Conversation

“Sophomore portal” books: You’re likely to read them 17-21, with median at ~19 — Ayn Rand — GEB — HHG — Alchemist — Pirsig They seem optimized to have a profound effect in that range, be inaccessible if you’re younger (unless you’re precocious) and underwhelming if you’re older
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Each will either stay with you for life or turn into a red flag for people to avoid. HHG is my only stayed-with-me-for-life one. The rest turned into red flags. I’m suspicious of anyone who is shaped by them past 25. I think HHG is primarily a red flag for “good people”
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Everybody should read a sampling of these. Like 4-5. It’s like a Rorschach test. The selection evolves of course. I don’t know what the sophomore portal books are in 2021. These are circa 1995. Ayn Rand is the perennial member of the set. Something worth probing about that.
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