Current Reads: What is Everyone Reading?

[Arising_uk]

Link? Library no longer the place to visit for books?

Unfortunately my local ones are not and even the central struggles to provide the standard cannon. Mostly self-help and new-age it appears.
Although I agree that the system still allows booking but its hardly browsing and finding, which is what I use to enjoy about my library.

Does all 'philosophers should read it' not kick it?

Not necessarily.

I think I am a philospher and I think it is very good?

By its very nature, most would be loathe to call themselves such nowadays, hence the 'I think'. But I agree that this would be better.

[maryshelley]

Well I went to the local library. They had a copy. I ordered it. The copy had been stolen (quality!). They ordered me a new one. I'm now reading it.

I think it is great. (Is that a better justification)

Would you rather be called a philosopher or a pompous arse? It's a difficult choice but to many the words are interchangeable.

[Arising_uk]

Well I went to the local library. They had a copy. I ordered it. The copy had been stolen (quality!). They ordered me a new one. I'm now reading it.

I think it is great. (Is that a better justification)

Would you rather be called a philosopher or a pompous arse? It's a difficult choice but to many the words are interchangeable.

Yeah! But only to those who've not had to gain a good qualification in it for economic reasons.
Still, with this post I realised that I've erred and that you were talking about a specific book and the quote about 'all philosophers' was yours. So back-tracked the thread and think the book looks interesting and will be down the library toot sweet.
You'd have to say who the 'I' is every time, which is why there are qualifications I'd thought?
I prefer "I think it is great because...".

[amateurphilosophynerd]

Mary Shelley, a link like the one I provided here-if you are online-means one can click on above link and see write up in Amazon Blackwells and the myriads of other Bookshops likley to stock the serious Philosophy books that Readers read as a result of reading this Magazine.
I have a local Public Library that is chock full of serious academic texts (thank God!!) which helps, but sometimes it helps just clicking on Amazon and off we go. I got my 4 latest texts all of which are deadly serious philosophy. (Philosophy book loans via Libraries are of course things one would support as one wishes to save as much money as possible [believe it or not!! I actually live on Benefits so I can talk about being Queen of the Top Qaulity Bargain Spotting]. I may be a pompous arsehole who is full of techie ways who is probably not very sympathetic to more Luddite methods of achieving the same objective. If so I need to change; but it is still far easier to migrate to the 21st century and have the offices of the computer to transact all manner of philosophical discussion, prior to meeting in a non-virtual pub or an elegant coffee bar at the National (0ne may if above is WIFI enabled bring one's laptop with one also to add to the proceedings).
I choose to learn my Philosophy/be a Philosopher/ end up a budding Philosopher and be a pompous arse, but for me the techie way is the most efficient way of doing things so I welcome the jibe.

[bus2bondi]

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[amateurphilosophynerd]

Especially to Mary Shelley who reminds me of the people around the French Revolution and the wondrous Mary Wollestonecraft who I have yet to read.
Recently I spent a very productive, if exhausting -up 3 flights of steps with laptop-down again-up again and big trek from station to the hallowed Gower Street location-in a real life Bookshop with real books I could look at immediately. I could see why Gower Street is so highly esteemed as it has a grand total of 160,000 books in it mainly of sky high academic nature. It was wonderful to be in there and sample the serious atmosphere, do one's thinking etc in the comfort of the Costa's Cafe before brain gets back in order to actually remember where the real material lies as in APN pleasing land (the bloody issues surrounding our great loving pal Ageism, Disablism (another mate) and various Philosophers.
I rarely go to Bookshops but when I do it is special, likewise Libraries. I would not swap Colchester Public Library for all the tea in China loaded as it is with oxymoronic delusional seriousness.
But when it comes to day-to-day bookbuying I find online book buying a life saving device saving me lugging books which would exhaust me to say the least. I find it enough just to lug trolley full of shopping back from Tesco a weightlifting trip if ever there was one- because I can't buy online as is my habit.
I am only a petite woman and can carry around so much; and books weigh a tonne, this is for me a sensible wise and money saving solution that does not deny the ministrations of offline Bookshops such as the famed 82 Gower Street (the largest academic bookstore in Europe).

[amateurphilosophynerd]

hi apn, nice to see you again, hope your vacation has been good. The book you posted sounds interesting, but the link wouldn't work for me. Could you tell me more about it? thanks

Nice to see you again Bus2Bondi.
The book in question is Charles Taylor 'Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity' this is I understand written by a Philosopher is is both a Hegelian and an Analytic, making it the first ever book ever reading by such a Unique Species.
It complements other books such as Charles Taylor 'The Ethics of Authenticity' Martha Nussbaum's 'Upheavals of Emotions' plus her book on 'Disgust'.
All are recommendations by my stepmum Prof who has manfully stepped in to help me get this Bloody Research draft thing done IN A WAY THAT IS RESPECTFUL AND LOVING OF ACADEMIA YET WITH AN EDGY EMANCIPATORY EDGE** Both above are huge stars in the academic firmament (which helps!) but both employ theories that are most helpful to this Project: ie The Capabilities Approach and the Ethical philosophy of a man such as Charles Taylor.
Rawls Theory of Justice would be good to read as well-my little buy at the Essex Campus Bookshop ( I am NOT a Student, NOT at Uni but that does not negate what I do that has to be the most serious possible for someone on my income and my lack of knowledge).
Martha Nussbaum takes me to Aristotle so my Greek Philosophy sources will be handy, and Charles Taylor has Hegel who I hear is a real arsehole as far as mastering goes, I have to decide how far to go back because I am guided by an ever present sense of inadequacy, failure and lack of Aristotelian education( see Philosophers and Kings in Platos Republic and their Education that is about the sum of it) my Stepmum thinks I have quite enough with the above without bringing in Rawls to add to the drama.
This will ultimately be handed into a real life Practitioner, in a real life Academic scene desperately needing reform, which should be a hotbed of theories by users( I am hot on this respect and invent my own) meaning i officially envy every 'normal' academic and Uni Denizon on this planet.

