>
drneutron We're actually just starting a group read of it, the first thread is
here. We're going for a pace of a chapter a week, so if you feel like re-reading it (or just participating in the discussion), you should jump in!
Great! I'll definitely jump in...
Family and Kinship in East London - an old Pelican book which is just wonderful, contrasting life in the real inner city with those who have moved onto the new housing estates outside London.
Also
Pippa Funnell's autobiography, which is less interesting than I'd hoped - a list of events and horses more than an actual story...
Message edited by its author, Apr 1, 2008, 6:06pm.
Last night I finished
The Purpose of the Past and started The Rest is Noise, that is to say I read the preface. The Rest is Noise has good heft for a $35 book.
I am hoping, perhaps foolishly, that my Early Review opera book will arrive today.
Robert
Message edited by its author, Apr 1, 2008, 5:07pm.
This message has been deleted by its author.
I'm reading
Your Inner Fish by
Neil Shubin which is very good. Dude, not only was your great-great grandfather a monkey but your great-great-great-great grandfather was a damn fish. Actually, some of the DNA work now being done is fascinating. Good stuff.
I saw
Neil Shubin on The Colbert Report and heard him on NPR talking about his book. It looks really interesting.
About 2/3 of the way through
Augustus. I'm enjoying his more factual takes on some of the legends of the time, especially the death of Cleopatra.
I've been kind of a literary hobo in the last couple months. I am currently working on so many books that I am finding it hard to make progress in many of them. I've also purchased at least 20 new books and requested at least that many from the library in the last three months, so I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the richness of my TBR pile.
I'm currently cycling between the following books:
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by
Harriet A. Washington (NF), which is a fascinating and disturbing book that requires frequent breaks.
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes -
Thomas Cathcart &
Daniel Klein (NF), a funny and light read but its not really grabbing me. The jokes are actually not that funny and the explanation of philosophy not really that deep. Its good for reading during downtime at work, I guess.
The Making of Victorian Values: Decency and Dissent in Britain: 1789-1837 -
Ben Wilson (NF), which is starting to become the bane of my existence. I really WANT to read this book, but I am having so much trouble getting into it.
The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen - edited by Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster (essay anthology), which I am dipping into as the spirit catches me.
I also have
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs, which I am really interested in reading, but it came available at the library at a bad time after I waited on a HUGE waitlist for it. So I feel pressure to read it now because I know I can't renew it.
I've also got two fiction things going on -
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak and
The Night in Question: Stories by Tobias Wolff that I am dipping into every once in a while. And a whole slew of other new purchases and holds from the library. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I also love having so much to choose from. I think I will try to attack the books I am unlikely to be able to renew first and then go on a severely restricted diet of no new purchases and very few library holds while I try to dig out from my TBR pile.
as of today, i have the following going (expecting to add when a few new ones arrive next week):
The Origin of Wealth by Eric D. Beinhocker
Perfect Hostage by Justin Wintle (a just released book on Aung San Suu Kyi)
How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker
24 - ooh, was there a film of that? I loved the book, read it a while ago.
Tolkien book looks good, too, one more to add to my wish list!
I'm very interested in reading about Napoleon. Does anyone have any suggestions on which biography is best?
Thanks..
Yeah, I really liked the Intro to
Justinian's Flea, and then somewhere along the line, I've lost track of all the players between the numerous emperors, various goth tribes, and who has power and who has lost it. I may have to go back to pick up the thread again since I've had to put it down for a bit.
The eastern Roman / Byzantine empire is something I thought I knew more about that I actually do - as evidenced by my utter confusion of who's who.
I've seen a couple people reading
Ghost Map and the cover loooked really cool - am glad to hear a good review about it, and will add to TBR, once I pick myself up from all the scientific philosophy and history I have to cram for.
Add me to the list of people who like
Ghost Map. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am working my way
verrrry slowly through
A People's History of the United States. It's fabulous, but I'm not in the mood for it in a concentrated dose so I just read a chapter now and then.
But last night I started Barbara Kingsolver's
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which is inspiring after just one chapter. I've already decided to scout out our local farm markets this weekend!
I've going to pick up
Voltaire's Bastards from the library tomorrow when I return some due books.
I've been working my way slowly through
A Year in the World by
Frances Mayes. I love the way she writes, but I can't stay with it for long stretches at a time, so I just read it for a about half an hour at bedtime. Then I got to sleep and dream about exotic places.
Just picked up
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson from the library after being on a very long waiting list.
Message edited by its author, Apr 9, 2008, 9:29pm.
Today I finished
Deep Ancestry, a short overview of National Geographic's genetics project.
I had a friend suggest I read
Shadow of the Silk, since I liked Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu by
Laurence Bergreen it is about his travels on the silk road (or route) and his experiences with the Mongolian Empire, Genghis Khan, and the treasures he brought back to Venice from the more advance Chinese culture. A very exciting read.
So, let me know how you like the book when you are done....
Message edited by its author, Apr 10, 2008, 12:29am.
