6 replies to this topic

[almac_uk]

Hey everyone,

I just thought it'd be a nice idea for people to post examples of their stacks plus things they read and listen to for inspiration, creative drive etc. If you've read something powerful - in particular if it's something you wouldn't have read prior to taking nootropics - then post it here.

I study law so when I'm looking for a mental break and a bit of a boost I like to listen to some John Williams (the Superman theme in particular!) and I also read a bit of oscar wilde.

I love to read, so please recommend books - fiction and non-fiction - that you've read and loved. Also, any recommendations regarding music - i've attempted to download some hemisync but have not yet found time to try it. What do others think to it? Any recommendations there?

Best wishes

almac_uk

[Athanasios]

A few off the top of my head

Fiction
The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Russian Fiction)
Cosmic Trigger by R. A. Wilson
Razors Edge by W Somerset Maugham

NonFiction
The Art Spirit by Robert Henr (Art teacher on the spirit of the artist)
The User's Manual for the Brain by Bob G. Bodenhamer and L. Michael Hall (NLP)
First and Last Freedom by J. Krishnamurti
Nature Via Nurture : Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human by Matt Ridley
Prometheus Rising R. A. Wilson

[basho]

Not necessarily inspirational, but these blew my mind:

NonFiction:
Finite and Infinite Games

Fiction:
Permutation City (Greg Egan)
Diaspora (Greg Egan)
The Bridge (Iain Banks)

[kylyssa]

Loud music with lots of bass. Gets my brain going and gets me off. Random classical stations, cranked up. Same deal. Great for inspiration, motivation, and mood.

How about playing an instrument? I think composing is great for motivation, drive and inspiration.

Reading - I read from 3-6 books per day. No, not a typo. I use mostly pop-science, sci-fi, fantasy (hey, I'm a chick - they let us read books with magic in them), marine biology, physics, general science topics, politics, and assorted other books as they pique my interest. Books give a mood boost and have helped repair my memory and cognitive functioning.

A few authors I enjoy (presented in no particular order):

Pop-science - light and fluffy
Richard Dawkins
Bill Bryson
Steven Pinker
Steven Hawking
Ann Druyan
Carl Sagan
Lawrence M. Krauss

Pop-science
Horace Freeland Judson
Isaac Asimov
Brian Greene
Tobias Dantzig
George Bernard Dantzig
Jared Mason Diamond
Stephen Jay Gould

Science
Joseph Sweetman Ames
Louis Charles Karpinski
George Kimball Burgess
George Gamow
Edmund Beecher Wilson
Stephen Jay Gould

Classical fantasy
H. Rider Haggard
JRR Tolkein

Sci-fi
Robert A. Heinlein
Greg Egan
Leo Frankowski
Eric Flint
David Drake

Fantasy - girlie, light, & fluffy
Wen Spencer
Mercedes Lackey

Horror - light & fluffy
Dean Koontz
Anne Rice

Adventure/Suspense
Michael Crichton
Richard Sapir
Warren Murphy

...........this is but a partial list, I could go on and on and on.........

Edited by kylyssa, 29 October 2006 - 01:34 AM.

[almac_uk]

hey, thanks a lot everyone!

kylyssa, I suspect I read the same amount in cases and legal journals but that's not quite as fun! I agree with you on a lot of these, some very eminent authors on your list... although we do disagree on others lol. Anyone that hasn't read John Fante should get their lives together because they just do not know what they're missing... "The Bandini Quartet" is just sublime.

Graham Greene is also one of my favs! There are some authors here that i haven't read so I'll get on that right away.

Much appreciated... keep the music/literature suggestions coming

:D

[Athanasios]

Check out: 'Engines of Our Ingenuity: an engineer looks at technology and culture' by john lienhard....some very good stuff

[mitkat]

I don't really read much for fun anymore, so I can't give you any help there. The last good book I read was 'Free Culture', by Lawrence Lessig.

Music - where to start? I like electronic music for the most part - they say classical music help stimulate learning...well, much of what I listen to contains symphonic, melodic, and obviously rhythmic elements that all come into play. Some styles, especially Goa Trance, has layers and layers of sounds working in synch with each other, where as Minimal Techno can just be squiggles, chirps and womps that keep your mind in check, moving in subtle directions. It's all about experimentation, and knowing what kind of person you are... !

Here I go...pushing more music...Christopher Whaley's 'Iditarod' set. Beaty and chill, a touch of cerebral goodness in every drop. Has a nice free-flowing, pressure-free vibe while still keeping you awake.