Monday, May 31, 2010

What are your top five books, besides your own, that all magicians should read and understand?

Heartdrops of the Dharmakaya by Lopon Tenzin Namdak

Initiation into Hermetics by Franz Bardon

Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by Catherine Yronwode

The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

7 comments:

Frater EH'e, said...

'by Dale Carnegie'

lol - Now that's a little covert!

The Unlikely Mage said...

Thanks for the reply! I've read one of those already (Four Hour Workweek) and I'll look for the others.

Deborah Castellano said...

I've been going through Mme. Yronwode's book, which I've been greatly enjoying but I have to confess, 4HWW is a bit slower going. I feel like Tim's using the 80/20 on me - 80% unrepentant about jizzing in my hair about how awesome he is, 20% pearls of wisdom. But! Lots of people speak highly about him, I'm slogging through to figure out why. ;p

Jason Miller, said...

Miss Sugar, I felt the exact same way about the first two chapters!

Once you get past them the pearls come hard and fast and he slows the self praise.

Al said...

I kind of felt that Tim Ferris' book should be retitled "How I got people in the third world to do all my work for me but give me their money."

:-)

Jason Miller, said...

Geoarbitage is only one part of the book. I have no problem with it though. In a perfect world all would be equal and harmonius, but this aint that world and you have to deal with facts as they are. You arent helping anyone by not using their services.

Deborah Castellano said...

Jason, I do agree with you w/r/t geoarbitration. I'm just having a hard time personally with his tone (and sadly, I'm now past the first for chapters).

The concepts (if I can wash the jizz out of my hair and think for a moment) are good, but I'm having trouble with his "revised" edition. I don't feel many of us (not me, at least) are dreaming of an Astin Martin right now in this economy in such a way that we're willing to do the massive amounts of work to get it.

I'm attempting a v. small scale geoarbitration by seeing about "outsourcing" my house cleaning to a small reputable cleaning company, but so far the prices I'm getting don't make it worth it to me.

I think my question is this: What can someone like me get out of this book? I've left the corporate rat race, I'm happy with my day job (which gives me enough time to work on other stuff), I don't want to live in Uganda for six months, I like my little condo, I don't need a fancy car.

There is a rabid cult around the 4HWW and maybe I'm just not seeing what someone like me could get from it? And I would like to.