(Part 2) Best world literature books according to redditors
We found 1,239 Reddit comments discussing the best world literature books. We ranked the 361 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Brian's book is just one of the novels in the Orbit Cyber Monday sale. All are $2.99 and a list of the fantasy titles is provided here:
Title|Author|Book #|Series|Rating | # Ratings
:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:
The Fifth Season | N.K. Jemisin | 1 | Broken Earth | 4.31 | 34,271
The Black Prism | Brent Weeks | 1 | Lightbringer | 4.24 | 68,494
The Last Wish | Andrzej Sapkowski | 1 | Introducing the Witcher | 4.20 | 58,433
Blood of Elves | Andrzej Sapkowski | 1 | The Witcher | 4.23 | 32,039
The Shadow of What Was Lost | James Islington | 1 | Licanius Trilogy | 4.16 | 9,656
Sins of Empire | Brian McClellan | 1 | Gods of Blood and Powder | 4.47 | 3,727
Promise of Blood | Brian McClellan | 1 | Powder Mage| 4.16| 26,245
The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie | 1 | First Law | 4.14| 111,811
Theft of Swords^1 | Michael J. Sullivan | 1 | Riyria Revelations | 4.21 | 38,525
The City Stained Red | Sam Sykes | 1 | Bring Down Heaven | 3.68 | 1,088
The Red Knight | Miles Cameron | 1 | Traitor Son Cycle | 4.12 | 10,607
Skyborn | David Dalglish | 1 | Seraphim | 3.92 | 1,010
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^1 In full disclosure - this is a book that I wrote.
Volume 11 is coming out in June. You can also find all the above on other stores like Kobo, iBooks, etc.
Existentialism and Human Emotions, by Sartre, is only 96 pages and quite an easy read. {ISBN-13: 978-0806509020} Existentialism and the Philosophical Tradition, [Raymond], gives a broad selection of thinkers throughout history, but it is pricey. {ISBN-13: 978-0132957755} Another approach would be texts that are not strictly philosophical yet present some existential points such as: The Plague, The Stranger, and The Rebel, all by Camus, Nausea by Sartre, Notes From Underground, by Dostoevsky, or Waiting For Godot by Beckett
You want dwarves? I give you Dwarves!
Also - Malazan has its own non-human races that play an important role in the series.
>I'd love to do the Vedas or the Tripiṭaka, but from what I'm reading, these are almost impossible to understand without the formal training and would take more than a year to complete (if you can even find English translations of them).
The Tripitaka actually has a lot of very accessible parts -- reading the entire thing would be a massive undertaking (this would be thousands and thousands of pages), but the Majjhima Nikaya (the middle length discourses of the Buddha) and the Digha Nikaya (the long length discourses of the Buddha) are IMO extremely accessible and cover most of the non-Mahayana Buddhist teachings. Both come with very good forwards which serve as a good introduction for understanding the rest of the text.
For Mahayana Buddhism, there are a number of sutras translated, but probably the most foundational/important would be the Bodhicharyavatara (the way of the Bodhisattvas) which is amazing, but really needs more unpacking to fully appreciate. For that I'd recommend The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech which is an excellent and detailed commentary on it.
While I appreciate the completeness of that collection, I much prefer the translations in Labyrinths. It's amazing how much difference the translation makes in the reading experience.
My recommendations from books I read in the last year or so (yes, these are all VERY STRONG recommends curated from ~100 books in the last year) -
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Science fiction-
Derek Kunsken's The Quantum Magician (I would describe it as a cross between Oceans Eleven with some not-too-Hard Science Fiction. Apparently will be a series, but is perfectly fine as a standalone novel).
Cixin Lu's very popular Three Body Problem series (Mixes cleverly politics, sociology, psychology and science fiction)
James A Corey's The Expanse Series (which has been made into the best sci fi tv series ever!)
Hannu Rajaniemi's Quantum Thief series (Hard science fiction. WARNING - A lot of the early stuff is intentionally mystifying with endless terminology that’s only slowly explained since the main character himself has lost his memories. Put piecing it all together is part of the charm.)
