You are welcome to the launch of the Machine Nation Book Club



We propose that each month a book will be read by all interested members. Books should be chosen because they provide an original and interesting view of the world, relevant to the interests of Machine Nation members.

One member who has read the book will volunteer/be invited to introduce the book at the beginning of the month. Members can then start to post their personal response as an when they start reading the book.

As well as enjoyment and interest for members, the purpose of the book club is to give members a chance collectively to develop more in-depth knowledge of an issue, by giving more time and detailed attention to it than is usually the case in fora threads.

For our first book, I am proposing "Collapse" by Jared Diamond (Wikipedia Synopsis below).



Any member who is interested in providing their personal introduction or critique is welcome to post in in the next few days to start the thread. All suggestions for the Club welcome.

So settle down, and start reading:

And if no one offers a critique I presume you yourself will offer one Cactus Flower? It's a good idea by the way.

I am trying to cut down on the amount of books I buy. But This sounds like a perfect excuse to splash out and add to the pile.

What's in the pile at the moment, 905. Or, like me, do you have a collection of piles - of books, obviously?

See, I knew this would happen. I went in to the bookshop to scout for Cactus Flower's book. I came out with two books: Ireland: Inventing the nation and The Enlightenment. Two books I have no need for, nor time to read. They'll go in the pile.

I have four piles. One is of non-fiction books I have yet to read, another is of fiction books I have yet to read. I can read a book easily enough; the trouble is re-reading it. So the next two piles are of books I have only read once, fiction and then non-fiction. Altogether we're talikng about a hundred books (I'll count when I get home).

At the moment I'm reading four books, one from each pile. Fiction non-read is Mo Scéal Féin by Fr. O'Leary. Fiction read-once is Nostromo by Conrad. The non-fiction books I'm reading are Things we Believe but Can't Prove, edited by a fellow named Brockman and Michael Collins by Tim Pat Coogan, which I've read before.

905 wrote:

See, I knew this would happen. I went in to the bookshop to scout for Cactus Flower's book. I came out with two books: Ireland: Inventing the nation and The Enlightenment. Two books I have no need for, nor time to read. They'll go in the pile.

I have four piles. One is of non-fiction books I have yet to read, another is of fiction books I have yet to read. I can read a book easily enough; the trouble is re-reading it. So the next two piles are of books I have only read once, fiction and then non-fiction. Altogether we're talikng about a hundred books (I'll count when I get home).

At the moment I'm reading four books, one from each pile. Fiction non-read is Mo Scéal Féin by Fr. O'Leary. Fiction read-once is Nostromo by Conrad. The non-fiction books I'm reading are Things we Believe but Can't Prove, edited by a fellow named Brockman and Michael Collins by Tim Pat Coogan, which I've read before.

Perhaps you would like to come up with one for a future Book of the Month 905 - non-fiction, and something that will change the way we see the world (or at least Ireland)? Would you give it some thought and pm me to discuss?

905 wrote:

See, I knew this would happen. I went in to the bookshop to scout for Cactus Flower's book. I came out with two books: Ireland: Inventing the nation and The Enlightenment. Two books I have no need for, nor time to read. They'll go in the pile.

I have four piles. One is of non-fiction books I have yet to read, another is of fiction books I have yet to read. I can read a book easily enough; the trouble is re-reading it. So the next two piles are of books I have only read once, fiction and then non-fiction. Altogether we're talikng about a hundred books (I'll count when I get home).

At the moment I'm reading four books, one from each pile. Fiction non-read is Mo Scéal Féin by Fr. O'Leary. Fiction read-once is Nostromo by Conrad. The non-fiction books I'm reading are Things we Believe but Can't Prove, edited by a fellow named Brockman and Michael Collins by Tim Pat Coogan, which I've read before.

Ah, I know that feeling! While i said last night i'd start Collapse today, I actually picked up Chris Hitchen's anti-religion tract from the "pile" instead. Also there are Alex Ross' The Rest Is Noise, Tariq Ali's book of Saladiin and Jonathan Powell's N. Ireland book, among about 30 others. Agh! I keep buying books before getting through the last pile.

Having said that, brill idea re book club Cactusflower. I'll whizz through Hitchens (my back is up already anyway!) and get on to Collapse.

Great idea. Think you should have a separate thread for each book though so it will be a kind of repository. I am battling with two tough ones at the moment, Umberto Eco for fiction and Jacques Ellul for fact, so I don't think I will participat ein the first one though I would love to read over it if I do pick up "Collapse".

I'm still trying to get through the FT from last Saturday

Great idea and sounds like my kind of book - very high level. I go through book-phases I dunno about anyone else - i've been ages in a very detailed book about the older Tribunals and just can't seem to get away from the computer - the internet and forums have been very distracting. I used to have those piles too but now it's so bad even my DVDs are piling up . I also used to have a girlfriend and friends I could see. Truly the Global Village is a black hole into which you get sucked..

I reckon an online book club may help me get back between the sheets, leaves whatever..

(I'll try to get my hands on it tomorrow)

I recommend that you don't allow cyber-buddies to distract you from real-life interaction. If a few posters on other sites got a bit more time between the sheets then I reckon they might be a bit more sanguine and a little more temperate in their remarks.

Zhou_Enlai wrote:

Great idea. Think you should have a separate thread for each book though so it will be a kind of repository. I am battling with two tough ones at the moment, Umberto Eco for fiction and Jacques Ellul for fact, so I don't think I will participat ein the first one though I would love to read over it if I do pick up "Collapse".

Very good Zhou - we can build up a whole library of threads.

