What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
User avatar
Earl Lemongrab
Posts: 4666
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2014 1:14 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Earl Lemongrab » Wed May 10, 2017 4:47 pm

Last year, I read the "Ancillary" series by Ann Leckie.

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=147398&p=2782957&h ... y#p2782957

Since then, some of the ideas those books generated in my mind come back to me at times. So for the first in quite a while, I am going to reread all three.
This week's fortune cookie: "Your financial life will be secure and beneficial." So I got that going for me, which is nice.

User avatar
Nicolas
Posts: 981
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:41 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Nicolas » Wed May 10, 2017 5:06 pm

ruralavalon wrote:Ice Ghosts, by Paul Watson.

The book tells the story of the searches for the Sir John Franklin expedition lost in the Arctic in 1846 when his ships, Erebus and Terror, were trapped in the ice. There were numerous search efforts launched in the 1840s and 1850s by the British, the U.S. and private individuals including Franklin's widow. The wrecks were found by Canadians in 2014 and 2016, largely relying on oral history from Inuits from the area.
Thanks for the tip. I'm fascinated with this subject so I'll be getting this book! Have you heard Stan Rogers' song "Northwest Passage"? He sings of the Franklin expedition and other famous explorers of Canada. Some have even called it the unofficial Canadian national anthem. It's a great song. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwe ... age_(song)

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Wed May 10, 2017 5:18 pm

Nicolas wrote:
ruralavalon wrote:Ice Ghosts, by Paul Watson.

The book tells the story of the searches for the Sir John Franklin expedition lost in the Arctic in 1846 when his ships, Erebus and Terror, were trapped in the ice. There were numerous search efforts launched in the 1840s and 1850s by the British, the U.S. and private individuals including Franklin's widow. The wrecks were found by Canadians in 2014 and 2016, largely relying on oral history from Inuits from the area.
Thanks for the tip. I'm fascinated with this subject so I'll be getting this book! Have you heard Stan Rogers' song "Northwest Passage"? He sings of the Franklin expedition and other famous explorers of Canada. Some have even called it the unofficial Canadian national anthem. It's a great song. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwe ... age_(song)
I have heard the song.

The song is actually mentioned in the book.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

User avatar
steve roy
Posts: 1538
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 5:16 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by steve roy » Wed May 10, 2017 5:28 pm

Just finished "Creation" by Gore Vidal, a long novel about the 5th century B.C. and the thinkers and holy men living in that period -- Sophocles, Buddha and Confucius among others.

An interesting and educational work by Vidal, but not terribly compelling. Not in the same league as "Burr" or "Lincoln", Vidal and his editor Jason Epstein clashed over the book. Epstein and his fellow editors cut more and than a 100 pages from the lengthy manuscript. The book was a national best seller when published in 1981, but Vidal was always irked at the cuts and released a longer version in 2002.

Frankly, I side with Epstein in this dispute. "Creation" is long enough as originally published. PLENTY long enough.

User avatar
Coriolanus
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed May 10, 2017 3:36 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Coriolanus » Wed May 10, 2017 8:31 pm

"The Earth is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West" by Peter Cozzens. Heading to the Dakotas for the first time this summer and I always tend to read about places and events I will visit before going. Good read so far.

User avatar
Elsebet
Posts: 517
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 2:28 pm
Location: Washington state

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Elsebet » Thu May 11, 2017 3:23 pm

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Have to admit I'm not really a fan of the florid prose, I often find myself skimming the overly long descriptions. I had a very difficult time getting through "The Custom House" but the actual story of Hester Prynne is pretty good so far.

User avatar
FreeAtLast
Posts: 630
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2014 9:08 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by FreeAtLast » Fri May 12, 2017 9:00 pm

"True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen", by Lillian Hoddeson and Vicki Daitch (Joseph Henry Press, 2002).

