Ok for the high brow crowd what books you are reading
 

I'm reading The New American Revolution by tammy bruce. She is a great thinker and funny.

Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.

The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene.

Cally's War - John Ringo

High brow? no.

High foreheard? Got that.

America's Game - Michael McCambridge

Soon as I polish that off I'm going to start on one of my two new books by Scott Adams - "Way of the Weasel" and "The Joy of Work."

Cider House Rules by John Irving

http://homerdixon.com/ingenuitygap/

The Ingenuity Gap

By Thomas Homer-Dixon's

Can we solve the problems of the future? Thomas Homer-Dixon tackles this question in a groundbreaking study of a world becoming too complex and too fast-paced to manage.

The challenges we face converge, intertwine, and often remain largely beyond our understanding. Most of us suspect that the "experts" don't really know what's going on and that as a species we've released forces that are neither managed nor manageable. This is the ingenuity gap, the critical gap between our need for ideas to solve complex problems and our actual supply of those ideas.

Poor countries are particularly vulnerable to ingenuity gaps, but our own rich countries are no longer immune, and we're all caught dangerously between a soaring requirement for ingenuity and an increasingly uncertain supply. As the gap widens, the result can be political disintegration and violent upheaval.

With riveting anecdotes and lucid argument, Thomas Homer-Dixon uses his ingenuity theory to suggest how we might approach these problems -- in our own lives, our thinking, our businesses, and our societies.

Try "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," by Ambrose Bierce when you're done. If you haven't already. Classic American short story.

Just finished the Archer's Tale trilogy by Bernard Cornwell.

I'll probably start something else written by him, because his style appeals to me.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Before that, His Excellency (biography of Washington) by Joseph Ellis.

I've been reading quite a bit on the Revolutionary War era over the past couple of years. I read Jeff Shaara's historical fiction works Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause, and also David McCullough's John Adams. Fascinating period. I'll probably read American Sphinx (about Jefferson) next.

How to Ruin an NFL Franchise in 10 Days - by Carl Peterson










On the real though....I'm reading "Michael Jordan: Driven from Within"

I'm currently reading The Winter King by Bernard Cromwell which is a spin of the Arthurian legend. Cromwell writes very well.

It's Cornwell, not Cromwell.

And if you haven't read The Archer's Tale, by Cornwell, I recommend it.

Winter King is likely my next book.

I'm reading Love and Respect - it's a marriage manual where my balls get chopped off and put in my wife's purse.

Right now I'm reading "Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox" by James MacGregor Burns. It's part one of his two part biography of FDR. This one runs from his birth to before WWII.

Witness by Whitaker Chambers and I was reading Bobby Knight's unauthorized biography before I accidentally left it in a pile of clothing bound for goodwill.

What did you think of the McCullough? I loved it.

I'm actually re-reading 1984 right now.

If I ever get done with Cider House Rules, then I must choose between False Memory by Dean Koontz or 1984 by what's-his-face.

Funny you mention it today. I finally, after all these years, got "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis. Always wanted to read it, never gotten around to doing so. I guess I should turn in my baseball geek card.

The Theory of Everything- Stephen Hawking

Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo

I'm reading the Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers by James D. Hornfischer. It's about Task group Taffy 3, a contingent of Destroyers facing Adm. Toyada and his pacific fleet in the Sumar strait in the battle of Luzon in WWII.
Good book so far. :thumb:

Does Popular Mechanics count? :) I have a subscription.

Also, I'm reading Oliver North's The Assasins. It's the 3rd novel in a trilogy about terrorist, gov't corruption, and some marines. Aw crap, I'm not very good at describing these things. I'll just say that I think it's a great book and a great trilogy. If you want to see better descriptions, go here:

Book 1: Mission Compromised
Book 2: The Jerico Sanction
Book 3: The Assasins

Always get James Cromwell and Bernard Cornwell mixed up for some reason. I've already read the Holy Grail series and I enjoyed it immensely.

