What are you reading?/Book Recomendations

Discussion in 'Music, TV, Movies & other Media' started by RomanTimes, Sep 6, 2011.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2010
    Messages:
    2,401
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Today I am reading Masks of the Outcasts by Andre Norton and Against the Tide by John Ringo

    Norton is great, this Ringo is fair.

    Tomorrow I will be reading Dark Companion by Andre Norton
     
  2. old timer

    old timer New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2011
    Messages:
    6,317
    Likes Received:
    141
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I am going to reread the Belgarion series by Davie Eddings. For fiction this series is tops.
     
  3. JavaBlack

    JavaBlack New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    21,729
    Likes Received:
    32
    Trophy Points:
    0
    He's a lot more loose-lipped in the documentaries as I understand it than the books (I've only read the books, but the professor who first had me read Diamond-- a social democrat himself-- even lamented about Diamond's painful "They would build helicopters" line in the GG&S documentary.

    I don't get much from his prescriptions, as I say, because I'm not an optimist.
    He seems to think that consumer power and the self interest of corporations will most likely lead to a more responsible future. Nothing he says in the book leads me to believe that.

    I think what it is is that he personally knows a lot of the groups he sympathizes with most, from New Guinea tribes (who seem to be his favorite people ever) to Montana ranchers to a certain oil corporation.
    That's where his bias comes from. But when he's in science mode, he's in science mode.

    While his prescriptions are vague and optimistic, his analysis of the problem is amazing. While most environmentalists focus on global warming alone, he comes up with twelve equally important environmental problems that society is pretty much ignoring that will likely lead to disaster on the current trajectory.
     
  4. SpotsCat

    SpotsCat New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2008
    Messages:
    4,167
    Likes Received:
    103
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich. It's the story of how three interns at NASA stole lunar rocks from a vault at NASA, attempted to sell them, and were caught by the FBI.
     
  5. marleyfin

    marleyfin Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2010
    Messages:
    2,105
    Likes Received:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Thanks, I will have to look him up. Any book or series in particular you would recommend.
     
  6. marleyfin

    marleyfin Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2010
    Messages:
    2,105
    Likes Received:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Most negative comments I have seen regarding his books are for historical inaccuracies. I find his theories thought provoking even when I disagree with them, and although I enjoy reading reading history books I'm not such a history buff that his inaccuracies are even noted by me to annoy me.

    Ever read "The Third Chimpanzee"? I have had "Why Sex is Fun" on my wish list for a while but I read a lot of mixed reviews on that one so I have yet to purchase it.
     
  7. JavaBlack

    JavaBlack New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    21,729
    Likes Received:
    32
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Yeah, you can definitely see his specializations are biology and geography, which lead him to his interesting points. He's much more casual on history, though not to the point where it kills his arguments (more just nitpicky stuff, which is pretty common with historians).

    No. Haven't read either.
     
  8. marleyfin

    marleyfin Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2010
    Messages:
    2,105
    Likes Received:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Overall, I liked the "The Third Chimpanzee".
     
  9. Think for myself

    Think for myself Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2008
    Messages:
    65,277
    Likes Received:
    4,594
    Trophy Points:
    113
    4 Fish.

    A look at the fisheries of salmon, tuna, cod, and bass of the world and our impact on them.

    Pygmy.

    By the author of fight club. Characteristically odd, somewhat perverse, and darkly amusing.
     
  10. junius. fils

    junius. fils New Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2010
    Messages:
    5,270
    Likes Received:
    65
    Trophy Points:
    0
    2866. Tomsen, Peter. The Wars of Afghanistan, Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers. New York: Public Affairs, 2011. (H)

    I'm about 250 pages into it - not even half way
     
  11. dudeman

    dudeman New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2006
    Messages:
    3,249
    Likes Received:
    44
    Trophy Points:
    0
    First book I've read in a year (The Mirage Man, David Willman). A nonfiction account of the anthrax letters sent in the USA between September and October of 2001. The author lists reasonable evidence that Bruce Ivins (USAMRIID, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases) was responsible. Unfortunately, the case will never really be closed. Ivins committed suicide in 2008 shortly before charges by the FBI were to be filed. Have no fear, the USA government will be paying $150,000 US per year to Steven Hatfill in addition to a multimillion dollar initial settlement courtesy of the taxpayer due to the ability of the perpetrator to elude detection. Good efforts by some of the FBI agents (i.e. Alexander) to avoid railroading the wrong guy and push the bounds of scientific knowledge.
     
  12. Really People?

    Really People? New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2010
    Messages:
    13,950
    Likes Received:
    182
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Just finished The Gunslinger from The Dark Tower series...

    It was really good...

    Can't wait to start book 2, The Waste Lands...
     
  13. RomanTimes

    RomanTimes New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2011
    Messages:
    171
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Book Review: The Green and the Grey, By Tim Zahn.

    Genre: Sci-Fi.


