Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 770

Hamlet53 · 11-27-2011, 11:08 AM

So I recently completed Winner-Take-All Politics by Jacob Hacker. I often felt like just throwing this book against the wall while I was reading it. Not because it was poorly written, but just because what it had to say was so true and so well presented that I felt like going out and joining OWS or something. Anyway this nicely pulled together a lot of social/economic data that I was aware of from a variety of sources, offered a clear explanation about how this all came about, and offered some suggestions for how to build a better future. All of this well documented with extensive footnotes.

Kevin8or · 11-27-2011, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

So I recently completed Winner-Take-All Politics by Jacob Hacker. [...]

Good to hear. It's now near the top of my list.

pdurrant · 11-28-2011, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next Up: Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear

I bought this in the May 60% off sale

Well, it's reasonable adventure/coming of age story, set in the universe of Conan Doyle's "Lost World". But I never got really involved with the characters. Greg Bear does seem to be better at world building than writing characters, IMO.

Next: Not On My Patch by Diane Duane.

I bought this in the 50% off sale that was on this weekend at her ebooksdirect ebook store. Anything by Diane Duane is on my wish list, and the 50% off sale was enough to make me buy it.

pdurrant · 11-28-2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Not On My Patch by Diane Duane.

A fun short story in the Young Wizards Universe, set after the events in A Wizard of Mars. I can't tell how it would come across for people who haven't read the series.

Next: Meetings on the Stair: an essay by Diane Duane. A freebie.

tecweston · 11-28-2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Well, it's reasonable adventure/coming of age story, set in the universe of Conan Doyle's "Lost World". But I never got really involved with the characters. Greg Bear does seem to be better at world building than writing characters, IMO.

Really? Does it have the Professor Challenger characters in it? I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan, so I've been reading some of Conan Doyle's other works recently, and I recently downloaded a Professor Challenger omnibus off Mobileread. I've been trying to finish "The Land of Mist," but it has such an obnoxiously pro-Spiritualism (which is how they referred to psychic mediums in Conan Doyle's day) and anti-skepticism message that I find it hard to read. But since all these books are really short and I like the characters, it would be great to read a full novel with the same characters in it.

RichL · 11-28-2011, 10:52 AM

Nary a Faerie, Spaceman nor Zombie appears on my machine as I read J.G. Ballard's novel 'High Rise'. This entertaining (though somewhat draggy in parts) fictitious story of the real life drama of highrise condominium life is worth a passing shot but falls somewhat short of what you would expect from the author of Crash and Drowned World.

WT Sharpe · 11-28-2011, 11:00 AM

Finished reading God, No: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette over the weekend. Very funny, and with a lot more heart than I expected.

Today I finished Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig Wittgenstein, "Perhaps the most important work of philosophy written in the twentieth century." At least he thought so, as well as an army of modern disciples.

Illinifan · 11-28-2011, 11:24 AM

Just finished "This is Herman Cain" by Herman Cain. Quick read. Nice overview of his personal and business life and why he decided to run for President. Very top level political discussion without much detail. I agree with Cain's politics, so I thought it was good. It does finish with a self-serving look into the future in the last chapter, but it's his dream and his story. He can tell it however he likes.

Also finished, "100 Things Cardinal Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die". The book was written before this year's amazing playoff run and 11th World Series title, but it is a quality review of the most important events in Cardinal baseball history. Recommend not only for Cardinal fans, but for every Cub fan who wants to know what it's like to root for a winner.

pdurrant · 11-28-2011, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tecweston

But since all these books are really short and I like the characters, it would be great to read a full novel with the same characters in it.

It's set some years after the discovery of the lost world, and has new characters. The last dinosaur circus is closing...

pdurrant · 11-28-2011, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Meetings on the Stair: an essay by Diane Duane. A freebie.

An interesting essay on the utility of fantasy and imagination. I especially like the bit about finding the tardis in her back garden.

