[Closed] Recent Reading - Part I

I was reading Eragon before the movie came out and thought it was a so-so written Star Wars rip-off. Then the movie came out and all that remained was a BAD Star wars rip-off. The second book started out much better, but I just couldn´t help it and had to give up after the first half when I realized it was an Empire-rip-off.

Started reading Lois McMaster Bujold´s Barrayar-Saga now. MUCH better. The first book featured some very nice surprises, but the second one is rather slow at the moment. Still, very entertaining. So much more adult and intelligent than Paolini can ever hope to become.

Is that pic in the top corner Joe 90?

The Tommyknockers - Stephen King.

One of the few SK-novels from the 80's I haven't gotten round to reading before now. Perhaps because I used to read King in Danish translations, and The Tommyknockers has never been translated for some reson.

Anyway, now I started it, and so far I like it. I'm only about 150 pages in, so that might change, as it's a long book. Next up are Jack Finney's Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Heinlein's The Puppemasters.

Ooh, I just finished Stardust (influenced by the movie, I admit) and was thinking of reading Anansi Boy or American Gods next.
I'll go for the second one, then

It is from Joe 90. But it's actually Ian McClaine, Joe's adoptive father. But the picture is so small it is difficult to tell!

Thank you dear friend. That is most kind of you.
(I have read your mind, Alan and adjusted your poorly worded post to reflect what you really wanted to say).

(For anyone who didn't get it: Alan initially posted the emoticon. I then used my Dark Side powers to change his post to how it reads now.
Just a joke though. I don't plan to make a habit out of that!
...except with people who really annoy me.
Or when righteousness demands it.
Or when the urge comes over me.
Or the moon rises in sagitarius. )

I think this forum would be a better place if ALL posts began like that.
In fact, I see a wonderful and rewarding task in my immediate future.

Oh...what's that?
A PM from Bregt?
Let's see...

Abuse of WHAT?
Revoke WHAT?
CRIMINAL CHARGES?????
SUMMARY EXECUTION??????

But...but...but... I am so INNOCENT!

Not at all, Pawel: reading is reading.

But if you think it warrants a separate sociology thread though for more throrough discussion, by all means create one.

It's all good.

Sweet; anyone want to talk Surround recording techniques for musical ensembles?

That's my thesis

hahahaha

Erving Goffman - The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

Quite amazing sociological book and great classic. Apart from the other sociological treatise I read (Pierre Bourdieu's Reproduction: Elements of Theory of Education Systems) was at times hardly understandable... I don't know the English terms Goffman devised expect "encounter", what defines what he is most interested in. Everybody is an actor and plays a role and tries to define a situation.

It's not something terrifying, the roles we play are something the people we encounter (or interact with, that's how Goffman defines an encounter) can grasp. If we didn't play the roles, we would build a bad impression. Making an impression on somebody (I hope somebody read the original and will correct the terms I use) is the key thing here. Let me show a simple example which showcases what is Goffman about for those who didn't read it. Imagine an executive in a big company and his assistant being very informal in their work, being able to call themselves with their names rather than "Ms. Smith", etc. For those who know German of French I mean a situation non-existent in English "se tutoyer" and "duzen". When they have some guest from another company or something like that, they start to be official to each other for two reasons - first the case of being seen as higher in culture and hierarchy, second - the assistant may not want the guest to be as unofficial in the relations with the guest as with the boss. There are great things like "stage" and the "backstage" where everybody can calm down after the tension of playing the role and support themselves in one group (does Goffman use the word "ensemble" to define it? As I said, I read the Polish translation). To do this, they e.g. joke about their audience or show a lot of disrespect to them. Really, fascinating stuff and recommended to anybody. It is written in a rather simple language, it seems and that makes it even more appealing.

Remember how much Goffman refers to Kenneth Burke who is regarded as one of the reformers of rhetorics.

I loved Bourdieu. I need to read The Rules of Art of him. With Goffman I plan to read Interaction Ritual. I wanted to read Frame Analysis but it seems unavailable in my university library.

I will get more into sociology soon. I would use some recommendations. As a self-respected humanist I feel lackluster when it comes to some classical categories. I love social psychology and sociology started to appeal to me more too. Great stuff really. though I'm a literature student, as I stated.

I need to get that human studies thread going...