429 replies to this topic

[d4rksabre]

Spinning off of the hobbies thread, it looks like many of us spend time with a good book (or three). So what are you currently reading?

For work/school:

Just finished CCTV and Policing by Benjamin Goold (2004). A study of how camera center operators make decisions about who to target for surveillance, and how CCTV has affected police work.

In queue I have Theorizing Surveillance: The Panopticon and Beyond and Surveillance Studies: An Overview, both by David Lyon.

For pleasure:

In progress:

The Last of the Plainsmen by Zane Grey. One of the 1930s editions of his 1908 novel. One of the great writers of the American West.

The Boys of Winter by Wayne Coffey, about the 1980 Olympic team.

A First Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness by Nassir Ghaemi - A great look at how some of the most influential world leaders such as FDR, JFK, Churchill and others were able to use their mental illnesses to their advantage.

Last book I finished was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig (1974). A study of the Metaphysics of Quality as framed around a cross country motorcycle trip with his son. A lot of focus on religion, the study of rhetoric, greek philosophy, and the way people think about machines and technology. I HIGHLY recommend it.

[JWell]

School: To Kill a Mockingbird

[MattPie]

d4rksabre, on 16 February 2012 - 03:32 PM, said:

Last book I finished was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig (1974). A study of the Metaphysics of Quality as framed around a cross country motorcycle trip with his son. A lot of focus on religion, the study of rhetoric, greek philosophy, and the way people think about machines and technology. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Great book, I was thinking about re-reading it the other day.

Current: Longitude, about solving the issues with determining your longitude (especially at sea) http://www.barnesand...&usri=longitude

Started but lapsed: War and Peace. Too many names for too many characters. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2600

Last finished: Three Musketeers (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1257) . I read Count of Monte Cristo (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1184) awhile back and liked it enough to try another Dumas novel. I got a Barnes and Noble Nook last year, so I pull free epubs off gutenberg.org to read on it. In the past I would have just bought copies, so eventually I'll save some money. I'll still buy real books for things I really enjoy. And I should really use the library more often.

[dEnnis the Menace]

Just got done with Inside SEAL Team Six.  It was just alright.  They left much of the book censored (black barred), which made for some annoyance.  I am in the hunt for a new book or two to pick up.  I used to read regulary in school, but that's kind of tapered off since I left school a little over a year ago.

[korab rules]

Jugs.

[dEnnis the Menace]

korab rules, on 16 February 2012 - 03:41 PM, said:

Jugs.

There's a different thread for those

[d4rksabre]

MattPie, on 16 February 2012 - 03:40 PM, said:

Great book, I was thinking about re-reading it the other day.

Current: Longitude, about solving the issues with determining your longitude (especially at sea) http://www.barnesand...&usri=longitude

Started but lapsed: War and Peace. Too many names for too many characters. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2600

Last finished: Three Musketeers (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1257) . I read Count of Monte Cristo (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1184) awhile back and liked it enough to try another Dumas novel. I got a Barnes and Noble Nook last year, so I pull free epubs off gutenberg.org to read on it. In the past I would have just bought copies, so eventually I'll save some money. I'll still buy real books for things I really enjoy. And I should really use the library more often.

Longitude looks very interesting. Glad to see someone else here has read Zen. Small world haha

korab rules, on 16 February 2012 - 03:41 PM, said:

Jugs.

Milk?

dEnnis the Menace, on 16 February 2012 - 03:40 PM, said:

Just got done with Inside SEAL Team Six.  It was just alright.  They left much of the book censored (black barred), which made for some annoyance.  I am in the hunt for a new book or two to pick up.  I used to read regulary in school, but that's kind of tapered off since I left school a little over a year ago.

Get some books! Go to the thrift store and find something cheap.

[korab rules]

dEnnis the Menace, on 16 February 2012 - 03:42 PM, said:

There's a different thread for those

d4rksabre, on 16 February 2012 - 03:45 PM, said:

Milk?

It's a magazine.  I read it for the articles.

[dEnnis the Menace]

d4rksabre, on 16 February 2012 - 03:45 PM, said:

Get some books! Go to the thrift store and find something cheap.

Oh I plan on it.  I need a few new books as I will be traveling for work here soon, and the excessive number of flights here are going to require something other than just an iPod.  (trip to Seattle, trip to Ft Lauderdale, and there's another one in there I'm forgetting).

