Books I highly recommend
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Wordsgood
Books I highly recommend
Hi everyone, I am going to post this in the General forum as well in the hopes that it will reach more of you. My apologies if this annoys anyone, especially the site administrators.
If one doesn't mind long, rather intense reads, I have two suggestions for you.
One is probably the most thoroughly researched historical-type biography ever written. The bibliography itself is mind-boggling. Titled "The Unknown Story of M*A*O" by Jung Chang (who also wrote Wild Swans) and John Halliday, this is a true account, based on a decade of research and hundreds of interviews, of how Mao Zedong rose to the very top of China's new communist party, took it over and by his death many decades later, was responsible for the death of well over 70 million of his own people - IN PEACETIME.
The material in this book is nothing like what you read about in school, or may have studied later in college, or hear about in the media. This book shows, in raw, gritty detail, the depths of depravity mankind can sink to under the guise of "changes for the public good." This man, and his party, destroyed generations of Chinese culture, education and accomplishments. Even today, there are marks of their actions everywhere, not just on the land itself, but on the people.
There is so much I could say about this book, but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else. It was so engrossing that I read it three times, one right after the other. I can't praise this book nearly enough. A warning though, parts of it are very graphic and the things described in it are beyond disturbing - disturbing in a physical, mental and emotional sense. I was outraged, sick to my stomach at times, and often in tears at the sheer suffering and injustice that went on during his rule.
Now, onto the second weighty read...
The Faber Book of Madness, edited by Roy Porter - This is an anthology of writings by and about those considered insane or "mad" throughout history. Some are taken from as far back as the 15 and 1600's. Each chapter begins with a blurb from Porter about the ensuing writings. Much of the book focuses on the horrors of asylum life, as seen through the eyes of the patients. Again, some are from hundreds of years ago, and some from just a couple of decades ago. It is not put together in any kind of chronological order, but rather grouped by similar topics. Included are stories of how frighteningly easy it was, until very recently, to get someone committed - especially women - when you wanted them out of the way - for money, etc. More chilling is the so-called "treatments" applied to "cure" these poor souls.
Please pardon the following plug, but it's true and a topic I am now passionate about:
The truly scary part though, is that through the use of drug cocktails, this is still happening today. People who go for help, routinely end up much worse off than before these “specialists” got a hold of them. I know because it happened to me. So please, if you or someone you care about needs help, by all means get it, but DO NOT go alone, DO NOT blindy trust the doctors or the medications they prescribe. RESEARCH ALL MEDICATIONS BEFORE TAKING THEM. This might sound like common sense, but when depression overwhelmed me, I went to "professionals" and trusted that they would help, not hurt me. I met many others who had gone through the same thing.
Anyway, I hope some of you pick these up and enjoy them. Both are in paperback and can often be found on the bargain tables of major book chain stores.
If one doesn't mind long, rather intense reads, I have two suggestions for you.
One is probably the most thoroughly researched historical-type biography ever written. The bibliography itself is mind-boggling. Titled "The Unknown Story of M*A*O" by Jung Chang (who also wrote Wild Swans) and John Halliday, this is a true account, based on a decade of research and hundreds of interviews, of how Mao Zedong rose to the very top of China's new communist party, took it over and by his death many decades later, was responsible for the death of well over 70 million of his own people - IN PEACETIME.
The material in this book is nothing like what you read about in school, or may have studied later in college, or hear about in the media. This book shows, in raw, gritty detail, the depths of depravity mankind can sink to under the guise of "changes for the public good." This man, and his party, destroyed generations of Chinese culture, education and accomplishments. Even today, there are marks of their actions everywhere, not just on the land itself, but on the people.
There is so much I could say about this book, but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else. It was so engrossing that I read it three times, one right after the other. I can't praise this book nearly enough. A warning though, parts of it are very graphic and the things described in it are beyond disturbing - disturbing in a physical, mental and emotional sense. I was outraged, sick to my stomach at times, and often in tears at the sheer suffering and injustice that went on during his rule.
Now, onto the second weighty read...
The Faber Book of Madness, edited by Roy Porter - This is an anthology of writings by and about those considered insane or "mad" throughout history. Some are taken from as far back as the 15 and 1600's. Each chapter begins with a blurb from Porter about the ensuing writings. Much of the book focuses on the horrors of asylum life, as seen through the eyes of the patients. Again, some are from hundreds of years ago, and some from just a couple of decades ago. It is not put together in any kind of chronological order, but rather grouped by similar topics. Included are stories of how frighteningly easy it was, until very recently, to get someone committed - especially women - when you wanted them out of the way - for money, etc. More chilling is the so-called "treatments" applied to "cure" these poor souls.
Please pardon the following plug, but it's true and a topic I am now passionate about:
The truly scary part though, is that through the use of drug cocktails, this is still happening today. People who go for help, routinely end up much worse off than before these “specialists” got a hold of them. I know because it happened to me. So please, if you or someone you care about needs help, by all means get it, but DO NOT go alone, DO NOT blindy trust the doctors or the medications they prescribe. RESEARCH ALL MEDICATIONS BEFORE TAKING THEM. This might sound like common sense, but when depression overwhelmed me, I went to "professionals" and trusted that they would help, not hurt me. I met many others who had gone through the same thing.
Anyway, I hope some of you pick these up and enjoy them. Both are in paperback and can often be found on the bargain tables of major book chain stores.
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anita blake
- Posts: 63
- Joined: 25 Jul 2008, 07:25
- Bookshelf Size: 0
I like the sound of this one The Faber Book of Madness, edited by Roy Porter
I have on my long list of 'to read books which sounds similar to that. It was recommended to me by someone
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
I'm sure I will get around to reading it eventually
I have on my long list of 'to read books which sounds similar to that. It was recommended to me by someone
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
I'm sure I will get around to reading it eventually
A real book is not one that we read, but one that reads us. Auden, W. H
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Wordsgood
And I like the sound of the Charles MacKay one you mentioned. I dutifully looked it up, read some review and liked what I saw! It is now added to my ever-growing list of books to obtain and read. Thanks so much!anita blake wrote:I like the sound of this one The Faber Book of Madness, edited by Roy Porter
I have on my long list of 'to read books which sounds similar to that. It was recommended to me by someone
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
I'm sure I will get around to reading it eventually
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anita blake
- Posts: 63
- Joined: 25 Jul 2008, 07:25
- Bookshelf Size: 0
I have added The Faber Book of Madness to my wish list on Amazon. I will probably buy it around November when I make my next big order. I usually wait until the new Doctor Who box set comes out and stick a couple of books in, think this will be one of them. 
A real book is not one that we read, but one that reads us. Auden, W. H
