04-23-2013, 12:13 PM
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)
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
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)