Bardeen is the only scientist to win the Nobel in Physics twice, once for being the first (along with Brattain) to demonstrate the transistor effect and the second for explaining superconductivity (along with Cooper and Schrieffer). This biography is well-written and provides an excellent, instructive history of science as to how both discoveries were made. Unfortunately, most people have never heard of Bardeen, who was a quiet, dedicated, hard-working fellow that cooperated very well with other scientists, excepting the obnoxious William Shockley. As Bardeen was pursuing his doctorate, he was taught by 5 separate future Nobel winners; certainly he learned from them and they all recognized what a top-notch student they were mentoring. He carried that lesson forward, being a kind and supportive teacher to his graduate students, of whom eventually 31 obtained their doctorates. Another extraordinary life to examine and to learn from.
Illegitimi non carborundum.

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Sun May 14, 2017 11:00 am

Lost in Shangri-La, by Mitchell Zuckoff.

In May 1945 a U.S. Army C-47 crashed in a heavily populated but very remote mountain valley in New Guinea killing 21. There were 3 survivors, one woman and two men two of them seriously burned, left stranded 5000 feet above sea level and 150 miles from the coast. This book tells the story of how the survivors and natives related, how ten Filipino-American paratroopers dropped into the valley to give medical care and rescue the survivors when no one even had a plan for how to get anyone out of the valley, and how they all safety got out of the valley six weeks after the crash.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

User avatar
Ricola
Posts: 638
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2008 10:38 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Ricola » Sun May 14, 2017 1:15 pm

Last three that I really enjoyed:

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Hardcover by Ashlee Vance

The Infiltrator: My Secret Life Inside the Dirty Banks Behind Pablo Escobar's Medellín Cartel
by Robert Mazur....saw the movie first and the book is much better at providing the details of a very complex sting.

George Lucas: A Life Hardcover by Brian Jay Jones

jdb
Posts: 1384
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:21 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by jdb » Sun May 14, 2017 3:29 pm

Just finished Never Out Of Season, How Having the Food We Want When We Want It Threatens Our Food Supply and Our Future, by Rob Dunn. Fascinating story of agriculture and pests and pathogens throughout human history, including the Irish Potato Famine, Banana Blight, Cacao Virus, Russian seed banks and the Siege of Leningrad, Norman Borlaug and the Green Revolution, and development of modern plant gene splicing and seed banks. Thought it might be a slog to get through because of somewhat goofy title but one of most interesting and informative books I have read recently. And who knew, there is a correlation between agriculture and investments. To quote the book, "In the story of agriculture, the levee always breaks. Our only choice is how we are going to be prepared when it does." Highly recommend.

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Wed May 17, 2017 2:52 pm

Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann.

This book is about the murders of dozens of oil-rich members of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma in the 1920s. The details of the murder conspiracy are surprising, and the convoluted investigation into the murders is interesting reading. I recommend this book.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

User avatar
FreeAtLast
Posts: 630
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2014 9:08 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by FreeAtLast » Wed May 17, 2017 8:15 pm

"Lee's Lieutenants, Volumes 1,2, and 3" by Douglas Southall Freeman (first published from 1942-1944 by Charles Scribner's Sons).

Years ago, I had a pleasant email correspondence with Professor James Robertson, Jr. in which I complimented him on his excellent biography of Stonewall Jackson. I then asked him what book I should read next to learn about Lee's other generals besides Jackson. He suggested the abridged, one volume version of Lee's Lieutenants (LL). Time flies, I retire, and eventually I am walking through the Civil War stacks at my public library about 2 months ago. Lo and behold, down at knee level is the 3 volume set of LL; no abridged version is to be seen. Well, the time had come to buck up, settle down, and read them all in sequence. I just finished Volume 3.

The entire set is a must read for CW buffs. I have never had a good, overall picture of Dick Ewell's, Jubal Early's, and "Jeb" Stuart's peregrinations through Maryland and Pennsylvania before the battle of Gettysburg. I sure do now! Want to know the penetrating power of both smooth bore and rifled muskets at various distances, with their measured ranges of vertical and lateral error? How about an exact description of all the symbols of rank that Confederate soldiers from private to general wore on their persons? Then Volume III is for you; the first two volumes are equally enlightening about various other intriguing issues.

What you may not like: Freeman was exacting and utterly exhausting with his footnotes. He was the same way with the listing of every single change in Confederate command positions throughout the entire war. More than once my presbyopic eyes started to glaze over and I had to take a necessary break (hey, time for a nice, refreshing beverage). Nobody could ever accuse this author of not being an obsessive and dedicated historian.

