2BRO2B is a bleak book by Kurt Vonnegut where he writes about a future world where man has conquered death. The only deaths arise from freak accidents or volunteers. To prevent a population explosion, there is a cap on the maximum number of people in any given locale. If one has to have a baby, a volunteer to die must also be found. We are then presented with a situation of a man who has had triplets but loves life and doesn’t want any of his relatives to die. I don’t want to spoil the fun, please read the book to find out its ending, besides it’s less than 10 pages on ebook.
In God bless you, Dr. Kevorkian he takes us through a story of his near NDE’s conducted at a state of the art lethal injection execution facility in Huntsville, Texas. He tells us his first NDE was an accident or else who wouldn’t have set out on such a risky expedition. Dr. Jack Kevorkian is the man who saves his life several times he can’t count. In his several trips, he conducts many interviews with such people as Mary Shelley, Isaac Newton, Hitler, Isaac Asimov, Dr. Mary D. Ainsworth and many others. It is an interesting book, told in very small chapters, if we can call them that. For all friends on summer breaks with nothing to read, this is good reading material.
In Exile and the Kingdom, an anthology by Albert Camus, he writes on several themes, such as justice, infidelity, inhuman working conditions and inability of employees to have their grievances heard, the artist and his life/ tribulations- his problem with fame and so on and one story on religion. It makes for interesting reading.
In The fall, by Albert Camus, he tells the story of a judge-penitent. It is the confession of a former lawyer who I think has lost all his marbles.
In A happy death, Albert Camus’ first novel, he sketches the theme that will later be covered in the Myth of Sisyphus, the Rebel and the Stranger, that is death. In this book he asking if one can die a happy death. It is the story of Mersault, his crimes, his jealousies, his life and eventually his happy death. His struggles to find what it means to live a good life. He wants to die a conscious death. He writes towards the end of the book
And in Zagreus’ very immobility confronting death he encountered the secret image of his own life. Fever helped him here, and with it, an exultant certainty of sustaining consciousness to the end, of dying with his eyes open. Zagreus too had had his eyes open that day, and tears had fallen from them. But that was the last weakness of a man who had not had his share of life. Patrice was not afraid of such weakness. In the pounding of his feverish blood, though it failed to reach the limits of his body, he understood that such weakness would not be his. For he had played his part, fashioned his role, perfected man’s one duty, which is only to be happy. [..] Happiness was the fact he had existed.
Two of my favorite authors.
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I haven’t read a lot of Kurt but I sure like Camus.
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Looks like interesting reading! Thanks. 🙂
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They surely are and are quite short too. Can be read in a sitting
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That works for me! 🙂
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Two of my favorite authors as well. I meet Vonnegut and got his autograph when I was working at a local bookstore back in the late 80’s. Fascinating guy. He looked to be about 200 years old and smoked cigarettes one after another so quickly I thought he would die right there in our store of cancer. I had him sign “The Sirens of Titan” for me. I highly recommend that if you’ve not read it.
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That was really old! You made my evening.
I will look for that too.
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Thanks for the recommendation. I read the book and loved it.
The prayer he teaches the earthlings at the end of the war with the Martians is one that should be printed in daily newspapers daily.
Malachi Constant could not find one good thing he had done for humanity even though he was so lucky. What a worthless man.
Beatrice was so clean, she couldn’t be touched by her husband! Who lives such a pathetic life.
In all, it is a great book. Thanks again.
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Albert, Albert, Albert… A statue should be erected to him in every town square.
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With another for Cicero and Marcus Aurelius and just another for Nietzsche
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…and Cecelia Payne, and Yaksa.
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Just found this which might interest you:
http://richarddawkins.net/2014/07/stephen-hawking-why-i-support-assisted-dying/
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I read about that particular bill in Choice in dying.
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Seems to be gaining some serious weight, and that will be a precedent for other countries.
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I sure hope it does. It is a good way to live knowing you can die a conscious death as Mersault
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Eyes open
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In a way yes. With eyes open
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Provocative readings!
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Ah yes, very!
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Interesting recommendations, my friend! I need to check out the 2BRO2B. I’m behind on my summer reading!
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You will love it my friend. It is too bleak
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