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Will you pay $2,000 to have a kid read 12 books of your selection?
Summer will arrive, and students may have a more difficult time finding a part-time job than in years past. Is there a teenager, maybe even your own child, for which you care for and want to do something to help him or her find a way to make some money this summer? Do you fear the teen is going to spend the entire summer watching youtube videos of bad lip reading, smoking incense, and virtually killing people on XBox? Are you willing to spend as much as $2,000 to try to make the world an incrementally better place, and definitely give the teenager a leg-up in life?
If your answer is yes to these questions, then consider joining me in hedgeless_horseman's Sad Attempt To Keep Unemployed Teens Out of Trouble By Paying The Lazy Punks To Read Something Potentially Worthwhile Summer Scholarship Program.
Here is how it works. First, make a list of a dozen books that you believe are worthwhile for teenagers. Below, is my current list, along with brief explanations of why I believe each book is worthwhile for teenagers.
Second, purchase all of the books to give away. If you want a copy of a book for yourself, then buy an extra. These books are to get the kid started with a library of his or her own. Get real books made out of paper.
Third, place a reward value on each book indicating what you are willing to pay the kid to read it. I do understand this is very co-dependent, sick, sad, and wrong on many levels, but I have decided that I don't really care. Longer and more technical books get a higher reward in my system. However, having a higher reward for the books one feels are most important might also work. In my experience, the total value of all the rewards is a more important number in the eyes of the kid than the value on any one book. They want to know, "what is the value of the entire summer scholarship?"
Fourth, write a short and simple contract for the entire scholarship that includes the list of books and clearly explains the timeframe, rewards, and the fact that the teenager only receives pay after completing a book, holding a lengthy and detailed discussion with you about the book, and possibly passing an oral or written examination.
Finally, present the contract to the teenager for consideration, but do not sell the idea, or negotiate in any way. If he or she decides to pass on the offer, which is okay, then thank him or her for the consideration, and look for another teenager to repeat the proposal.
Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths, P.S. Edition
Bruce Feiler, $ 10.39
In today's world where all sides try to dehumanize the enemy, we should understand that Jews, Christians, and Muslims pray to the same God.
Reward: $ 50.00
Beyond the Yellow Brick Road: Revised
Bob Meehan, $ 20.00
All teenagers are going to be exposed to drugs, most are going to try drugs, many will become addicted, some will want help for themselves or others. This book can help.
Reward: $ 50.00
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Christopher McDougall, $ 10.85
Inspirational, entertaining, and gives the reader all he or she needs to become, and stay, physically fit.
Reward: $ 50.00
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, 10th Anniversary Edition
Daniel Goleman, $ 16.29
In a world where teens must interact with others, it is immensely helpful to have read an Operations Manual for our psyches.
Reward: $ 250.00
Excel 2010 For Dummies, 2010
Greg Harvey, $ 13.70
Understanding Excel is a foundation skill of many 21st Century jobs, appears on most resumes, but actually resides in very few brains.
Reward: $ 150.00
Graham and Dodd's Security Analysis, Fifth Edition
Sidney Cottle, et al, $ 10.00
This one book can put every reader, even a teenager, light years ahead of many, if not most, Wall Street professionals.
Reward: $ 350.00
The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, 5th Edition
G Edward Griffin, $ 24.50
Griffin explains money, banks, and some important history. A must read for everyone in America today.
Reward: $ 200.00
The Double Helix, Annotated and Illustrated 50th Anniv.
James D Watson, $ 17.43
Every kid will gain from this glimpse into real science and the process of discovery.
Reward: $ 50.00
The Elements of Style, 4th Edition
William Strunk, et al, $ 8.26
The book that started me on this sad attempt. We can all improve our writing.
Reward: $ 50.00
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition
Carla Emery, $ 19.77
Especially if one does not live on a farm, it is a good thing to know the how, when, what, and where of providing for ourselves.
Reward: $ 175.00
The Killer Angels: A Novel of the Civil War
Michael Shaara, $ 16.32
An unforgettable illustration of war, and the things we are capable of doing to one another.
Reward: $ 100.00
The Way to Cook
Julia Child, $ 26.00
This is the most aptly titled book on this list. Huge benefits may be reaped from a teenager reading it before moving away from home.
Reward: $ 150.00
That is $ 193 in books and $ 1,625 in incentives, for a total investment of less than $2,000. Should I pay to cause my children to read these 12 books? That is up for discussion in the Zero Hedge comments, below. Will I pay? Yes. Absolutely, I will pay.
