Part two of Cixin Liu's increasingly dark "Three Body Problem" series.
Liu has a theory as to why our galaxy appears so empty of life. Species are hiding from each other. When a species does announce its self to the galaxy, a nearby more-advance and more-paranoid species will destroy it. Slowly our galaxy fills up with paranoid civilizations hiding from each other.
The book then is about earth's first encounter with an alien civilization, and how wrong that goes.
by Albert Camus
I was drawn to this book because I heard that, in it, Camus argues against suicide in a meaningless world. As I started reading, I realized that Camus was writing for people who were approaching suicide as a reasoned intellectual process. This is distinctly different from my experience where the suicidal are just trying to end their pain.
Maybe I'll try reading again in the future. But for now, I can find my own happiness in a very tough world, so I'm not there right now.
By Daniel W. Drezner.
Another book that I didn't make it though. It seems to be a serious treatment of what international politics would be like during a zombie outbreak.
I think I was hoping for a humorous attempt to teach international politics.
By James Nestor.
Breath through your noise. Chew.
I aborted reading this book. To many conclusions are drawn from too thin of an experience.
-Dahlia Lithwick
I appreciate that quote. I've seen it happen a few times recently in the form of well-meaning people peppering someone who is exhausted with advice, then watching these well-meaning people become frustrated when their advice is not warmly and quickly received.
I have been reading a lot recently, though.
I've aborted reading one book-- the Road Less Traveled. I used to read it once a year. Then I read the tale of the authors life, and his multiple infidelities. It turned me off of the book. It occurred to me that perhaps the challenge of life is much more than knowing the ways of the wise. It's equally important to be disciplined enough to actually improve yourself. The Road Less Traveled is very weak and how to achieve that discipline.
by Liu Cixin.
A very readable book. The premise at the core of this book is that humanities first message from an alien civilization is basically "Stop transmitting. Don't reply or they will find you and invade you."
Of course someone replies back. The book is the story of why they would do so, and the consequences of those actions.
