What books are you reading now?

[reger]

Nine Crazy Ideas in Science:

A Few Might Even Be True

Robert Ehrlich

 

 

http://www.google.lv/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CBwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpress.princeton.edu%2Ftitles%2F7022.html&ei=tIqmUMCLOsKC4ASF44GQCQ&usg=AFQjCNFb2i1DIzT17qFm5fv-g7nYeKcOfw&sig2=odFCLX3ndpZX67v0JjzKbg

 

 

Some are interesting, some not so.

[Blubber]

 

hi jon, how was that ? thought about to read either Clavell's Shogun or this one...

 

btw, finished Josh Bazell's Beat the Reaper and was highly entertained. it's bloody, bizzarre, hilarious - easy read and completely meaningless but with the most brutal ending ever !!

[kiriyama]

Just finished George R.R. Martin's A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow. Happy I decided to continue reading the series as this book has been the best one so far. Will take a short break and then dive into the next book in the series.

[kiriyama]

Finished Rashomon and Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Recommended. Will try to find more of his works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūnosuke_Akutagawa

[KozmikTentacles]

I'll be listening this audio-book when it arrives...

 

 

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan H. Cain

 

 

[kiriyama]

Finished In Search of Shangri-La by Michael McRae, an interesting account of 20th century attempts to discover the Tsangpo valley in Tibet. Describes the approaches and ideas behind the expeditions. An interesting read.

[kiriyama]

Finished the fourth part in the A Song of Ice and Fire series - definitely the best part so far! It's truly epic.

[kiriyama]

Bear Grylls is quite popular here in New Zealand, so I picked up his new book in a why-not-give-it-a-shot kind of way, A Survival Guide for Life. I had expected more anecdotes but did learn a bit about him as a person, for example how faith is important to him on his adventures. (It's no in-your-face propaganda, though.) Rich in quotes and examples of people he admires and most of what he writes is common sense, I feel, but nevertheless important in reminding oneself how attitude and approach are key in living life to the fullest. I'll probably pick up one of his other books that mainly deal with his adventures; he's an interesting character even if his writing isn't always that intriguing.

[Rotwang]

[kiriyama]

Just finished Hackers - Heroes of the Computer Revolution by the American journalist Steven Levy. It was first published in the 80s and describes how late-night experiments at MIT developed into a new market as computers and computer games became available en masse. It's an interesting read, a window to a past in which few could foresee the incredible technological leaps man ws about to make. Even if it's 'old' and might look a little dated, it's not insofar as detailing the period from the 50s to the early-mid 80s, which is what the author sets out to do.

[Procyon]

Just finished 'The Best American Short Stories 2012', a must be compilation for me. Next is 'The Best American Science 2012'. I highly recommend these annual compilations, there's a book for major genres: mystery, erotica, etc...

 

This year, as I couldn't get one in time for the holidays, I decided to try an e-book. I got both Kindle and the native iBook and decided to try both.First, I was not much happy with this, I thought that reading a book in my iPhone would be disappointing. I thought I'd miss the feeling of the book itself, the pages turning, the smell. To my surprise, I enjoyed it a lot. After the first 'page', I completely forgot the medium and got immersed in the story. I also had the idea that it would take me longer to finish the ebook, and quite the contrary, I finished it faster. I think this is because i had my iPhone with me 24/7, so whenever I had 10 minutes to spare I just had to grab the phone. So, it was good. I decided I will buy more ebooks than paper books, as the technology is clean and saves some trees, or so I hope. The minus point in this story is that I do miss the book on my bookshelf, I hope that some sort of a physical volume (as long as it is enviro-friendly) could replace a 'real' book, for storing purposes.

 

PS. By "I got Kindle" I mean the app. iPhone display was very friendly in this first experience, so I don't see the need to buy the Kindle device.

[JISNEGRO]

I have a kindle touch and I can say the reading experience is very good. Sure it is not the same than a real book, but it looks very close to a printed page. One of the positive aspects is that I can carry with me my entire collection of books in just one device, one downside is that color displays are still not available

[Procyon]

I have a kindle touch and I can say the reading experience is very good. Sure it is not the same than a real book, but it looks very close to a printed page. One of the positive aspects is that I can carry with me my entire collection of books in just one device, one downside is that color displays are still not available

 

I was talking to a friend about this, he said that text colors would shorten the life of the battery by one hour, at least. I think he's right. When I used the white text against the black color, it lasted less than when I used black text against white color. I found out that the sepia is the best for battery and for the eyes.

[technosomy]

Paul Oakenfold's Biography :-)

 

dam whats it like?

[technosomy]

the hungry hungry caterpillar

[franki]

I'm half way through this at the moment.

It's a scholarly study and therefore, the vocabulary can be quite hard-going, but nevertheless, it's a good read and contains much information on various aspects of the music and scene.

Well recommended so far.

 

[Veracohr]

Currently reading book 9 of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, "Winter's Heart", for who knows how many times now. The last book in the series just came out, so I'm in the process of re-reading the whole series again in preparation for the last (14th) one.

 

Also reading a DSP textbook, because I have to.

 

I just went to the bookstore today and got a few things to add to my stack of things I need to read. I used to not buy any book I didn't intend to read immediately, but that was back when I rode the bus everywhere instead of driving, and didn't turn my TV on for weeks at a time. Now, I have these books waiting patiently on my shelves for me to read them:

 

A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson. Last book in the Wheel of Time series. Just got today.

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales. Only had a vague desire to read these, but I had a gift card to the bookstore and it caught my eye. Just got today.

The Twelfth Insight by James Redfield. Fourth book in the Celestine Prophecy series. I don't expect it to be very good, especially since the last one wasn't, but I felt compelled to continue reading the series. Just got today.

