The wheel of time books by Robert Jordan. Sometimes his writing drags, but the war scenes are good (don’t know if he saw combat, but he is a vietnam vet).
“Into the Storm, A Study in Command” by Tom Clancy with General Fred Franks Jr. (RET.)
Good choice, Oatmeal!! That was my first Heinlein book, but since then I’ve read em all. They always have that one cranky, old, testosterone-filled hero. Love it!
Just finished “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” yesterday. I’m not afraid to admit that I had to read quite a few parts several times over to understand them, but it was worth it. I consider these books my “mind workouts.” Anyone got any other thinking books that are actually good to read? They are hard to find on your own. Don’t try and throw any “classics” or trendy pop psych. books at me either. I like GOOD reading, not just informative, fact-filled pages of boredom.
Anything by Earnest Hemingway. It gives you a different outlook on life after you read something by a guy who’s weenie didn’t work after a war injury.
“Human Action” by Ludwig von Mises
actually im just now coming to an end on zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance myself, and yeah i had to reread some parts but hell i do that with any book just cause i dunno i do, i was just expecting a lot more out of this book than what im getting so far, but i will finish it and it has had some great parts. be sure to post if you ever get any responses on books like zen… i plan on getting lullaby next but thats only cause chuck palahniuk is doing a book tour and i plan on going down to austin to see him and id like to have read the book by then … anyone else plan on catching chuck on his book tour ?
Guns, Germs, and Steel; The Lucifer Principle; Iliad by Homer; Body Mind Master by Millman; Leonardo: The artist and the Man by Serge Bramley; Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl; Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz…just a few to get you started!
“The World of Winnie the Pooh (the 75th Anniversary Collection)” by A.A. Milne has to top my list of all time hardass books. You can also try “Bartholomew’s Ooblick” by Dr. Seuss and if you’re really ready for an eye-opener try “Babar’s Friend Zephir” by Jean and Laurent De Brunhoff. On a similar note, you might check out “Earth in the Balance” by Al Gore.
MBE, just finished Bear v Shark myself as per your recommendation a few months ago. I’m a big Pahluniak fan, and could see a lot of similarity in the writing styles. A good, quick read that you could knock off in one sitting.
I absolutely hated “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. Maybe I just missed the point, but I kept saying to myself at every other page, “Man, this guy should get a life”. Who gives a fuck about the what the meaning of the word “quality” is?
Good books that I’ve read recently are, Moore’s “Stupid White Men”, “Memoirs of a Geisha”, and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde.
For purely entertainment, I say Stephen King’s The Stand. Great book!
Afternoon, I cry when I hear of your book selection. They are beautiful touching epics that speak to the goodness in mankind. Thank you, (little tear).
Elegua, my favorite books are romantic novels. They include books where the man and the woman fall in love. I am also partial to Judy Bloom books. If you want gripping action, try the Hardy Boys’ books. They will tie your stomach in knots.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X,
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
I am currently reading Underworld by Don Delillo (some of his writing is similar to Palahniuk, check out White Noise) and Supertraining by Mel Siff.
I just got Chuck Palhuniuk’s “Lullaby” doo daa doo daa…
MBE: "Mind over Monkey = Mess. Since 2034. JADABB founder, 2002."
-Eric
Didn’t Ayn rand hereslf say that she considered herself a novelist/fiction writer first and a philosopher second?Maybe she knew she wasn’t that great of a philosopher.I enjoyed atlas the fountainhead tremendously but just couldn’t finish Atlas Shrugged.Too boring,no sense of great and enjoyable writing,IMO.
Right now I’m about halfway through Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.Pretty good so far and interesting ideas about the nature of art.
As far as enjoyable writing I like Bukowski.For masterful use of language check out Jesus’ Son buy Denis Johnson.They may not help your bodybuilding directly but great writing nevertheless.
yeah so far lullaby is some good stuff my only complaint is it reads almost too fast im almost done and i really havent put much time in reading it, what are you thoughts, without giving away anything for those that havent finished
Richard (Rogue Warrior) Marchinko’s Books. Bruce Lee’s Tao of Jeet Kune Do.
By the way, does there exist a compilation of military sayings (like the SEAL’s The Only Easy Day was Yesterday, etc.) ? Just too true and motivating!
JayM: Read the 7th posting in this thread about dust. BTW…what are you an English or Philosophy Professsor? All these “Arguments from -----” tell a lot about you.
Just finished Lullaby last night and without giving away anything that would ruin the read, I feel Palahniuk has maintained his unique formula while developing a richly twisted plotline. This novel, more so than his previous works, fulfills what I now refer to as the Palahniuk Momentum Principle. Somewhere towards the climax the tires always screech, and the reader is thrust through the windshield of truly understanding all the preceding events. I enjoyed reading Lullaby throughout, however it was not until the final chapter that I was able to really appreciate it. I read that they want to turn “Survivor” into a film. Lata.
MBE: “Where to park the next book mark since 1502. JADABB founder, 2002.”
-Eric