Punctuated Equilibrium
Punctuated Equilibrium
A BIg Pile of Books
Monday, March 8, 2010
I continue to make my way through the ancient Greek classics, mostly philosophy these days. Epictetus’ Discourses, Socrates (through Plato) and Marcus Aurelius are among the authors I have enjoyed. I’m also reading various essays on Stoicism, like Lawrence Becker’s A New Stoicism, William B. Irvine’s A Guide to the Good Life, and John Sellars Stoicism.
Martha Nussbaum has been on the pile by the bed, with Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions on top of the pile.
I recently finished Jonathan Safron Foer’s Eating Animals, which I highly recommend. You will be changed by reading it...unless you have no soul.
I also finished James Rachels The Legacy of Socrates.
Another ourstanding book I’d recommend is Sins of the Flesh - A History of Ethical Vegetarian Thought by Rod Preece.
On the music front, I’ve been enjoying Stefan Hagel’s recently published Ancient Greek Music: A Technical History, which is an incredible piece of scholarship.
Also have been listening to some beautifully recorded interpretations of the existing ancient greek music fragments as found in E. Pohlmann and Martin West’s, Documents of Ancient Greek Music, performed by the ensemble De Organographia. Very lovely, and outstanding in every way.
I continue to explore Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s work via scores, books and recordings. I wish I knew German better.
One of the piles in my house.