NationStates Jolt Archive

...these books or documents which New Limacon thought up in a time span of two minutes and do not reflect his opinions.


Christian Bible by God
Koran by God's Twin Brother
Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Das Kapital by Karl Marx
Magna Carta by Rich English People
U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
Iliad by Homer
Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard
Origin of Species by Charles Darwin


To have counted as having read them, you must have read the entirety of the unabridged text in any language.

If you have read any of these, what were your thoughts? Did the book(s) go along with how it (they) are normally portrayed by the conventional wisdom?



EDIT: Drat. I made a single choice poll by mistake. Okay, just select one you have read and liked the most. Unless you are a Mod, in which case, please use your power to turn the poll into a multiple choice one.

Okay, I've read the Christian Bible, the U.S. Constitution, the Iliad, and the Origin of Species. My favorite book (of the list) was the Iliad, but I have a soft spot for epic poetry.

I've read all of them on your list except the Koran, which I gave up on, and Dianetics (not Dialectics, although I've also read a little on dialectics), which I've started a few times but which bores me silly.

My reading of the U.S. Constitution and the Magna Carta were at school, so a) it was a long time ago, and b) I probably wasn't paying a great of attention, but I read them nonetheless. The rest are books I've read inside the last 10 years.

Oh, and it's On the Origin of Species (pet peeve of mine :) )

Er.. change the poll options, you can only select one option.

I've read all of them on your list except the Koran, which I gave up on, and Dianetics (not Dialectics, although I've also read a little on dialectics), which I've started a few times but which bores me silly.
I knew I was spelling that wrong. Hopefully the L. Ron Hubbard will give away what I meant.

My reading of the U.S. Constitution and the Magna Carta were at school, so a) it was a long time ago, and b) I probably wasn't paying a great of attention, but I read them nonetheless. The rest are books I've read inside the last 10 years.
That's impressive. What made you give up on the Koran?

Er.. change the poll options, you can only select one option.

See the edit. It's a mistake, which I hope will be fixed, somehow. I can't get to the poll myself, though.

I've read all except the Koran, Mein Kampf, and Dialectics.

One of the original six(?) copies of the Magna Carta came to the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, and I saw it there. It's in Latin and is very faded, and my wife and I spent a while puzzling out what it said. We only got parts, but we later read it in translation online.

What made you give up on the Koran?
Timing, mainly. I started to read it straight after I'd ploughed my way through the KGV version of the Bible. At the same time, I was reading bits and pieces from the Mahabharata and it won out, since I found it more interesting.

I've always meant to get round to finishing the Koran, but I can't see it happening any time soon (although I can see it on a bookshelf not 10 feet from me as I type, lurking accusingly :p)

Christian Bible by God

Yep. It's short and simple. It's the OT that I've only gotten about halfway into.

Koran by God's Twin Brother

Nah. I've probably gotten the gist from reading medieval muslims (Avicenna, Averroes, etc.), but I've never picked one up.

Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

Nope. None of my college econ classes involved any historical context, now that I think about it. History of Economics was an optional 300-level that no one took.

Das Kapital by Karl Marx

Portions.

Magna Carta by Rich English People

Nope.

U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People

Yep.

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

Never. Reading it might be a worthwhile look at out-there intolerance, but I don't really want to be standing in line with one at Barnes and Noble, to be honest. :p

Iliad by Homer

Yes. The only thing I really enjoyed about Latin class (yeah, we read it in Latin class - don't ask me why)

Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard

God no. It's a very popular item at my library, though - get it at yours, if you're curious and don't want to give a dollar to the cult of Hubbard.

Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

Nope.

If it helps, i haven't mocked them all, either.

Christian Bible by God - Yeah I did...

Koran by God's Twin Brother - Skimed it

Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - Not as boring as War and Peace :P

Das Kapital by Karl Marx - No

Magna Carta by Rich English People - Yes

U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People - I'd prolly have been executed had I not

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler - Skimmed it

Iliad by Homer - Three maybe four times... but I like the Odessy Better

Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard - What?

