Recommended Reading
Hi this is Hal in Philly with another literary episode of Easy When You Know Hal.
My podcast coach and mentor David Hooper suggested doing an episode about books. He said you can learn a lot about a person by the books they read. So let's see what books have impacted me…
I think the first book that really hooked me was a book I read in my senior year. We were supposed to be studying existentialism, and the recommended reading consisted of books such as War and Peace by Dostoyevski, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, The Stranger by Albert Camus or Zoo Story but by Edward Albee. However, our regular English teacher had succumbed to some kind of illness and was out for over a month, and this new hotshot substitute teacher took her place for the entire duration.
The first morning he walked into the classroom he introduced himself - Mike M. I won't say his full name, we'll just call him Mike M. Just then a kid in the back of the room sneezed and Mr. M said, “Bless you. Notice I didn't say God bless you? Would anyone care to venture a guess why not? Some kid in the back of the class shouted, “Because you think you're God?” and everybody cracked up. Even Mr. M laughed. And then another kid yells, “Because you don't believe in God?” And M just smiled and said, “No, but you're close. I'm an agnostic.”
First time most of us had ever heard the word. I know it was first time I’d heard it. He went on to explain the difference between being an atheist and an agnostic. And so it began. This guy was so much more interesting than the regular teacher. Instead of having us read The Stranger by Albert Camus, he wheeled in a movie projector and a reel to reel copy of the The Stranger - In French with French subtitles, in order to give us more time to read the book he was about to assign us.
So what book did he have us read? In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. It was never supposed to be assigned in the first place because it wasn't on the Philadelphia school list of recommended reading. This was, after all, a very adult novel, but apparently Mr.M thought we were ready for it. It was my first glimpse into the truly dark side of humanity. So, I began reading books about the criminal justice system, and it shaped my thoughts about the human condition, good and evil, and even my own mortality.
However, I think the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, which I eventually read a little later, on my own, was also very memorable. It was about a man search to find himself. In my late teens and early 20’s, this was the kind of thing that motivated me. I was a very philosophical and pensive young man.
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. That's another one that stuck with me. It's about being able to die in dignity. A soldier wakes up with no arms or legs after being blown to pieces by a mortar shell. He's also lost his eyes, nose and mouth. His head is basically attached to his torso, and he cannot see smell or speak. He's being kept alive by a machine and comes to realize that this is his fate of the Army Hospital will not euthanize him. It's probably one of the greatest of the genre as far as books go. Shortly after reading this book, the Karen Ann Quinlan case became big news. There was a famous court case in which the parents of a woman who had been in a vegetative state for a prolonged period of time, had to fight the county prosecutor and hospital administration to take her off life support.
think this may have been a turning point for me because I began to seek out more humorous reading after this. I became addicted to Mad Magazine. And during my formative years adopted the Alfred E. Newman school of thought which basically was the famous phrase. “What - me worry?”
During my mid to late 20s, a group of friends were passing around a copy of The Shining by Stephen King. I remember one day after my then girlfriend, and another friend of ours had read it, we were excited to see the movie when it came out. It was going to be fantastic. I mean, after all, it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, right? Wrong. All three of us hated it. It was as if Kubrick could just take the title and the basic premise, and then did his own thing. Later, I came to realize that as a film, it was still quite a masterpiece, but I'll never forgive couvert for changing the movie version so drastically from the novel.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention a couple books written by two of my favorite musicians is the first, The Real Frank Zappa Book by Frank Zappa - a fun read and highly recommended for Zappa fans. After he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, Frank decided to write his autobiography because he felt if left up to others after he died, they would get it wrong. So Zappa’s wry wit and wisdom sprinkled with his inimitable sense of humor came to be published. And I read it three times. I wouldn't mind reading it again.
And that goes for my other favorite rock and roll book, Big Man by Clarence Clemons. Clemens was the sax player for the E Street Band and Bruce Springsteen's right hand man for many years. Well left hand if you're facing the stage. Little Stevie Van Zandt was usually on the right, or his wife Patti. Clemon’s book was written from the perspective of a fly on the wall, to give us a real insider glimpse of life on the road with Springsteen. He also adds in some hilarious fabrications and the reader has to figure out where reality ends and a little embellishment begins. I love, love, love this book! I miss, miss, miss Clarence Clemons!
Another book I must recommend (and this one left the deep impression) is The Game, Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists). by Neil Strauss. This is not a “how to pick up chicks” book. Oh, don't get me wrong. If that's what you want to learn, you'll definitely learn a few tips and tricks. But this is much deeper than that. It's about a secret society of pickup artists teaching young men how to fast track women into bed using techniques found in Neuro Linguistic Programming or NLP. They're basically using a form of hypnosis and in the wrong hands. He's for all the wrong reasons, can have some pretty disturbing consequences but mighty takeaway was more about the good that NLP is capable of. When used in therapy, it helps with confidence, a successful mindset, good mental health and general well being.
Of particular note was a chapter in which the author was assigned to interview pop artist Britney Spears. She was so burnt out on the press and the media that she was practically non-responsive to Neil whenever he asked a question during the interview. So he decided to use some of the same techniques he had learned to pick up women and ended up with not only the best interview she had ever given anyone after the interview… she insisted on exchanging numbers.
Put this one on your list, because if you read between the lines, this is a study in psychology and will help your game in every aspect of your life. By the way, it's also hilarious in parts and an all around great read. One word of warning if You have daughters, it will make you nervous. So there you have it. A few of the books I've read, think you know me a little better. I hope so because… It’s Easy When You Know Hal!
