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Read A Good Book Lately?


Tom Geiger

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Another thread that asked what magazines you read on the throne got me thinking...

I was on a job interview and the interviewer asked an interesting question, "What were the last two books you read?" I was lucky that I do read and didn't hesitate. I don't know what a non-reader would say!

Soooo... here's two books I recently enjoyed....

Blue Highways - William Least Heat Moon

This one was recommended to me by Dean Milano and was worth the read. Blue highways are the designation on maps for the secondary highways. So Mr Moon loaded up some stuff in his old Ford Van, "The Grey Ghost", and headed out to find America, traveling back roads, meeting people and just experiencing America. The book is an easy read, is insightful and makes you want to load up your van! In fact, I liked it enough to buy another of the author's titles, "River Horse" that I will start shortly.

I'm Feeling Lucky - The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 - Douglas Edwards

Doug tells the story of the early days at Google, when everything was done on a shoe string and the crazy things that occurred. It's not a deep business text, more like a friend telling you the story. It's cool.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S Thompson

Okay, this one I really didn't get. I bought it out of curiosity after the title came up a few times within a week. If you saw Pawn Stars, Corey bought an autographed copy of the book because it was his favorite book. Then I saw it on a friend's Facebook page as one of their favorite books. It's just a drugged out mess without any real plot or redeeming values. Maybe someone can explain why this is a cult classic?

Tell us about a book! Or take recommendations and get a book! Note that I get all my books on Half.Com (an eBay company) and I seldom pay more than a dollar plus shipping for anything!

Or it's cool to comment about the books already listed, may conversations take place! :)

Edited by Tom Geiger
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I read Catcher In The Rye a few years ago. I was bored out of my mind and I figured...why not? I didn't get it. Nothing ever happened. My brother got a good laugh out of my summary of it: "It's a book about a loser, written for losers".

Edited by LDO
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K, I'll play...

Just finishing A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin. It's the fifth book the Song of Ice and Fire series, better known as The Game Of Thrones. I have enjoyed the four previous books and I am enjoying this one just as well. It's like reading a good history book, only with more sex and violence, plus dragons and all kinds of other sorcery.

Before that I read The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark. It's a very long book about the people and politics involved in the lead-up to WWI. It's well written and it kept my interest through all 1200-plus pages.

Before that it was Cadillac: Standard Of The World (An Automobile quarterly library series book) by Maurice D. Hendry. Actually I haven't finished this one - I plan to go back and finish it. This is a very well researched and dense tome about the history of Cadillac up until the early-1980's. There is a TON of info and great pictures. This book was originally written in the 1970's and has been updated and revised a few times. My copy is the 1984 edition.

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I read Catcher In The Rye a few years ago.

When I was cleaning my folks house out I found some of the 'required reading' books from high school. I found some of them intriguing so I took them home. I read Grapes of Wrath and Catch 22 over again. It was interesting to read them with an adult perspective.

Edited by Tom Geiger
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Here are a few of my favorites without going into detail.

The flags of our fathers by James Bradley

The marine by James Brady

3000 degrees by Sean Flynn

A pale horse by Charles Todd

Business

Blink, outliers and the tipping point by Malcolm gladwell

Rich dad poor dad by Robert kiyosaki

Currently reading freakonomics by Steven d levitt and Stephen j dubner

On my list to buy

Who moved my cheese. Another business book.

Edited by Kaleb
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Amazing thing about reading a lot...after a while, you find you start to actually know stuff. Later on, you find you actually start to understand stuff. Then, if you pay attention, you find you start to understand how the world REALLY works, and eventually you begin to see through all of the smoke, mirrors, BS, provincial ignorance and general 'tardness that keeps us from being the best we can be (as a species). B)

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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There are many great reads out there, but two of my all-time favorite novels are "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac and Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"... Another good book I've read lately is Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse 5"...

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig is great if you're into philosophy...

Otherwise, if looking for a good laugh, I would recommend anything by Bill Bryson ;)

Edited by PowerPlant
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Amazing thing about reading a lot...after a while, you find you start to actually know stuff. Later on, you find you actually start to understand stuff. Then, if you pay attention, you find you start to understand how the world REALLY works, and eventually you begin to see through all of the smoke, mirrors, BS, provincial ignorance and general 'tardness that keeps us from being the best we can be (as a species). B)

Does that apply to books written by Glen Beck?

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Does that apply to books written by Glen Beck?

