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WT Sharpe 06-19-2015 07:14 PM
July 2015 Book Club Nominations
 
Help us select the book that the MobileRead Book Club will read for July, 2015.

The nominations will run through midnight EST June 26 or until 10 books have made the list. The poll will then be posted and will remain open for five days.

Book selection category for July is: Non-Fiction

In order for a book to be included in the poll it needs THREE NOMINATIONS (original nomination, a second and a third).

How Does This Work?
The Mobile Read Book Club (MRBC) is an informal club that requires nothing of you. Each month a book is selected by polling. On the last week of that month a discussion thread is started for the book. If you want to participate feel free. There is no need to "join" or sign up. All are welcome.

How Does a Book Get Selected?
Each book that is nominated will be listed in a poll at the end of the nomination period. The book that polls the most votes will be the official selection.

How Many Nominations Can I Make?
Each participant has 3 nominations. You can nominate a new book for consideration or nominate (second, third) one that has already been nominated by another person.

How Do I Nominate a Book?
Please just post a message with your nomination. If you are the FIRST to nominate a book, please try to provide an abstract to the book so others may consider their level of interest.

How Do I Know What Has Been Nominated?
Just follow the thread. This message will be updated with the status of the nominations as often as I can. If one is missed, please just post a message with a multi-quote of the 3 nominations and it will be added to the list ASAP.

When is the Poll?
The poll thread will open at the end of the nomination period, or once there have been 10 books with 3 nominations each. At that time a link to the initial poll thread will be posted here and this thread will be closed.

The floor is open to nominations. Please comment if you discover a nomination is not available as an ebook in your area.


Official choices with three nominations each:

(1) The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Patricia Clark Memorial Library: Kindle | Project Gutenberg: Various formats | Librivox (audiobook)
Spoiler:
From Wikipedia:

Meditations (Medieval Greek: Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν Ta eis heauton, literally "[that which is] to himself") is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 CE, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy.

Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180. Some of it was written while he was positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia, because internal notes tell us that the second book was written when he was campaigning against the Quadi on the river Granova (modern-day Hron) and the third book was written at Carnuntum.

It is unlikely that Marcus Aurelius ever intended the writings to be published and the work has no official title, so "Meditations" is one of several titles commonly assigned to the collection. These writings take the form of quotations varying in length from one sentence to long paragraphs.


(2) Pitching in a Pinch by Christy Mathewson
Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Spoiler:
This is considered one of the greatest baseball books ever written. Leopold Classic Library issued a new edition three months ago, calling it "a significant literary work."


(3) Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna by Adam Zamoyski
Amazon US / Kobo US
Spoiler:
From Goodreads:

In the wake of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, the French emperor's imperious grip on Europe began to weaken, raising the question of how the continent was to be reconstructed after his defeat. While the Treaty of Paris that followed Napoleon's exile in 1814 put an end to a quarter century of revolution and war in Europe, it left the future of the continent hanging in the balance.

Eager to negotiate a workable and lasting peace, the major powers—Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia—along with a host of lesser nations, began a series of committee sessions in Vienna: an eight-month-long carnival that combined political negotiations with balls, dinners, artistic performances, hunts, tournaments, picnics, and other sundry forms of entertainment for the thousands of aristocrats who had gathered in the Austrian capital. Although the Congress of Vienna resulted in an unprecedented level of stability in Europe, the price of peace would be high. Many of the crucial questions were decided on the battlefield or in squalid roadside cottages amid the vagaries of war. And the proceedings in Vienna itself were not as decorous as is usually represented.

Internationally bestselling author Adam Zamoyski draws on a wide range of original sources, which include not only official documents, private letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts, but also the reports of police spies and informers, to reveal the steamy atmosphere of greed and lust in which the new Europe was forged. Meticulously researched, masterfully told, and featuring a cast of some of the most influential and powerful figures in history, including Tsar Alexander, Metternich, Talleyrand, and the Duke of Wellington, Rites of Peace tells the story of these extraordinary events and their profound historical consequences.


(4) The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer: An Unpretentious Guide to Craft Beer by Ashley V. Routson
Amazon US
Spoiler:
Pull up a stool and learn about beer with the Wench!

Craft beer is officially everywhere: there are now more breweries in the United States since any time before prohibition. At the local grocery store, the beer aisle is as big as the cereal aisle. At the bar, it's increasingly hard to choose a beer--the IPA is stronger than the ESB, right?