My podcast coach and mentor David Hooper suggested doing an episode about books. He said you can learn a lot about a person by the books they read. So let's see what books have impacted me…
I think the first book that really hooked me was a book I read in my senior year. We were supposed to be studying existentialism, and the recommended reading consisted of books such as War and Peace by Dostoyevski, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, The Stranger by Albert Camus or Zoo Story but by Edward Albee. However, our regular English teacher had succumbed to some kind of illness and was out for over a month, and this new hotshot substitute teacher took her place for the entire duration.
The first morning he walked into the classroom he introduced himself - Mike M. I won't say his full name, we'll just call him Mike M. Just then a kid in the back of the room sneezed and Mr. M said, “Bless you. Notice I didn't say God bless you? Would anyone care to venture a guess why not? Some kid in the back of the class shouted, “Because you think you're God?” and everybody cracked up. Even Mr. M laughed. And then another kid yells, “Because you don't believe in God?” And M just smiled and said, “No, but you're close. I'm an agnostic.”
First time most of us had ever heard the word. I know it was first time I’d heard it. He went on to explain the difference between being an atheist and an agnostic. And so it began. This guy was so much more interesting than the regular teacher. Instead of having us read The Stranger by Albert Camus, he wheeled in a movie projector and a reel to reel copy of the The Stranger - In French with French subtitles, in order to give us more time to read the book he was about to assign us.
So what book did he have us read? In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. It was never supposed to be assigned in the first place because it wasn't on the Philadelphia school list of recommended reading. This was, after all, a very adult novel, but apparently Mr.M thought we were ready for it. It was my first glimpse into the truly dark side of humanity. So, I began reading books about the criminal justice system, and it shaped my thoughts about the human condition, good and evil, and even my own mortality.
However, I think the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, which I eventually read a little later, on my own, was also very memorable. It was about a man search to find himself. In my late teens and early 20’s, this was the kind of thing that motivated me. I was a very philosophical and pensive young man.
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. That's another one that stuck with me. It's about being able to die in dignity. A soldier wakes up with no arms or legs after being blown to pieces by a mortar shell. He's also lost his eyes, nose and mouth. His head is basically attached to his torso, and he cannot see smell or speak. He's being kept alive by a machine and comes to realize that this is his fate of the Army Hospital will not euthanize him. It's probably one of the greatest of the genre as far as books go. Shortly after reading this book, the Karen Ann Quinlan case became big news. There was a famous court case in which the parents of a woman who had been in a vegetative state for a prolonged period of time, had to fight the county prosecutor and hospital administration to take her off life support.
think this may have been a turning point for me because I began to seek out more humorous reading after this. I became addicted to Mad Magazine. And during my formative years adopted the Alfred E. Newman school of thought which basically was the famous phrase. “What - me worry?”
During my mid to late 20s, a group of friends were passing around a copy of The Shining by Stephen King. I remember one day after my then girlfriend, and another friend of ours had read it, we were excited to see the movie when it came out. It was going to be fantastic. I mean, after all, it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, right? Wrong. All three of us hated it. It was as if Kubrick could just take the title and the basic premise, and then did his own thing. Later, I came to realize that as a film, it was still quite a masterpiece, but I'll never forgive couvert for changing the movie version so drastically from the novel.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention a couple books written by two of my favorite musicians is the first, The Real Frank Zappa Book by Frank Zappa - a fun read and highly recommended for Zappa fans. After he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, Frank decided to write his autobiography because he felt if left up to others after he died, they would get it wrong. So Zappa’s wry wit and wisdom sprinkled with his inimitable sense of humor came to be published. And I read it three times. I wouldn't mind reading it again.
And that goes for my other favorite rock and roll book, Big Man by Clarence Clemons. Clemens was the sax player for the E Street Band and Bruce Springsteen's right hand man for many years. Well left hand if you're facing the stage. Little Stevie Van Zandt was usually on the right, or his wife Patti. Clemon’s book was written from the perspective of a fly on the wall, to give us a real insider glimpse of life on the road with Springsteen. He also adds in some hilarious fabrications and the reader has to figure out where reality ends and a little embellishment begins. I love, love, love this book! I miss, miss, miss Clarence Clemons!
Another book I must recommend (and this one left the deep impression) is The Game, Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists). by Neil Strauss. This is not a “how to pick up chicks” book. Oh, don't get me wrong. If that's what you want to learn, you'll definitely learn a few tips and tricks. But this is much deeper than that. It's about a secret society of pickup artists teaching young men how to fast track women into bed using techniques found in Neuro Linguistic Programming or NLP. They're basically using a form of hypnosis and in the wrong hands. He's for all the wrong reasons, can have some pretty disturbing consequences but mighty takeaway was more about the good that NLP is capable of. When used in therapy, it helps with confidence, a successful mindset, good mental health and general well being.
Of particular note was a chapter in which the author was assigned to interview pop artist Britney Spears. She was so burnt out on the press and the media that she was practically non-responsive to Neil whenever he asked a question during the interview. So he decided to use some of the same techniques he had learned to pick up women and ended up with not only the best interview she had ever given anyone after the interview… she insisted on exchanging numbers.
Put this one on your list, because if you read between the lines, this is a study in psychology and will help your game in every aspect of your life. By the way, it's also hilarious in parts and an all around great read. One word of warning if You have daughters, it will make you nervous. So there you have it. A few of the books I've read, think you know me a little better. I hope so because… It’s Easy When You Know Hal!
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