters. This is a trip filled with discoveries and deep introspection . The book clearly illustrates the hippie era of the 1960s .
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On November 04 2014 20:20 Mackh wrote:I have been reading a lot of David Brin recently,and i found it to be one of the best SF i read since Fondation : So far i read all the novels revolving around the Uplift universe and they are all absolutly worth reading. from wikipedia : "This future history depicts a huge galactic civilization responsible for "uplifting" all forms of life which are potentially capable of developing sapience and star-travelling ability. [...]. In the "Uplift" novels humans are economically and technologically the weakest spacefaring race, and are an anomaly since they have no apparent "patron" species responsible for their uplift from animal pre-sapience.[...] This means that humanity (and its dolphin and chimpanzee clients) have entered the huge and fractious Civilization of the Five Galaxies unprepared; catching up to this advanced and uneasy culture provides tension for most of the Uplift stories."
I've only read the first three uplift novels and I feel that I've got a very mixed view on the books. On one hand we got a "SciFi story of old", much in the same way the foundation is SciFi. It's has a interesting world built up around it, and some of the viewpoints feels different,it's almost like you can touch the mindset itself. But on the other hand, I never had the slightest interest in any of the characters at all. Dueling dolphins, well, novel but please get it over with. Still, I got a fond memory of the series, and I feel they're well worth the read.
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On November 06 2014 10:24 Carnivorous Sheep wrote:Show nested quote +On November 04 2014 19:42 dmnum wrote:On November 04 2014 17:43 sAsImre wrote:On November 03 2014 03:29 dmnum wrote: god american covers are the worst
gonna try something new: for every two new books that I read I'll reread one. it's already working out great, because I just started Anna Karenina again Just make sure it doesn't become: for every two new book I'll rearead Anna Karenina not gonna lie, that is very possible And then for every time five Anna Kareninas you re-read you re-read Anna Karenina. What could go wrong? just need to find room for a war and peace of two and we're on to something
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On November 07 2014 04:13 lungic wrote:Show nested quote +On November 04 2014 20:20 Mackh wrote:I have been reading a lot of David Brin recently,and i found it to be one of the best SF i read since Fondation : So far i read all the novels revolving around the Uplift universe and they are all absolutly worth reading. from wikipedia : "This future history depicts a huge galactic civilization responsible for "uplifting" all forms of life which are potentially capable of developing sapience and star-travelling ability. [...]. In the "Uplift" novels humans are economically and technologically the weakest spacefaring race, and are an anomaly since they have no apparent "patron" species responsible for their uplift from animal pre-sapience.[...] This means that humanity (and its dolphin and chimpanzee clients) have entered the huge and fractious Civilization of the Five Galaxies unprepared; catching up to this advanced and uneasy culture provides tension for most of the Uplift stories." I've only read the first three uplift novels and I feel that I've got a very mixed view on the books. On one hand we got a "SciFi story of old", much in the same way the foundation is SciFi. It's has a interesting world built up around it, and some of the viewpoints feels different,it's almost like you can touch the mindset itself. But on the other hand, I never had the slightest interest in any of the characters at all. Dueling dolphins, well, novel but please get it over with. Still, I got a fond memory of the series, and I feel they're well worth the read.
I find your second point interesting, most of the non human characters are indeed very hard to relate to. They're used more as a medium to make us understand the main differences in logic and culture between the species and their toughs are often about galactic history/sociology. Therefore they're rapidly becoming more like observers on the global situations than actual characters.
I think that the author made it this way on purpose and that it really helps the reader to fully grasp the divergences in cultures and philosophies in the galactic civilization he envisioned. In my opinion this gives a real consistency to his universe and a lot to think about which is what i really love about those novels. But i definitely agree that i would have loved to have a bit more empathy with the protagonists.
If you haven't read the second trilogy,you should try them if you have the occasion (rising tides and the 2 last ones are the best in my opinion). Plus you are missing some cool stuff, I won't spoil anything but the global plot is deep and as always everything comes together at the end 
PS : I am not sure that my sentences always make sense and i apologize if they don't, talking about literature in English is kinda hard but it's a good practice tho
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As far as I'm concerned, the more French people in this thread, the better.
Except for Boblion 
I'm taking a break from coursework by re-reading
![[image loading]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/10/SlowLearner1stEdition.JPG/220px-SlowLearner1stEdition.JPG)
I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in tracing stylistic progress from the author's perspective.
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![[image loading]](http://www.palgraveconnect.com/pc/hist2011/large/9780230299191_large.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780312203184_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG)
![[image loading]](http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781451697384/this-changes-everything-9781451697384_lg.jpg)
my first idea for a seminar paper turned out to be a non-starter, back to the drawing board... hopefully something good will come out of all this...
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England2654 Posts
Just "read": 1984 - I actually listened to it on audiobook but yeah, nothing to add here that hasn't been said before. There's a certain kind of horror that comes from hearing about the world in this book and with no happy ending to ruin that whole thing, there's a weird feeling after finishing it. Not felt like this from a book in ages, just pure futility.
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Does anybody here have any recommendations for "easy-to-read" worthwhile books about free will and neuroscience, neurology, neurostimulation and/or genetics? I would like to extend my knowledge on the subject as I think it would be beneficial for my philosophy classes. Being able to back up or falsify claims with "hard" science would make my life a lot easier.
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On November 13 2014 06:48 NinthMango wrote: Being able to back up or falsify claims with "hard" science would make my life a lot easier.
GL with that. If philosophy could be solved by simply applying neuroscience, we'd have done that by now.
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Go ahead and read the charlatan Daniel Dennett; I'm sure you'll stumble upon him at one point or another, and he'll confirm much of what I can tell you believe to be true in a delightfully ill-conceived manner :D
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Lol, the name has been spoken. I have read a lot, but that will have to wait as I still only have one valid hand... Has anyone read Under thevolcano and can share his thought ?
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On November 13 2014 07:56 farvacola wrote: Go ahead and read the charlatan Daniel Dennett; I'm sure you'll stumble upon him at one point or another, and he'll confirm much of what I can tell you believe to be true in a delightfully ill-conceived manner :D Don't you dare call Santa a charlatan.
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On November 13 2014 08:21 dmnum wrote:Show nested quote +On November 13 2014 07:56 farvacola wrote: Go ahead and read the charlatan Daniel Dennett; I'm sure you'll stumble upon him at one point or another, and he'll confirm much of what I can tell you believe to be true in a delightfully ill-conceived manner :D Don't you dare call Santa a charlatan. I always thought of him looking more like John Hammond, but I guess he could pass for Santa.
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![[image loading]](http://yalepress.yale.edu/images/full13/9780300126549.jpg)
On November 13 2014 06:48 NinthMango wrote: Does anybody here have any recommendations for "easy-to-read" worthwhile books about free will and neuroscience, neurology, neurostimulation and/or genetics? I would like to extend my knowledge on the subject as I think it would be beneficial for my philosophy classes. Being able to back up or falsify claims with "hard" science would make my life a lot easier.
Manuel DeLanda - Intensive Science and Virtual Philosophy
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