Looking for something good to read?

I have been experimenting with Shelfari recently - it allows you to list and discuss books you have read or are reading (etc.) and compare notes with others.  It functions as a sort of cross between a social networking site and a bibliophile's Project Playlist.

Find me there, and tell me what you think!  Since I apparently like foisting my views on others, I will regard this as an opportunity to tell you what to read.  If you know what's good for you, you will comply.  Or, you can regard this as an entryway into an entire network of people willing to help you find the bibliomanic Holy Grail - something good to read, for a change.  Find someone who likes what you like, find out what else they like...  Well, you get the idea.

Speaking of things to read, I would like to draw your attention to the Internet Sacred Texts Archive.  This is a tremendous resource, with literally thousands of free texts available.  The site's factotum, John B. Hare, has done a huge amount of strenuous labor, and maintained a respectable level of scholarship in the process.  And he seems to be a real mensch.  From the FAQ:

Q: Why did you do it?
A: To do something nice for people.

What higher calling could there be?

I highly recommend supporting this project, and Mr. Hare's Herculean labors, by buying the archive on DVD, or the less expensive CD-ROM - you will enrich your personal library with most of the core scriptures of all of the major and many of the minor religions of the world, along with all sorts of secondary material on those religions, and on fringe culture, Forteana, esoterica, occultism, folklore, philosophy, history, etc.  Even if none of these topics have grabbed much of your attention before, you can and will find the elusive "something good to read"  here.  Indeed, there is, without exaggeration, enough Good Stuff to keep you busy for the rest of your life, or a significant fraction thereof.  Of course, if buying things is not a reasonable goal for you, then, by all means, dive into the online archive itself - you may never resurface!

For those already attracted to such things, I must also mention the extensive translations from the Tipitika, or Pali Canon, available at Access to Insight.  The Pali Canon is the standard collection of sacred texts of Theravada - Southern, or "Hinayana" Buddhism, and is Not Crap.  I would particularly direct "newcomers" to the Khuddaka Nikaya, where you will find such well-loved texts as the Dhammapada and the Milindapañha ("The Questions of King Milinda"), as well as what may be the original version of the familiar story of the blind men and the elephant.  As a matter of principle, the texts are free of charge, as it is not considered proper to charge for the Dhamma - which is a very convenient feature for a religion to have.  (Are you listening, Mr. Hubbard?)

And, of course, no discussion of free books online can ignore the venerable Project Gutenberg, which is a very diverse collection of free digitized books, and, well, fucking huge.

So:  Go Read Now!   And don't say I never done nothin' for you.

 

Tags: Books ; Reading ; Shelfari ; Sacred Texts ; Project Gutenberg ; Not Crap