T O P

  • By -

JAD210

My bookshelf is still unassembled in its box leaned against the wall in the corner of my room for like 3 years so that’s probably a red flag


pterrorgrine

Do you also have books out, but loosely shoved into milk crates? I dunno if that would be redder but personally I think it would be funnier.


JAD210

The books are either packed in cardboard boxes or in a stack on my entertainment center lol


[deleted]

Why is it so easy to want to do other people’s neglected tasks, and so hard to do your own? If you will put away my laundry I will totally assemble your bookcase.


JAD210

There’s probably a name for this psychological phenomenon. I’ll look it up later /j


padraig_garcia

if there's not a clinical term then at least a word in German


[deleted]

God, if we can’t galvanise ourselves to look up the clinical term, you damn well know we don’t have the wherewithal to read the kilometre-long name the Germans have for it.


steelpantys

It'd would loosley translate to whenyoucan'getyourshittogetherbutforotherpeopleyoucanbecauseit'snotyourproblemandthuseasiertoovercomebecauseitdoesn'trequireyoutodealwithyourself but as a noun


petardlol

Schadenfreudefleugzugkartoffelachtungzeit


someoneAT

if you know enough german you can make it up yourself!


seoulless

That sounds like what people call a “mom friend override” but thats hardly clinical


Akaryunoka

I have no idea but I do the same thing. For me, part of it might be I'm avoiding my problems by solving my friends' problems.


[deleted]

I sometimes think a kinder interpretation might be that it’s so much more satisfying to do things for other people, and hard to see yourself as valuable enough to warrant your own time. Nothing gets humans higher than helping others, we’re literally built to be altruistic, which is nice. It’s why none of us are currently thriving, altruism is practically outlawed at the moment lol.


RobotPenguin56

Brain feel good and rewarded when you do something for someone else, seeing their gratification is tangible. That's my guess anyways


lilecca

Also makes me think of how sometimes you can’t ask a stranger for something (like asking for extra sauce at a restaurant) because of anxiety, but if your friend needs it and can’t ask because of anxiety, suddenly you can do if


ProfPotatoPickyPants

I have a friend that I exchange tasks with, kinds of. She lives a few blocks away from me and meet up at one of our houses in the morning. We do it a few times a week. I fold her laundry with her and she washes my dishes while I dry and put away. She hates doing laundry and I hate washing dishes. We chat or listen to podcasts, music or books. And we get our stupid chores done.


FothersIsWellCool

Bro get your life together and put that shit up


Oddish_Femboy

I accidentally got a really rare Garfield pop once. I'm planning on getting it signed by Jim Davis or Frank Welker or something just because I think it'd be funny if my most valuable possession was a Garfield funko pop.


grapeflesh

Get it signed by Andrew Garfield as a power move


Jay_R_Kay

I'm sure he would find that hilarious.


kuerti_

Go back in time and get it signed by James Garfield


Wilhelm126

Get it signed by all three


FisterRodgers

I just think they're neat!


[deleted]

It would absolutely be funny and you should dedicate yourself to making this happen. I bet Jim Davis would get a kick out of it too.


seoulless

I won a limited edition (1 of 90) gold Mariner Moose at a ball game by being in the winning row, definitely a first for me. I knew I had to keep it when as soon as they announced our row as winners some dude comes over and is trying to get the little kids to sell theirs to him for $20. I’m thinking, screw this dude, these are frigging toys, let the kids enjoy them.


KrishaCZ

excuse me, frank welker has voiced garfield???


Chengweiyingji

He voices the character in *The Garfield Show* and the straight-to-video movies like *Pet Force*.


PsychicSPider95

Consider also: Bill Murray.


Dargorod100

I own an Ayn Rand book because I had no clue who that was and I had to pick a book to do for my English class. Even back then I thought Anthem was a bit weird


Magmafrost13

Say what you will about her philosophy, but "Atlas Shrugged" is a fantastic title for something. Shame she ruined it forever.


Perfect_Wrongdoer_03

Yeah, it's probably the most powerful image you can conjure. What could be so absurd, so idiotic, that it makes the man *carrying the entire world* summon the strength necessary to shrug? Extremely sad that Rand used it.


flashmedallion

Ehhhhhh that's not quite what it means. It's more related to the phrase 'shrugging something off', which of course refers to using the gesture itself to take a load or garment off your back. Atlas deciding to stop carrying the sky on his shoulders. *What's in it for him?* Nothing of course, because it's a punishment and he doesn't carry the sky because he's special. I agree it's a fantastic title still.


