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February 08
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Terrence
read and liked
Joe's
review of The Secret History:
"Someone just brought up Nietzsche’s Apollonian vs. Dionysian theory, which is described at the link below, if you are as unfamiliar as I was. http://www.geocities.com/danie...
App...more
Someone just brought up Nietzsche’s Apollonian vs. Dionysian theory, which is described at the link below, if you are as unfamiliar as I was. http://www.geocities.com/danie...
Apparently Donna Tartt was well-versed in this theme, as it is prevalent in The Secret History. The gist of Nietzsche’s theory is that the ancient Greeks attained such a high level of culture mainly due to their personal struggle between the opposing philosophies of Apollo and Dionysus; Apollo being the god of art, and thus, stagnation, while Dionysus is the god of debauchery and barbarism, and thus, action. This struggle between appreciation for art and culture and a zeal for living is what Nietzsche credits for the Greeks impressive progress. He also believed that the only way we can progress today is to swing the pendulum toward Dionysus.
I see Tartt’s Greek professor character as Apollonian—beautiful and seemingly wise, but in the end, shallow, and useless in times of tragedy. His students loved him, but they (or Henry, at least) realized the inherent stagnation in pouring over ancient texts and art--they needed a Dionysian push to move them forward to real progress. This is a rather obvious observation, I think it is even spelled out by the Henry character in the novel. However, the basis for Nietzsche’s theory, which I’m now sure Tartt was aware of, is that the basic will of humans is not to simply survive, but to survive at a level superior to that of your peers. Knowing this adds new colors to the tableau Tartt weaved for us, a story that is ultimately about class struggle (ala Philip Roth, hence, the faux-snubb reference). I think it tells us how carefully Tartt chose her vehicle for this story and reveals a little more of her brilliance.
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Terrence
gave
to:
The Secret History (Paperback)
by Donna Tartt
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in January, 1996
Terrence said:
"Just re-read this and enjoyed it as much as the first time (and the second time). A rare balance of fascinating character and plot development, where the author reveals just enough to keep the suspense, but I'm left wanting to know more. Good stuff.
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January 05
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Terrence
gave
to:
Pride & Prejudice (Paperback)
by Jane Austen
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Terrence said:
"If you've seen the BBC production, then you've seen a pretty faithful adaptation of this Austen tale. I was curious to what extent the characters were faithfully translated from Austen's writing. Not too many surprises, really. Mr. Collins strays far...more
If you've seen the BBC production, then you've seen a pretty faithful adaptation of this Austen tale. I was curious to what extent the characters were faithfully translated from Austen's writing. Not too many surprises, really. Mr. Collins strays farthest from the book's portrayal, but not by much. That said, I don't think it's the best Austen has to offer. I'll stick to the movie....less
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Terrence
marked as to-read:
A Very Small Farm (Paperback)
by William P. Winchester
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Terrence
marked as to-read:
All Flesh Is Grass: Pleasures & Promises Of Pasture Farming (Paperback)
by Gene Logsdon
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Terrence
marked as to-read:
Vic Elford: Reflections on a Golden Age in Motorsports (Hardcover)
by Vic Elford
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Terrence
marked as to-read:
Alex Zanardi: My Sweetest Victory : A Memoir of Racing Success, Adversity, and Courage (Paperback)
by Alex Zanardi
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Terrence said:
"By all accounts a great read in the original Italian edition. Hopefully the charm and humor translates into English. A real hero.
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Terrence
gave
to:
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life (Hardcover)
by Steve Martin
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Terrence said:
"This memoir examines most directly Steve Martin's development as a performer and comedian. From the point of view it's an engaging and interesting read. We do get some brief glimpses into the author's personal life as a child and young performer, but...more
This memoir examines most directly Steve Martin's development as a performer and comedian. From the point of view it's an engaging and interesting read. We do get some brief glimpses into the author's personal life as a child and young performer, but I was left hoping for more. It pretty much ends when Steve leaves stand-up behind in the early 80s. We don't learn much about his other writing or movies, nor about his becoming a more serious art collector. Still, it's an easy read and a fascinating glimpse into the real work and dedication required to make a career in show biz....less
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September 27
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Terrence
gave
to:
Options Trading for the Conservative Investor: Increasing Profits Without Increasing Your Risk (Financial Times Prentice Hall Books)
by Michael C. Thomsett
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in September, 2007
Terrence said:
"There are some good ideas in this book for using options strategies to complement a conservative investment portfolio. In this case I believe the author equates conservative with stock selection based on company fundamentals.
The strategies mostl...more
There are some good ideas in this book for using options strategies to complement a conservative investment portfolio. In this case I believe the author equates conservative with stock selection based on company fundamentals.
The strategies mostly revolve around using long and short covered calls and puts to do things like reducing cost basis, protecting upside returns, contingent sales or purchases, and so on.
There's much emphasis on choosing underlying stocks based on fundamentals rather than option premiums -- in other words, stocks you'd want to own anyway. In addition, you must be prepared to have the options exercised. Both of these are good advice IMHO.
While I found the book useful, there were some problems that I felt detracted from the overall effectiveness of the book.
First, the book is repetitive to the point of being pedantic in some respects, but other important information is covered only briefly or not at all. Novices should not start here.
There is discussion of tax implications of options, but no mention of using options in a non-taxable account.
There are examples, but only the starting prices are based on real data. I would have liked more detailed what-if scenarios explained for any given trade.
And my biggest gripe is the repetitive discussions of rolling forward without any demonstration of the actual trades involved. It's much more complicated than the author would have you think.
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