Books I'm reading etc.

[JaredL]

I'm currently reading Flight by Sherman Alexie. It's good so far and pretty intense.

[Zeno]

My pleasure reading of late is Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay, LL.D, first published in London in 1841.

Instead of a review I will post the excerpt below. It is from the first few paragraphs that introduce a chapter titled: The Alchymists. I have retained the original punctuation and spellings.

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Dissatisfaction with his lot seems to be the characteristic of man in all ages and climates. So far, however, from being an evil, as at first might be supposed, it has been the great civiliser of our race; and has tended, more than any thing else, to raise us above the condition of the brutes. But the same discontent which has been the source of all improvement, has been the parent of no small progeny of follies and absurdities; to trace these latter is our present object. Vast as the subject appears, it is easily reducible within such limits as will make it comprehensive without being wearisome, and render its study both instructive and amusing.

Three causes especially have excited the discontent of mankind; and, by impelling us to seek for remedies for the irremediable, have bewildered us in a maze of madness and error. These are death, toil, and ignorance of the future – the doom of man upon this sphere, and for which he shews his antipathy by his love of life, his longing for abundance, and his craving curiosity to pierce the secrets of the days to come.


The first has led many to imagine that they might find means to avoid death, or, failing in this, that they might, nevertheless, so prolong existence as to reckon it by centuries instead of units. From this sprang the search, so long continued and still pursued, for the elixir vitae, or water of life, which has led thousands to pretend to it and millions to believe in it. From the second sprang the search for the philosopher’s stone, which was to create plenty by changing all metals into gold; and from the third, the false sciences of astrology, divination, and their divisions of necromancy, chiromancy, augury, with all their train of signs, portents, and omens.

In tracing the career of the erring philosophers, or the willful cheats, who have encouraged or preyed upon the credulity of mankind, it will simplify and elucidate the subject, if we divide it into three classes: the first comprising alchymists, or those in general who have devoted themselves to the discovering of the philosopher’s stone and the water of life; the second comprising astrologers, necromancers, sorcerers, geomancers, and all those who pretended to discover futurity; and the third consisting of the dealers of charms, amulets, philters, universal-panacea mongers, touches for the evil, seventh sons of a seventh son, sympathetic-powder compounders, homoeopathists, animal magnetizers, and all the motley tribe of quacks, empirics, and charlatans.

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I wonder if those last few sentences describe some of the posters on 2+2 and why this specific forum came into being. But that is another thread - To be started by someone other than me.


Hemingway as been mentioned and I highly recomend The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, The Finca Vigia Edition.

-Zeno

[rapidacid]

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Just finished two books for the first time. The Grapes of Wrath which I enjoyed but did give me depression for a few days afterwards ... A Man In Full by Tom Wolfe ... the payoff was not worth the effort tho others may have different opinions

Probably going to start Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle next ... this will be my third or fourth try getting through Quicksilver

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The Grapes of Wrath is such a great book. Probably my favorite book of all. I also really liked East of Eden which actually may be just as great. What are some other Steinbeck books that hold up to these two? I have Moon is Down but have not read it yet.

Other Steinbeck reccomendations please!

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Personally, I thought East of Eden dominated Grapes of Wrath ... EoE was probably the most engrossed I've ever been in a story ... it's written perfectly ... I haven't read any other Steinbeck

[Layzie]

I just picked up The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli and George Tenet's book, At The Center of The Storm with an old gift card I had. I haven't done much reading lately, but I'd love some recommendations. I'm really interested in American History (recent). I'm fascinated by the Kennedy Assassination and that time period.

I'm also trying to get into a little philosophy, and The Prince came highly recommended from many people I talked to. As far as the George Tenet book, for some reason I love CIA related books although i'm not expecting much out of this. "Ghost Wars" by Steve Coll (I believe) was the last book I read and it was a fantastic book about the CIA/Afghan affiliation during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

[danlux]

I just finished reading Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. It's basically about why Europeans colonized other countries and not the other way around, going back about 15,000 years.

For Hemmingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls and Old Man and the Sea are my favorites. A Farewell to Arms is a bit of a love story if you're into that.

For history books, anything by David McCullough is golden. For the older 2+2ers, The World is Flat is an eye opening book, although it's not as surprising to the younger generation.

[coxquinn]

Portland (Go Powells!)

holy crap was not expecting that. yeah!! portland!!

[mjkidd]

Other Steinbeck -- Cannery Row, obv. The Red Pony is pretty cool if you know it's a retelling of Genesis.

And of course Eden is much better than Wrath. It's not close.

[tommo]

the god delusion is really good especially if you've always felt kind of uneasy about religion but never really thought about why.

selfish gene is alright.

[inferno]

I only read books written by Haruki Murakami

[Terrabon98]

Just finished a couple..

Bobos in Paradise: Interesting read about the shift in today's upper class towards what author coins "bourgeois bohemian". Delves into the transformation of upper class into a hybrid lifestyle of rich people who embrace traditionally "hippie" values with their quest for financial gain.

In a Sunburned Country: Just got around to reading this. Really hilarious read about author Bill Bryson just traveling around all different parts of Australia. Really a fun read, but also highly informative, especially if you are thinking about taking a trip there

Devil in the White City: Super popular in the last couple months, so I am sure most of you have heard of it. Fuses together two stories about a serial killer at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 set in the backdrop of the city actually trying to pull together all aspects of the fair in a short period of time.

I also went on a quick Vonnegut spree since I felt bad when he died that I hadn't read any of his books. I read Slaughterhouse 5, Cat's Cradle, and Sirens of Titan. I liked them all, if you want to know more about any of them, just ask.