After we had finished at the now-destroyed shop, Kikyou and I parted ways. She was off to see a new movie with some friends, and so I headed back to my room with a 3000-point gift card in hand.
Nothing else had come up, and so I had nothing to do with my time but wait for the next semester to start.
As expected, the rest of the day passed in a rather uneventful manner. Holed up alone in my room, I smashed through a book I hadn't had a chance to read before, Atlas Shrugged.
It was a fascinating book to read, especially since it hadn't been included in the White Room's literature, which was both parts surprising and expected.
Atlas Shrugged was written around the philosophical system of Objectivism, created by the author, a philosophy that may seem radical to some. The system, and the story written to present the idea, focuses very heavily on the strength of the individual, and resistance to any over governing body, or even the rejection of the collective. Objectivism emphasises the individual as the most important individual, which is why it was so contradictory to the White Room.
That place had been created to prove that anyone could be raised as a genius, as a superior human, no matter their origins, a theory where everyone would work to make a stronger society, directly in conflict with Objectivism. The White Room presents humans as all equal in the beginning, and the benefit of the system they were developing to work for the beterment of society, directly in contrast to the view of Ayn Rand.
And yet, during the training, the instructors and that man only cared about the best, emphasising competition, and the strength of the individual. Each student was taught to fight for themselves, to work to improve themselves to beat those around them and become the best.
They trained us, raised us to focus on the individual, while using that data to devise a method of improving education for the collective.
The novel was also very heavily anti-government, something heavily frowned upon. The order to society was an important aspect in that place, and such a radical work would go directly against that line of thinking.
I wasn't at all surprised that works presenting this philosophy weren't present in the available literature.
Of course, I wasn't sure if I believed in Objectivism myself. The ideology was inherently selfish, to incite each person to work exclusively for themselves, putting their own desires above others. Whether that was wrong, I wasn't sure. Selfish, yes, absolutely, it was the definition of selfish. According to society, being selfish is a negative trait, as we are incentivised to work as a collective, which involves working for other people, but of course, it was entirely possible that society was wrong.
Who's to say that one way of thinking is really better than any other.
Rand described Objectivism as the concept of a man with "his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life". It may be selfish, but can it truly be wrong to work for your own happiness, to make that the main goal of your life? Many people would claim that utilitarianism, the desire for the result that contains the most 'good' is the best decision making framework, and simultaneously say that working for your own good primarily is the wrong decision.
People can work their whole lives for the betterment of others, and that's selfless, but to choose yourself over other people is selfish, and we humans have arbitrarily decided one is better than the other.
Of course, there is evidence, where working for the collective does provide more benefit, but humans are naturally selfish. The tendency of animals is to work for themselves, as a survival instinct, and that isn't something we have lost.
I suppose in the end, like all ideologies and philosophical systems, they are inherently flawed. Due to human nature none can be followed. There's nothing wrong with being selfish, with prioritising yourself, as long as it isn't done at the detriment of others. And it is arguable that choosing yourself is always detrimental, yet the line must exist at some point, or the world would be full of people without any sense of self-preservation, giving so much they forget to care for themselves.
That was reminiscent of the Abnegation in the children's series Divergent. The balance of good amounts of selfishness was the dividing factor. And that was something that people would never agree on.
The conclusion I drew from finishing the book?
The individual is selfish, and prioritising yourself comes at the detriment of others, but to rely on others makes you weak.
Also, that it's a work of fiction, and everything should be taken with a grain of salt. There's no system that pleases everyone, after all.
I considered asking Sakayanagi for her opinion. I was sure she would have some fascinating insights, but it was already late at night, so it would have to be another day.
The lateness of the hour was what made it surprising when I received an invitation to meet the next day. It seemed that Manabu had things he wanted to discuss with me.
There were a myriad of possibilities for the topic of our meeting, so there was no sense attempting to determine it now. Besides, I hadn't had a good game of chess in ages.
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The next day I made my way to school, just before the time we had agreed to meet. As expected, there was no one around. You had to wear your school uniform to be on the grounds, even on the holidays, and since there was no reason for anyone to be here, there was no reason to get changed, and hence no one to disturb my upcoming meeting.
It had been a while since I last saw the president, not since the trial towards the end of the first semester. He was definitely one of the best students in the school, and I enjoyed his company. If anything, he at least possessed enough rationality to be able to speak on a reasonable level, something most of my grade lacked.
