What's the best book you've ever read?

[amarain]

I've found Tom Robbins alternately amusing and intolerable.

Is anyone else out there a fan of Paul Auster? I love the New York Trilogy and Book of Illusions.

[Jackson Smith]

1) The Bible

2) Don Quixote de la Mancha

[dividebyzero]

I've found Tom Robbins alternately amusing and intolerable.

I'd have to agree, and I'm curious about why you found him to be "intolerable" as well? Granted, I totally agree that there is NO aesthetic charm to a pack of Camel cigarettes, no matter how long you stare at it or however many chapters you use to describe it...that was pretty intolerable ("Still Life with Woodpecker").

[buddha]

1) The Bible

2) Don Quixote de la Mancha

I would have reversed the order.  Quixote is a masterpiece.

[amarain]

I've found Tom Robbins alternately amusing and intolerable.

I'd have to agree, and I'm curious about why you found him to be "intolerable" as well? Granted, I totally agree that there is NO aesthetic charm to a pack of Camel cigarettes, no matter how long you stare at it or however many chapters you use to describe it...that was pretty intolerable ("Still Life with Woodpecker").

Well, I have to admit that it's been a few years since I read any of his books (I went through a phase where I read Skinny Legs and All and Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas in like, one week). But I remember that there were parts where I just felt sooo bored. Like he was throwing bizarre stuff in there just for the heck of it, to say "hey look at what I can write!" But some of it was really funny too.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think I was in high school when I read those books. Maybe I would have a different take now.

[SuicideNixon]

fiction can never be philosophy. Also, L Ron Hubbard =\= prophet

if you're referring to Rand, she wrote lots of Non-fiction. I believe philosophy can be incorporated into fiction.

yea but cant properly be called philosophy, not in the modern era. not really refering to her, she just reminded me of it. I'm of the firm opinion that one ought not to be convinced to believe one thing or another based on what amount to nothing more than propaganda on behalf of one its proponets. You should be convinced by arguments not fairy tales. Ayn Rand, even when she writes non-fiction, doesn't really make arguments. She really just asserts things and makes certain appeals...it's not rigorous scholarly argumentation and that's not what she's trying to do. She's trying to popularize a certain point of view, plain and simple. Tons of other so-called philosophers do this. It's rather like the DaVinci code only generally speaking the abused disciplines are ethics, metaphysics, philosophy of mind etc rather than history.

[TomServo]

Best Novel : Jurrasic Park  (Really.  I know, this is lame, but it floored me.)

Best Graphic Novel : The Watchmen (Alan Moore)

I also love anything by Elmore Leonard, and "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire is very good if you're a sarcastic politico.  Also, try "The Club Dumas" or "The Flanders Panel" by Arture Perez-Reverte.

That is all. 

[NYC]

I liked Cry to Heaven by that woman who wrote the vampire books (can't think of her name).   Anyway, it was about castratos (castrated singers) in Italy.  Very interesting.

[Ambs]

For those who liked Harry Potter, try the Lemony Snickett Series of Unfortunate Events, its much smarter, more droll.

I'm reading Sophie's World right now and enjoying it for an intro to philosophy.

[lawbuddy]

Funny read:  "America:  Democracy Inaction" Jon Stewart

--I was cracking up the whole way through that one.

Escapist read:  "The Wheel of Time"  Robert Jordan

--For those of us who are still dorky middle-school kids at heart.

Any and everything listed as a "classic" is a book you need to read.  Start with Greece and move towards the present.

Best books ever?  "Il Principo"  Machiavelli and "Republic" Plato.  That's some good *&^%.

But Machi's actually really misunderstood.  He's "ends justify the means" for sure, but then again, it's not "be an evil dictator."  Free your mind and you'll glean some serious insight from the book.  Think of it as how to take care of your teenage kids (and cut out the "kill them" parts).

Hobbes sucks.

And a good book to learn about how to deal with difficult people is "How to get to Yes" by the Harvard Negotiation Project.  That's the only way to deal with a lot of the XOXOHTH folks....