What are your favorite non-fiction books? - Page 3

pilotbob · 10-21-2008, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Someone posted in another thread that they don't read fantasy because the simple fix to any problem is magic.

Apparently this person has not ready alot of good fantasy. In most that I have read there is a cost to using magic or it has consequences... so it is avoided at most costs. Many of the "quest" type fantasies the main character didn't even know they were magic, and were just learning what they could do... many times the magic causes more problems than it solves.

Actually, there are many times I scream at the screen of Star Trek because they DONT use the obvious solution. The Enterprise has a virus. So, shut down the main computer and restart from clean archive. DUH! It took them 40 minutes to figure that out? Why does a leve 5 diagnostic never find the problem? Perhaps they need to run the level 10 diagnostic?

BOb

DixieGal · 10-21-2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Actually, there are many times I scream at the screen of Star Trek because they DONT use the obvious solution. The Enterprise has a virus. So, shut down the main computer and restart from clean archive. DUH! It took them 40 minutes to figure that out? Why does a leve 5 diagnostic never find the problem? Perhaps they need to run the level 10 diagnostic?

BOb

Same reason I avoid running a full antivirus scan on my computer - level 10 takes longer than 50 minutes!

digitalzen · 10-21-2008, 03:02 PM

Interesting that you're reading more fiction after buying the Kindle -- do you think it is because of the way you purchase the texts? When I go into a bookstore, I will generally only look at non-fiction. But when I'm on amazon.com, I'll tend to look at more fiction. I think it's because there's user feedback on amazon.com (or online in general) makes me more interested in fiction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daithi

In the past I read about four non-fiction books for every fiction book that I read, but since getting a Kindle I've been reading a lot more fiction (the fiction selection is better than the non-fiction selection). Nevertheless, I still read a fair amount of non-fiction.

I especially enjoy philosophy (Bertand Russell is a favorite), mathematics (Morris Kline is a favorite), and science (Asimov's Life and Energy, Atom, and Understanding Physics are all favorites). I very much enjoy learning, and books are wonderful teachers, so I have books for whatever my interest of the moment happens to be -- economics, computers, poker, art/painting, the Irish language, the occult/magic, writing, politics, music, etc.

I just happended to buy a book for my Kindle this morning. Reinventing Gravity by John W. Moffat. It's a non-fiction book that explains gravity by modifying Newton's Second Law and thus doesn't require the existence of dark matter or dark energy to account for our observations of the universe. Oh yeah, I too am a geek.

Daithi · 10-21-2008, 05:36 PM

DixieGal,

I too am sceptical about Dark Matter and Dark Energy, and String Theory as well. BTW, Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics provides an excellent overview of Loop Quantum Gravity that I enjoyed quite a bit. I'm doing my best to learn the mathematics behind these theories so that I can better judge for myself.

digitalzen,

I can tell you exactly why I am reading more fiction. Often I will find a non-fiction book that I am interested in but it isn't available yet on the Kindle. So I either have to buy the paper based book or wait. Unless it is something I am dying to read I've been waiting. Plus textbook type non-fiction books just aren't suited for the small screen size of the Kindle, so I may be waiting for Kindle 2.0 (or Plastic Logic).

Fiction books on the other hand are just too damn convienent to buy with just a click of a button. I simply can't seem to help myself. I read a book that I enjoy and the next thing you know I'm getting the next book in the series, or reading a similar book by another author, or reading one of those classics I've always intended to read. Just too easy. Damn you Amazon.

Taylor514ce · 10-22-2008, 09:39 AM

Simon Winchester
Jared Diamond
Dava Sobel
James Gleick
Philip Ball's "Bright Earth", which is about color & pigments, fascinating.
Oliver Sacks

digitalzen · 10-22-2008, 04:56 PM

I don't have a Kindle yet, so do you think it would be worth waiting until the next version? I was not aware of the graphics issues. Not that I'm reading charts/graphs all that much, but it would be nice to have the formatting down.

I'm with you on the convenience factor -- make sense!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daithi

DixieGal,

digitalzen,

I can tell you exactly why I am reading more fiction. Often I will find a non-fiction book that I am interested in but it isn't available yet on the Kindle. So I either have to buy the paper based book or wait. Unless it is something I am dying to read I've been waiting. Plus textbook type non-fiction books just aren't suited for the small screen size of the Kindle, so I may be waiting for Kindle 2.0 (or Plastic Logic).

Fiction books on the other hand are just too damn convenient to buy with just a click of a button. I simply can't seem to help myself. I read a book that I enjoy and the next thing you know I'm getting the next book in the series, or reading a similar book by another author, or reading one of those classics I've always intended to read. Just too easy. Damn you Amazon.

desertgrandma · 10-22-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalzen

I don't have a Kindle yet, so do you think it would be worth waiting until the next version? I was not aware of the graphics issues. Not that I'm reading charts/graphs all that much, but it would be nice to have the formatting down.