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Fantasy-
James Islington's Shadow of What was Lost series (a deep series which makes you think - deep magic, politics, religion all intertwined)
Will Wight's Cradle series (has my vote for one of the best fantasy series ever written)
Brandon Sanderson Legion series (Brandon Sanderson. Nuff said. Creative as always)
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Manga -
Yukito Kishiro's Alita, Battle Angel series (the manga on what the movie was based)
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Non-Fiction-
Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind - Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion (and how we are not as rational as we believe we are, and how passion works in tandem with rationality in decision making and is actually required for good decisionmaking)
Rothery's Geology - A Complete Introduction (as per title)
Joseph Krauskopf's A Rabbi's Impressions of the Oberammergau Passion Play, available to read online for free, including a fabulous supplementary of Talmud Parallels to the NT (a Rabbi in 1901 explains why he is not a Christian)
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Audiobooks -
Bob Brier's The History of Ancient Egypt (as per title - 25 hrs of the best audiobook lectures. Incredible)
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Academic biblical studies-
Richard Elliot Friedman's Who Wrote The Bible and The Exodus (best academic biblical introductory books into the Documentary Hypothesis and Qenite/Midian hypothesis)
Israel Finkelstein's The Bible Unearthed (how archaelogy relates to the bible)
E.P. Sander's Judaism: Practice and Belief, 63BCE-66CE (most detailed book of what Judaism is and their beliefs, and one can see from this balanced [Christian] scholar how Christianity has colored our perspectives of what Jews and Pharisees were really like)
Avigdor Shinan's From gods to God (how Israel transitioned from polytheism to monotheism)
Mark S Smith's The Early History of God (early history of Israel, Canaanites, and YHWH)
James D Tabor's Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity (as per title)
Tom Dykstra's Mark Canonizer of Paul (engrossing - will make you view the gospel of Mark with new eyes)
Jacob L Wright's King David and His Reign Revisited (enhanced ibook - most readable book ever on King David)
Jacob Dunn's thesis on the Midianite/Kenite hypothesis (free pdf download - warning - highly technical but also extremely well referenced)
Bertrand Russell Conquest of Happiness.
Some of the language is a bit dated but the philosophical aspects are rather timeless and well presented. Edit: excuse me Russell won a nobel Peace prize for lit and this book was a part of his doing so. Maybe not the only book you should read but a good must read.
https://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Happiness-Bertrand-Russell/dp/087140673X
The introduction to this translation of the Digha Nikaya talks about this at some length.
In short, before the Buddha, there were early versions of the castes, but there was also a Sramana tradition of those that basically left society.
In general, the Brahmins were respected, but the Sramanas were also given a good deal of honor.
These Sramanas did not follow a particular code, but were of many different mindsets, codes of conduct, etc. This ranged from wanderers to atheists to any number of other ways of thinking and conduct.
When the Buddha 'went forth' from the home life into homelessness, he entered this group of Sramanas. He worked with various teachers at the time, and ultimately found that their teachings were basically limited.
After his enlightenment and the establishment of the Sangha, the 'monks' at the time were basically homeless wanderers, generally. However, at times, they would reside in one place, sometimes for a short period and sometimes for a longer period, often because they were basically sponsored by lay disciples.
Some, like Mahakaccana I believe, resided in one place for the majority of the time. Others, like Mahakassapa perhaps, lived in the wilderness basically all of the time.
In general, some of them basically resided in the wilderness, some would wander, gathering alms at various towns and cities and the like.
In some cases, I think, there were cases where various townspeople, city people, kings, etc, would basically set up a more long-lasting system of giving alms, which allowed there to be a bit more established areas where monastics could stay, more or less. Also, various disciples would basically give retreat places, some of which are featured prominently in the suttas in terms of places where the Buddha gave discourses.
Also, it may be worth considering that northern India has monsoons related to the Himalayas, and so often times during the rains, the monastics would kind of settle in for a time, I think.
It seems like a very interesting life, to me. Very inspiring. Some of the poems that are written in the Theragatha give some sense of the lives of these individuals, including those that frequented the wilderness.
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The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy) is a pretty original setting focused on magic-users who have basically been de-clawed after the "Augurs" (magic-users capable of seeing the future) ruling class had their powers fail and subsequently fell from power. Characters act rationally, mysteries are generally resolved logically, and the first book ends with great promise. Really, the only thing that worries me is that there's a bit of time-travelling...
The author describes the Wheel of Time series as their main influence and I think it definitely shows (also, Brandon Sanderson, the book even feels a little like Elantris because of its "rediscovering what happened to the ancients" aspect). Second book of the trilogy comes out later this year, and the third book is already mostly done apparently so I'm hopeful this won't be a series that lingers unresolved.
In Conquest Born by C. S. Friedman. Epic Space Opera with telepathy thrown in. But done well and there are all the other elements along with it.
I am not much of a Space Opera fan, I have read some of the classics (Larry Niven's Mote In God's Eye) but I guess Tanya Huff's Confederation Series was another one. And I read and enjoyed every single one of those.
> The Dwarves by Markus Heitz.
Not hard at all. If you search the part I quoted, this Amazon listing is the first result.
Enjoy!
Hmm... maybe I'll put the first one on my Amazon wishlist. Thanks Jimbo!
The Golem and the Jinni
Winter's Tale
And as someone else mentioned The Shadow of the Wind and the follow-ups Angel's Game and The Prisoner of Heaven - they're basically Guillermo del Toro movies waiting to happen.
