10 books to make me smarter...

Tom Dunne

Powerhouse wrote: »

Considering that the OP says he doesn't read much I find some of the recommendations quite remarkable. For example, you'd need a serious interest in the subject matter to plough through 1,364 pages of Robert Fisk especially if you are not a regular reader.

Would you? I read it because I find his articles in newspapers interesting, I wouldn't say I have a serious interest.

Besides, I think it fits at least some of oceansize's criteria:

oceansize wrote: »

i think i'd like non fiction books yes, historical events would be preferred, but also ones like you mentioned on glbal economy and possible fairly in depth books like the one im currently reading

I wasn't a regular reader until I started reading regularly.

jobucks

Anything by Paulo Coelho will make you think.... not smart ... but will make you think, which is probably more achievable, reading doesn't make you smart, its what you do with the information that does.

If you're into a bit of Irish history then you'll enjoy "Germany Calling" by Mary Kenny, a biography about William Joyce.

BaZmO*

jobucks wrote: »

Anything by Paulo Coelho will make you think.... not smart ... but will make you think, which is probably more achievable, reading doesn't make you smart, its what you do with the information that does.

It'll make you think why did I bother reading it!

Powerhouse

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Would you? I read it because I find his articles in newspapers interesting, I wouldn't say I have a serious interest.

Obviously it's a personal taste thing, but I have encountered very few single volumes, if any, that exceed the 1,364 pages (at least that's the count in the hardback edition I have) that this runs to, and would not recommend a tome of that size (on any subject) to anyone but the most committed.

It's the size of 4/5 average books and a dubious choice for an occasional reader to broaden his general knowledge I thought. It just strikes me as one for the more specialist reader (with a serious interest)who already has a thorough knowledge of Fisk's subject matter than how the OP described himself.

He'd could be half way to his 10 books while he'd be making his way through that one. That's the way I'd be thinking of it anyway. It doesn't strike me as a book for the 'toe in the water' reader, let me put it that way. But everyone to his own I suppose!

jobucks

BaZmO* wrote: »

It'll make you think why did I bother reading it!

One mans trash is another mans Gold

Locamon

Powerhouse wrote: »

Obviously it's a personal taste thing, but I have encountered very few single volumes, if any, that exceed the 1,364 pages (at least that's the count in the hardback edition I have) that this runs to, and would not recommend a tome of that size (on any subject) to anyone but the most committed.

It's the size of 4/5 average books and a dubious choice for an occasional reader to broaden his general knowledge I thought. It just strikes me as one for the more specialist reader (with a serious interest)who already has a thorough knowledge of Fisk's subject matter than how the OP described himself.

He'd could be half way to his 10 books while he'd be making his way through that one. That's the way I'd be thinking of it anyway. It doesn't strike me as a book for the 'toe in the water' reader, let me put it that way. But everyone to his own I suppose!

The shortest book can be a pain if it is not enjoyable. Reading 500 pages of an enjoyable treatment of a subject can be a breeze compared to 200 pages of a pedestrian approach. As you say everyone to his own.

nitrogen

Cosmos by Carl Sagan. Forget Bryson's dull account of everything, Cosmos is a beautiful, timeless and stunning book of the history of science, astronomy and civilization.

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.

Outliers, which was also mentioned is an enjoyable interesting read.

Valmont

RonMexico wrote: »

Hells Angels by Hunter S. Thompson if you want a great read on the gang. Also Fear and Loathing: On The Campaign Trail '72 if you want to hear his account of the '72 presidential race. The book has been described as the most accurate but least factual account of the campaign trail

haha RonMexico, have all your 400+ posts been about Hunter S. Thompson in some way? You're always there pimping him. I gave my copy of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to a friend tonight so I'm doing my part.

Valmont

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

This sounds like he just paraphrased John Galt's monologue from Atlas Shrugged! Amen to that.

RonMexico

Valmont wrote: »

haha RonMexico, have all your 400+ posts been about Hunter S. Thompson in some way? You're always there pimping him. I gave my copy of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to a friend tonight so I'm doing my part.

I do my best

Cardinal Blue

Definition of smart:showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness .
Imagination is more important than knowledge.This comment is attributed to Albert Einstein
Albert einstein is considered a very smart man.

Based on Alberts advice i would say read nothing but Fantasy,Horror and Sci fi,the ultimate in imagination.


Or else just read loads of boring factual books about maths problems,problem solving,survival guide to deepest antartica or maybe try brain training on the ds lite.

I know which i prefer.

994

But fantasy, horror and sci-fi often rely on cliché rather than imagination, and the writing is rarely up to the standards set by the best literature. Maths can often require you to think in entirely different ways (e.g. hyperbolic geometry) which can surely fuel imagination?

zod

nitrogen wrote: »

. Forget Bryson's dull account of everything, .

:eek: for a science book its definetly not dull, it's quite humorous i thought

cautioner

I'm gonna throw in another good word for Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" - possibly my favourite book yet.