"It's so hot..."
Unlike yesterday, the air was burning, the previous breeze nowhere to be found. The sun was beating down on me, not in the warm relaxing way of the previous day, but in a brutal, uncaring fire.
I could feel myself sweating slightly in the long-sleeved winter uniform, and so I increased my pace, desperate to reach the airconditioned student council room as fast as possible.
Entering the building, the hallways stretched out before me, an eerie silence only broken by the echo of my feet on the floor. It was disturbing, to say the least, to see the usually busy building so empty, so devoid of life. Rooms that should be full of students empty.
If it wasn't so hot, I'd probably come here to relax. The roof had the perfect spot to hang my hammock.
Reaching the door to the student council, I could feel the cold air from the room whispering out from under the door. It seemed even the president had no intention of withstanding the heat.
I knocked on the door, and waited, only for it to be opened by a purple-haired little soldier.
"You! What are you doing here? This is a special meeting room dedicated to the power of the student council."
Tachibana Akane, the student council secretary, was the one to open the door. Before I could reply however, I heard a voice coming from inside the room.
"Let him in Tachibana, I invited him here."
At the sound of the presidents voice, she paled slightly, before jumping back into gear. "Yes, President!" she managed to squeak out, opening the door fully to let me in, while simultaneously shooting me a dirty look. I really had gotten on her bad side somehow.
Walking in, I found Manabu sitting at his desk, a pile of papers at his side. That, however, was the only similarity to how the room had been the last time I was here. Looking around, it was clear that some changes had been made over the break.
"You've redecorated," I noted. After considering how it looked and felt, I added "I don't like it."
"I'm not overly fond of it myself, but functionally it's an improvement." I suppose that was what mattered the most. An efficient student council was better than a flashy but useless one. "Please, take a seat."
Manabu had gestured to the seat at the nearby table, getting up from his desk and moving towards it himself. Following his lead, I took a seat opposite him, relaxing in the leather of the couch. Tachibana took up her position standing behind him, although from my sitting position I could barely see the top of her head from behind the couch.
It was cute, she was acting like a protective sibling to her big brother. I couldn't help but find it amusing.
"I was surprised to get your message."
"Yes, well I thought we had much to discuss. Tachibana, would you mind getting us some tea?" He directed the last question towards Tachibana.
"A-are you sure, President? I don't think I should leave you alone with this kouhai. He's got a nasty look on his face."
"I'll be fine, Tachibana. Please get us some tea." Manabu spoke as if he was tired of her overprotectiveness, but there was a sparkle in his eye, and instinctively I knew he was fond of their relationship, whatever it may be.
So, this was the weakness of the Student Council President.
After receiving his reassurances, the secretary jumped up, saluting him, and ran off towards the small kitchen in a side room. Once she was gone, Manabu turned back to me, a serious expression on his face.
"Thank you for coming, Ayanokouji. I didn't want to have to track you to your dorm room."
"It's not a bother. I didn't have plans anyway."
The president gave me a searching look, trying to determine the validity of my words. The trouble was, most of my actions seemed sporadic, and there was no discernible pattern between when I had plans and when I didn't. He had no choice but to take my word, leaning back slightly in resignation.
While there was nothing wrong with not having plans, he was right to be suspicious. In his position at school, there was always a benefit to being his friend, always something people could gain from an interaction. Even though he had invited me, he was naturally cautious of what I expected to get out of this meeting.
But my goal was simply to pass the time.
"Would you care for another game of chess?" After I inclined my head slightly, he got up and made his way over to a nearby cabinet, pulling out a beautiful marble chess set. "I had the opportunity to meet Sakayanagi-san of Class 1-A over the break."
"Oh?" Of course I already knew this, but I wanted to know his opinion.
"A brilliant girl, far beyond myself. And her chess skills are near perfection."
"So I've heard."
He gave me a searching look, but I gave nothing away. "She recommended I play a game with you."
"I'm honoured to have her recommendation." That was no lie. Sakayanagi was brilliant, and I valued her opinion very highly. If she said someone was smart, or worth her time, then they probably were.
"I wasn't aware the two of you were close."
"We're not. I've never played against her once." This was something I would like to remedy in the near future. Chess was an enjoyable past time, especially against a strong opponent. "Although I'm surprised you keep track of things like that."
"It's the president's job to keep an eye on everyone, particularly the shining stars of each grade."
