OT: Read a Book. Read many Books.

[sleepyhead]

This is just my personal experience and I know that it will be an unpopular opinion, but reading "story-telling" books, just like watching TV, is a waste of time.

There is so many things to do in life that spending countless hours watching TV and reading books is equivalent to pissing your life away. I could quit my job and not work a single minute for the rest of my life (e.g. if I won the lottery) and I would still have so many things to do that the days would be too short for me.

The only time I would read books is if I want to learn a new skill, i.e. text books, gardening books, how to invest in stocks, etc.

I just prefer an active lifestyle, while some don't like to exert too much energy, so they sit and watch TV or read books. It's your choice, but reading books is not necessarily good for you, because you can do much more productive things. But if you are going to watch TV anyway then you might as well read a book.

And btw, spending time on realgm is a waste of time too, but what else can you do at work

I can understand this point of view. Physically I consider myself to be extremely active, and sometimes I just want to relax. There is just something special about a book/movie/other that is able to completely take you to another world all together that fascinates me.

By the way, this is a great thread.

I might be a slow reader, so I can't find enough time to read books. Last time I tried reading a book ("Fooling Some of the People All of the Time" by David Einhorn), it took me 6 months just to get half way through the book and I never finished it.

I did read the Hobbit and the whole Lord of the Rings when I was younger, but it took out about two months of my life. I couldn't do that now. My priorities (outside of work) are work on my golf game, do yoga, work out/stretch, work on my garden, spend time with the wife, soon I will be spending time with my dog. There is no way I could squeeze in reading a book.

Heck even if I had time to read a book, I would rather take a 2 hour walk with the dog than read a book. And if I was exhausted and just felt like lying down, I would rather meditate for an hour which would be much more beneficial than reading a book.


Are audio books equivalent to reading or is it a different experience/mental exercise? Because I could listen to audio books on the way to work

[sleepyhead]

Utilitarianism is a poor argument against reading fiction, sleepyhead. Learning is not exclusive to activities and skills.

That's not what I meant. I wouldn't read any books, but sometimes I have to read to gain a skill that I need. Although I would (and did) read books if I had I job where i had time to kill and could read.

I am not saying that reading is bad, I just think we should encourage kids to stay active all of the time which would leave them no time for reading, and social media.

[Blue Note]

Utilitarianism is a poor argument against reading fiction, sleepyhead. Learning is not exclusive to activities and skills.

For extroverted people, perhaps utility is weighed toward experience.

One of the criticisms levied on academia is that theorists lack relevant practice, that they're out of touch. The liberal arts are no longer credible in the face of a mechanistic, vocational society.

It seems like every argument worth having these days is dualistic. I see it everywhere, this forum included. You can anticipate the inevitable push-back. But I digress.

[econn21]

I would rather meditate for an hour which would be much more beneficial than reading a book.

Beneficial is in the eye of the beholder, of course.

I would prefer reading a work of fiction to meditating because it would benefit my mind in certain creative ways, whereas I've never meditated, so that really wouldn't do a whole lot for me.

I realize I'd be more objectionable if I actually meditated and still found reading fictitious books to be more beneficial than meditating, but I'm sure there are those out there who enjoy both, and some may actually benefit more from reading the book. You just never truly know.

Just my opinion. From the sounds of it though, you have a pretty nice life, good sir.

[rafer_skip_to_my_lou]

An expanded imagination isn't the only thing you get out of reading fiction. It can present new perspective and ideas (or break down perspectives or ideas you've already had, like an Atlas Shrugged). It can challenge you to think differently. Fictional books also tend to exaggerate many things, like emotions, reactions to emotions etc, and sometimes seeing this exaggeration helps you recognizes their strengths/weaknesses (Crime and Punishment here). It can be cathartic. It can put you in somebody else's shoes, giving you their thought processes and reasoning for actions you may not have taken. Sometimes it just shows you a trait you haven't seen before and you realize you appreciate it, or shows you that trait in a light you hadn't seen before. Sometimes it teaches you what a non-fiction book would, but instead of digesting it or getting through it, it is presented in a more entertaining way (like reading 1984 maybe more interesting to start you off than reading about the subject from a strict historical analysis of dictators). Sometimes it can be a gateway to something new.

And sometimes, like I said earlier, it just relaxes, entertains and helps you think and express yourself better. And sometimes, it expands your vocabulary, though clearly, other times, it doesn't .

I'm not saying you should read because that's the only way to get those positives, I'm saying you shouldn't not read because you think it's a waste of time (although I'd definitely recommend reading to anyone). Just IMO.

[Blue Note]

Are audio books equivalent to reading or is it a different experience/mental exercise? Because I could listen to audio books on the way to work

Definitely different from reading, but if it works for you, hard to say less valuable. If the goal is a transfer of ideas and you respond well to the spoken word, they seem credible to me. Audible.com has a growing collection, but audiobook selection is limited for now.

For me personally, I think I would benefit more from learning materials like textbooks in audio form rather than text. But fiction on audiobook sounds like performance pieces, most often poorly done. Unless it's the author or a great actor narrating, I'm easily taken out of it.

[econn21]

Agreed, rafer.

