Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus (trans. Robert Dobbin) Penguin (29 September 2008) Amazon A primer on the principles of happiness, freedom, and living in accordance with nature, the Discourses of Epictetus is seen as a foundational text on Stoicism, cited by people from all walks of life. There is a saying, the right book … Continue reading Discourses and Selected Writings
The Paramour Sessions
Album cover for The Paramour Sessions. Image via Geffen. "Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. … Continue reading The Paramour Sessions
Hole in the Earth
Cover artwork for the "Hole in the Earth" single. Image via Maverick. "Difficulty is what wakes up the genius." -Nassim Taleb "Hole in the Earth" was the lead single from the Deftones' fifth album, Saturday Night Wrist. Released in September of 2006, it charted nicely enough, peaking at numbers eighteen and nineteen on the Billboard … Continue reading Hole in the Earth
Call Me When You’re Sober
Terry Balsamo and Amy Lee of Evanescence, as the band performed at Z100's Jingle Ball 2006. Image via Wind-Up Records. "How much more harmful are the consequences of anger and grief than the circumstances that aroused them in us!" -Marcus Aurelius "Call Me When You're Sober" was the lead single from Evanescence's second album, The … Continue reading Call Me When You’re Sober
Politics
Politics Remixes: Election Day EP cover art. Image via Virgin/EMI. "We live in a society." -Internet meme In 2005, Korn released their seventh studio album, See You on the Other Side. The first without guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, and the last to feature drummer David Silveria. It was a critical and commercial success, with hit … Continue reading Politics
…To Be Loved
Papa Roach, circa 2006. From left to right: Jerry Horton, Jacoby Shaddix, Dave Bucker, and Tobin Esperance. Image via Geffen. "Technique has taken over the whole of civilisation. Death, procreation, birth all submit to technical efficiency and systemisation." -Jacques Ellul "...To Be Loved" was the lead single from Papa Roach's 2006 album, The Paramour Sessions. … Continue reading …To Be Loved
Phobia
Cover artwork for Phobia. Image via Hollywood Records. "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." -Michel de Montaigne Breaking Benjamin's third album, Phobia, elevated the band from a promising grunge-revivalist combo to one of hard rock's biggest … Continue reading Phobia
Nature and Selected Essays
Nature and Selected Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson Penguin (5 December 2003) Amazon If you enjoy reading the essays of Seneca and Montaigne, then Ralph Waldo Emerson works nicely as a next step. He complements them while setting his works apart in a uniquely American way. I am referring to an emphasis on drive and … Continue reading Nature and Selected Essays
The Fun of It
The Fun of It: Random Records of My Own Flying and of Women in Aviation by Amelia Earhart Academy Chicago Publishers (1 April 2006) Amazon Amelia Earhart, the first woman to make a nonstop solo transatlantic flight. Her first memoir, 20 Hrs. 40 Min., focused mainly on her flying across the Atlantic as a passenger. … Continue reading The Fun of It
The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs
The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs by Charles Clay Doyle, Wolfgang Mieder, and Fred R. Shapiro Yale University Press (18 May 2012) Amazon A great book for those who like language, folksy wisdom, or the way ideas are spread. The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs is a collection of sayings that emerged or became more common during … Continue reading The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs
Lawrence Deveney 