If anyone knows bookshops were Collapse is in stock, or being sold at a good price, that might get us going.

I read Collapse and found it very good. The Long Emergency could be read after it for better effect. I am reading Mao at the moment and shows that power hungry people care nothing for their idealistic followers who get killed by the millions. I also finished I Hear You paint Houses where the hit man Frank Sheerin says he shot his buddy Jimmy Hoffa in Detroit. He says he also shot Crazy Joe Gallo who Bob Dylan sings about. I am starting a book on the KGB where many examples of agent provocatuer or false flags are given from the early days. Small scale stuff compared to the Reichstag false flag by the Germans but thought provoking. Most of my reading are on financial markets.

Chapters is always great if you're near there. And they often have newish titles available second hand too - as well as new.

14.50 at easons,

905 wrote:

See, I knew this would happen. I went in to the bookshop to scout for Cactus Flower's book. I came out with two books: Ireland: Inventing the nation and The Enlightenment. Two books I have no need for, nor time to read. They'll go in the pile.

I have four piles. One is of non-fiction books I have yet to read, another is of fiction books I have yet to read. I can read a book easily enough; the trouble is re-reading it. So the next two piles are of books I have only read once, fiction and then non-fiction. Altogether we're talikng about a hundred books (I'll count when I get home).

At the moment I'm reading four books, one from each pile. Fiction non-read is Mo Scéal Féin by Fr. O'Leary. Fiction read-once is Nostromo by Conrad. The non-fiction books I'm reading are Things we Believe but Can't Prove, edited by a fellow named Brockman and Fiction read-once is Nostromo by Conrad., which I've read before.

Fiction read-once is Nostromo by Conrad.

Good book that - only one of Conrad's novels that I have read but it was a worthwhile venture.

It really captured the spirit of South America in all it's ups and downs. Struck me as pretty graphic for the time it was written.

Conrad was Polish originally but his command of the English language was masterly.

Do we need a separate fiction thread?

Kate P wrote:

Do we need a separate fiction thread?

Lit Crit? Book reviews and Book chat? What I'm reading? why not.
I am going to start the Collapse thread tomorrow.

Tariq Ali's book of Saladiin

Havn't read that one but have read his Clash of Fundamentalism which is interesting - esp for a non western centred view of 20th Century History - even though Ali has lived in London these 40 years or so and holds a British Passport!

It's certainly not an unbyast book mind - Tariq Ali was never one to hide his opinions when he thinks somebody or some 'ism' is wrong.

http://www.amazon.com/Clash-Fundamentalisms-Crusades-Jihads-Modernity/dp/1859846793

Okay, this is another great idea. A book club, who'd thunk it?

Quick question, how long is being allocated to read Collapse? Until the end of April?

And is it available in paperback?

WorldbyStorm wrote:

Okay, this is another great idea. A book club, who'd thunk it?

Quick question, how long is being allocated to read Collapse? Until the end of April?

And is it available in paperback?

Good questions - yes-until the end of April - we will have our first chat at Sunday 27th April - 10 p.m. - although you are welcome to post on 'Collapse' any time from tomorrow, when I'll put the thread up.

It is available in paperback new and used from Amazon.

-Amazon-

Brandubh wrote:

Tariq Ali's book of Saladiin

Havn't read that one but have read his Clash of Fundamentalism which is interesting - esp for a non western centred view of 20th Century History - even though Ali has lived in London these 40 years or so and holds a British Passport!

It's certainly not an unbyast book mind - Tariq Ali was never one to hide his opinions when he thinks somebody or some 'ism' is wrong.

[url=http://www.amazon.com/Clash-Fundamentalisms-Crusades-Jihads-Modernity/dp/1859846793

http://www.amazon.com/Clash-Fundamentalisms-Crusades-Jihads-Modernity/dp/1859846793[/quote[/url]]

Book of Saladin is one of his Islam Quartet of novels, which i'm hoping to read over the summer. Have seen Ali speak a few times. Gave a beautiful reading of some Arabic poetry, he included the particular poem in either Clash of Fundamentalisms or Bush in Babylon, can't rem. which. I think the poem was called City of Salt.

cactus flower wrote:

WorldbyStorm wrote:

Okay, this is another great idea. A book club, who'd thunk it?

Quick question, how long is being allocated to read Collapse? Until the end of April?

And is it available in paperback?

Good questions - yes-until the end of April - we will have our first chat at Sunday 27th April - 10 p.m. - although you are welcome to post on 'Collapse' any time from tomorrow, when I'll put the thread up.

It is available in paperback new and used from Amazon.

-Amazon-

Brilliant.. cheers...

Bought my copy today - softback. What happens next? There's no hurry on me at the moment anyway...

Auditor #9 wrote:

Bought my copy today - softback. What happens next? There's no hurry on me at the moment anyway...

Read all the pages in numerical order, starting at page 1.

Auditor #9 wrote:

Bought my copy today - softback. What happens next? There's no hurry on me at the moment anyway...

Read, contemplate, write notes in the margins and when ever you are ready start posting - and on the appointed Sunday bring a bottle and join the club.

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Auditor #9 wrote:

Bought my copy today - softback. What happens next? There's no hurry on me at the moment anyway...

Read all the pages in numerical order, starting at page 1.

Are ye holding these seances on a particular day or do we start posting every few pages or what if I give away the ending before youngdan has read it? He might be the suspense-savouring type.

Quote :

Good questions - we will have our first chat at Sunday 27th April - 10 p.m. - although you are welcome to post on 'Collapse' any time from tomorrow, when I'll put the thread up.

It was meant to be today, but events overtook.