Angury

Generally the leader is chosen by the team as someone who has good knowledge of the topic and is able to use the abilities of the team members efficiently. They should be respected on this basis. I think if the leader is too aloof, it will make them appear arrogant. There is a danger that the leader will fall Ito the stereotype of being too bossy or taking all the credit, I think that is less likely to happen if there isn't that gap in the first place. I agree it is ultimately up to the leader to make the decisions. But that decision is based on the teams opinion, not the leaders own biased opinion - otherwise the project is just based on what the leader thinks and there's no point in having a team.Regarding your last point, that sounds to me like something a teacher would have to do in front of kids. I should probably add that I don't have much experience in a leadership role. I just imagine that as professionals, the leader shouldn't need to be too authoritative - everyone should be behaving as adults anyway. It's the leaders role to make sure everyone understands their task and there is an effective division of labour. I guess when there is conflict it is the leader who has to sort things out and that's where the authority comes in. But I would have far more respect for a leader who knows what he's doing rather than one who keeps a distance from his colleagues. Because the team members are his colleagues, not his minions I do think there is a time and place for that small gap to come through, I would just like to hope it isn't needed very often. Maybe I'm being too optimistic.

Apologies, I should have mentioned. The first one is the Strahov Theological Hall in Prague, and the second is the Codrington Library in Oxford. By simple I was referring to the black and white colours, rather than the bright gold and red seen in the first picture.

Interesting, I've always believed the opposite. If the leader is seen as "one of them" then the team members feel more comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions with them. And a more comfortable setting means the team is more likely to complete their tasks efficiently. If the leader is seen as being on another level, then the team may feel as if they cannot get their ideas across, or may even feel daunted by the idea of communicating with the leader. This is just from personal experience of course, but I tend to be much happier when the leader is someone I feel I can go to when I have a problem, and that is more difficult when the person doesn't seem to be on your level.

That quote is beautiful, thanks for posting it. I'm going to find out more about this novel now. The list from Columbia University looks enticing, although they seem a bit dense for me. Best of luck with your reading.

That's beautiful. I also really like this one, it's very simple but the colours work well together:

Out of interest, what about the book didn't you like? I thought it was alright, but there didn't seem to be much of a story. I didn't know it was that hyped about in the first place. I wouldn't call it a bad book, but not something I would recommend either. Anyway, my list of overrated books: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - I couldn't even finish this mammoth. I've heard it's the book people have given up on the most, and I can see why. It just didn't seem to go anywhere, and the writing made it a chore to get through. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho - I still don't understand why this is so popular. It seemed to be more of a self-help book than an actual story. The writing was very simple which was the biggest disappointment for me. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - perhaps I had big expectations for this, but I couldn't get into it. I didn't find anything funny about it, nor was it an interesting read. I would put Catcher in the Rye and Great Gatsby there as well, but I think if I reread them I might have a different perspective. As far as I can remember, the writing in the Great Gatsby was really well done, it was just the story I found to be lacking.

Funny I came across this thread, I was just having a similar conversation with CuriousGeorgette. Looking back, I think the book was quite simple and I'm surprised at how popular it is, especially all the rave it receives in the media. As for social competence, I agree that it is subjective, but I think there are certain behaviours that are expected of you, simply as etiquette. And that normally differs from culture to culture. I'm not sure what you mean about leadership and there being no way to be accepted? I think as a leader you will always have people who don't agree with your style, but as long as you listen to everyones opinion with equal weighting and explain your decisions, as well as accept feedback, then you will receive respect. If you can complete the task at hand efficiently and use everyones abilities (division of labour etc), then I think you will be accepted as a leader.

I'm so glad to have found a thread about the Wheel of Time - it's one of my all time favourite fantasy series. Has anyone read the final book? I was a bit disappointed by some of the scenes. Here's a brilliant image of Moiraine from the cover of the ebook Fires of Heaven: http://www.tor.com/images/stories/blogs/FiresOfHeaven_DanDosSantos.png She looks exactly as I imagined her. There's also some articles on the Tor website where a fan has analysed every chapter in the books (or so I remember).

