It my favorite series on youtube so far. I really hope they do a WW2 series.
Read any great books lately??
-
Just wondered…
I’ve been enjoying Steve Alten’s 1) Meg about a giant prehistoric shark in today’s world, 2) The Trench…a reprise of #1, and 3) Goliath about a sentient submarine(make you think about the morals of nukes, guns, haves and have nots.) 10 years in the future.
Also enjoyed Tom Clancy(Jack Ryan stuff and Mr John Clark, too) and Dale Brown(modern tech warfare 5-10 years in the future.)
I highly recommend Riverine, a book about gunboat warfare in Vietnam. It’s got a different view of the war. Some portions I had to read to others and a few pages that made me dry an eye.
Another great one is Count Luckner: The Sea Devil about the seafaring life of the captain of the last great sailing ship to be a blockade runner and raider for the German Navy in WWI. I may have mentioned this book in a prior post…
Enjoyed 1) Bias(liberal news slant), 2) Losing the Race(how Affirmative Action is hurting blacks) and 3) a book on George Washington(how he was prepared for the different rolls he played in America(forgot the name… maybe George Washington: Founding Father.)
I like books about war(American Civil War, Midway, Normandy, the Chosin Reservoir[Korea]).
Need to read a lot more autobiographies and biographies.
Made the mistake of trying to read the complete Marion Zimmer Bradley Darkover Series. Every book seemed to be about the same thing so I gave it up. People developing a new Talent(e.g., telepathy) and freaking out over it and another cultures way of handling the Talent…and, of course, poor communication…
I want to pick up Ann Coulter’s new book Treason exposing the fact that McCarthy was right and how the Democrats have been trying to destroy the USA for over fifty years. She explains that if the Democrats did what they’ve done lately during FDR’s time they’d be tried for treason.
I ain’t gonna pick up Hillary’s book, cuz I heard part of the audiobook, and she sounds like she’s reading it for the first time! As if she never even contributed to the manuscript!!! Aargh!
I like books that make me think, but not too many that make you read three pages and put the book down to ruminate on the ideas for days before you can read more(knowwhatimean).
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
-
@El:
JustMade the mistake of trying to read the complete Marion Zimmer Bradley Darkover Series. Every book seemed to be about the same thing. People developing a new Talent(e.g., telepathy) and freaking out over it and another cultures way of handling the Talent.
If you’re into this, you might try Midnight’s Children by Salmon Rushdie. I didn’t like it much personally, but he DOES have a style some people enjoy, and the premise was quite interesting.
-
I definetly suggest Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. If you are at all into fantasy books, and sometimes even if you arent, you will enjoy these. Im sure you have heard of them before, if not already read them, but they are worth a reread. Tolkien has an interesting writing style. Its a little too heavy and wordy to sit through an entire book at once, though I wish I could, but when you do read them, you are getting a true literary treat.
-
EJ, you have probably read these, but if not try American Ceasar by William Kennedy {I think}. A MacArthur biography, Bruce Catton’s “This Hallowed Ground” -Civil War, or Gore Vidal’s historical novel “Lincoln”.
-
Ive just been thinking, and I also highly reccomend the following:
1)Battlefield Earth- possibly the best Sci-fi book ever written (do not substitute the movie)
2)Paradise Lost- one of the best books I have ever read, also one of the most difficult to read. it is written in old english, in a very long, flowing, poetic style. Incredibly difficult to read.
3)The Count of Monte Cristo- an excellent book, Alexander Dumas is a stupendous writer.
Im sure there are more I can reccomend, but right now, I am unable to think of them.
-
Anything of Sebastian Haffner, if you are interesting in german history of the last century or want to know on the hows and whys of Hitler.
I also read a nice book book about the solution of Fermat’s last theorem not long ago.
-
I think we differ in what type of litterature we like, El. I don´t care too much for biographies (and history books - yawn! Reminds me of going to high school). I prefer books that either have a really good story to tell (Grisham, Clancy) or that are really inventive in their use of the english language (Adams, Rankin, Pratchet).
