HOOLD Library: Books

The Symbol of the Order

The HOOLD Library
Books

We of the Order are big on books -- for the escape value, for the great ideas, for the insight they give into ourselves and others. As we get the Library more fleshed out, we also hope to include links to other Internet sites that discuss these books and the worlds they speak of.

Good Philosophical Bishwah

Illusions, by Richard Bach
A biplane pilot running around the countryside selling rides meets up with a modern-day messiah, who teaches him more than he'd ever figure out himself about Life and the Universe. Includes excerpts from The Handbook for Reluctant Messiahs, more bits of wisdom worth seeing and thinking about. Quite Cool.

The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff
Neat Stuff -- the essentials of Tao and Eastern thought explained using examples from Pooh and Friends. This stuff makes so much sense that I'm kinda surprised that Pooh wasn't written specifically to illustrate Eastern thought for Western minds. Highly Recommended.

Also about Pooh:
The Te of Piglet, by Benjamin Hoff
Pooh and the Philosophers, by John Tyerman Williams (Western philosophy; not as good)

Driving Your Own Karma, by Swami Beyondananda
Subtitled Swami Beyondananda's Tour Guide to Enlightenment, this is a great romp for those who have lurked in the jungles of self-help and New Age philosophies; and if you haven't, it's still funny as all getout, and it covers many of the things considered basics. With chapter titles like "there's No Place Like Om" and Towards NonJudgement Day," you can tell that this one's not going to be dull.

Living the Simple Life, by Elaine St. James
A book of short pieces, this book is a great introduction to the idea of simple living; both from the outside, paring down your life and simplifying your expectations and routines, and from the inside, by examining your expectations and attitudes. A great Bathroom Book, loaded with good suggestions and ideas.

Three from Heinlein

Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
This is a Great Book. Really, it is! Recommended to me by a friend one summer, it became one of the things we tried to base a group house on the next year; and if I could get the right people together, I would still try to start a Nest . . . Needless to say, I highly recommend it. NOTE: some people get bogged down in the first third, where the author explains (in a lot of detail) just why his hero is considered the owner of Mars; if you don't have the time, brains, or stomach for it, skip ahead to the next chapter.

Time Enough for Love, by Robert Heinlein
If you've noticed the Book of Lazarus in our Psayings, then you've already read some of the stuff said by Lazarus Long, Heinlein's close-to-immortal man, who's been around since WWI and has actually kept his eyes open for most of it. Lazarus has decided that he's had enough for this Life thing, and his Family try to talk him out of it; lots of fun, lots of stories, and lots of observations about Life. Cool.

Number of the Beast, by Robert Heinlein
Another wonderful book; this one has been the basis for many science fiction scenarios. The Sewing Machine, their time/space/dimension engine, is what makes it possible to visit "fictional" lands and peoples, and leads to the idea that in the Multiverse in which we live, everything is true. It's also a long shaggy dog tale used by Heinlein to get two of his favorite characters to talk to each other.

Good Fiction

Butterfly Kid, by Chester Anderson
Set in Grenwich Village in the Hippie/Early Goth Years, this little gem reveals the Reality Pill and the strange and weird consequences thereof. If you're into subcultures, odd personalities and high weirdness, try to find a copy of this book. If you're into literary masochism, try finding the sequels; they're well-nigh impossible to find.

The Big U, by Neal Stephenson
This book is the ultimate in literary masochism -- that overwhelming urge to read that book you just can't find anywhere. I stumbled onto this book at the OSU Bookstore, and bought the only copy; I loved it, my friends loved it, and to the best of my knowledge no one has found another copy in 14 years. Of course, now that Mr. Stephenson has gotten Big writing other books about cyberspace and the environment, it may be well nigh impossible. But if you find it, READ IT. It's worth the hunt -- the greatest parody of modern college life I've ever seen, coupled with an outstanding example of the breakdown of the bicameral mind, the ultimate in stereo wars, and real-life D&D gone out of hand.

Time & Again, by Clifford Simak
A man comes back from a space mission with a revelation for mankind -- and some of them are trying to stop him from telling. One of the Mother Superior's favorite books, this is a great science fiction yarn with time and dimension travel and some great philosophy.

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, by Spider Robinson
Grief shared is grief diminished; joy shared is joy increased. That's the basic premise behind the actions of the gang at Callahan's Bar, where all the drinks are 50 cents and there's glass all over the fireplace. Talk about your interdimensional nexuses . . . This book of short stories originally written for Analog is fantastic, as well as the sequels and side stories and stuff about Lady Sally and . . .

Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
When your best friend shows up (on the morning the local construction crew tries to take your house down to build a freeway) and he tells you that the Earth is about to experience the same thing, you know you're not exactly in Kansas anymore. Or England either. Mr. Adams was a writer for monty Python and Dr. Who before he wrote the radio script; he's gone on to write several sequels. Good Stuff!

And the Usual Bit at the Bottom: We are always looking for Good Stuff to recommend to the Membership. If you would like to call something to our attention, either something really good or something that's related to one of our suggestions, please Email us and let us know.

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