In Vajrayana, regret is one of the four opponent powers to purify negative karma.
"Power of Regret: This should not be senseless guilt or self-recrimination, which are said to be useless emotional torture. What is intended here is to examine oneself and one's actions and to recognise that negative actions done in the past were very unwise." http://www.viewonbuddhism.org/karma.html#8
"So if regret arises, even the most powerful nonvirtuous karma can become weaker. Therefore, whatever nonvirtuous actions you happen to commit, it is crucial that you subsequently generate remorse and ensure that this is purified. The same is true of virtuous karma. Even if the karma is not powerful, if you subsequently rejoice, its strength increases. You should therefore, after engaging in any virtuous action, cultivate a special sense of rejoicing, free of any self-importance." https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Training-Collection-Library-Classics/dp/0861714407
Some of the short story collections mentioned in the various articles are AfroSF, AfroSF v2, and Imagine Africa 500.
The Nommo Awards are run by the African Speculative Fiction Society; you can see their 2017 nominations here.
The entries for the speculative fiction week of The Writer 2016 contest can be found here.
I’ve always wanted to read them. I’ve never read a war book from “the other side”
I’m currently reading “The Last Panther”
My first WW2 book from the other side. Fascinating.
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Panther-Slaughter-Reich-Kessel-ebook/dp/B00Y1R4X92/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=the+last+panther&qid=1572923286&sr=8-2
Have any of you read The Last Panther or similar books? On amazon it's highly rated, and the majority of the reviews appear to take it as fact. What do you think?
Also I can reccommend you watch the whole video.
I'd appreciate it, but you certainly don't have to go through all that trouble! Do you know if this translation is any good?
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
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You might like this book. I like this book. Here is a video summary.
I've been reading this book and writing down any idea that resonates with me. Then I think deeply about that idea and commit it to memory by using and seeing examples in the real world.
The Confederation of Valor series by Tanya Huff is extremely fun and action-packed military SF, and definitely focuses more on combat than politics.
You should check out both Tiger Tracks and The Last Panther by Wolfgang Faust. Memoirs of his experiences as part of a Tiger and Panther crew on the Eastern Front and last days of the war in Germany. They aren't that long so you will probably breeze through them but they are very engaging.
Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness?
back to the beginning
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It might be The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion.
>The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.
>
>Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is “quite intelligent for a barmaid”). But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.
According to Wikipedia,
>In September 2014 it was confirmed that Sony Pictures optioned film rights to The Rosie Project.[3] Simsion penned the first draft of the script and screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber were later brought on to work on the final script, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller set to potentially direct.[3] Jennifer Lawrence was cast as the female lead for the film in July 2015.[4] In October 2015, Lawrence dropped out to star in the film mother! by Darren Aronofsky, director of the Oscar-winning movie Black Swan.[5] In July 2015, Richard Linklater was in talks to direct after Lord and Miller dropped out to do other projects.[6] However, after Lawrence dropped out of the film, so did Linklater.[7] In 2017, TriStar Pictures announced that Ben Taylor would direct the film.[8]
Tinker by Wen Spencer. Genius, runs a junkyard, races hoverbikes, works magic, Elves, Pittsburgh, etc. She's awesome.
Torin Kerr from the Valor series and Vicki Nelson from the Blood series by Tanya Huff are great female leads. Torin is a scifi series and Vicki is early urban fantasy.
Either the Kate Daniels series or Edge series by Ilona Andrews ... great female and male characters. Lots of depth and variety, very well-written.
Lily Yu and Cynna Weaver in the Lupi series by Eileen Wilks.
Any of Patricia Briggs's books - Mercy Thompson, Alpha & Omega, her fantasy novels ... all great female leads.
So many great female leads, I can give a ton more if you want them.
here is Volume 1
Volumne 2
Volume 3
Volumne 4
Volume 5
Volume 6
Volume 7
and Volume 8
the digital kindle copy is only 6USD compared to the physical version.
The Shadow of the Wind is one of my all-time favorites. It's magical realism set in a gothic Barcelona, and it's amazing.
At least for Anarchists or other left-libertarians it should also be important to actually read up on some basic or even fundamental ethical texts given most political views and arguments are fundamentally rooted in morality (unless you're a orthodox Marxist or Monarchist). I'm sadly not familiar enough with applied ethics to link collections of arguments for specific ethical problems, but it's very important to know what broad system you're using to evaluate what's right or wrong to not contradict yourself.
At least a few very old texts will also be available for free somewhere on the internet like The Anarchist Library.
Some good intro books:
Some foundational texts and contemporary authors of every main view within normative ethics:
Why its cheap, you should support novels you like that are translated into your language so that you can give support and possibly more incentive for other companies to translate
In case anyone else is interested in reading the actual stories, I spent some time digging them up.