I also learned that R.E. Lee deserved a sainthood. His generals were a prickly, prideful, and argumentative bunch and Lee spent way too much of his valuable time settling disputes of "honor" between them. Of course, most of them were extraordinarily courageous and extremely aggressive in battle, which is one of the reasons why the Union had such difficulty in quelling the rebellion. As in Shelby Foote's trilogy, the maps are simply drawn and very good and the written descriptions of battles leave no important detail untouched. If you have a couple of months free, go for it. :beer
Illegitimi non carborundum.

User avatar
corn18
Posts: 744
Joined: Fri May 22, 2015 6:24 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by corn18 » Wed May 17, 2017 8:21 pm

God Particle by Leon Lederman good history of particle physics and the Higgs boson

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Mon May 22, 2017 1:58 pm

Mink Island, by Brent Purvis.

This is a mystery set on Prince Of Wales Island (a real place) in southeast Alaska. An Alaska State Trooper with a checkered history is newly posted to the island, and is confronted on arrival with two murders. The small population (about 4000) on this large island (about 2500 square miles) includes numerous odd characters -- tourists, retiree sail boat enthusiasts, summer workers at the cannery, former rock band members from the the 1980s, and locals -- who variously impede or aid or distract from the investigation. This is a nice, entertaining book.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

Accrual
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2017 3:22 pm
Location: Durham, NC.

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Accrual » Mon May 22, 2017 2:05 pm

Going to finish up Stephen King's "IT" in the next week or so. Will begin reading "The Defining Decade" shortly afterwards.

azurekep
Posts: 1179
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 7:16 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by azurekep » Fri May 26, 2017 10:58 pm

I recently read "Threat Vector" by Tom Clancey and Mark Greaney. The most memorable scenes were the air-to-air action over the Taiwan Strait. It was one of those "You are there" in the pilot's seat, experiencing the same emotions as the pilot (it focused on one US Marine pilot who hated having to land on Navy carriers. :D). The scenes immediately came to mind today after hearing news about Chinese warplanes conducting provacative manuevers around an American surveillance plane near the South China Sea.
One US official initially told CNN the Chinese jets came within 150 feet of the US plane, with one of the Su-30s flying inverted, or upside down, directly above the American plane.
The book also had a lot of interesting Chinese politics. The forward-looking Chinese president wants economic reform, which makes him unpopular and he contemplates suicide. He is saved from a coup, which makes him beholden to the top general who (unbeknownst to the president) wants to take over the South China Sea, invade Taiwan and provoke America.

A big subplot about cyberattacks (of course).

I was surprised at the caliber of writing. A lot of great characterization. Usually when you have a famous author (Tom Clancy) and a co-author, the results are disappointing. Not so here.

The book is part of the Jack Ryan Jr. series. No need to read the books before it (I didn't) though it probably would put the parts about Jack Jr. in more perspective.

MP173
Posts: 1881
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:03 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by MP173 » Sat May 27, 2017 9:20 am

Just finished "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis.

Ok...I struggled with this book. I kept waiting for the Michael Lewis to kick in. It did at the end, but quite frankly I referred to this book (to my wife) as the "nap book". After reading 5 pages, I would put the book down and enjoy a nice nap. Perhaps this is based on my lack of understanding of the two psychologists - Kahneman and Tversky. I struggled with their models and Lewis' narrative.

Of much more interest was the story of the two men. That was fascinating.

I will read Kahneman's book "Thinking Fast and Slow. Perhaps it will sink in.

