Main > Literature > Economics
In Praise of Idleness, by Bertrand Russell ( link )
Summary:
In industrialised countries, machinery has greatly reduced the need for heavy labour. As a result, a significant number of humans become unemployed. But instead of utilising idleness for freedom of thought, they become bored and irritable, while others are overworked and irritable. As a result, most civilisations are dominated by rampant consumerism: artificial work to avoid boredom, using machines to create items to avoid boredom. A better solution in a technologically advanced society is to promote: (1) no more than four hours' work a day for all persons, and (2) philosophising, inventing, and idea-creating as a vital aspect of one's leisure
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Literature > Plays
- Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are Dead, by Tom Stoppard. ( link )
Summary:
Two courtiers, friends of the main character from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" - whose indecision (about whether it is right and sane to murder his uncle for murdering his father, so as to obey a hallucinated request from his dead father) is the crux of the plot of "Hamlet" - argue surreally about probability, existence and death, hardly existing in a surreal abstracted dreamworld where they are fated to be killed anyway by the royal Uncle or Nephew.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Literature > Travel
- Alone, by Norman Douglas ( link )
Summary:
This is the favourite work of arguably the greatest travel writer. Here Norman Douglas chooses to go on a walking-holiday in southern Italy to avoid the irrational inefficiencies of glorified WWI war departments, at a time where there was no tourism in southern Italy. He writes not just of the people he sees, but of civilisation, past and present, from the perspective of the very rare, highly self-educated and leisured aristocrat.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Literature > Psychology
The Three Christs of Ypsilanti by Milton Rokeach: ( link )
Summary:
Rokeach, a psychologist, assembled three men, each of whom believed they are the only true God, or the one and only Jesus Christ. His aim was to see how they deal with the contradiction. Unfortunately, their claims were driven by massive psychological distress, instead of a philosophical eccentricity prone to reasoning.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Literature > Science Fiction
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin: ( link )
Summary:
This is the story George Orwell borrowed to create 1984, and is more interesting.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Literature > Science Fiction
The Martian, by Andy Weir: link
Summary:
A modern American NASA astronaut, trained in mechanical engineering and botany, is accidentally left on Mars, believed dead, and has to stay alive until he can be rescued.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Literature > Travel
- Romany Life, by Frank Cuttriss ( link )
Summary:
This is about true gypsies as experienced by their "gorgio" (non-gypsy) friend, Cuttriss, in England in 1915. He talks gently of the nomad's values, humour, food, shelter, skills and attitudes, and gives a short glossary of Romany jib with links to Sanskrit and Hindustani.
kellyjones00 (593)
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