In this book, Ashley V. Routson (aka The Beer Wench) provides the first all-in-one guide that demystifies beer and makes learning fun. She'll quickly bring you up to speed on beer styles, the brewing process, how to taste beer like a pro, and how to pair beer with food. Unconventional tastings, delicious recipes from killer craft breweries, eye-catching photos--and, of course, plenty of beer--means there's never a dull moment.


(5) This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women by Dan Gediman and Jay Allison
Amazon Ca / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Spoiler:
From Goodreads

Based on the National Public Radio series of the same name, This I Believe features eighty essayists--from the famous to the unknown--completing the thought that begins the book's title. Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Featuring a well-known list of contributors--including Isabel Allende, Colin Powell, Gloria Steinem, William F. Buckley Jr., Penn Jillette, Bill Gates, and John Updike--the collection also contains essays by a Brooklyn lawyer; a part-time hospital clerk from Rehoboth, Massachusetts; a woman who sells Yellow Pages advertising in Fort Worth, Texas; and a man who serves on the state of Rhode Island's parole board.

The result is a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs--and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them--reveal the American spirit at its best.


(6) What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
Amazon Ca / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes and Noble / Google Play / Kobo US
Spoiler:
From Goodreads:

Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It's had over a billion page hits to date. A year ago Munroe set up a new section - What If - where he tackles a series of impossible questions: If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive? How dangerous is it, really, in a pool in a thunderstorm? If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce? What if everyone only had one soulmate? From what height would you need to drop a steak to ensure it was cooked by the time it reached the ground? What would happen if the moon went away? This book gathers together the best entries along with lots of new gems. From The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek and the songs of Tim Minchin, through chemistry, geography and physics, Munroe leaves no stone unturned in his quest for knowledge. And his answers are witty and memorable and studded with hilarious cartoons and infographics. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel the smarter for having read.


(7) Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Audible / Barnes & Noble / Overdrive
Spoiler:
#1 Bestseller in the U.K.

From the New York Times bestselling author and master of martial fiction comes the definitive, illustrated history of one of the greatest battles ever fought—a riveting nonfiction chronicle published to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s last stand.

On June 18, 1815 the armies of France, Britain and Prussia descended upon a quiet valley south of Brussels. In the previous three days, the French army had beaten the Prussians at Ligny and fought the British to a standstill at Quatre-Bras. The Allies were in retreat. The little village north of where they turned to fight the French army was called Waterloo. The blood-soaked battle to which it gave its name would become a landmark in European history.

In his first work of nonfiction, Bernard Cornwell combines his storytelling skills with a meticulously researched history to give a riveting chronicle of every dramatic moment, from Napoleon’s daring escape from Elba to the smoke and gore of the three battlefields and their aftermath. Through quotes from the letters and diaries of Emperor Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and the ordinary officers and soldiers, he brings to life how it actually felt to fight those famous battles—as well as the moments of amazing bravery on both sides that left the actual outcome hanging in the balance until the bitter end.

Published to coincide with the battle’s bicentennial in 2015, Waterloo is a tense and gripping story of heroism and tragedy—and of the final battle that determined the fate of nineteenth-century Europe.


The nominations are now closed.

WT Sharpe 06-19-2015 07:14 PM
Wondering if a particular book is available in your country? The following spoiler contains a list of bookstores outside the United States you can search. If you don't see a bookstore on this list for your country, find one that is, send me the link via PM, and I'll add it to the list.

Spoiler:
Australian
Angus Robertson
Booktopia
Borders
Dymocks
Fishpond
Google

Canada
Amazon. Make sure you are logged out. Then go to the Kindle Store. Search for a book. After the search results come up, in the upper right corner of the screen, change the country to Canada and search away.
Google
Sony eBookstore (Upper right corner switch to/from US/CA)

UK
BooksOnBoard (In the upper right corner is a way to switch to the UK store)
Amazon
Foyle's
Google
Penguin
Random House
Waterstones
WH Smith


*** The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius [WT Sharpe, sun surfer, issybird]
Patricia Clark Memorial Library: Kindle | Project Gutenberg: Various formats | Librivox (audiobook)
Spoiler:
From Wikipedia:

Meditations (Medieval Greek: Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν Ta eis heauton, literally "[that which is] to himself") is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 CE, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy.

Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180. Some of it was written while he was positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia, because internal notes tell us that the second book was written when he was campaigning against the Quadi on the river Granova (modern-day Hron) and the third book was written at Carnuntum.

