Whatcha reading?

Jakeline · 03-04-2003, 10:12 AM

So, have you read anything interesting lately? Here's what I've recently read:

Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear - Hard sci-fi. It spent a lot of time developing the charactors, but that isn't what's really good about this book. The story is very thought-provoking and written in a style that makes it feel a bit too real. As the title implies, it's about evolution, but it's set in modern times. Good stuff.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman - Modern mythology. I'm not so good with mythology (I can never get all the names straight), but it didn't really diminish my appreciation for this book. It is a bit violent and explicit, but no more than say, an old Stephen King book. The story is compelling, but a bit disjointed. A basic knowledge of mythology would have probably deepened my appreciation for this book.

So, what are you reading, and is it any good?

perth · 03-04-2003, 10:42 AM

book 5 of the wheel of time (the fires of heaven, robert jordan) - i dig this series. its fantasy, but you really get the sense that its a bigger world, well thought-out and compelling.

neverwhere (neil gaiman) - recommended in a previous thread by jeni i think. good stuff.

the castle of otranto (horace walpole) - considered the first gothic novel, its got atmosphere. not especially scary, but defininitely an interesting read.

~james

juju · 03-04-2003, 11:26 AM

<i>Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</i>, by Jared Diamond.

This book asks the question, "Why did civilization develop at such different rates on the different continents?" For example, why didn't the Africans or the Native Americans grow in power and then conquer the Europeans? On the surface, the answer seems to be because the Europeans developed certain technologies first. Thus, they were more powerful, and were able to conquer peoples. But why were they able to do this before anyone else? The author proposes that it was not just random chance, but the evironment they lived in. It was the domesticatability of the plants and animals in the area they lived in (and the areas to the east and west of them) that enabled them to change from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural societies. The better food production then enabled some people to do nothing but research a certain topic.

It's a history book, and it won the pulitzer prize. It's written from a biological evolutional perspective, though, and I really like the scientific approach the author uses to try to take on these historical questions. The way that the different fields that the author has studied merge into one grand theory is really interesting.

I just got this book, so I have yet to get very far into it. But I can't wait to see what the author's ideas are.

Cam · 03-04-2003, 01:12 PM

Essential Biology

Hehe, it's actually been the most interesting thing I've read in a long time. Well besides the few times I've gotten to read a bit of Everythings Eventual by Stephen King.

elSicomoro · 03-04-2003, 09:08 PM

I don't read books...hurts my head too much.

Dagney · 03-04-2003, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
I don't read books...hurts my head too much.

Well, it may be a bit easier on you if you dont hit them against your forehead

*duckin*

Dagney

elSicomoro · 03-04-2003, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dagney
Well, it may be a bit easier on you if you dont hit them against your forehead

Well, you see, the problem is...I try to read one. Then I get frustrated. This starts the head-hurting. Then, in frustration, I hit them against my forehead. That makes my head hurt even more.

SteveDallas · 03-04-2003, 10:01 PM

Hee hee... did you used to do marketing for the Book of the Month Club, sycamore?

I'm reading the first volume of Ian Kershaw's biography of Hitler. I believe it's called "Hubris: 1889-1936", but I'm too lazy to look up the exact title. Anyway, it is fascinating. I highly recommend it if you're interested in Hitler or the 3rd Reich. (Though it is long, and somewhat dry in places. And man, all those German political parties get to be a confusing alphabet soup.)

juju · 03-04-2003, 10:03 PM

And yet, you read all of our nonsense all day?

elSicomoro · 03-04-2003, 10:16 PM

Holy shit Steve! That's where I stole my post from...I used to send back the "no" sticker all the time on those.

In one of the teen magazines we used to get in high school (not Tiger Beat or shit like that, but ones that were produced by a company like Scholastic), there was this one ad...I believe it was something about staying in school or something. And it said something like, "If you don't want to go to school anymore, cut this out and paste it on your forehead." The cutout read:

<center>I'M AN IDIOT
AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN
ABOUT MY FUTURE</center>

I saw that during freshman year...and it became my mantra all through high school.

The scary part about the Cellar, Pimp Daddy Juju, is that sometimes you can learn more about the ways of the world here than you can from a book.

wolf · 03-05-2003, 12:26 AM

The Hitler Bio sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. I read Toland's massive version back when I was in high school.

Right now I'm reading Executive Decision by Tom Clancy, although wading through it is probably a more accurate description ... it's not that I'm not liking it ... I AM.

