Your favorite book......

[daveT]

Here are the rules. Give a shining review of your favorite book. I will kick it off:

Travels by Michael Crichton

This book is easily the most influential book of my life. When I first started traveling the country, I found this book at the library in Miami. I was not able to make sense of what I was doing at the time, and this book put it all into focus.

The title, "Travels," is three-fold. The first deals with the actual traveling of the world. Crichton started out seeing the common trotter destinations. One day, he was having a conversation with people he happened upon, and asked where certain cities where. They all looked at him and laughed. No, these aren't cities, they are countries. Crichton continues on a journey to the most remote part of the globe. His description of the people, his experiences, and the environment are complete and subtle.

The second meaning of "Travels" is his own spiritual journey. Although he is educated as a scientist, he attends several spiritual retreats, meets psychics and mediums, and attempts to find his own meaning of god. He uses his own self as a guinea pig, trying several of the practices himself. Crichton does not preach or demand that you believe in any arcane thinking-- he simply puts his thoughts down, and analyzes them.

Finally, the book is a collection of memoirs about his life. He never fails to realize that his own life is a journey. Although he focuses attention on himself, he is at his best when he is observing others. One may not agree with his thinking on women, ceo's and patients, but his perspective is well thought out.

I have lost this book several times. But I have always bought a new copy. It is one of the few books that has a permanent place on my bookshelf. It is a book that I have read no less than 15 times. In fact, when I first read it, I read it three times.

I do loathe Crichton as a fiction author. If he was able to write with have the color and subtlety in his fiction books that is found in "Travels," he would be elevated to the highest of all literary geniuses.

[RobertJohn]

It’s a great overview of the tumultuous 50s and 60s from a perspective that most Americans would never receive. It also has an important lesson to teach about dogmatism and equality.

[gwp]

Life changing.

[Bostaevski]

[ QUOTE ]



Life changing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this a level or what? If not, please elaborate [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I am having a hell of a time quitting

[DoubleDealDecker]

Huckleberry Finn. The great American novel. Period.

[revots33]

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Edge-of-your-seat suspense story, with huge topical relevance to today's world. Everyone should read it.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Here are the rules. Give a shining review of your favorite book. I will kick it off:

Travels by Michael Crichton

This book is easily the most influential book of my life. When I first started traveling the country, I found this book at the library in Miami. I was not able to make sense of what I was doing at the time, and this book put it all into focus.

The title, "Travels," is three-fold. The first deals with the actual traveling of the world. Crichton started out seeing the common trotter destinations. One day, he was having a conversation with people he happened upon, and asked where certain cities where. They all looked at him and laughed. No, these aren't cities, they are countries. Crichton continues on a journey to the most remote part of the globe. His description of the people, his experiences, and the environment are complete and subtle.

The second meaning of "Travels" is his own spiritual journey. Although he is educated as a scientist, he attends several spiritual retreats, meets psychics and mediums, and attempts to find his own meaning of god. He uses his own self as a guinea pig, trying several of the practices himself. Crichton does not preach or demand that you believe in any arcane thinking-- he simply puts his thoughts down, and analyzes them.

Finally, the book is a collection of memoirs about his life. He never fails to realize that his own life is a journey. Although he focuses attention on himself, he is at his best when he is observing others. One may not agree with his thinking on women, ceo's and patients, but his perspective is well thought out.

I have lost this book several times. But I have always bought a new copy. It is one of the few books that has a permanent place on my bookshelf. It is a book that I have read no less than 15 times. In fact, when I first read it, I read it three times.

I do loathe Crichton as a fiction author. If he was able to write with have the color and subtlety in his fiction books that is found in "Travels," he would be elevated to the highest of all literary geniuses.

[/ QUOTE ]

Btw, I met Crichton as a bookstore clerk long ago. He was monstruously conceited and angrily contemptuous toward everyone he bumped into. Celebrities came into that store constantly, and he was probably the worst one we ever saw.

[daveT]

I would have guessed this is so, Blarg. Crichton does not hide his pessimism in his book. I hope that this does not make you think I am of his personality. With that said, I do feel and empathize with his general misery.

The only way to quit smoking is cold-turkey. If you want to quit, you simply have to wake up one morning and drive through it. It takes about a week to get through the nic-fits, chest pain, etc. The actual addiction itself will never ever leave you. You have to spend the rest of your life fighting the urge. I did chew very strong gum at the beginning (dentyne ice and orbit), and developed the following theory: The reason you want a cigarette while you are smoking is that the flavor of the nicotine is in your saliva. This serves as a constant reminder of wanting a cigarette. The first and most important step is getting rid of this taste, this is why the anti-smoking gums do not work.

I do accept donations for the above paragraph, as it may change your life.

[Enrique]

[ QUOTE ]
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Edge-of-your-seat suspense story, with huge topical relevance to today's world. Everyone should read it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had to read the book in high school. I enjoyed it.
Have you seen the movie? There is a 1966 movie directed by Francois Truffaut, I thought it was very good.

[Glo]

The Hobbit...

It's so good, it doesn't need a review.