He wore a guarded expression with these words, and for good reason. While they weren't wrong, his actions went beyond that. There was no way he could keep an eye on students to that degree, particularly ones from another year level.
He would also be thinking about the relationship between Sakayanagi and I. I had given away the fact that we had never played chess before, yet she knew my capabilities already. It would be foolish for her to recommend me if she had no idea of my true talents, as that could reflect badly on her, so the possibility emerged that we had a history prior to this school.
While we were speaking, and setting up the pieces on the chess board, Tachibana had returned with the tea, placing a teacup before Manabu, herself and I, and pouring the teapot out into the three cups.
"Thank you, Tachibana." She flushed a little at Manabu's kindness, before returning to her usual act of glaring at me.
"Are you sure this is safe for me to drink?" I questioned Manabu. I wouldn't put it past Tachibana to poison my drink.
"Wh-what an incredibly rude first-year student!" Tachibana stammered.
"Please, feel comfortable drinking it. We have no intention to poison you," Manabu sighed. It seemed that the overprotectiveness of the secretary could be too much even for him at times.
I took a cautious sip of the tea, before determining that if it was poisoned, there was no way for me to tell. Besides, I found it unlikely that she had managed to acquire poison on the school grounds.
Unless the short purplette had a past life as an assassin, I didn't think I had anything to fear.
"Shall we play?"
"Fine. I'm happy to have the black pieces." Normally, white held the advantage simply by the ability to move first, but in order to balance the game, I wanted to handicap myself with black. It would, at least, create a more equal game.
Before we could begin however, there was a knock on the door.
Manabu glanced at Tachibana, who quickly got up and went to the door. I was surprised that someone else was here, since there shouldn't have been a reason to meet with the council unannounced, and I didn't think that Manabu would have scheduled a meeting at the same time as mine.
But to my surprise, Tachibana opened the door to the bald ex-leader of Class A. Katsuragi was here to see the student council, with the gift I had seen him purchase the other day in his hand. And suddenly everything made sense.
"Pardon the intrusion. I didn't realise you had company."
"It's no trouble. I heard you stopped by yesterday. The day before as well. We were absent because the room was being renovated. I apologise." Manabu, ever the gracious man, accepted Katsuragi's intrusion.
"Oh no, it's quite all right. It's summer vacation. The fault is mine. However, I'm glad to meet with you today. I was afraid I'd have to go directly to your dormitory to find you. I came to you with a request."
"Very well. What is it you wanted to ask?" Surprisingly, Manabu didn't ask me to leave, or ask Katsuragi to come back another time. He seemed perfectly comfortable with allowing me to listen into what could potentially be a very personal matter."
Katsuragi too seemed surprised by this, giving me a suspicious look as he spoke. Clearly he hadn't expected an audience for his meeting. "If possible, I would prefer to do this in private," he requested, obviously inclining his head towards myself. In response, I took a sip of my tea, before answering his question.
"Don't concern yourself with my presence. It's already obvious that you intend to send a gift to your sister."
All three occupants of the room looked shocked at my deduction, particularly Katsuragi. It was unrealistic for a normal person to figure something like that out, so I wasn't surprised at their reactions.
"How did you..."
"It was just a guess but thank you for the confirmation. Yesterday, you purchased a gift from a popular store in the mall. I was there for the exact same reason and happened to see you. The easiest conclusion would be you intended to get it for someone in our grade, but the only upcoming birthdays are yours and Inogashira from my class, someone I'm confident you aren't close to.
"It's entirely possible that you intended it for an upperclassman, but in that case you wouldn't be here today. There's no reason to see the student council, particularly holding the gift in question, if you don't intend to do something questionable. Clearly you want to send it to someone outside of the school.
"I find it unlikely that you would be willing to violate the no contact rule unless it was absolutely necessary, meaning that they probably have no one else close to them but you. A single person alone then, someone you don't want to be forgotten on their birthday. The gift you have is distinctly feminine, so it becomes much more likely that it's either your mother or a sister. Considering that it's also your birthday, I'd favour the idea that it's your twin."
"Incredible..."
Even Manabu was impressed with my deductions. There were a few leaps in logic, but I was rather confident in my conclusion. Katsuragi's reaction was the final proof that I was correct.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you managed to deduce that. Once again, I must commend your ability to rationalise, Ayanokouji. But yes, I'd like to send a package and message to my family off-campus. Of course, I don't expect a reply"
He turned his attention back towards Manabu, asking the important question, asking for permission for one-sided communication.