There are three short stories mentioned in this article:
Numbers 1 and 3 are found in this collection AfroSF and the second is found in this collection Something Wicked Vol. 2
Nope it's most definitely the light novel kindle version.
What country are you in?
This one is probably the best translation to date.
There are four volumes of around 500 pages each, though, so good luck
I'd stick with what you know. And ask people from the actual culture you're writing if you need help and don't want to insult anyone. But you know, you can have all black casts without it being weird. But as long as when you think of your stories you're not flinching away from an all black cast because you think no one will read it, you will do well.
It sounds like part of the issue you're having is that you want to make people "fit" their culture. But we know people live, work, and date in other cultures all day long. Don't worry so much about making a fit as long as you got the cultural details right and it's plausible (ex. Paul uses a katana not because he's japanese but because he was taught kenjutsu from a young age by a friend of his grandfather's. or something similar).
Also, for some black speculative fiction, try anthologies like Steamfunk! or AfroSF. I have Steamfunk and if you have Kindle i'll lend it to you. Or anyone that wants to read it.
There is a lot of context surrounding the koans, and just reading the koan + verse + comment can be pretty perplexing!
The point of that one is that saying that arguing over these external things, whether the wind or the flag, is missing the point. This is "buying iron", and when Eno comes by and says the mind moves, this is better than arguing over these external things, hence the monks "get gold" instead.
Eno expressed his compassion for the monks that were caught up arguing over wind and flags by saying instead that the mind moves (so that they might stop arguing over the external things). However, coming from the point of view that there is only the oneness of things, it also misses the point - saying that this particular mind moves is just speaking more of these things which can exist separately from oneness! That's why it's a "disgraceful scene": Eno gives them advice that will still miss the point!
If you're interested, I highly recommend this book because Koun Yomada gives excellent explanations and necessary context for each of the koans.
I happen to have two different translations of this very book right next to me.
On this amazon listing for the book, it lists the translator right next to the author near the top of the page "Thomas Common (Translator) "
I found Walter Kauffman on amazon, and you can get his translation of "TSZ" through The Portable Nietzsche right there on Amazon in paperback, kindle or library binding formats.
Enjoy! As I have.
This was the version I borrowed from my local library. I couldn't tell you if it's the most accurate translation, but I was certainly able to understand what was being written.
Middle length discourses
Long discourses
Connected Discourses
Those 3 make up the Nikayas and will keep you busy until infinity. They're also a bit pricey.
I have a copy of Buddhist Suttas that contains many of the key suttas in it.
A Buddhist Bible contains some of the more important Mahayana suttas as they relate to Zen especially.
And then of course there is the Lotus Sutra, an epic classic unto itself.
Mind Training: The Great Collection (Library of Tibetan Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0861714407/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Yi7qDbVH9JA10
The Dwarves by [Markus Heitz](http://www.amazon.com/Dwarves-Markus-Heitz/dp/0316049441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331151241&sr=8-1]
The Black Company by Glen Cook
Just Finished reading The Last Panther. Good read. Can't vouch for the accuracy though as I'm not a historian.
i've ordered Herr Pep and Boquita. really pumped to read those. on the internet, Marti Perarnau has interesting guides to various European leagues.
the best soccer book of ALL time though is by Eduardo Galeano, El futbol a sol y sombra, also known as Soccer in Sun and Shadow.
Inverting the Pyramid is Great, How Soccer Explains the World is awesome, and Alex Bellos' book, Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life is also really, really great.
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-What-Lost-Licanius-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HMRF5FI was the cover white, not black?
Not sure if these are appropriate, or if she's read these already but here's a few off the top of my head:
Am I on the right track?
It depends on which school of Buddhism you are interested in. Different schools of Buddhism have different scriptures. For example, the school of Theravada Buddhism cherishes the Pali Canon, which consists of Vinaya Pitaka (monastic rules and disciplines), Sutta Pitaka (Buddha's discourses) and Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical treaties). The school of Mahayana Buddhism cherishes the Tripitaka, while the school of Tibetan Buddhism also has their own scriptures.
If you are into the Theravada school of Buddhism, which is the oldest school and also closest to the original teaching of the Buddha, then I'd recommend the following books:
The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya
The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya
The Suttanipata: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha’s Discourses Together with Its Commentaries
> Tanya Huff's Confederation
http://www.amazon.com/Confederation-Valor-omnibus-Tanya-Huff/dp/0756403995
Is this it?
From Socrates to Sartre: A Philosophic Quest Its a pretty good starting point. Its basically just an overview of major philosophers. Also for some fiction try Genesis by Bernard Beckett. Its a pretty easy read and deals with what it means to be human.
First of all, I absolutely must also follow in Urbinsanity's suggestion of A.N Whitehead's 'Adventures of ideas' - it is a wonderful book.