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin - Parts in high school

Christian Bible by God
Parts.
Koran by God's Twin Brother
I think I may have read a single sura in high school, as part of a class. But otherwise, no. And I'm not going to.
Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
No, not yet.
Das Kapital by Karl Marx
Nope. And I'm not going to. Did read the Communist Manifesto, though.
Magna Carta by Rich English People
May have
U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People
Yes, in history class. I'm not sure it was all of the constution, though
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
Nope.
Iliad by Homer
Oh yes! Wonderful (but I prefer the Odyssey)
Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard
Who hasn't? :rolleyes:
Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
No, not yet.



Oh, and it's On the Origin of Species (pet peeve of mine :) )
It's also "An Inquiry Into The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations". Quite a mouthful :p

Oh, and it's On the Origin of Species (pet peeve of mine :) )

I know, most of these books have longer titles (Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, etc.) I just went with the most common shortened versions.

I know, most of these books have longer titles (Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, etc.) I just went with the most common shortened versions.
Did you just say "Cliff's Notes"?

Oh yeah ... where's Ulysses?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(novel)

Did you just say "Cliff's Notes"?

Shortened version of the title. Although I would really like to see a Cliff's Notes version of Mein Kampf. You know, for neo-Nazis who are too lazy to read the original.

I would really like to see a Cliff's Notes version of Mein Kampf. You know, for neo-Nazis who are too lazy to read the original.The musical equivalent to Slipknot fans. :p

Out of the ones on the list I have read:

The Bible by many different authors

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes on the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

Illiad by Homer

Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin.

Those I have read parts of and wish to read in its full:

Koran

U.S Constitution

Das Kapital

Thos I have not read but will at some point read:

Magna Carta

Mein Kampf by Aldoph Hitler

and

Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard

I think you should add a few more to the list that run along these lines including Plato's Republic and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius both of which add a lot of insight and very thought provoking.

Utopia by Thomas More also runs along thes lines which took elements of Plato's Republic, and is said which you can see somewhat when reading the book, to have inspired Mormonism and Communism.

Shortened version of the title. Although I would really like to see a Cliff's Notes version of Mein Kampf. You know, for neo-Nazis who are too lazy to read the original.

So you mean most Neo Nazis, I am sure that somne chapters have something along the same line as Cliff Notes

I've read them all, except for Dianetics. A couple of them(the Koran, Das Kapital, Mein Kampf) was just out of curiosity and so I could say that I had read them. The only one I really bother to keep around anymore is the Bible though.

Christian Bible by God - Up to (and not including) Acts. Also read the commentaries.

Koran by God's Twin Brother - No, but would be interested. Maybe when I come back this fall, I'll contact the Muslim Student Association, see if I can borrow a copy.

Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - No

Das Kapital by Karl Marx - No

Magna Carta by Rich English People - Yes

U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People - Yes

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler - No, might be interesting - or funny. I'm of the opinion that the Protocols belong in the humor section. Again, Cliff Notes would be appreciated. As Sun Tzu said, know thy enemy.

Iliad by Homer - Yes

Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard - No. Probably won't

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin - No

Dianetics can suck my nuts. It reeks of shit and lies.

I have read:

The Holy Bible, Catholic Edition, by God.

An Inquiry into the Nature and causes of the Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith.

The Magna Carta,by rich English people.

The United States Constitution, by rich ex-British people.

The Illiad, by Homer.

On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin.

Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx.

I plan to read:

The Koran, by God's twin brother.

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler.

I will not read:

Dianetics by Hubbard, mostly because all attempts to do so have actually forced me re-calculate just how infinite human tupidity can be.

And as long as we've got other readings on the list, put me down for:

Meditations by Aurelias, Republic and The Laws by Plato, Aeniad by Vergil, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Prince by Machiavelli, and A Modest Proposal by Jonathon Swift.

I've read:

The Bible
Qu'ran
The Iliad
Mein Kempf

Christian Bible by God -

Yes, but not certain of the authorship. I also saw the movie. I understand that in neither case has God been paid royalties, nor was He consulted on the movie. Kind of a complex mish mash, sort of like a Kubrick/Shyamalan collaboration would be, with ancient wit and wisdom interwoven into a vague historical account, some deliberately vague prophecy, and some poor guy being nailed to a tree for pissing off the establishment. Loved the ending, really spacey trippy stuff, like the ending of 2001, hence the Kubrick comparison.