I'm with you on the convenience factor -- make sense!

No one knows when the next version will be out, or if it will support what you need. If it wasn't for the textbook/charts you want, I'd say buy now.

Today, I was sitting the in doctors office, long wait, noisy, etc, but I just turned on my Kindle and surfed MobileRead, when that got boring

I checked out Amazon, downloaded yet another book and off to never never land I went.
You have to decide what you need most from an ebook reader.

JSWolf · 10-23-2008, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

And While Technically non Fiction, but so closely tied that they may be

* The Discworld Companion By Stephen Briggs
* The Riven Codex by David Eddings
* Heroes & Monsters: The Unofficial Companion to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Jess Nevins
* The Science of Discworld Series (I, II & III)

The Riven Codex is 100% fiction. Doesn't belong in your list.

JSWolf · 10-23-2008, 11:07 AM

The two non-fiction books I am in the midst of reading are...

Multiple Sclerosis New Hope and Practical Advice for People with MS and Their Families (revised and updated edition) by Louis J. Rosner, M.D., and Sheily Ross
The Dark Side The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer.

The Dark Side is a must read. You'll find out how 9/11 happened because the Bush administration is full of people who would be fired in the real world. It's scary to think it's true.

Daithi · 10-24-2008, 02:37 PM

digitalzen,

I agree with desertgrandma. The Plastic Logic device (which looks really cool) is supposed to be released in the first half of next year, and I'm guessing that the new Kindle will be released in the 2nd half of next year. I also believe the new Kindle will have the big screen that can display textbook type information, but there are no guarantees. If you decide to wait a year then who knows what will be on the horizen. This time next year the buzz might be around some new Sony device that comes with a big screen and supports color. So you wait another year. Then a new device is on the horizon has refresh rates that are quick enough to support video. So you wait some more. Then the next device coming out will fold up small enough to fit in your pocket and then unfold to an A4 sized sheet of paper. So you wait some more.

If I were buying right now it is close as to whether I'd wait until next year for the Kindle 2.0 or just get the Kindle 1.0 and plan on upgrading in a couple years. I really like my Kindle so I'd hate to go a year without one.

basschick · 10-30-2008, 12:06 AM

i enjoy autobiographies and books on silent movies - even better if they're combined.

When The Movies Were Young - Linda Arvidson Griffith
Sunshine and Shadow, An Autobiography - Mary Pickford
I'm With the Band - Pamela Des Barres

those are just the first three that came to mind - probably because i love to re-read them regularly.

Falbe Publishing · 10-30-2008, 12:39 AM

I read quite a bit of nonfiction.

Over the last year, I've been obsessing over the "Masks of God" by Joseph Campbell. Fascinating stuff if you can handle pages full of 60 word sentences. (And if pondering myth can be called nonfiction.)

Other titles that keep me thinking are:

Lives Per Gallon by Terry Tamminen

Deep Economy by Bill McKibben

Inventing Reality by Michael Parenti

Conservatives Without Conscience by John W. Dean

No Place to Hide by Robert O'Harrow, Jr.

Toxic Sludge is Good For You by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton

After such cheery reading, you can imagine why I like sci fi and fantasy.

brookietx · 04-06-2010, 08:01 PM

Oh, thanks...good ones to look for!

DMcCunney · 04-06-2010, 08:34 PM

I probably read as much non-fiction as fiction. A lot is computer related for professional reasons, but I have broad interests.

Current works in progress include Professor Rudolph Witkower's _Atr and Architecture in Italy 1600-1750_, Ben Shahn's _The Shape of Content_ (Lectures the artist gave during a term as as Charles Eliot Norman Professor at Harvard), S. I. Hayakawa's _The Use and Misue of Language_ (Selected essays from Etc: A Review of General Semantics), and a collection of essays by Macaulay (this last in ebook form.)

My library includes history, religion, philosophy, the arts, the sciences, politics, and business, economics, and finance.

I'd love to be able to master the art of reading a separate book with each eye. It would make being interested in, well, everything, at least slightly more manageable.
______
Dennis

ImogenRose · 04-07-2010, 12:34 AM

My absolute favorite is Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time ~ J. Richard Gott. This book is unfortunately not available as an ebook yet.