[d4rksabre]

dEnnis the Menace, on 16 February 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

Oh I plan on it.  I need a few new books as I will be traveling for work here soon, and the excessive number of flights here are going to require something other than just an iPod.  (trip to Seattle, trip to Ft Lauderdale, and there's another one in there I'm forgetting).

Sometimes Barnes and Noble does like buy two get one free deals, so I don't know if you have one near you but that might be worth it.

[sizzlemeister]

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

and

The Ruling Class by Angelo M. Codevilla

[Sabres Fan In NS]

Great thread.

1.)  Madness Visible by Janine di Giovanni.  She is a BBC correspondent.  The book recounts her work on assignment during the Balkan wars of the 1990's ... primarily covers the siege of Sarajevo, the war in Bosnia and the war in Kosovo.  It also goes into detail of the politics surrounding the wars and the key figures.

2.)  Family of Secrets by Russ Baker.  It recounts the story of the political situation, behind the scenes, of the 50 years leading up to GWB.  It's a very interesting look at the hidden history of the Bush family dynasty and the US invisible government.

[d4rksabre]

Sabres Fan In NS, on 16 February 2012 - 04:06 PM, said:

Great thread.

1.)  Madness Visible by Janine di Giovanni.  She is a BBC correspondent.  The book recounts her work on assignment during the Balkan wars of the 1990's ... primarily covers the siege of Sarajevo, the war in Bosnia and the war in Kosovo.  It also goes into detail of the politics surrounding the wars and the key figures.

2.)  Family of Secrets by Russ Baker.  It recounts the story of the political situation, behind the scenes, of the 50 years leading up to GWB.  It's a very interesting look at the hidden history of the Bush family dynasty and the US invisible government.

Those sound very interesting. I would like to do more reading on politics.

I just got a book in the mail today: The Plots Against the President by Sally Denton. New book about FDR and groups that tried to overthrow his presidency because of his social and economic programs.

[Claude_Verret]

I just finished reading The President And The Assassin about the McKinley assassination and the anarchist movement of the period.  A very good read.

I'm about half way through Stephen King's latest work 11/22/63.  It's keeping my interest.

I also usually have a simple minded book going, and currently that is The Hardest (Working) Man In Show Business, the Ron Jeremy autobiography.  It definitely tells some funny and revealing behind the scenes stories of the porn industry, but RJ gets a bit annoying by constantly telling the reader about all the legit actors and directors he hangs with and all the bit roles he has played over the years in mainstream film and TV.

[LGR4GM]

"The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"The Bro Code" Barney Stinson and Matt Kuhn

"Doctor Franklin's Medicine" Stanley Finger

It all depends on my mood...

[Spndnchz]

The Odyssey.

[BuffaninATL]

Currently reading "Voices from the Grave: Two Men's War in Ireland" by Ed Moloney....a very interesting narrative of "the Troubles" as told by opposing protagonists from each side - the IRA & the Unionist paramilitaries.

http://www.amazon.co...29427964&sr=1-1

[TheMadCap]

Right now, it's:

The Door into Summer by Robert Heinlein

Next up in the queue:

Valis
The Divine Invasion
The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by Philip K Dick

[Oliver_Cromwell]

dEnnis the Menace, on 16 February 2012 - 03:40 PM, said:

Just got done with Inside SEAL Team Six.  It was just alright.  They left much of the book censored (black barred), which made for some annoyance.  I am in the hunt for a new book or two to pick up.  I used to read regulary in school, but that's kind of tapered off since I left school a little over a year ago.

Have you ever read Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko? Aside from the fact that he goes above and beyond to living up to the idiom "swearing like a sailor", this is probably the best book he ever wrote. His other non-fiction pieces aren't so bad, but his fiction work removes all doubt that he's very big on himself.

With the way my mind works, I can't stay on a single book and read it through without touching another one. I have to have several of them going at the same time. Thus, here's what I'm working on:

John Calvin, Tracts and Letters (all 7 volumes)

The Heather Hills of Stonewycke by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella (I bought this book back in 1990 and I'm finally starting to read it. I'm such a horrible procrastinator.)

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (This one's going to have to require some patience on my part.)

