Sorry, my post may have come across as a little overly critical. It's a book with a lucid and eminently readable style, his points are largely clear and convincing - I think the fault may be mine in having expectations that were too high. I had hoped for something that would give me fresh perspective and so far it hasn't really done that all that much, I suppose I should be pleased that it's providing support for ideas I already had/have in some regards. He has found some very apt and pleasing quotations also in support of his contentions which I'm enjoying no end.
You're entirely entitled to your own opinions, I didn't think it was overly critical at all, I understood where you were coming from. As you can probably tell (even if we take the characters on these boards as a cross-section) many people are completely oblivious to the confliction.
I honestly think you may enjoy these works:
Essays in Love (describes one of his love-affairs from start to finish; nothing spelled out, but there's food for thought there),
How Proust Can Change Your Life (A very interesting look into the life of Marcel Proust), and
Consolations of Philosophy (similar set-up to
Status Anxiety although a little more practical. A very provoking book full of ideas).
I currently tried to read
Architechture of Happiness but put it down half way through and began reading the above thriller as I wasn't in the mood. The book in my opinion, is a little more dry than his others. I'll re-read it when I go through my next 'need facts' phase. Quite content reading some fictional works at present!
I read The Davinci Code and quite enjoyed it for the action thriller it was. But after reading digital fortress I will probably never read another of his books. One of the few books I have finished and was actually angry at the author for a lame ending.
Yeah, the ending was a little... obvious. Give
Deception Point a read. I enjoyed that much more than
Digital Fortress. The books are pretty much page-turners (as you know), so not much lost if you find you don't enjoy it!
I'll let you know what I make of his
Lost Symbol book once I've read it.
