Books: Book(s) you are Currently Reading | Part 3

[Babe Ruth]

The cover provides a pretty good synopsis.. How War Made Them (the leaders of WW2) and How They Made War. Interesting history & hypotheses..

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Dark and funny, halfway through.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Biography on Carl Linnaeus, his competitors & detractors.. and how he classified plants & animals.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Babe Ruth]

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If you get a chance, let me know what you thought. I have it on a library hold, but there are 30 people ahead me.. probably won't see it for 3-4 months.

Union spies and undercover agents fighting Confederate guerillas (specifically Mosby).
Okay so far..

 

[Babe Ruth]

Longview history and contemporary accounting of the Bronx, NYC.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Thorough accounting of faked bias crimes, etc. Staged arson, false police reports, faked threats,.. campus rallies and hysteria based on lies.. People voice-mailing themselves fake threats & anti-Black insults. Liars framing waiters & waitresses (by writing racial slurs on their receipts) to avoid paying for meals.. Hoaxes designed for sympathy, charity, to elude child support, etc.
The author also analyzes and documents why Left wing college campuses and media, instinctively accept the hoaxes and frauds uncritically due to their own biases and shallow sympathies.
I remember some of these high-profile hoaxes, but there are a lot of copycats catalogued in here also. I'm about 2/3rds thru this pathetic greatest hits.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Thorough bio on Van Gogh.
I've read the first 250 pages, which is mostly the story of young adult Van Gogh (ungratefully) living off the charity and patronage of his brother and parents.
But in Van Gogh's defense, he was determined to be the Bohemian artist he envisioned.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Babe Ruth]

Some sad, but enlightening insights in this one.. including the tragic account of the author's sister (who suffered from borderline personality).

 

[Spring in Fialta]

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Just finished The Silent Patient on audio. Was fantastic.

 

[Thucydides]

Some sad, but enlightening insights in this one.. including the tragic account of the author's sister (who suffered from borderline personality).

I know a few people with this personality disorder. I think it’s the only one that can be “cured” or at least sent into remission with oodles of therapy and even more self work.

It’s environmental from my limited understanding. The two people close to me that have it (though not directed at me, I’ve witnessed the borderline rage, so depending on their state of mind I keep them at arms length ha ha) have one thing in common - one of their parents has narcissistic personality disorder .

I’ve wondered if that was the cause of it, trauma caused in childhood from a narcissistic parent.

Does the book touch on this at all?

 

[Babe Ruth]

I know a few people with this personality disorder. I think it’s the only one that can be “cured” or at least sent into remission with oodles of therapy and even more self work.

It’s environmental from my limited understanding. The two people close to me that have it (though not directed at me, I’ve witnessed the borderline rage, so depending on their state of mind I keep them at arms length ha ha) have one thing in common - one of their parents has narcissistic personality disorder .

I’ve wondered if that was the cause of it, trauma caused in childhood from a narcissistic parent.

Does the book touch on this at all?

The book basically did the catch-all explanation for borderline disorder.. Likely caused by 'environmental AND genetic factors'.. so my layman's interpretation is: it could be caused by anything, they don't know.
For me, the book's insights came from the author's firsthand experience, with his borderline patients & sister. He gives a good accounting of recognizing the symptoms & what was effective in coping with 'em. If I remember correctly, his adult sister went thru BPD back in the 50s or 60s.. so it was probably mostly misunderstood, and author has gotta be 90 years old.
Interesting thought on a narcissistic parent.. borderline personality seems very linked to narcissism. And I get why narcissists are basically hated, but the more I learn, the more sympathetic/empathetic they've become to me..

 

[Thucydides]

The book basically did the catch-all explanation for borderline disorder.. Likely caused by 'environmental AND genetic factors'.. so my layman's interpretation is: it could be caused by anything, they don't know.
For me, the book's insights came from the author's firsthand experience, with his borderline patients & sister. He gives a good accounting of recognizing the symptoms & what was effective in coping with 'em. If I remember correctly, his adult sister went thru BPD back in the 50s or 60s.. so it was probably mostly misunderstood, and author has gotta be 90 years old.
Interesting thought on a narcissistic parent.. borderline personality seems very linked to narcissism. And I get why narcissists are basically hated, but the more I learn, the more sympathetic/empathetic they've become to me..

Thanks it sounds interesting.

As for your empathy toward them - I agree. No one is born a narcissist. It seems to be shame based disorder usually caused from abuse, trauma?

I worked with two narcs - one covert, one overt. Both are extremely manipulative, always the victim , and both have extremely fragile egos. The more I got to know them I realized they’re both just broken people, and the charm and the confidence is just a mask. Both were abused by alcoholic fathers in childhood. Both of them present themselves as fearless , but both of them are complete cowards.

I don’t think they can create true bonds with others, everything is manipulation in order to mirror to the other person that a bond is there, but it’s all an illusion.

I’m sure you know a narcissist ? I think the disorder is more common than believed, due to a narcissist would never visit a therapist, or admit to being one.

Super interesting disorder, but i pity from afar. After all this disorder is linked to domestic abuse, shooting sprees, murder, and murder - suicide.

I’m based in Nova Scotia, and was just down the street from Gabriel Wortman as he went on the rampage in Portipique, dressed as an RCMP officer, and driving a replica vehicle. In reading about that case I went down the rabbit hole of learning and reading about NPD. Admittedly, my knowledge is rudimentary, but the psychology is interesting , for sure.

I used to be a fan of true crime shows, and books, but as I learned about the disorder, you start to view it through that lens, and it becomes mundane.

There seems to be an awareness that’s spreading about it now, which can only be a good thing.

Sorry for the long winded reply.

About 1/4 through this book and it’s a page turner .

 

[Babe Ruth]

A group of imperfect brothers from the Ozarks, head west for the Gold Rush. I don't read much fiction, but first couple chapters have been okay.

 

[Hippasus]

Principles of Mathematical Analysis, by Walter Rudin
A History of Analysis, edited by Jahnke