With Dreams of Steel it feels that Glen Cook has hit his stride and has really matured as an author. This is fantasy at its finest: dark, mature and cWith Dreams of Steel it feels that Glen Cook has hit his stride and has really matured as an author. This is fantasy at its finest: dark, mature and captivating. The themes, the politics, the plots, the multiple viewpoints are all at another level.
This is the most political book of the Black Company so far. There's about 3-4 different factions and there's plots within plots within the plots.
Easy 5/5 and the Black Company is now in my top 3-4 fantasy series....more
Cartea explică foarte bine filosofia lui Adorno. Cred că este una din cele mai bune cărți din seria Descoperă Filosofia. Singura problemă ar fi că nu Cartea explică foarte bine filosofia lui Adorno. Cred că este una din cele mai bune cărți din seria Descoperă Filosofia. Singura problemă ar fi că nu explică deloc ce este teoria critică....more
Există în engleză expresia perfectă pentru filosofia post modernă: word vomit. Un curent care a avut origini în marxism, a pornit cu niște intenții buExistă în engleză expresia perfectă pentru filosofia post modernă: word vomit. Un curent care a avut origini în marxism, a pornit cu niște intenții bune dar în prezent a degenerat într-un nonsens și negare a realității, științei etc. Bineînțeles că aceste probleme nu sunt atinse în carte fiindcă autorii aduc în discuție doar aspectele pozitive.
Includ aici un citat din această carte:
"Cu toate acestea, hermeneutica neokantiană a lui Apel şi a lui Habermas este cea care suscită o mai mare disensiune în Vattimo, întrucât a priori al comunicării şi idealul comunității de dialog sunt pentru el consecințe transcendentale în intersubiectivitatea normativă; consecințe metafizice în subiectivitatea antropocentrică şi în violenţa pe care o presupune: structuri care ignoră misiunea istorică a mesajelor fiinţei care moare."
Cam așa sună jumătatea din carte despre filosofia lui Gianni Vatimo. Prima parte despre Lyotard este mult mai coerentă și poate fi măcar citită și înțeleasă. Cu toate astea cartea nu merită mai mult de o stea, atât pentru modul în care este scrisă cât și pentru subiectul în sine....more
Dificil, foarte dificil de înțeles filosofia lui Plotin. Această carte introductivă abia reușește să sintetizeze ideile principale. Probabil că ar treDificil, foarte dificil de înțeles filosofia lui Plotin. Această carte introductivă abia reușește să sintetizeze ideile principale. Probabil că ar trebui studiate textele originale ale lui Plotin dar este puțin probabil că voi ajunge vreodată să fac asta în viața asta....more
I have to say the Silk Roads is one of the most uneven history books that I have ever read. Trying to write a history of the world is never an easy feI have to say the Silk Roads is one of the most uneven history books that I have ever read. Trying to write a history of the world is never an easy feat and packing it all in under 700 pages is even more difficult.
The reason why I say this book is uneven is because it starts off very well with the ancient history, moves through the so called dark ages, the greek and roman periods but then speeds through the medieval period and the following centuries so focus on the XXth century. I think more then 20-30% of the book focuses on the XXth century. Monumental events in history such as the Napoleonic wars, the Russian or Chinese civil wars or the great rebellions in China in the XIXth century are glossed over, while Frankopan spends large amounts of pages on quotes and anecdotes about from lesser known British generals, politicans, explorers or traders.
The book is a revisionist history of sorts as it rightfully moves the centre of the ancient world from the Mediterranean to Persia. The chapters about the Persian Empire and the Silk Road are probably the most interesting in the whole book. Also, Frankopan is a Byzantinologist by profession and this is reflected in the very good chapters about the Crusades and the Byzantine Empire. Although, I feel that too much attention was given to the Fall of Constantinople to the Crusaders in 1204, an event which is very important but not as momentous as the fall of 1453.
The whole book is very Persia-centric recounting the many incarnations of the Persian state as well as the many external interventions from the Ottomans, the Russians, the British and finally the Americans. The last part of the book focuses squarely on the oil politics of Persia and the greater Middle East in quite a lot of detail.
It's interesting, Frankopan set out to write a book that is not eurocentric by his own admission. However, in the end all he achieved was write a book that criticises the European expansion but still misses the actual history of the local states. There is also an unmistakable undercurrent of anti-Western and anti-American bias in the book. The examples are plenty, for example the Franco-British Suez crisis is covered in detail but the Communist takeover in Eastern Europe and China is almost completely ignored.
Nonetheless this is still a decent popular history book but probably not a book that i would recommend to someone that doesn't know much about history or doesn't understand Middle Eastern politics....more
A wonderful classic fantasy that reads like a fairytale. It's also ahead of its time staying away from the warring nations trope and having a dark skiA wonderful classic fantasy that reads like a fairytale. It's also ahead of its time staying away from the warring nations trope and having a dark skinned protagonist.
