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marv
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 3, 2011 - 09:17pm PT
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For me,
third-place: Heart of Darkness. Conrad was a master psychologist. Loved the juxtaposition of primal and bourgeoisie. Few know that Conrad wrote in English, which isn't his native tongue.
second-place: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The main idea (Pirsig's notion of undifferentiated Quality) isn't all that heavy, but the writing is superb throughout and several moments are alternately harrowing or heartrending. Great book that I've read at least three times cover to cover.
first-place: A Scanner Darkly -- now a shittty indie movie starring Keanu Reeves! A discourse on the nature of "self".
Anyway, I'm looking to crack another good book. Show what you got.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
Full Silos of Iowa
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How about the most intellectually worthy book you've read?
Th most intellectually heavy:
Biochemistry, by Lubert Stryer and Paul Berg
The most intellectually worthy:
Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Carl Sagan
The Demon Haunted World, Carl Sagan
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
bay area, ca
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Selections from Judith Butler's "Gender Trouble"
Nice and chunky feminist linguistic criticism.
Favorite part being the argument that trying to critique a masculine hegemony in society from a feminist perspective is akin to trying to defend yourself in court using only the words and arguments of the prosecuting attorney.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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I had a grad school differential equations book that must have weighed about 18lbs.
As far as Conrad, guy spoke several languages but was a Polish native IIRC. I prefer Lord Jim to HOD, read them within a month of each other last summer. But I wouldn't call either of them "intellectually heavy" by any stretch. The narrative device in Lord Jim is very cool, as are the themes.
Zen and...it's been about 10 years, maybe I should read it again. Fairly boring to me until the meltdown, I can see why it was a kind of faddish book that hasn't really endured.
Guess I just don't view the novel, or really fiction for that matter, as "intellectual" books.
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cintune
climber
the Moon and Antarctica
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Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein.
If you liked Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance this might be a fun one to try out. It doesn't have the entertainment value of a narrative storyline, but once you start to engage with his thought experiments it becomes quite a ride, and will definitely impact the way you look at things.
The same can be said for R.D. Laing's Knots, which is a much breezier read.
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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If you look deeply enough...
and also happen to be weather locked on a mountain top for a few extra weeks...
with only one book in the cabin for some perverse reason...
you can get a lot from the "Tao of Pooh".
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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What do you mean by heavy? Dense? Difficult? Profound? A big bummer?
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Truthdweller
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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The Bible - No other book has put me to my knees in tears, supplicating (crying out) to God with the deepest conviction and unworthiness like the Bible has. I am nothing, He is everything!
Glory to God!
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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The Turning Point by Fritjof Capra
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WBraun
climber
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If it's intellectually heavy I throw it into the dumpster.
My spirit needs to float and not sink ......
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Got to be Kant.
I thought Zen was pretty sacharrin.
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Byran
climber
Merced, CA
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I'd have to go with Politics God and Religion vs Science by Dr. F.
I used to go about life without really thinking about the big questions. Then I read that book and it changed me forever. I divorced my wife, burned down my house, and had myself committed to a mental institution. Now I refuse to eat anything but avocados, honey, and and my own seed. And I couldn't be happier! Such is the enlightenment that those 2381 pages of groundbreaking philosophy have bestowed upon me.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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What do you mean by heavy? Dense? Difficult? Profound? A big bummer?
Exactly. People are different.
For me, the Bible and The Odyssey were really profound.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Einstein's The Meaning of Relativity confronts our notions of science and measurement, demonstrates the astoundingly straightforward process he followed to arrive at his famous, world-changing conclusions, and has some of the heaviest mathematics you will find in any book. But, it is totally accessible to anyone, and does not require a rigorous mathematical background to understand.
A remarkable read, from a remarkable man.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Abnormal Psychology is a fun read. Always has good art work.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Daniel Dennett - Darwin's Dangerous Idea
I'm reading it again now. I can pick this book up at almost any place and learn (or relearn) something significant within 3 pages.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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finnegan's wake? a bright shining lie? dispatches? walden? anything by twain? the collected works of w.h. auden? hell, the list goes on and on...
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.
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