Author Topic: Good Books  (Read 798 times)

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Offline Omni

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #45 on: December 20, 2019, 03:33:24 pm »
"The Second Sleep" by Robert Harris.

All civilizations consider themselves invulnerable
History shows us none is.
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Online wilber

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #46 on: December 20, 2019, 04:55:58 pm »
"The Second Sleep" by Robert Harris.

All civilizations consider themselves invulnerable
History shows us none is.

Read a review in the Guardian. I'll keep an eye out for it.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Super Colin Blow

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #47 on: December 20, 2019, 07:34:10 pm »
One of my favorite authors is Clive Cussler, who writes the "Dirk Pitt" novels.

Another is Tony Hillerman, who writes mysteries involving the Navajo Tribal Police in the American southwest. Read a bunch of both (in full).
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Online Michael Hardner

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #48 on: December 20, 2019, 07:40:22 pm »
I'm going to order this one on hardcover

https://www.amazon.com/SECRET-WAR-Since-WWII/dp/B0010EKNGQ

Amazing that these stories are not better known.

Online wilber

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #49 on: December 21, 2019, 04:37:24 pm »
I'm going to order this one on hardcover

https://www.amazon.com/SECRET-WAR-Since-WWII/dp/B0010EKNGQ

Amazing that these stories are not better known.

Looks interesting.
John le Carre is the master of post WW2 spy fiction but there hasn't been a lot published about post WW2 spy non fiction.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Online Michael Hardner

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #50 on: December 21, 2019, 07:31:07 pm »
I'm not sure why.  The guy they swapped Gary Powers for was fascinating...

Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #51 on: April 23, 2020, 11:07:13 pm »
I just finished 3 books by Yuval Harari.

Sapiens had been on my wish list for a while before I bought it and it was the first page-turner non-fiction book I've ever read.  I can't say enough good things about the book and even though I hadn't heard much hype about it before buying it (it just looked interesting), I found out afterwards that I was quite late getting into the game with that one.  Apparently, it's been a must-read on many lists. 

In Sapiens, Harari covers humanity from the beginning to the present era in the context of sociology, biology and economics.  The end of the book he discusses the future of humanity which becomes the topic of his second book Homo Deus.  Admittedly, I'm not a future-based person and I didn't enjoy Homo Deus as much, but if you like speculating about where we are heading as a species, it's pretty interesting.  And frightening.

His third book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, was written in 2018 and covers the post-Trump, pro-Brexit populist era.  He is brilliant in his analysis of world events.

If you have not read his works already, I would recommend highly.  He is in my opinion one of the greatest thinkers of our time.

Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #52 on: April 23, 2020, 11:24:35 pm »
I find the hype over Sapiens to be a bit odd.  It's basically a textbook in paperback form.  I'm sure it's a good read though.
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Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #53 on: April 23, 2020, 11:29:29 pm »
I thought it'd be academic too which is why I put off buying it for so long.  It's not at all though.  It's the compilation of history through the lens of so many different disciplines that makes it interesting.  I never lost interest.




Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #54 on: April 24, 2020, 12:12:21 am »
I find the hype over Sapiens to be a bit odd.  It's basically a textbook in paperback form.  I'm sure it's a good read though.

Many of the criticisms are that it is NOT textbook like.  It’s mostly opinion and speculation and very short on actual evidence or proper references.
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Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #55 on: April 24, 2020, 12:38:21 am »
Many of the criticisms are that it is NOT textbook like.  It’s mostly opinion and speculation and very short on actual evidence or proper references.

I find the criticism a bit unfair.  There was actually nothing in the book that I didn't already know as far as history goes.  It was the weaving together through the lens of economics and sociology (opinion) which made it unique.

The analysis was basically what I found to be a good read. 



Offline msj

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #56 on: April 24, 2020, 12:39:59 am »
Many of the criticisms are that it is NOT textbook like.  It’s mostly opinion and speculation and very short on actual evidence or proper references.

Better to read Darwin “On the Origin of Species” in conjunction with Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, and Donald Johanson than read that crap.



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Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Good Books
« Reply #57 on: July 28, 2020, 03:12:24 am »
So two books I read recently.

1) The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.  It sounds catchy and it's on the best-seller lists but garbage through and through.  I couldn't finish it and I have no idea why so many people liked this book. 

2) Mary Trump's Too Much and Never Enough.  I haven't wanted to read any of the books bashing Trump because, well, I already know he's a douche and it's enraging enough to read the news, I didn't really want to take to task to read a whole book dedicated to him.  But Mary Trump's book looked intriguing given her family history and her professional opinions.  It's definitely worth a read, even if you're read the excerpts.  Highly recommend.