Just started
You said what?. It's a light, but amusing, collection of big lies and propaganda told throughout history (heavy emphasis on American history). Politicians feature prominently, as one might expect. 8^}
#34 & 41 --
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a wonderful book! I read it,
The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food (both by Michael Pollan)in a fairly short time period -- all very thought-provoking, inspiring books about food and our (all too often broken) relationship with it.
I am currently reading
Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton by Diane Wood Middlebrook on the trolley. I'm very engaged by it although I don't feel like Middlebrook is properly equipped to interpret the subtleties of Depression-era gender and GLBTQ experiences. Nonetheless, it is a very interesting bio.
In the meantime,
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life is still being neglected on my bedside table.
>44: FionaCat, I've heard great things about Michael Pollan's books as well ... and now
The Omnivore's Dilemma is on my TBR!
Message edited by its author, Apr 10, 2008, 12:52pm.
Pollan is FANTASTIC. (#47)
For a moment I thought you'd said
Pollen is fantastic -- which isn't a sentiment I want to hear this time of year.
<disappears to take allergy pill>
>46 lindsacl, Be sure to read some of the other conversations about Omnivore's Dilemma on LT -- get the story on the Whole Foods issue as well.
I've got the In Defense of Food on TBR pile for at some point
The other great book about food is
Fast Food NationI'm reading
The Moral Animal by
Robert Wright. It's really fascinating and feels intuitively true, except for some crazy bits about rape being evolutionarily advantageous.
>48
Well, I do get great enjoyment from the Pollan/Pollen thing as he writes about plants and food.
Another great food read is Postville which is about Hasidic Jews that move to Iowa to run a kosher slaughterhouse (one that's also been under scrutiny by PETA in recent years). It's a great inside look at some of the meat industry and also how the small-town Iowans deal with a group of people they have no experience with.
And any of
Ruth Reichl's books are great to read.
I bought more books today (sigh) and now have Dandy in the Underworld and
The Nasty Bits (more food related) to almost complete my Anthony Bourdain collection.
Message edited by its author, Apr 12, 2008, 3:59pm.
Just started
Stars of David which is about famous people's experience of Jewishness. I catalogued it recently and, as with so many books at the library, popped a sticky note on to ask to read it when it was processed! It's interesting so far.
I'll be lucky to finish these the same month I started them, but I'm working on
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers which deals with the economics and military efforts of states from 1500-2000. Also working on
Evidence of Harm, written like a novel, it's about the controversy of using mercury (a known neurotoxin) as a preservative in vaccines given to infants and young children, and the possible link to autism.
I'm reading a novel right now, Rossetti's Obsession by
Ramon Saizarbitoria. I'm posting this here because I was inspired to read this Basque novel after reading Mark Kurlansky's
Basque History of the World.
I've often been inspired by works of fiction to explore the true history or science of a subject, but this is the first time nonfiction has pointed me to fiction.
This morning, my husband and I are starting
Einstein by
Walter Isaacson on our commute to work. He drives; I read aloud.
Okay, I'm going to finish
The Assault on Reason by
Al Gore this month. I put it down in January because I had so much lovely fiction to read after being inspired by my 888 challenge, but I put Assault on the 888 challenge and it's time to finish it.
I just opened it and found the beautiful bookmark given by to me by my friend Don, so here I go...
I'm reading a book about the Berger Inquiry into the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline. It's called "Stories Told: Stories and Images of the Berger Inquiry" and is by Patrick Scott.
Message edited by its author, Apr 15, 2008, 8:23am.
Just started
London: a Biography by Ackroyd. Only a few pages into Chapter 1. Very dense and substantial writing. The book is heavy as a brick. I may have to read it at other times than in bed. :)
Went to the library today and serendipitously picked up
The Shakespeare Riots by
Nigel Cliff, which I've already begun reading (just the Prologue so far) and which I am finding fascinating. Also snagged The Medieval Sea (no touchstone?) by
Susan Rose, about what life at sea was like during the period from 1000-1500 A.D.
I'm reading The Koran. Thought it was about time I read it for myself.
I just finished
My Name is Iran: A Memoir by
Davar Ardalan. The topic was generally interesting but the writing was somewhat dissappointing. I've moved on and am several chapters into
The Reason for God by
Timothy Keller. He is a clear and articulate thinker, this book will definitely require more than one read through.
Message edited by its author, Apr 16, 2008, 12:36pm.
Read more from
London: a Biography last night. Past the first chapter or two, it started getting really good. I'm at the Conquest now, and it was hard to put it down (without breaking my kneecap ~ lol, just kidding) to sleep.
I just finished
Earth:The Sequel by
Fred Krupp and
Miriam Horn. It covers the companies and individuals working on alternate and renewable energy. There's not dozens of these companies but hundreds, soon to be thousands. The vast majority will not survive but it was still very interesting to read about some of the ideas floating around out there. My head 'bout exploded trying to keep up.
It's not a difficult book to read it just covers a lot of ground. It is a good current 'state of our world' kind of book.
Right now I'm reading
Dreams From my Father by
Barack Obama. If he doesn't win the white house the man has a literary future. Really one of the best writers I've seen in a while. Gives me goosebumps.
