/dev/null Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Anyone have a recommendation for a good book or two?
LewPort71 Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 What are you looking for ? Fiction Non fiction Sci Fi Political Sports
DC Tom Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Anyone have a recommendation for a good book or two? Yeah. Put the books down and watch a movie.
KD in CA Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Anyone have a recommendation for a good book or two? I've been reading these two a lot lately: Highly recommended Excellent plot
/dev/null Posted January 24, 2011 Author Posted January 24, 2011 What are you looking for ? Fiction Non fiction Sci Fi Political Sports Probably politics and history. Maybe revisit Atlas Shrugged or read End the Fed. And maybe something on ancient Rome or a bio of Augustus or Alexander I've been reading these two a lot lately: Highly recommended Excellent plot To which I retort
Dr. Fong Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 A Game of Thrones. First book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. If you read that series and don't like it you have poor taste.
dib Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 One Second After: W. Forstchen Anything by Nelson Demille
Peace Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Probably politics and history. Maybe revisit Atlas Shrugged or read End the Fed. And maybe something on ancient Rome or a bio of Augustus or Alexander To which I retort That category helps. I read a fair amount in that genre. Here are a few books that I enjoyed in the last few years. Team of Rivals (Lincoln). I'm not a Civil War buff but it made me appreciate Lincoln more than I already did. Amazing story of Lincoln's political genius. First Man in Rome. I am not a fan of historical fiction but this book (one of about 7 in a row through Augustus's reign) was great. The autor, Colleen McCullough wrote the Thornbirds (FFS!) but her real passion in life was studying Roman history. This is NOT a heaving bosom book but a pretty interesting account guessing at some of the gaps in the known Marius/Sulla history. The Big Short. One of my favorite authors (Liar's Poker and the Blind Side) takes on the 2008-9 crash. Excellent book that makes the crash obvious with hindsight. BTW, for one of the GREATEST reviews of the History of Rome, there is no easier resource than The History of Rome podcast. This guy is up to 123 episodes (at about 20 mins each) and he starts with the founding of Rome, working his way up to the eventual fall (not there yet). He does it just about strictly chronological, although he occasionally breaks to explain something like how the roman Phalanx improved on the Greek or certain political side issues. I'd say the early podcasts are interesting but unfortunately, there is little record (As he explains) so he is often recounting the myths. Once the first Rome sacking passes, the historical record is much better and the podcast really hits its stride. I've listened to all 122 podcasts and it's a gem.
plenzmd1 Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Just finished "With the Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge..basis for parts of he Pacific miniseries. Very good. Runnng to the Mountain by Jon Katz...good if you are a 40-55 yr old man like me http://www.amazon.com/Running-Mountain-Adventure-Jon-Katz/dp/product-description/0767904982 Same type of mid life , time to examine my life, type of book Breakfast with Budda..I enjoyed this as well http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Buddha-Novel-Roland-Merullo/product-reviews/1565125525
Fezmid Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Probably politics and history. Maybe revisit Atlas Shrugged Skip Atlas Shrugged, and just play Bioshock instead. Same concept, more fun. http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/02/25/the-myth-of-atlantis-atlas-shrugged-and-bioshock/
Cugalabanza Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 I highly recommend City of Thieves by David Benioff. Excellent novel. Takes place during the Siege of Leningrad
BB27 Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Right now I'm reading Killing Pablo The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw. Decent book, interesting read about the hunt for Pablo Escobar and how the DEA, CIA and US Special Forces assisted in the hunt.
truth on hold Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Nikki Sixx's "Heroin Diaries" is terrific. http://www.amazon.com/Heroin-Diaries-Year-Life-Shattered/dp/0743486285
DC Tom Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Best book I've read recently is an older one: Surviving the Killing Fields, by Haing Ngor. A memoir, not a history, so it's lacking in certain details (like the means by which the US and North Vietnam collaborated to cause Cambodia to self-destruct). But fascinating, and intensely gripping. Which then puts me in mind of Philip Gourevitch's We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families, about the Rwandan genocide. Probably the single best book on that particular disaster, a good balance of well-researched historical fact and personal anecdote. And a third, non-genocidal book: Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal , by Hornfischer. Truth be told, it's on my "to read" stack...but I know the subject matter pretty well, and have read some of the author's body of work, and have every reason to expect it's a well-written (albiet slightly shallow ) history - and it's not relatively well known how brutal and violent the Navy's battles off Guadalcanal were, given the focus the marines get (particularly after The Pacific for the land campaign. Richard B. Frank's book is almost certainly a better in-depth study of the battle...but Hornfischer is more likely a better casual read.
Buftex Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Just finished "Life" by Keith Richards...great read.
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Right now I'm reading Killing Pablo The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw. Decent book, interesting read about the hunt for Pablo Escobar and how the DEA, CIA and US Special Forces assisted in the hunt. What the what? I'm reading that book right now. What are the odds? It's like a 9-year old book.
Pete Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 What the what? I'm reading that book right now. What are the odds? It's like a 9-year old book. I read Killing Pablo last year. Good read
Peace Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Best book I've read recently is an older one: Surviving the Killing Fields, by Haing Ngor. A memoir, not a history, so it's lacking in certain details (like the means by which the US and North Vietnam collaborated to cause Cambodia to self-destruct). But fascinating, and intensely gripping. In the African genocide vein, What is the What and...whatever the book that the movie Hotel Rwanda was based on are good personal stories. What is the What was incredible--hard to believe what those Sudanese boys went through. Someone mentioned the sort of feel good middle age book. You might try Three Cups of Tea.
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