what books/films/music have most expanded your experience of the

hmm, well... as i poked through all the old posts, learning about who you all are and what makes you tick (and apparently some of you tick really, really loudly), i realized that i hadn't come upon any thread mainly concerned with some form of cultural media that's impacted your lives.

so in the service of stirring up and sharing the memories of things that have made us into the people we are... here goes!

(and preeze don't hate me because i'm linking to amazon. they're just the easiest for me to link to for info. if you want to buy something, please support your friendly local bookstore!)

here goes...

#1 - Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. a dialogue between a gorilla and a man, concerning how and why humans have molded the world into what it is today; after you read it, you will examine society a bit differently than you do now, i can almost promise you. the book was originally given to me by another wandering soul, and it had 5 names scribed inside the cover. i read it, added my name to the list, and passed it on... absolutely the perfect book for that sort of thing. there's also a website which has to do with the ideas in the book. also, the movie Instinct was loosely based on Ishmael.

#2 - The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene. basically, just what it sounds like. the author has assembled a rather concise, and extremely readable, list of basic laws regarding different techniques of power exchange in relationships - personal, business, what have you. i know many people are turned off by the concept of having power over other people, but what better way to know your enemy? and for those of us who have no problem with the concept of affecting the world around them in more subtle ways... it's quite the instruction guide.

#3 - Quantum Psychology and Sex, Drugs and Magick, both by the brilliant Robert Anton Wilson. the first is absolutely a must-read for anyone truly wanting to learn a different way of interpreting human behaviour, and the second is filled with interesting anecdotes and thoughts on the subjects of its title.

#4 - Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle, by Matthew Woodring Stover. really gritty, noirish sci-fi/fantasy hybrid goodness! not gonna write a synopsis on this one as it didn't exactly change my life, but it deserves mention. the characters feel wonderfully real, and the first book is relatively straightforward... the second ends up getting dealing with the nature of reality. interesting stuff, and i had to force myself to read it as slowly as i could so that it would last longer!

#5 - Be Here Now, by Baba Ram Dass. friendly psychedelic 60's statement on mindful existence from the former Dr. Richard Alpert, PhD., tripping buddy of Tim Leary etc. pretty much the best and most enjoyable modern book concerning how to live a conscious life. i found this one day in the depths of a depressive cycle, and damn if it didn't remind me of all the things i knew and had forgotten long enough to let the world get me down.

#6 - Fight Club. can't talk about it.

#7 - Neon Genesis Evangelion. no, not the best anime ever made - that honor belongs to Dragon Half - but certainly one of the 'deepest.' 8 DVD's and 2 movies worth of mind boggling giant mechabeasties and manipulating the nature of existence and whiny kids saving the world and kabbalistic references and despair and love and insanity. eva fans tend to be pretty vehement about their adoration for the series, so discuss with caution when in the presence of an otaku.

#8 - Tool. viciously unrelenting aural consciousness expansion masquerading as radio friendly rock. there's some pretty revolutionary stuff in there... pay attention to the words and the math of the music.

#9 - Liber Kaos, by Peter J. Carroll. not really a good introduction to chaos magick if you're totally unfamiliar with the concept, as a lot of references won't connect. however, if you have a naturally curious mind, are able to process information as you gather it (rather than organizing it first) and want some insight into the more interesting and somewhat "scientific" concepts of magick/reality manipulation, it's well worth a read. yes, i love stuff that has to do with fiddling around with the nature of reality. what of it?

of course, there's lots more - different artists and such, and comics, and storytellers (/hug Garrison Keillor - the Book of Guys has the best story ever: The Mid-Life Crisis of Dionysus, in which the god of wine and sensual indulgence turns...50) - but i think this is quite enough from me, thank you. probably too much, but hey... maybe it'll get one of you to read something new, and change the way you think a little bit. if so, it's all worth it. now your turn to give me too much to read!

sharing is fun~
-k.

·:¦[ Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line. ·:¦[ Reaching out to embrace the random. ·:¦[ Reaching out to embrace whatever may come. __/( tool: lateralus )/¯¯

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