The Watcha Readin' Thread Strikes Again!

[craichead 0]

In Defense of Elitism by William A. Henry, III

Essentially the author takes on and debunks the American ideal of egalitarianism.

-P

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"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

[ltdiver 3]

"Toscanini's Fumble and other Tales of Clinical Neurology". Fascinating book about a neurolgist's study into unusual neurological cases. Especially brain disorders that reveal very strange phenomenal symptoms.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[KawiZX900 0]

orson scott card shadow''s of the hedgemon

and Band of Brothers

& mac os X users manual

Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky

[dex 0]

If you haven't read Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker series then you should do yourself a favor and place a bookmark in all your other inferior reading material and grab a copy of the best reading material in the galaxy.

You can get the whole series in a hardcover form bn for 15$

"The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide" ISBN: 0517149257

[quatorze 1]

hitchiker is awesome, but the book that turned me on to Doug Adams has to be the trippiest, "The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul" Weird shit.

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle

[Kris 0]

Fiction: "Shadow of the Hegemon" by Orson Scott Card

Non-Fiction: "Always Running: LA Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. " by Luis J. Rodriguez

Both are great books.

Kris

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[indyz 1]

I got Poynter's Manuals for Christmas, so I've been opening to random sections and reading in between rounds of GTA: Vice City.

I'm anxiously awaiting Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson.

[craichead 0]

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If you haven't read Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker series then you should do yourself a favor and place a bookmark in all your other inferior reading material and grab a copy of the best reading material in the galaxy.

I second this sentiment. However, I really didn't like Mostly Harmless (The Fifth Book in the Increasingly Inaccurately Named Hitchhiker's Trilogy). It just seems like he was rushing to finish the book because of pressure from the publishers. Stick to the first four books. I'm very interested to see his posthumously published sixth book of the series.

Another interesting read is Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion by Neil Gaiman, who has written some really awesome graphic novels, as well as "regular" novels.

-P

Edited because I'm a lame speller at 7:30 in the morning!

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"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

[ltdiver 3]

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If you haven't read Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker series then you should do yourself a favor and place a bookmark in all your other inferior reading material and grab a copy of the best reading material in the galaxy.

Was loaned the book on tape this past month. Read by Douglas Adams himself! What a trip! And the way the author interprets his own writing is like hearing Mozart himself playing one of his pieces for all to enjoy!

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[PLFKING 3]

Not a lot of spare time lately, but I've been re-reading the Kent Family Chronicles when I have a moment.


Don

[Jumperpaula 0]

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but I heard that the latest Gunslinger was supposed to be out right about now...sigh....

Early 2003 according to the web site. And there are 3 scheduled to be released within 3 month of each other. If you haven't read the 4 Dark Tower books...

I just finished Stephen King "on Writing" and his reading list includes the Harry Potter books.

Kid's just got them for Christmas so what the hell. Started the first one the other day.

[skybytch 259]

Thanks for the ideas, everybody! I've already read all 5 of the Hitchhicker trilogy. Didn't know that Stephen King has a new one out, nor did I know that Neal Stephenson has a new one coming out (may need to save a few bucks on the gift card for that one; love Snow Crash and Diamond Age). There are no Heinlein novels that I haven't already read.

How is Shadows of the Hegemon? I loved Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.

[craichead 0]

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Was loaned the book on tape this past month. Read by Douglas Adams himself! What a trip! And the way the author interprets his own writing is like hearing Mozart himself playing one of his pieces for all to enjoy!

Very cool! The BBC Radio series of the Hitchhiker's Guide is quite good, too. The TV series...not so good but amusing in a camp sort of way. The radio series is kinda hard to find in the states -- I got the CDs from amazon.co.uk, but they don't seem to have them anymore, either (just on audio tape).

-P

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"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

[RevJim 0]

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Secret reason behind this post - I've got US$100 to blow at Barnes and Noble tomorrow.

Well, you could get Poynters Parachute manuals 1 and 2 and send them to me....

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[freeflir29 0]

"The Art of Investgative Interviewing" by Charles L. Yeschke.
Not exactly a barrel of monkies to read....but the psychological side is pretty interesting to me. 49 more pages, Two 25 question tests, and one paper and I'll be done with this course!!! Yeeehaaaa!!!! Of course....I still have about 5 other courses and my field portion in April before I am done. Oh well...it'll be worth it in the end. What better way to spend $7000 in one year!!!