Has anyone read Pratchett's new novel, Raising Steam? I looked it up, and it seems to be about the character Moist von Lipwig, so I'm going to start reading Going Postal (which is apparently the first novel he appears in) and work my way through to Making Money, then Raising Steam. I know you can read the novels in any order, but I prefer to begin at the start of a characters storyline to see how they develop. It was particularly interesting seeing Vimes change throughout his story arc. What did you think of Guards! Guards!I'm currently reading The Reaperman, although I've taken a short break as it seemed to be turning into a chore for me. I do love Death though, so I'll come back to it. The Hogfather is also high on my to-read list. I agree with you Athena, I think you need to be in a certain mood to read them. My favourite novel in the series so far is Small Gods - I loved the humour tied in with religion, particularly the idea of the "Great God Om" being stuck as a turtle. Poor guy.

Yeah, I found it a bit simple as well. It just surprised me how popular it is, and how much it is raved about in the media. Then again, self-help books seem to be gaining popularity, and perhaps I just had high expectations from the beginning. Best of luck with your reading.

Those are some very interesting points you've made, I've never really thought about the story from Lolita's point of view. I just thought of her as an innocent girl.. but I guess that's because of the biased narration. I have to keep reminding myself that Lolita didn't always know what was going on in Humbert's head, and Humbert himself must have been a good actor to hide his feelings. I agree with your last point - I think the absence of a male figure in Lolita's life previously had quite a role to play in their relationship.

What did you think of Dale Carnegie's book on "How to Win Friends and Influence People?" At the time I thought it was a good read and believed it would even help my personality. But after reading Susan Cain's "Quiet" book on introversion, I've taken a bit of an opposite view on it. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the book. Perhaps the reader's reaction is based on whether they see themselves as more extroverted or introverted?

I find it rather interesting that you're aiming to keep acquired books to a minimum and only buy books you know you will be able to read quite soon after. I've noticed that I buy way too many books, then end up getting confused about which one to read first! I may steal your idea. I looked up the "101 Experiments in Philosophy" book on Goodreads, it sounds thought-provoking, I have put it on my to-read list. As a fantasy fan, I looked up Steven Erikson's books as well, and have added "Gardens of the Moon" to my list. I also wanted to comment on "House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski that you've got on your list. You've got some stamina to be willing to read that book I have to admit - I finished it last year after goodness knows how many months, but I think it's worth the trek. You also have three of Stephen Fry's books on your list - excellent taste. You've got a long list of Haruki Makurami's books on your to-read list - have you read 1Q84? And I also love the fact that you have a list dedicated to Books on Madness. By the way, would you recommend Candide by Voltaire (I realise it's on your recommended reading list)? I would like to give it a go, but am worried it may be a bit dense for me.

Interesting idea. I nominate: Vladimir Nabokov Terry Pratchett Oscar Wilde

Amazing reading log, I spent a long time looking through it and marvelling at your collections. Have you been collecting for a while now? I would love to buy more books once I get my own place. Reading through your lists, I also wondered how you manage to find the time to read so much!

Regarding the bit in bold, I wonder how much of the blame can be put on Lolita. I've read a couple of reviews where the reviewer puts some of the blame on Lolita, as they thought she knew what was going on and seduced Humbert. I can't say I agree with that view at all though, and even find it a bit bizarre. Regardless of how much Lolita may have known about what was going on inside Humbert's mind, she was still a child at the time. I feel that most of the blame lies on Humbert as the adult in the situation (although not all of it). Thank you for those recommendations, I shall look them up on Goodreads. It sounds like you are a big Nabaokov fan - which book of his would you say is his best? Have you read any of his short stories? I've read Signs and Symbols, which got me hooked enough to make me buy a collection of his short stories.

Has anyone read any of Lydia Davies' short stories? They introduced me to the genre, and made me realise how the most mundane everyday tasks can be transformed through writing. I'd recommend her work, she has a gift of making you see things differently. I've also recently bought a collection of Vladimir Nabokov's short stories. I loved his novel Lolita, so decided to read one of his short stories, Signs and Symbols and was hooked - it's also available online for free! Here's a list of some of his short stories: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/52412-the-top-10-nabokov-short-stories.html#path/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/52412-the-top-10-nabokov-short-stories.html I'm really starting to get into short stories now, I've found some of them make you think more than a lot of novels I've read.

