Official Book Thread - What You're Reading & Everything Book Related (merged)

#676
#676
therealUT said:
Who is Brad Thor? Also, I cannot stand Stephen Hawking.
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Spy Thriller novelist. He writes about a agent in the US Govt that globe trots and to prevent and kill terrorists. I have you pegged as someone who could never endorse such acts. Not trying to be a douche was just taking a jab thats all.
 
#678
#678
OsbourneBROS83 said:
Spy Thriller novelist. He writes about a agent in the US Govt that globe trots and to prevent and kill terrorists. I have you pegged as someone who could never endorse such acts. Not trying to be a douche was just taking a jab thats all.
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I have little to no interest in reading 'spy thrillers' and I do not support such acts anymore.

Socrates: Do we say that one must never in any way dowrong willingly, or must one do wrong in one way and not in another? Is to do wrong never good or admirable, as we have agreed in the past, or have all these former agreements been washed out during the last few days? Have we at our age failed to notice for some time that in our serious discussions we were no different from children? Above all, is the truth such as we used to say it was, whether the majority agree or not, and whether we must still suffer worse things than we do now, or will be treated more gently, that nonetheless, wrongdoing is in every way harmful and sahmeful to the wrongdoer? Do we say so or not?

Crito: We do.

Socrates: So one must never do wrong?

Crito: Certainly not.

Socrates: Nor must one, when wronged, inflict wrong in return, as the majority believe, since one must never do wrong.

Crito: That seems to be the case.

Socrates: Come now, should one injure anyone or not, Crito?

Crito: One must never do so.

Socrates: Well then, if one is oneself injured, is it right, as the majority say, to inflict an injury in return, or is it not?

Crito: It is never right.

Socrates: Injuring people is no different from wrongdoing.

Crito: That is true.

Socrates: One should never do wrong in return, nor injure any man whatever injury one has suffered at his hands. And Crito, see that you do not agree to this, contrary to your belief. For I know that only a few people hold this view or will hold it, and there is no common ground between those who hold this view and those who do not, but they inevitably despise each other's views.
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And, 400 years later:

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.
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#680
#680
therealUT said:
I have little to no interest in reading 'spy thrillers' and I do not support such acts anymore.



And, 400 years later:
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This is in reference to revenge, not self defense. There are many commentaries that defend a person's (or as it were in this case, a country's) right and incumbant duty to defend oneself and interests. I do believe that if the US is engaged in tracking and detaining individuals who would cause harm to the US, and in due course are attacked by these individuals then they certainly have the duty to protect themself.

We probably should have this conversation elsewhere though since this thread is about Books.
 
#681
#681
OsbourneBROS83 said:
This is in reference to revenge, not self defense. There are many commentaries that defend a person's (or as it were in this case, a country's) right and incumbant duty to defend oneself and interests. I do believe that if the US is engaged in tracking and detaining individuals who would cause harm to the US, and in due course are attacked by these individuals then they certainly have the duty to protect themself.

We probably should have this conversation elsewhere though since this thread is about Books.
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Back to books, then. You might want to read Plato's Crito and see that Socrates is not simply speaking of revenge.
 
#683
#683
Right now I'm reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and John Cassidy's How Markets Fail, both for class. I've read Atlas Shrugged once before- pretty intense book.
 
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#685
#685
OsbourneBROS83 said:
You are a defender of the liberty to protect your home and interests by any means though, correct?
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I do not know if I am; I certainly think I can excuse someone for doing so in the heat of the moment; however, I do not think I would say that it is morally justified and/or morally righteous.
 
#686
#686
rockytop9808 said:
Right now I'm reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and John Cassidy's How Markets Fail, both for class. I've read Atlas Shrugged once before- pretty intense book.
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Just picked up cassidys book myself.

I've tried to get through atlas shrugged a few times but it's so damned long. I have made a concerted effort to understand objectivism though.
 
#688
#688
PKT_VOL said:
Ah, TRUT, just read Crito a couple days ago. Going through all of Socrates works at the moment.
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The Crito and the Meno dialogues are probably my favorite of anything Plato wrote. I also think that the Crito dialogue demonstrates, most conspicuously, what the climax of the Jesus story was founded upon.
 
#692
#692
therealUT said:
The Crito and the Meno dialogues are probably my favorite of anything Plato wrote. I also think that the Crito dialogue demonstrates, most conspicuously, what the climax of the Jesus story was founded upon.
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I haven't read Meno yet. Interesting that you compare Crito to the story of Jesus. I like it that comparison. I have to say that the Apology is my favorite work of Socrates. The eloquence of his words and the articulation of his argument under those circumstances is inspiring to say the least.
 
#693
#693
ftw

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#695
#695
Read the Steve Jobs book last week, and I'm moving on to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (currently halfway through it).
 
#696
#696
rockytop9808 said:
Right now I'm reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and John Cassidy's How Markets Fail, both for class. I've read Atlas Shrugged once before- pretty intense book.
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Just wrapped up the first part of How Markets Fail. What'd you think of it so far? The author does a pretty complete job dissociating modern champions of the free market from Adam Smith's original works.
 
#697
#697
milohimself said:
Just wrapped up the first part of How Markets Fail. What'd you think of it so far? The author does a pretty complete job dissociating modern champions of the free market from Adam Smith's original works.
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I've only read 3 chapters- we aren't required to have more than that read for the next few weeks, so I'm balancing it with Atlas Shrugged, case studies, and textbooks. When I get further along I'll let you know.
 
#699
#699
Just picked up A Time To Kill at the library yesterday. I've seen the movie several times but wanted to read the book
 
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