Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig
A great book that allowed me to examine the way I think about the world around me.
Prey, Michael Crichton
My favorite Crichton novel I have reread it many times because of the action packed story.
The Utility of Force: the Art if War in the Modern World, General Rupert Smith
A great book about how the modern age of warfare is seen by the likes of the pentagon.
The Commission The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation, Philip Shenon
If taken to be 100% true it is a eye-opening book about the investigation process that may or may not have covered up huge mistakes by Clinton and W Bush.
Atlas Shrugged, Aryn Rand
a truly amazing book although it might be too large for me to read again it is probaly only second to Zen and the Art in the amount it has effected how I like about the world and therefore life.
Selected readings of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Ziezk, Badiou, Foucault, Lacan, Agamben, among others in debate
After reading so many different philosophers and seeing how some are interdependent, I can see the idea systems and clashes in the everyday world.
Flowers for Algernon
The first book (out of two) that has made me cry at the end. It is classic for me.
Jean M Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear and subsequent squeals
A great story of a struggling community and proved if not taught me to believe in being open and empathetic to people that might seem different.
Dale Brown's Dreamland and Flight of the Old Dog series
My guilty pleasure when it comes to books, these are fictional books about futuristic but striking plausible wars.
The Blind Watchmaker Richard Dawkins
An interesting book that that first made be affirm a disbelief in the watchmaker analogy and secondly made be disagree with Dawkins alternative to the watchmaker.
Marley and Me
The second book to make me cry at the end it an amazing story that struck home for me.
The Hobbit Tolkien
A book that was challenging when I read it in 4th grade (with the help of dad) but I find it to be better than the Lord of the rings books and remains in my top 5.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist Mohsin Hamid
A great read that truly makes the reader examine the world around him and any and all preconceptions that he brings to the table.
The Deep Jon E Lewis
The book that first sparked my interest in the underwater world and gave me my passion into scuba diving and marine biology.
15. The White Tiger by Arvanid Adiga
A great book about classism and hardship that behalf people who try to climb the ladder.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Top 14 Books
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Unfamiliar Road
The Road By Cormac McCarthy is a deeply intriguing novel that follows the post-apocalyptic journey of a father and son to the “south” in order to survive the upcoming winter. McCarthy's greatest feat is creating such a invigorating novel without explaining so many usually important aspects of a story. He gives little to no explanation about the apocalyptic event and allows the reader to fill in the gaps as the reader pleases; he only describes the aftermath of the event. McCarthy does not provide names to any characters instead he uses simple pronouns and adjectives to describe most characters. The only distinct character description is seen when son calls his father Papa, this highlights the undying love and compassion that the boy carries for his father. And also shows the deep and personal sacrifice that the father has given his son so that he may survive. The most unusual part of the book is its unfamiliar structure. There are no chapters, no punctuation of dialogue and he uses simple sentence structure and words to convey short simplistic ideas. McCarthy breaks up the book by using paragraphs that end when a complete idea, sequence of events, or dialogue is finished. But when mashed together these short simple sentences and paragraphs transport the reader into the world of the boy and his father and convey a stream of conscienceness from the characters. The relationship between “Papa” and “the boy” and the mother is also a interesting part of the novel. The mother has lost the will to live and regrets bringing her child into the world. She tells “Papa” that “death is my new lover”... “he can give me want I need.” The short but detailed explanation that McCarthy gives for the mothers “disappearance” and the boy's lack of emotional response reveals the deterioration of the human condition. Papa is shocking more upset and taken aback by the mothers disappearance than the boy. The way in which Papa describes the ghastly terraformed world to the boy is also interesting. At times Papa describes the world as it once was and how is should be but these descriptions only further confuse the boy since he was born after the event and has no memories of what the world should be. When scavenging in a grocery store Papa finds a can of Coke and tells the boy to drink it all and to savor it. The boy refuses and forces Papa to try some as well and then immediately comes to the conclusion that he might not have one ever again. Papa further simplifies the boys questions when he describes the world as the “good people” that “carry the fire” and the fact that he tells the boy to find these people once he dies shows how the father might have also simplifed his own world by make a binary distinction between good and bad people. This uncanny form and story develop into a intriguing and fascinating novel that leave the reader with more unanswered questions about life than when he started.(517)