Koran by God's Twin Brother -
Yes. But sadly, I've heard there are no plans to make a movie out of this one. And it's chances as a Musical are pretty much nil. Won't review it here, because any even slightly disparaging remark has hordes of defenders claiming that unless I read it in the original language, it doesn't really count. You'd think a Supreme Being would come up with some prose that doesn't change in message so dramatically with translation. Like The Tao Te Ching. Try interpreting THAT into justification for intolerance.


Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - Yes. College requirement. Didn't see the movie, but ended up living in the economy he predicted, which has its good points and bad points.

Das Kapital by Karl Marx - Yes. Also college. Somehow, still thought of as an intellectual, despite totally missing so many major factors- the impact of technology, the rise of unions, and oh yes, the fact that value is subjective.

Magna Carta by Rich English People - No.

U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People - Yes. Really wordy, cause it was written by lawyers, but good. What makes it so much better than any of the stuff above is the fact that the writers, recognizing that future generations might have more to say, left in a mechanism to add more and more sequels, indefinitely prolonging and adapting the original story.

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler - No

Iliad by Homer - Yes. Would probably make a pretty sucky movie, though, one of those that are so shallow that the producers know that the only hope is to show off tons of gratuitous violence and man flesh. Wait...

Dianetics by No.

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin - No

Oh, and it's On the Origin of Species (pet peeve of mine :) )

If you really wanna be picky it's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. I've never read the whole version of any of these, but I've read good chunks of the Bible and loads of different versions of the Iliad, all abridged.

I have read:

The Bible - Both New and Old testaments are a good read and are full of adventure and excitement. Seriously. Own it.

The Koran - Another good read with an omnious tone. The Hadiths are even more omnious. Own it.

Wealth of Nations - A good start. Own it.

Das Kapital - Horrible. Convoluted and a pain to read. No wonder most Communists are really just confused idiots. Don't own it but I should.

Magna Carta - Nope but I should.

U.S. Constitution - Every citizen of the US should read this. By the way, when you say "rich ex-English people" you should note that those rich men were rich of the status quo and put their wealth and lives on the line to free the US from British control. Make fun of them if you wish but they put their money were their mouths were. Own it.

Mein Kampf - Yep. It sucked ass. Horrible writer that Hitler fellow. Don't own it and don't want to.

Iliad - Classic. Loved it. Own it.

Dianetics - Are you kidding? Self-help from a sci-fi writer? Who would believe such tripe outside of Hollywood? Don't own it and will punch anyone in the face who brings it into my house.

Origin of Species - Another classic. The book that brought it all together for others to expand on. Own it.

Christian Bible by God

Yes. You mis-attributed the author tho.

U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People

Yes

Iliad by Homer

Yes

Note all were read a long time ago.

I've read the Bible and the US constitution completely, most of the Iliad, small parts of the Koran, and parts of the origin of species. They're all on my to-read list, though.

Christian Bible by God

Yes. You mis-attributed the author tho.

I mas-attributed at least three of the authors. I'm not sure if people keep repeating the mistakes for consistency's sake, or because they agree.

I mas-attributed at least three of the authors. I'm not sure if people keep repeating the mistakes for consistency's sake, or because they agree.

Maybe they just aren't smart enough to correct the mistakes.

Christian Bible by Many autors -> Yes fully, twice
Koran by not so many autors-> No, never
Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith -> Partially in school.
Das Kapital by Karl Marx -> Partially
Magna Carta by Rich English People - No, never
U.S. Constitution by Rich Ex-English People -> No, never
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler -> Partially, bored me.
Iliad by Homer -> Yes fully, several times. I love it
Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard -> NO WAY!!!
Origin of Species by Charles Darwin -> Partially in school.

Maybe they just aren't smart enough to correct the mistakes.

Maybe...but I think "God's Twin Brother" is fairly obvious.

Read none of them, incidentally.

I've read bits and pieces of most of them, but none of them in their entirety.

All except Das Kapital, because I just haven't gotten the chance yet, and Dianetics, because I don't really care.