2 books you should check out

[fashionquote]

Just read 2 new titles from basic books (great publisher, www.basicbooks.com) "Good Work" by Howard Gardner, et. al. and "Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur" by Eric Dyson...

If you really want to know how messed up and how totally hopeless America™ is, you should read these 2 books. Any dissenter who wants to validate their criticisms of America™ should read these 2 books for countless fodder on why America™ is doomed. Here are the reviews I posted on Amazon™, please read them, and check out the books. You will be amazed.

"Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur" by Eric Dyson

It is hard to know where to start here. I read this book hoping to learn about Tupac, which I did, but not as much as I had wished. It was more a soap box for the rhetoric of a confused, hate filled man. Now, I must say this: I could feel the hate pouring out of Dyson's confused writing, directed straight at me, a white male. I am the typical white male who's ancestors had nothing to do with the slave thing, but of course, since I am white, I am forced to have no people and to pay for the sins of other's forefathers here in America, therefore I see this book as a definitive work on a hopeless nation of hate, greed, and confusion (the same way Tupac saw it, ironically).
...Tupac had scores of supporters (espically Dyson) based on the color of his skin. Dyson claims that Tupac, despite all his shortcomings, is a saint and a martyr...he also says that his mother was this marvelous black panther activist, even after interviewing her and she states that her involvement was nothing really much more than hanging out with them!!! I have nothing against Tupac, in fact, I can honestly say that this work would not please him. As amazing as it sounds, this book, on top of the WTC incident and all the other things of late, have shown me that this is no place to live...im outta America very soon...its all yours, Dyson. Have fun!

"Good Work", Howard Gardner et. al.

Having worked for America Online 6 years ago (right before that I worked at a restaurant by the murrah building in okc when it was blown up by mcveigh), I feel I have a pretty good perspective on this kind of stuff. Quoting Gasset "The mass crushes beneath it everything that is different, everything that is excellent, individual, qualified and select...anyone not like everybody runs the risk of being eliminated.."
The book in a sense tells about two types of people. Those who care about others, and those who care about themselves. Unfortunatly in a world where the competitive nature of man always leads to violence (be it physical, or of the subtle, mental sort) the bad will almost always win out. Having lost a number of friends (literally) due to the operant conditioned nature of life today, and through the media forcing kids to be "cool" to fit in (...)
Anyway, the issues presented in this book, which essentially are an argument against Skinner's promotion of "blank slate" minds that are to be conditioned through "experience", are good ones...however, if you truly understand that you can never, ever do enough to combat the hate and the evil that is so prevelant in the world today, you might want to not read this book...however, if you are aloof and like to buy products and watch movies that the critics agree are "explosive" and, if a sequal "twice as explosive as the first", you might find this book interesting...but probably a bit too academic, and will feel that it should be reserved for Intellectuals or whatever...(...), what do i know.

(Edited by fashionquote at 11:36 pm on Dec. 24, 2001)

[Alejandro C]

You should read 2pacs poetry book. It really desribes the hoplessness that he felt and the anger he had towards the government.

[BOZG]

I read 2Pac's poetry like every night. Most people just laugh when they ask me why I'm reading 2Pac's poetry and tell me to go listen to his music. But his poetry gives a much more vivid picture about how he felt then his music ever will.