141–150 of 185 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This book is complete trash. You should find a better book.
Care to suggest one?
I agree that the book upthread presents weak arguments. I didn't like it even though I sympathize with much "libertarian nonsense".
Kim by Rudyard Kipling. Despite Kipling's jingoism in other works, Kim spoke to me in school. It opened me to a world of adventure and fearlessness that I didn't know was possible. I really haven't been the same since I read that book.
I first read it when I was ~25 and it made me think about the way the world is, the historical reasons it is this way and how we can nudge it towards being better.
It frustrates me that Fuller wrote the book nearly 50 years ago and all the same stupid crap continues to happen and humanity doesn't seem to be getting its collective shit together.
But then I remember the lessons from the book on why the world is like it is and how we can only nudge it slowly....
You can read it here: http://designsciencelab.com/resources/OperatingManual_BF.pdf
Edit to also mention; Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (as well as basically every other book he ever wrote).
I read it only recently but it changed the way I look at everything now. I am now seeing how our creative culture is being hurt without most people noticing. I have become an advocate for free culture and contribute all my art to public domain. The book itself is freely available, you can google it and download it right now if you want to read it.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I learned to be less Arthur and more Ford about my approach to living my life in general, and dealing with Fenchurch winking out of existence in particular.
"1984" by George Orwell and "Gödel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas Hofstadter.
How did "1984" change your life?
The Easy Way To Stop Smoking, by Alan Carr. Very logically made me realise that willpower was really just about changing how you talk to yourself. Essentially learning impulse control. I lost a deadly, expensive habit and a fair bit of weight. Clean for 6 years.
I read practical ethics by Peter Singer in a time of my life when I was struggling to justify my way of life. It pushed me down a path that I still follow today. Gösta Berling's tale by Selma Lagerlöf was also very defining. It kept me away from the niilism that often strikes teenagers. Truly wonderful writing (Although I can't vouch for any translations).