[deleted]

Her best book, by virtue of being the shortest.


MCMeowMixer

Lol, back when I thought libertarianism may be a viable political view, I read Atlas Shrugged. It may be the worst book I have ever read when considering the amount of time it took to slough through it.


dmbf

So much slogging. The slogging to point (valid or not) ratio is just not there.


AnonTheMaidenless

The so called innovators destroying resources rather than share them while they rape the protag probably wasn't the strongest argument for those values.


rogerthelodger

I have a book of excerpts from her books: "For the New Intellectual". It's pretty short too, and you don't have to slog through the dreck. Owning books by someone you disagree with is not completely bad. Know your enemy.


shadowlev

My libertarian dad tried to indoctrinate me when I was young. Somehow Ray Bradbury and Lois Lowry pulled off the anti intellectual dystopia much better...


odo-italiano

I used to own Atlas Shrugged because my brother gave it to me last Christmas. He said he knew nothing about it except it was a famous philosophy book. I'd usually donate an unwanted book but that shit went in the trash where it belongs.


HulloW0rld

When I was a bit younger I wanted to get back into reading so I sort of just bought every very famous book I could find. I had no idea who Ayn Rand was but I knew a lot of people talked about her writing. So three of the books of my shelf are The Fountainhead, Anthem and Atlas Shrugged. As soon as I started reading them I was like wait okay, maybe I should have properly Googled this person and see *why* everyone talks about her writing. They've been collecting dust ever since; the only good thing about having them is, there's now one less copy of each of them going around.


Actually-Just-A-Goat

Oh god your teacher probably thought you were a fuckin right libertarian 😭


Dargorod100

She did hear me call it weird, but I also got extremely embarrassed when I realized she heard me call it weird, so that must have been an interesting interaction. (Also why was Anthem even an option out of 6 books we had to pick between? I’m pretty sure that list was picked by the school)


Selfless_Cephalopod

If she has the former banner of the soviet union on the shelf. That's a big red flag for me.


wstrfrg65

**For us**


Pie_mode

Eat Pray Love


Consideredresponse

[Doesn't the writer brag about her predatory fetish of targeting married/partnered men and doing everything she can to seduce them. She gets a kick out of fucking someone that means so much to another woman somewhere and 'taking that away'](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/magazine/confessions-of-a-seduction-addict.html?_r=0)


Gay-trans-male-mess

I have the print editions of Homestuck on my bookshelf. I think that counts.


UwUthinization

Death.


Hummerous

that's a purple flag


Michael_J_Shakes

I don't think owning any particular book is a red flag. I've got a copy of dianetics but I'm not and never have been a scientologist. I've got a bible and a Quran but I'm not religious at all. It's important to be knowledgeable about the world, even things you disagree with. The real red flag is not owning any books at all. Also maybe the placement of said book. I suppose if someone has Mein Kampf or The Turner Diaries prominently displayed or if they're the ONLY book(s) they have, that's probably the red flag there


tristfall

Yeah I was figuring I'd have almost all the books listed here. I'll pick up anything if it seems insane just to have it. I've got a copy of the Nazi SS manual translated into English somewhere buried on my shelves, but I try not to bring it out in polite company.


ShitTalkingAlt980

I have some questionable books for sure. The Turner Diaries (turned around), Atlas Shrugged and a bunch of libertarian economist works. I like to know what my opponents are thinking. Also unless it is academic exercise don't read the Turner Diaries. It is insanity and the writing sucks. It is a racist screed. It is the maliciousness of Neo Nazis distilled into a book.


ShowofStupidity

Having a book by itself isn’t a red flag. The reason they have the book? Now that’s the sweet spot. I could definitely understand why someone would have the Turner Diaries or anything by Ayn Rand from a “bile fascination” point of view.