I do not know of any 'defining book' on the study of ontology unfortunately, but I would also join in suggesting "Metaphysics an Introduction" along with bitemydickallthetime, given what I've heard on the book.
Also, I'd strongly suggest Process and Reality if you have a few years to spare, or Modes of thought if you have a few weeks (perhaps less!).
And for the more 'interesting'/'strange' stuff, I always go with Leibniz's Monadology.
Oh! and I don't know how well-corroborated this suggestion would be, but I have always found the fiction of Jorge Luis Borges to be ripe with notions strongly involved in metaphysics and ontology. Labyrinths is a great place to look in this regards - especially if you're looking for something a bit 'lighter' than direct works on ontology.
Last year only one book made me happy through and through, and that book was "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion. It's a romantic comedy, but seen through the eyes of a Biology professor with Asperger's named Don Tillman, who decides it's about time he got married and so starts his "Wife Project".
Think "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" crossed with "When Harry Met Sally". It's very funny, very sweet, and very uplifting.
Weirdly, I picked it up because it was on Bill Gates' recommended list.
Given your feedback you might be interested in The Secret Footballer's Guide to the Modern Game.
Inverting the Pyramid is a great overview of football tactics from the beginning of the game until the 2000s, but the book stars before the 1900s IIRC so if you're not super into history or what formations were popular in like 1920, the first half of the book is quite a slog.
In terms of literary value, Soccer in Sun and Shadow is your best bet. It's beautifully written and easy to read but focuses on South America
Perhaps it's not a very bluntly atheistic text, but Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre is one that I thoroughly enjoyed and found to be a good stepping stone in terms of agreeableness.
http://www.amazon.com/Existentialism-Human-Emotion-Philosophical-Library/dp/0806509023
Totally different genre from Sherlock Holmes, but I found myself picturing the protagonist as Benedict Cumberbatch/Sherlock as I was reading "The Rosie Project." It's silly and lighthearted, but a fun and worthwhile read.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1476729093
I have similar issues with "typical" romance books.
I enjoyed The Rosie Project. It's from the male perspective and he's certainly not Mr. Perfect.
AfroSF is a collection of short science fiction stories by African authors. The stories themselves can be hit or miss but all in all I liked it.
Read this, I just started it and it has a really shockingly interesting perspective on modern ennui (which is what you're going through):
https://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Happiness-Bertrand-Russell/dp/087140673X
The Shadow of the Wind was quite good story telling.
TG is 180 capped :) Lots of those and I have couple of champions, paladins, succubus above level 160.
The dwarf series by Markus Heitz. Read it in German but it also has been translated. First book https://www.amazon.com/Dwarves-Markus-Heitz/dp/0316049441/ there are actually five. The last one has not been translated yet, but it lost some quality. Read it after surgery in hospital, even while hospitals are boring as shit the fifth book didn't help too much :)
Ah yeah. I would continue research the neuroscience stuff for the layperson. Really fascinating stuff that can be of great help. Especially the stuff relating to stroke victims and their before/afters. Really helps to put the brain into perspective.
And the existential/nihilistic stuff... It seems that there are two separate mindsets when it comes to being an existentialist, and they are almost polar opposites in their effect upon the individual. I think the difference stems from a misinterpretation of existentialism's heavily nuanced response to the root question of all philosophy: "What is the point?"/"What does it all mean?".
Existentialism is not, in practice at least, nihilistic. When asked, what is the point, an existentialist will respond in this manner, "The point is what you decide it to be. Meaning is derived from what you decide to find meaning in." The nihilism comes from the notion that, yes, an existentialist does not believe there is any intrinsic or knowable 'meaning' within the workings of the universe, or even a man's place within it. BUT, the fact that you exist, coupled with the ability to make conscious decisions, means that you can insert meaning into a void that previously had none. Once this is understood, this is an extremely empowering notion. So in this sense, there is intrinsic meaning within the universe, as man is indeed an intrinsic part of the universe, and it is the individual that creates meaning. Outside of man, yes, nihilistic tendencies should reign supreme. But there is no outside of man, for you, me, or anyone else for that matter.
Sartre for example, thought of Che Guevera as the epitome of mankind. Here was a man who was leading a revolution, not because he was forced to, and not because he was brought up to do so. He made the conscious and willing decision to take responsibility for something which he did not need to. He inserted his own meaning into the void - through his actions he stated clearly his existence and intention to carry it out to its greatest extent. Needlessly to say, suicide was the furthest thing from his mind. *Just a note here - whether or not you agree with Guevera's actions is irrelevant. The point here is that he did act, and the he lived for the causes of his own choosing, and affected his environment in a large way.
You should read Sartre's Existentialism and Human Emotions: http://www.amazon.com/Existentialism-Human-Emotions-Philosophical-Library/dp/0806509023
It is not a difficult book to read, and I think it would be well worth it.