Well, let's just say his stuff helps one to identify 'tardness. Reading EVERYTHING with an open mind, and the 'critical thinking' function turned on (which works better the more you actually know), can only help to form a rational and informed world-view. It's always good to take pronouncements from fanatics with a grain (or several) of salt. :)

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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Well, let's just say his stuff helps one to identify 'tardness. Reading EVERYTHING with an open mind, and the 'critical thinking' function turned on (which works better the more you actually know), can only help to form a rational and informed world-view. It's always good to take pronouncements from fanatics with a grain (or several) of salt. :)

I know that some people think Glenn Beck is just flat-out wacko. But I have actually listened to what he says (not relied on the media to "tell me" what he says), and while I don't agree with him 100%, I have to admit that he makes a lot of sense in many areas. Yes, in some ways he's shrill and overly dramatic and an alarmist... yet on certain topics he makes just as much sense, if not more, than the other talking heads out there. And that's coming from a guy (me!) who listens to and reads stuff from all sides of the spectrum, not just the stuff that reinforces what I already think.

I'm not a big reader, aside from the daily papers. But two of the more interesting books out recently (not the "classics" like "Tale of Two Cities" or something like that) are Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy, both by Bill O'Reilly (with research by Martin Dugard).

And speaking of books, a fellow forum member just sent me a copy of Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand. I'll have to make the time to read it... I know about Ayn Rand and what she believed in, but have never read any of her work. That has to change. B)

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Bad thing about my reading tastes, they tend to be very dry reading. Mostly tech/shop manuals, the most recent one being the '60-'62 Chevrolet 4x4 and Tilt Cab Supplement. I do read regular books, too, Lord Of The Rings was one of my favorites. I'm currently about 1/3 of the way through Stand On It, which is the book that the movie Stroker Ace is very loosely based on. About the only thing that crosses over from the book to the movie are the character names, the story is nowhere close to the same.

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I know that some people think Glenn Beck is just flat-out wacko. But I have actually listened to what he says... Yes, in some ways he's shrill and overly dramatic and an alarmist... yet on certain topics he makes just as much sense, if not more, than the other talking heads out there. And that's coming from a guy (me!) who listens to and reads stuff from all sides of the spectrum, not just the stuff that reinforces what I already think.

Agreed. There's useful information everywhere, and the "critical thinking" filter lets us sift the nuggets of truth from the hysterical noise.

And speaking of books, a fellow forum member just sent me a copy of Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand. I'll have to make the time to read it... I know about Ayn Rand and what she believed in, but have never read any of her work. That has to change. B)

I've read most of her work and just started on Atlas Shrugged again for about the 10th time. She can be preachy and a difficult, repetitive slog sometimes, but I agree in principle with most of her ideas...not all. If you enjoy fiction, The Fountainhead is an entertaining read and a not-so-in-your-face intro into her world. It's spun more as a narrative of the difficulties that talented, original and creative people face (and can eventually overcome) in a world run by...the other kind.

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I've read most of her work and just started on Atlas Shrugged again for about the 10th time. She can be preachy and a difficult, repetitive slog sometimes, but I agree in principle with most of her ideas...not all. If you enjoy fiction, The Fountainhead is an entertaining read and a not-so-in-your-face intro into her world.

I'm not a fiction reader. I read only non-fiction (when I read at all, which unfortunately is all too rare). The last fiction I read was in high school, because it was an assignment.

But I really need to get my act together and read "Atlas Shrugged." I feel like I'm the only guy left on Earth that hasn't read it yet. From what I know of Ayn Rand and her philosophy, I think I would pretty much agree with her views

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I'm not a fiction reader. I read only non-fiction (when I read at all, which unfortunately is all too rare). The last fiction I read was in high school, because it was an assignment.

But I really need to get my act together and read "Atlas Shrugged." I feel like I'm the only guy left on Earth that hasn't read it yet. From what I know of Ayn Rand and her philosophy, I think I would pretty much agree with her views

No fiction? I always say, well, not always...but...

I read nonfiction to learn about the world and fiction to learn about myself. I'm talking good fiction - Dostoyevsky, Hemingway, Faulkner, etc.

One of my favorite fiction books is "The Kingdom of This World" by Alejo Carpentier - a truly great book.

Some of my favorite nonfiction:

"Proofiness", Seife

"The Drunkards Walk", Mlodinow

"Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me", on loan?

"1491", Mann

Too many to list...

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... I really need to get my act together and read "Atlas Shrugged." I feel like I'm the only guy left on Earth that hasn't read it yet...

In my experience, there are probably a lot more people who claim to have read it than have actually read it, a situation that often becomes apparent during a discussion of the book. ;)

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Not car related at all, but I have really enjoyed all of the Dan Brown books. He even wrote a couple before his big hit The Da Vinci Code and I thought they were just as good. I also read Decision Points by George W. Bush a few years ago and really liked that as well. Even if you are not on the right side of the spectrum, it would be an interesting read since it goes in depth into his past and his major decisions as president.

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