No, you suggested. You did not command. A command is very different.Have you chosen a book yet?
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Where's Steve??
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yes, i did suggest, you are correct.I am reading..."think like your customer" (signed copy) - Bill Stinnett"whit" - Iain Banks (highly recommended author)"science of every day life" - Jay Ingram (I probably could have written most of this myself but it's fun to read)"billions and billions" - Carl Sagan (same comment as above)and you?
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You're right, SteveA, I did misconstrue what sdp was saying. On re-reading it, it's quite clear that he is talking in general terms of grandparents helping the young parents complete their education and helping look after the child. I don't know how I misread it.I am very grateful for people who say kind words about me, though it makes me nervous because I know I can't live up to people's expectations. There's no way I'm starting a cult. I'm not a leader, anyway.I think one of the most serious problems in western societies (and perhaps all over the world) now is the dearth of opportunity for people who do not have advanced educational qualifications. Most jobs do not really need a university education, but it is used as a selection tool. In consequence those who are unable to get one, for one reason or another, tend to end up as an underclass.Are you familiar with Alain de Botton's work on status anxiety? (http://www.alaindebotton.com/status.htm - I have only seen the TV series.) His thesis is that a lot of unhappiness in the West come from the idea that anyone can be as rich and successful as he likes by trying hard enough, and its corollaries that if you are not as rich as you would like it's your own fault, and if someone else is richer it's because he's a better person than you.
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You can criticize him, but only if you have something you can justly criticize about him, not twist his words
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That applies to everyone, in all contexts.
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Re: Alain de Botton and Status anxiety
Ineligible, I haven't blown you off...some things take a while to ponder. But he makes some good sense.
There was an interesting pair of articles in the New York Times earlier this week about class and class mobility in the U.S. Bottom line: mobility isn't as great as people assume it is, and it's getting worse. It's about the same in the U.S. as it is in Britain, and worse than Scandinavia.
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In reply to:
yes, i did suggest, you are correct.
I am reading...
"think like your customer" (signed copy) - Bill Stinnett
"whit" - Iain Banks (highly recommended author)
"science of every day life" - Jay Ingram (I probably could have written most of this myself but it's fun to read)
"billions and billions" - Carl Sagan (same comment as above)
Most awesome. How do you keep track of so many books at the same time? And are the classics getting short shrift? You should read The Prince if you haven't already. (Confession: I listened to it on tape, in the car.)
In reply to:
and you?
I'm reading V.S. Naipaul's Beyond Belief, a sequel to Among the Believers, both of which are about the Islamic culture of the "converted" (i.e., non-Arab) countries. Specifically: Indonesia, Malasia, Iran, Pakistan, and Quebec. Not Quebec.
Naipaul is one of the most totally ass-kicking writers of the English language (and a Nobel laureate). A long time ago I read some of his autobiographical stuff about his childhood in Trinidad. Very engrossing.
Next I'm on the hook to read Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence.
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In reply to: Most awesome. How do you keep track of so many books at the same time? And are the classics getting short shrift? Thanks. I can keep track of them because they are so different in nature. There is only one story to follow i.e. Whit. The rest are more reference in nature.social science, science on earth and science everywhere.I've read some classics including much of Shakespeare but, frankly, I'm just as happy to read Clive Barker and Stephen King. I've read just about all of Robert Ludlum too. So, admittedly, my fiction tends to be pulp But then, like you, I read stuff like Doug Hofstadter. I've never heard of Naipaul but that topic is of interest to me so I'll have to book shopping.Thanks for that info.
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book shoppingAnd don't forget about your local free lending library.The first article I read by Naipaul was an autobiographical piece in the New Yorker, in the mid-80's. I didn't know who the writer was until I reached the end of the article. But while reading it I kept thinking, "If only I could write like this guy." It was a good thing to aspire to, but I might as well wish I could shoot baskets like Shaquille O'Neil. I'm not sure that everyone would find his writing style appealing, but I dig it.
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The library has never been a good option for me. It takes me a longer than usual time to digest a book. I've mentioned that I'm dyslexic. Down side... my embarrassing spelling abilities and slower than average reading. Up side... very precise reading (I can't re-read a novel beacuse I don't get any more out of it) and the hillarious signs I read at first glance (before I look again and find out what they really say)As far as intellegent and enjoyable fiction goes, I really reccomend Iain Banks. Read 'wasp factory' it's a short and easy read but it's so bizzarely twisted. 'Complicity' is deaper and much more intense.sorry for the long post
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Iain BanksI will look for his stuff. If it's a quick read, I can squeeze it in.> sorry for the long postSometimes books have to be long, sometimes posts have to be long.
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if you do read one of Iain's books, good or bad, I'd really like to hear what you think.
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We're now tied at 2093. We must have a lot of time on our hands.
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do
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not
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start
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spamming!!it's not a competition, silly boy
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Only difference is he registered 4 months before you.And he's right, it's not a competition to anyone but you... maybe that's why you keep doing those double posts? To up yor posts counts? So in reality you would only have about 1500 posts without those doubles...
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We weren't tied for long. You pulled ahead with a post to the pimp thread. And now you're spamming thread that's all about me. "Where am I?" will have no easy answer until I'm dead. Maybe not even then. Where are you?
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thanks Search!!oops, that was another post