All this being said, I don't necessarily consider myself an existentialist. I'm still working on it, give me a few more hours to let it settle, haha. Hopefully this might give you something to chew on in the meantime though.
And btw, your 'friends' sound like assholes based your account. Not everyone is like that.
edit: I realize you are probably aware of most of this... I am just making sure...Would love to hear your perspective on it regardless.
Hey, don't forget that free action still requires justification. Actually, your freedom comes with immense responsibility. I know tons of people have commented already, but I'm taking a semester of existentialism right now and you're channeling Sartre and de Beauvoir - at least these two books of theirs which I read over the weekend. I'd recommend de Beauvoir's more, but Sartre's is very clear and concise.
By the way, in my opinion, this is something which all people need to realize, so big kudos to you my friend. Now, go out in the worlds and do something positive with it! Teach someone else about their freedom!
You should pick up a book called "The Gateless Gate." I'll just say this about your post: "If you have tasted kensho, wash away its glamour."
EDIT: Also it's "attained some realization." The monk was not suddenly enlightened from this.
As far as I know, the two main English translations of Journey to the West are Anthony Yu's version and Arthur Waley's version
Its a great story and its an awesome read. Waley's version (just called "Monkey") is a bit more abridged, but its easier to read, and I'd recommend starting with that one.
It's been licensed for both physical and digital release in English. Keep track of licensed release dates with the subreddit wiki in the sidebar.
Volume 1:
iTunes (digital)
Google Play (digital)
Google Play US (digital)
Amazon (physical and digital)
Book Depository (physical)
Rightstuf (physical)
Volume 2:
iTunes (digital)
Google Play (digital)
Google Play US (digital)
Amazon (physical and digital)
Book Depository (physical)
Rightstuf (physical)
Volume 3:
iTunes (digital)
Google Play (digital)
Google Play US (digital)
Amazon (physical and digital)
Book Depository (physical)
Rightstuf (physical)
Volume 4:
iTunes (digital)
Google Play (digital)
Google Play US (digital)
Amazon (physical and digital)
Book Depository (physical)
Rightstuf (physical)
Volume 5 (preorder):
iTunes (digital)
Google Play US (digital)
Google Play (digital)
Amazon (physical and digital)
Book Depository (physical)
Rightstuf (physical)
Shadow of the Wind and Angel's Game, both by Carlos Ruiz Safon:
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wind-Cemetery-Forgotten-Book-ebook/dp/B000OVLINI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498238020&sr=8-1&keywords=Shadow+of+the+Wind
https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Game-Cemetery-Forgotten-Book-ebook/dp/B001NLKZLE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498238029&sr=8-1&keywords=Angels+Game
Kushiel's Dart and pretty much all the books that followed, by Jacqueline Carey:
https://www.amazon.com/Kushiels-Dart-Legacy-Book-ebook/dp/B0055DLCAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498238161&sr=8-1&keywords=kushiel%27s+dart
Right now, I can't think of anything that I keep going back to over and over.
The flag and bodhidharma has no beard one are from the gateless gate.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/glg/index.htm
If you want a paper version I have this one https://www.amazon.com/Gateless-Gate-Classic-Book-Koans/dp/0861713826 and I like the commentaries.
Life situations usually allow time for self-centered motivation and expectations to arise, but if a blind guy is a few steps from walking into mortal danger, we would rush to help, almost instinctively and without any concern for potential praises, rewards, karma points, etc. -- which seems to be the ideal mindset when doing good deeds:
“The practice of all the Bodhisattvas is to give out of generosity, with no hopes of karmic recompense or expectation of reward.” -Gyalse Tokme Zangpo
“Also you must practice giving without expecting anything in return, or any [karmic] ripening effects.” -Pabongka Rinpoche
---
Keep doing good deeds even if we're not free of self-serving motivations:
"For example, if a man is extremely thirsty and you give him water with your ego piously doing something good, the man still quenches his thirst. It’s a good action and good karma comes from this because we’ve helped another person. Although it’s not particularly influential in achieving Buddhahood, this kind of charity would still be considered accumulation of merit. So although it’s tainted by ego, it’s still important to do. Please keep doing it, because if we wait until we have a first class, non-egoic motivation, that motivation may not happen in time to quench the man’s thirst. Then the beneficial action does not happen. So even though there’s less then perfect motivation, still do it. Remember, people are not waiting for our motivation; they’re waiting for the tangible things they need." -Tsoknyi Rinpoche
---
Once done, we should rejoice in the good deed to deepen the positive karmic imprint on our mindstream:
"Even if the karma is not powerful, if you subsequently rejoice, its strength increases. You should therefore, after engaging in any virtuous action, cultivate a special sense of rejoicing, free of any self-importance." -Geshe Thupten Jinpa
Open Heart, Clear Mind by Thubten Chodron, great book and easy to read, I have to say the best beginner book on Buddhism I have ever read. She has her email at the end and she will actually write back to you.