Denerick

Ten books to make me smarter? Well, I can only refer to the one's I've read obviously, and I'm a bit of a history nut so I'll try and blend that in:

(In no particular order)

1) Lord of the Rings - if you accept this book (trilogy) with an open mind, especially if you have read it as a kid and re-read it later in life you open a lot of new stories and possibilities in your mind. In a sense, reading it is like escaping into a new and beautiful/terrible world, with such extremes of virtue and vice. I can never ever reccomend it enough.

2) The Prince, Machiavelli - You really need to read some of the scholarship behind it, especially Berlin and Diatz, to really understand. Every sentence can be traced to something else Machiavelli has written, and there is the countless theories of its meanings over 500 years of serious scholarship. NOT a handbook to tyrants, though might well be!

3) The Republic, Plato - Read this recently so its fresh in my mind. Someone once said that if anybody was to pick up Plato and read him they would understand philosophy on the spot. If anyone was to read any books written by philosophers they'd be lost.

4) A Tale of Two cities, Dickens - this is the only Dickens I've ever read, and after reading it I've always told myself to read more of him because he is one of the best writers of all time. Words won't do a tale of two cities justice, and besides I'm no literary critic.

5) War and peace, Tolstoy - Loved this book, took me nearly half a year off and on to finish it. Very time consuming and there is nearly over 500 characters in the book. Too many plot strands to explain here but would reccomend it very highly.

6) Les Miserables, Victor Hugo - Easily one of my favourites of all time, the film with liam Neeson is pretty good too! Jean Valjean should be everybody's role model. Such contrasts of tragedy and virtue. Fantastic work.

7) Rights of Man, Tom Paine - Take that, British Tory bastards!

8) What is History, E.H. Carr - Very good introduction to the epistomological problems of history writing which first began to emerge in the 60s.

9) Green against Green, Michael Hopkinson - Great book on the Irish Civil War. Need to follow his footnotes with great dilligence, an example of the pinnacle of history writing. Second to none.

10) English in Ireland, James Anthony Froude - this English historian wrote about the Penal Laws, Cromwell, etc. in two volumes. Highly bigoted and wrote in the 19th century. Good example of rough and ready British Imperialism towards Ireland in the 19th century.

There are many more, but that'll do for a start I think

zod

2 more!

11. Revenge of Gaia
12. The end of oil

oceansize

hi there!

just a quick update, thanks for all the suggestions.
i've had a quick look through the list and im still trying to figure out which are to be read next,

im currently reading the unbearable lightness of being. i like it very much, but it's kind of off the point.

ill update you on the list asap!

Malached

Reading certain books do not make you smarter. They might make you better read, but they do not make you smarter. What the best pieces of art (literature included as one of them) can do is give you a slightly new perspective on things. Yeah .... and try On Liberty by John Stuart Mill.

fionnmar

How to have a beautiful mind by edward de bono is great. the gist is that, rather than entrenching yourself in one side of the argument or the other, try to encourage dialogue about your thing. Per the book there should be 6 points of view on any topic. What I have gleaned from it practically is that, in meetings people seem to decide what their point of view is early on and defend it to the death because they have made it a personal issue. Just try and look at things openly (with NO ego and NO personality stuff) and you will come to the best conclusion.
Tuppenence worth.

solas

I'd recommend Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, it is fiction although there's plenty of historic drama thrown in for good measure and while its a hefty book it reads easily. Its like watching an epic movie, one you'll never forget. I don't know if it will make you smarter but it will definately give you a sense of satisfaction. (don't bother with the sequel it doesn't compare)

Denerick

Malached wrote: »

Reading certain books do not make you smarter. They might make you better read, but they do not make you smarter. What the best pieces of art (literature included as one of them) can do is give you a slightly new perspective on things. Yeah .... and try On Liberty by John Stuart Mill.

LOL, I think the more we read, the more we learn, and hence the smarter we become. Intelligence is a different demon, there are people born with a sharp mind and there are people who are not. Though I'm sure, you like me, know of plenty of people who have thrown their sharp mind down the toilet for all sorts of reasons, be it peer pressure, lack of enthusiasm in learning new things etc. Well, I only know people who've ruined their minds with dope, so I have to say that by and large I think intelligence is pretty much a universal thing, depends on where your interests lie. Some people can sit down and read complex material without their mind wandering... It takes me longer to read something complex because I have to run it through a thought process, drink tea, smoke butts, generaly day dream until I get into 'my zone'.

So there, a long winded ramble that means nothing, surely proof that I am not intelligent!

Disease Ridden

A few books I think OP shoud read!

1)The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins- describes evolution brilliantly, definately the book you should read before any others on evolution. It gives you a good groundwork to start thinking about subjects like human nature and I have to say you feel so rational after reading it!!

This brings me onto my next book...
2) The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker- a brilliant explanation of why we think the way we do, explained using the finding of evolutionary biology. One of my favorite books.

3)How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker- while were talking about him (!), this book gives an excellent naturalistic description of, well, how the mind works!! Again, trust me, this book leaves you feeling smart! :P

4)A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson- thought I'd add to all the good things being said here about this book, definatley one to read.

5) 1984 by George Orwell- Brilliant novel to highlight the flaws of totalitarianism. I dont read much fiction but this book is definatley worth a look.

6)The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene- a brilliant book on theoretical physics that is simple enough for the layman to read.