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I'm looking for books that are essentially a compendium of knowledge. I have and love the mental floss and QI books, as well as An Underground Education by Richard Zacks. Anything along these lines would be great.
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May 26, 2010 23:21
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Hi goons, I barely ever read books, but here are a few of what I have LOVED in the past: -All 3 books by Max Barry (Syrup, Jennifer Government, Company) -Michael Crichton's books, mainly Timeline -Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson That's really all I've liked out of what I've read in the past ten years to be honest. I'm looking to start reading more, and was wondering if anyone had suggestions. Sci-fi is nice, but it seems like a lot that's out there is really heavy and convoluted for newbies like me. Any suggestions would be GREAT! tl;dr = I want some Sci-fi, POSSIBLY some fantasy that's easy to get into. I don't want to go from not reading that much to a 5,000 page book full of adjectives. lokk fucked around with this message at 03:30 on May 27, 2010 |
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May 27, 2010 03:17
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oceanside posted:I'm looking for books that are essentially a compendium of knowledge. I have and love the mental floss and QI books, as well as An Underground Education by Richard Zacks. Anything along these lines would be great. There's The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy as well as An Incomplete Education, but know that these are much more encyclopedic in nature than the QI stuff and An Underground Education (Cultural Literacy especially). And I haven't read them, but you might want to look into The Intellectual Devotional and The Bedside Baccalaureate series.
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May 27, 2010 08:16
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oceanside posted:I'm looking for books that are essentially a compendium of knowledge. I have and love the mental floss and QI books, as well as An Underground Education by Richard Zacks. Anything along these lines would be great. Ideas A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud By Peter Watson Bill Bryson – A Short History of Nearly Everything
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May 27, 2010 15:14
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lokk posted:-All 3 books by Max Barry (Syrup, Jennifer Government, Company) He has other books? Why was I not informed!?? I loved, LOVED Jennifer Government. quote:tl;dr = I want some Sci-fi, POSSIBLY some fantasy that's easy to get into. I don't want to go from not reading that much to a 5,000 page book full of adjectives. Some suggestions, then: Dream Park, by Larry Niven. I think the third/last in the series, California Voodoo Game is the best, but it's harder to find for some reason, and there is some value in reading them in order. If you're in Toronto or Mountain View I can probably loan you my copy of CVG. (IMO, skip the middle book, The Barsoom Project, entirely.) Calculating God, by Robert J Sawyer. Sawyer got progressively more preachy and political (or at least heavy-handed with his politics: less exploration, more exhortation) as he went along, but this one is before I stopped being able to read him non-ironically. If you like it, he's moderately prolific, so you're in luck.
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May 28, 2010 03:09
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MALCOLM XTREME posted:What's a good biography of Stalin? Apparently Hitler and Stalin By Alan Bullock is quite good but I haven't read it. As far as I understand, it sets the perspective on Stalin the totalitarian paranoid quite well. The page also shows you the standard biographies others bought. If Staling becomes an interest, start with reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin and then http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin%27s_Testament (full text here) and some Trotsky stuff - Leon Trotsky wasn't particularly a fan of Stalin, who had him ice axed in Mexico in 1940. Either way you go at it, make sure the biography are from 2000 or later, as the distance from the breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991 means more archives have been potentially available to the author. I did a paper on Stalin in 1989 but the information available to scholars and authors now is immensely more interesting than the assumptions and second-hand knowledge available then. rasser fucked around with this message at 13:43 on May 29, 2010 |
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May 29, 2010 13:41
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I just read Game-change and I'm in the mood for some more politics-related reading. While browsing Amazon, I came across "Making of a President" which, from what I gather, is like Game-change, but in the Nixon/Kennedy era. Any ideas/suggestions?
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May 30, 2010 21:44
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shodanjr_gr posted:I just read Game-change and I'm in the mood for some more politics-related reading. While browsing Amazon, I came across "Making of a President" which, from what I gather, is like Game-change, but in the Nixon/Kennedy era. Any ideas/suggestions? The ones that Theodore White wrote? They're okay, but I remember them being really stuffy. If you're interested in presidential politics, check out Richard Ben Cramer's What It Takes. It's the best book on politics I've read.