It is unlikely that Marcus Aurelius ever intended the writings to be published and the work has no official title, so "Meditations" is one of several titles commonly assigned to the collection. These writings take the form of quotations varying in length from one sentence to long paragraphs.


*** Pitching in a Pinch by Christy Mathewson [GA Russell, bfisher, issybird]
Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Spoiler:
This is considered one of the greatest baseball books ever written. Leopold Classic Library issued a new edition three months ago, calling it "a significant literary work."


*** What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe [WT Sharpe, Dazrin, CRussel]
Amazon Ca / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes and Noble / Google Play / Kobo US
Spoiler:
From Goodreads:

Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It's had over a billion page hits to date. A year ago Munroe set up a new section - What If - where he tackles a series of impossible questions: If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive? How dangerous is it, really, in a pool in a thunderstorm? If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce? What if everyone only had one soulmate? From what height would you need to drop a steak to ensure it was cooked by the time it reached the ground? What would happen if the moon went away? This book gathers together the best entries along with lots of new gems. From The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek and the songs of Tim Minchin, through chemistry, geography and physics, Munroe leaves no stone unturned in his quest for knowledge. And his answers are witty and memorable and studded with hilarious cartoons and infographics. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel the smarter for having read.


*** Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna by Adam Zamoyski [issybird, ccowie, bfisher]
Amazon US / Kobo US
Spoiler:
From Goodreads:

In the wake of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, the French emperor's imperious grip on Europe began to weaken, raising the question of how the continent was to be reconstructed after his defeat. While the Treaty of Paris that followed Napoleon's exile in 1814 put an end to a quarter century of revolution and war in Europe, it left the future of the continent hanging in the balance.

Eager to negotiate a workable and lasting peace, the major powers—Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia—along with a host of lesser nations, began a series of committee sessions in Vienna: an eight-month-long carnival that combined political negotiations with balls, dinners, artistic performances, hunts, tournaments, picnics, and other sundry forms of entertainment for the thousands of aristocrats who had gathered in the Austrian capital. Although the Congress of Vienna resulted in an unprecedented level of stability in Europe, the price of peace would be high. Many of the crucial questions were decided on the battlefield or in squalid roadside cottages amid the vagaries of war. And the proceedings in Vienna itself were not as decorous as is usually represented.

Internationally bestselling author Adam Zamoyski draws on a wide range of original sources, which include not only official documents, private letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts, but also the reports of police spies and informers, to reveal the steamy atmosphere of greed and lust in which the new Europe was forged. Meticulously researched, masterfully told, and featuring a cast of some of the most influential and powerful figures in history, including Tsar Alexander, Metternich, Talleyrand, and the Duke of Wellington, Rites of Peace tells the story of these extraordinary events and their profound historical consequences.


** The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki [ccowie, GA Russell]
No links provided.
Spoiler:
From Goodreads:

In this fascinating book, "New Yorker "business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are "smarter" than an elite few, no matter how brilliant-better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.
With boundless erudition and in delightfully clear prose, Surowiecki ranges across fields as diverse as popular culture, psychology, ant biology, behavioral economics, artificial intelligence, military history, and politics to show how this simple idea offers important lessons for how we live our lives, select our leaders, run our companies, and think about our world.


*** The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer: An Unpretentious Guide to Craft Beer by Ashley V. Routson [PandathePanda, Hamlet53, GA Russell]
Amazon US
Spoiler:
Pull up a stool and learn about beer with the Wench!

Craft beer is officially everywhere: there are now more breweries in the United States since any time before prohibition. At the local grocery store, the beer aisle is as big as the cereal aisle. At the bar, it's increasingly hard to choose a beer--the IPA is stronger than the ESB, right?

In this book, Ashley V. Routson (aka The Beer Wench) provides the first all-in-one guide that demystifies beer and makes learning fun. She'll quickly bring you up to speed on beer styles, the brewing process, how to taste beer like a pro, and how to pair beer with food. Unconventional tastings, delicious recipes from killer craft breweries, eye-catching photos--and, of course, plenty of beer--means there's never a dull moment.


*** This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women by Dan Gediman and Jay Allison [WT Sharpe, sun surfer, treadlightly]
Amazon Ca / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Spoiler:
From Goodreads

Based on the National Public Radio series of the same name, This I Believe features eighty essayists--from the famous to the unknown--completing the thought that begins the book's title. Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Featuring a well-known list of contributors--including Isabel Allende, Colin Powell, Gloria Steinem, William F. Buckley Jr., Penn Jillette, Bill Gates, and John Updike--the collection also contains essays by a Brooklyn lawyer; a part-time hospital clerk from Rehoboth, Massachusetts; a woman who sells Yellow Pages advertising in Fort Worth, Texas; and a man who serves on the state of Rhode Island's parole board.

