Inanna, Sumerian goddess
Priority request. "the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine law, and political power" -- wikipedia
Arts & Humanities
brutalist architecture (style)
Priority request: A significant feature in former communist countries, some buildings are considered "exciting" works of arts. Seems like people with no heart would want to build and live in such things. "I am sure a computer is very happy there" as Doc would say.
The School of Life (website)
Priority request. “We derive our ideas from psychology, psychotherapy, philosophy, art and culture. As our name – The School of Life – suggests, we are here to teach people how life can be lived and what can make it truly worthwhile, effective and fulfilling.“
Maya Angelo
respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide -- wikipedia
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
it is not clear which of two events should be considered the cause and which should be considered the effect... to express the difficulty of sequencing actions where each seems to depend on others being done first -- wikipedia
The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs
a critique of 1950s urban planning policy, which it holds responsible for the decline of many city neighborhoods in the United States. -- wikipedia. Request: This is one of the most well-known texts about cities and how they work
architecture
the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art -- wikipedia
Valhalla
Request: Doc has calibrated during a video lecture that there exists a realm that can be called Valhalla – a warrior's heaven. Is it really a heaven?
The Assembly of Women, by Aristophenes
"The women of Athens concoct a daring scheme: penetrate the male-dominated Assembly disguised as men and vote themselves into power, after which they will overturn the old laws and inaugurate a new society where all are equal and where property and sex, too! is shared" -- amazon
satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues -- Oxford Languages
six degrees of separation
the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other -- wikipedia. Priority request.
Socratic questioning
to explore complex ideas, to get to the truth of things, to open up issues and problems, to uncover assumptions, to analyze concepts, to distinguish what we know from what we do not know, to follow out logical consequences of thought or to control discussions -- wikipedia
The Oxford English Dictionary
Request: Considered the most accurate assembly of the English language and the most used dictionary for research purposes.
The Anti-Communist Manifesto, by Jesse Kelly
"for anyone who feels alienated by political and popular culture in the United States and recognizes the danger of communism as it threatens to rip apart America’s social fabric" -- amazon
Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
It has been included in many lists of best books, such as Time's List of the 100 Best Novels, Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century, Bokklubben World Library, Modern Library's 100 Best Novels, and The Big Read -- wikipedia (priority request)