"Even if communication is one-sided, it's still not permitted," the president replied, in a very professional manner.
However, Katsuragi wouldn't have come to the student council room if he could be discouraged that easily. "I heard that the rules about cutting off contact don't apply to packages. Surely, if what is sent doesn't include any text, information, or communication, that wouldn't break the rules, would it?"
"The rules prohibit it. The restrictions exist for a reason. When the school was founded, the rules weren't quite as strict as they are now," Manabu explained. He looked at Secretary Tachibana and nodded.
"It's just as the president says. Originally, shipping a package would've been permitted. However, several students broke their promises. They hid letters in their packages without first seeking permission. So, such contact is now completely banned," she said.
I wasn't surprised that students had attempted this. Of course, whenever boundaries are set, people will always try to push them.
"And there you have it," added Manabu, dashing Katsuragi's hopes with complete and utter rejection.
Katsuragi wasn't ready to back down. He immediately reassessed the situation and composed himself.
"I must ask you once again. Please allow me to request direct shipping at the store itself. I will pay for the package to be sent to an address of my choosing, and nothing else. I won't even touch the item. Under those restrictions, there's no way for me to commit fraud."
"But that still violates the rules—"
"Violates the rules? This school is all about fostering one's abilities. I've heard that you can do anything, with enough points. You can buy test scores, or even trade with other students. Points have many uses. Am I wrong?" he asked.
"That makes things slightly different." Katsuragi's words changed Horikita's brother's attitude. "However, I must make one correction to your theory. The point system is not all-powerful. It's certainly possible to use points to buy test scores or barter with other students, but those things are never explicitly mentioned in the rules. The things that are explicitly prohibited can't be easily altered using points. Without the school's permission, it's just impossible," Manabu explained.
"Well, that's odd. If that's true, the rules are full of holes."
"There's nothing odd. The school purposefully made rules that allow for loopholes," Manabu responded immediately, as if this were easy to understand.
Of course, there was a loophole in this rule as well, but Katsuragi didn't seem to notice it. The difference between the ex-leader of Class 1-A and the third-year president was stark.
"So, you're saying that there's nothing I can do?" asked Katsuragi.
"Correct. If school rules forbid something, you cannot circumvent them, even with points."
Katsuragi had probably been prepared to spend a large sum, but this looked like the end of the line.
"If you're finished, please leave."
"I see. I understand. Well then, if you'll please excuse me."
He gave me a nod, before bowing and quickly left the room. Once he was gone, Manabu returned his attention to me, and the unplayed chess game before us. During the conversation, I had slowly been drinking my tea, and so before we resumed our conversation, I refilled my cup, and took another sip of the delicious drink Tachibana had provided us.
"I apologise for the interruption."
"Being the president must be very busy," I noted.
"Indeed. Now, would you mind?" Manabu made a move, starting with the queens pawn, before gesturing to me to play.
I responded with the Indian's defence, Nf6, something I had been experimenting with against computers in my spare time. D4 games were my favourite positions, as they favour slow positional games, instead of the aggressive positions that came from 1.e4.
"I heard about the results of the island. Very impressive." The president played c4, but my mind was already away from the game in front of me, contemplating where this conversation was going.
"I'm surprised you have that much pull."
"You should be careful, Ayanokouji. I may be the only one who knows the details of the exam, but the class points are public knowledge. Eyes are turning to your class already, it's unheard of for Class D to perform so well in both exams."
I hadn't been aware that other grades could see our points, but it wasn't a huge surprise. Cross-grade friendships weren't a problem, and rumours would start to spread through the upper years. It seemed I would have to be on guard sooner than I thought.
"Is there anything in particular you're worried about? All of this could have been said over the phone."
"I received a report that my sister was injured. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?" I couldn't be sure how much the president had been told, or what the school even knew. Honestly was the best strategy here, after a delayal.
"I'm surprised you care. I thought you were happy to let her walk her own path to failure."
"That may be true, but she is still my sister. While I'm not going to assist her in any way, I'm still interested in her safety." I wasn't sure how much of that was garbage.
"It was always the plan to have her retire out of injury. The situation got out of hand." It wasn't wrong, just an abridged version of the story.
"I see."
The game continued in a comfortable silence, until eventually Manabu blundered a six-move sequence and lost his white-square bishop, a death sentence in the Catalan.