The result is a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs--and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them--reveal the American spirit at its best.


*** Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell [CRussel, sun surfer, bfisher]
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Audible / Barnes & Noble / Overdrive
Spoiler:
#1 Bestseller in the U.K.

From the New York Times bestselling author and master of martial fiction comes the definitive, illustrated history of one of the greatest battles ever fought—a riveting nonfiction chronicle published to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s last stand.

On June 18, 1815 the armies of France, Britain and Prussia descended upon a quiet valley south of Brussels. In the previous three days, the French army had beaten the Prussians at Ligny and fought the British to a standstill at Quatre-Bras. The Allies were in retreat. The little village north of where they turned to fight the French army was called Waterloo. The blood-soaked battle to which it gave its name would become a landmark in European history.

In his first work of nonfiction, Bernard Cornwell combines his storytelling skills with a meticulously researched history to give a riveting chronicle of every dramatic moment, from Napoleon’s daring escape from Elba to the smoke and gore of the three battlefields and their aftermath. Through quotes from the letters and diaries of Emperor Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and the ordinary officers and soldiers, he brings to life how it actually felt to fight those famous battles—as well as the moments of amazing bravery on both sides that left the actual outcome hanging in the balance until the bitter end.

Published to coincide with the battle’s bicentennial in 2015, Waterloo is a tense and gripping story of heroism and tragedy—and of the final battle that determined the fate of nineteenth-century Europe.


The nominations are now closed.

WT Sharpe 06-21-2015 03:34 PM
Think of this as a mostly secular Book of Proverbs, or, if you prefer, flash essays. They are advice for living generally given in short paragraphs. I read it years ago and it's past time for a re-read of this wonderful book.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

MobileRead: Kindle
Project Gutenberg (various formats including mobi and ePub).

GA Russell 06-22-2015 12:01 AM
I nominate Pitching in a Pinch by Christy Mathewson.

This is considered one of the greatest baseball books ever written. Leopold Classic Library issued a new edition three months ago, calling it "a significant literary work."

Because the book was written 100 years ago, it is in the public domain.

Kindle - free
http://www.amazon.com/Pitching-Baseb...dp/B004TPGQP0/

Kobo - free
https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Q...ing+in+a+Pinch

Nook - 99 cents
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Pitching-in-a-Pinch

bfisher 06-22-2015 12:35 AM
I'll second "Pitching in a Pinch". I've had that on my TBR for a while. Thanks for the reminder. :thumbsup:

sun surfer 06-22-2015 02:57 AM
Second Meditations.

WT Sharpe 06-22-2015 08:52 AM
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe.

The "Look Inside" excerpt at Amazon sold me on this one. The author gave up a career in physics to become a full-time stick figure cartoonist. This is the book to read unless you're comfortable with remaining ignorant of the answers to such timeless questions as, "How fast would a human have to run in order to be cut in half at the belly button by a cheese-cutting wire?" This one looks just plain fun. The book, that is, not getting cut in half by a cheese cutting wire, which I don't recommend.

Caveat: There are some ridiculous prices for this book, so if you buy I suggest you buy from Amazon.com or Google Play, where it's only $6.99. Barnes and Noble's price is $13.49, and Kobo wants an astounding $19.19 for it.

Amazon Ca
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Barnes and Noble
Google Play
Kobo US

Quote:
From Goodreads:

Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It's had over a billion page hits to date. A year ago Munroe set up a new section - What If - where he tackles a series of impossible questions: If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive? How dangerous is it, really, in a pool in a thunderstorm? If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce? What if everyone only had one soulmate? From what height would you need to drop a steak to ensure it was cooked by the time it reached the ground? What would happen if the moon went away? This book gathers together the best entries along with lots of new gems. From The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek and the songs of Tim Minchin, through chemistry, geography and physics, Munroe leaves no stone unturned in his quest for knowledge. And his answers are witty and memorable and studded with hilarious cartoons and infographics. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel the smarter for having read.

issybird 06-22-2015 11:13 AM
Third Meditations and Pitching in a Pinch

For those who are perhaps indulging in a Great War binge during its centenary, it's perhaps easy to overlook that this month marks as important a bicentenary, the conclusion of the Congress of Vienna in the summer of 1815. The ensuing treaty arguably set the stage for a century of more-or-less peace in Europe. I'd like to suggest Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna, by Adam Zamoyski.

