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/lit/ - Literature

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14483884 No.14483884 [Reply] [Original]

Recommend books on history, science, economics, philosophy, self-help, DIY, general non-fiction to your fellow /lit/ards.

Recommendations from the previous thread:

Pandora's Seed : The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization by Spencer Wells

Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front by Joel Salatin

Little Golden America by Ilf and Petrov

Atom and Archetype by C. G. Jung and Wolfgang Pauli

Aphorismen der Lebensweisheit by Arthur Schopenhauer

The Culture of Critique by Kevin B. MacDonald

The Feynman Lectures on Physics by Richard Feynman

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Ralph Leighton and Richard Feynman

Why Work? Arguments for the Leisure Society

Why Liberalism Failed by Patrick J. Deneen

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow

A South-Side View of Slavery by Nehemiah Adams

Is Paris Burning? by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre

The Sleepwalkers by Arthur Koestler

Napoleon in Egypt by Paul Strathern

Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis, by Graves and Patai

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander.

>> No.14483885

>>14477866

Previous thread, I missed a few recommendations

>> No.14483944

My System by Aron Nimzowitsch

>> No.14484055

>>14483884
/Sci/ here, strongly recommend Love & Math by Edward Frenkel. It's pretty good book, hard math. Too bad the guy can't teach to save his life

>> No.14484065
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14484065

Biographies are nonfiction

>> No.14484088

OP here

Guys, let me come up with a good system of categories for non-fiction books. I want to make a sort of repository for PDFs or something

>> No.14484093

Any good recs on psychology?

>> No.14484095

non-fiction is too broad a category for any meaningful recommendations to be made

>> No.14484101

can't help but think that non-fiction doesn't exist bros

>> No.14484115

>>14484095
My idea for the thread is to get pretty random recommendations from random anons. Let's say, you are looking for something to read, but you have no idea what may interest you and what to look for, you go to this thread and see some Ancient Egyptology or a biography, or self-help, or anything that draws your attention. Better than googling new books to read, IMO.

>> No.14484246
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14484246

>>14484065
The Power Broker by this guy is on my list, any thoughts? theorycel friends recommended

>> No.14484366
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14484366

>>14483884
Really wanting to lay off pop culture shite and start reading more. Needles to say I don't usually read. What are some brainlet friendly all time classics about history, economics, science or human society as a whole?

>> No.14484372

>>14484366
Industrial Society and Its Future by Theodore Kaczynski

http://editions-hache.com/essais/pdf/kaczynski2.pdf

>> No.14484375

Interested in ancient philosophers and their mentioning of places like Hyperborea, Atlantis, Thule, etc.

Read some Graham Hancock and Evola but want more source material.

>> No.14484379

>>14484366
Brave New World is the best of that genre you just mentioned IMO.

>> No.14484390

The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles by Noam Nisan

Teached me everything I needed to know about architectures etc.

>> No.14484394

>>14484379
I was looking for non-fiction

>> No.14484395

>>14483884
you should really put what topic the books are about, pretty useless list otherwise imho

>>14484115
oh ok you're retarded

>> No.14484403

>>14484366
Bill Bryson does good entry level non-fiction, mostly about specific countries he has visited/researched. Carl Sagan and Richard Dawkins are great for entry level/pop science. Dawkins is also good for understanding Atheist thought. I don't know about human society as a whole but you can get some good insight on humans at an individual level reading Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman, it's the only book I can think of which isn't particularly difficult to grasp but it's very insightful. All these would be a great starting point for a deep-dive into their respective subjects, but all have a lot to offer desu

>> No.14484413

>>14484394
Sorry bud I’m an idiot and forgot the thread I was in.

Probably start with Platos Five Dialogues.

>> No.14484485

>>14484395
>oh ok you're retarded

I do believe this insult is meaningless here. If everyone's retarded, what's the point of saying that?

>> No.14484522

>>14484366
Histories by Herodotus

>> No.14484551

>>14484485
Elucidation.
Retard.

>> No.14484667

Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America by David Hackett Fischer

>> No.14484930

If you are looking for good entry books on Gnosticism, anything by Elaine pagel is excellent. She writes concisely, and non biased. All the facts and very easy to read. Start with:

Gnostic gospels
Adam, eve and the serpent
The origin of Satan

Also a personal for me, good books on Industrial music and noise music

David Keenan - England's Hidden Reverse: A Secret History of The Esoteric Underground

Art Sex Music - Cosey Fanni Tutti

Micro-bionic: Radical Electronic Music and Sound Art in the 21st Century - Thomas Bey William Bailey

>> No.14485022
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14485022

Has anyone here read this? Actually useful information or just data science/statistics worship?