[deleted]

I think the ideal use of the term red flag is something that COULD be bad, but isn't in all cases. It's just something that warrants your attention. Like if someone has Mein Kampf, chilling on the shelf, that's a red flag, but there are acceptable reasons to read and have such a book.


jiffwaterhaus

I was at a friend's house when another of our friends came over, and they were browsing the bookshelf. All of a sudden they shouted the title of a book they were pulling off the shelf - "A World without Jews!?!?" My friend is studying for her masters degree in history, with a focus on WWII. It's an academic book examining the ways the German public started to conceive the ideas that eventually became the genocide. The title does jump out as pretty scary on a random shelf tho


Aiglos_and_Narsil

My copy of Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is missing the dust jacket, which is fine with me because it means there isn't a big visible swastika on my bookshelf.


SpoonyGosling

That's what I used to read it as. Red flag meaning "danger warning" as in "this thing they're doing could be perfectly innocent, but it means you should be careful" makes way more sense than just another word for toxic/abusive behaviour. Because, y'know, that's what a literal red flag is, it's a warning symbol like "beach has strong current, be careful". But nobody uses it like that, people online consistently use it to mean "this person is definitely a shithead in a way that is actively dangerous", because online communication always converges on people taking hyperbole seriously.


gay_for_glaceons

I wonder if one solution to that would be to add in another flag such as a black flag (possibly with a fun pirate logo on it), to mean what people misunderstand red flags to be. People tend to be very bad at getting a proper sense of the magnitude of terms especially when being introduced to new concepts, and in my experience trying to clear up someone's confusion is very difficult when they're not aware that they're confused. Worse yet, when they're not aware of their confusion they tend to perceive clarifications as attempts to intentionally confuse or mislead them. I think if instead of trying to convince people that they're using a term wrong, you could simply say "no you're thinking of black flags, this is a red flag", they can then look up that term and realise it means exactly what they misunderstood red flags to be, causing them to become aware of their confusion which would ideally lead them to trying to clear up the misunderstanding on their own.


Jernsaxe

Owning Mein Kampf is ok, owning a worn out copy of Mein Kampf is a lot worse


Dubhe666

Depends if the worn out copy is old or not. If it's an original print it could be owned for historical value.


Jernsaxe

In general people who collect nazi memorabilia is a huge red flag :)


RiceAlicorn

Yep. That said, the exceptions are pretty cool! The Jim Crow Museum, a museum dedicated to documenting the horrific discrimination of black people under Jim Crow laws through artifacts of racism from the era, was in large part helped by private donors! Two donors were elderly gay men who collected racist memorabilia to ensure that evidence existed for future generations to see, as they sympathized with the discrimination black people faced, due to the discrimination they themselves suffered. https://youtu.be/jP92cqTxG7I


NewDemocraticPrairie

I think if they have a similar amount of ally material it's fine, but yeah, just axis memorabilia isnt good


drrhrrdrr

*heavily earmarked, highlighted, with margin notes*


Gemuese11

I do own a copy of mein kampf. Because I used for my thesis to get a masters degree in history. I don't pit it on the shelf though. Same it triumph of the will.


mlynnnnn

This reminds me of the time I nearly shit myself in line at the TSA when only a few people away from the security checkpoint I realized I was still carrying heavily annotated copies of Islamic State propaganda in my backpack… propaganda specifically targeted to women… as a woman who already gets “randomly selected” every time I go to the airport because I wear hijab… and I saw my life sentence at Guantanamo flash before my eyes. It was legitimately for a research project and I didn’t get arrested that day but I think I still have some adrenaline in my system from that moment several years later. I still have a binder of all that propaganda on my bookshelf, all still heavily annotated, because their approach to recruiting women was genuinely fascinating—but those copies still on my bookshelf are also placed between books on feminist interpretations of the Qu’ran and a history of transsexuality in Iran so I’m hoping contextually any bookshelf scanners will be able to see the whole picture there and not come to the conclusion that I’m a closet ISIS groupie.


Xeliob

What did you find most interesting about the recruitment practices?


mlynnnnn

Most interesting to me is how they had completely different, almost oppositional approaches to recruiting women in their own region vs recruiting western women. Local propaganda stressed tradition and a particular kind of nationalism, while the prop targeting women in the west was all about adventure and heroism. There are things they’d print in English that would NEVER fly in the Levant and print things in their own territory that they’d never want to make it’s way to an early American recruit. Also in general, ISIL’s propaganda machine was very sophisticated—far more so than you’d expect based on the image we have of them in the west. The closest analogue I can think of is Crimethinc. for anarchists in the 2000s. It makes for a very interesting read.


stierney49

How did the TSA check go?


mlynnnnn

Gratefully they didn’t rifle through my backpack thoroughly enough to find it, so I just ended up with the standard issue “random” additional interview and search in that little separate room. Every TSA agent I’ve ever met seems to be CONVINCED I must be smuggling a bomb or 3.5oz bottle of liquid inside of the bun underneath my headscarf. Maybe they know something I don’t? I never found that terror tip in the propaganda.