"It's my loss. There's no sense continuing this game." A gracious resignation. It would be demeaning for him to insist on continued play down a piece, an action tantamount to suggesting he expected me to blunder worse than that.
"It was a good game. It's not often I have to focus so heavily." It hadn't been overly challenging, but Manabu was certainly far better than the average player.
"You and Sakayanagi are both exceptionally talented. I wouldn't want to pick between the two of you the better player."
I was confident I was better than Sakayanagi, but for someone who simply wasn't on our level, it was difficult to tell the difference. The disparity in our skill was minute I assumed, based on Manabu's words, but it was impossible for someone to tell apart two players far beyond the observer.
"I'm sure I'll have the opportunity to play her at some point."
It had been a good way to spend time avoiding the heat, but I was sure there was more to this meeting. Manabu wasn't one to waste time pointlessly.
"Join the student council."
I hadn't been expecting that.
Tachibana's eyes widened in shock. "P-President?" she stammered. "There's no need for this delinquent to be on the student council."
"On the contrary, I've determined him to be completely qualified for the position of Vice President."
That was an even bigger responsibility than I had expected. It was strange for the president to be offering such an important role to a first year, let alone such a controversial one as myself.
"N-no, no no no, President! That's impossible...! There's no way Nagumo-kun would permit something like that," Secretary Tachibana interjected.
Oh. Tachibana's slip made the situation much clearer.
"I have to turn down your offer—
"And on top of that he just refuses!" wailed Tachibana.
"For now." I finished. Taking a place on the student council right now would be detrimental to my position in the grade.
"So you might reconsider in the future then?" Manabu inquired.
"It's not out of the question. There are certainly a lot of benefits of being on the Student Council, and you seem to have a huge amount of power." I couldn't immediately reject the offer. The position was an enviable one, for good reason. The only downsides right now were the attention it would bring.
"I must correct one misconception you have. The student council itself has no power. The abilities of the person seated at the top are paramount."
He was basically complimenting himself, although it wasn't unwarranted. What he meant was that the student council was only as capable as the students on it. They wouldn't be given unlimited opportunities and resources, but a student who could use what they were given properly was what gave it power.
"I'm surprised you're asking me for this. There are plenty of other capable students in my grade."
Manabu didn't answer immediately, instead leaning back in his chair pondering how to answer.
"I don't know that this is for me to say, but starting next year, the school will change dramatically. Not for the better. When the time comes, I'll need the power to combat that change. It might already be too late. The need grows stronger every day."
"President, you're talking about what'll happen when Nagumo-kun is elected president, right? I can't imagine he'd change the school that much for the worse," Tachibana said.
"You clearly haven't been listening to the school Tachibana." She glared at my impudence, but I continued. "Nagumo is powerful and dangerous. I can see why you would want to put a stop to him"
"Actually, Ayanokouji, you weren't my first choice."
"Oh?" That was unexpected.
"I would have preferred Ichinose to take my place. She's competent enough, and has the right attitude, but Nagumo sank his claws into her too quickly."
That was something I had noticed as well. Ichinose had very quickly become Nagumo's pet, a development I wasn't happy with.
"I've been doing my best to disillusion her of him."
"I'm well aware. You've been making good progress, but I don't believe it's enough. Out of the other students in your grade, I would be loath to put Ryuuen into power, and Sakayanagi already turned me down, citing her disability, although I don't believe that for a second"
It struck me as strange too, that Sakayanagi would turn down the vice president position. I had no clue to her reasons, but I suppose that didn't matter right now.
"What about the second years? Surely they can't all be controlled by him." That seemed unrealistic, even for someone as capable as Nagumo.
"No, there are certainly students who haven't given into him yet, but none of them are capable of restricting him."
"And so you're left with me." It seemed I was the result of a process of elimination.
"I'm going to be frank, Ayanokouji. I don't trust you. You're a dangerous unknown, and I'm reluctant to give you this opportunity."
I took another sip of tea. "Are you that concerned about Nagumo?"
"Consider it the lesser of two evils. Nagumo will change the school drastically for the worse, and you're the only person I think is capable of stopping him."
This conversation had quickly become very serious. Manabu was discussing the fate of the school without him, how it would look within a year, or even less. And despite his lack of trust in me, his suspicions about my actions and goals, he still found me a more desirable alternative to Nagumo.