Finally got around to reading 'In Cold Blood.' Deserves the accolades.

I don't have a lot of time to read books (that aren't assigned, I won't even go into those). But, I just finished a coffee-table style book on the history of KC, which was interesting. Now I have started a book about Nixon, titled appropriately, "President Nixon" by Richard Reeves.

I've been rereading "The Last Lion". It's a fantastic bio. of Sir Winston.

Also reading "The Long and the Short of it" by Borski, which is an analysis of some of Gene Wolfe's fiction.

Heck of a good read. Michner did a really nice homage to that in his fictional work "Space".

If you are a WW2 buff, I also suggest any of the three histories written by Cornelious Ryan (Last Battle, A Bridge too Far, and The Longest Day).

HUGE WWII buff. I've read all of Ryan's stuff years ago. I have quite a extensive library of WWII books and books from all the US wars in general. My Dad served in the Navy during WW2 from 1942 till 46. He started with a couple of LST's that got shot out from under him but spent the bulk of his tour aboard the USS O'Brien which was a destroyer that served mostly in the Pacific but did some Atlantic work as well including the D Day invasion. The O'Brien finally ended it's engagements when it was hit the 1st day of the Okinawa invasion by a kamakazi losing 55 KIA(My dad was wounded) and managed to limp back to Truk. At the time of this story he was returning from the D Day invasion since it was June 44 and the O'Brien was in California getting ready for the Iwo Jima and Okinawa invasions and he was home on leave. Previously just before D Day he was in on the Tinian and Saipan invasions. They kept those "Tin Cans" pretty busy back then,

Candide - Voltaire

I'm reading Mo Dowd's "Are Men Necessary?" and "The Known World".

Please tell me this is a joke. How can anyone read that man-hating lesbian's drivel?

As evidenced by my last post, I'm reading:

"The Compass of Zen" by Seung Sahn.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157...57639?n=283155

asassin, by ted bell
sec

Oh yeah, just in case I forget. Let me recommend A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. Best fantasy series I've ever read.

To those who are reading history books: Why are you doing so?

Yeah guys, there's a history channel now.

Rep.

I'm always looking for tips on good fantasy series. Thanks.

I've been thinking about invading Russia, and someone told me that if I didn't understand history, I was doomed to repeat it.

I'm just about to finish "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". I like David Eggers' writing a lot.

My guess would be they like history.

It's also possible that they're reincarnated, and they're reading about their hometowns and old friends.

It's not the same. :shake:

Especially lately. Seems like everytime I turn it on, one of those friggin "Modern Marvels" shows is on. I really don't give a shit about the history of the dump truck.

Try Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun". One of my all time favorites-
Shadow & Claw
Sword & Citadel
Urth of the New Sun.

The Long Sun and Short Sun series that follow are also fantastic.

Be aware it's some of the most subtle and cryptic fiction I've read since Joyce. A real challenge, but well worth it IMO.

Fiction:

The Dragon in Lyonaisse - Gordon Dickson (SF/F)
Medalon - Jennifer Fallon (SF/F)
Billibub Baddings - Tee Morris (Fantasy/Noir)

Non-Fiction:
Military Methods of the Art of War - Sun Pin
Under the Black Flag - David Cordingly

(that is, when I'm not reading my class books, which I should be . . . )

ROFL :clap:

The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene

Modern Marvels isn't that bad but I hate it when they show blocks of them all day. It would seem better if they showed them late night/early morning. I may have to upgrade my package and get the Military channel. :thumb:

I'm about halfway through "player piano" by Vonnegut right now... really enjoying it so far.

Also just finished the Holy Grail series by Bernard Cornwell. Next on the list is Settling Accounts: Return Engagement by Harry Turtledove (it's an alternate history book... good stuff for history/polisci buffs)

Just finished the Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy and am now wading through The Life and Times of Pancho Villa by Fredrich Katz (all 900 pages of it).