It never ceases to amaze me how authors from the 60s-70s manage to build expansive worlds with very few words. Modern authors have forgotten this art....more
What a fascinating book! It is about so much more then Steve Bannon even though he is the main focus of the book there are interviews and large sectioWhat a fascinating book! It is about so much more then Steve Bannon even though he is the main focus of the book there are interviews and large sections focused on Aleksander Dughin and Olavo de Carvalho.
Ben Teitelbaum is a music ethnologist that ended up researching the far right and most importantly Traditionalism. This philosophy posits that major world religions are founded upon common primordial and universal metaphysical truths.
Rene Guenon was one of the fathers of traditionalism, he was born in France but he eventually migrated to Egypt and converted to Islam and was inducted into islamic esotericism. Julius Evola was also another foundational traditionalist, he was an Italian philosopher that worked for Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and wrote on mysticism, esoterism, orientalism. All Traditionalist writers were anti-democratic, anti-liberal and advocated a return to traditional ways of living, spiritualism and rejected modernism, secularism and the modern way of living.
Steve Bannon was in the US navy based in Asia where he read Eastern philosophy and discovered traditionalism. He then worked in investment banking in Goldman Sachs where he made a fortune and then used his money and connections to start his political lobbying career. He controlled Breitbart media and rose to become part of the Trump administration but was removed after disagreements with people such as Ivanka Trump and Jarred Kushner. He believed Trump should remove the US from the international system and was disappointed with Trump's continued interventionist policies in places such as Syria and his globalist policies. He views Russia as a natural ally of the US and China as the main adversary.
Aleksandr Dughin is a Russian philosopher and professor that drew inspiration from traditionalism and created the euroasianist movement. He started off with his National Bolshevik party and promoted Russian imperialism, expansionism, anti-americanism, anti-globalism and anti-western policies. He served in the Russian army and acted as an unofficial diplomat promoting Russian policies and alliances in countries such as Turkey and China. He participated in the Russian invasions of Georgia and Ukraine. The goal of his policies are the defeat of the US and the creation of a multipolar world.
Olavo de Carvalho is a Brazilian former journalist, astrologer, conspiracy theorist and self-style philosopher that became a major influence and adviser of the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He promoted traditionalism but he believed that the main force or globalism is China not the US. As such he advocated for a breaking of Brazil from China and BRICS and an alliance with the US. He famously debated and argued against Dughin's anti-americanism.
The book discusses the interaction of all these traditionalist thinkers and their influence on world politics. It is jam packed with so much interesting and lesser known information. One of the best non-fiction books I've read this year....more
Ca de obicei, am devorat cartea lui Armand Goşu. O analiză foarte lucidă a primilor doi ani de război în Ucraina. Cartea conține interviuri din perioaCa de obicei, am devorat cartea lui Armand Goşu. O analiză foarte lucidă a primilor doi ani de război în Ucraina. Cartea conține interviuri din perioada 2021 - 2023 și trece în revistă toate marile evenimente de la pregătirea invaziei, la atac, contra-ofensiva Ucrainei din 2022, rebeliunea lui Prigojin până la situația de la sfârșitul lui 2023.
România bineînțeles este în contra-timp cu istoria, filo-rusii din SIE și MAE rămași de pe vremea comunismului (sau urmașii lor) văd Ucraina mai degrabă ca un inamic și preferă victoria Rusiei. De aceea România are o atitudine oscilantă și asta ne va costa pe termen lung. În același timp Polonia devine una din cel mai importante țări din Europa din punct de vedere militar și diplomatic....more
Glen Cook is a true master of military fantasy. This is grimdark at its best before it was even a thing.
We are once again with Croaker and the Black Glen Cook is a true master of military fantasy. This is grimdark at its best before it was even a thing.
We are once again with Croaker and the Black Company and that is very welcome. The Company goes to new, exotic lands reminiscent of the Indian subcontinent. Here they face a new evil and fight the best battle of the series so far, hands down.
Everything Glen Cook is here: the fast pacing, the sparse writing, the lack of description, the brutality, the humour and the military life.
The 5 stars is sort of accumulated for the series so far. I really loved the Books of the North but had little issues with each one of them. But then I compare them with everything else I've read and realise at least one of them deserves 5 stars. So Shadow Games it is....more
A decent enough book with some useful tips for business writing. It basically boils down to cutting down the word count, using simple words and explaiA decent enough book with some useful tips for business writing. It basically boils down to cutting down the word count, using simple words and explaining why your message matters.
The authors spruik their writing business a bit too much which can become annoying sometimes....more
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