BTW, Skip was one of my favorite ball players, much respect for your handle.

[rafer_skip_to_my_lou]

Agreed, rafer.

BTW, Skip was one of my favorite ball players, much respect for your handle.

Thanks man. Erratic as his attitude and play were (and boy was that frustrating sometimes), the man was fun as heck to watch. And he showed during that Finals run that when he had his head right, he could lead a time just fine.

[Miltpalaciofanclub]

Pale Fire is blowin' my mind.

For a less cataclysmic dive into neurosis, try The Sportswriter, by Richard Ford. It's like Run, Rabbit, Run if the main character was SI's Peter King.

American Pastoral, by Philip Roth chills me to the bone. Sometimes I wonder how obsessively the lovechild of Joyce Carol Oates and Roth would write.

[econn21]

Agreed, rafer.

BTW, Skip was one of my favorite ball players, much respect for your handle.

Thanks man. Erratic as his attitude and play were (and boy was that frustrating sometimes), the man was fun as heck to watch. And he showed during that Finals run that when he had his head right, he could lead a time just fine.

No problem.

Grew up watching the And1 Mixtapes, he definitely influenced my game. To be able to perform streetball moves as a white teenager in rural Iowa is to have the envy of your peers lol.

So as not to derail the topic at hand though, I'd definitely read a Rafer Alston biography/autobiography if ever one came out.

[rafer_skip_to_my_lou]

Are audio books equivalent to reading or is it a different experience/mental exercise? Because I could listen to audio books on the way to work

Definitely different from reading, but if it works for you, hard to say less valuable. If the goal is a transfer of ideas and you respond well to the spoken word, they seem credible to me. Audible.com has a growing collection, but audiobook selection is limited for now.

For me personally, I think I would benefit more from learning materials like textbooks in audio form rather than text. But fiction on audiobook sounds like performance pieces, most often poorly done. Unless it's the author or a great actor narrating, I'm easily taken out of it.

I find that reading is much more active than just listening to an audio tape or watching a movie (they feel like very different experiences. Not to say one is worse, but they are different. For me, picking which I'd do depends on the subject matter, the mood I'm in, what I'm looking for etc. ). But that's just me.

[TCat99]

I have seen a few people mention "Ender's Game".

If you enjoyed it, you should read "Ender's Shadow", which recounts much the same story, but from the perspective of "Bean".

There are other books in the Ender/Bean series, but the first two stand out in my opinion.

[PippenAintEasy]

I guess 'Gang Leader for the Day' is written by the guy mentioned in Freakonomics. I'll have to check that out.

I've had to read a bunch of Economics books (just graduated with a major in Econ), but I find most of them to be pretty boring. So yeah, I picked an odd major.

I love the way John Steinbach writes, 'East of Eden' is probably my favorite book of all time.

For all you Bulls fans out there, 'Jordan Rules' and 'Hangtime' are MUST READS. You'll get two perspectives on how Jordan acted behind the scenes.

[cowraiser]

I'm not much of a book reader... Actually not at all... I've only read books that are required by school. I feel kinda bad about it.

Can anyone suggest some good interesting non-fiction books? :O

[harry lockheart]

I can't get into Fantasy/Sci-Fi for some reason. The only fiction I enjoy is something that makes me laugh or smile every 5 pages or so. Here's some of the stuff I've loved over the last few months.

* Straight Man by Richard Russo - Dude won a Pulitzer for "Empire Falls", so you know he can write his ass off, but this is a hilarious book. It's about an English professor who doesn't care about the politics of academia or the advancement of his own career and floats through basically just screwing with everyone in his department while the university is rumored to be undergoing layoffs. The protagonist just might be my favorite character of all time.

* This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper - Sort've in the comedic vein of toned down Judd Apatow. It's about a guy whose dad dies the same week he finds that his wife is cheating on him with his boss (so he quits his job as well). He goes back home to be with his (of course) dysfunctional family where he starts trying to put his life together. All of Tropper's stuff is good. Highly recommended.

* Everyone Loves You When You're Dead by Neil Strauss - It's a compilation of interviews of mostly musicians (and some actors) over 20 years by Neil Strauss who is mostly known from his book "The Game" about his journey to being a "pick-up artist" (also a damn good book). If you're a pop culture junkie like myself, you'll enjoy it greatly. Like an earlier fella said, Chuck Klosterman is also great for pop culture.

[bentheredengthat]

I'm not much of a book reader... Actually not at all... I've only read books that are required by school. I feel kinda bad about it.

Can anyone suggest some good interesting non-fiction books? :O

[alucryts]

This is just my personal experience and I know that it will be an unpopular opinion, but reading "story-telling" books, just like watching TV, is a waste of time.

There is so many things to do in life that spending countless hours watching TV and reading books is equivalent to pissing your life away. I could quit my job and not work a single minute for the rest of my life (e.g. if I won the lottery) and I would still have so many things to do that the days would be too short for me.

The only time I would read books is if I want to learn a new skill, i.e. text books, gardening books, how to invest in stocks, etc.