Have just finished
Team of Rivals which was excellent. I gained so much respect for Lincoln. Also just finished
The Gullah People and their African Heritage and
Jesus: Uncovering the Life, which were both good. I'd recommend the Gullah book if you'll be visiting Charleston, Savannah, or the Hilton Head, SC, area, for local cultural history. And Borg's Jesus was a nice academic handling of the Gospels (very different from church teaching).
Wasn't
Team of Rivals wonderful! It was one of my top 10 books of last year.
Wilder Times: The Life of Billy Wilder by Kevin Lally
I finished two non-fiction works today, both George Sher's forthcoming manuscript,
Who Knew? Responsibility and Awareness, and
Quentin Skinner's
Liberty Before Liberalism.
Tonight I'll be starting a re-read of John Stuart Mill's Considerations on Representative Government.
I finished reading
Four Queens:* this weekend, and got started on
The Battle for New York* Somehow, including the colon was the only way to get the touchstone to load
at all, short of giving it the full title and subtitle.
>69: deathjoy, I know what you mean about
Dreams from my Father. That was a fantastic book and I appreciated it all the more knowing it was written before his run for the presidency.
Currently reading
The Promised City by
Moses Rischin. It is an excellent, well-researched and well-written book about the Jews of late 19th, early 20th century New York.
Just finished Architectural Conservation by Aylin Orbasli which was accessible and interesting (but belongs to the library not me,so I can't review it on here. Well done and enough technical info for the interested but not expert reader.
I have a couple of novels coming up (an Early Reviewer and one I've borrowed) but have had a good solid non-fic heavy month this month, I believe!
>83, Yeah, I think its good enough at that level. The problem I had was that I was under pressure to read the book quickly so it could be returned to the library (of course, it now languishes in my car, racking up late fines...), but I frequently wanted to take a break from it for like a week or more, to reflect on the issues and to step back from it a bit. I think its a book that needs to be read in bits over time.
84> Thank you.
Robert
I just finished reading
Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by
Karen Abbott. The book set in the early twentieth century is about the two sisters, i.e.madams, who ran Chicago's infamous Everleigh Club and there world famous clients. It detailed the back street wheeling and dealing between Chicago's top politicians and it's criminals and the lives of those who were trying to clean up the city. It was an excellent read & I was able to finish it and get it back to the library without having to renew it at least once.
Earlier this month I really enjoyed reading
The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester. It was like hearing the story of William Smith from a good friend who is a huge hero-worshiper of the “father of geology”, rather than reading a cool, impartial scholarly work. According to some of the reviews I’ve read this approach doesn’t appeal to everyone, but Winchester’s obvious enthusiasm for England and geology made me want to visit England to see the beautifully described geological features. I’m also thinking about searching out a geological map of my area to see if I am missing out on anything exciting underground.
Right now I am reading Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do – The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in a Free Society by Peter McWilliams and loving every minute of it. I usually try not to spend all my time wallowing in my own belief system, but sometimes it is refreshing to read a book that you agree with utterly. It is also great for sharpening your arguments in defense of said belief system. This book was published in 1993, and sadly the state of our penal system, the widespread support for legally-enforced morality and government interference in private decisions, and the general federal policy of ignoring the real responsibilities of governance in favor of prosecuting imaginary wars and supporting religious agendas has only worsened. Ah well, at least I know I’m right. :o)
Just started
Split: A Memoir of Divorce and I love it so far. I was a little concerned that it would be too one-sided, but I think the author is honest about her behaviors and thoughts, even when they don't portray her in the best light.
#89 Sounds like I'd be nodding along with that one also. I'll have to check it out.
I also recently finished
Omnivore's Dilemma. It was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the parts about eating local foods.
I am just finishing
The Voyage of the Beagle. The 19th century descriptions of geology were boring. The accounts of genocide of the indigenous South Americans were disturbing. But the book is packed with beautiful descriptions of the natural world. Darwin was a heck of a lucky guy to be able to cruise around the world for 4 years.
Check that. It took Fitzroy and Darwin 5 years to get back home. I wish I could take a trip like that, trek through the rainforests, dig up a few fossils, ride some tortoises, sigh....
Lifes a Campaign by Chris matthews
>89 jlelliott
nationalatlas.gov has wonderful maps of the US that illustrate a variety of features - agriculture, biology, boundaries, climate, environment, geology, government, history (including Civil War maps), mapping, people, transportation, water.
The
Geology page has a wonderful photo of Oregon's Wizard Island and Crater Lake - the remnants of the ancient Mount Mazama, which erupted over 6000 years ago.
Also, the USGS has a map called
A Tapestry of Time and Terrain, that blends geologic and topographic features. I could play with these sites for hours!
- 96
Thank you! I just looked at the website and it looks like so much fun. Although I really didn't need another way to while away my time online, I'm sure it will be worth the procrastination.
#96 Oregonobsessionz
Thanks for the sites. Since there are so many books that seem to not include good maps these days, I find I'm always on the look out for good ones.
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