Ed

User avatar
LadyGeek
Site Admin
Posts: 46068
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 5:34 pm
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by LadyGeek » Sat May 27, 2017 9:27 am

MP173 wrote: Perhaps this is based on my lack of understanding of the two psychologists - Kahneman and Tversky. I struggled with their models and Lewis' narrative.
It's in the wiki: Behavioral pitfalls (Enter Prospect theory). Note 3 has a good explanation of their background.
Wiki To some, the glass is half full. To others, the glass is half empty. To an engineer, it's twice the size it needs to be.

book lover
Posts: 134
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:01 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by book lover » Sat May 27, 2017 10:58 am

Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, And What The Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidwitz
Astrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
And Then You're Dead: What Really Happens If You Get Swallowed By A Whale, Are Shot From A Cannon, Or Go Barreling Over Niagara by Cody Cassidy
Finance For Normal People: How Investors And Markets Behave by Meir Statman

azurekep
Posts: 1179
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 7:16 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by azurekep » Sat May 27, 2017 11:31 am

MP173 wrote:Just finished "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis.

Ok...I struggled with this book. I kept waiting for the Michael Lewis to kick in. It did at the end, but quite frankly I referred to this book (to my wife) as the "nap book". After reading 5 pages, I would put the book down and enjoy a nice nap. Perhaps this is based on my lack of understanding of the two psychologists - Kahneman and Tversky. I struggled with their models and Lewis' narrative.

Of much more interest was the story of the two men. That was fascinating.

I will read Kahneman's book "Thinking Fast and Slow. Perhaps it will sink in.

Ed
I read "The Undoing Project" before reading "Thinking Fast and Slow". Like you, I thought it was more about the two men and their academic partnership. For anyone who loved university life for the intellectual thrill and didn't want to go out into the real world (i.e., they wanted to be a professional student), they'd probably relate big time.

"Thinking Fast and Slow" is thought-provoking but I did not come away with any unifying thought. It seemed like it was "Look at this psychological trick, and here's another". There were a couple of ideas that stayed with me after reading the book, and for that, it was worth reading. That will probably be the case for most readers.

User avatar
VictoriaF
Posts: 18310
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:27 am
Location: Black Swan Lake

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by VictoriaF » Sat May 27, 2017 1:07 pm

azurekep wrote:
MP173 wrote:Just finished "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis.

Ok...I struggled with this book. I kept waiting for the Michael Lewis to kick in. It did at the end, but quite frankly I referred to this book (to my wife) as the "nap book". After reading 5 pages, I would put the book down and enjoy a nice nap. Perhaps this is based on my lack of understanding of the two psychologists - Kahneman and Tversky. I struggled with their models and Lewis' narrative.

Of much more interest was the story of the two men. That was fascinating.

I will read Kahneman's book "Thinking Fast and Slow. Perhaps it will sink in.

Ed
I read "The Undoing Project" before reading "Thinking Fast and Slow". Like you, I thought it was more about the two men and their academic partnership. For anyone who loved university life for the intellectual thrill and didn't want to go out into the real world (i.e., they wanted to be a professional student), they'd probably relate big time.

"Thinking Fast and Slow" is thought-provoking but I did not come away with any unifying thought. It seemed like it was "Look at this psychological trick, and here's another". There were a couple of ideas that stayed with me after reading the book, and for that, it was worth reading. That will probably be the case for most readers.
I am reading "The Undoing Project" now, planning to finish it in a few days. For me, it's one of the most exciting books I've read in several years. The reason is that I am fascinated with both behavioral economics, a science of errors of human cognition, and a special relationship between Kahneman and Tversky, Danny and Amos. I have first read about this special relationship in Kahneman's Nobel acceptance speech and since then I have been envious (in a good way) about the bond they had formed. It's possible that as I read "The Undoing Project" I will find out that Danny's and Amos's relationship has eventually cooled down, but for now, I am still enchanted by their scientific and personal friendship. If I had rescued a genie and she offered to fulfill my single wish, I would have asked for an Amos or a Danny.

Of course, I have read "Thinking, Fast and Slow"--more than once. I have also read a book about the history of Behavioral Economics, and purchased "Mathematical Psychology," a book that has prompted Kahneman to ask why would economists consider the utility of total assets. As I was reading it, I was trying to guess which page and which paragraph has triggered Danny's criticism; I had a feeling that I was getting exposed to something sacred.

It's interesting that Michael Lewis had interests (and envy?) similar to mine, enough to write a book about it. I am grateful to Lewis for giving me more insights about Danny and Amos. My only criticism is that Lewis is repeating too often about Danny's insecurities and introversion. I have watched numerous Kahneman's videos and on one occasion saw him in person. To me he seems charmingly self-deprecating rather than insecure.