I just prefer an active lifestyle, while some don't like to exert too much energy, so they sit and watch TV or read books. It's your choice, but reading books is not necessarily good for you, because you can do much more productive things. But if you are going to watch TV anyway then you might as well read a book.

And btw, spending time on realgm is a waste of time too, but what else can you do at work

I can understand this point of view. Physically I consider myself to be extremely active, and sometimes I just want to relax. There is just something special about a book/movie/other that is able to completely take you to another world all together that fascinates me.

By the way, this is a great thread.

I might be a slow reader, so I can't find enough time to read books. Last time I tried reading a book ("Fooling Some of the People All of the Time" by David Einhorn), it took me 6 months just to get half way through the book and I never finished it.

I did read the Hobbit and the whole Lord of the Rings when I was younger, but it took out about two months of my life. I couldn't do that now. My priorities (outside of work) are work on my golf game, do yoga, work out/stretch, work on my garden, spend time with the wife, soon I will be spending time with my dog. There is no way I could squeeze in reading a book.

Heck even if I had time to read a book, I would rather take a 2 hour walk with the dog than read a book. And if I was exhausted and just felt like lying down, I would rather meditate for an hour which would be much more beneficial than reading a book.


Are audio books equivalent to reading or is it a different experience/mental exercise? Because I could listen to audio books on the way to work

I think audio books would be just like reading them, but personally I like to read them and hold the actual book in my hand. It sounds like you have a lot of good going on in what you do. I just read instead of break myself trying to do yoga (There is no way I would ever be able to be that flexible; I have no idea how people do that)

[bullsfan78]

I've never read Pale Fire, but Lolita ranks about there with my favorite novels. I think the subject matter might turn a lot of people off, but Nabokov was such a devilishly good writer.

I read Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder a while back, about Eastern Europe under Hitler and Stalin. It's obviously depressing reading, given that it covers one atrocity after the next, but it's important history that a lot of Americans might not know very well, and it's very well written.

I've seen the subject of audiobooks mentioned, and while not technically an audiobook, I've gotten into this podcast called Hardcore History hosted by Dan Carlin. Each podcast is approximately an hour long and covers a different historical subject. He's an extremely engaging speaker and clearly puts a lot of thought and research into these podcasts. I used to be the kind of person who had to listen to loud music on my iPod when I worked out, but I've taken to listening to these podcasts recently.

Pale Fire is blowin' my mind.

For a less cataclysmic dive into neurosis, try The Sportswriter, by Richard Ford. It's like Run, Rabbit, Run if the main character was SI's Peter King.

American Pastoral, by Philip Roth chills me to the bone. Sometimes I wonder how obsessively the lovechild of Joyce Carol Oates and Roth would write.

[harry lockheart]

I can understand this point of view. Physically I consider myself to be extremely active, and sometimes I just want to relax. There is just something special about a book/movie/other that is able to completely take you to another world all together that fascinates me.

By the way, this is a great thread.

I might be a slow reader, so I can't find enough time to read books. Last time I tried reading a book ("Fooling Some of the People All of the Time" by David Einhorn), it took me 6 months just to get half way through the book and I never finished it.

I did read the Hobbit and the whole Lord of the Rings when I was younger, but it took out about two months of my life. I couldn't do that now. My priorities (outside of work) are work on my golf game, do yoga, work out/stretch, work on my garden, spend time with the wife, soon I will be spending time with my dog. There is no way I could squeeze in reading a book.

Heck even if I had time to read a book, I would rather take a 2 hour walk with the dog than read a book. And if I was exhausted and just felt like lying down, I would rather meditate for an hour which would be much more beneficial than reading a book.


Are audio books equivalent to reading or is it a different experience/mental exercise? Because I could listen to audio books on the way to work

I think audio books would be just like reading them, but personally I like to read them and hold the actual book in my hand. It sounds like you have a lot of good going on in what you do. I just read instead of break myself trying to do yoga (There is no way I would ever be able to be that flexible; I have no idea how people do that)

I don't think the exercise of reading and listening to information is "the same". Our brain processes information differently depending on whether the input method is auditory or visual. That's not to say that one is better than the other. Some people assimilate information better in an auditory manner; some are more suited for visual assimilation. But there is definitely a difference.

On the "it's a waste of time to read" subject, some might say its' a waste of time to play golf. Basically we're just saying that it's a waste of time to do something that we don't enjoy. On the subject of fiction being the lesser format to non-fiction, it's again a matter of perspective. If your goal is purely to gather information, non-fiction is where it's at. If you're trying to stretch your imagination and read about the common feelings of mankind or experience adventure, you go with fiction. Trying to denigrate one because your preference is the other seems silly to me.

[qianlong]

I love reading and i love books in particular, they are one object I am happy to own and buy.
As for suggestions I like classical books, I read moderns but given the chance I always go for a classical book. For this reason I am happy some suggested Dostoevskji anyone is good.
Others would be:
Midnbight's children by Rushdie. To me it's like an improved One hundred years of solitude, and some more.
The master and Margarita by Bulgakow. I loved it.
The steppenwolf and Siddharta by Hesse.

I am not really into fantasy even though i read almost everything from Tolkien, but based on the suggestions i will probably start the series the game of thrones, and some others books suggested