Philosophical Vegan Forum

I've been getting more into reading lately, after adding about 50 books to my reading list over the past few days, but I wanted to ask you guys a few questions regarding it.

Firstly, what are good reading locations? I can't read in a bed, because then I find myself getting much too cozy and losing focus on what I'm reading, I can't read outside since it's too fucking cold, and I don't like reading in a car or on a bus since I get a piercing headache. I also don't like to read when I'm eating, since I don't want to risk getting my book messy. I usually enjoy reading and get a lot of it done when I'm on the train since there is little to do, especially when I lose internet connection, but I don't go on the train every day, and it's much more difficult to take any kind of notes. Oh yeah, on a related note, what are good reading positions? Sitting in a chair is optimal, but what about laying down on your stomach (though that may not be a great idea)?

Second, hardcover or paperback? Both have their advantages, but most of the books I've been getting recently are paperback since they're much cheaper and more available, and are much more easy to carry around, though hardcover books are less prone to fuckups and look nicer overall. I personally prefer Paperback, but I will occasionally invest in hardcover if convenient.

Nextly, buy or borrow? Borrowing is of course cheaper, but the issue is I like to go at my own pace without having to worry about the need to extend or return, and a lot of books are usually good to hold on to for long term. But yeah, buying is still expensive, as I usually only get books on Christmas or Birthdays since I'm not the ones paying for them, and they are in limited quantity. In a few months though I'll be able to take some spare income I have and use it for books.

And I know I asked this to miniboes, but I'll ask it again: Physical copy or ebook? I find that I personally read faster (or I think I do) on paper than on a screen.

Anyway, speaking of books, here are some that are my top-priority:
House of Leaves
Enlightenment Now
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
The Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism
The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies (thanks Tristian)
Calculus Made Easy
Guns, Germs, And Steel
Consciousness Explained

What about Y'all?

Location:
Having a location dedicated to reading is nice, but really you can read anywhere. I usually go for a comfortable chair or i remove the sheets from my bed and read there. Put the book you're currently reading in your backpack, you never know when you might have a few minutes of nothing to do.

Position:
Just vary it up and do what's comfortable for you. I switch between lying down, sitting and standing.

Hardcover/paperback:
i don't like hardcover, the cover just gets in the way of things

Buying or borrowing:
I personally buy, since I like to write a lot in my books. Underline important passages, take notes in the margins, argue with the author, make connections to other topics, etc.

physical copy or ebook:
i do both and both have their advantages. it's nice to have a dedicated device (tablet or e-reader) for ebooks. when i do read an ebook i keep a notebook handy for notes.

I finished 21 lessons for the 21st century by Yuval Noah Harari recently, and I strongly recommend it. I currently don't spend a lot of time reading books since i have a lot of articles to read for my thesis.

Okay, so this is just my personal opinion. Bear in mind that while this suits me, the more you read, the more you'll discover a method that suits you.

Red wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:38 pm Firstly, what are good reading locations?

I like to read sitting in a chair. Sometimes sitting in bed (resting my back on a wall). Either way is good. I used to enjoy reading outside when the weather was nice, but the weather is so unpredictable recently and nice, sunny days have been interspersed with large amounts of rain. One minute, my cats are frolicking outside, the next they come in soaked and Jet meows at me as if he thinks I can stop the rain. It is so obviously climate change. Anyway, I'd also recommend reading either in a quiet location, or in a location where there's so much noise that you can't hear any conversations. It's not noise that I personally find distracting, but when I can hear each individual word people are accentuating, that bugs me. I also like a bit of classical music when I read.

Second, hardcover or paperback?

I prefer paperback. Not only is it cheaper, but it just feels nicer in my opinion. I don't like the chunkiness of hardcover books.

Nextly, buy or borrow?

Buying. I don't take care with my books and I like to treat them like the sluts that they are. I like to dog-ear the pages and leave stains all over them. I don't get the enjoyment of doing this with borrowing them, as I have to consider the other person. Plus, I like having a book that I can call my own.

Physical copy or ebook?

Physical copy. Kindles are just silly.

miniboes wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:26 am Location:
Having a location dedicated to reading is nice, but really you can read anywhere. I usually go for a comfortable chair or i remove the sheets from my bed and read there. Put the book you're currently reading in your backpack, you never know when you might have a few minutes of nothing to do.

Position:
Just vary it up and do what's comfortable for you. I switch between lying down, sitting and standing.

Well, what would you say is the best position to read the most and have the highest reading comprehension?

miniboes wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:26 am Buying or borrowing:
I personally buy, since I like to write a lot in my books.

IN?

I mean, I don't keep my books mint condition, but some psychological factor keeps me from writing in it or dog-earing.

miniboes wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:26 am Underline important passages, take notes in the margins, argue with the author, make connections to other topics, etc.

I prefer a notebook!

miniboes wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:26 amphysical copy or ebook:
i do both and both have their advantages. it's nice to have a dedicated device (tablet or e-reader) for ebooks. when i do read an ebook i keep a notebook handy for notes.

On a similar note, which type of books are best for audiobook format?

miniboes wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:26 amI finished 21 lessons for the 21st century by Yuval Noah Harari recently, and I strongly recommend it. I currently don't spend a lot of time reading books since i have a lot of articles to read for my thesis.