Victoria
WINNER of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)

Marjimmy
Posts: 143
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:14 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Marjimmy » Sat May 27, 2017 6:36 pm

Killing of the Rising Sun - Bill Oreily
Elon Musk - Tesla, Space X
Trump Art of the Deal

Now I'm reading 4 Hour Work Week - Tim Ferris
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. -Marcus Aurelius

User avatar
pezblanco
Posts: 470
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:02 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by pezblanco » Sat May 27, 2017 10:14 pm

azurekep wrote:
MP173 wrote:Just finished "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis.

Ok...I struggled with this book. I kept waiting for the Michael Lewis to kick in. It did at the end, but quite frankly I referred to this book (to my wife) as the "nap book". After reading 5 pages, I would put the book down and enjoy a nice nap. Perhaps this is based on my lack of understanding of the two psychologists - Kahneman and Tversky. I struggled with their models and Lewis' narrative.

Of much more interest was the story of the two men. That was fascinating.

I will read Kahneman's book "Thinking Fast and Slow. Perhaps it will sink in.

Ed
{snip}

"Thinking Fast and Slow" is thought-provoking but I did not come away with any unifying thought. It seemed like it was "Look at this psychological trick, and here's another". There were a couple of ideas that stayed with me after reading the book, and for that, it was worth reading. That will probably be the case for most readers.
+1 Massively overhyped book ..... the whole set of ideas could have been more efficiently exposited in a 3 page Bloomberg article. A couple of nice ideas but insane amounts of BS and fluff.

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Mon May 29, 2017 3:02 pm

Cold Earth, by Ann Cleeves.

A landslide in the leads to the discovery of a murdered woman in an supposedly abandoned farm house. Drug addiction and old relationships hold the clues to the mystery.

A very good book. This is the eighth book of the series set in the Shetland Islands. If Cleeves continues to write murder mysteries set in the Shetland Islands, she will soon depopulate the place.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

jebmke
Posts: 8032
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:44 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by jebmke » Mon May 29, 2017 3:11 pm

ruralavalon wrote:If Cleeves continues to write murder mysteries set in the Shetland Islands, she will soon depopulate the place.
My wife used to watch Murder She Wrote and noted that the violent crime problem in Cabot Cove didn't seem to phase the local residents. After 3 or 4 murders in as many weeks you'd think people would get concerned.
When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.

User avatar
bertilak
Posts: 5949
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:23 pm
Location: East of the Pecos, West of the Mississippi

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bertilak » Mon May 29, 2017 3:42 pm

ruralavalon wrote:Cold Earth, by Ann Cleeves.

A landslide in the leads to the discovery of a murdered woman in an supposedly abandoned farm house. Drug addiction and old relationships hold the clues to the mystery.

A very good book. This is the eighth book of the series set in the Shetland Islands. If Cleeves continues to write murder mysteries set in the Shetland Islands, she will soon depopulate the place.
I just started watching Shetland on Netflix. Good show. The scenery is awesome, but I hate to make it sound like that's the best reason to watch it. Acting, writing and everything else about it is top notch.

If you have watched the show, can you say how close it is to the books? If not, I recommend you take a look.
May neither drought nor rain nor blizzard disturb the joy juice in your gizzard. -- Squire Omar Barker, the Cowboy Poet

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Mon May 29, 2017 3:45 pm

bertilak wrote:
ruralavalon wrote:Cold Earth, by Ann Cleeves.

A landslide in the leads to the discovery of a murdered woman in an supposedly abandoned farm house. Drug addiction and old relationships hold the clues to the mystery.

A very good book. This is the eighth book of the series set in the Shetland Islands. If Cleeves continues to write murder mysteries set in the Shetland Islands, she will soon depopulate the place.
I just started watching Shetland on Netflix. Good show. The scenery is awesome, but I hate to make it sound like that's the best reason to watch it. Acting, writing and everything else about it is top notch.

