Interesting Bibliomancy

ebbomega · #1 (**permalink**) Jul 21, 06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinoza

It has been the one song of those who thirst after absolute power that the interest of the state requires that its affairs should be conducted in secret. . . . But the more such arguments disguise themselves under the mask of public welfare, the more oppressive is the slavery to which they will lead. . . . Better that right counsels be known to enemies than that the evil secrets of tyrants should be concealed from the citizens. They who can treat secretly the affairs of a nation have it absolutely under their authority; and as they plot against the enemy in time of war, so do they against the citizens in times of peace.

Ever like picking up a really old book, opening it to the page it easily opens to (the most read) and reading a random piece from it?

Christians do this all the time with Bibles... it's like a "what's your favourite passage" thing...

This was from The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant, which I believe was originally published in 1926.

mapleleaf4ever · #2 (**permalink**) Jul 21, 06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

The main foundations of every State, new States as well as ancient or composite ones are good Laws and good Arms; and because you cannot have good Laws without good Arms, and where there are good Arms, good Laws inevitably follow...

My little tidbit from "The Prince".

ebbomega · #3 (**permalink**) Jul 21, 06

Books this works incredibly well for:
- Anything from the Dune series
- Anything by Robert Anton Wilson
- Any "religious" text (Tao Te Ching and The Art Of War being some of the better ones)

mapleleaf4ever · #4 (**permalink**) Jul 22, 06

^ Art of War is one of me favorite reads.

I've got a version "Sun Tzu's Art of War and application to Modern Warfare" that is really good. It takes all of the principles and shows examples of them in use and where they could have been used. *thumbs up*

gnosis · #5 (**permalink**) Sep 17, 06

Be bold. Commit and act.

* * *

"The great aim of education is not knowledge but action."
Herbert Spencer
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Random page 104 of "The Portable LIFE 101"

Frosty
(brilliant book!)