BOOKS ON THE ROCKS

WEDNESDAYS 6.00 – 6.30

BY GABRIEL S. ZIMMERER

Busy, exhausted, stressed – and the list of books that you’ve always wanted to read, but never found the time to do so, ever-growing?

There is hope.

With the right drink in your hand and some inspirational input from Oxide Radio you will soon find that every text opens its doors to you when put on the rocks. Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’ – crucial, but boring? Add a twist to your Gin&Tonic and you will fly with the Galápagos finches. Marx’s ‘Capital’ – always wanted, never could? Some strong tea from a Russian samovar will make it a page-turner. Freud’s ‘Interpretation of Dreams’ – tempting, but outdated? Surely not with the right dark-bitter-sweetness of an Old Fashioned. So take your book, put it on the rocks, and feel time stand still for half an hour...

We will do the rest.

EPISODE ONE : Darwin, the origin of species, and gin & tonic

In our first episode, we are exploring Darwin`s masterpiece On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1959) and the story behind the highball Gin & Tonic. Hence, two classics that you think you know a bit - but that will surprise you nevertheless, once you dive deeper.

EPISODE TWO : FREUD, THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS, AND COFFEE

In our second episode, we are following Freud’s dreamland walk ‘The Interpretations of Dreams’ (1899). This leads us straight to the fin-de-siècle of a long lost Vienna providing artists and intellectuals with the fuel of the soul: Coffee. Let’s uncover the unconscious forces of both…

EPISODE THREE : MARX, CAPITAL, AND MARGARITAS

In our third episode, we are taking on the challenge of reading ‘Capital’ (1867). Why is Marx still alive, when so many of the historical attempts to adapt him have failed? We will see that the answer is all about the perfect balance - just as with Margaritas…

episode four : nietzsche, thus spoke zarathustra, and huangjiu

In our fourth episode, we are wandering into Nietzsche’s dark cave ‘Thus spoke Zarathustra’ (1885). A text so essential, so original that you have to experience it more than you have to understand it. To get into the right spiritual vibe, an old Chinese secret will help you…

EPISODE FIVE : EINSTEIN, ANNUS MIRABILIS PAPERS, AND CHAMPAGNE

In our fifth episode, we are star gazing with Einstein in his ‘Annus Mirabilis Papers’ (1905). A scientific classic for sure, but have you ever dared read it? Enter the world of champions with a glass of champagne in your hand…

EPISODE six : aristotle, nicomachean ethics & wine from central asia

In our sixth episode, we are discovering the virtues of Aristotle’s ‘Nicomachean Ethics’ (4th Century BC). A books written for his son, full of clarity and wisdom. There is lot to discover as you try wine from regions of a forgotten, but wonderful world…