New Books

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Red
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Re: New Books

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That has to be the most homosexual thing I've ever heard in the real world.
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PsYcHo
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Re: New Books

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RedAppleGP wrote:That has to be the most homosexual thing I've ever heard in the real world.
Really? I thought there was a lot less penis on penis action than in many of my other posts. (Wait, what forum am I on again?) So, a tanker truck full of vegetable oil runs into a hotdog stand then overturns and breaks open uphill from a gay pride parade just as they are passing a glitter factory....
Alcohol may have been a factor.

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Re: New Books

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RedAppleGP wrote:Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I was never really a fan of science fiction. Sure, some movies are a bit interesting, but for the most part it can get kinda tedious for me. That's why I never got into Star Wars or anything like that.
Try the Martian. As I said, it's a gateway drug. You may find you didn't know your own tastes as well as you thought. I used to think the exact same as you, but have come to appreciate fiction a lot recently.
But weirdly enough I kinda enjoy doing shit around the house.
You'll enjoy it even more ;)
This may sound like a weird question, but will it work when I'm masturbating?
If that's what turns you on.. sure
Or playing a game?
Absolutely, this is what I most use them for and how I get most of the listening done. I love playing my favourite game while listening to a good book.
It's especially fun if the game is somehow related to the book. For example, I was listening to 'the most decisive battles in history' while playing a historical strategy game.
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Re: New Books

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miniboes wrote: Try the Martian. As I said, it's a gateway drug. You may find you didn't know your own tastes as well as you thought. I used to think the exact same as you, but have come to appreciate fiction a lot recently.
Alrighty, I'll give it a shot.

By the fucking way, my friend recommended me the book "Lies my Teacher Told Me." I haven't read it yet, but it seems to be PC nonsense from what I've heard. I'll probably give it a chance. Anyone here read that? Tell me what you think.
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Re: New Books

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RedAppleGP wrote: By the fucking way, my friend recommended me the book "Lies my Teacher Told Me." I haven't read it yet, but it seems to be PC nonsense from what I've heard. I'll probably give it a chance. Anyone here read that? Tell me what you think.
Might be worth reading just to see the arguments (and it may have a few good points mixed in, like the idea of idealizing historical figures).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies_My_Teacher_Told_Me
He proposes that when American history textbooks elevate American historical figures to the status of heroes, they unintentionally give students the impression that these figures are superhumans who live in the irretrievable past. In other words, the history-as-myth method teaches students that America's greatest days have already passed. Loewen asserts that the muting of past clashes and tragedies makes history boring to students,
Those might be interesting points.
Sounds like there's also a lot of PC nonsense in the book too.

Balance it out with some Steven Pinker:

The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined
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Re: New Books

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Do you have any "must read" recommendations, Brimstone? Aside from Pinker?

There's only a hundred or so books on my to read list, I could use some more.
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Re: New Books

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brimstoneSalad wrote: Might be worth reading just to see the arguments (and it may have a few good points mixed in, like the idea of idealizing historical figures).
Like Malcolm X or MLK? And their influences on the civil rights movement?

He proposes that when American history textbooks elevate American historical figures to the status of heroes, they unintentionally give students the impression that these figures are superhumans who live in the irretrievable past. In other words, the history-as-myth method teaches students that America's greatest days have already passed. Loewen asserts that the muting of past clashes and tragedies makes history boring to students,
That actually seems somewhat reasonable.
brimstoneSalad wrote: The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined
Thanks for the recommendations. Are these books too complicated for me to understand?
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Re: New Books

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RedAppleGP wrote:Thanks for the recommendations. Are these books too complicated for me to understand?
Not at all. I've read The Better Angels of Our Nature and it's very comprehensible.
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Re: New Books

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miniboes wrote:
RedAppleGP wrote:Thanks for the recommendations. Are these books too complicated for me to understand?
Not at all. I've read The Better Angels of Our Nature and it's very comprehensible.
I mean for my level. Yours is higher than mine, so do you think someone of my intelligence can comprehend it?
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Re: New Books

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RedAppleGP wrote:
miniboes wrote:
RedAppleGP wrote:Thanks for the recommendations. Are these books too complicated for me to understand?
Not at all. I've read The Better Angels of Our Nature and it's very comprehensible.
I mean for my level. Yours is higher than mine, so do you think someone of my intelligence can comprehend it?
Image

It doesn't work like that. You don't have some fixed intelligence level that makes it so that you can only read a certain subset of books out there. You have books that are very difficultly written*, but if you bash your head into the pages long enough you'll eventually come to understand. You can become more intelligent by challenging yourself.
These books are not particularly difficult to read, though. Enjoy.

*Which is more often than not the result of the bad writing skills, not the high intelligence, of the author. Highly intelligent people such as Pinker are recognizable for their ability to explain complicated ideas in such a manner that anyone can understand them.
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