The blurb from Goodreads:

Spoiler:
Quote:
In the wake of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, the French emperor's imperious grip on Europe began to weaken, raising the question of how the continent was to be reconstructed after his defeat. While the Treaty of Paris that followed Napoleon's exile in 1814 put an end to a quarter century of revolution and war in Europe, it left the future of the continent hanging in the balance.

Eager to negotiate a workable and lasting peace, the major powers—Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia—along with a host of lesser nations, began a series of committee sessions in Vienna: an eight-month-long carnival that combined political negotiations with balls, dinners, artistic performances, hunts, tournaments, picnics, and other sundry forms of entertainment for the thousands of aristocrats who had gathered in the Austrian capital. Although the Congress of Vienna resulted in an unprecedented level of stability in Europe, the price of peace would be high. Many of the crucial questions were decided on the battlefield or in squalid roadside cottages amid the vagaries of war. And the proceedings in Vienna itself were not as decorous as is usually represented.

Internationally bestselling author Adam Zamoyski draws on a wide range of original sources, which include not only official documents, private letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts, but also the reports of police spies and informers, to reveal the steamy atmosphere of greed and lust in which the new Europe was forged. Meticulously researched, masterfully told, and featuring a cast of some of the most influential and powerful figures in history, including Tsar Alexander, Metternich, Talleyrand, and the Duke of Wellington, Rites of Peace tells the story of these extraordinary events and their profound historical consequences.


Kindle Kobo

ccowie 06-22-2015 04:07 PM
I'll second Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna

I'd like to nominate The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki

From Goodreads:
In this fascinating book, "New Yorker "business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are "smarter" than an elite few, no matter how brilliant-better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.
With boundless erudition and in delightfully clear prose, Surowiecki ranges across fields as diverse as popular culture, psychology, ant biology, behavioral economics, artificial intelligence, military history, and politics to show how this simple idea offers important lessons for how we live our lives, select our leaders, run our companies, and think about our world.

PandathePanda 06-22-2015 04:22 PM
The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer: An Unpretentious Guide to Craft Beer

http://www.amazon.com/The-Beer-Wench.../dp/0760347301

Quote:
Pull up a stool and learn about beer with the Wench!

Craft beer is officially everywhere: there are now more breweries in the United States since any time before prohibition. At the local grocery store, the beer aisle is as big as the cereal aisle. At the bar, it's increasingly hard to choose a beer--the IPA is stronger than the ESB, right?

In this book, Ashley V. Routson (aka The Beer Wench) provides the first all-in-one guide that demystifies beer and makes learning fun. She'll quickly bring you up to speed on beer styles, the brewing process, how to taste beer like a pro, and how to pair beer with food. Unconventional tastings, delicious recipes from killer craft breweries, eye-catching photos--and, of course, plenty of beer--means there's never a dull moment.

bfisher 06-22-2015 05:30 PM
Third
Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna, by Adam Zamoyski

WT Sharpe 06-23-2015 10:57 AM
Wit my third and final nomination I give the nod to This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women by Dan Gediman and Jay Allison with a forward by Studs Terke.

This remarkable collection features people who should probable never be in the same room together (much less the same book) describing what it is that makes them tick. The selections are from William F. Buckley, Penn Jillette, Bill Gates, Gloria Steinem, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, John Updike, Newt Gingrich, and many, many more.

Available at:
• Amazon US (Whispersync ready).
• Amazon Canada
• Barnes & Noble
• Kobo


And can we get some love for "What If?" That book sounds like the closest thing to humor we've seen here in some time. ;)

issybird 06-23-2015 02:10 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WT Sharpe (Post 3122269)

And can we get some love for "What If?" That book sounds like the closest thing to humor we've seen here in some time. ;)
Our Man in Havana is hilarious and that was May. ;) I know there's no ebook, but the audiobook is available from Overdrive and was well-liked in the discussion thread.

I'm out of nominations, so can't help you there.

Hamlet53 06-23-2015 02:29 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird (Post 3121739)
Third Meditations and Pitching in a Pinch

For those who are perhaps indulging in a Great War binge during its centenary, it's perhaps easy to overlook that this month marks as important a bicentenary, the conclusion of the Congress of Vienna in the summer of 1815. The ensuing treaty arguably set the stage for a century of more-or-less peace in Europe. I'd like to suggest Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna, by Adam Zamoyski.