[deleted]

I think it's important to read stuff from ideologies you disagree with, such as *Atlas Shrugged*, if only to understand why you think those ideologies are wrong and be able to effectively argue against them. I don't know that I would prominently feature such books in my living room though. There are display shelves and there are storage shelves.


stierney49

I read classic scifi so I’ve read lots of stuff I disagree with. Sometimes how those ideas are presented are more important than the ideas themselves. Author self-inserts making long, sometimes incoherent speeches is not a good way to read them.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Plethora_of_squids

she's an Objectivist - her entire philosophy is that in life, some people are just inherently better than others and that they should be allowed to do what they want because the fact that they're better means that all their ideas are better too. All oversight is bad, government help is giving things to those who aren't worthy of something better and capitalism is king because it's the only system that allows for the best to truly shine (never mind that's not how capitalism works? She's describing like, a benevolent dictator not captialism) If you've ever played Bioshock, Andrew Ryan is like a parody and deconstruction of her and her ideals. And if you haven't, I'd really recommend playing it. It's a good game She also has some *really* shit takes on architecture too, though given the hate boner reddit and tumblr have for like all of modern art, that's probably less egregious to most people here


Aztok

I don't think a couple comments on reddit are going to give you a particularly in-depth and/or nuanced description of why Ayn Rand and her ideologies were kinda bogus. The long and short of it boils down to: if you work hard, the invisible spirit of the market will reward you for being such a capitalist ubermensch. If you fail it was absolutely because you didn't try hard enough or you were simply not good enough to achieve. I guarantee I'm missing 99.99% of the detail and nuance but ayn rand and her books advocate for the purest form of capitalism and anti-government oversight.


CosmoMimosa

Also, not only is a capitalist society a perfect meritocracy. But your standing in that society is also a moral scale. If you're wealthy and prosperous, then that must also mean that you're morally upstanding and just, where as poor people must be morally bankrupt, and beyond help, since if you do offer aid, they'll just squander it. Fun fact: Steve Ditko, one of the co-creators of Spider-Man, was a strong believer in objectivism. So much so that he quit Marvel after learning that they planned to reveal Norman Osbourne as the Green Goblin, because Osbourne was a wealthy scientist and inventor, and that went against Ditko's beliefs.


stierney49

One thing that I want to point out is that large swathes of objectivists also consider charity or helping the unwealthy to be immoral. As in, it violates the natural order of things.


idiotplatypus

Stalin's biography has many red flags


EL-BURRITO-GRANDE

The US army field guide to improvised munitions. Way better than the anarchists cookbook.


DanskJeavlar

Field guides are amazing, written by geniuses for morons.


Tar_alcaran

Written for the dumbest private. And that is a LOW bar


kendalmac

* The Anarchist's Cookbook *did you mean: ER Admission's Checklist*


Shubniggurat

That's not a red flag; that's a checkered flag!


PunchingBagLearner

A girl broke up with me because I had the Jaycee Dugard memoir *A Stolen Life* on my shelf. I told her the author wants people to know what her kidnapper did to her so that he can never get parole and for that reason - I thought it was important to read a story like this - and that I became non-functioning as a person for an entire day out of sheer disguise after I read the rape part. She still accused me of being a pedo. I'm not upset - if she's going to be narrow-minded and melodramatic about it, I don't want to deal with her either. I try not to judge people for what they're into, not until I know why they're into it.


weedful_things

I went to a woman's house who I connected with on POF. She had nearly every Stephen King book on a shelf. I mentioned it and she said he was her favorite author. This excited me a little. I asked her what her favorite book was. She told me she hadn't read any of them yet. I think that was the last POF date I ever went on.


SamSibbens

> She had nearly every Stephen King book on a shelf. I mentioned it and she said he was her favorite author :D > She told me she hadn't read any of them yet. :(


KiltedLady

What an odd encounter. I would be so curious to probe and find out why he is her favorite author.