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10-21-2008, 05:36 PM	#34
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	DixieGal, I too am sceptical about Dark Matter and Dark Energy, and String Theory as well. BTW, Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics provides an excellent overview of Loop Quantum Gravity that I enjoyed quite a bit. I'm doing my best to learn the mathematics behind these theories so that I can better judge for myself. digitalzen, I can tell you exactly why I am reading more fiction. Often I will find a non-fiction book that I am interested in but it isn't available yet on the Kindle. So I either have to buy the paper based book or wait. Unless it is something I am dying to read I've been waiting. Plus textbook type non-fiction books just aren't suited for the small screen size of the Kindle, so I may be waiting for Kindle 2.0 (or Plastic Logic). Fiction books on the other hand are just too damn convienent to buy with just a click of a button. I simply can't seem to help myself. I read a book that I enjoy and the next thing you know I'm getting the next book in the series, or reading a similar book by another author, or reading one of those classics I've always intended to read. Just too easy. Damn you Amazon.

10-22-2008, 09:39 AM	#35
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Simon Winchester Jared Diamond Dava Sobel James Gleick Philip Ball's "Bright Earth", which is about color & pigments, fascinating. Oliver Sacks

10-23-2008, 11:07 AM	#39
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,887 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The two non-fiction books I am in the midst of reading are... Multiple Sclerosis New Hope and Practical Advice for People with MS and Their Families (revised and updated edition) by Louis J. Rosner, M.D., and Sheily Ross The Dark Side The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer. The Dark Side is a must read. You'll find out how 9/11 happened because the Bush administration is full of people who would be fired in the real world. It's scary to think it's true.

10-24-2008, 02:37 PM	#40
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	digitalzen, I agree with desertgrandma. The Plastic Logic device (which looks really cool) is supposed to be released in the first half of next year, and I'm guessing that the new Kindle will be released in the 2nd half of next year. I also believe the new Kindle will have the big screen that can display textbook type information, but there are no guarantees. If you decide to wait a year then who knows what will be on the horizen. This time next year the buzz might be around some new Sony device that comes with a big screen and supports color. So you wait another year. Then a new device is on the horizon has refresh rates that are quick enough to support video. So you wait some more. Then the next device coming out will fold up small enough to fit in your pocket and then unfold to an A4 sized sheet of paper. So you wait some more. If I were buying right now it is close as to whether I'd wait until next year for the Kindle 2.0 or just get the Kindle 1.0 and plan on upgrading in a couple years. I really like my Kindle so I'd hate to go a year without one.

10-30-2008, 12:06 AM	#41
basschick Wizard Posts: 1,096 Karma: 4695691 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	i enjoy autobiographies and books on silent movies - even better if they're combined. When The Movies Were Young - Linda Arvidson Griffith Sunshine and Shadow, An Autobiography - Mary Pickford I'm With the Band - Pamela Des Barres those are just the first three that came to mind - probably because i love to re-read them regularly.

10-30-2008, 12:39 AM	#42
Falbe Publishing Gadget Slave Posts: 264 Karma: 600001 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Device: Sony PRS505SC	I read quite a bit of nonfiction. Over the last year, I've been obsessing over the "Masks of God" by Joseph Campbell. Fascinating stuff if you can handle pages full of 60 word sentences. (And if pondering myth can be called nonfiction.) Other titles that keep me thinking are: Lives Per Gallon by Terry Tamminen Deep Economy by Bill McKibben Inventing Reality by Michael Parenti Conservatives Without Conscience by John W. Dean No Place to Hide by Robert O'Harrow, Jr. Toxic Sludge is Good For You by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton After such cheery reading, you can imagine why I like sci fi and fantasy.

04-06-2010, 08:01 PM	#43
brookietx Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Toshiba laptop & Axim X51v	Oh, thanks...good ones to look for!

04-06-2010, 08:34 PM	#44
DMcCunney New York Editor Posts: 6,384 Karma: 16540415 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: PalmTX, Pocket eDGe, Alcatel Fierce 4, RCA Viking Pro 10, Nexus 7	I probably read as much non-fiction as fiction. A lot is computer related for professional reasons, but I have broad interests. Current works in progress include Professor Rudolph Witkower's _Atr and Architecture in Italy 1600-1750_, Ben Shahn's _The Shape of Content_ (Lectures the artist gave during a term as as Charles Eliot Norman Professor at Harvard), S. I. Hayakawa's _The Use and Misue of Language_ (Selected essays from Etc: A Review of General Semantics), and a collection of essays by Macaulay (this last in ebook form.) My library includes history, religion, philosophy, the arts, the sciences, politics, and business, economics, and finance. I'd love to be able to master the art of reading a separate book with each eye. It would make being interested in, well, everything, at least slightly more manageable. ______ Dennis

04-07-2010, 12:34 AM	#45
ImogenRose PORTAL Posts: 7,204 Karma: 2884640 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle 1, Kindle 3 (3G), iPhone	My absolute favorite is Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time ~ J. Richard Gott. This book is unfortunately not available as an ebook yet.

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