The blurb from Goodreads:



Kindle Kobo
Also set the stage for the event, and also the cause, that started WWI. Denial of national aspirations in favor of maintenance of empires and monarchies.

Sounds very interesting and gets a vote from me. :thumbsup:

Hamlet53 06-23-2015 02:31 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PandathePanda (Post 3121877)
The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer: An Unpretentious Guide to Craft Beer

http://www.amazon.com/The-Beer-Wench.../dp/0760347301
What made Milwaukee famous . . . . :D I'll second this as it sounds like a fun and interesting read.

GA Russell 06-23-2015 03:01 PM
I will third Beer Wench.

sun surfer 06-24-2015 05:59 PM
Second This I Believe.

WT Sharpe 06-24-2015 11:19 PM
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is also available as a free audiobook at Librivox, but it's a collaborative effort, so I can't guarantee the quality. It's been my experience that their books that are read by a solo author tend to be better than the ones that are the result of a group effort. I'll add it to the list, anyway.

https://librivox.org/the-meditations...rcus-aurelius/

GA Russell 06-25-2015 11:49 AM
I second The Wisdom of Crowds.

treadlightly 06-25-2015 12:07 PM
I'm having a hard time getting excited about the nominations. I'm not interested in beer or baseball. What If? sounds quirky but not overly applicable to life unless you are McGyver...

I will third This I Believe.

Dazrin 06-25-2015 12:43 PM
I will second What If.

For anyone who isn't familiar with it here is a sample, but beware of time sinks if you have something else you should be doing: https://what-if.xkcd.com/135/

I believe most of the book is new material but haven't actually read it yet.

CRussel 06-25-2015 01:39 PM
I will third What If, and offer a nomination of my own.

Given that we're just past the 200th Anniversary of one of the great battles of modern time, I nominate Bernard Cornwell's Waterloo. Cornwell is an excellent writer of historical fiction, but also a serious historian and this book should be both highly readable and enlightening.
Quote:
#1 Bestseller in the U.K.

From the New York Times bestselling author and master of martial fiction comes the definitive, illustrated history of one of the greatest battles ever fought—a riveting nonfiction chronicle published to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s last stand.

On June 18, 1815 the armies of France, Britain and Prussia descended upon a quiet valley south of Brussels. In the previous three days, the French army had beaten the Prussians at Ligny and fought the British to a standstill at Quatre-Bras. The Allies were in retreat. The little village north of where they turned to fight the French army was called Waterloo. The blood-soaked battle to which it gave its name would become a landmark in European history.

In his first work of nonfiction, Bernard Cornwell combines his storytelling skills with a meticulously researched history to give a riveting chronicle of every dramatic moment, from Napoleon’s daring escape from Elba to the smoke and gore of the three battlefields and their aftermath. Through quotes from the letters and diaries of Emperor Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and the ordinary officers and soldiers, he brings to life how it actually felt to fight those famous battles—as well as the moments of amazing bravery on both sides that left the actual outcome hanging in the balance until the bitter end.

Published to coincide with the battle’s bicentennial in 2015, Waterloo is a tense and gripping story of heroism and tragedy—and of the final battle that determined the fate of nineteenth-century Europe.
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sun surfer 06-26-2015 10:20 PM
I think there's only a few hours left but I'll second Waterloo anyway with my last vote.

WT Sharpe 06-26-2015 11:03 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sun surfer (Post 3124190)
I think there's only a few hours left but I'll second Waterloo anyway with my last vote.
Noted. Less than two hours to go.

bfisher 06-27-2015 12:12 AM
I'll third Waterloo.

WT Sharpe 06-27-2015 01:01 AM
The nominations are now closed.

WT Sharpe 06-27-2015 01:05 AM
Let the games begin.

The poll.

CRussel 06-27-2015 03:13 AM
Well, that just squeezed in! Thanks.

WT Sharpe 08-10-2015 05:01 PM
The book I nominated lost, but here's an interesting article about it that I just saw on the 'Net. This is from The Toast: The Cattiest Lines from Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.

bfisher 08-10-2015 05:53 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WT Sharpe (Post 3148986)
The book I nominated lost, but here's an interesting article about it that I just saw on the 'Net. This is from The Toast: The Cattiest Lines from Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.
Thanks for posting that; it's hilarious. :thumbsup:


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