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* Philosophy Arthur Schopenhauer - The World as Will and Representation. Surprisingly readable and insightful, even if you don't buy his metaphysics. Einstein

by dotsam 4y ago

* Philosophy Arthur Schopenhauer - The World as Will and Representation. Surprisingly readable and insightful, even if you don't buy his metaphysics. Einstein had Schopenhauer's portrait on his wall and considered him a genius. * Poetry John Milton - Paradise Lost Powerful and beautiful writing. * Fiction Rabelais - Gargantua and Pantagruel. Funny and a real feast of words (the translation is a work of art in itself) Thomas Mann - The Magic Mountain. Haunting and moving Pierre Choderlos de Laclos - Dangerous Liaisons. Scandalous, gripping. Ivan Turgenev - First Love. A masterclass in writing. Short, sensitive and exquisitely told. Marcel Proust - In Search of Lost Time. Exceptionally rich and a beautiful study of love. Reading it is like living another life. PG Wodehouse - the Jeeves series. Hilarious, perfectly frivolous, light and sunny * Non-fiction Stuart Russell - Human Compatible: AI and the Problem of Control. Potential bad outcomes from AI and what we might be able to do about them Noam Chomsky - Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies. How public discourse is shaped and controlled Karl Popper - The Open Society and its Enemies. How to work against totalitarianism

mindcrime 4y ago
Karl Popper - The Open Society and its Enemies. How to work against totalitarianism I've had this on my shelf waiting to be read for quite some time. I suddenly get the sense that it's more timely and topical than ever. Will probably start it soon.
cetahfh14615 4y ago
> Arthur Schopenhauer - The World as Will and Representation. Actually just ordered this about a week ago. Read a couple articles about him and got the impression that he shares a lot with early Christianity (and also Buddhism) > Marcel Proust - In Search of Lost Time. Exceptionally rich and a beautiful study of love. Reading it is like living another life. Haven't read the Proust but I'd say the same for War and Peace
- dotsam 4y ago
  > got the impression that he shares a lot with early Christianity (and also Buddhism) Schopenhauer revered the Upanishads (foundational Hindu texts), and was one of the first thinkers in the West to share key aspects of Indian philosophy. He was very critical of Christianity, and was a staunch atheist. Bryan Magee's 'The Philosophy of Schopenhauer' is an excellent companion to The World as Will and Representation and well worth reading.

by dotsam 4y ago

mindcrime 4y ago

Karl Popper - The Open Society and its Enemies. How to work against totalitarianism I've had this on my shelf waiting to be read for quite some time. I suddenly get the sense that it's more timely and topical than ever. Will probably start it soon.

cetahfh14615 4y ago

> Arthur Schopenhauer - The World as Will and Representation. Actually just ordered this about a week ago. Read a couple articles about him and got the impression that he shares a lot with early Christianity (and also Buddhism) > Marcel Proust - In Search of Lost Time. Exceptionally rich and a beautiful study of love. Reading it is like living another life. Haven't read the Proust but I'd say the same for War and Peace

dotsam 4y ago
> got the impression that he shares a lot with early Christianity (and also Buddhism) Schopenhauer revered the Upanishads (foundational Hindu texts), and was one of the first thinkers in the West to share key aspects of Indian philosophy. He was very critical of Christianity, and was a staunch atheist. Bryan Magee's 'The Philosophy of Schopenhauer' is an excellent companion to The World as Will and Representation and well worth reading.