Will you pay a kid to read 12 books of your selection?
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All revolutionaries eventually become worse than the group they revolt against. At least that is what Camus thought...and I think historically, it is right way more than not. Atlas Shrugged was culmanation of a lot of Rand's anti-collectivist thought, most of which stemmed from a pretty shitty youth in Russia.
But Rand decided somewhere along the way to be an evangelist...to push people to objectivism rather than let those who found something comforting in her books to just sort of wander along with her. Her was was the right way and it didn't matter how she got people to see her light. Which is basically the opposite of the individualism of objectivism. She went full retard circle...
But that doesn't in any way change the message or the value of Atlas Shrugged...
Perhaps not.
Perhaps they start there.
- Ned
Tell me, how can one write these books, yet insist upon a large centralized state in order to maintain "national security." Seriously?
Gummits don't kill people--COMMIE gummits kill people.
Or as my wife puts it: "You can still be right while being an asshole about it."
Smart girl!
Let them be dumb—life will sort it out...
The Underground History of Education In America
John Taylor Gatto
The Case Against Congress
Drew Pearson and Jack Anderson
Dope, Inc. Britain's Opium War Against The World
The Editors of the Executive Intelligence Report
Economics In One Lesson
Henry Hazlitt
The Road to Serfdom
FA Hayek
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
1984
Orwell
Brave New World
Huxley
The Underground History of Education In America (This book changed my life)
John Taylor Gatto
I would add just about anything by Stefan Molyneaux to the list.
60 bucks for "The Underground History of Education in Amerfica? Fuck that.
Is this any good or similar to it?
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, 10th Anniversary Edition
"The Underground History of Education in Amerfica" is available for free all over the internet, as are the author's lectures/videos.
I own all of his books, and made a donation to fund his documentary several years ago, but sadly I don't know if it will ever get made, as he suffered a stroke recently and is no longer in good health.
Between him and Linda Schrock Taylor, I was finally convinced to overcome my inertia and remove my daughter from the school system.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/taylor/taylor-arch.html
My 13yo just finished The Odyssey and is starting on Tale of Two Cities. Thank goodness I don't have to pay her.
You´re talking about Homerus Odyssey or is there another one? Pardon my ignorance ;) If yes, great choice! I was a big fan of Greek mythology when I was a kid as well.
Tale of two cities was a great read as well by the way.
Tale of Two Cities coming to a city near you!
Yes, having no television, mine are also voracious readers.
However, will you pay to have a kid that is not yours read 12 books of your selection?
Will you pay to have your kid read 12 books of your selection?
Live your children alone - g. carlin.
Pay them to watch citizen kane, george carlin ...
Let us not forget Bill Hicks, and his view on the military. "Aren't you all just a bunch of hired killers?"
Depends on which George Carlin you're talking about. Is it the Carlin at his mid-career peak, telling us "it's all a big club, and you ain't in it!"? In which case, great. Or the crotchety old fuck who thought comedy was him haranguing the audience? ("If you don't hate all republicans like I do, you're just *stupid*!")(pause for dutiful laughter)
its somewhat irrelevant as the US only has one party, not two, he is reffering to the status quo. Its the same party, only the name is different.
True enough. But as I pointed out, Peak Carlin knew that. Old Fuck Carlin did not.
He probably knew it...just tired of repeating it.
However, will you pay to have a kid that is not yours read 12 books of your selection?
fuck no
You might be suprised at just how rewarding this type of charitable activity can be.
Well, h_h, I think it's a tremendous idea, myself, and would certainly volunteer my TIME to assist any endeavor that helps educate young folks, but sadly, I ain't got the ducats for that payment plan.
The list looks pretty strong, too. I can't think of a reasonable objection to any of those works listed.
Well, we still own a TV (several) but when I'm watching them I turn it off many nights. They yammer for about 10 minutes then they grab a book or start drawing/creating their own book (I own a manual saddle-stitch stapler so they look kinda like "real" books with pages you can turn).
Just wondering, for the older kids how did we miss "The Art of War" and "The Prince"? Those are books you have to talk about afterwards, for sure.
I would also suggest at least one of the "classics" in the list. Beowulf (still like it myself!), Shakespeare- but not the obvious Romeo and Juliet- maybe Othello or Julius Caesar. Perhaps some Melville?