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card. An outrigger novel to the Ender series. I love the main series. I have three other outrigger novels to the series; they're not bad, but not as good as the main series.

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. Everyone kept talking about the books and the TV show that I felt I should give it a try. I'd like to read at least the first book before I watch any of the TV show.

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. Not sure about this one, I borrowed it from a friend who said it was good. I'm not sure I've ever read a 'normal' fiction book; that is, a fictional book that wasn't fantasy, sci-fi or horror. Just a fictional book about normal things and normal people.

Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind. Book 5 of the Sword of Truth series. From what I've read online, this may be where the series starts going downhill, but I've liked it up to this point.

 

I also have a couple comic books that have been on my shelf for more than a year, maybe two. I really should read them. One is part of "Angel: After The Fall", a comic book continuation of the Angel TV series. The other is an issue of a comic book adaptation of the Wheel of Time (so nothing new to read there).

 

I can't believe I own so many books I still haven't read. Part of getting old?

[Rotwang]

I just finished Second Philosophy: a Naturalistic Method by Penelope Maddy. It was quite good; the first half was an explanation of the author's version of naturalism and a defence of the same against various challenges by other philosophers, which I didn't find terribly convincing. The second half was an application of her methods to a couple of problems, which was much better. It included discussions of many interesting experiments about infant perception.

[longloststar]

About to finish Russell's "History of Western Philosophy", which is mostly a highly biased account of the (in Russell's view negative) influences of religion on the cultural, philosophical and scientific development of the western world. Since I cannot confirm the validity of the claims he make, I cannot either recommend the book.

[Procyon]

I am reading, again, The Gospel According the Spiritism, a French book by Allan Kardec that is the reference for those who study Christian mediunity, its philosophical, scientific and religious implications, and that also is the guide for the COEM (Course of Mediunity Education and Orientation), which I will start this next March. It is the obrigatory book for those who are mediums or have some potential for mediunity.

[longloststar]

I am reading, again, The Gospel According the Spiritism, a French book by Allan Kardec that is the reference for those who study Christian mediunity, its philosophical, scientific and religious implications, and that also is the guide for the COEM (Course of Mediunity Education and Orientation), which I will start this next March. It is the obrigatory book for those who are mediums or have some potential for mediunity.

 

Are you seriously into that kind of stuff? I cannot foresee anything good coming out of it. Either you are being scammed, are scamming yourself, or are planning on scamming others. Don't do it!

[kiriyama]

Each to his own, I guess.

[IronSun]

Have undertaken the mission to read the great SciFi classics... So far I've read:

 

• Hyperion by Dan Simmons: great The Canterbury Tales - like construction of the narrative, enjoyed it a lot. Quite abstract in some of it concepts, focused mainly around pain. Definitely worth the read.
• Neuromancer by William Gibson: awesome. Very 'fast' and techy feel, kaleidoscopic descriptions of cyberspace, all before the internet came into existence as we know it.
• Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick: Classic, also bought the director's cut blu-ray of Blade Runner...The soundtrack and atmosphere still amaze me.
• The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick: Psychedelic but rather dark trip, Dick had a very ominous kind of perspective on the future... Uneasiness is the keyword here. Definitely recommended though.
• Dune by Frank Herbert: Still on this one. Wondering by myself how in god's name I've waited so long for something this good. Stunningly imaginative.

It's been a great trip so far Oh, in the meantime I've also read Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell... A future classic, no doubt. And Logis in einem Landhaus by W.G. Sebald, beautifully melancholic. I'm on a roll!

[Procyon]

Are you seriously into that kind of stuff? I cannot foresee anything good coming out of it. Either you are being scammed, are scamming yourself, or are planning on scamming others. Don't do it!

It is a matter of believing, don't you agree? I believe, and that's what matters to me.

 

As a matter of fact, I have just finished another important book to all spiritualists: Evoluçao Planetaria (only in Portuguese, Esperanto and Latin, sorry). It cast some light on the 2005 Asia tsunami, from its spiritual side. According to a pleaides of mediums, the tsunami was the most visible part of a phenomenon that is currently happening to mankind, a phenomenon that started some 120 years ago and will last another 50, 60 years: all spirits that have didn't do their best, in their path towards evolution, in the 2000 year span since Christ taught us, are being moved out to another planet unknown to us. The ones who did their best to a better world are going to stay here, joining other more intelligent, elevated spirits that are - right now - children who are being born in huge masses since 10 years ago. In other worlds we are in the middle of our planet revolution, when it's finished, Earth will be a better planet.

[longloststar]

It is a matter of believing, don't you agree? I believe, and that's what matters to me.

 

As a matter of fact, I have just finished another important book to all spiritualists: Evoluçao Planetaria (only in Portuguese, Esperanto and Latin, sorry). It cast some light on the 2005 Asia tsunami, from its spiritual side. According to a pleaides of mediums, the tsunami was the most visible part of a phenomenon that is currently happening to mankind, a phenomenon that started some 120 years ago and will last another 50, 60 years: all spirits that have didn't do their best, in their path towards evolution, in the 2000 year span since Christ taught us, are being moved out to another planet unknown to us. The ones who did their best to a better world are going to stay here, joining other more intelligent, elevated spirits that are - right now - children who are being born in huge masses since 10 years ago. In other worlds we are in the middle of our planet revolution, when it's finished, Earth will be a better planet.

 

What a pile of pretentious nonesense. This idea of the separation of good humans from bad humans is one of the vilest in human history. I assume that those that "didn't do their best" primarily are those that did not buy the biblical doctrine?