Next: Sirronde's World 1: The Span by Diane Duane

alansplace · 11-29-2011, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alansplace

I finished reading Black Magic Sanction last night and immediately started reading James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing by G. Norman Lippert. I only read the Prologue last night (it was after midnight) but it grabbed my interest right away and i'm looking forward to continuing this morning.

I've just finished reading James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing and I enjoyed it immensely. So, as soon as my recording of Monday Night Football is over (Giants at The Saints) I'm going to begin reading the 2nd book in the series James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper!

coderserdar · 11-29-2011, 03:07 AM

wilkie collins - miss or mrs

a good mystery about marriage and the crimes about the past

coderserdar · 11-29-2011, 03:08 AM

wilkie collins - fatal cradle

a small mystery story, but i advise you to read this

coderserdar · 11-29-2011, 03:09 AM

wilkie collins - the fatal fortune

a short good mystery too

coderserdar · 11-29-2011, 03:09 AM

wilkie collins - a fair penitent

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11-27-2011, 11:08 AM	#11536
Hamlet53 Nameless Being	So I recently completed Winner-Take-All Politics by Jacob Hacker. I often felt like just throwing this book against the wall while I was reading it. Not because it was poorly written, but just because what it had to say was so true and so well presented that I felt like going out and joining OWS or something. Anyway this nicely pulled together a lot of social/economic data that I was aware of from a variety of sources, offered a clear explanation about how this all came about, and offered some suggestions for how to build a better future. All of this well documented with extensive footnotes.

11-28-2011, 10:52 AM	#11541
RichL Evangelist Posts: 407 Karma: 1096520 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: back to x51v	Nary a Faerie, Spaceman nor Zombie appears on my machine as I read J.G. Ballard's novel 'High Rise'. This entertaining (though somewhat draggy in parts) fictitious story of the real life drama of highrise condominium life is worth a passing shot but falls somewhat short of what you would expect from the author of Crash and Drowned World.

11-28-2011, 11:00 AM	#11542
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	Finished reading *God, No: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales* by Penn Jillette over the weekend. Very funny, and with a lot more heart than I expected. Today I finished Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig Wittgenstein, "Perhaps the most important work of philosophy written in the twentieth century." At least he thought so, as well as an army of modern disciples.

11-28-2011, 11:24 AM	#11543
Illinifan Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 210032 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dayton, OH Device: iPad 4, iPhone 4, iPod touch, Sony PRS 300	Just finished "This is Herman Cain" by Herman Cain. Quick read. Nice overview of his personal and business life and why he decided to run for President. Very top level political discussion without much detail. I agree with Cain's politics, so I thought it was good. It does finish with a self-serving look into the future in the last chapter, but it's his dream and his story. He can tell it however he likes. Also finished, "100 Things Cardinal Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die". The book was written before this year's amazing playoff run and 11th World Series title, but it is a quality review of the most important events in Cardinal baseball history. Recommend not only for Cardinal fans, but for every Cub fan who wants to know what it's like to root for a winner.

11-29-2011, 03:07 AM	#11547
coderserdar Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 37852 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Türkiye Device: Amazon Kindle 3 Wifi, İpod Touch 4th Generation	wilkie collins - miss or mrs a good mystery about marriage and the crimes about the past

11-29-2011, 03:08 AM	#11548
coderserdar Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 37852 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Türkiye Device: Amazon Kindle 3 Wifi, İpod Touch 4th Generation	wilkie collins - fatal cradle a small mystery story, but i advise you to read this

11-29-2011, 03:09 AM	#11549
coderserdar Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 37852 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Türkiye Device: Amazon Kindle 3 Wifi, İpod Touch 4th Generation	wilkie collins - the fatal fortune a short good mystery too

11-29-2011, 03:09 AM	#11550
coderserdar Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 37852 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Türkiye Device: Amazon Kindle 3 Wifi, İpod Touch 4th Generation	wilkie collins - a fair penitent