The Lie: Evolution by Ken Ham

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (which was abridged and made easy to read by a contemporary editor. Dr. Owen's writings can be very difficult to digest because of the thoroughness by which he expounded upon his material.)

The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith by Peter Hitchens (Christopher's younger brother)

spndnchz, on 16 February 2012 - 04:30 PM, said:

The Odyssey.

I had to read that for an English class at RIT. I really did not enjoy that book at all.

d4rksabre, on 16 February 2012 - 04:11 PM, said:

Those sound very interesting. I would like to do more reading on politics.

If you have the patience to sift through all the various opinions on that subject matter, I commend you. The more I learn, the more I take what the political talking heads say with a grain of salt. Everyone here knows that I don't have much patience for the Left. At the same time, I have grown weary and cynical of the neocons and those who say they're on the Right but display everything except that.

dEnnis the Menace, on 16 February 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

Oh I plan on it.  I need a few new books as I will be traveling for work here soon, and the excessive number of flights here are going to require something other than just an iPod.  (trip to Seattle, trip to Ft Lauderdale, and there's another one in there I'm forgetting).

I have Kindle on my laptop. I told my wife that I didn't want the Kindle device itself because that would mean spending more money. Having said that, you can get some of the great literary classics for free on Kindle and download them. You can't go wrong there.

[Eric in Akron]

Currently:
The Silmarillion - J.R.R Tolkien

On the queue:
Stone of Tears - Terry Goodkind
The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan

On going:
The Holy Bible

EDIT: queue not que

Edited by Eric in Akron, 16 February 2012 - 05:16 PM.

[dEnnis the Menace]

Crosschecking, on 16 February 2012 - 04:43 PM, said:

Have you ever read Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko? Aside from the fact that he goes above and beyond to living up to the idiom "swearing like a sailor", this is probably the best book he ever wrote. His other non-fiction pieces aren't so bad, but his fiction work removes all doubt that he's very big on himself.

I have not.  The book I read prior was Shooter, and it was about a marine sniper.  Both of those authors are very high on themselves, but to be in the profession they are in, confidence is a part of what keeps you alive, so it's to be expected.

[sabills]

Doing some geeky reading at the moment. Just finished Game of Thrones with the second book in cue. Currently reading A Hitchhikers Guide, also have Ender's Shadow up next.

[d4rksabre]

sabills, on 16 February 2012 - 05:00 PM, said:

Doing some geeky reading at the moment. Just finished Game of Thrones with the second book in cue. Currently reading A Hitchhikers Guide, also have Ender's Shadow up next.

Eric in Akron, on 16 February 2012 - 04:57 PM, said:

Currently:
The Silmarillion - J.R.R Tolkien

On the que:
Stone of Tears - Terry Goodkind
The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan

On going:
The Holy Bible

What version are you reading? I was raised athiest but I have always wanted to read it. I just have no idea what the difference is between versions. Crosschecking, maybe you have some input as well?

[Eleven]

At present:

Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad (this is nonfiction)

Robert Penn Warren, Flood (this is fiction)

Ken Dryden, The Game (recommended, I believe, by Taro)

Bill Bryson, Made in America:  An Informal History of the English Language in the United States

Sam Kean, The Disappearing Spoon, and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from The Periodic Table of the Elements (this is a great pop-chem book)

There are about twenty or so "in the queue."  Of those, I'm looking most forward to:

Tom Standage, An Edible History of Humanity

Umberto Eco, The Prague Cemetery

Vol. I of Twain's autobiography

Bill Bryson, At Home

Vikas Swarup, Q&A

[Eric in Akron]

d4rksabre, on 16 February 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

What version are you reading? I was raised athiest but I have always wanted to read it. I just have no idea what the difference is between versions. Crosschecking, maybe you have some input as well?

I have two versions that I read between.  The New King James (NKJV)  and the English Standard Version (ESV).  The difference between versions is basic language translation differences (in Greek, there are three different words for love and in English there is one - so how do you translate the meaning with the word?).  That is the main reason there are so many versions.

[korab rules]

Eric in Akron, on 16 February 2012 - 04:57 PM, said:

Currently:
The Silmarillion - J.R.R Tolkien

This book sucks.  Unreadable.  And I read the LOTR series and the hobbit probably 10 times as a kid.

[X. Benedict]

spndnchz, on 16 February 2012 - 04:30 PM, said:

The Odyssey.

