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meadowlander

(4,961 posts)
38. When I was young, Calvin & Hobbes and Doonesbury.
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 03:33 PM
Sunday

From about college age:

Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States

Judith Butler's Gender Trouble

Susan Faludi's Backlash

Lots of sci fi and fantasy novels about dystopias, race relations, gender bending, fascism, etc.

To be honest though, I'm probably on the edge of the generation where TV and movies were more influential overall. Huge influences were the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Stephen Colbert Show, and Star Trek TNG.

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee cos dem Sunday #1
Thank you! That book was important for me, too. Heidi Sunday #2
Same. I went on to stufy róisín_dubh Sunday #22
Shocked me malaise Sunday #33
Gandhi: The Story of My Experiments with Truth ultralite001 Sunday #3
I will check that out! Heidi Sunday #4
Thanks for the reminder PatSeg Sunday #24
I try to read it once a year... ultralite001 Sunday #26
That's quite an endorsement PatSeg Sunday #29
Off the top of my head. Ping Tung Sunday #5
Catch-22 has a special place in my heart. Heidi Sunday #10
I first read it when I was in the marines in the early '60s. I laughed my ass of. Then I read it again. Ping Tung Sunday #11
He included a catch in every paragraph. Went mad cachukis Wednesday #155
I've finally met someone who has also read I Will Bear Witness! chia Monday #66
I find it to be the very best book on what fascism/nazism is really about. Ping Tung Monday #74
In addition to "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer (a very insightful work), anciano Sunday #6
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa - Walter Rodney malaise Sunday #7
Excellent list. Heidi Sunday #9
Early readings peggysue2 Sunday #8
I love good literary fiction, Heidi Sunday #16
Yup peggysue2 Sunday #21
Wasn't a book but I took a university class Tree Lady Sunday #12
Very, very formative experience, I agree. Heidi Sunday #14
I was raised Presbyterian and mostly Tree Lady Sunday #17
The Arms Of Krupp by William Manchester berniesandersmittens Sunday #13
Thank you! I'd forgotten "Animal Farm." Heidi Sunday #15
Animal Farm malaise Sunday #18
"All animals are equal, but some ... Whiskeytide Monday #48
Machiavelli's The Prince TheProle Sunday #19
YES! Heidi Monday #49
Of course! TheProle Monday #116
Another vote from me for "The True Believer" by Hoffer. keep_left Sunday #20
Excellent recommendations! Heidi Monday #50
You're welcome. keep_left Monday #113
Open Veins of Latin America róisín_dubh Sunday #23
I haven't read Open Veins of Latin America. Heidi Monday #51
Books from early life Dave says Sunday #25
Very interesting list, Dave says. Heidi Monday #52
"Language in Thought and Action" by S. I. Hayakawa. Walleye Sunday #27
Isn't that the truth? Heidi Monday #54
The Terrible Secret by Walter Laqueur BlueKota Sunday #28
This sounds fascinating! Heidi Monday #57
The Real Book and Story justaprogressive Sunday #30
Just read the Wiki entry; will definitely be reading this novel. Heidi Monday #58
What a great topic! MorbidButterflyTat Sunday #31
Two books I've never even heard about! Heidi Monday #59
A few more: To Kill a Mockingbird; Spartacus; All Quiet on the Western Front Ping Tung Sunday #32
Both worth rereading. Heidi Monday #61
Ben And Me, a children's book that made me curious about looking at history a bit deeper for what I may otherwise miss Attilatheblond Sunday #34
What a lovely gift from your daughter! Heidi Monday #62
It IS a very cool introduction to Dr Franklin for kids. Lawson also wrote Mr Revere and I Attilatheblond Monday #76
'A Theory of Justice' by John Rawls Celerity Sunday #35
+1 for Shock Doctrine and Art of War nt berniesandersmittens Sunday #41
Excellent recommendations, Celerity. Heidi Monday #64
The Autobiography of Malcolm X. H2O Man Sunday #36
I was going to lead with that one myself NoPasaran Sunday #39
Love Carl Sagan MorbidButterflyTat Monday #43
Absolutely agree! Heidi Monday #65
A Team Of Rivals RainCaster Sunday #37
Thank you for the recommendation, RainCaster. Heidi Monday #68
When I was young, Calvin & Hobbes and Doonesbury. meadowlander Sunday #38
There are all kinds of ways to learn. Heidi Monday #72
Grapes of Wrath senseandsensibility Sunday #40
It was required reading in my family. Heidi Monday #75
Tao Te Ching tinrobot Sunday #42
Thank you, tinrobot! Heidi Monday #84
Don't laugh LeftInTX Monday #44
Why would anyone laugh? Heidi Monday #88
Thanks. My books aren't very sophisticated and were assigned reading. LeftInTX Monday #91
Oh, hon. Heidi Monday #95
I grew up in Wisconsin. I had a progressive education. LeftInTX Monday #106
That makes you even *more* Heidi Monday #108
One book turned my worldview upside down. Another Jackalope Monday #45
Well, that seals it. Heidi Monday #90
You'll regret it, but you won't regret it. Another Jackalope Monday #119
Black Like Me. DiverDave Monday #46
Yes indeed. Heidi Monday #82
The Whole Earth Catalog BluesRunTheGame Monday #47
Oh, wow! Heidi Monday #81
Catcher in the Rye, or johnnyfins Monday #53
I definitely need to reread The Catcher in the Rye Heidi Monday #83
Zinn - A Peoples History of the US JanMichael Monday #55
Can you believe that I first read The Handmaid's Tale Heidi Tuesday #120
