Month One - June 2009
Henry Miller - The Air Conditioned Nightmare
Read much Henry Miller? Black Spring/Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn is the way to go for his fiction. Very popular in my 6th Form coterie of pseudo-intellectual virgins back in the 80s for two features: (a) splendid attacks against corporate America and The Man in general and (b) graphic sex scenes.
Air-Conditioned Nightmare is a non-fiction work, allegedly, and so there’s less sex and more anger. It’s about his travels around the US in the early forties, after living in Europe for a few years, and hanging out with people like Anais Nin (also essential reading for frustrated teens). It was first published in 1945 and takes the form of a series of essays.
Two good things: the tone and attitudes are shockingly contemporary. You may think rebellion began in the sixties, but you’re wrong. Second, Miller is an excellent writer. He makes me remember why I was so angry back then and reinforces it.
The bad things are that it’s a tad repetitive and the font size in my 1979 edition is tiny and the face chosen (Plantin) isn’t especially forgiving either. Not a good thing when you’re tired.
Susan George & Nigel Paige - Food for Beginners
The ‘For Beginners’ series from Writing and Reading appears to have fallen by the wayside. That’s a great shame because the series was a vital ingredient in my political thinking - ‘Food’ being the most important. It’s still available through Amazon, though. The engaging combination of text and illustrations makes the books in this series feel light, but their impact is heavy. (also recommend ‘Ireland’, ‘Philosophy’, ‘Postmodernism’ - format is great for the morning train, when you need gentle treatment).
Famine in Africa and other developing nations exists because the West created it and continues to maintain it through private corporations and institutions like the World Bank. I won’t argue that here - read the book.
Daniel Gilbert - Stumbling on Happiness
Most of us are not happy. Because what they thought would make them happy didn’t happen or didn’t make them as happy as they thought they should be. Why’s that? Gilbert argues (convincingly) that your mind plays tricks on you when assessing what might make you happy, others’ happiness and the happiness that past events created.
The grass is always greener, given a psychological description.
Anyway, a fabulous read - well-written, great case-studies and has had a genuine impact on the way I view my life.
