I recently read Ayn Rand's novel Fountainhead. This book was recommended to me by a friend who described it as a life-altering work and the best book he had ever read. I greeted this with the cynicism that such emotive comments often deserve. Nevertheless, I bought the book .It explores the intellectual frontiers of personal freedom and responsibility in many magnificent, powerful passages that are worth of applauds.

 

Starting "End Game" by John Mauldin today. Great time to be reading it with the market pull back last week and S&P downgrade yesterday.

 

I recently read Ayn Rand's novel Fountainhead. This book was recommended to me by a friend who described it as a life-altering work and the best book he had ever read. I greeted this with the cynicism that such emotive comments often deserve. Nevertheless, I bought the book .It explores the intellectual frontiers of personal freedom and responsibility in many magnificent, powerful passages that are worth of applauds.

Fountainhead is one of my favorites. Rand's prose and dialog in the book are superlative.

Some favorite Fountainhead passages:

• Roark's interview with the dean

• Roark explaining his design to Mr. Jans

• Dominique's trial testimony

• Roark's response to Wynand's demand that Roark build Wynand's house and then submit to Wynand's design mandate thereafter

• Toohey's explanation of himself and his ends to Keating in Keating's bedroom

Despite my handle, I'm more fond of Fountainhead than Atlas Shrugged. They have similar themes and philosophical messages, but to me the SciFi aspects of Atlas Shrugged erode the story and the message. And Atlas Shrugged bangs on over and over again. By the time you get to "This is John Galt Speaking," you've heard what he's going to say three or four times already.

 

Reading right now: The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

 

"An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa" by Rick Atkinson. It's outstanding so far.

 

I haven't finished WITCH&WIZARD by James Patterson yet ic12337:

 

I just started Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

 

I recently reread The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I think revisiting Lawrence once a decade is a good idea.

After that I picked up Charlie Wilson's War. Now I'm reading Locher's With Star and Crescent, A Full and Authentic Account of a Recent Journey with a Caravan from Bombay to Constantinople...

Seems I'm lost in Arabia these days.

 

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A Way With Words, Part III: Grammar for Adults by Michael Drout

Note. Listening to actually as I don't have time nor desire to spend my little spare time reading books these days.

 

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

To complement the HBO series...lol

 

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

To complement the HBO series...lol

Nice. I spent a few months last spring and summer reading all of the books that are out so far. The series has started to diverge from the books in many ways but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. In fact, after last night's episode, I'm starting to think the TV series might be better than the books.

 

Gulliver's Travels the unedited version. I had never read the original unabridged "adult" version. This isn't the way you remembered it from cartoons.

The last few chapters make for very interesting reading

 

Life and Labor in the Old South, by Phillips. It's an interesting study of plantation economics, and it pairs well with a smooth single barrel bourbon.

 

William S Burroughs 'Cities of the Red Night'

 

William S Burroughs 'Cities of the Red Night'

Wow lets do the time warp, read the trilogy back in gasp 1982. Currently reading Music for Silenced Voices Shostakovich and his fifteen quartets.

 

Wow lets do the time warp, read the trilogy back in gasp 1982. Currently reading Music for Silenced Voices Shostakovich and his fifteen quartets.

Oh! Shall we burn all books once they've been published for, say, 12 months? Or am I simply imagining a teeny tiny hint of dismissiveness in that comment? Maybe I am....... maybe not. :rolleyes2:

Anyway, more positively; Shostakovich's second piano concerto is a work of extraordinary melancholy beauty. My wonderfully talented partner plays this for me, on lazy Sunday mornings. *sigh*

 

A bit less than a year back, I picked up a copy of Pat Conroy', My Reading Life, from a brick and mortar bookstore that was being put out of business by the onslaught of online book sellers. Finally got around to reading My Reading Life about four months back and enjoyed it so much that I've since purchased and read a few more of Pat Conroys books, to include: The Water Is Wide, The Lords of Discipline, The Great Santini, South of Broad and Prince of Tides. Have yet to pick up copies of My Losing Season, Beach Music and The Boo.

Any of you southern boys, born or perhaps just choosing to live below the Mason Dixon line, ya just have to be a fan of Pat Conroy. Hell, I'm a Yankee and I can't get enough of his writing!

 

Oh! Shall we burn all books once they've been published for, say, 12 months? Or am I simply imagining a teeny tiny hint of dismissiveness in that comment? Maybe I am....... maybe not. :rolleyes2:

Anyway, more positively; Shostakovich's second piano concerto is a work of extraordinary melancholy beauty. My wonderfully talented partner plays this for me, on lazy Sunday mornings. *sigh*

Dismissiveness hardly, quite simply the book is sitting on my library shelf where it has been for years and I regard it as one of his foremost works.

And lucky you for the partner that has the ability to play Shostakovich.

 

Just picked up "The Ivy Look: Classic American Clothing" by Graham Marsh at Half Priced Books.

 

Any of you southern boys, born or perhaps just choosing to live below the Mason Dixon line, ya just have to be a fan of Pat Conroy. Hell, I'm a Yankee and I can't get enough of his writing!

Eagle, your comment has reminded me sadly of the passing of Harry Crews this past March. Southern literature has lost one of its most unique and important voices.

 

Dismissiveness hardly, quite simply the book is sitting on my library shelf where it has been for years and I regard it as one of his foremost works.

And lucky you for the partner that has the ability to play Shostakovich.

Sincere apologies then Ajo, perhaps the phrase 'time warp' merely resonates with negative connections for me. I've finished 'Cities' now and am well into 'The Place of Dead Roads'. I first read Naked Lunch, Soft Machine and Junky thirty years ago; and have re-read each of them several times. I really appreciate Burroughs' insights, themes and perspective. I may appreciate traditional clothes but my nature is far from conservative.

As per my talented pianist partner; I acknowledge that I am very, very lucky. :redface:

 

Eagle, your comment has reminded me sadly of the passing of Harry Crews this past March. Southern literature has lost one of its most unique and important voices.

Indeed, Harry Crews' writing was such that it could keep one up at night. He had this thing about snakes, didn't he? LOL. Snakes scare the beJesuzz out of me() and there is just nothing like a good scare to make a book hard to put down! May Harry rest in peace.

 

Currently reading the audiobook One Second After by William Forstchen.
https://www.onesecondafter.com/

 

I'm listening to the audiobook version of "Gang Leader for a Day." It's not bad. The bias is evident from chapter one but I'm hoping as he spends time among the Chicago gangs, he turns the pages.

I just finished "I've Got Your Back." It's written by a tennis coach and it has helped me sharpen up my leadership style.

I am also reading "Platform" to get some simple steps to developing a way to make your voice heard in a noisy culture.

 

A while back I was gifted with a copy of How to Survive The End of The World As We Know It, by James Wesley Rawles. The author is the founder of survivalblog.com and a former Army Intelligence Officer, whose writing style reflects the weight and sobriety of his present and past vocations. While I cannot tell you the book is an enjoyable read, but it is quite hard to put down and considering the state of the worlds politics and finances it does certainly leave one with a lot to consider. I am not yet ready to run off into the woods with the family to live as survivalists, but am strangely comforted by the knowledge that the contents of my gun safe include a Car-15 and lots and lots of .223 ammunition!