>> No.14485056

>>14483884
>non-fiction
>Jung

>> No.14485232

>>14485056
Wasn't my recommendation. Didn't read it, have no idea what's in there.

>> No.14485248

>>14485232
> absolute state

>> No.14485323

>>14483884
The Divine Comedy by Dante. It is not allegoric. It literally happened.

>> No.14485330

>>14484366
Carl Menger's "Principle of Economics". It offers solid foundations for economic thinking.

>> No.14485665

could you recommend me anything about the development of IE branches from proto-indoeuropean and their history? dunno from where to start

>> No.14485827

>>14485330
Is it layman tier?

>> No.14485943

Thanks to whoever recommended Is Paris Burning? Needed a quick download for the Kobo and impressed so far.

>> No.14486109
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14486109

Excellent philosophy manifesto

>> No.14486525

New trading for a living by Alexaner elder

I dont want to be a wagie :(

>> No.14486569

>>14485665
Google, retard.

>> No.14486718

>>14485827
Yes

>> No.14486742

Imperialism - Lenin

>> No.14486964
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14486964

>>14483884
Presocratic recommendations

>> No.14486974

>>14486964
Everything cool with the fires?

>> No.14486992
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14486992

libidinal materialism list

>> No.14487036

>>14486974
heh

>> No.14487051

>>14484366
The Proper Study of Mankind - Isaiah Berlin

>> No.14487120

Does anyone know of a good academic book on the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Asia and their expeditions there during the sixteenth century?

>> No.14487222

>>14486569
implying I didn't, or else why would I ask about what I could pick first, you stupid cunt

>> No.14488085

BEFORE THE STORM and NIXONLAND by Rick Perlstein- incredibly fun political/cultural history of the 1960s. Tons of facts in here that escape most historians' notice. Draws exhaustively on primary sources including television broadcasts/commercials etc.

>inb4 (((Perlstein)))

Yeah he's a leftist and doesn't try to hide the fact but it's good shit.

A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE by Paul Johnson. Fascinating history from a right-leaning perspective.

LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME and LIES ACROSS AMERICA by James Loewen. Fascinating history from a leftist perspective.

GRIFTOPIA and THE DIVIDE by Matt Taibbi. Dissection of the (extent) System of the Beast ranging from Goldman Sachs, the global financial crisis, and the criminal """justice""" system.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE SWORD by Tom Holland. Graphic and surprising history of early Islam and the revelation that the "prophet" Muhammed in all likelihood never existed.

THE ILLUSTRATED BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM by James McPherson. Wonderful history of the American Civil War (and yes, it was all about Slavery!).

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN by Jon Krakauer. At once a true-crime saga of murders committed by a family of Mormon Fundamentalists and a history of early Mormonism. (Full disclosure- I am Mormon and Krakauer is clearly no fan of the LDS Church but he remains studiously objective)

THE HOT HOUSE by Pete Earley. True-crime reportage of life inside Leavenworth Prison.

>> No.14488197

Anyone know any good books on conspiracy theories or Government corruption. Just finished reading about Waco and Ruby ridge and enjoy the anti-establishment hate boner this stuff gives me.

>> No.14488200

>>14488197
Adios America

>> No.14488276
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14488276

Picked this up in an airport and never put it down. Crazy histories and timelines of viral pathogens that man exposes with ever increasing encroachment with the environment.

>> No.14488977

>>14483884
>A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander.
based

hopefully this gets meme'd and lit absorbs /n/

>> No.14489271

>>14484246
I tried to listen to that on audiobook. Robert Moses so enraged me, I gave up and never finished it.

>> No.14489282
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14489282

>>14488197

>> No.14489353

>>14484375
Jurgen Spanuth's Atlantis of the North.

>> No.14489585

The Culture of Critique by Kevin B. MacDonald

Where to find a physical copy of this?
I'm old, I can't enjoy reading on a screen.

>> No.14489609

>>14489585
Abebooks or something

>> No.14490081

don't let the thread drown, bois
getting good recs here

>> No.14490093

>>14484366
Capitalist realism by Mark Fischer

https://libcom.org/files/Capitalist%20Realism_%20Is%20There%20No%20Alternat%20-%20Mark%20Fisher.pdf

>> No.14490307
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14490307

This is great

>> No.14490551

>>14490307
>epic

>> No.14490589

>>14485022
Useful information about making better predictions, but based on how you asked the question I imagine you'd dislike it anyways.

>> No.14490864

>>14490589
Ive been skeptical about data worship since Nate Silver

>> No.14490904

>>14484246
Reading it at the moment, enjoying it.

