Thread: I want to learn everything about the world - what to read?

You could read "Being Jordan" by Katie Price.

However for your subject, nationalism I would suggest any modern history textbook recommended by a good University.

Reminds me of this episode from a TV show and that 4th sequel to Indiana Jones... Didn't end too well for them

I agree "A Brief History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson is a good start. Also "The Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant is excellent. Read history, science, psychology, and always keep an open mind. Take long walks, travel, and ponder. Figure things out for yourself and follow your instinct.

I find it fascinating to read "facts" from the perspective of different generations. History is re-interpreted about every twenty years. A common view of an historic event in 1910 may have an entirely different interpretation by the 1930s.

That's very true! The best magazines are those over 30 years old - you can see how events were perceived back then and how it has changed over time. They also show how our perceptions, biases, morality, etc have evolved over the years. And you realize that what is acceptable today could easily be looked back on as inconceivable in another generation. Lots of wisdom to be found in an old pile of newspapers.

The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.

- Samuel Johnson

Read poetry, historical texts, philosophical disquisitions, soi-disant 'great novels' and perhaps several dramatic works, to get the brutal edge of how character's touching upon reality actually compose themselves. Most importantly; read, read and read!

You could start with the Western Canon, The 'Great Books's list, or even the Everyman list of essentials, or simply devour anything and everything which you may happen upon. There are no rules, after all.

Originally Posted by Kelhanion

Basically, I want to learn everything I can about how the human mind works and what makes it tick.

Then what you need to know is that a lot of people are genuinely stupid. Understand that and the world starts to make more sense.

Tall order, but perhaps you want to make up a New Year's challenge for yourself and select 52 books--any genre--that you've always wanted to read to take on a week at a time. One author always leads to another and you might even get some friends to join you in your quest!

Good luck and have fun,

Sharon L.

Smartest thing I ever did was buy Tom Robbins' Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas read by Barry Bostwick. Bostwick, the mayor in Michael J. Fox's Spin city, does a marvelous job of bringing the characters and the story to life. Robbins is incredibly prolific. He is a master at weaving history and mythology and unexplained phenomena into a contemporary story. And he's funny. He is the master of the metaphor. I've listened to it a hundred times and never grow tired of the complex metaphors. They are so complicated, you forget them after a month.

How is it possible that, 3000 years ago, certain tribes in Africa were aware of the existence of Sirius B, a star that can't be seen with the human eye? Impossible? No, just the tip of the iceberg. Robbins performs this magic in book after book. And, as I said, he is funny. Did the Church really craft Satan after the goat - a benevolent and much woshipped figure used by their competition (the pagans). There are a million factoids like that. If you want to learn how the world and history as we know it was constructed by those in power, Robbins is your man.

Some of my favourite non-fiction books include:

A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
The Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene
The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene
The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkings
The God Delusion, Richard Dawkings
The Road Less Travelled, M Scott Peck
Tricks of the Mind, Derren Brown

If you want to know everything try reading a autobiography of a politician. You can peep into minds of the greatest leaders and see how their minds work.

A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson

or read books in the Dummies series. Good introduction to basically any subject you might want to know about. Though I have to confess the Dummies book on quantum physics requires you to be smart BEFORE you start reading them... It's a bit unfair, I think.