I've been rereading the Iliad.

[LGR4GM]

korab rules, on 16 February 2012 - 05:18 PM, said:

This book sucks.  Unreadable.  And I read the LOTR series and the hobbit probably 10 times as a kid.

I believe and I could be wrong but, the Silmarillion was only started by JRR Tolkien and it was finished by his son after his death.

As far as the original trilogy goes, it tooks 10 years and is a masterpiece in many respects.  Which reminds me I need to find my copies and refresh my memory.

[d4rksabre]

Eleven, on 16 February 2012 - 05:13 PM, said:

At present:


Bill Bryson, Made in America:  An Informal History of the English Language in the United States

How is this?

Eric in Akron, on 16 February 2012 - 05:15 PM, said:

I have two versions that I read between.  The New King James (NKJV)  and the English Standard Version (ESV).  The difference between versions is basic language translation differences (in Greek, there are three different words for love and in English there is one - so how do you translate the meaning with the word?).  That is the main reason there are so many versions.

Which one would you argue provides the best translation, or does a better job of describing the nuances of the original language?

[Eric in Akron]

korab rules, on 16 February 2012 - 05:18 PM, said:

This book sucks.  Unreadable.  And I read the LOTR series and the hobbit probably 10 times as a kid.

Yes it is a boring read, but I will push through it.  I did that with Walden as well.  When I read Walden, I felt as though Thoreau was somewhat pompus and full of himself.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

spndnchz, on 16 February 2012 - 04:30 PM, said:

The Odyssey.

Figures....you're the biggest Homer i know......

[Eric in Akron]

d4rksabre, on 16 February 2012 - 05:24 PM, said:

Which one would you argue provides the best translation, or does a better job of describing the nuances of the original language?

Good question.  I happen to prefer the New King James version.  However, I will say that one can only get the pure context of the meaning through study or by learning Ancient Greek.  I would suggest that you would need to go to  http://www.blueletterbible.org and read Matthew 25 http://www.bluelette...Mat&c=25&t=NKJV) in a few different translations.  Determine which made the most sense to you and go with it.

Edited by Eric in Akron, 16 February 2012 - 05:42 PM.

[d4rksabre]

Eric in Akron, on 16 February 2012 - 05:41 PM, said:

Good question.  I happen to prefer the New King James version.  However, I will say that one can only get the pure context of the meaning through study or by learning Ancient Greek.  I would suggest that you would need to go to  http://www.blueletterbible.org and read Matthew 25 http://www.bluelette...Mat&c=25&t=NKJV) in a few different translations.  Determine which made the most sense to you and go with it.

Thanks for the tips!

[TrueBluePhD]

Over the summer I read the existing 5 Game of Thrones books.  First 3 were incredible, next 2 not so much.  I'm sure most know this, but books 4 and 5 were supposed to be 1 book and for some reason Martin decided to split it into 2....and I think it's pretty obvious he did this.  The pacing is just bad, and there seems to be a ton of pointless filler material.

Currently I'm reading all kinds of boring statistical books for help with my dissertation:

Unifying Political Methodology--Gary King
Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables--J. Scott Long
Econometric Analysis-William Greene

Safe to say, I would not recommend any of these to people unless they need them.  That said I should soon be starting some books on the presidency and bureaucracy which may be interesting even to people not pursuing an advanced degree in political science.

[Arcsabresfan41]

JWell, on 16 February 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:

School: To Kill a Mockingbird

No kidding! Same here, two chapters to go.

[fan2456]

KIll Shot, Vince Flynn

[Sabres Fan In NS]

Forgot the two most important ones ...

I read a short portion of The Quran and The Bible every day ... try to anyway.

[weave]

Currently reading Norman Mailer The Naked and the dead.

Just finished Herman Wouk The Winds of War

Seems like Doyle's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has been read by a few.  I read that volume last Summer.

[Jeanbe]

I've got two going now.  One is
Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall.


The other is Stephen Kings' 11/22/63 which so far is pretty good.  One of his better ones imo.

[LaFontaineToMogilny]

I am currently reading

The picture of Dorian Grey (never read it before)

Power vs. Force (utter nonsense)

Way of Power (a Chi Kung book)

The Happiness Project (sounded interesting but looks to be a waste of time )