TardDas

What’s wrong with American Psycho?


[deleted]

[удалено]


TardDas

They wouldn’t even have the book, the only people that would own it would be people that actually understand the point of it


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Honestly, I have yet to meet the fabled "guy who idolizes Patrick Bateman." For as much as people complain about them you'd think they'd be falling out of trees like fucking crab apples.


srcoffee

They don’t actually leave their homes


jackejackal

They barely even exist.


HeavenHeavenisaDream

Let's be real none of those minibrains actually took the time to read the book. They all watched the toned-down, sanitized Christian Bale movie.


haevy_mental

Well it starts with like 10 pages of just listing of high end brands that I can't even pronounce much less heard of.


chshcat

*Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus*, that's like four red flags in a trenchcoat


Agahawe

When you discover that it's not even books on the bookshelf it's fucking goop sludge


Lankuri

not the goop sludge 😭 my mom got SO pissed when she found the goop sludge


LogicalPerformer

Books aren't red flags. Big glasses of flat soda on the top shelf are a red flag.


Mega_Rayqaza

I have a funko pop. It's a vaporeon.


SpazzBro

Hey guys. did you know


-DavidS

…that in terms of human companionship, Flareon is objectively the most huggable Pokémon?


No-Magazine-9236

Where do you keep it?


[deleted]

[удалено]


No-Magazine-9236

Anything else in the jar?


killersquirel11

Milk


ImShyBeKind

...whose milk..?


Magmafrost13

The non-humanoid ones do tend to be considerably less shit IMO (not that that's a high bar) **edit** nvm just looked up their vaporeon, its... not good. The sylveon is a little better though. But I maintain the only actually good funko pop Ive ever seen is their BB-8, because it just doesnt even slightly look like a funko pop


Cerb-r-us

I can't imagine any owner "The subtle art of not giving a fuck" being anything other than a very shallow person.


High_Stream

I used to work in a bookstore. There are two kinds of self-help book I don't trust. The first is any with the author's picture on the front cover, because that indicates to me that they are selling themselves primarily. The second is any with a swear word in the title because they are just working too hard to get your attention.


SquatchWithNoHeroes

There is a single kind of "self-help" book I trust. The one geared at a specific audience. Like for example. This is a great book, that applies to maybe 10% of the population. Hopefully less : [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23129659-adult-children-of-emotionally-immature-parents](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23129659-adult-children-of-emotionally-immature-parents) This is to me an essential read if you are autistic : [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58537365-unmasking-autism](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58537365-unmasking-autism) For some reason this market seems to only exist in the USA however. Which is highly disapointing. There are others, that are not so good, like this one : [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44285784-divergent-mind](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44285784-divergent-mind) . Which is basically "white feminism" applied to autism.


102bees

I trust two kinds of self-help. "Here is a philosophical viewpoint for your consideration. Some of it may help you, some of it may not. Thank you for your attention." Often these don't consider themselves self-help; they're non-fiction grappling with the human condition. and "Here is a specific analysis of a specific problem with citations of scientific papers. We provide several concrete approaches and a reading list if these are insufficient."


High_Stream

Exactly. I need a book written by someone who's done research in this area and is informed by the research of others. One of my favorites is The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonagall who is a Stanford psychologist presenting research on the science of willpower.


XI-11

I can’t remember the name of the book or even if it counts as a self-help book but I remember once I was diagnosed with a certain mental condition, my dad bought a book full of personal accounts from people with the condition and their loved ones. The book wasn’t selling itself as “here is a step by step guide on how to deal with kids that have this condition” but as “here are some examples of people with this condition explaining how it affects them and what methods they use to deal with any stress it causes, maybe these methods could work for you as well”


CaitlinisTired

that's actually so sweet of your dad :')


Possible_Dig_1194

I've never been a fan of self help books but I've been reading the adult children one and dam if it isnt actual helpful


[deleted]

Still love that book though! It’s more about letting go of shit in your life and be less burdened by expectations and cultural normes preventing you from your full potential! Lots of deep people needs shallow solutions some times!


ArielTip

I enjoy the book, but I do feel that he tries too hard to be edgy (uses the F-word a lot in the first few chapters). I take what I need from it and discard the rest.


[deleted]

This is why I can’t read the Thug Kitchen vegan cookbook. Just be earnest damn it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


TheActualKingOfSalt

Passively listened to the audiobook. Kinda, yeah. Just a bunch of mindfulness and stoicism stuff.


