A Lens Into an Alleged Shooter's Mind? Jared Lee Loughner Targeting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

I think that he is schizophrenic or has a similar disorder. His videos are full of word salad (a classic sign of schizophrenia) which he seems to rationalize by claiming that proper grammar is a mind control conspiracy (mind control conspiracy beliefs are another sign). He attempts to emulate formal logical construction of arguments but the result is so nonsensical and each attempt is so disconnected that it is obvious he does not have a capacity for rational linear thought. The book list seems like simply a selection of required reading from a high school curriculum plus a couple obvious and totally conflicting choices (mein kampf + communist manifesto) to up his non-conformist literate revolutionary cred. I doubt that he has actually read those books. I suspect that the list is pretty much meaningless.

I think the list will mean whatever the person looking at it wants it to mean.

It looks to me like a common list of books read by any college boy who is trying to impress a college girl. What is interesting to me is a few things outside of the book list. Specifically, his odd use of past tense: "My favorite interest was reading, and I studied grammar," and "I had favorite books." It's almost as if he was writing his own obituary.

The other thing that I found interesting was his reference to "conscience dreams." I assume he's referring to Conscious Dreaming. You'd think an English major (he studied grammar, after all) would have realized this.

Looks like a psychotic individual to me.

BTW: The first comment on this thread is spam.....

Thanks - deleted spam.

One thing holds this list together: They are all available inexpensively in used bookstores.

Have to agree with MattK. This list is the list of someone who hasn't particularly read a book since high school or perhaps freshman year at community college. There are no current or even recent titles, and there is such a bizarre range of difficulty - I mean, Wizard of OZ and the Odyssey? And most high school civics classes read excerpts at least from both the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf. Strictly school reading list, nothing more.

Have to agree with MattK. This list is the list of someone who hasn't particularly read a book since high school or perhaps freshman year at community college.

I agree with the readers' comments, in general. The inclusion of "Mein Kampf", however, is chilling, and I am not aware of any schools that would include this on a required reading list. From the news coverage, far more disturbing is this individual's rant against grammar and mind control. Utterly perplexing.

Not a damn thing as I have read most of those books and, to date, have yet to assassinate any political figures.

It's a list of someone consciously defying categorization. My own music preferences would be a tad less coherent.

One thing holds this list together: They are all available inexpensively in used bookstores.