I think what is wrong or right depends on the context, the time and the place. Homosexuality was considered "wrong" and was illegal in the UK, but now is legal, and indeed homophobia is now considered to be "wrong." Incest is currently thought of as being wrong, but I'd like to hope that changes in the next few decades.Bringing that back to GoT, there are some things which would probably be considered to be "right" in the GoT world - such as executions and beheadings, but would be entirely wrong in the Western World. In fact, in some countries in the real world, executions are still considered "right." Right and wrong is a manmade concept which changes over time. I currently thing execution is wrong, but if something ever happened to one of my family members, I would probably back the execution of the person who committed the said crime against my family, and to me that execution would seem right in my eyes. I also don't think there is always a choice - some people have more knowledge and experience than others, and therefore will have more choices available to them (not to mention the fact that money and power can open up a lot of choices as well). Sometimes it may appear that a person has a choice, and to us as the reader it may seem obvious what the "right" choice is, but that may not be the case for the character - they have a different background, different motives and a different perspective. You used the example of a life and death decision - I think death is quite an easy choice to make. A harder choice would be either to do something or see your family suffer. Some people may not see a choice in there at all, because they could never do anything to hurt their family - I don't think I would see myself as having a choice in that situation. To an outsider it may seem obvious that there is a clear choice, but it's the perspective of the person affected that matters. I believe everyone has a limit, and will do something they would never have dreamed of because they feel trapped and don't think they have a choice. Have you read about Milgram's experiment or ZImbardo's experiment? (this isn't related to GoT ) They're interesting experiments that show how people will do things they wouldn't normally do because of the situation they're in.

I agree there will always be people who can live in a brutal world while holding onto their moral values.. but I think most people need to adapt to their environment. No one is perfect, and when it comes to people we love, I think many people will do things they would never dream of doing otherwise to protect them. The circumstances someone is in can have a huge impact on their behaviour - no one is courageous or moral all of the time. Also, morals change. Some of the things Cersei did may have been acceptable in the society she lived in. I can see you're an optimist, just as you can probably tell that I'm pretty pessimistic. I'm not sure if I can agree with your final point, I think there are many factors that lead to the sorts of things you mentioned. In some societies these things are acceptable to do.. such as women seen as being inferior to men etc. I think what I'm trying to get across is that I can see where Cersei is coming from. I can't say I agree with all of her actions, but love, money and power can make you do stupid things, and we are all flawed.

I don't think it's as black and white as that. The actions may be wrong for us, but for the character they may be the right thing to do - the GoT world is so brutal, I don't think anyone would survive for very long if they acted the way we do in reality. Given the circumstances, and her position both in power and as a woman, I think Cersei has done what was needed for her and her family to survive. She's done some brutal things, but I don't think that makes her a bad person.

I've recently discovered Swedish House Mafia, so currently listening to their track Greyhound (the music video to Save the World is adorable as well!).

I didn't really enjoy The Book Thief, but seem to be in a minority compared with my friends. I'm looking forward to watching Noah when it comes out. Mostly because it's directed by my favourite director, and the trailer looks good.

When I tell people this is one of my favourite books, I often receive weird looks. I think it's a bit of a brave topic to write about, particularly from the point of view from Humbert. I actually began to feel a bit sorry for him near the end - not that I forgive him for his actions. What kept me going though was the writing. The first paragraph is pretty famous, and I think the rest of the novel maintains that level of writing. I've become rather fond of Nabokov since reading Lolita, and I recently bought another book of his - Ada or Ardor. I've read a couple of his short stories, and he writes just as well as he did in Lolita. I'm glad that Lolita wasn't just a one off, and I hope Ada or Ardor is consistent with his beautiful way of writing.

This is one of my favourite books. The way it's narrated through Scout's eyes makes it a fun read, especially regarding such a difficult topic. Some of my favourite scenes in the book come from Scout's innocence throughout the book - it gives such a refreshing light to the racist background revolving around the trial. My favourite quote comes from Atticus though: That quote gives me a boost when needed - Atticus is a bit of a hero of mine. I was a bit surprised to see that Harper Lee hasn't published anymore books since, but I guess all the fame means you've got a lot of expectations to keep up with.

I don't mind waiting for him to publish the final books. I prefer the fact that he takes the time to flesh out the plot and work on the writing. GoT is my favourite fantasy series at the moment (with The Wheel of Time a close second), and although it is a bit frustrating having such a long wait in between books, I guess I can use that time to reread the series. I've forgotten some of the plot points already. My favourite character has changed throughout the series, which I think illustrates George's ability to show his characters as human - no one is inherently good or evil.