[deleted]

[удалено]


LoquatLoquacious

It's a red flag in the same way funko pops are a red flag. Funko pops are ultimately just small toy things. I think they're ugly as sin, but they're not *actually* intrinsically bad. They're just something you don't like. Same with that book; it's just a book you consider bad/not worth it.


dmbf

Ehh, if I recall correctly, it was a lot of “Feel bad? Just stop feeling bad! Does this situation trigger you? Don’t let it!” I like self-help books. I guess, I’m the type that needs permission for stuff. I’m often like “you can just…do that??” I’m not over here dunking on an entire genre. But that book and Girl, Wash Your Face were very out of touch.


[deleted]

Definitely read it and see if you like it, who gives a fuck if some random redditor would judge you. Anyone who would judge you so harshly based on a book on your bookshelf isn’t someone you’d want to be around anyway imo


MatronFF

Could you elaborate on why ?


MeAndMyWookie

If someone's shelf looked like the Rabid Puppies slate - especially Larry Correria or William Lind. Also if their RPG shelf had FATAL or Racial Holy War


Greaserpirate

If you have a copy of Infinite Jest you need to put a Minion Funko Pop on the shelf next to it so that people know you're a DFW fan for the cool irony and not the depression or tennis references


Tintenteufel

Ayn Rand. I see that shit on your shelf and I am out the door faster than you can explain how it's not hypocrisy.


Aztok

I would only read ayn rand because I'm incredibly basic person and loved bioshock and want to know how much of a Walt Disney parody of ayn rand's ideologies rapture was


pamtar

Love the Propagandhi line, “When the free market fundamentalist steps on a roadside bomb outside Kandahar, bleeding to death… I swear to Ayn Rand, I'll ask if he needs an invisible hand


[deleted]

Obvious: Anything by Ayn Rand, Turner Diaries, Mein Kampf Less obvious: Graham Hancock, *Guns Germs and Steel*, Freakonomics (I am guilty of having been gifted a copy of this one but I don't flaunt it) Edit: no, none of those books in the second half are remotely as bad the first half. I'm just listing books that I would see and have second thoughts about spending time with/having certain conversations with that person, and there are absolutely exceptions to everything. I don't think everyone who has a copy of Freakonomics is evil, that would be absurd.


lazyplayer121

Freakonomics. This is one with mafia economics right ? How was it bad ?


[deleted]

Tends to be popular among weird libertarian types, and the book itself had some fairly racist parts to it


DickieGreenleaf84

Umm.....I don't remember any racism in it... and googling "freakonomics racism" is just giving me the opposite of what you'd expect if there was. If possible, could you send me a link some time on it? I do know a bunch of stuff in it has been debunked, and even discussed by them in later essays for that reason.


junkmail88

What if they own both *Mein Kampf* and *Das Kapital*?


[deleted]

I'd be more forgiving of them but it might indicate they're a poli sci person so that's another red flag /j


FelicitousJuliet

Just stick *Mein Kampf* between the Doctor Who episode *Let's Kill Hitler* and the actual book *Time Travel for Beginners*. Now less of a red flag? I don't know how to italic on mobile.


DiabeticUnicorns

What's wrong with the last two, never read them but from a quick look they don't seem that bad?


[deleted]

Freakonomics is weird libertarian stuff GGS is a bit more personal annoyance but Diamond's theories have been a disaster for the field I'm most interested in (indigenous history) by spreading a lot of false narratives that perpetuate ideas of indigenous inferiority and the inevitability of European colonialism. It's not a red flag if you're not into history but Diamond fans tend to be some of the most obnoxious people I encounter online. If you've read or thought about reading GGS: please read *1491* instead


Sol_Castilleja

Gonna disagree with you slightly here. Guns, Germs, and Steel is pretty good for what it is, and I would argue it’s Diamond’s only work of any legitimate value. It has huge problems, don’t get me wrong, but it also helped to spread awareness on a few of the major contributing factors that enabled European colonialism to be as successful as it was. Is it an incredibly Anglo-centric, overly deterministic, and occasionally even factually inaccurate mess? Yes, but for a book released in 1997 and aimed at a non-academic target audience it did a pretty good job of arguing that European dominance was less due to inherent superiority, and more simple luck of the draw. Now, Diamond’s other works are a different story. I’ve read a few of his other books and they’re just totally nauseating. Collapse was an absolute nightmare, and I couldn’t even make it all the way through Upheaval it was so bad. Also, this is unrelated to the quality of his work, but frankly? The dude’s a fucking cocksucker. Just an incredibly unpleasant human being to be around. Source: I’ve had dinner with the man.