Open Heart, Clear Mind: An Introduction to the Buddha's Teachings https://www.amazon.com/dp/0937938874/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WIw7CbRQ6T3N0
If you are looking for something more studious you can get the Buddha's discourses, they are a bit dry at times but they are the closest thing to the Buddha's own words you will be able to find.
The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (The Teachings of the Buddha) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0861711033/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jIw7Cb6WRBSMW
What luck - my favorite is still available! Case 23 with the 6th Patriarch.
Question: my translation of the Mumonkan is titled the Gateless Gate. Acceptable?
the 'Dwarves' series, by Markus Heitz
http://www.amazon.com/The-Dwarves-Markus-Heitz/dp/0316049441
football (soccer) in sun and shadows. Looks at many sides of the sport
Danmachi
No game no Life
Heh. Let me link my description of LitRPG from my group on Royal Road. http://forum.royalroadl.com/showthread.php?tid=88435
Some of the first LitRPG I got into was 'Girls in a Dungeon. https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Pick-Girls-Dungeon-Vol-ebook/dp/B00LZYBVJ4/
This series is set in another world where gods and goddesses on the planet can invest some power in adventurers. This allows them to literally level up by accruing experience via fighting monsters. There is a leveled dungeon system that the MC delves to make his fortune.
It's a light novel series so it's not a literary masterpiece, but I thought it was fun.
Private Vasquez.
Edit: You might like the Torin Kerr/Confederacy novels by Tanya Huff: https://www.amazon.com/Confederation-Valor-omnibus-Tanya-Huff/dp/0756403995
I just finished reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline last night and absolutely loved it. I am definitely putting it on my re-read pile. Of the 25 or so books I've read this year so far, this one is definitely my favorite. So much fun and really fast paced.
I also recently finished reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It ends up being more of a beautiful love story journey than a time travel story and it's not horror although there are horrific things that happen in it. Definitely one of his better ones. The paperback is coming out soon but the Hardcover was I think about 849 pages so it will take awhile to get through.
Look into other Stephen King books, there are some monsters. "It". "The Stand", and "Under the Dome" are all over 1000 pages. There is also the Dark Tower series, there is about 7 or 8 books in it. I haven't read it yet but I plan to one day. A lot of people say this series is their favorite King work.
A Series I am still in the process of reading is called The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness, three books 1. The Knife of Never Letting Go, 2. The Ask and The Answer, 3. Monsters of Men. It's a fun series, I have read the first two. Humans have colonized another planet, there was a war with the indiginous alien population and humans were exposed to a germ that killed the women and made it so the men could all hear each others and all the animals thoughts, which they call The Noise. Todd, the main boy, begins to get into the secrets of his town and must escape, and he comes across a strange pocket of silence, a girl, and more secrets. Lots of fun.
My favorite book that I read in 2011, that I discovered on Reddit when someone made a comment about it, Genesis by Bernard Beckett. Futuristic Sci-fi story. Do not read any spoilers about this book, it will ruin it. Reading the synopsis on Amazon is OK but don't go into any more depth. It works best if you know as little as possible. All I will say is "I did not see that coming." I wish I knew who it was that made the comment I saw, because I would thank them. It's a very short book so you will blast through it in no time.
If you like YA books, I would suggest the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and all the other books written by the author Rick Riordan. The original series is 5 books but there is also a follow-up series called The Heroes of Olympus series with some of the same characters but a whole cast of new ones, so far there are 2 in that series out, the third comes in October. The author also has another series called The Kane Chronicles but instead of Greek mythology it's Egyptian. This one is a trilogy. They are really easy to ready but I find them fun. You can tell the author uses basically the same formula each time though.
You might not like this one but it's a popular YA series right now. The first book is called Divergent by Veronica Roth and the Sequel came out a few months back called Insurgent. It's very reminicient of Hunger Games, same tone, feel, and themes so you might not like it but I've enjoyed it so far. It's a dystopian future and takes place in what used to be known as Chicago.
I also enjoyed The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind (very strange but I really, really enjoyed it).
I read a book earlier this year called Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion and it's been one of favorites so far this year. The premise sounds odd and not good, like a Twilight rip-off or something but I was surprised at how good it was, there are many larger messages in it, than the initial plot synopsis. Zombie apocalypse but the story is told through the perspective of a zombie instead of the human. His name is 'R' and he lives in the airport with a bunch of other zombies. One day he eats the brains of this boy and takes his girlfriend hostage. As he continues to eat his brain, he experiences the memories of this boy and begins to fall for the girl. I know what you're thinking, necrophilia or some shit, but it doesn't actually get to that but it's hard to describe without giving the plot away. It's well written and the resolution to the story is wonderful, with a larger message about life. I really enjoyed this one.