It's just damn long ... the paperback is over 1300 pages!

And is essentially a continuation of the previous Ryan novel, Debt of Honor.

It's fantastic, though, edge of my seat reading. IMNSHO, it took Clancy a while to get ahold of the idea of evoking an emotional response in his readers, but man, he's got it down good for this one.

I'm going to have to read something light and fluffy afterwards before I start searching around to see where the hell I put the copy of the next Clancy. I KNOW I bought it. It just ended up underneath something else probably.

SteveDallas · 03-05-2003, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolf
The Hitler Bio sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. I read Toland's massive version back when I was in high school.

Even if you don't intend to read the whole thing, you may check out the introductory mini-chapter. He talks a little bit about "why ANOTHER Hitler biography?"

smoothmoniker · 03-05-2003, 01:53 PM

Every few year, I reread my list of essential books. I'm in the middle of that right now. They include

The Brothers Karamazov
THE trilogy (tolkein)
Critique of Pure Reason by Kant
Christ the Center by Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Beneath the Underdog by Charlie Mingus
So Long and Thanks for all the fish (and all associated nonsense)

In the middle of the Kant right now. A nice glass of Walker Black label, a hot bath, three or four paragraphs before my brain explodes behind my eyes into a thousand contradictory pieces. I hate Kant.

-sm

jaguar · 03-05-2003, 03:46 PM

Salman Rushdie - Satanic Verses
Tom Wolf - The bonfire of vanities
Willian Giibson - Party Time
Andrew Hunt, David Thomas - Pragamatic Programming

Just finished Niel Stepherson - Diamond Age and Cyptonomicon, legendary stuff.

Also got a stack of books on cognitive AI, relational databases and parallel/grid computing. nice light reading

The Brothers Karamazov ????? Argh! It's so SLOW!

Jakeline · 03-05-2003, 05:36 PM

THE trilogy? Okay, I'm new to posting here and now I'm going to make some folks hate me...

...

I hated reading THE trilogy. I liked the story, the charactors were cool, but if I had to read one more freakin poem or song, I was going to hold my own private book burning.

I've had people tell me, "Oh, give it another chance. You read them as a kid." Good point. So, prior to seeing any of the LOTR movies, I read the trilogy again (skipping The Hobbit this time). I'm sad to admit that it still didn't really do much for me. I'll go hide my face now..

Jaguar - how did you like Diamond Age? I thought that Zodiac was a ton of fun.

03-04-2003, 10:12 AM	#1
Jakeline Disorderly Orderly Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 54	Whatcha reading? So, have you read anything interesting lately? Here's what I've recently read: Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear - Hard sci-fi. It spent a lot of time developing the charactors, but that isn't what's really good about this book. The story is very thought-provoking and written in a style that makes it feel a bit too real. As the title implies, it's about evolution, but it's set in modern times. Good stuff. American Gods by Neil Gaiman - Modern mythology. I'm not so good with mythology (I can never get all the names straight), but it didn't really diminish my appreciation for this book. It is a bit violent and explicit, but no more than say, an old Stephen King book. The story is compelling, but a bit disjointed. A basic knowledge of mythology would have probably deepened my appreciation for this book. So, what are you reading, and is it any good?

03-04-2003, 11:26 AM	#3
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	<i>Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</i>, by Jared Diamond. This book asks the question, "Why did civilization develop at such different rates on the different continents?" For example, why didn't the Africans or the Native Americans grow in power and then conquer the Europeans? On the surface, the answer seems to be because the Europeans developed certain technologies first. Thus, they were more powerful, and were able to conquer peoples. But why were they able to do this before anyone else? The author proposes that it was not just random chance, but the evironment they lived in. It was the domesticatability of the plants and animals in the area they lived in (and the areas to the east and west of them) that enabled them to change from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural societies. The better food production then enabled some people to do nothing but research a certain topic. It's a history book, and it won the pulitzer prize. It's written from a biological evolutional perspective, though, and I really like the scientific approach the author uses to try to take on these historical questions. The way that the different fields that the author has studied merge into one grand theory is really interesting. I just got this book, so I have yet to get very far into it. But I can't wait to see what the author's ideas are. Last edited by juju; 03-04-2003 at 11:32 AM.

03-04-2003, 01:12 PM	#4
Cam dripping with ignorance Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Grand Forks ND Posts: 642	Essential Biology Hehe, it's actually been the most interesting thing I've read in a long time. Well besides the few times I've gotten to read a bit of Everythings Eventual by Stephen King. __________________ After the seventh beer I generally try and stay away from the keyboard, I apologize for what happens when I fail.