[bus2bondi]

i love libraries. I like the large ones that you can get lost in the best tho, with towering multiple floors. The college i recently attended recently redid theirs and its also a technology center type thing, its beautiful. I loved sitting up on the top floor next to the windows staring out at the city until and through late at night. And the wide variety of people that would hang out there was cool too. I always wanted to spend the night in a library, but unfortunetly you can't do that, the university library's usually close around midnight. I once thought it would be a cool idea for someone to open a "library-hotel" that had food, etc.. too & was a 24 hour thing.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

I just LOVE the idea of a 'Library Hotel' so somewhere like Gower Street, WIFI'ed within an inch of it's life with extra floors for sleepy Scholars and chill out areas away from silent reverential corridors where one can let one's hair down. Lovely tasty brain food (LSE) would be another idea maybe a decent self service, security naturally would be top class but the atsmosphere would also be academic security in the sense of the world. Lovely!!

[bus2bondi]

i just saw your reply about the book:) thanks, it sounds interesting. I think i want to get that one too.

[bus2bondi]

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[amateurphilosophynerd]

bus2bondi I would love that, we could franchise it to universities as the hip way to have cool academia yet cater for the needs for the late night essay. We could make the identity prestigious and make it so like Gower Street, students would be impelled to work their little arses off (academics of course would make it Second home away from home). we could have a partnership with Amazon and Gower Street and the Universities in the UK would support us. We could also have a Research Unit employing academics and student Researchers to look into supportive yet prestigous pedagogical models which make the Social possible yet preserve the sacred portals of academia at it's most serious. We would have a Flagship store in in Gower Street by buying it out for millions, and remodel University Bookshops on the Library Hotel model.
Naturally we could have a flock of academics to support our endevours which would be supported by Research Grants. We could encourage serious scholarship but also be inclusive of porfolio careers of older people and the future needs of young people needing to front end careers with judicious career moves. We could distinguish it from Bars and SU by distinguishing it from what seems competing provision by making it easier to spend extended periods in Library/ Bookshop/Hotel without detracting from current provisions.
yours with the Uni hat on mexx

[amateurphilosophynerd]

i just saw your reply about the book:) thanks, it sounds interesting. I think i want to get that one too.

Bus2bondi your appetite for the intellectual is voracious!

[amateurphilosophynerd]

you know apn, we should really consider being partners on a business deal related to the Library Hotel It could also have regular rooms, & actual books for sale, so would also be part book store as well. it could have alot of cool things actually. (some live art & music) & you wouldn't have to be a uni student to enjoy it. I'd go there for sure!!! (just kidding about the business deal, but a cool thought anyway, hopefully someone does it)

The ONLY qualification for using is, is ONE HAS TO TO LOVE ACADEMIA, LOVE BOOKS and BE SOME SORT OF READING NUTHEAD! (it clearly has uses for Student and Academics populations)

[maryshelley]

Mary Shelley, a link like the one I provided here-if you are online-means one can click on above link and see write up in Amazon Blackwells and the myriads of other Bookshops likley to stock the serious Philosophy books that Readers read as a result of reading this Magazine.
I have a local Public Library that is chock full of serious academic texts (thank God!!) which helps, but sometimes it helps just clicking on Amazon and off we go. I got my 4 latest texts all of which are deadly serious philosophy. (Philosophy book loans via Libraries are of course things one would support as one wishes to save as much money as possible [believe it or not!! I actually live on Benefits so I can talk about being Queen of the Top Qaulity Bargain Spotting]. I may be a pompous arsehole who is full of techie ways who is probably not very sympathetic to more Luddite methods of achieving the same objective. If so I need to change; but it is still far easier to migrate to the 21st century and have the offices of the computer to transact all manner of philosophical discussion, prior to meeting in a non-virtual pub or an elegant coffee bar at the National (0ne may if above is WIFI enabled bring one's laptop with one also to add to the proceedings).
I choose to learn my Philosophy/be a Philosopher/ end up a budding Philosopher and be a pompous arse, but for me the techie way is the most efficient way of doing things so I welcome the jibe.

You must forgive me amateurphilosophynerd as I am completely against buying books, although I do succumb when I know I will continue to refer to a particular text. For that reason I will promote the use of libraries in the good land of England for as long as I can do so. My library has a wonderful stock of war books, cookery ensembles and romantic novels written by white haired old ladies. I'm not interested in any of these but I defend the right of someone to put them on the shelves.

I love the weight of books in my arms and the looks I get as I stumble home with them. Last time I took away eight books but I was really only showing off to the crowd.

Computer technology is a wonderful thing but if I'm ever tempted to read a book using it I will vote in support of euthanasia. Ah, there's nothing like the feel of the pages between your fingers.... no amount of persuasion will cause me to take a laptop, or one of those awful palm top things to bed with me.

Having said all this I can see that such sites as Amazon are promoting the reading of books by sending them through people's letter boxes, which can only be a good thing. My concern here though is that if you are persuaded by me to 'buy' the book and subsequently don't like it I might get the blame for you being out of pocket.....

Anyway I think this is what you are looking for on that score:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keyw ... mwc0x4xy_b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But one more qualification for reading it is that it contains the word 'embryogenesis' which has a fabulous way of rolling off the tongue when said out loud.

There is a certain amount of (accessible) biological terminology but the book really gets to the 'roots' of what it is to be a human animal and it makes you think.