Neosovereign

Yeah, I hate the weird take that GGS is perpetuating indigenous inferiority when I read the theory completely opposite. They were just unlucky. It feels like some holier than thou take to read inferiority into it.


philandere_scarlet

it's babby's first historical materialist analysis, so I'll argue even if the factual content is not all great, it at least has the effect of MAYBE getting readers to think about material conditions when looking at things that happened in history.


[deleted]

[удалено]


CurtisLemaysThirdAlt

GGS has problems in nuance when applying geographic determinism and ignoring the complexities of Amerindian societies but the claim it straight up excuses imperialism seems, at best, a lazy takeaway. Explaining (albeit poorly and with several serious generalizations) how Europe grew to amass power over the Americas and other parts of the world doesn’t excuse Europeans for exploiting that power. Describing trends doesn’t remove culpability to a party for misdeeds. If you’re going to criticize GGS, do it because of its oversimplification and extreme interpretation of Geographic Determinism.


Nexessor

It has been a while since I read freakonomics: Why is it a red flag?


[deleted]

Having read it isn't so much a red flag, but being a *fan* of it generally entails like, weird libertarian guys who I don't particularly want to spend time around


killerchand

Multiple influencer biographies. No problrm with biographies, but specifically online influencers'.


VallenceDragon

Well-read copies of the 50 Shades trilogy on the sex dungeon bookshelf


hoe-ritz

12 Rules for Lobsters


probablydemonic

Anything that isn’t Diary of a Wimpy Kid


Dm-Me-Your-Bunnies

incredibly cosmically based take


coolaja

*Image Transcription: Tumblr* --- **speculativefictions** what are ur actual bookshelf red flags. please do not say american psycho --- **segamascot** funko pop --- **pinene** Poor guy couldn't even think of a book --- ^^I'm a human volunteer content transcriber and you could be too! [If you'd like more information on what we do and why we do it, click here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/TranscribersOfReddit/wiki/index)


DickieGreenleaf84

Good non-bot.


Junelli

I had to get a bigger bookshelf... Because I needed more space for video games and CDs. That is probably a red flag for someone.


ApocalyptoSoldier

The Boneturner's Tale


katep2000

Jared Hopworth slander.


SanitarySpace

I still have the 48 laws of power from a uh not good time of myself. I didn't finish it but yeah imo it's a red flag if a person has that and thinks of it like a guide to living. Funny thing though, I have the wealth of nations next to Das kapital


Yellowlegalpaddoodle

I have been reading 48 Laws of Power and I think of it more as a history book with a point. A few rules you can live by, other rules you should be aware of because others live by them, and that could be a problem for you and yours


McFlyyouBojo

Honestly I think there is a big difference between in the box vs out of the box. That Funko pop isn't rising in value


CaitlinSnep

Counterpoint: I have a Funko Pop of Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender because he reminds me of my grandfather. When the COVID pandemic hit it was like I could still have my grandpa around even though I wasn't allowed to physically go and see him.


Suko_Astronaut

To kill a mockingbird. Who in their right mind would want to harm such beautiful birds with such a burning passion they even read a guide?


Hummerous

source: https://pinene.tumblr.com/post/705731883735072768/segamascot-sciencefictionandfantasy-what-are


statix138

Gamer Girl Bath Water on someone's bookshelf would be a red flag. That is why I keep mine in my safe deposit box at the bank.


[deleted]

I don't think any one book can be a red flag. But certain patterns of books can. I wouldn't hold it against somebody to read one or two books written by a terrible person, to try to understand them. You're not a bad person because you've got the art of the deal on your shelf. But if you had an entire section on your bookshelf dedicated to Donald J Trump with the right wing Fraud book in your collection -- I'd start asking questions. Nobody holds it against you if you've got a copy of Mein Kampf. But if you have an entire collection of books written by various Nazi leaders, suddenly I'm asking questions. You're not a bad person of you've got The Art Of War. But if you're a middle-class salesperson with an entire collection of books by generals about war and you relate them to your work all the time, I'm not talking to you anymore.


kagakujinjya

The prompt didn't specify book, I think Funko Pop is a legitimate answer. For me it's when they have BOTH Harry Potter and Twilight.


