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MadArchitect
Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 2609
Gender: 
Location: decentralized
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 Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:15 pm Post subject: To everyone thinking about reading...
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Several people have mentioned having gotten a copy of the book, but not many people have started reading it yet. I can sympathize. As far as books go, this one is a little daunting.
Do me a favor, though. This is a book of essays, and it isn't really necessary to read the sections in any particular order. So let's agree on a single essay, and make a point of reading and discussing that essay.
Doing at least that much will cut discussion into a managable slice. It will also ensure that we all get the chance to discuss something from the book, and that our having gone through the trouble of finding and/or buying a copy hasn't gone to waste. (For me it isn't a waste at all, but if you only got the book to participate in this discussion, I can see how you might see it that way.)
After that, if anyone wants to read and discuss the rest of the book, they can count on my involvement. If not, well, at least we got that much out of it.
My suggestion is that we all read "Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship" -- it's not the longest essay by far (the one after it is just shy of 100 pages), but it's meaty enough to give us plenty to discuss (which is why I didn't suggest the one before it, which is, by comparison, a little anemic). If that one doesn't appeal to you, take a scan of the book and suggest a title that does. We can discuss it a little before hand to make sure we end up with something everyone is interested in discussing, but I'd like to get this mini-discussion underway by the day after Thanksgiving. |
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MadArchitect
Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 2609
Gender:
Location: decentralized
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| Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:18 pm Post subject:
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Oh, and one other quick question: Would you rather have a single thread for the mini-discussion, or would you rather keep the unstructured "post-a-thread-as-you-see-fit" format?
The benefit to having one thread, as I see it, is that it would make discussing the essay more convenient for people who aren't sure that they'll finish reading the book, but I don't want to impose if everyone is okay with the free for all format. |
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Mr. Pessimistic 
Assistant Professor
Silver Contributor
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 3449
Gender:
Location: NJ - www.myspace.com/mrpessimistic
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| Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:58 pm Post subject:
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| MadArchitect wrote: |
Oh, and one other quick question: Would you rather have a single thread for the mini-discussion, or would you rather keep the unstructured "post-a-thread-as-you-see-fit" format?
The benefit to having one thread, as I see it, is that it would make discussing the essay more convenient for people who aren't sure that they'll finish reading the book, but I don't want to impose if everyone is okay with the free for all format. |
It IS a bit daunting, I agree. I will try to read the essay you mentioned and do not care how we choose to structure the discussion.
Mr. P. |
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