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May 31, 2010 05:21
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Looking for a book about the whole history of the American revolution. However, I'd like one that isn't too patriotic and, instead, sticks mainly to facts.
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May 31, 2010 06:28
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Hey guys, Tried to find a general book barn top books list but it seems to be in archives. I know this is probably the most vague recommendation request in history BUT I read mostly non fiction, with a bit of whatever I want fiction. my partner however has just finished her grad year as a paramedic and that was on the back of a science degree then a paramedic degree. So after that many years of having to read medical textbooks she is looking to branch out a bit. I'm a lot more into books than her but I honestly can't think of anything right off the bat. I mean various classics spring out like to kill a mockingbird, but just in general... I'm drawing a blank here. I thought of just grabbing a list of pulitzer winners but I'm not sure if that would be the best idea, being that like movies books can be written to just be award grabbers. Basically I'm looking for any reputable or even semi reputable "X books you must read" list. I mean obviously all of them are going to be filled with similar books and some will be just by hacks but in terms of semi popular fiction (or non fiction) is there a list that is generally respected by the majority of serious reader (example in film- ebert, more or less is respected by cinema lovers everywhere) Only stipulations is she is fairly over generic sci fi and swords and elves style fantasy (we have several friends utterly obsessed with mediocre scifi/fantasy and she couldn't stomach it) Thank you 
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May 31, 2010 07:26
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teacup posted:Hey guys, For contemporary books, I think The Millons' list of "Books of the Millenium" (written after 2000) matches reasonably well with most canonical perceptions of the best recent mainstream/literary work. http://www.themillions.com/2009/09/the-best-fiction-of-the-millennium-so-far-an-introduction.html For classics, there are many places to get those lists. The Pulitzer generally goes to a work that's both well-respected and highly readable, though.
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May 31, 2010 15:42
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onefish posted:For contemporary books, I think The Millons' list of "Books of the Millenium" (written after 2000) matches reasonably well with most canonical perceptions of the best recent mainstream/literary work.
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May 31, 2010 16:09
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'Sup TBB. I just found out about Samuel Delany, but I can't figure out which one of his novels to pick. Dhalgren is supposedly his masterpiece but I hear it's a tough read. Nova also looks interesting. I prefer reading for leisure and I strongly dislike anything with long lulls. I can't speak much about my library; it's mostly easy (yet vivid) stuff like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, H2G2 and Stone by Adam Roberts.
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Jun 1, 2010 01:32
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inktvis posted:I hear they're writing books in languages other than English now. I wonder what they're like? What do you mean? There are at least two books on that list that are translated from other languages, and since it's a list of books available in English I'm not sure what else you were expecting.
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Jun 1, 2010 01:34
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Telemarchitect posted:'Sup TBB. I just found out about Samuel Delany, but I can't figure out which one of his novels to pick. Dhalgren is supposedly his masterpiece but I hear it's a tough read. Nova also looks interesting. The Einstein Intersection for sure.
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Jun 1, 2010 19:38
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I've read a lot of the "Ask me about being/working in a mental institution" threads, and they were interesting, but what are some good non-fiction works on the subject? From the perspective of patient or worker, it doesn't matter to me, I'm just fascinated by the institutions themselves, and their operations. Also, completely unrelated, what's the definitive hard-boiled detective story? A Dashiell Hammett novel? Edit: Last one, I promise. I'm looking for a fairly comprehensive history of the French Revolution, what's out there and good? Looking back on those requests, they seem so weird, now. doctor iono fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Jun 2, 2010 |
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Jun 2, 2010 03:30
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doctor iono posted:Edit: Last one, I promise. I'm looking for a fairly comprehensive history of the French Revolution, what's out there and good? I don't know if William Doyle's Oxford History of the French Revolution has been surpassed. It is excellent.
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Jun 2, 2010 04:36
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I've got a friend who hardly ever reads books, but I have a problem with her. Namely, she's read Twilight, and thinks those books are amazing/great/terrific/whathaveyou. So, I need to show her what good Fantasy is. My problem, however, is that when I started getting into Fantasy, I read really dry subject books, and then worked my way to more difficult, but amazing books. I need a good starter book with an, as much as I hate this word, epic story that will make someone fall in love with reading. For me, that was Ender's Game, but I doubt that will work for her.
