What are you reading?

[tinnitus]

Originally Posted by imwjl

The latest Vaclav Smil book - Size

https://vaclavsmil.com

Don't let Bill Gates always looking forward to his next book or the way pundits have twisted small parts or misappropriated his work influence you. The guy is simply amazing in how he studies, quantifies and explains all sorts of the underpinnings and ways that are how we live and operate.

These books are sort of projects made easier or lighter if you don't spend too much time following the references but following his references is really interesting too.

His research and books are full of great stuff for things often discussed here.

Originally Posted by Mycroft

I have "How The World Really Works" in my on deck circle.

Currently 3/4 of the way through "How the World Really Works." What an eye-opener! I'll definitely look up his other books too!

[Glennwillow]

My wife and I just finished reading Wallace Stegnar's "Angle of Repose," which won a Pullitzer Prize. It was quite a novel, very good.

- Glenn

[guitargabor]

Stegner is one of those writers that is under appreciated.

I also enjoyed the "Big rock candy mountain" and "Wolf Willow".

[boombox]

This:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Martin-Tayl.../dp/186074642X

Very humorous account of arguably Britain's greatest jazz guitarist. It reads just like he is in concert.

[Dogma]

I am listening to Michael Pollan read his book How to Change your Mind.... It is extremely interesting, well written, and he has a fabulous sense of humor.

My first audio book was a biography of an American woman who was a leader in the anti-Nazi resistance movement in Germany. The book is All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days. It is also a very good book but once everyone was arrested, the book became too grim for me and I had to stop listening and move on to (shall we say) more uplifting frontiers!

[tinnitus]

I do most of my reading via audiobooks streamed from my iPhone (through Bluetooth hearing aids). Not possible with illustrated books, lol.

1964 Eyes of the Storm

It's a nice, big, heavy book of photos taken that year by Paul McCartney during the Beatles' early ventures out in the UK, France and the US. 275 photos and several dozen well-written pages of forewords/intros to the chapters - very relevant commentary given the sweeping cultural changes happening then. A fine time-capsule, especially for those who were around and recall the sensation.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by guitargabor

Stegner is one of those writers that is under appreciated.

I also enjoyed the "Big rock candy mountain" and "Wolf Willow".

I have not read either of those titles; I'm going to have to get copies of them. Thanks for the recommendation!

- Glenn

[Jeff Scott]

I just began reading this.

[p^h]

About 90% through Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth". Wow. I've got the sequel, "World Without End" lined up.

Paul

[Jack the Pearl]

I've started reading "The Federalist Papers" by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Seems topical in the run-up to a Presidential election wherein some fundamental things may be called in to question if not changed. These essays were written for the popular press as a way to "sell" the adoption of the newly written federal Constitution, under which we live to this day.

It's a classic of American Political Science, of course. But stylistically it fits in the folder for Bad Writing. At least by modern standards. Long sentences. Strike that; overly long sentences. Tortured syntax and authors afraid to use periods.

Given all that, Hamilton's ideas about the advantages of this new form of government are clearly brilliant even though they're not expressed in a modern style. I guess I'm willing to forgive that. I'm about a third of the way through.

Takes patience, exercised in calm comfortable reading environment. Got that. Lucky me.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Jack the Pearl

I've started reading "The Federalist Papers" by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Seems topical in the run-up to a Presidential election wherein some fundamental things may be called in to question if not changed. These essays were written for the popular press as a way to "sell" the adoption of the newly written federal Constitution, under which we live to this day.

It's a classic of American Political Science, of course. But stylistically it fits in the folder for Bad Writing. At least by modern standards. Long sentences. Strike that; overly long sentences. Tortured syntax and authors afraid to use periods.

Given all that, Hamilton's ideas about the advantages of this new form of government are clearly brilliant even though they're not expressed in a modern style. I guess I'm willing to forgive that. I'm about a third of the way through.

Takes patience, exercised in calm comfortable reading environment. Got that. Lucky me.

Might as well hear the other side of the argument as well.

https://www.amazon.com/What-Anti-Fed.../dp/0226775747

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Jack the Pearl

I've started reading "The Federalist Papers" by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Seems topical in the run-up to a Presidential election wherein some fundamental things may be called in to question if not changed. These essays were written for the popular press as a way to "sell" the adoption of the newly written federal Constitution, under which we live to this day.
It's a classic of American Political Science, of course. But stylistically it fits in the folder for Bad Writing. At least by modern standards. Long sentences. Strike that; overly long sentences. Tortured syntax and authors afraid to use periods.
Given all that, Hamilton's ideas about the advantages of this new form of government are clearly brilliant even though they're not expressed in a modern style. I guess I'm willing to forgive that. I'm about a third of the way through.
Takes patience, exercised in calm comfortable reading environment. Got that. Lucky me.

The Declaration of Independence is like that too. Semi-colons where today we'd use periods. The point gets across though.

[FingahPickah]

A Restaurant in Jaffa - by Mark E. Sorenson

https://www.amazon.com/Restaurant-Ja.../dp/1953910041

[Don W]

Picketts Charge - Stewart
Manhunt - Swanson
The Musicians Way - Klickstein

[KenL]

This. I wish it was fiction, but I'm afraid that most it is probably true.


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