[phatcat 0]

The Baby Boon by Elinor Burkett. It's about yet another way my tax dollars are being raped.

[skybytch 259]

6 books, $97, less than an hour. I love Barnes and Noble.

I picked up Beyond Backpacking, The NOLS Wilderness Guide, and Backpacker Magazine Everyday Wisdom - all will come in handy as I start to gather my gear for weekend trips in the wilderness this spring and summer. A Writer's Book of Days and The Writer's Idea Book to help me fill my writing practice notebooks. And Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson for sheer pleasure.

Good thing I left the credit cards at home. I picked up and put back 4 other books I'd have loved to buy too... including The Four Agreements, which has been recommended to me by three different people and is top of my list for the next trip to the bookstore.

[narcimund 0]

I hate Barnes & Nobel. The same books used at Powell's (the largest bookstore in the world by some accounts) would be 1/2 that price because Powell's has more used books than new. They stock the used and new together. Powell's is also more concerned with high quality selection representative of the whole history of writing, rather than B&N's costco-like focus on quick sellers from budget publishers in snazzy jackets.

By the way, Powell's is in Portland and covers an entire city block, three stories high in some sections, plus 7 or 8 satellite stores with specialties (high tech, cooking, and travel). The free full-color map located at stations throughout the store unfolds the same way a city map does and is just as necessary.

Literate tourists come to Portland just to spend several days in Powell's and take home steamer trunks worth of reading. powells.com is a worthwhile substitute if you can't make it to Portland.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[DZBone 0]

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Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

Holy shit, I was just about to recommend that book. Way cool. you'll love it!

_________________________________________________
If you hadn't read this, would it have made a sound?

[tinfoil 0]

Stopped reading Moby Dick mid way though to read How to Be a Canadian: Even if You Are Already One by Will & Ian Ferguson, with plans to start Souvenir of Canada by Douglas Coupland next and I think it will be Canada: A Portrait 2003, before I get back to the Dick :)
Geez, hope it’s not too obvious that I'm trying to find out what it is to be Canadian.

“- - Sumo is the greatest of sports. It has power, grace, speed and cluture. And most importantly, two fat bastards smacking the shit out of each other. ”

[skybytch 259]

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The same books used at Powell's (the largest bookstore in the world by some accounts) would be 1/2 that price because Powell's has more used books than new.

I buy 75% of my books used. The other 25% are given to me or borrowed.

It's a very rare treat for me to go to a place like B&N and buy one new book, much less 6. New books... with the spines still intact and the edges of the pages crisp and not dogeared and no names written or stamped on the first page and no highlighting or underlining... *sigh*

[blackwidow 0]

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Who is John Galt?

indeed....

[hohonukai 0]

if you asked gravitysurf808, I should be reading the third book of Lord of The Rings to be ready for next year's movie. But, I ordered The Parachute Manual Vol I & II because I want to learn to rig, so that's what I will be reading.

Other than that, dz.com forums. And a little bit of the Bible. And my e-mail. And Christmas cards. And online troubleshooting Win2k and XP for my local users.

[PhreeZone 15]

>I picked up Beyond Backpacking, The NOLS Wilderness Guide, and Backpacker Magazine Everyday Wisdom

All great books for backpacking. I just about enrolled in the NOLS program right before I did my first jump.... Still look back and wonder what would be different had i done that. My roommate and I are hitting the treadmill machine now to do some 20-35 milers this spring while waiting on jumping season to kick up. I'd reccommend picking up the annual spring issue of Backpacker magazine's Gear Guide if you still need to aquire some gear. I'd personally reccommend a subscription to that publication too if you are planning on some warm up hikes before your big one, they have some of the best updated reviews I've ever read.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Scoby 0]

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If you haven't read Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker series then you should do yourself a favor and place a bookmark in all your other inferior reading material and grab a copy of the best reading material in the galaxy.

Our local public radio station has been playing the BBC radio version of HHGTTG nightly lately. I've missed a few episodes, though, and want to try to find it on CD. Anyway, if you like Douglas Adams, try Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It's a humorous novel about the apocalypse. I'm just finishing it up now and it is great.