(And PLAY CHESS!! Nothing teaches strategy and fore-thought like playing Chess! Plus, you get to be "Morphius" when you win and ask "how did I beat you?")
"The Art of War" -- Sun Tzu.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=sun+tzu&sts=t&tn=%22the...
But (... ahem ...) only the Griffith translation is sufficiently rigorous for real use. Was Sam's PhD. thesis in Chinese Studies at Oxford after he'd retired.
And the actual text itself is straightforward and generally useful.
- Ned
{Griffith is mostly the black cover with the red meatball/jaggies}
If you need to do this, you aren't/didn't do a very good job raising him/her.
This. If the kid doesn't know the value of reading/information/knowledge by age 5, you fucked up as a parent.
Sucking teenagers into contract law... EWW!
Contract law is something that everyone should know something about. In fact, adding a book on contract law to the list isn't such a bad idea.
My Awakening
- David Duke
I have done spmething similar with my grandchildren. We selected the books together and they had to be read in French, English and German.
Hedgeless, you' the man! Great idea!
You made them, they're yours. Don't even try to suck me into your lifetime of tragic blunders.
Excel 2010 is obsolete.
Obsolete? Replaced by what? I think you are incorrect. Eventually all the kids are all our problems.
How many companies update their software everytime a new version comes out? I bet many are still running Office 2007. Heck, there are places that have not upgraded off of Windows XP yet.
Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler
Aurel Kolnai's "The War Against the West" is perhaps the most detailed account of the primitive superstitions of national socialism. A sample of it may be found here:
http://www.savageleft.com/poli/watw-five.html
i really don't get why so many people down voted you..
if you close yourself off to ideas because of what other people tell you, specifically society at large, you miss out on a lot of perspectives. you don't have to agree with anything, or even respect or like something.. it's just information.
Exactly, "Good" and "Bad" is a subjective judgement, based on learned social norms.
What most amazes me about Mein Kampf is he wrote it before he came to power. When one considers all the fucking gems in that hate spiel, that he could use the tactics he laid out and win. Use emotions of people, tell huge lies, etc.
People are that fucking stupid and Germans are above the average in most arenas.
horseman it is a great, great idea. I have bribed kids to read books of my choosinng for many many years. I custom tailor it to the kid though. I think that is important, find the areas where the kid needs info/growth and focus there. Most I paid was $100 . I require a book report, provide questions answered in essay form. I think it is well worth it.
Also sad and pathetic it should come to that but hey, humanity is a fucked cause anyway so no need for platitudes. We are all hypocritical self-serving assholes when it comes right down to it.
Except me.
"propaganda"-Bernays.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=bernays&sts=t&tn=propag...
around 12 bux
- Ned
IF the kids were mature enough to appreciate it...yes...
Don't forget Henry Ford as the only American mentioned. The F in F-150 is for Furher.....
Yea, he recongnized bullshit when he saw it and certain people didn't like that.
The key is teaching them to actually do something, and not necessarily rote memorization of facts, figures and opinions. I beg thee, review How To Profit From The Impending Bursting Of The Education Bubble, pt 2 - "Knowledge How", Replicating Grecian Insolvency & Why Most Diplomas Are Depreciating Assets In Real Terms.
As a full time father of three, I've been there...
It also helps that two of my three children grew up without even knowing TV. I pulled the plug on network, cable and satellite TV in 2003. The oldest just remembers it faintly as a household item. Granted, they get programming from the Internet, but they select what they see versus having it pushed to them. That in and of itself creates a whole different reality.
I agree, RM. New idea, take your kids to your local hardware store. Tell them that they can get a gas or a push mower, and any money they make with it they keep. They pay for the gas though. Margins, margins, margins.
I find my two youngest have a big problem with the concept of margin, profit and revenue. They actually thinkrevenue = take home profit. Oh... Wait a minute, that was my wife and the broker that rec'd Apple till $1,000!
Wait, you're married?
REMINISCENCES OF A STOCK OPERATOR
Jesse Livermore, $0.00
Understanding how manipulation is performed http://www.allofapiece.com/ventures/Edwin_Lefevre_reminiscences_of_a_sto...
Reward: 10 ozt Ag
Are you my mother?
P D Eastman, $8.99
Introduces the young learner to the age-old questions of genetic authorship, patents on organism, raising-a-child-by-taking-a-village, and end-of-life arrangements. Warning: contains some big words; also, some of the pictures are not on pages with words.
Reward: $100