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Full Version: The Educate Yourself/Polymath Thread!
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I want to become a polymath in my life (I like the term "Renaissance Man"), knowing about so many different things and having various talents, and looking at myself now, I can tell I am nowhere near that. I often envy younger people that are more knowledgeable than I, whom seem relatively common, which is why I decided to start this thread.

Here, we help each other when it comes to knowledge, be it in academia such as languages, math, science, history, literature, philosophy, arts, and the likes, or when it comes to skills such as mechanics, plumbing, cooking, carpentry, electrical wiring, language learning, programming, and so on.

This is (going to be) an extensive list of decent (hopefully short-and-sweet/in a nutshell) sources for beginners. If you want a good place to start for a certain subject, trade or art, just take a look at it. I'll add more elements to this list if they are suggested to me by other users.

Arts

History
Book: A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn (bbbrad)

Languages (not including language learning)
Web/Book: Bescherelle - French verb conjugation guide/dictionary (JCizzle)

Literature (books to read, not including theatre)
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut - Science fiction (nastynate)
original Dune series by Frank Herbert - Science fiction (crazysam23)
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes - Science fiction (JCizzle)
Foundation series by Isaac Asimov - Science fiction (crazysam23)
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - Historical (carlcockatoo)
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - Historical (Danjo)
Maus by Art Spiegelman - Graphic Novel (Mr Maps)
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse - Novel (bbbrad)
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - Historical (crazysam23)
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy - Philosophy (bbbrad)
The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire - Poetry (JCizzle)
The Ice People (La Nuit des Temps) by René Barjavel - Science fiction (JCizzle) note: read in original language
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Historical (carlcockatoo)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - Novel (bbbrad)
The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas - Historical (crazysam23)
Uqbar, Tlon, Orbis, Tertius by Jorge Borges - Science fiction/Philosophy (short story) (nastynate)
Walden by Henry David Thoreau - Novel (bbbrad)
Wheel of Times series by Robert Jordan - Fantasy (crazysam23)

Mathematics

Philosophy

Physical Education/Fitness

Science (Natural)
Book: Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - Medicine (Mr Maps)
TV: Bill Nye the Science Guy - Pop Science (JCizzle)
Web/TV: Vsauce - Pop Science (JCizzle)

Social Sciences
Book: The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson - Psychology (Mr Maps)

Theatre (including Musical Theatre)
Antigone by Sophocles (or the retelling by Jean Anhouil) - Tragedy (JCizzle)
Hamlet by Shakespeare - Tragedy (JCizzle)
Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber - Rock Opera (JCizzle)


Fields known by MTB'ers, by username
Adam - Religion (primarily Judaism), History, Philosophy, Hebrew
bbbrad - American History, Eastern Religions
crazysam23 - Programming, Judeo-Christian Religion
Danjo - Maths, Physics
Debbie - Farming, Horticulture, Cooking
Grungie - History
JCizzle - French, Religion/Theology, Philosophy
Mr Maps - Psychology, Religion


(come on guys... give me some more ideas pretty please with a cherry on top)
I can help with anything relating to farming and/or horticulture.
Schveet.

What sources do you recommend?
I can help with psychology and shiz like that. I wouldn't know about sources for it necessarily though. I know a bit about religion and the main faiths, but I'm no Slacker.
There's probably other stuff I can help with, but I can't think of anything else right now.

Also, there is one book I can recommend for those looking for info on the medicine and media/pharma companies/quacks and whatnot, which is Bad Science by Ben Goldacre.
Thaaaaank you c:

I added Grungie too :B
I know enough about programming to, um...get myself into trouble, lol. I also know a bit about Judeo-Christian religion/philosophy (again enough to get myself into trouble). If I don't know the answer, I can probably find it.
Sweet Smile

Also I added two books in literature.
I like to think I know quite a bit about American history and eastern religions.
Yeahyeahyeah keep it coming you guys!
(04-23-2013, 05:55 PM)JoelCarli Wrote: [ -> ]Sweet Smile

Also I added two books in literature.
Add these as well:

Wheel of Times series by Robert Jordan
Foundation series by Isaac Asimov
original Dune series by Frank Herbert
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