"Do you really think I have any interest in stopping him? Nagumo could make this school much more interesting."
"I think you will. Nagumo never got over the slight at being placed in Class B. He wants to make this school into a meritocracy, where class placement doesn't matter. At the very least, I think you still believe in the class competition."
Based on the results from the exams, that was clear. I was enjoying the competition. A meritocratic school would end up being very boring, having no competition. The handicap from having to manipulate an entire class made life much more interesting.
"As expected, the President understands the situation. I won't become the Vice President, at least not yet, but I will work to hinder Nagumo. You're right in us having a common enemy."
"I'm glad to hear that we are on the same page. You might not care, but I worry about the state of the school once I'm gone. I've put a lot of work in, and it would be a shame to see the foundations of this institute torn down."
That at least, I agreed with. It would be a shame to see this school destroyed in the way Nagumo wanted it to be. Individual competition was so common, it was a breath of fresh air for the first time in my life to be competing as a group.
Recognising that was all Manabu had to discuss with me, I got up and prepared to leave. An entire hour had flown by while I was here, and the heat of the day should have somewhat subsided.
Before I left however, I turned back to Manabu, curious for his opinion.
"You didn't tell Katsuragi it was possible to send a package."
"That would be against the school rules." As expected Manabu avoided answering the question.
"You yourself have proven that as long as the school doesn't know, it's possible to get away with anything. It would have been easy for you to send his package."
"Unfortunately for Katsuragi, he didn't realise this. Besides, you didn't mention it either."
"I suppose I didn't."
I had no intention of getting mixed up with Katsuragi's gift, an incident which could potentially get me expelled. His sister would simply have to go without, or he would have to find another way of sending it.
"Good luck next semester, Ayanokouji. I can't tell you anything but be careful."
It seemed school was going to become much more interesting. As I left the school and headed back to my dorm, I pondered the conversation I had just had.
Nagumo was a concern, both for the President and myself. I wasn't overly worried about his changes to the school, since a meritocracy wouldn't have any threat to my presence here, but the fact that other grades had heard about our results was worrisome. Nagumo had made it very clear that he wanted to challenge me, as someone he found interesting, through his insecure desire to prove his own superiority. And Manabu was confident this would happen sooner rather than later.
I guess I'll just wait and find out.
Authors Notes:
So, a bit less fun than the last chapter, some serious content. In the LN Manabu has a very high opinion of Ayanokouji, something not shared in this fic. If Ichinose can figure out there was something sus with the trial, then Manabu definitely can. He simply is going with the least worse option.
Poor Katsuragi sister isn't getting a present, at least not with Ayanokouji's help. It seems too risky for him, especially since he has no reason to help out. He's not as close to Sudou, and hence doesn't know about the basketball tournament, or whatever.
In regards to the first part of the chapter on Atlas Shrugged. I finally got a chance to read it, and i would tentatively recommend it. Firstly, it's by no means an easy book to read. it isn't a light novel you can cruise through quickly, it does take some effort to read. That said, I quite enjoyed it. I wanted to explore Ayanokouji's opinion on it, and eventually that just derailed into a philosophical debate with himself, which was also super fun to write.
A warning to anyone who is starting to read more advanced or complex books, with basis in political or psychological theory: remember that they are books. It's very easy to get caught up in the message of the story, like in this one, and forget that the author has an objective, they have a bias, and the novel is designed to make an argument. 1984, for example, is designed to show totalitarianism in a negative light. I'm not saying i think it's good, but you need to remember that everything has a bias. There are quite a few younger readers on this site who might be getting more into advanced or complex books, and this is an important thing to keep in mind. It's fine to enjoy books, especially ones that present a theory, but they need to be viewed through an objective lens. Not saying don't read stuff, just be cautious the further down the rabbit hole you go.
Atlas Shrugged presents ideas that I somewhat subscribe to but many people would consider quite radical. Everyone has a different opinion, and just because something is printed and published doesn't mean what it says is an absolute truth.
Just some advice I've picked up from years of reading a lot. As a bookworm i was always reading stuff, and got to books like this at a much younger age than most people, and admittedly, that did affect my understanding of the world.
DON'T ABSORB BOOK THEORIES LIKE PERSONALITIES IT FUCKS YOU UP. A warning from experience. Read lots of books, from a wide range of media and political standing if you do, don't stick to one concept, but be critical. That's the best advice i can give.
That said, hope you enjoyed!