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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 10, 2015 at 10:58 pm
(August 10, 2015 at 9:26 pm)SnakeOilWarrior Wrote: (August 10, 2015 at 10:32 am)Clueless Morgan Wrote: Also, I just found out that World War Z was based on a book, so I'm thinking of getting it.
Ohhh, yes! Get it!!! But, do not expect the movie in novel form. The movie basically bought the rights so they could get the name and then developed their own story so that Brad Pitt could do a zombie action movie. The book is waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy better than the movie.
Haven't seen the movie and heard that it wasn't good so I'd definitely do the book before the movie if I did the movie at all.
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 10, 2015 at 11:07 pm
(August 10, 2015 at 10:58 pm)Clueless Morgan Wrote: (August 10, 2015 at 9:26 pm)SnakeOilWarrior Wrote: Ohhh, yes! Get it!!! But, do not expect the movie in novel form. The movie basically bought the rights so they could get the name and then developed their own story so that Brad Pitt could do a zombie action movie. The book is waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy better than the movie.
Haven't seen the movie and heard that it wasn't good so I'd definitely do the book before the movie if I did the movie at all.
The book is set out more like a history or a documentary of the zombie war. Interesting method used to tell a pretty good story.
Daniel H. Wilson uses a similar method in his Robo series ("Robopocalypse" and "Robogenesis"). Also very good books.
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 10, 2015 at 11:25 pm
Tehe!! "robopocalypse" 
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 13, 2015 at 11:54 pm
Holy crap! If you enjoy fantasy, read this book:
![[Image: TheNameoftheWind_zps41c95b90.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i1359.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fq799%2Fsnugglyoranges%2Fcovers%2FTheNameoftheWind_zps41c95b90.jpg)
It's the first book of the "Kingkiller Chronicles" and so far, the second book, "The Wise Man's Fear" is every bit as good. I'm currently listening to the audio books, but when I'm done (and I finish whatever current read I have going on my Kobo), I'll be going through the series again in e-print format. Yes, they're that good and I know I'm missing some stuff by listening at work.
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 17, 2015 at 12:55 am
(This post was last modified: August 17, 2015 at 12:55 am by Justtristo.)
Recently I read On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt by Richard Carrier. While it is a massive work, it is a very well researched and argued (with a huge amount of references) case for Jesus of Nazareth being a wholly mythical character.
Carrier’s Christ Myth hypothesis is broadly similar to Earl Doherty’s and the one I subscribe to. Essentially that the first Christians including Paul or whoever wrote the epistles attributed to him, believed that Jesus existed in outer space, was crucified by demons and was resurrected. Also that the apostles got their revelations from visions they experienced of the risen Jesus. Only later on (probably in the middle of the 2nd century) Jesus was made into a historical figure with an earthly life by the Gospel writers.
Overall the book is a must read for anybody wondering wither or not Jesus actually based on a real person. Although I have to admit Carriers use of Bayes theorem to prove his hypothesis was a little over the top of my head. Since even without using mathematical equations, Carrier's Christ Myth hypothesis puts the onus on those who argue for a historical Jesus to disprove it.
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 17, 2015 at 5:55 am
I've read few months ago "Christian Nation: A Novel" by Frederic C. Rich and it's really one of the best novels I've ever read. It's about a modern overtake of US by Christians (Sarah Palin) and turning it into what she promised "Totalitarian Christian redneck society"
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 17, 2015 at 10:24 am
(August 17, 2015 at 12:55 am)Justtristo Wrote: Recently I read On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt by Richard Carrier.
[snip]
Overall the book is a must read for anybody wondering wither or not Jesus actually based on a real person. Although I have to admit Carriers use of Bayes theorem to prove his hypothesis was a little over the top of my head. Since even without using mathematical equations, Carrier's Christ Myth hypothesis puts the onus on those who argue for a historical Jesus to disprove it.
I disagree, but it may be a matter of interpretation. I felt like Carrier was doing what should be done and accepting his burden of proof and making his case. The general consensus (for better or worse) among biblical scholars is that Jesus is a historical figure, so the onus is on Carrier to make his argument for a mythical Jesus, not necessarily on the biblical scholars to prove Carrier wrong. Sure, there is definitely an aspect of criticism that should be taking place about Carrier's proposition, but it's Carrier's job to show that he's got a solid foundation to stand on, not the job of the critics to prove he's standing in quicksand.
For what it's worth, I'm kind of stalled out on that book. I got through the gospels of Mark and Matthew, I think, (about 75% of the way through?) and then took my kindle out of my purse and haven't gotten back to it yet. 
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 17, 2015 at 11:51 am
Reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Husseiini, the author of "The Kite Runner". A page turner.
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 20, 2015 at 10:46 pm
(This post was last modified: August 20, 2015 at 10:49 pm by Ravenshire.)
Finished the second of the Kingkiller Chronicles (and read one of the shorts) today. It's a "must read" for fantasy fans. Beautiful world building, great characterizations and a page turning plot. Be wary though. The series is not complete and while the second book is not a cliff-hanger, it does leave many loose threads dangling. They are also rather weighty tomes (well, not really in audio book format, but you know what I mean) that will require a bit more investment of time (per volume) than most fantasy demands.
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RE: Read any good books lately? Rate them here
August 21, 2015 at 12:39 am
(This post was last modified: August 21, 2015 at 12:40 am by Lemonvariable72.)
Reading demon haunted world by Carl Sagan. A good read, really gives you some great critical thinking tools.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
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