>> No.14490995

>>14490864
Silver is a pundit with a background in data. It makes him less worse than other pundits, but he's still a pundit.

>> No.14491295

Any good books on history of Europe?

>> No.14491400

>>14488085
These all sound like shit.

>> No.14491644
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14491644

Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll is pretty good, quite approachable and scientifically sound (as far as I can tell, have been studying and genetics for 5 years).

Also, any biology (especially molecular) or genetics recs would be very welcome.

>> No.14491738

>>14491400
Then don't fucking read them.

>> No.14491749

>>14491295
EUROPA by Norman Davies is a classic.

>> No.14491767

I've read "Now It Can Be Told" by Philip Gibbs and, thematically, it would be really a good fit to watch 1917 but I have no excitement for the movie.

>> No.14491810
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14491810

the first autobiography ever written is a pretty cool read imo

>> No.14491825

Can anyone recommend some medical /lit/ that isn't a textbook? Looking for non-fic pertaining to history of prominent diseases, healthcare as an industry, biographies, etc.

>> No.14491831

>>14491825
Foucault

>> No.14491872

>>14491831
Specifically? Or ya meming

>> No.14491887

>>14491825
THE HOT ZONE about Ebola and other hemorrhagic African fevers

>> No.14491889

>>14491872
I think a "history of madness" is what anon means

>> No.14491896

>>14491887
I read the Hot Zone, and I think it was very exciting. Good rec for anyone, such a pageturner. Would specifically like some recs similar to it.

>> No.14491911

>>14491738
I never planned to.

>> No.14491913

>>14491872
>>14491889
"Madness in Civilization" is a good one if you're wondering about the history of mental health and the treatment of the mentally ill in society through history. But I was thinking more "The Birth of the Clinic" and how the modern conception of health was formed.

"History of Sexuality" also discusses the medicalization of sex in an interesting way, contrasting it with the eastern practices of treating sensuality as an art/skill to be honed rather than a human function to be studied and understood from a scientific and medical perspective. You can read all of these online.

>> No.14491921

>>14483884
>A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander.
Wtf is this?
t. brainlet

>> No.14491931

>>14491896
I've never read it but THE EMPERIOR OF ALL MALADIES (about cancer) got a lot of praise including the Pulitzer Prize.

>> No.14491955

>>14491931
Nice. Exactly what I'm looking for. Will look into this on, thanks.
>>14491913
I'll admit that I'm put off by the mere fact that it's Foucault and I'm unsure if it will approach the topics in the manner I'm specifically looking for, but I'll read up on these works anyway. Much appreciated

>> No.14491968
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14491968

>>14491911
You wouldn't understand them anyway. Here's something that may be more up your alley, Anon

https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Illustrated-History-Visual-Encyclopedia/dp/146547031X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=childrens+illustrated+history&qid=1578428748&sr=8-1

>> No.14492001
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14492001

>>14488085
>>14491968
You literally just copy and pasted your recommendations from /pol/. SAD!
https://archive.4plebs.org/pol/thread/237387876/#237387876

>> No.14492010

>>14492001
Well yeah because they're books I genuinely enjoy? <3

>> No.14492363

rec a good intro to linguistics for someone that has no prior experience?

>> No.14492404
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14492404

Maoism - A Global History

Pretty informative and (relatively) unbiased look at Mao, the rise of the CCP, and Chinese communist political thought.

>> No.14492466

The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph Tainter
The Culture of Narcisism by Christopher Lasch
Le Crépuscule de la France d’en Haut by Christophe Guilluy (and everything else he's written)
The Revolt of the Elites: And the Betrayal of Demoracy by Christopher Lasch
The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
The Ordeal of Change by Eric Hoffer
Any number of books by Jaques Ellul

>> No.14492761

are there sci-fi / futurism books or essays like Isaac Arthur on YT?

>> No.14493121

>>14485665
Not a linguist or well-versed on it, but probably whichever languages interest you the most first, and just tracing back and laterally.

>> No.14494091

>>14493121
Base

>> No.14494185

philosophy books about how to systematically figure out who you are? prefer ancient greek stuff

>> No.14494209

>>14483884
>Aphorismen der Lebensweisheit by Arthur Schopenhauer
I'm happy to see this mentioned. It has helped me so much in my life.

>> No.14494294

Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass

>> No.14494392
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14494392

>>14483884
Read the King James Bible, start with the book of John and finish the new testament.

>> No.14494830

>>14484930
Anything from Elaine P. Is trash and is not representative of true scholarship.

>> No.14494863

>>14485323
Retard alert