He's a prevalent author, I noticed Gates has a lot of his books on his lists.
How often do you get a chance to read? Do you take public transport to Uni?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:32 am I like to read sitting in a chair. Sometimes sitting in bed (resting my back on a wall). Either way is good. I used to enjoy reading outside when the weather was nice, but the weather is so unpredictable recently and nice, sunny days have been interspersed with large amounts of rain. One minute, my cats are frolicking outside, the next they come in soaked and Jet meows at me as if he thinks I can stop the rain. It is so obviously climate change. Anyway, I'd also recommend reading either in a quiet location, or in a location where there's so much noise that you can't hear any conversations. It's not noise that I personally find distracting, but when I can hear each individual word people are accentuating, that bugs me. I also like a bit of classical music when I read.

Well, in about 2-3 weeks, it's gonna warm up nicely, but again this doesn't happen year round. LA, here I come.

Sometimes when I have a free period, I go to the school library to read, and I feel myself being able to read better with other people reading. It isn't any university library. The University I'm gonna go to has a cool-ass library, which is great for studying and reading (and also has a great view of the New York skyline).

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:32 am
Buying. I don't take care with my books and I like to treat them like the sluts that they are. I like to dog-ear the pages and leave stains all over them. I don't get the enjoyment of doing this with borrowing them, as I have to consider the other person. Plus, I like having a book that I can call my own.

How can you feel so nonchalant about it? As I said to boes, I can't see myself doing that.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:32 am Physical copy. Kindles are just silly.

What makes you say that?

I have a nasty habit of running my fingers over the edges of the pages leaving this ugly rippling effect.

I read sat down, or slouched in the sofa, or sometimes lying down. I usually read lying down in the grass in the garden or on the trampoline which is nicer than a hard floor. I find that starting a book at 10pm or 11pm at night makes it harder. I usually don't like to read at that time as I'm tired, so I watch TV. However if I start reading a book earlier in the day and get into it I can easily read until late. I also take books out so I can fill in gaps in queues, buses etc.

Paperback as cheaper, takes up less space.

I mostly read Kindle because I can get any book instantly even though I live abroad where English books are not very available and are very expensive. I'll write more about Kindle in a separate post so as to keep this one more concise and to the point.

You can easily get cheap books second hand in most places but only if you're not picky about what you get.

I think do a mixture of buying and borrowing. Buying for the stuff you really want that isn't at the library, and borrowing in order to save money. Borrowing is also better for the environment (trees etc).

I've found that TV and social media only teaches you mainstream views, and books are necessary to challenge the mainstream and become wiser.

---Advantages of Kindle/ebooks are:
1) You can get almost any book rather than the ones that happen to be in the store.
2) You get the books instantly without having to leave the house.
3) You can get books in any country. This is particularly useful if you are travelling or living somewhere remote, or live in a country with a different language to yours.
4) Minimalist - hundreds of books take up the space of 1.
5) Change font size to whatever you want.
6) Read in the dark if your KIndle is one with a light.
7) The form factor of a Kindle is physically easier to read/hold than a book, especially a large one with 500 or 1000 pages.
8) Ebooks are more environmental overall, provided you are a regular reader rather than very occasional.
9) No-one asks to borrow your books, and then doesn't give them back. This can't happen with a Kindle.
10) Ebooks can be searchable.

---Cons:
1) You can only use Amazon monopoly mostly, limited choice, can't support small/local businesses.
2) You can't easily share books or sell second hand.
3) If your Kindle is lost/stolen/broken you will probably end up shelling out more hard cash for a new Kindle just to get access to the books you have already bought and own but now can't read.
4) Books with references and notes and sources, so a lot of non-fiction, is more comfortable to read in a paper book with the flicking back and forth.
5) Images and tables sometimes display badly in Kindles and are much easier to read in a physical book.
6) Typos and other errors seem more common in ebooks.
7) Kindle can run out of battery (but takes ages, and easy to charge, so not that big a deal).
8) I personally dropped my Kindle a lot, and it was fine, still maybe I was lucky, a physical book is safer to drop on the floor.

Also, reading a KIndle is much easier on the eye than reading books on a phone or laptop. It's beautifully done.

If you don't know what to ask for for birthday/Christmas, you could try it, if your family is wealthy enough to make a request of something at that cost level realistic.

Overall, I recommend Kindle. Price wise, if you buy books very occasionally it will be more expensive, but if you buy many it ends up being the same of maybe even cheaper.

I usually read lying on the bed, sitting at the dinner table or on my way to work. I read very quickly and carelessly, just to appreciate the story, but if the book is good, you can immediately re-read it to appreciate the details. There are books I've read 5 or 6 times.

gottabesaid wrote: ↑Tue Apr 30, 2019 6:44 pm I read very quickly and carelessly, just to appreciate the story, but if the book is good, you can immediately re-read it to appreciate the details. There are books I've read 5 or 6 times.

Do you personally find this approach time effective?

This might be completely off-topic, but do you guys experience any sense of paranoia insofar as your reading investments go?

For example, I experience a level of paranoia whenever I read a chapter from a book that I intend to learn a good deal from. I think to myself that the knowledge that I have gained will soon fade away, and as such it's quite literally as good as dead to me. I will possess a good level of understanding for the general core point being raised, but towards the end of the week I will remember almost next to nothing about the essential details. Of course that's just one week, but it may take longer for others.

I try my best to overcome this issue by reciting the general points that I have learned, but it can become overwhelming when I'm trying to recite a plethora of points in one day. The ones that slip by will become harder to remember, and I'm afraid that piece of knowledge that I have gained is almost useless.

To combat this I have taken the time to dedicate an entire server/channels to specific books that I may read, and wherever I collect key elements within the book that I perceive as being good points, then I will be sure to note the point in my server (as well as page number for further recollection in detail, if need be). It has helped to secure a strong footing, and whenever I feel like I'm losing my recollection of events, then I can simply fall back onto this server for further clarity. It's quick and straight to the point.

I also have an extreme reductionist approach when it comes to reading.