Forum members who'd never opened a book in their whole lives

[BakersfieldChimp]

The last book I read was Joyce Carol Oates "Expensive People"

Joyce Carol Oates is very accomplished and prolific and I found it best to grab a dozen or so of her better books.


"I was a child murderer.

I don’t mean child-murderer, though that’s an idea. I mean child murderer, that is, a murderer who happens to be a child, or a child who happens to be a murderer. You can take your choice. When Aristotle notes that man is a rational animal one strains forward, cupping his ear, to hear which of those words is emphasized—rational animal, rational animal? Which am I? Child murderer, child murderer? It took me years to start writing this memoir, but now that I’m started, now that those ugly words are typed out, I could keep on typing forever. A kind of quiet, blubbering hysteria has set in. "

[retfala]

One example of this is Candide. I had to read it in tenth grade. I thought it was funny and brilliant. It wasn't until years later, I understood the ending.

I missed the philosophical part went past me,
The whole point of the book is the spiritual part

Good example, I liked that book as well.

For me it is also Bulgakov's Heart of a Dog. When I first time read it in second grade of highschool, I regarded it solely as a sarcastic critique of eugenics, completely missing the political allegory that runs throughout the novel.

[BakersfieldChimp]

Good example, I liked that book as well.

For me it is also Bulgakov's Heart of a Dog. When I first time read it in second grade of highschool, I regarded it solely as a sarcastic critique of eugenics, completely missing the political allegory that runs throughout the novel.

Candide paints itself as a satire of Leibniz philosophy of "optimism". That is the "best of all possible worlds" nonsense.
Leibniz-great mathematician -horrible philosopher.
Candide destroys it quite well.

What I missed out on was the importance of when it introduces a character who believed in "pessimism" .
Candide isn't specifically about bashing these two philosophies. It is about getting caught up in any philosophy. It is more important to do the work in front of you than overthinking any of it.

[Barba]

Most engineers are not creative at all. Only few percent is and those people create new inovations. Rest are narrow minded retards like Insuperable.

You know the saying " I'm an engineer, to save time let's just assume I'm never wrong".
We are cocky, arrogant and pretentious assholes, yet we are THE problem solvers. We know how to solve things out, we optimize everything, we make things happen.

The world would literally fall apart without us. Fact.

[Barba]

Kay, it's ambiguous to me, but let him dissuade me.

I'm late for the party and don't have time to read the entire posts, but as far as I can see, you went from meh novels meh literature meh, to the final conclusion that it would be beneficial if it were still offered in elementary schools but not in tech schools.
Agreed.

If someone wants a broad education, he should attend a gymnasium, and technical institutions should be more prepared and meticulous in terms of professional subject matter.
Gymnasiums will continue to attract the best students, my two cents.

[Insuperable]

You know the saying " I'm an engineer, to save time let's just assume I'm never wrong".
We are cocky, arrogant and pretentious assholes, yet we are THE problem solvers. We know how to solve things out, we optimize everything, we make things happen.

The world would literally fall apart without us. Fact.

To her every member of every other profession is creative except STEM field people where only few are creative. Nice logic.

I'm late for the party and don't have time to read the entire posts, but as far as I can see, you went from meh novels meh literature meh, to the final conclusion that it would be beneficial if it were still offered in elementary schools but not in tech schools.
Agreed.

If someone wants a broad education, he should attend a gymnasium, and technical institutions should be more prepared and meticulous in terms of professional subject matter.
Gymnasiums will continue to attract the best students, my two cents.

It will attract the best students because of high enrollment threshold.

Btw, of what profession are you an engineer of?

[calxpal]

Sorry I wanted to make a sort of unrelated comment lol but what books could you guys see me cracking open?

[Voskos]

Sorry I wanted to make a sort of unrelated comment lol but what books could you guys see me cracking open?

Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Gender Studies? Did I get any of those right?

[HectorOfTroy]

Science and technology. Obviously.

STEM is admirable. No room for "clever" BSing, you're either objectively right or you're not, and if you aren't, the results will show.

[HectorOfTroy]

I read fiction, biographies or help books from accomplished people I admire (they have objectively reached a level of success/achievement because of their mindset, so I think it's worth a listen), occasionally I will read about scientific theories because it is very interesting to me.