A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick

Chernow is superb, in my opinion. If you like his style, I'm sure you'll also like Titan (about John Rockefeller) and House of Morgan, about JP Morgan and his banking firm from inception to current.

For Revolutionary War era, 1776 by McCullough is also very good and a quick read.

McCullough is always good and very readable. Path Between the Seas, abou the building of the Panama Canal, is my current read, and also a McCullough book.

Finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon recently. Excellent.

ROFLROFLROFLROFL

Teh Rep

You should check out McSweeney's, his faux lit crit bizarro website. It's probably right up your alley.
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/

Jesus Never Existed.

Outstanding book...

Available at jesusneverexisted.com

Dave

I already read 1776. It was excellent (I just forget to mention it).

Obviously, you are ignorant about the content of the book. It's actually more "woman-hating" than "man-hating" as you so stereotypically label her drivel.

It's obvious by the first few pages, that the title is to incense people who won't even bother to open the cover to see what the content is actually about. I think my track record of opinion here makes it obvious I am far from condoning man-hating.

I in fact, think men get a bad rap most of the time as compared to women.

I agree. The worst thing to be is a WASP man. Nobody cares about us. No NAAWP, no National Oganization for Men, no nothing.

I'm doing some really heavy reading right now.

I've got the latest Pederson's Bowhunting and a special edition on Alternative renewable fuels(wind, biomass/switchgrass, biodiesel and ethynol).

Top quality throne reading material.

Just opened up Dan Brown's Angels and Demons.

Up next - Stephen King's Cell. Looks interesting, even if it turns out to be a ripoff of The Stand.

The Bernie Saggau Story of the Iowa Boy.
Written by Chuck Offenberger, former Des Moines
Register writer.

Bernie Saggau was the executive director of the Iowa High School Boys Athletic Assn for about 40 years. I've heard him speak several times and he's
a terrific person and leader.

Cool. I'll check it out. Thanks.

They also publish a quarterly journal and do all sorts of weird things with it. Here's a synopsis of Issue 17:
http://kwc.org/blog/archives/2006/20...eeneys_17.html
I've looked over the Yeti Researcher journal, and it's hilarious. Written to look completely like a scholarly journal on Yeti Research. Here's the amazon synopsis and reviews, which shows a pretty good pictures of the "packaging."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cus...231629-4975948

I'm reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by Shirer

johnny got his gun-dalton trumbo


i read it about ten years ago,but killed so many brain cells inbetween, i figured id read it again.

Gates of Fire - An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae

Three hundred Spartans hold of an army of nearly two million Persians at a narrow mountain pass. Lots of historical accuracy (accounts from Herodotus). Spartans gave the Greeks enough time to hold off Persaians and preserve Athens and early Western democracy...

Oddly enough, it's by Steven Pressfield, who wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance.

That sounds like a winner. I'll have to make a note of it.

Just purchased it off Amazon yesterday... Really looking forward to the read.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/06...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

For context.

I'm reading a few history books on the development of Radio as a broadcast medium and the impact that it had on community and economy. I think this information will help give me context as I navigate the current waters in my "career boad." Broadcast communications technology becomes more and more readily available, and I think in many ways, history is about to repeat itself.

If you like reading the word "perhaps" over and over and over, then yeah, it's fantastic.

Collapse- Jared Diamond

A People's History of the United States- Howard Zinn

When Presidents Lie- Eric Alterman

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
Ringworld Throne by Larry Niven
The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

I have most of the series (garage sale find) but got stuck about half-way through the second book (Dragon Knight).

Please tell me they get better.

How does this compare to Guns, Germs, Steel? I liked the interesting twist on history he gave in the first one.

I just finished up Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson about a week ago and really enjoyd it.

About to start on either A Game of Thones by George RR Martin or Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis.

i love the kind of book ... how many in the series?

There are four in the series with A Game of Thrones being the first one. Im not really into the genre but its supposed to be a hell of a great page turner.

You can pick up A Game of Thrones at a bookstore for only $3.99 too.