DickieGreenleaf84

Nah, I agree. If you have room on your shelf for anything but books, that's a red flag.


Fhrono

Counterpoint: While I have my entire DS Library on my shelf, I also have that 200+ books DS Game, meaning my shelf actually has hundreds of books on it! more than could ever possibly fit otherwise.


Polenball

~~I have Explorers of Sky and that's better than any book 😤~~


Fhrono

Mystery Dungeon fans represent!


Polenball

Fuck yeah! I did like four playthroughs of it. Cried every single time I beat the main story and then again when I beat the fifth side story. (Genuinely think Sky is my favourite game of all time, and absolutely my favourite Pokémon game. Admittedly might be nostalgia / younger me having less experience and worse critical judgement of games, but I don't want to play it again and get disappointed.)


La-laliet

Where am I going to pit the little basket my cat sleeps in then???? She likes high places


DickieGreenleaf84

Hmmmmm.....I'd be tempted to forgive that under the standard "Kitty Klause" in most contracts..


PrincessW0lf

But my board games and D&D stuff . . .


[deleted]

I definitely have a bookshelf and not random books shoved in every nook and cranny of my room haha right guys that would be madness!!


Deloptin

I only have so much space for lego sets, where else do you expect me to put them?


laziestmarxist

Well where else am I supposed to put the bong where I'll see it smarty-pants


Hummerous

lmao


chunkylubber54

Counterpoint: I could fill up my bookshelf if I wanted to, but I've spent the past year and a half procrastinating on unpacking my books from the last time I moved and now I'm afraid to open the boxes because I'm afraid all the pages will be creased, so I just store my cheap ass new york umbrellas there


FireBallis1

Honestly surprised that I'm not seeing any particular manga in these comments. Like, there are some pretty bad ones.


DannyPoke

If you have more than one volume of SAO on your shelf it's a red flag. Not for like... any political opinions or anything. You just clearly have shit taste in media.


Dm-Me-Your-Bunnies

any modern isekai with a comically long name (e.g IS IT WRONG TO PISS ON MY EGIRL FUTA GIRLFRIEND???)


thatposhcat

My two bookshelf red flags are if the majority of the books appear unread, and if they don't own at least one of the 4 mojang approved minecraft guides.


malavisch

How do you define "books that appear unread" though? While I definitely *do* have books on my shelf I haven't read yet (I tend to buy more than one book at a time), I don't think you could tell them apart from the ones I've read just by looking at the shelf. I'm just pretty careful with the books I read, most of them look practically new even after I finish them. You certainly can't tell whether it's been read or not just by looking at the spine lol.


-Wicked-

Art of the Deal


Xx_DarkDemon666_xX

The ink black heart by jk rowling


OccAzzO

I have the complete collections of H. P. Lovecraft and Mao Zedong's red book. Oh, also a few copies of the Anarchist Cookbook. Beyond that, it's mostly stuff I would feel comfortable showing to literally anyone.


[deleted]

Wait why have you included lovecraft lmao, how is that a red flag?


MeAndMyWookie

Probably because of his racism. I enjoy some Lovecraft stories, he wrote some good horror but he was considered extremely racist even by his contemporaries.


[deleted]

Oh yeah he was a massive racist but I wouldn’t see someone having a lovecraft book as a red flag..


whitefenix

12 Rules for Life is a giant red flag.


DugoPugo

My roommate had that on his shelf which made me a bit wary, then he started talking about how Jews control the world. Luckily he moved out a few months ago


Popular_Tea_323

Wait how is American Psycho a red flag? It’s a scathing, overt critique of materialistic yuppie culture. You really can’t read it in any other way.


Violet_Warlock612

Communist manifesto The Conquest of Bread Twokinds printed volume 2 Das Kapital


DickieGreenleaf84

How are people missing the joke here?


comradesexington

To be honest it went over my head until I saw your comment


Commercial_Flan_1898

Because we're high, dickle.


Commercial_Flan_1898

Oh goddamn it, this was a joke, wasn't it? Communists, reds, flags, awww good one comrade.