I'm posting this in Personal Development as it seems to most closely match the intention of this idea. Feel free to move it about if I judged wrongly.
Would all those who would wish to take part in a Z Book Group reply to this thread with details as to where in the UK you're based? That way you can all organise yourselves into local groups of your own accord.
I am personally looking to organise a London based book group where members can coordinate their readings of the materials and authors that inform the movement's goals. Probably once a month to give people time (and extra motivation) to read the books.
After some consideration, I'd like to suggest we start with Stuart Chase's Tyranny of Words. It forms a solid basis in semantic discourse which will help regulate discussions of further works and raise the quality of the use of the words we actually use. I also suggest the following books (please add more in your replies if you wish)
Web of Debt - Ellen Brown
Violence - James Gilligan
The Cancer Stage of Capitalism - John McMurtry
The Best that Money Can't Buy - Jacque Fresco
The Creature from Jekyll Island - G Edward Griffin (very big, I suggest a 2 month gap between meetings to get to grips with this)
Modern Money Mechanics - The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Critical path by R.Buckminster Fuller (added per request)
Confessions of an Economic Hitman - John Perkins
The Spirit Level - Wilkinson & Pickett
The Singularity is Near - Ray Kurzweil (this one's a biggie! At least 2 months...)
Feedback, questions, criticism, all welcome.
- Ben
I'm based in Hertfordshire, and would definitely be interested in this. If a local meet is not possible then I'd be happy to just do it on this thread - where we post our own thoughts on the book then discuss.
In terms of suggestions for other books, I'm more a reader of History and therefore wouldn't expect others to trawl through 800 pages on the Russian Revolution. However I would recommend some Tolstoy as personal reading or Dostoyevsky.
But for this group I would certainly put forward:
The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot
That's all I have for now but I will try and think of some more.
Thanks Crazyvanman,
While I love Dostoyevsky (and I am a former English Lit student to boot), my initial plan was to get more members to engage with the social sciences, critical theory and psychology materials that form the basis of the movement. While Z1 and Z2 are great, it's really not enough to just watch them alone, and a huge benefit exists in digesting these texts.
However, Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment is a good example of literature that embodies, almost as a "test case", individual paranoia and social pathology, especially in relation to the city and wider society, I do see that.
Yeah I completely understand, I just meant for reading for future in their own time.
I will get hold of the first book and start working on it.
Let me know when discussion will commence
Hey Crazy,
This leads me onto another idea I had. I want to create a non-monetary book-lending service so members who have read books can lend them to others. We will need a mechanism in place to prevent theft by randoms, but I think this can be done easily and without the use of money. I'm working on it.
Happy reading, Chase is a funny guy.
I had a little trouble tracking down a hard copy - I will check the second hand book shops in Notting Hill but I have found a digital copy:
http://zeitgeistmovement-nrw.de/dokumente/Stuart%20Chase%20-%20The%20Tyr...
For that you will need this reader: http://www.caminova.net/en/downloads/download.aspx?id=1
Alternatively there is a pdf of lower quality (just a scan of the book):
http://www.mediafire.com/?4ottttmzyut
Still, a paper copy is ideal for making notes.
Hope this helps
I bought mine from Amazon UK - I find it impossible to read books on a screen, which requires making notes etc. But that's just me.
Funny, I'm in NRW right now, must be just down the road from the ZG group. Should have popped in!
Is this still going ahead? I'm more than happy to do this with just the two of us, but I was wondering if you were waiting for more people? I will mention it at my local meeting, but I'll be happy just to discuss it however few of us there are.
Sure man, I'm up for it. let me know where and when. The others are welcome, but they have to reply first.
I'm still here this week up to Saturday, after that it gets a bit shady.
Meeting up in person isn't possible for me at the moment, for about another two weeks. After that I'm free, and will hopefully have finished the book by then. I will also have hopefully had a chance to mention it to other members by then. Whereabouts are you based?
North London. I can travel fairly freely. I'm abroad next week, and possibly both weeks after. Let's table early July or late June, sound good?
Yes that's good for me. Alternatively we can use Skype to do it if we can't work out a date. But I will try and get some more and get back to you.
Yes i like the idea, but with so many constrictions on people being able to travel and aquire resources like books, perhaps a directory of free resources for reading: pdfs and whatnot, is a more succinct plan.
Why not turn this thread into a catalogue of urls for free books online and etc. I know hyper and others will not read from the screen, but many will and a physical meeting to discuss books is more of a personal hobby than altruistic activism (i will be the first to point out what a thin line it is that divides the two, all communication is activism) But if we are going to devote time to traveling and meetings, there is more effective ways that time can be spent.
I would love to use this thread to create a list of books and urls we can have @ the weekly stalls.
Are we all that broke that we can't buy books? I'd suggest a library for those who, like me, are bound to the hard medium.
The downside to listing pirated books is self-evident too - OK if it's out of print/copyright. But most of our reading material is not.
An online meeting is a good idea - would people fancy a teamspeak meet as well?
As for a physical meeting - I don't really understand the definition of altruism vs hobby - it's really quite simple. A book group is a social event. It can be very fun to meet and discuss books.
Although IRL meetings have obvious advantages I just worry that it will isolate the group to just the local area. I think if we have some online meetings and then some face to face for anyone that can make it, this would be more beneficial and would get us the most discussion.
I think it's my fault for not being clear. We should all do these meetings if wished, and they would move around. Nevertheless I am warming to the online meeting idea too. I'm easy either way. Just as long as the movement gets to grips with the materials. It is key to everything.
And who knows...it may be as fun for others as it was for me!
may i suggest
Critical path by R.Buckminster Fuller
and
The Tyranny of Words by Stuart Chase
be added to the list
cheers
allan
Hi Allan,
Fuller is one I have to cover. Chase is mentioned above the list (a mistake on my part) - that's the one we're beginning with. Are you up for it?
ha ha,I should probably learn to read properly before I join a book group!
i'm in Glasgow so would be interested in an online meeting or forum
not all free resources are "pirate" http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/ford20100602/
Free book on automation and structural unemployment
Posted: Jun 2, 2010
Martin Ford and his publishers have decided to make the PDF version of his The Lights in the Tunnel free to download and free to share.
Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested and/or post it for download.
and yes we are so broke we cant afford books. Im all for online meetings i think youll find audiobooks and random discussions are already taking place on the tzm teamspeak servers
youre absolutely right about the altruism/hobby thing, that was hyperbole i take it back
If I could add my post. I like the idea of online meeting to include people who are not local (I'm based in London myself) but for the London members, I would actually prefer to have a physical meeting, it feels more personal to me and I prefer to see the people directly with my real eyes and interact with them directly, instead via a computer. So the guys who are based in London, any ideas on where we could meet up and when???
Anywhere's good for me, central probably makes sense. What about the Torriano Bar, in Kentisch Town? Mid to end of July I'm free.
http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resources/against-power-inequalities
Another free book for download
Actually theres a couple of free books on that site
http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resources
having looked back i should apologise.
Being pedantic and impeding. My revised attitude towards book club is whatever works for you.
Il be honest and say, my attitude at that time was divisive towards academics. But now im more feeling that all styles have thier place. sorry for getting in the way
actually one morebooklink
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-read-sought-after-dying-mone...
Free ebooks, literary quotes and random thoughts.
http://twitter.com/eBookBlogs