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Jun 2, 2010 12:44
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doctor iono posted:I've read a lot of the "Ask me about being/working in a mental institution" threads, and they were interesting, but what are some good non-fiction works on the subject? From the perspective of patient or worker, it doesn't matter to me, I'm just fascinated by the institutions themselves, and their operations. The best overview of the mental health system in America generally right now is "Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness," by Pete Early, though it isn't institution specific. Definitive hard-boiled detective story is The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, but you can't go wrong reading anything by Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler (especially Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels; try The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye, or Farewell, My Lovely).
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Jun 2, 2010 13:46
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Basic Beater posted:I've got a friend who hardly ever reads books, but I have a problem with her. This is a tougher request than it might sound -- most really good fantasy appeals to a pretty different demographic than Twilight readers. Best bet might be Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere or Stardust. They have strong characters, good settings, well-written and paced, prominent romantic plotlines, and they're both very accessible to general readers. Something with a stronger romance plot would probably be better, though -- sorta depends on why she liked Twilight.
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Jun 2, 2010 14:15
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Basic Beater posted:I've got a friend who hardly ever reads books, but I have a problem with her. So you're looking for well written fantasy with an epic plot? Try George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Can't go wrong with that. You can go very, very wrong with it
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Jun 4, 2010 02:24
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I want to read a good Star Wars Book. I find that the book versions of the movies are considerably better, but some of them are pretty mediocre. I just want something with jedi and sith destroying the gently caress out of poo poo that they shouldn't.
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Jun 4, 2010 23:44
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Hung Yuri posted:I want to read a good Star Wars Book. I find that the book versions of the movies are considerably better, but some of them are pretty mediocre. I think Timothy Zahn's stuff is generally regarded as being good. He wrote the first three EU novels: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. I don't really remember if they're actually good, or just good "for a Star Wars book". Probably the latter.
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Jun 5, 2010 00:26
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Basic Beater posted:I've got a friend who hardly ever reads books, but I have a problem with her. http://www.amazon.com/Uglies-Trilogy-Book-1/dp/0689865384/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
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Jun 5, 2010 03:27
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appropriatemetaphor posted:I think Timothy Zahn's stuff is generally regarded as being good. He wrote the first three EU novels: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. I don't really remember if they're actually good, or just good "for a Star Wars book". Probably the latter. I read those in High School. They were okay, I suppose.
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Jun 5, 2010 03:29
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Can someone recommend the best book(s) on the Arab-Israeli Six-Days War? I'm looking for scholarly works and articles, not popular works.
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Jun 5, 2010 06:28
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ONE TWO THREE TIMES TWO TO THE SIX/JONESING FOR YOUR FIX OF THAT LIMP BIZKIT MIX
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I've been looking for anything that is supernatural/mystery/horror. Also, I've been really wanting a good epic series or at least a larger story arc. Books or comics will do. I've been reading Hellboy lately. Any other suggestions?
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Jun 5, 2010 07:52
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Does anyone have a good books on "riding the rails" in North America? I suppose I'm looking more for a book that discusses this phenomenon culturally -- how it was done for pleasure as well as in order to begin life anew elsewhere -- but also works in personal experiences of people who've done it, too. I guess something "scholarly" maybe is what I'm looking for, but I'm not wholly sure.  I would also not object to TV or film documentaries that do much the same.Edit: Obviously the above implies it should be a non-fiction book. To be sure, I would not object to a fiction book that manages to express the culture surrounding "riding the rails" and the personal experiences thereof. Did That on Television fucked around with this message at 19:20 on Jun 5, 2010 |
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Jun 5, 2010 19:06
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doctor iono posted:I've read a lot of the "Ask me about being/working in a mental institution" threads, and they were interesting, but what are some good non-fiction works on the subject? From the perspective of patient or worker, it doesn't matter to me, I'm just fascinated by the institutions themselves, and their operations. I read it years ago, so I can't tell you about it in more detail, I'm afraid, but it was really interesting, and there is quite a bit of info about what it was like to live (and work) in a mental hospital.