The Jungle displacedvermoter Monday #56
Absolutely! Heidi Monday #73
The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State - Weinstein bucolic_frolic Monday #60
Thank you so much! Heidi Tuesday #121
These are books about political change and shifting ideologies bucolic_frolic Tuesday #131
A few JustAnotherGen Monday #63
Thank you for your honesty, JustAnotherGen. Heidi Monday #70
Thank you JustAnotherGen Monday #99
Oh, don't *even* get me started Heidi Monday #101
Wow, what a great story, wonderful! betsuni Monday #114
Demon Haunted World Mz Pip Monday #67
YES to all three! Heidi Monday #97
The Straight Dope - Cecil Adams & The Book of Lists 1,2,3 Brainfodder Monday #69
Will check 'em out! Heidi Tuesday #122
Mine are kind of eclectic Mossfern Monday #71
Excellent list, Mossfern! Heidi Monday #79
When I was in grade 8, I read Frankenstein, then Rifles for Watie, then 1984 in the first month of school Swede Monday #77
Stand Watie is a hero where I grew up Heidi Monday #78
Autobiography of Malcolm X ALBliberal Monday #80
Changed my worldview. Heidi Monday #96
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson Scrivener7 Monday #85
Omg! We ordered that two weeks ago Heidi Monday #98
It's kind of devastating. I had to read it in sections and put it down at times. Scrivener7 Monday #109
My high school English teacher had us read Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye KitFox Monday #86
I'm so glad you're here, KitFox! Heidi Monday #93
"The Uses of the Past: Profiles of Former Societies" Golden Raisin Monday #87
Thank you! Heidi Monday #94
1. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass, 2. The Life of Gandhi RandomNumbers Monday #89
Thank you, RandomThoughts. Heidi Wednesday #152
Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein. I was in grade 6, 7, or 8. "Beginner's Mind, Zen Mind" Shunryu Suzuki in my 20's Bernardo de La Paz Monday #92
Yup! Heidi Monday #100
I added the zen book. Slim volume, comes with a fly. Bernardo de La Paz Monday #102
Apostles of Disunion by Charles Dew. Sneederbunk Monday #103
Nonfiction about the South is important to me. Heidi Tuesday #123
Tnx. Sneederbunk Tuesday #128
So many. Against Our Will - Susan Brownmiller; Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown; LoisB Monday #104
LOVE James Baldwin! Heidi Tuesday #124
Oh so do I. Baldwin should be required reading in every high school. You are very kind, thank LoisB Tuesday #142
Computer Lib: Dream Machines, by Ted Nelson (and others, Buddhist in nature) usonian Monday #105
Thank you, usonian! Heidi Tuesday #126
Depends on what you mean by World View... WarGamer Monday #107
Thank you! Heidi Tuesday #130
still hard to believe it's an ancient text. WarGamer Tuesday #132
Greath thread. Bookmarking to refer to it often for my booklist. Thanks! Scrivener7 Monday #110
Also: EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! Heidi Tuesday #133
Two books on the opposite spectrum LogDog75 Monday #111
I'm not a huge sci-fi consumer, but I love Asimov. Heidi Wednesday #153
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor Wiz Imp Monday #112
LOVE ALL! Heidi Tuesday #138
I can't really think of a book that impacted my worldview and I feel a little weird about it. betsuni Monday #115
That's not weird. Heidi Tuesday #134
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig Kid Berwyn Monday #117
No words. Heidi Tuesday #135
The Ox-Bow Incident Ping Tung Monday #118
I *have* to read this! Heidi Tuesday #136
Here's the full movie on Youtube. Ping Tung Tuesday #140
You rock! Heidi Tuesday #141
Love the part at the end, with Fonda reading that letter... (nt) Paladin Tuesday #147
The New Testament GusBob Tuesday #125
Thank you! Heidi Tuesday #127
To kill a mockingbird uponit7771 Tuesday #129
It was my awakening about racial injustice. Today, I have mixed feelings. Heidi Tuesday #137
The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran spanone Tuesday #139
This book was a gift to me Heidi Tuesday #143
My mother gave it to me spanone Tuesday #144
Slaughterhouse 5 and Weinberg's The First Nuclear Era... NNadir Tuesday #145
Same here. Heidi Tuesday #146
Feminism Unmodified by Catharine MacKInnon Stargleamer Tuesday #148
I need to reread Catharine MacKinnon. Heidi Wednesday #157
"Be Here Now" by Babba Ram Das lark Tuesday #149
Yes, and "Grist for the Mill." Heidi Wednesday #150
Actually, my favorite book of all time. FalloutShelter Wednesday #151
Yes, an absolutely beautiful opening line. Heidi Wednesday #156
Thanks for adding that Gatsby quote. FalloutShelter Wednesday #162
Wrapped in the flag samplegirl Wednesday #154
Ohhhhh, I just read the publisher's synopsis and will definitely buy this! Heidi Wednesday #159
Huck Finn Topomi Wednesday #158
I received--as a gift--my late high school American literature teacher's desk copy of "Huckleberry Finn." Heidi Wednesday #160
Hobbes - and I don't mean the stuffed tiger (though I do own the boxed C&H)... sir pball Wednesday #161
So many great recommendations! Heidi Wednesday #163
Avec plaisir! sir pball Wednesday #166
Have three favs. First is The Ugly American by William Lederer and Eugene allegorical oracle Wednesday #164
Agree on all three! Heidi Wednesday #165
Feminist works that impacted my worldview Heidi Thursday #167
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