    I enjoyed this book. That being said it is not Tim Zahns best work. The Green and Grey are alien races that have decided to live here on Earth. Once they find out that the other is here, they start on the path to war right in New York City. A married couple get put in the middle of it.

    The plot is alright, but Zahn does leave some holes. Also, Character developement follows along a lot of the well worn cliches about a man and a woman(in regards to the married couple).

    If you need a fast read in the Sci-Fi world that does not require a lot or thinking, this is it.


    Next on the reading list: Rage, by Matt Costello.

    And as awhiles my friends, have a good day.
     
    kuyajack and (deleted member) like this.
  14. Roadvirus

    Roadvirus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    4,941
    Likes Received:
    70
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Gender:
    Male
    Currently reading "The Last World War" by Dayton Ward. It's about 2 different groups of aliens from the same planet making Earth a battleground in their Civil War and humanity reluctantly picks a side.

    It's not as cheesy as it may sound. It doesn't go like this: "Aliens fight on Earth, humanity joins a side and instantly the war is over." Nope...It ain't that easy.
     
  15. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2010
    Messages:
    2,401
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Today I started FOOTFALL by Larry Niven--seems to be about aliens that look like elephants trying to conquer the Earth. Like all Niven's work it is a good read and a lot of fun.
     
  16. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2010
    Messages:
    2,401
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I enjoyed both of Zahn's BLACKCOLLAR books, they were quite fun.
    Later this week I am starting on some of his COBRA books.

    Both the Cobra and Blackcollar books are about alien vs earth wars.
     
  17. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2010
    Messages:
    2,401
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I recently purchased the digital versions of his Fire and ICE series- all five books, and am looking forward to reading them.
    At the same time I also purchased the complete set of Stephen King's gunslinger/dark tower series and am looking forward to rereading the first four and then finishing the three newer ones.
     
  18. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2010
    Messages:
    2,401
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I purchased a simple e-reader, the KOBO in March, since then I am back to my old reading habits and have read 70 books since I got it (it is great, makes reading so much easier for my old eyes).
     
  19. marleyfin

    marleyfin Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2010
    Messages:
    2,105
    Likes Received:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    48
    The alien invasion storyline seems to be a genre itself that I have yet to tap into. The explosion of zombie books in recent years has lead to a slew of terrible amateur works being published, perhaps I will pick up some of these for some fictitious epic battle reading.
     
  20. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2010
    Messages:
    2,401
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    0
    If you are interested in battle, try John Ringo, his war scenes are as realistic and accurate as it gets, Hmm,you might or might not like his PALADIN series, it is quite violent and sexual, but well written.
     
  21. old timer

    old timer New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2011
    Messages:
    6,317
    Likes Received:
    141
    Trophy Points:
    0
    LOL

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgvxu8QY01s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgvxu8QY01s[/ame]
     
  22. Lil Mike

    Lil Mike Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2011
    Messages:
    51,271
    Likes Received:
    22,661
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I saw the author interviewed on TV a few months ago, and for a true story it seems pretty unbelievable!
     
  23. HillBilly

    HillBilly New Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Messages:
    4,692
    Likes Received:
    262
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I love to read a good book , always have .. especially if it's an old book.. traveled all over the World in eagerly read & re-read pages of many a book .

    As a matter of fact , it is a quirk of my personality that I would rather spend time reading a good book than in the company / conversation of most of the people I know , or have known. . .a book takes hours to read and read well ,,,

    spend 5 hours talking with someone ,,,[​IMG] the effort is beyond me.

    Right now , I've just finished reading 'Good-bye , My Lady by James Street First Edition ... It's a book I recently acquired .

    It's an old book , of an era gone by , but filled with the language & wiitsisomes of a country folk ... sort of reminds me of 'where the red fern grows' but you can make your own comparisons... :)
     
  24. Wrathful_Buddha

    Wrathful_Buddha Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2008
    Messages:
    5,581
    Likes Received:
    1,370
    Trophy Points:
    113
    The "Prince of Nothing" series. It may be hard to get into for the first 50 pages or so because there isn't really an introduction to any of the characters or story. You're kind of just dropped into it. But once it gets going, it's great. Bakker has a Phd in philosophy, so the idea's and characters are really deep, and interesting, in my opinion. I wanna read the follow up trilogy, but I'm waiting for it to come to Kindle. I don't know what the hell is taking so long.

    Or, if you want just a stand alone book that will give a taste of what his other books are like, try "Neuropath." It's not fantasy, but it's a great read, and it's based on a lot of recent findings in neuroscience. If you're not familiar with some of the ideas put forward in "Neuropath" it might be a very upsetting book that could change your worldview. You have been warned. :)
     
  25. marleyfin

    marleyfin Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2010
    Messages:
    2,105
    Likes Received:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Will have to check it out. I'm ok with medium to, alright I'll be honest copious amounts of violence as long as its well written and not relating to children or animals.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page