NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm looking for something to read, but am hampered by two conditions completely out of my control:

I'm lazy.
I'm cheap.

In other words, going to the library is out, and I can't just order a book off of Amazon.com and wait for it to come to my house, because I would lose money. And, as in all dilemmas whose importance is nil, I turned first to the well-read intelligentsia of NSG. What is the best thing you have read on the Web for free, that is available to everyone? It could be something on Gutenberg, a Wikipedia article, anything that would bring me pleasure and perhaps even provoke thought, but would not require me to leave my chair or loosen my wallet.

NSG...duh.

Barring that, click the random article button on Wikipedia.

Warfare articles on Wiki. You will be very surprised to find all this information about never mentioned Post-WW2 wars that were fought.

...and, yea, verily did the squatch giveth the address to the OP. and the OP dideth join the Wowio, and verily dideth he receiveth free books.
and it was good.


http://www.wowio.com

Yeah. just join, and get free books.

Ive read "Civil Disobedience", and "The Art of War".

Fo' free.

The Art of War? By Sun Tzu?

Read all 510 episodes of this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html) webcomic. It'll take a while, but it's really worth it.

Also xkcd (http://www.xkcd.com/352/).

If you were looking for high class literature, these might not fit that, but they still kick ass. :D

If you were looking for high class literature, these might not fit that, but they still kick ass. :D

I know better than to look for that on NSG.
Or the World Wide Web, for that matter. :)

http://www.straightdope.com and if you want your head to explode www.tenthdimension.com/flash2.php click the imaging the Ten Dimension part just below the home

I'm looking for something to read, but am hampered by two conditions completely out of my control:

I'm lazy.
I'm cheap.

In other words, going to the library is out, and I can't just order a book off of Amazon.com and wait for it to come to my house, because I would lose money. And, as in all dilemmas whose importance is nil, I turned first to the well-read intelligentsia of NSG. What is the best thing you have read on the Web for free, that is available to everyone? It could be something on Gutenberg, a Wikipedia article, anything that would bring me pleasure and perhaps even provoke thought, but would not require me to leave my chair or loosen my wallet.

Here's a thought.

http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/sutras.html

The Art of War? By Sun Tzu?

The very same.

and "Civil Disobediance" by Thoreau.

FO FREE!

www.thingsmygirlfriendandihavearguedabout.com

I wouldn't say its the best thing to read, but it's long and pretty funny in places.

The very same.

and "Civil Disobediance" by Thoreau.

FO FREE!

I absolutely love The Art of War. I've spent hours on those thirteen little chapters.

www.thingsmygirlfriendandihavearguedabout.com

I wouldn't say its the best thing to read, but it's long and pretty funny in places.

Hah, things is brilliant.

I absolutely love The Art of War. I've spent hours on those thirteen little chapters. .

I was surprised.
I thought it would be longer.

Also, compare how a certain president has handled a certain war in the middle east to the book.

"didnt do that..check."
"That either" check....


Seek reliable information about the disposition of the enemy.
Reliable information —
Cannot be divined.
Cannot be drawn from experience.
Cannot be deduced through analysis.
Reliable information can only be gained from people with direct knowledge.
-Sun Tzu, the art of war.

Sun Tzu would be ashamed.

I was surprised.
I thought it would be longer.

Also, compare how a certain president has handled a certain war in the middle east to the book.

"didnt do that..check."
"That either" check....



Sun Tzu would be ashamed.

Or the bit about how to break the enemy's country is not the mark of a great general, but to defeat the enemy without fighting is supreme excellence. (I'd love to quote it, but I used my three downloads for the day on the site you linked already, and I don't have my copy handy.)

Or ... well, yeah. The whole damn book.

Do a google search for the best page in the universe, in case you haven't heard of Maddox.

www.bash.org for lots of funny IRC quotes. I LOL there lots.

Or the bit about how to break the enemy's country is not the mark of a great general, but to defeat the enemy without fighting is supreme excellence. (I'd love to quote it, but I used my three downloads for the day on the site you linked already, and I don't have my copy handy.)

Or ... well, yeah. The whole damn book.

Seek to take an enemy’s country intact rather than destroy it.
Seek to capture an enemy’s armies rather than destroy them.
To fight and conquer is not excellent strategy.
Excellent strategy is to achieve victory without violence.
-Sun Tzu.

John Dies At The End (http://www.johndiesattheend.com/)

Read it, bitches.

John Dies At The End (http://www.johndiesattheend.com/)

Read it, bitches.

You ought warn the readers that he suffers first.
And in case you (not you, the other you) happen to have nothing in particular against military style space operas and also you lived recently in a closet without internet access, Honor Harrington series is one of the biggest pieces of entertainment available online for free. If not THE biggest.

John Dies At The End (http://www.johndiesattheend.com/)

Read it, bitches.

I fully support this literary choice. Like getting run over by a truck made of horror, hauling two tons of stupid.

Also, Schlock mercenary!

I fully support this literary choice. Like getting run over by a truck made of horror, hauling two tons of stupid.

Also, I was totally unaware of the existence of a sequal, and have read it and deem it to be fucking awesome.

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/730

I am suffering through it, you can too!

I'm looking for something to read, but am hampered by two conditions completely out of my control:

I'm lazy.
I'm cheap.

In other words, going to the library is out, and I can't just order a book off of Amazon.com and wait for it to come to my house, because I would lose money. And, as in all dilemmas whose importance is nil, I turned first to the well-read intelligentsia of NSG. What is the best thing you have read on the Web for free, that is available to everyone? It could be something on Gutenberg, a Wikipedia article, anything that would bring me pleasure and perhaps even provoke thought, but would not require me to leave my chair or loosen my wallet.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17620/17620-h/17620-h.htm

It's free. It's generally called "The Duel". Summery: inspired by a true story, it's about one French officer in a Bonaparte's army being stalked by another and forced to fight duels. From before Napoleon is emperor, to after his exile, inconclusive duels are fought.

A movie was made of it: The Duellists, which is probably has the most realistic dueling to ever grace a movie.

The Art of War? By Sun Tzu?

That bookza pretty good, no doubt there, eh?

Especially fun if you play Shogun: Total War.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17620/17620-h/17620-h.htm

It's free. It's generally called "The Duel". Summery: inspired by a true story, it's about one French officer in a Bonaparte's army being stalked by another and forced to fight duels. From before Napoleon is emperor, to after his exile, inconclusive duels are fought.

A movie was made of it: The Duellists, which is probably has the most realistic dueling to ever grace a movie.
... and a damned fine movie it is, in my very humble opinion :)

You can download Sci-Fi books for free here:
http://www.baen.com/library/

People post mostly mediocre battle descriptions on this forum but some of the threads are actually stories and worthy reading material:
http://rpgforumsonline.com/

I often ask myself "What do I want to know more about?". Then I try to find and read the most in depth material on the net about that subject.

Even though there is a lot to read on the net a computer screen can't beat a paper book. I'm lucky to pass 3 libraries on my way to and from work.:D

... and a damned fine movie it is, in my very humble opinion :)

Aye, I own it along with the book.

You can especially appreciate the movie if you're a fencer. Beautiful, historically accurate swordplay.

http://blog.demodulated.com

Or... you could always click the link to my blog, which is in my siggy.

Duh .... Encyclopedia Dramatica ....

Way better than anything.