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[jer]

CompTIA Project+ Study Guide: Exam PK0-004 by Kim Heldman

[jer]

Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management (12th ed.) by Carlos Coronel and Steven Morris

[rory]

Recently finished:
Gay Berlin by Robert M. Beachy
Against The Fascist Creep by Alexander Reid Ross

Currently reading:
Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook by Mark Bray
Radical Behaviorism: The Philosophy and the Science by Mecca Chiesa

I'm also thinking about starting Dune, but I'm not sure I can commit. Maybe that's a read for if I ever go on tour again.

[rory]

Instead of reading Dune, I bought a few "a very short introduction" books on Post Structuralism, Derrida, and Foucault, as well as A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory by Nikki Sullivan. I have some writing that I want to do, but I have to make sure I know what I'm talking about first. I've read some Foucault and Butler, but I'm fairly rusty on theory stuff these days, especially considering the esoteric writing style of those particular theorists.

[momitsnowme]

Yessss! Sullivan is great and post structuralism is my thing. Let's nerd out

[rory]

Oh neat, did you study this in school, or just sort of develop your own interest?

I had started reading queer theory in school, but it was pretty surface level look. I tried to dive in on my own a bit after graduating, but as you probably know or can imagine, a lot of these texts are pretty dense without cursory knowledge of other philosophers, the language around philosophy, or any sort of reading guide/discussion. I fell away from it for a few years, but with ideas around it kicking around in my head for awhile now.


Mainly when I was in school I studied behavior analysis, which is also still something I've kept an arms-length interest in even while not applying my degree. My ex is also in grad school for it right now, and we've spent a lot of time over the years bouncing ideas about behavior analysis around. I picked up one of her textbooks (the behavior book mentioned earlier) and it all sort of clicked into some lines of thought I had been thinking about earlier. I think the philosophy behind behavior analysis relates to or works in tandem with a lot of the concepts brought to light from post structuralism, at least the bits I had gleaned from some reading years ago. I've been wanting to write about behavior social/political theory that is coherent but also true and accurate to the tenets of the science of behavior analysis.

I'm not sure any of this at this point is coherent, but the plan is for it to someday be!

[momitsnowme]

I studied it in grad school! One of my major research projects was on post structuralism and the southern California punk scene.
It is definitely dense. Even after being immersed in the jargon I struggled reading a lot of it. I would recommend Disidentifications by Jose Esteban Munoz if you haven't seen it yet! There's a great collection of essays I'll have to find tomorrow too.

I know the basics of behavioral analysis but not enough to see the overlap so I'd definitely be interested in seeing your take!

[rory]

Science and Human Behavior by B.F. Skinner
A Derrida Reader: Between the Blinds
Vulnerability In Resistance

I'm in the early stages of all of these texts, though all the Skinner stuff is mostly review.

[momitsnowme]

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and it's so good

[pronetoaccidents]

a history of violence:

[pronetoaccidents]

Recently finished:
Gay Berlin by Robert M. Beachy
Against The Fascist Creep by Alexander Reid Ross

Currently reading:
Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook by Mark Bray
Radical Behaviorism: The Philosophy and the Science by Mecca Chiesa

I'm also thinking about starting Dune, but I'm not sure I can commit. Maybe that's a read for if I ever go on tour again.

I've wanted to read Dune for a very, VERY long time. I've procured a many a copy of it over the years by many different means and for one reason or another never really dove into it. Same, and i'm very embarrassed to admit, was my experience with the Foundation series as well. Dune, in theory seems like it'd be right up my alley but as I get older and more and more of life accumulates upon my mind and shoulders (that's where all the fucking tension seems to rest these days! not to mention the knees..) if a book isn't truly phenenemonal and drags me in kicking and screaming like the last scene of drag me to hell the flick, I have a hard time committing for the long hall. it's stupid and i'm embarrassed.

[jer]

CCNA ICND2 Study Guide: Exam 200-105 by Todd Lammle

[BlakeK]

Finished the complete works of Beatrix Potter and have started Dr Seuss collection.

[rory]

I'm still reading Science and Human Behavior. About half way through. It's good review. Some ways Skinner talks about things appear dated, even if the general concepts still hold.
I gave up onA Derrida Reader: Between the Blinds. Maybe someday.

