1980/90s reading
A few authors I read as a teen/20s I can remember
BOOKS
Of the 1000+ books I read (back when I had the time to read something other than manuals), Hesse's books are the ones I searched out to make sure I read every one of them, even if I had to go to flea markets and old bookstores. His stories are translated from german and I am sure there's alot lost in translation, but still I felt the poetry in the lead characters' lives, as they set out in journeys of self discovery. They start with siddhartha with the wiki HERE, and end with 'glass bead game'. HERE are a handful of random quotes of his
Kurt is the author who made me feel ok with the way my own mind worked, because his stories were just balls of yarn my mind watered to undo and read thru as quick as possible. Finishing his collection was depressing, just as when you listen to the final album in the beatles collection. HERE are a few random quotes from his books. Slaughterhouse-five with the wiki HERE is his biggest selling book
From the 30s he wrote really intense and modern stories of the era that really seemed to put me in that same room. His 1934 book 'tropic of cancer' was banned for over 30 years in the US and when it was finally printed decades later, it went to the supreme court for freedom of speech. Like most banned art it was really just ahead of its time, which is a simple way for any type of collector to know what will become valuable in the future - banned first versions of art. The thought process and the way it was put onto pages was a way that made me want to believe I could do the same thing for a living, which wasn't true but I did attempt it which is fine enough for me, and got me working as editorial assistant at a major newspaper. His stream of words helped me form my own process of collecting my conciousness and converting it to language
He was a writer, mathmatician, and philosopher from the last century, and I don't remember how exactly I found him, perhaps randomly at a used bookstore, garage sale, or flea market. Once I began reading through his books, I found myself constantly going 'oh yes it is like that, isn't it', because he stated things in such clear and simple ways. I wish I could read through many more of his books but he wrote more than I could ever read. He seemed like the most well-rounded common-sense man I had ever read, mixing poetry, reasoning, and logic. He served as an inspiration, the processes by which I reason and deconstruct things, and what choices I should make for happiness versus what the outside world tries to sell me for 'happiness' as the object. HERE are a few dozen random quotes of his
His books from 1000s of years ago are simple dialogues, just a few men sitting around pondering meanings of what it means to be human, and what are these new ideas of laws, ethics, morals, and education.
When I first bought some to read I thought it would be alot of ancient pompous fluff or something like shakespeare where it's not just a casual read-as-you-fall-asleep, but after reading a few hours I was amazed to see how all he was doing was breaking things down into bite-sized morsels of the greatest ideas, and that mankind has been asking questions of wrong and right for millenia. Statements on what it means to be a human, and how to treat other humans, and what our responsbilities are to ourselves and things external; all these things are so easily understood here. I was glad to see in text, that my thoughts and fears on the world had been asked by men 1000s of years before machinery and complications existed, and he was someone answering with such clean and pure responses, giving me a feeling sort of like listening to bob marley.
In a perfect world this series would be required reading for all who enter civilization by birth, if even just to stir up each mind about the choices they live by. With truth, government, education, and war, I've not heard anyone say these things as clear and simple today. HERE are a few dozen random quotes of his, and HERE are some quotes from his teacher, socrates
has great books on simple happiness and simple self-realization. "Behold the Spirit" and "Meaning of Happiness" and "Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are"
did a couple great books, including his biography, which outlined the era which brought about the next step in human consciousness. He was perhaps a bit extreme or fringe, but when you read his writings he comes across clearer then his spoken words. "The Politics of Ecstasy" and a reinterpretation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead
worked with leary back when they discovered lsd, but whereas leary became an advocate in the general public, ram dass changed his name and turned a spiritual leaf, giving up being a scientist and devoted his life to spiritual endeavors. He wrote some good writings about spiritual quests and self discovery, and is still alive today in his 80s doing the same thing he has done since the '50s. "Be Here Now" with its wiki HERE was an interesting experimental book of his that was random collages and clips on the pages
Another good author that helped me explore concepts of happiness and expounding on natural curiousities of what it is to be human, but without the gult and shame installed in us from our environment. "Doors of Perception" with the wiki HERE, is his most known work
Electric KoolAid Acid Test with the wiki HERE
On the Road with the wiki HERE
These are the books which led me to take roadtrips 2-3x a year in my 20s , something thats been horribly lacking in my 30s and upon entering my 40s, as I have went from living a dream to dreaming a dream. I learned that taking unknown 'blind faith' cross country roadtrips is truly where my highest heart lies, perpetual happiness when behind the wheel of my car and just driving through day and night, not knowing where I'll be at sunset, nor what might happen tomorrow. For me, road trips is like following a faint trail of pixie dust, where you get to play connect-the-dots with magic in life. These books reminded me I can dig into, or remove myself, from any environment i am currently in, and should you choose to dig into the here-and-now there are constant revelations being uncovered