Read A Book! #002

What I have been/am reading...

A quick note before we get started: You can read this post on my substack website(instead of in email) by clicking here. On my website you can also access all my other posts via the archive.

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From time to time, perhaps every six months or so, I’ll briefly post about what I’m reading, or, in the main, more accurately listening to, as mostly I now consume audiobooks.

Here (below) is a link to my post from January 2024, and, below that, is my list from then until now.

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Read A Book! #002

From February 2024

• The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

• The Science Delusion by Rupert Sheldrake

• Ways to Go Beyond and Why They Work by Rupert Sheldrake

• Science and Spiritual Practices by Rupert Sheldrake

• The Way of the Psychonaut Vol.1 and 2. by Stanislav Grof

• Analogia by George Dyson (Freeman Dyson’s son)

• The Consolation of Philosophy by Anicius Manlius Boethius

• The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner

• Mrs Dalloway — Virginia Woolf (read by Kristin Scott Thomas)

• Western Philosophy in Simple Spanish by Olly Richards

You can see that there are three titles from Rupert Sheldrake above, all three of which I’ve now listened to at least twice. I’ve posted something separately about him.

Of all the books I’ve been reading, and, in fact, of all the books I’ve read in the last year or two, one seems to stand out — The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. Honestly, there is probably nothing in it I did not already know or I had not experienced myself. However, to have all of this knowledge and wisdom so precisely and clearly laid out and explained is just perfect for me right now. If you’re a creator (in any medium) and you feel you need to re-evaluate and reset, look no further than this book.

At the moment I’m reading (listening to audiobooks) much less than normal, the reason being that I am really focussing on improving my Spanish, with night classes twice a week (and homework!!!), and an almost 100% intake of Spanish-language films/TV/radio.

Also for this reason my intake of podcasts and substack posts has reduced vastly. I have had to really ringfence my time, and limit myself to one or two podcasts per week, usually when walking or driving. Same with long-form substack posts, one or two per week, usually favouring those with an audio version.

I have to say that I now have a folder totally full of links to various podcasts and documentaries that friends have recommended to me — I just don’t have the time or the headspace for the amount of great content there seems to be available now. I really have to cherry-pick and stay focused on what interests me the most.

At the moment, my focus is science (in particular genuine scientists with values), spirituality (in particular I’m attempting to deal with my aversions to organised religion and new-age nonsense), and health (in particular how to take 100% responsibility one’s self).

Anyway, slowly my Spanish seems to be improving, especially my ability to swear like a gangster and my knowledge of narcotrafficking in the Western Mediterranean and the Spanish/Portuguese North Atlantic. 🤷‍♂️

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What have you been reading/listening to? And why?

Any recommendations?

What’s on your ‘to read’ list and why?

I’m genuinely interested.

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Please note: I have another infotainment channel on substack, called The Song's the Thing! where I post podcasts, articles and content related to songwriting, guitaring, and music.🖋🎸🎵🎥🎙

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