Also reading:
Carsick by John Waters
Society Of The Spectacle by Guy Debord which I'm so far finding to be terrifyingly relevant

[Joe]

Society Of The Spectacle by Guy Debord which I'm so far finding to be terrifyingly relevant

I took an art history course on 1968 and it started off with Guy Debord.  That entire era is incredibly relevant to what is developing today.

[rory]

Just finished Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey. Part of the way through Giving An Account Of Oneself by Judith Butler.

Soon will start:
Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber
The Poltical Philosophy of Poststructuralist Anarchism by Todd May
The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. I regret that it took her death to get me to check out her work. I used to get into political commentary sci-fi stuff, and somehow missed her. Every quote I've seen of her come up since her death has been really wonderful though, so I'm excited to finally put my head in some of her full works.

Also, I just kind of use this thread as my personal log on the books I've read. Reading more is changing my life in one of those slow, patient ways.

[momitsnowme]

Reading more is changing my life in one of those slow, patient ways.

Yesss

[rory]

Just started:
Parting Ways: Jewishness and the Critique of Zionism by Judith Butler
Whole Earth Discipline by Stewart Brand

A couple other books are on the way too, will probably start one of them within the week. The Stewart Brand book is one my housemate is reading for school, so I'm just picking it up while it's sitting around in the livingroom.

[jer]

I just finished 31 Days Before Your CCNA Security Exam: A Day-By-Day Review Guide for the IINS 210-260 Certification Exam by Patrick Gargano

[momitsnowme]

Vacationland by John Hodgman

[rory]

Still reading the two above, but also:
The Incomplete, True, Authentic, and Wonderful History of May Day by Peter Linebaugh
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut

The May Day book is fairly easy to read, but also quite a bit more scattered than what I was really looking for. I think Bluebeard is the 2nd Vonnegut book I ever read, which means I probably read it in 8th grade. I think about it often, so it seemed that I was do for a re-visit. It's probably been more than 5 years since I've read any of his works, but he's the first author I truly enjoyed reading, so his works will always be pretty special to me.

[rory]

Just started The Tunnel by William Gass.

[rory]

Finally finished both the Stewart Brand and Judith Butler books. The Judith Butler book is her most readable work I have delved into, and on such a difficult and important topic.

Still reading The Tunnel. For that being my "fun" book, it sure is a rough time.

About to start
May Made Me: An Oral History of the 1968 Uprising in France[i/] by Mitchell Abidor
Renters' Rights by Janet Portman

Me and a couple of friends are intending on doing a work shop on renters' rights, as we have a huge problem here with slumlord management companies taking over. After living in this city for a decade, I've grown totally disgusted watching these landlords and management companies take advantage of the lack of knowledge many of these first time and poor renters have. But I myself also have quite a bit to learn, so I am trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before presenting something to people.

[momitsnowme]

Just finished Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

[rory]

I'm still reading the Tunnel. Fairly close to the end, would be nice to accomplish that task in under 6 months, hah. Also I lost my renter's rights book, which is bothersome. Did not get very far into before that happened.

Now also reading:
The Great Rent Wars: New York, 1917-1929 by Robert M. Fogelson
Meanwhile, Elsewhere a collection of fiction shorts by trans/queer authors


I'm enjoying The Great Rent Wars, it's dry and historic, and tries to remain somewhat politically neutral in a way. Some things are very relateable even now, and even to me in not a large city, and other things definitely are products of the times they speak of. I'm finding I'm enjoying historical texts more than I ever really imagined I would, so I hope to continue to grab more on topics that pique my interest.

I'm so far only casually reading Meanwhile, Elsewhere until I finish The Tunnel and can therefore really dive in. Reading those two side by side is making me frustrated with the writing in Meanwhile, Elsewhere, which is not at all fair to it because William Gass is a ridiculously beautiful writer, even when his person of focus is so vile. Meanwhile, Elsewhere feel so far much more fun, young, current, and I'm excited to give it my proper attention when I'm not deeply entrenched in one of the best written books about a deplorable person I've ever read.