If you have watched the show, can you say how close it is to the books? If not, I recommend you take a look.
I haven't watched the Netflix series yet, but have it on my list to watch.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

Dave55
Posts: 329
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:51 pm
Location: Colorado

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 » Mon May 29, 2017 7:29 pm

I just read the first 9 books of the Matthew Scudder (Private Investigator) series by Lawerence Block. These are all great reads for the mystery private eye genre.

Dave

bsdsecprof
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue May 30, 2017 11:09 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bsdsecprof » Tue May 30, 2017 1:19 pm

I just finished the book, "Youth Gangs in American Society" by Shelden, Tracy & Brown. I learned some things so I'm satisfied. My current book is "1984" by George Orwell. After that I will be reading "Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception" or "Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion, Updated Edition". I'll eventually read some of the books I ordered on private security and corrections. :happy

moshe
Posts: 445
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:18 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by moshe » Tue May 30, 2017 6:34 pm

"Shoe Dog" by Phillip Knight, the co-founder of Nike.

Well written, interesting, self-reflective, thought provoking, a page turner. I came away feeling that I would not want to pay the price that he paid for his success. Is he rich? Well known? Connected to famous athletes, programs and teams? What did it cost him and his family? Read his history. He obviously enjoyed the journey but he is honest enough to question some of the life choices he made along the way. I learned something about business and life and I cannot say this about most books.

~Moshe
My money has no emotions. ~Moshe | | I'm the world's greatest expert on my own opinion. ~Bruce Williams

User avatar
Kitty Telltales
Posts: 168
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:36 am
Location: In the middle of the EU sometimes Florida

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Kitty Telltales » Wed May 31, 2017 4:17 pm

A Man Called Ove

I sense that there are some similar characters as Ove on this forum. I hear the film is good too, perhaps even better than the book.

User avatar
Artful Dodger
Posts: 344
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 12:56 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Artful Dodger » Wed May 31, 2017 6:28 pm

Listening to "A Canticle For Leibowitz", sci fi from late 50s depicting US civilization after world wide nuclear holocaust. Kinda of like how The Irish Saved Civilization, except the monks in this case were in the SW US. Well done, and the HUGO award winner for 1961. Got this as an Audible Daily Deal. I remember seeing in the bookstands in the 60s when I was a kid; was always interested, but never picked up.

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Sat Jun 03, 2017 12:08 pm

Into Africa, by Martin Dugard.

This history tells the story of Stanley and Livingstone in Africa, and the search for the source of the Nile River.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

User avatar
Ricola
Posts: 638
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2008 10:38 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Ricola » Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:48 pm

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War, really enjoyed the detailed timeline of events, most revealing. Has there been a movie or series made this? If not it would be very good.

User avatar
Ricola
Posts: 638
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2008 10:38 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Ricola » Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:52 pm

MP173 wrote:Just finished "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis.

Ok...I struggled with this book. I kept waiting for the Michael Lewis to kick in. It did at the end, but quite frankly I referred to this book (to my wife) as the "nap book". After reading 5 pages, I would put the book down and enjoy a nice nap. Perhaps this is based on my lack of understanding of the two psychologists - Kahneman and Tversky. I struggled with their models and Lewis' narrative.

Of much more interest was the story of the two men. That was fascinating.

I will read Kahneman's book "Thinking Fast and Slow. Perhaps it will sink in.

Ed
Listened to a lot of the hype on this book and have enjoyed everything Michael Lewis, but I had to pull the plug on this one, kick-in never came. :)

User avatar
heartwood
Posts: 1214
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:40 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by heartwood » Sun Jun 04, 2017 8:35 am

I finished my 4th Tana French book, Broken Harbour. It's the 4th of her Dublin Murder Squad novels. I'm reading them in order and have enjoyed each of them. I'll pause a week or two from her books to catch up on some others that are on my e-reader.

I've started Golden Prey by John Sandford. As the title suggests it's one of his prey series featuring Lucas Davenport. Lucas has apparently changed jobs. He's leveraged his life saving, in the previous prey book, of the Democratic candidate and presumptive winner of the US presidency into a US Marshall's job with special privileges. I like all the Sandford books (and there are so many of them with several protagonists). One flaw in his writing I've fixed on is his use of driving or travel as a means of advancing the plot or perhaps adding pages. Lucas drove here, then he drove back, then he went home, then he flew to DC, ...

