What are you reading?

[QUOTE="chessmaster1989"][QUOTE="MetalGear_Ninty"]

I've actually just recently finished reading Watchmen, and I must say it is a truly awesome book. It's especially interesting if, like me, you're not used to reading graphic novels.

NB: I can't believe I've only just discovered the legend that is Rorschach. Nobody does nihilistic, right-wing anti-hero better.

ChiliDragon

I just read Watchmen a couple weeks ago. Have you read V for Vendetta or any of the Sin City graphic novels?

V for Vendetta is my favorite graphic novel so far, actually. I liked it more than Watchmen or any of the first five volumes of Sin City.

[QUOTE="MetalGear_Ninty"]

I've actually just recently finished reading Watchmen, and I must say it is a truly awesome book. It's especially interesting if, like me, you're not used to reading graphic novels.

NB: I can't believe I've only just discovered the legend that is Rorschach. Nobody does nihilistic, right-wing anti-hero better.

chessmaster1989

I just read Watchmen a couple weeks ago. Have you read V for Vendetta or any of the Sin City graphic novels?

I've read much of Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears.  Driscoll is a rather unique writer in the fact that he is blunt, funny, uses the Bible to show his points (but largely in footnote form), and uses culture to express his points.  The book is a very to the point, yet funny book.  I've never laughed so much while reading a theology book.

As for the content of the book, it basically shows how many of the interpretations of Jesus in our culture is wrong.  He "fixes" these views.

I'm still reading Cosmos but I'm going to start reading Sense & Goodness without God: A defense of Metaphysical Naturalism by Richard Carrier soon.Dr_AlanGrant

I just ordered Body and Soul: Human Nature and the Crisis in Ethics by J.P. Moreland and Scott Rae.  

The Sandman is amazing. When you get to Season of Mists, please, by all means start a thread about the nature of hell! I'll hop right in and discuss it with you. "But I'm supposed to be punished!" Good stuff... Have you read any of Gaiman's novels yet? The Anansi Boys is very good, and has more of his musings and thoughts around religion, as does American Gods.ChiliDragon

American God's came up in my English class and it sounds very good.

American God's came up in my English class and it sounds very good.

domatron23

Started House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski.  It's good if a little strange so far.

@Domatron: This topic's so popular I think it deserves a place in the stickies. What do you think?Lansdowne5

[QUOTE="Lansdowne5"]@Domatron: This topic's so popular I think it deserves a place in the stickies. What do you think?ChiliDragon

But we seem to have a lot of stickies.

[QUOTE="ChiliDragon"][QUOTE="Lansdowne5"]@Domatron: This topic's so popular I think it deserves a place in the stickies. What do you think?Teenaged

But we seem to have a lot of stickies.

[QUOTE="ChiliDragon"][QUOTE="Lansdowne5"]@Domatron: This topic's so popular I think it deserves a place in the stickies. What do you think?Teenaged

But we seem to have a lot of stickies.

Fourthed (sp?)

I know there are allredy a good few stickies but for now I don't think one more will hurt.

[QUOTE="Teenaged"]

[QUOTE="ChiliDragon"][QUOTE="Lansdowne5"]@Domatron: This topic's so popular I think it deserves a place in the stickies. What do you think?domatron23

But we seem to have a lot of stickies.

Fourthed (sp?)

I know there are allredy a good few stickies but for now I don't think one more will hurt.

It is not essential or anything like that, but I think it could be of use -- that's if people want it.

Arr about that, I was going to raise this with you later, but one thing that I notice this union lacks is an off-topic thread. Y'know, just to talk about games, movies, sports etc.

It is not essential or anything like that, but I think it could be of use -- that's if people want it.

MetalGear_Ninty

Duly noted. Let's wait a bit and see what everyone else thinks of that idea. Personally I thought it would be cool to see what games the people here play.

Allrighty I finished that crap-pile Tithe a while ago and then I also read The Hanged Man by Franscesca Lia Block and Sweetblood by Paul Hautman. The Hanged Man was some garbage about a chick who has a mental breakdown after her father dies (oh and her father used to have sex with her). Boring as hell. Sweetblood was about this angsty diabetic teenager who calls herself a vampire and pretty much just acts like a delinquent throughout the whole novel. Doesn't sound very good I know but it was actually rather enjoyable, convincing and well written.

Those are the books I've read for my english course, my Greek philosophy course is a bit more exciting though. I finished off Plato's Republic which was at times remarkable and at others bizarre (apparently the perfectly unjust man is precisely 729 times more miserable than the perfectly just man). Now I'm moving on to the Gorgias and soon after the Symposium. Not only that though I brought a little book thats filled with virtually every fragment of text that's attributed to the presocratics. So I have the source material for the philosophy of Xenophanes, Parmenides, Zeno and a bunch of other influential protophilosophers.

I'm reading:

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar (philosophy explained through jokes, I picked it up in Canada last month and it was really enjoyable :P)

The Mental Floss History of the World (don't expect it to be serious! You can get a good few history lessons from it, but it is mostly meant to be enjoyable)

Great Expectationsby Charles Dickens (a really good book, with a great storyline, and a classic. If anyone hasn't read it, now is the time.)

I appreciate comedy with occasional serious breaks. :P

I just started reading Evangelism Handbook by Dr. Alvin Reid recently.  It's basically an introduction to becoming a missionary in our own culture.  I'm actually reading the book for my class on Evangelism and the author is actually my professor.  The book technically isn't even out yet. :P

I also recently started Comeback Churches by Dr. Ed Stetzer and Dr. Mike Dodson.  Both are professors at my school and I actually spoke to Dr. Dodson in his office yesterday for about 30 minutes about church planting.  The book is written to help dying churches "comeback."