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Jun 6, 2010 02:06
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Please recommend me Sci-Fi short stories, been watching Dr.Who and loving the writing more then anything.
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Jun 6, 2010 08:37
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Did That on Television posted:Does anyone have a good books on "riding the rails" in North America? I suppose I'm looking more for a book that discusses this phenomenon culturally -- how it was done for pleasure as well as in order to begin life anew elsewhere -- but also works in personal experiences of people who've done it, too. I guess something "scholarly" maybe is what I'm looking for, but I'm not wholly sure. There was a recent PBS doc about people riding the rails during the Great Depression. Sounds up your alley: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/rails/ There's a further reading link on the site with a bunch of related books.
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Jun 6, 2010 08:57
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hi goons. On a bit of a horror kick at the moment and looking for some more. Just finished through Thomas Ligotti and really enjoyed his short stories, even if his prose seems to try a bit too hard at times. Anyways what i'm looking for is good psychological horror with an interesting premise and doesn't descend into the normal horror cliches, like ghosts and zombies. ( Not that I don't like this stuff, just looking for something different). I love short stories but would be willing to add a novel to the already huge pile of books I'm trying to work through at the momment. Thanks guys.
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Jun 6, 2010 10:04
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SRQ posted:Please recommend me Sci-Fi short stories, been watching Dr.Who and loving the writing more then anything. Look up the "Science Fiction Hall of Fame" volumes, the ones from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Should be three volumes -- Vol 1 is short stories, vol 2A and 2b are novellas.
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Jun 6, 2010 15:31
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Crossposting because I guess this is the better place:unleash the unicorn posted:BTW the first book of the Temeraire series is available for free here: http://www.facebook.com/naominovik/posts/133239500022768
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Jun 6, 2010 20:25
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appropriatemetaphor posted:There was a recent PBS doc about people riding the rails during the Great Depression. Sounds up your alley: Awesome, this is the exact sort of thing I'm looking for! Thanks a lot. If anyone knows some good ones that deal with this practice within Canada, I'd appreciate that too...
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Jun 6, 2010 22:34
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Did That on Television posted:Awesome, this is the exact sort of thing I'm looking for! Thanks a lot. Google "On to Ottawa Trek". Also, this site seems to have a lot of references that may interest you.
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Jun 6, 2010 22:54
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dokmo posted:Google "On to Ottawa Trek". Also, this site seems to have a lot of references that may interest you. I actually just read an introduction to Canadian labour history which mentioned that journey to Ottawa, albeit only in passing and not by that name. The link you provided looks really interesting, and might even be available in the Halifax library system too! Thanks a lot for these suggestions too.
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Jun 6, 2010 23:39
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Crawshayi posted:hi goons. On a bit of a horror kick at the moment and looking for some more. Just finished through Thomas Ligotti and really enjoyed his short stories, even if his prose seems to try a bit too hard at times. My automatic reaction when I see the words "horror" and "short stories" is to shout, "Richard Matheson!" I should probably seek therapy for that, but in the meantime if you haven't read any of his work you should definitely check it out. He wrote dozens of short stories and novels, many of which have been adapted to movies and Twilight Zone episodes. There's some general horror tropes, but usually with a twist. (See: the original "I Am Legend" for his version of the zombie apocalypse.)
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Jun 7, 2010 07:48
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I just finished "Disturbing the Peace" by Richard Yates and read "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath before that. I'm looking for more books on the topic of someone losing his/her sanity. Thanks in advance!
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Jun 7, 2010 21:06
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So I have been reading a lot of Political Thrillers lately ( Vince Flynn, Lee Childs, Robert Ludlum, David Baldacci) primarily because my Stepdad has a whole closet full of them and they are free. I can burn through them in just a few days in most cases. However I am going on vacation soon and find myself wanting to pick up something with more substance...really something more challenging/enlightnening/emotion invoking ect. The last two books that really touched me and are kind of in the vein what what I am looking for were "Blood Meridian" and "The River Why". Basically I want a challenging work of fiction with beutiful prose and environment description...honestly thinking of picking up another Cormac McCarthy but would like to try a new author. Any suggestions? Sorry I know that is kind of vague.
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Jun 7, 2010 22:57
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