03-04-2003, 10:01 PM	#8
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Hee hee... did you used to do marketing for the Book of the Month Club, sycamore? I'm reading the first volume of Ian Kershaw's biography of Hitler. I believe it's called "Hubris: 1889-1936", but I'm too lazy to look up the exact title. Anyway, it is fascinating. I highly recommend it if you're interested in Hitler or the 3rd Reich. (Though it is long, and somewhat dry in places. And man, all those German political parties get to be a confusing alphabet soup.) Attached Images

03-05-2003, 12:26 AM	#11
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	The Hitler Bio sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. I read Toland's massive version back when I was in high school. Right now I'm reading Executive Decision by Tom Clancy, although wading through it is probably a more accurate description ... it's not that I'm not liking it ... I AM. It's just damn long ... the paperback is over 1300 pages! And is essentially a continuation of the previous Ryan novel, Debt of Honor. It's fantastic, though, edge of my seat reading. IMNSHO, it took Clancy a while to get ahold of the idea of evoking an emotional response in his readers, but man, he's got it down good for this one. I'm going to have to read something light and fluffy afterwards before I start searching around to see where the hell I put the copy of the next Clancy. I KNOW I bought it. It just ended up underneath something else probably. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-04-2003, 10:42 AM	#2
perth Strong Silent Type Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,949	book 5 of the wheel of time (the fires of heaven, robert jordan) - i dig this series. its fantasy, but you really get the sense that its a bigger world, well thought-out and compelling. neverwhere (neil gaiman) - recommended in a previous thread by jeni i think. good stuff. the castle of otranto (horace walpole) - considered the first gothic novel, its got atmosphere. not especially scary, but defininitely an interesting read. ~james

03-04-2003, 09:08 PM	#5
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I don't read books...hurts my head too much.

03-04-2003, 10:03 PM	#9
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	And yet, you read all of our nonsense all day?

03-04-2003, 10:16 PM	#10
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Holy shit Steve! That's where I stole my post from...I used to send back the "no" sticker all the time on those. In one of the teen magazines we used to get in high school (not Tiger Beat or shit like that, but ones that were produced by a company like Scholastic), there was this one ad...I believe it was something about staying in school or something. And it said something like, "If you don't want to go to school anymore, cut this out and paste it on your forehead." The cutout read: <center>I'M AN IDIOT AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT MY FUTURE</center> I saw that during freshman year...and it became my mantra all through high school. The scary part about the Cellar, Pimp Daddy Juju, is that sometimes you can learn more about the ways of the world here than you can from a book.

03-05-2003, 01:53 PM	#13
smoothmoniker to live and die in LA Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,090	Every few year, I reread my list of essential books. I'm in the middle of that right now. They include The Brothers Karamazov THE trilogy (tolkein) Critique of Pure Reason by Kant Christ the Center by Deitrich Bonhoeffer Beneath the Underdog by Charlie Mingus So Long and Thanks for all the fish (and all associated nonsense) In the middle of the Kant right now. A nice glass of Walker Black label, a hot bath, three or four paragraphs before my brain explodes behind my eyes into a thousand contradictory pieces. I hate Kant. -sm

03-05-2003, 03:46 PM	#14
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	Salman Rushdie - Satanic Verses Tom Wolf - The bonfire of vanities Willian Giibson - Party Time Andrew Hunt, David Thomas - Pragamatic Programming Just finished Niel Stepherson - Diamond Age and Cyptonomicon, legendary stuff. Also got a stack of books on cognitive AI, relational databases and parallel/grid computing. nice light reading The Brothers Karamazov ????? Argh! It's so SLOW! __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

03-05-2003, 05:36 PM	#15
Jakeline Disorderly Orderly Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 54	THE trilogy? Okay, I'm new to posting here and now I'm going to make some folks hate me... ... I hated reading THE trilogy. I liked the story, the charactors were cool, but if I had to read one more freakin poem or song, I was going to hold my own private book burning. I've had people tell me, "Oh, give it another chance. You read them as a kid." Good point. So, prior to seeing any of the LOTR movies, I read the trilogy again (skipping The Hobbit this time). I'm sad to admit that it still didn't really do much for me. I'll go hide my face now.. Jaguar - how did you like Diamond Age? I thought that Zodiac was a ton of fun.

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