But it must work or his stories are good enough for me to put up with it. I'm still reading him so many years later. Lee Child uses the same travel device in his Reacher books. One had Reacher going back and forth (mostly walking?) between two neighboring towns, oh so many times. The towns are Hope and Despair and he goes from one to the other again and again.

azurekep
Posts: 1179
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 7:16 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by azurekep » Sun Jun 04, 2017 12:39 pm

heartwood wrote: Lee Child uses the same travel device in his Reacher books. One had Reacher going back and forth (mostly walking?) between two neighboring towns, oh so many times. The towns are Hope and Despair and he goes from one to the other again and again.
Lee Child's "Nothing to Lose". :beer

The "walking" aspect of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was also enjoyable.

User avatar
heartwood
Posts: 1214
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:40 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by heartwood » Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:05 am

I started Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman the author of a Man Called Ove. I read and generally enjoyed Ove. I'm having a hard time getting into Britt-Marie. After three short chapters I'm ready to move on to something else. I don't like the character; I don't like the dynamics.

InvestoGuy
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:34 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by InvestoGuy » Tue Jun 06, 2017 8:57 am

Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor by Tren Griffin (Author)

This is not just about value investing but also but behavioral aspects of the human race. The psychology of human mis-judgement is discussed well.

retire57
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 3:03 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by retire57 » Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:09 pm

The Unbanking of America: How the New Middle Class Survives by Lisa Servon. Published January 2017.

User avatar
heartwood
Posts: 1214
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:40 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by heartwood » Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:13 pm

Lee Child, No Middle Name. A novella and a collection of previously published short stories most of which I've already read. I understand the next full novel,The Midnight Line, is due in November.

User avatar
bertilak
Posts: 5949
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:23 pm
Location: East of the Pecos, West of the Mississippi

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bertilak » Sat Jun 10, 2017 12:16 pm

Three Men in a Boat (1889) by Jerome K. Jerome. I'm less than a quarter of the way into this but thought it worth commenting on.

The book's structure is that of three friends (and a dog) preparing for and embarking on a trip up the Thames in a rowboat. It is told in fist person by one of the participants (presumably Jerome K. Jerome). At the point I am in the book, the actual journey has just begun. At first I wondered why the book was called THREE men in a boat when there were obviously FOUR characters going on the trip. I took a little while to realize the fourth character was the narrator's dog, some sort of high-energy Terrier, because his (the dog's) opinions seemed to be solicited as part of the planning stage.

The book is gently hilarious. So far it is a series of low-grade misadventures. I say low-grade because nothing very bad happens, just three guys stumbling around mostly ineffectually. Every little thing that happens provokes a reminiscence from the author. So far, these make up about half the word count. Descriptions I've read in researching the book include "satire," "wit," and "farce."

One of the author’s little digressions is about how collectibles and art of his day were largely every-day items from 200 years ago. He ponders what broken dishes of his day will be repaired and proudly displayed in glass cases in the years 2000, or 2288. Perhaps people will marvel that the advanced technology needed to make such fine artifacts was available so long ago.

Reading this more than 100 years after it was written opens a window to Victorian England. The view is very pleasant!

The thing I wanted to mention is that it reads much like a Mark Twain story (but more innocent) so those who like Mark Twain will probably enjoy this book. Jerome and Twain were contemporaries so I wonder if they knew (of) each other or appreciated each other's work. This book might have been called Innocents (not so far) Abroad.

UPDATE: Wikipedia tells me that there was a magazine called The Idler published in Great Britain from 1892 to 1911. The February 1892 issue, editors Robert Barr and Jerome K. Jerome, includes an interview with Mark Twain. The interview was conducted by Barr (using the pen name Luke Sharp), not by Jerome, but it does show that Twain and Jerome were at least peripherally acquainted.
May neither drought nor rain nor blizzard disturb the joy juice in your gizzard. -- Squire Omar Barker, the Cowboy Poet

User avatar
market timer
Posts: 5904
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:42 am

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by market timer » Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:09 am

American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road, by Nick Bilton.