As you can tell, the books I'm reading are very "anti-atheism" in the sense that the books are essentially about sharing the gospel. :P

I've just finished reading 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' by Nietzsche. The book is quite simply a masterpiece, and should be read not just by every thinking atheist, but by anybody with philosophical tendencies.

It is a must read!

I've just finished reading 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' by Nietzsche. The book is quite simply a masterpiece, and should be read not just by every thinking atheist, but by anybody with philosophical tendencies.

It is a must read!

MetalGear_Ninty

Yeah I haven't read that yet but it's high up on my "to do" list. I'm in the middle of reading something else on that list though, The God Delusion. It's very good so far albeit with one or two raised eyebrows along the way.

My dad bought me a couple of books by Jeremy Clarkson (The guy from Top Gear), it's called The World According to Jeremy Clarkson. I'm finding it quite amusing, he's a funny individual.

I'm going on a mission trip to New York City soon and was asked to read The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller before going.  I just started reading it yesturday and am 1/3 the way through and am happy with it thus far.

The author is a pastor of a church he started in New York City and answers many of the questions plaguing the people he ministers.  I've also heard some of his sermons and he seems to be a good preacher with his priorities in order.

Within the first several chapters he gives basic arguments to questions like can't all religions be true, how can a good God allow suffering, does not absolute morals prohibit freedom, why is the the church seemingly responsible social injustice, how can a good God send people to hell, etc.  At least of the answers I've read thus far, I pretty much agree with all of his arguments.  He also does a rather good job at explaining Christianity along the way.  I would thus recommend it.

The Extreme Future: Top 20 trends that will shape the world.

My dad is making me read it, it a bit repetitive but it's a real eye opener.

I've been reading a book by E L Kersten Ph. D., called "The Art of Demotivation", which talks about "transforming your company's least valuable asset - your employees". I thoroughly recommend it, as it gives a really cynical and thought provoking insight into corporate climbing - for executives only! It does this by exposing the myths of management motivation, based on employee narcissism, greed and competitiveness.

 It comes with 2 hardback slip-covers; a fake one:

for reading in front of any bosses or employees at work.

And the real one: 

For HR department meetings, corporate strategy  and scaring staff. I really like this book, as it challenges perceptions of "self" and contexts of "value" and "labour". Its really humorous too.  

Yesterday I started As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer.Bourbons3

Why? 

Waugh, L. & Monville-Burston (eds) 1990: On Language: Roman Jakobson.

Chapter 4: The speech event and the functions of language

I just read the Antichrist, and let's just say that Dawkins looks like a poodle in his dislike for religion compared to Nietzsche. :?

I just read the Antichrist, and let's just say that Dawkins looks like a poodle in his dislike for religion compared to Nietzsche. :?

MetalGear_Ninty

Anyway, I just started re-reading Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (A must-read for any Christians out there), and Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, and I plan on reading The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy very shortly, as in as soon as it arrives in the mail.  

[QUOTE="MetalGear_Ninty"]

I just read the Antichrist, and let's just say that Dawkins looks like a poodle in his dislike for religion compared to Nietzsche. :?

danwallacefan

Right now I'm plowing through Lee Strobel's "The Case For Christ" and it's quite good. He writes very well but from what I've seen so far his investigation into Jesus and his life is rather one sided and not nearly as probing as it needs to be in order to convince the skeptic.

I would recommend it to Christians but I don't really think it will satisfy the non-believers. I'll keep on reading it though and let everyone know if my opinion changes.

Right now I'm plowing through Lee Strobel's "The Case For Christ" and it's quite good. He writes very well but from what I've seen so far his investigation into Jesus and his life is rather one sided and not nearly as probing as it needs to be in order to convince the skeptic.domatron23

I read that two and a half years ago when I was a Christian and you're right. There were a few parts that he left pretty open for attack, but he brushed over as though they were no big deal.

Another thread here reminded me to re-read "Weighing the Soul", by "Len Fisher" again:

It's a bit too short, but with some interesting stories, like how weighing people who were dying showed their weight decrease immediately after death, with repeatable experimentation!

It also has an appendix on necessary scientific mysteries. 

like how weighing people who were dying showed their weight decrease immediately after death, with repeatable experimentation!RationalAtheist

Ah yes I've heard of that before and some people even used it as evidence of a soul. The proper explanation escapes me at the moment though.

Ah yes I've heard of that before and some people even used it as evidence of a soul. The proper explanation escapes me at the moment though.

domatron23

Spoiler!!!!`

(That HTML spoiler code doesn't work for me.) 

The most likely explanation cited was thermal currents affecting the early measuring equipment used. But the early scientific explanations involved "caloric" - the heat "substance" thought to have weight, before heat was conceptualised as energy.

Some experiments with dogs failed to provide a reading (reminding me of those recent church sign atheism photo thread entries about dogs going to heaven). That could have been due to the insulating fur! But rats did weigh less on death, unless contained in a bell jar...

I think the experiment that swung it involved freezing water while weighing it against liquid alcohol. The results from that test somehow indicated thermal currents could influence scale readings.

Right well I finished The Case for Christ a good while ago. It was pretty much the same kind of one sided stuff that I mentioned earlier but to make it worse in the later chapters Strobel assumes that the reader has been convinced by the early chapters and makes every argument about Jesus based entirely on the veracity of the scriptures. Again, not particularly interesting stuff for a skeptic.

Since then I've moved along and read Plato's Symposium which was very good but not as great as some of his other works (the Republic and the Apology are superior).

I've also started to read C.K. Stead's "Smith's Dream" which is about some dude called Smith who finds himself rebelling against a fascist New Zealand dictatorship. It's pretty darned good so far.

"The Comprehensive Commentary on The Qur'an"-Muhammad al-Ghazzali

It's really good so far.