What are you currently reading?

[Bogey]

I usually re-read the chapter on embracing "downward mobility" around this time each year. 

[Bogey]

Just getting around to a book that I planned on reading back in August:

[lisa needs braces]

Nothing, absolutely nothing. Just too much internet nonsense.

[Ken B]

Nothing, absolutely nothing. Just too much internet nonsense.

Me too last month or so. 
need to get back to reading actual books.

I always have at least 5 books on the go. Two being neglected this month are a novel of ancient Rome, The Art of War by M Scott; and a book on Bayesianism by Howson. I got book store gift certificates too, so I can buy more books to not read. 

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Rereading Tawastjerna's 5-part Sibelius biography. Currently on part II, which includes years 1893-1903, starting from Karelia suite and ending with violin concerto. Excellent analysis certainly, although I still think he's bit too hard on Sibelius's skills (or lack of) of writing compelling choir works.

[Florestan]

Cervantes - Exemplary Novels

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Speaking of Cervantes, never read Don Quijote (nor exemplary novels) but the tone poem by Strauss is certainly splendid. Listened to it an hour ago

[Todd]

.
[asin]B00C8S9XC8[/asin]



So Far From God, by John SD Eisenhower, covering the Mexican-American War.  If a country is going to engage in an aggressive war of territorial expansion, US policy and actions during this war show how it's done.  Eisenhower's one-sided, and understandably very military oriented history of the war goes into more than a fair amount of detail of the campaigns, includes quick but informative and comparatively apolitical analysis of the US politics involved, and even includes some dry wit.  Having already read Eisenhower's excellent bio on Winfield Scott, and Walter Borneman's bio on James K Polk, the big draw of this book for me was to learn more about Zachary Taylor's conduct of the first part of this wicked war, to borrow General Grant's phrase, and Eisenhower does not disappoint.  Given the significance of this war - it has the highest casualty rate of any US war, added an immense amount of territory to the country, and ended up serving as practical training for Grant, Lee, Meade, and Bragg, among other Civil War officers - it is something of a shame that more isn't written about it.  Must be the dubious nature of how the war started.  I may yet have to read Robert Merry's A Country of Vast Designs to get a bigger picture treatment.


(The title is taken from a quote attributed to Mexican general and president Pofirio Diaz, who supposedly said "Poor Mexico!  So far from God and so close to the United States.")

[Drasko]

[Ken B]

The Rise of the Warrior Cop
Radley Balko

[Florestan]

The process of secularization with its vacuums of horror and the appearance of pseudo-religions (which are not genuine because they imply the passionate denial of any transcendent force, and the self-deification of man) makes politics the real center of all thoughts and activities and the uni­versal point of reference. The dislodging of reli­gion means the complete "politicalization" of exist­ence. The self-deification of man takes the form of the deification of the society, which now becomes the real idol of men. Here is one of the origins of that mentality which may be found among many liberals and is one of the greatest curses of our times; the social obsession which makes men un­able to judge anyone or anything without reference to society. It is this social obsession which, by exaggerating a respectable feeling to the point of absurdity, deprives people of all pleasures because they are haunted by the idea that some people are unable to eat oysters or whipped cream and to live in comfortable houses. It casts suspicion on any ac­tivity which, like the study of Sanskrit, has no im­mediate "social" value. By the way, it is a note­worthy fact that, through a significant arbitrari­ness, this obsessive sense of social solidarity usually pertains only to co-nationals; which is one more proof of the fact that collectivist ideas are power­ful forces for what may be called the nationaliza­tion of man.

[Bogey]

Just set a goal for reading 20 books this year over on the Goodreads site.  You in Karl, Dave (Sonic), MNDave and others?

[Florestan]

Very instructive parallel readings.

Edmund Burke - Reflections on the Revolution in France

James Mackintosh - Vindiciae Gallicae

Thomas Paine - Rights of Man

Why Burke is hailed by some avowed liberals as an intellectual hero is beyond my power of comprehension. A liberal of sorts he certainly was, for he generally professed liberal opinions and defended liberal causes (with one major exception which form the substance of the three books, namely the French Revolution), but that a principled and rational liberal agenda can be founded upon his ideas is a dellusion, firstly because for principles and reason he had nothing but utter contempt and secondly, because his ideas can justify both the most opressive and the most liberal regime, his only condition for its legitimacy being for how long it has been in existence.

As for the French Revolution, he made a few strong cases in particular points (and even in these, he rather happened to be right, than was right in principle) but, overall and in the greater picture, Paine and Mackintosh were in the right and refuted his errors , misunderstandings or plain bad will the more brilliantly as they indeed proceeded from a principled and well reasoned out liberalism.

[Artem]

Just set a goal for reading 20 books this year over on the Goodreads site.  You in Karl, Dave (Sonic), MNDave and others?

My goodreads score for the past year is 39 books with 10650 pages, which is very close to my average for yearly reading of about 40 books. Last year I did read more longer books and I think I may spend more time reading than listening to music overall, because it is easier to find time for reading that for music for me.

[The new erato]

"Mot fedrenes fjell". A substantial David Monrad Johansen (Norwegian composer) biography.

[Ken B]

Very instructive parallel readings.

Edmund Burke - Reflections on the Revolution in France

James Mackintosh - Vindiciae Gallicae

Thomas Paine - Rights of Man

Why Burke is hailed by some avowed liberals as an intellectual hero is beyond my power of comprehension. A liberal of sorts he certainly was, for he generally professed liberal opinions and defended liberal causes (with one major exception which form the substance of the three books, namely the French Revolution), but that a principled and rational liberal agenda can be founded upon his ideas is a dellusion, firstly because for principles and reason he had nothing but utter contempt and secondly, because his ideas can justify both the most opressive and the most liberal regime, his only condition for its legitimacy being for how long it has been in existence.

As for the French Revolution, he made a few strong cases in particular points (and even in these, he rather happened to be right, than was right in principle) but, overall and in the greater picture, Paine and Mackintosh were in the right and refuted his errors , misunderstandings or plain bad will the more brilliantly as they indeed proceeded from a principled and well reasoned out liberalism.

We can still be friends.

[Florestan]

We can still be friends.

Oooopsss! I´d have never guessed you were a Burkean. 

[Karl Henning]

Just set a goal for reading 20 books this year over on the Goodreads site.  You in Karl, Dave (Sonic), MNDave and others?

It will mean being a bit more diligent about plugging in at Goodreads, but I shall try!

(And I hope re-reads will count  )

[stingo]

Just set a goal for reading 20 books this year over on the Goodreads site.  You in Karl, Dave (Sonic), MNDave and others?

I am. Set mine for 52, just like 2014.

[Bogey]

It will mean being a bit more diligent about plugging in at Goodreads, but I shall try!

(And I hope re-reads will count  )

Absolutely.  Let's try to tap one an other on the shoulder over there, folks.