Literary treats for 2009 (Guardian article)

Seabound · 01-04-2009, 09:40 PM

Saw this on the Guardian yesterday. It lists some of the upcoming books for the first six months of 2009, in fiction, poetry, science, history and culture. See if there's anything that tickles your fancy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009...s-preview-2009

Liviu_5 · 01-05-2009, 10:52 AM

It's a very interesting list - I read 2066 since it appeared here in the US in November and it's a masterpiece.

I also read Les Bienveillantes (Kindly Ones) in French several years ago when it made the big splash as bestseller, Goncourt prize winner, written in French by an American, and while quite disturbing, it's also a page turner and though it falters a bit at the end, it's still an excellent book.
I definitely want the English translation (not by the author from what I saw) which is due here in March also.

I also read 13 Things That Don't Make Sense by M. Brooks - this one is available as ADE Pdf from e-NYPL and I loaded it on my 700.

It's a more serious book than the usual "alien abductions, psychics, NDE's" that come with the title above, but it has a major shortcoming in that it presents a distorted picture of current science as intolerant of mavericks, ossified, destroying anyone outside of the consensus. If there is serious evidence of any of the maverick theories there, from MOG to cold-fusion, everyone will jump on the bandwagon since after all that's how Nobels are won and big money made. Unfortunately the evidence is inconclusive so far - as the book grudgingly admits - and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, so for now the scientific consensus, flawed and all is still holding...

A worthy read otherwise, and the references are excellent, but keeping in mind the above caveat.

01-04-2009, 09:40 PM	#1
Seabound Steerage Class Posts: 711 Karma: 505995 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest, USA Device: Won't fit here anymore, see sig for a list of liseuses.	Literary treats for 2009 (Guardian article) Saw this on the Guardian yesterday. It lists some of the upcoming books for the first six months of 2009, in fiction, poetry, science, history and culture. See if there's anything that tickles your fancy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009...s-preview-2009

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01-05-2009, 10:52 AM	#2
Liviu_5 Books and more books Posts: 917 Karma: 69499 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: White Plains, NY, USA Device: Nook Color, Itouch, Nokia770, Sony 650, Sony 700(dead), Ebk(given)	It's a very interesting list - I read 2066 since it appeared here in the US in November and it's a masterpiece. I also read Les Bienveillantes (Kindly Ones) in French several years ago when it made the big splash as bestseller, Goncourt prize winner, written in French by an American, and while quite disturbing, it's also a page turner and though it falters a bit at the end, it's still an excellent book. I definitely want the English translation (not by the author from what I saw) which is due here in March also. I also read 13 Things That Don't Make Sense by M. Brooks - this one is available as ADE Pdf from e-NYPL and I loaded it on my 700. It's a more serious book than the usual "alien abductions, psychics, NDE's" that come with the title above, but it has a major shortcoming in that it presents a distorted picture of current science as intolerant of mavericks, ossified, destroying anyone outside of the consensus. If there is serious evidence of any of the maverick theories there, from MOG to cold-fusion, everyone will jump on the bandwagon since after all that's how Nobels are won and big money made. Unfortunately the evidence is inconclusive so far - as the book grudgingly admits - and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, so for now the scientific consensus, flawed and all is still holding... A worthy read otherwise, and the references are excellent, but keeping in mind the above caveat.

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