Hope that helps a little.
"Monkey" is the only abridge version of Journey to the West I can recommend.
I own a revised edition of Journey to the West that I picked up early last year. It's the most modern version of Journey to the West. Alex Yu's translation is the best one out there. Wu Cheng'en's translation used to be recommend. If you were to compare both translations together, Wu Cheng'en's is a bit dated.
Genesis by Bernard Beckett. Not your typical dystopian book, like the ones you listed, but still really interesting.
I think this is probably the greatest book ever written in the kind of style and genre you've described.
https://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Happiness-Bertrand-Russell/dp/087140673X
Anything to recommend?
I'm currently one chapter into The Last Panther by Wolfgang Faust. (142 pages)
Goodreads gave it 4.2/5 and most readers gave it 5 stars.
It seems really good so far and it's only £2 sterling in the kindle store.
>#The Last Panther
>While the Battle of Berlin in 1945 is widely known, the horrific story of the Halbe Kessel remains largely untold.
>In April 1945, victorious Soviet forces encircled 80,000 men of the German 9th Army in the Halbe area, South of Berlin, together with many thousands of German women and children. The German troops, desperate to avoid Soviet capture, battled furiously to break out towards the West, where they could surrender to the comparative safety of the Americans. For the German civilians trapped in the Kessel, the quest to escape took on frantic dimensions, as the terror of Red Army brutality spread.
The small town of Halbe became the eye of the hurricane for the breakout, as King Tigers of the SS Panzer Corps led the spearhead to the West, supported by Panthers of the battle-hardened 21st Panzer Division.
>Panzer by panzer, unit by unit, the breakout forces were cut down – until only a handful of Panthers, other armour, battered infantry units and columns of shattered refugees made a final escape through the rings of fire to the American lines.
>This first-hand account by the commander of one of those Panther tanks relates with devastating clarity the conditions inside the Kessel, the ferocity of the breakout attempt through Halbe, and the subsequent running battles between overwhelming Soviet forces and the exhausted Reich troops, who were using their last reserves of fuel, ammunition, strength and hope.
>Eloquent German-perspective accounts of World War 2 are surprisingly rare, and the recent reissue of Wolfgang Faust’s 1948 memoir ‘Tiger Tracks’ has fascinated readers around the world with its insight into the Eastern Front. In ‘The Last Panther,’ Faust used his unique knowledge of tank warfare to describe the final collapse of the Third Reich and the murderous combat between the German and Russian armies. He gives us a shocking testament to the cataclysmic final hours of the Reich, and the horrors of this last eruption of violence among the idyllic forests and meadows of Germany.
Check out Genesis by Bernarnd Beckett. It's a short read that goes fairly deep on modern views of AIs without getting too bogged down in character back stories or relationships.
http://www.amazon.com/Spake-Zarathustra-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486406636
Bhikkhu Bodhi's collection of sutras.
http://www.amazon.com/Buddhas-Words-Anthology-Discourses-Teachings/dp/0861714911
http://www.amazon.com/The-Middle-Length-Discourses-Buddha/dp/086171072X/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JGB8GYHNJYWS360RV6E
http://www.amazon.com/The-Connected-Discourses-Buddha-Translation/dp/0861713311/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JGB8GYHNJYWS360RV6E
http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Discourses-Buddha-Translation/dp/0861711033/ref=pd_sim_b_8?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JGB8GYHNJYWS360RV6E
They have commentaries, but they are seperate from the sutras themselves.
Just don't read the commentaries if you are opposed to them, but if you have questions about the meanings of the sutras, you should read the commentaries as Bhikkhu Bodhi is a very well established pali translator, and thus can discern subtle differences in the pali that don't come across in English.
Non-mobile: The Rosie Project
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
> The eye with which I see God is the same with which God sees me.
(Meister Eckhart)
Seriously though, pick up a copy of Mumon's Gateless Gate or the Blue Cliff Records for an authoritative treatment of zen koans.
book study, anyone?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0861714407/
2 pages per day
http://www.amazon.com/Spake-Zarathustra-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486406636
It's the last move before the cross that's impressive. Otherwise, this only shows Shipp's horrific MLS touch -- put the ball into space and chase it.
He's good and he's got potential, make no mistake, and he's excellent on set pieces.
And there's nothing wrong with him cutting inside from a wide position; in fact, that's what he should be doing.
But his touch is still typically American -- that is, heavy and clumsy. It's not his fault. He's learned how to kick the ball, but he's just now learning how to dance with her.
(Note: before you all jump on me for calling the ball "her", you need to realize than in most gendered languages, "ball" is feminine. Also, you need to read Soccer in Sun and Shadow. Don't argue before you've read that book.)