5 ms·

I'd have expected to see many of those titles on a military-issue e-reader, but The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test?

by rosser 12y ago

derefr 12y ago
Better to have a title get lost in the noise of a huge selection, than to be specifically called out (and then passed around) as contraband.
notproductive 12y ago
Honestly the fact that at least someone commented on this is the reason I read ycombinator, I first checked the article's comment section but saw no mention of the above. It's actually a good selection of books and the Navy would be better for it if the soldiers digest them
- frankydp 12y ago
  This program is linked to a weight/refit time reduction initiative. MWR usually supplies reading material like this(personal), which with a little scale can add up. That being said MWR is a sudo-military-ish thing that is very much suppose to supply the actual wants of service members and not so much mission anything. Somehow in all the red tape of the military they happen to really do well at being current and engaging with their supplies. Also, Sailors rarely enjoy being referred to as Soldiers. Use service member in all cases where the proper reference is uncertain.
zhte415 12y ago
Perhaps it is for the division that stare at goats? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Men_Who_Stare_at_Goats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Men_Who_Stare_at_Goats
chrissnell 12y ago
You might be surprised to hear that there are many free-thinkers in the military. It's a little slice of America, with just about every subculture represented. What I'm surprised to hear is that they're including a bunch of military reading on these. While I love war books and tactics, when I'm off doing military shit 24/7, the last thing I want to do with my rare free time is read a military book. Give me something that gets my mind off it all.
- derefr 12y ago
  Just like everywhere else, there are also workaholics in the military. But unlike everywhere else (except hospitals), you can't just turn off the submarine and send everyone home each night, to make sure that at least a little leisure time is forced upon them. In this sort of situation, one of the only ways you can get the workaholic to take a break is by justifying the break as a different kind of productivity--"reading up on strategy" for one.
- a3n 12y ago
  > You might be surprised to hear that there are many free-thinkers in the military. Indeed. I was in the Navy six years, and a large portion of "people who opened my eyes" I met in the Navy. In general, people are not what you see in the movies. Just because people look the same doesn't mean they are the same. Variety is everywhere.
- mseebach 12y ago
  People can and do have a personal interest in their field of work, and that's a good thing. Let's assume that you're a software engineer and for the sake of argument that your employer has to provide you with your reading: If that reading compendium included SICP and Code Complete (besides a large selection of mainstream fiction and sci-fi etc), would you be "surprised to hear" that, too?
  - chrissnell 12y ago
    The software engineer parallel isn't totally the same. It's hard to understand unless you've been there but military exercises/war are an all-encompassing thing. You're eating and breathing this stuff 24/7 whether you like it or not. During these things, it can be difficult to feel like you're a civilian, especially when you can't even wear civilian clothes. But yeah, you are right, there are some people who can do it all day and night and still not get enough. War movies and books are very popular with Soldiers.
ableal 12y ago
> but The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test? It's not like Tom Wolfe is a raging radical. Interesting reporting, yes, colorful prose, yes, burn-it-to-the-ground calls, no. Check out his book Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers. Probably applies better to current practices.

I'd have expected to see many of those titles on a military-issue e-reader, but The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test?

by rosser 12y ago

I'd have expected to see many of those titles on a military-issue e-reader, but The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test?

Better to have a title get lost in the noise of a huge selection, than to be specifically called out (and then passed around) as contraband.

notproductive 12y ago

Honestly the fact that at least someone commented on this is the reason I read ycombinator, I first checked the article's comment section but saw no mention of the above. It's actually a good selection of books and the Navy would be better for it if the soldiers digest them

frankydp 12y ago
This program is linked to a weight/refit time reduction initiative. MWR usually supplies reading material like this(personal), which with a little scale can add up. That being said MWR is a sudo-military-ish thing that is very much suppose to supply the actual wants of service members and not so much mission anything. Somehow in all the red tape of the military they happen to really do well at being current and engaging with their supplies. Also, Sailors rarely enjoy being referred to as Soldiers. Use service member in all cases where the proper reference is uncertain.

zhte415 12y ago

Perhaps it is for the division that stare at goats? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Men_Who_Stare_at_Goats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Men_Who_Stare_at_Goats

chrissnell 12y ago

You might be surprised to hear that there are many free-thinkers in the military. It's a little slice of America, with just about every subculture represented. What I'm surprised to hear is that they're including a bunch of military reading on these. While I love war books and tactics, when I'm off doing military shit 24/7, the last thing I want to do with my rare free time is read a military book. Give me something that gets my mind off it all.

derefr 12y ago
Just like everywhere else, there are also workaholics in the military. But unlike everywhere else (except hospitals), you can't just turn off the submarine and send everyone home each night, to make sure that at least a little leisure time is forced upon them. In this sort of situation, one of the only ways you can get the workaholic to take a break is by justifying the break as a different kind of productivity--"reading up on strategy" for one.
a3n 12y ago
> You might be surprised to hear that there are many free-thinkers in the military. Indeed. I was in the Navy six years, and a large portion of "people who opened my eyes" I met in the Navy. In general, people are not what you see in the movies. Just because people look the same doesn't mean they are the same. Variety is everywhere.
mseebach 12y ago
People can and do have a personal interest in their field of work, and that's a good thing. Let's assume that you're a software engineer and for the sake of argument that your employer has to provide you with your reading: If that reading compendium included SICP and Code Complete (besides a large selection of mainstream fiction and sci-fi etc), would you be "surprised to hear" that, too?
- chrissnell 12y ago
  The software engineer parallel isn't totally the same. It's hard to understand unless you've been there but military exercises/war are an all-encompassing thing. You're eating and breathing this stuff 24/7 whether you like it or not. During these things, it can be difficult to feel like you're a civilian, especially when you can't even wear civilian clothes. But yeah, you are right, there are some people who can do it all day and night and still not get enough. War movies and books are very popular with Soldiers.

ableal 12y ago

> but The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test? It's not like Tom Wolfe is a raging radical. Interesting reporting, yes, colorful prose, yes, burn-it-to-the-ground calls, no. Check out his book Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers. Probably applies better to current practices.