-
Just finishing The Picture of Dorian Gray myself, late bloomer here with the classics. And Jefe I can’t believe you threw out the Dale Brown reference there, I can remember reading Flight of the Old Dog 5 or 6 times right as it came out, you ever pickup Silver Tower? What about Douglas Adams……the “trilogy” is still great fun to pick up and reread.
-
Right now I am reading a book on Jackson’s valley campain. I allso have a friend that is going to get me an autographed copy of Newt’s new book.
-
WOW. I just finished an amazing book. It’s called Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
It’s definitely worth reading!
-
DS is RichDadPoorDad the book were the Oriental guy on TV talks about his Dads and how to get rich and saying Realestate is the best way to get rich?
-
Yes, he does talk a lot about investments. More importantly, however, is that he goes into great depth about why the rich are rich, and why the poor are poor. It’s definetely interesting to see his opinion.
I haven’t seen him on TV before. My stockbroker gave the book to me to read.
-
OKAY! I’ll try these…
Midnight’s Children (cc)
Hobbit+ (Jan_) -Read them before, but it’s been a ong time…
(guest) -Read Lincoln may try another one.
Reprise of(Guest) -Read them all…great choices, but try a non-SF genre!
Sebastian Haffner (F__) -Please, a little about Fermat’s last theorem…
Rankin, Pratchet (mortie) - Read all of Adams & Clancy, some Grisham.
(hackie_) -PDG is a great one. Only 1 or 2 more Dale Brown’s to go(ST=A+).
(dz) -Who’s the author of the Jackson book?
Rich Dad, Poor Dad (DS)Thank you!! This should get me through the week. :P Ha-ha! Naah, It will take me through the summer. I need some social life, too.
Anyone else? Or more from the gallery?
-
I think we differ in what type of litterature we like, El. I don´t care too much for biographies (and history books - yawn! Reminds me of going to high school). I prefer books that either have a really good story to tell (Grisham, Clancy) or that are really inventive in their use of the english language (Adams, Rankin, Pratchet).
keeping in mind that when you’ve read one Grisham, you’ve read them all . . . .
-
I knew there was one I was forgetting, A Brief History Of Time, By Stephen Hawking.
First of all, this man is brilliant, easily the smartest man alive (he is widely regarded as just such), and possibly the smartest man ever.
Second, the book tackles such vast topics as the very nature and creation of time and space.
Third, for all those who have been on the thread regarding the existence of god, this book addresses all the topics with regards to god, from a neutral point of view.
Finally, while this man is a brilliant physicist, and almost everything he discusses involves very advanced science, it is written in such a way that even a laymans can understand
-
“The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” by Robert Heinlein
-
@El:
-Please, a little about Fermat’s last theorem…
It’s by Simon Singh
(look at http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841157910/qid=1057649064/sr=2-4/ref=sr_aps_prod_4_2/302-8350062-3794462 )
and nicely covers (a part of) the history of maths, as the name says, centering on Fermat, the history of diophantine equations before Fermat, and the history of tries to prove the theorem.
I liked it a lot. If it had been out before i started to study, i might have paid much more attention to maths :)A Brief History Of Time, By Stephen Hawking.
First of all, this man is brilliant, easily the smartest man alive (he is widely regarded as just such), and possibly the smartest man ever.
I think most of his fame stems from the fact that he is severly handicapped and “should have died” from many medics point of view quite some time ago.
I prefer Feynman (who is regarded as the most important physicist of the second half of the 20th century ;) ). He was brilliant, but not only in physics, but also kept in touch with real life problems, and he wrote very well also.
-
Ah, yes. Stephen Hawking - I forgot to read anything by him. Must do.
El: If you´re serious about reading all those books, make the following consideration: Terry Pratchett has “invented” Discworld and as such most of his books have to be read in succession (although they can easily be read singly), whereas Robert Rankins books (although also containing a recurring theme) can stand alone. Have a great summer!
-
Falk, I dont care at all about Hawking’s fame, and indeed, much of it does stem from his handicap. But he is still one of the most brilliant men on the planet (his IQ has been measured at well over 200) and is widely recognized as the smartest man on the planet.
-
Gentlemen, gentlewomen and gentleits,
Peace and long life(or whatever.)
I meant this to be a pleasant sharing of data.
Suggested Topics
