So, What Are You Reading?

Speaking of translation (as we were) St. Jerome was very important as a translator.

"The Vulgate. St Jerome translated the Bible into Latin between A.D. 383 and 404. He originally translated it all from Greek, but as he went on he corrected the Old Testament against the Hebrew original. (The New Testament was originally written in Greek.) Jerome's Latin version was called the Biblia vulgata, the 'Bible in the common tongue'. By rendering it into Latin he made it accessible to Western Europe. This was the Bible used throughout the Middle Ages."

Whole thing here. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/users/yorkdoom/palweb/week05/douai.htm#:~

 

Recently finished Plato's Republic (Book 1 and 2), Aristotle's Ethics (Book 1 and Politics (Book 1). Interesting reads. I like the Socratic method of exploration, but I can imagine it's frustrating to have someone poke holes in all of your ideas about what justice is, only to say when asked that you have no idea what justice is yourself - just that others have. Seems like that's Socrates' whole deal.

Aristotle endorsing slavery in Politics was surprising to me. He identifies the idea of some people who are slaves by law or circumstance, and others who are slaves by nature. He does raise some counterpoints (e.g. some slaves seem to have the capability of reason because they're humans like their masters) but generally excuses and defends slavery as a benefit to the slave, which of course it is not.

Next up will be some readings by Plutarch.

 

The Alcoholic Republic by W.J. Rorabaugh

 

I've also noticed that quite a few philosophers believe that equality can hinder sociality greatness. However, it's not entirely clear what their views are on equity.

 

Not to me. Slavery was widely accepted in Ancient Greece - as in most ancient societies. I believe New Kingdom Egyptians (around 1750 BCE) were the first non-Africans to import captured Africans as slaves.
The Code of Hammurabi (1750 BCE) is very explicit on slavery and what was expected of slave-owners to whom they belonged. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi#:

Some background here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery
And here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Greece#:
And here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Rome

Back in ancient times (1950s) we learned in high school about slavery in Greece and Rome - in Latin class, Greek class and Grade 11 history. (And we were flogged if we didn't get good marks. )

 

I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps the Great Books series, as presented, might assume a lot of prior background knowledge of important topics, e.g. slavery, that current generations probably were neither taught in school, nor would learn by experience, in daily life. Something to think about.

 

Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal- William Leuchtenburg

 

Unwillingly:

The construction manual of an obscenely complicated thing I am supposed to calculate my day job. It was written in the 90s by someone who did not know that he did. The manual goes on 12 pages like this: "You put the device SP252 on E252. Or not. It not matters. The power is on if not this is not on and that is bad"). -

Oh dear, someone helps.

 

It's obviously another case of "AMIGO." - Accurate Mandarin In -- Gibberish Out. Blame machine translation.
This "AMIGO" is not your friend.

 

19 books in 2023, excluding the Great Books puts me around the 85th percentile. Pretty neat.

 

Traitor to his Class- HW Brands

 

In the Chiffon Trenches - a Memoir. André Leon Talley (famed fashion journalist). If you haven't time for the book, his one-page bio. is worth reading here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_Leon_Talley

King of the Blues - the Rise and Reign of B.B. King Daniel de Visé All you ever wanted to know about B.B. King, plus some things I didn't want to know - but have little to no doubt they were likely true. Well written but uncomfortable in spots, for me. But I've been a fan for 60 years - I can take it.

Eve - Cat Bohannon. Two million years in the evolution of women, by a fine scholar (Columbia PhD.) "Informative Read of the Year," for me.

 

I have read at least three books that were 100% about Mr. King, plus several others, that had chapters devoted to his career and his music. There is a lot of personal info regarding Mr. King in Mr. De Visé's book, that does not appear in any other work I've read. And that is NOT an assertion that anything he wrote is false; I simply do not believe any of what I read is false. I guess if I don't like some things I read, I'll have to lump them -- they won't be going away. And despite their sometimes disillusioning nature, I'm still as much a fan as ever.

 

Whoops - typo. That's two HUNDRED million years. Dang that timer. 198 million years went missing in 10 minutes!

 

@Maniac Craniac I think you'd better send the timer back to Switzerland, for Émile to re-calibrate. It's nearly 200 million years off...

 

Finished North Korea: A Country Study (2008) by the Library of Congress.

A bit out of date (as Kim-jong Il hadn't died yet), this is a comprehensive review of North Korean organization and society. A great survey with detailed bibliographies. If I were a new Intelligence Analyst assigned to NK, this is the book I'd read first.

 

All The Great Prizes : The Life of John Hay by John Taliaferro

 

"Fashion Master Class: The Collection of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC) Fashion Designers A-Z."(Valerie Steele.) Well- written, brilliantly photographed. A beautiful book - an 81st Birthday gift from my son.

"The Fashion Show: The Stories, Invites and Art of 300 Landmark Shows." (Iain R. Webb, foreword by famed designer, Anna Sui)
(A birthday present I bought myself, along with a Ralph Lauren shirt. ) A rewarding and beautiful read.

My sons treat me VERY generously! Among presents in the last couple of years have been Fashion books, books on Blues and "Gypsy Jazz" Guitar, a fine Swiss watch (Mathey-Tissot) and a deluxe hardshell case for my Fender Telecaster guitar. I'm grateful that my guys know their Old Man SO well!

 

Elie Mystal's "Allow Me to Retort". I don't agree with his sometimes oversimplified analysis and I think he fails to distinguish adequately between legislation and Judicial decisions but the book is well written and definitely worth reading regardless of one's orientation.