The story of Ross Ulbricht, now serving a life sentence for drug trafficking. Highly recommended

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:19 am

Krakatoa, by Simon Winchester.

This is the story of the 1883 eruption of an island volcano in the Sunda Straight of Indonesia, so enormous that it could be heard 3,000 miles away and affected the climate worldwide. The book discusses the development of the science of plate tectonics and continental drift, as well as Dutch colonial policy and some of the history of the region.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

User avatar
ruralavalon
Posts: 13320
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:29 am
Location: Illinois

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon » Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:43 pm

The Blackhouse, by Peter May.

This is a very good mystery-thriller, the first of a series of three. A Scottish police detective returns to his childhood home on the Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides to try to solve two murders, and unravels a mystery from his own youth.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link:Getting Started

User avatar
VictoriaF
Posts: 18310
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:27 am
Location: Black Swan Lake

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by VictoriaF » Wed Jun 14, 2017 11:32 am

After I have finished Michael Lewis's "The Undoing Project," I am now re-reading "Liar's Poker." Thirty years after the events described, Liar's Poker is still very powerful, especially for the Bogleheads. These two books and "The Big Short" have admitted Michael Lewis to an exclusive club of my favorite authors.

Lewis is about the same age as Nassim Taleb and was on the Wall Street at about the same time. I am curious if they know each other. After the story of Kahneman and Tversky, I would love to read a story of Taleb.

Victoria
WINNER of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)

azurekep
Posts: 1179
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 7:16 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by azurekep » Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:00 pm

VictoriaF wrote: These two books and "The Big Short" have admitted Michael Lewis to an exclusive club of my favorite authors.
Victoria
"Boomerang" is another fun Lewis book, though it doesn't get as much press as the others. It deals with Iceland, Greece, Ireland and Germany during Europe's debt crisis. It finishes with California and Vallejo.

Big Dutch
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 3:18 pm

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Big Dutch » Wed Jun 14, 2017 1:00 pm

I'm "reading" (Audible recording) The Secret History by Donna Tartt. The plot is a bit macabre but I've thoroughly enjoyed this book. She builds and dissects her characters with rare depth and her writing style is a pleasure to read. This is one of those few books that I would describe as immersive - I found it hard to disengage from the story and not have it rattling around in the back of my mind during the day (in a good way). I'm looking forward to reading The Goldfinch later this summer.

~Big Dutch

User avatar
VictoriaF
Posts: 18310
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:27 am
Location: Black Swan Lake

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by VictoriaF » Wed Jun 14, 2017 2:55 pm

azurekep wrote:
VictoriaF wrote: These two books and "The Big Short" have admitted Michael Lewis to an exclusive club of my favorite authors.
Victoria
"Boomerang" is another fun Lewis book, though it doesn't get as much press as the others. It deals with Iceland, Greece, Ireland and Germany during Europe's debt crisis. It finishes with California and Vallejo.
Thank you, azurekep,

I will check it out,

Victoria
WINNER of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)

nbseer
Posts: 176
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:00 am
Location: New Jersey

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by nbseer » Wed Jun 14, 2017 8:51 pm

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari. Fascinating examination of the rise of Homo Sapiens over the other species that did not survive, like the Neanderthal. Calls the "agricultural revolution" the greatest fraud ever, how it enslaved people to work in the fields, leading to a huge population increase, disease, etc.

Anyone interested in how humans evolved , their relationship with other species, science and anthropology should check this out.

Post Reply
https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=147398&newpost=3490492&start=2300
www.bogleheads.org
crawl=CC-MAIN-2018-30
178489
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:6VFCSHL4CHLKX4EYORBMRPGNMMWXUMCD
<urn:uuid:c86e913e-6c64-4bf6-8f6e-211543715de9>
2018-07-18T00:54:52Z
66.209.71.244
text/html
sha1:E4HH7XP262ZSBYB6ERFHJFC4INMF3SPW
<urn:uuid:71dff311-dc2c-4920-9449-e541969e6636>
https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=147398&newpost=3490492&start=2300
response
<urn:uuid:49178cd2-946b-466f-868e-59cf7d6f5681>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-146-48-27.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-30
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for July 2018
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf