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  • #766
    Currently I have very limited access to reading material, so my patience with weak writing has grown thin.

    First I read Brida. Sorry, but Paulo Coelho is a dumbass. I had always planned to read The Alchemist, but after sitting through 200 pages of this vacuous nonsense, I shall devote the time I would have spent in reading his stuff to just wondering how this guy got to be a bestselling author.

    I switch to Haruki Murakami. Kafka on the Shore. Now this is some good metaphysical crap. And Murakami writes well to boot. The scenes with the talking cats are just as arresting as those of Bulgakov's felines in The Master & Margarita, and much less malignant to boot. I resolve to read more Murakami; he's that good. But ultimately, Murakami is a coward. He introduces controversial themes and then explains them away with shopworn literary devices like dreams and visions. Murakami the tease.

    I return to the little bookstore with the politically incorrect titles and select my next book by its girth. 2-1/4 inches. 900 plus pages. Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. Now this book is a satisfying read. The author, a heroin addict and armed robber escapes from an Australian prison and flees to India, where he lives in a Bombay slum and learns Hindi and Marathi and runs counterfeit passports, drugs, and launders money for the Bombay mafia. Serves time in an Indian jail and goes from 200 lbs to about 90. Acts in Bollywood films and ends up fighting with the mugahedeen in Afghanistan. 200 pages in, I google the author and watch some videos where he discusses his experiences. I am heartbroken to read in wikipedia that this might not all be true. It feels true.

    Comment

    • #767
      I finished The Likeness - interesting read. I don't feel the story in this book was as strong as her first book and the scenerio was a little far fetched, but French can really paint pictures with words. I will read the 3rd book in the series. This is a little different than most mystery series. It is set in the same world - the modern Dublin Police Dept, but she uses a different main character each time. This book takes place a year or so after the events of previous book and the main character from that book was not in this story, but he is mentioned several times. This book's main character was the partner of the previous book's main character.

      Currently reading

      [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_b/?search-alias=stripbooks&unfiltered=1&field-keywords=&field-author=&field-title=exodus+from+the+alamo&field-isbn=&field-publisher=&node=&field-p_n_condition-type=&field-feature_browse-bin=&field-binding_browse-bin=&field-subject=&field-language=&field-dateop=&field-datemod=&field-dateyear=&sort=relevanceexprank&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.x=0&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.y=0"]Amazon.com: exodus from the alamo: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513nvhFVG4L.@@AMEPARAM@@513nvhFVG4L[/ame]

      This another book that I saw the author discuss on BookTV

      It is new look at the causes of the Texas revolution and the actual Siege of the Alamo. Having read the first 60 pages or so The Daughters of the Republic of Texas are not going to be happy with Dr. Tucker!
      Last edited by happyone; 06-27-2011, 11:25 AM.

      I may be small, but I'm slow.

      A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to, "The United States of America ", for an amount of "up to and including my life - it's an honor."

      Comment

      • #768
        I just received "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell for Father's Day.

        I am going to be starting it this week.

        Comment

        • #769
          David O. McKay: Apostle to the World, Prophet of God by Francis M. Gibbons

          Very good bio of the former Ute football player and president of the LDS Church.
          Col. Klink: "Staff officers are so clever."
          Gen. Burkhalter: "Klink, I am a staff officer."
          Col. Klink: "I didn't mean you sir, you're not clever."

          Comment

          • #770
            The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 by Bob Woodward.

            The fourth volume of Woodward's Bush at War series. As early as June 2006, Bush and his administration are realizing that the strategy in Iraq is not working. A handful of secret examinations of the strategy get underway and they lead eventually to Bush's decision to change strategy and surge more troops.

            A good read, even if the picture it presents is less than pretty.
            Col. Klink: "Staff officers are so clever."
            Gen. Burkhalter: "Klink, I am a staff officer."
            Col. Klink: "I didn't mean you sir, you're not clever."

            Comment

            • #771
              finished Exodus from the Alamo over the weekend - I really really don't think it will be sold at the Alamo gift shop The author uses Mexican sources and contempory Anglo sources and reconstructs the Mexican assult on the Alamo in the predawn hours of March 6 1836. His conclusion is that the defenders, for the most part did not go down fighting, but trying to escape.

              Some interesting facts/conclusions, according to Dr. Tucker

              Both Travis and Bowie probably commited suicide rather that face capture
              Crockett was probably killed early in the attack - his body was identified in multiple sources as just outside the south wall.
              More that half the garrison, possibly as many as 120 of 189, were killed outside the Alamo walls trying to escape by Mexican Lancers and Curissars
              The main cause of the Texas revolution was the fact the the Mexican Constitution was changed in 1829 to ban slavery - the Anglo's did not want to give up their slaves
              The Mexican casualities were relatively light no more that 300 or so and the most of them were caused by "friendly fire"

              Dr. Tucker definately has a pro Mexican take on the revolution in general and the Alamo in particular.

              Not the most readable history, but very interesting

              Currently reading

              [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Work-Medicine-Scientific-Revolution/dp/0393070557/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309965916&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution (9780393070552): Holly Tucker: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LGqULYtpL.@@AMEPARAM@@51LGqULYtpL[/ame]

              It is a look at the early experiments with blood transfusions in the late 17th century and the lengths some members of the medical community would go to stop them.

              This is another book I saw on BookTV.
              Last edited by happyone; 07-06-2011, 08:43 AM.

              I may be small, but I'm slow.

              A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to, "The United States of America ", for an amount of "up to and including my life - it's an honor."

              Comment

              • #772
                James Polk Presidency - Mexican War

                [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Country-Vast-Designs-Conquest-Continent/dp/1400164958/ref=tmm_abk_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1310049995&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent (9781400164950): Robert W. Merry, Michael Prichard: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51aYiYjnsLL.@@AMEPARAM@@51aYiYjnsLL[/ame]

                For a single term president, James Polk was sure responsible for a lot of how the United States map looks today - obtaining Oregon, California, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Colorado , etc.

                Also some interesting perspective on the "Mormon Battalion".

                Comment

                • #773
                  [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Steve-Vail-Noah-Boyd/dp/0061827037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310050268&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Agent X (Steve Vail) (9780061827037): Noah Boyd: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WgVNRJRmL.@@AMEPARAM@@51WgVNRJRmL[/ame]

                  A pretty good FBI mystery without typical vulgarity and innuendo

                  Comment

                  • #774
                    Originally posted by eldiente View Post
                    Amazon.com: A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent (9781400164950): Robert W. Merry, Michael Prichard: Books

                    For a single term president, James Polk was sure responsible for a lot of how the United States map looks today - obtaining Oregon, California, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Colorado , etc.

                    Also some interesting perspective on the "Mormon Battalion".
                    That looks very good. Just ordered a copy.
                    "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                    "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                    "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                    Comment

                    • #775
                      finished Blood Work really fascinating. It reads like a mystery novel, but is the history of the early work in blood transfusion by the English and French in the mid to late 1600s. The author is a professor of Medical History at Vanderbilt and apparently the idea for this book has been kicking around in her head for years.

                      As the early work in blood transfusion progressed, a race evolved between the English Social Philosophers and the French to see who be the first to transfuse a human - The English won. However, when one of the first Frenchmen to receive a blood transfusion died the Doctor was accused of murder. He was tried and acquitted. It was obvious that the patient didn't die from the transfusion, but arsenic poisoning. In spite of the verdict, work on blood transfusion stopped for almost 150 yrs

                      Some interesting facts

                      Christopher Wren, the architect who designed St. Paul’s and most of London after the great fire, was deeply involved with the blood transfusion experiments

                      The first transfusions were animal to animal, normally dogs, but they also used calves and lambs. They progressed to interspecies transfusions and eventually animal to human. It was a wonder none of the humans died of the transfusions - the authors guess is that they couldn't get enough of animal blood into them.

                      The transfusions were thought to cure madness in humans. The early recipients in England were "patients" at Bedlam. The first frenchman was a known lunatic that was "kidnapped" off the streets of Paris.

                      The book has a good explanation of the premodern medical theory of humors and how blood fit into that and why transfusion was not accepted by the church and some "conservative" medical doctors - mostly those trained at the Univ of Paris Medical School.

                      Since my last entry I've also read
                      [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Summer-Moon-Comanches-Powerful/dp/1416591060/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310475563&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History (9781416591061): S. C. Gwynne: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519QdZq5fjL.@@AMEPARAM@@519QdZq5fjL[/ame]

                      This a history of the Comanches and a semi biography of Quanah Parker, their last great chief.
                      Very good read. If you are at all interested in the history of the West, I would highly recommend this.

                      Some interesting facts

                      The Comanche were one of the first Indian tribes to fight from the back of a horse.

                      By 1800 they controlled an area that included most of what is now Texas, Oklahoma, eastern New Mexico, Southeastern Colorado and even dipped down into Northern Mexico. The author calls it Comancheria.

                      They were never very numerous, the author estimates between 20-25,000 at their height in 1830.
                      They stopped the Northern advance of the Spanish in the 1700s

                      In addition to being probably the best light Cavalry in the world by 1800, they were accomplished diplomats and traders. They had a thriving business in horses and captives

                      The John Wayne movie "The Searchers" - which some consider the best western ever made, was based on the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, who was captured in 1836 and was Quanah's mother, and her Uncle, who spent years looking for her. This story takes up quite a lot of the book.

                      Word of warning - Gwynne does not sugar coat the atrocities committed by either side. He has some pretty gruesome depictions of torture and rape. There was reason one of the basic rules of Indian fighting was, "Save the last bullet for yourself". Also the author is not PC - he portrays the Comanche as the ultimate warrior culture. A male Comanche's whole self worth/status was tied up in how good a raider/warrior he was.

                      Currently reading

                      [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Shangri--Survival-Adventure-Incredible/dp/0061988340/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310478403&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II (9780061988349): Mitchell Zuckoff: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JurhdYUmL.@@AMEPARAM@@51JurhdYUmL[/ame]
                      Last edited by happyone; 07-12-2011, 01:18 PM.

                      I may be small, but I'm slow.

                      A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to, "The United States of America ", for an amount of "up to and including my life - it's an honor."

                      Comment

                      • #776
                        Sheesh, happyone grinds through a lot of books.

                        Just added Blood Work and Empire of the Summer Moon to my Amazon wish list. They look very good.
                        "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                        "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                        "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                        Comment

                        • #777
                          I'm excited to hear Happyone's thoughts on Lost in Shangri-La. That one's high up on my reading list. The author was on RadioWest and The Daily Show recently.
                          Kids in general these days seem more socially retarded...

                          None of them date. They hang out. They text. They sit in the same car or room and don't say a word...they text. Then, they go home and whack off to internet porn.

                          I think that's the sad truth about why these kids are retards.

                          --Portland Ute

                          Comment

                          • #778
                            Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                            Sheesh, happyone grinds through a lot of books.

                            Just added Blood Work and Empire of the Summer Moon to my Amazon wish list. They look very good.
                            Both are fairly short - Blood Work about 230 pgs and Summer Moon just over 300 and IMO both are very readable.
                            Last edited by happyone; 07-12-2011, 01:17 PM.

                            I may be small, but I'm slow.

                            A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to, "The United States of America ", for an amount of "up to and including my life - it's an honor."

                            Comment

                            • #779
                              I just ordered this on Amazon: The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths by Michael Shermer. Shermer was on The Colbert Report a couple of nights ago. Here's the video link and some highlights:
                              SC: The Believing Brain, what do you mean believing brain?

                              MS: What it's about is how our beliefs are formed first, for a variety of social/psychological/personal/emotional/subjective reasons and then we find the evidence to fit it. Our brains are like lawyers not scientists. Our brains want to lawyer the data to fit our beliefs.

                              [...]

                              MS: In other words we martial the facts to fit our beliefs that we already hold. So if you're a conservative you read the Wall Street Journal, you listen to conservative talk radio, and you filter everything through that, and you only find and remember the things that support what you already believe. If you're liberal, you read the NY Times, you listen to NPR, and you find all the facts that fit that. And everybody has the data, so who's right? So, the only way to tell really the difference between these true patterns and false patterns is science.

                              [...]

                              SC: Science is just another belief system.

                              MS: It is another belief system, but it sets apart from all the other belief systems because it has built into itself correcting machinery that says if you don't look for your disconfirming evidence that debunks your own belief, somebody else will, usually with great glee in a published forum.

                              SC: What's so great about debunking? What’s wrong with bunking? Why must things be debunked?

                              MS: Because there's a lot of bunk. There's a lot of nonsense, bad science, voodoo science, pathological science, non-science, and plain old nonsense. It's all over the place. Most of the stuff we hear is not true. Unfortunately our brains evolve to assume that most of the patterns we see are true. Whatever we see and hear, especially on television, if it's visual, if it's emotionally salient, we naturally hook onto it and go, "Must be true, I heard it."

                              [...]

                              SC: What about religion though? We also have "received truths" from god, that can be corrected by god's prophets.

                              MS: The problem with that is that there are so many prophets and they conflict with each other.

                              SC: But most of them are false, the Christian ones are true.

                              MS: What kind of experiment could we possibly run to tell the difference between whether this is the one true religion or this is the one true religion, and the answer is none, there is none.

                              SC: Well there's one day of experimentation, it's Judgment Day.

                              MS: I guess we'll find out. I actually have a whole section in the Believing Brain dedicated to what I would say to god if it turns out I'm wrong and there is a god.

                              [...]

                              SC: You used to be a Christian, correct?

                              MS: I was, that's right.

                              SC: Jesus misses you. He told me.

                              MS: He did?

                              SC: He told me.

                              MS: Well why doesn't he talk to me?

                              SC: Because you don't believe.

                              MS: But if being talked to depends on whether I believe or not then that means it doesn't really exist, it's all up here in my head, which is the point of my book, is that it's all up here [points to his head].

                              SC: Oh, oh "book".

                              Comment

                              • #780
                                Originally posted by scottie View Post
                                I just ordered this on Amazon: The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths by Michael Shermer. Shermer was on The Colbert Report a couple of nights ago. Here's the video link and some highlights:
                                That looks good. I'll read it because it will certainly reinforce the beliefs I already have.

                                Here's what I have read the past few weeks:

                                [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Those-Guys-Have-All-Fun/dp/0316043001"]Amazon.com: Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN (9780316043007): James Andrew Miller, Tom Shales: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NNlTW8prL.@@AMEPARAM@@51NNlTW8prL[/ame]

                                [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Beasts-Terror-American-Hitlers/dp/0307408841"]Amazon.com: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin (9780307408846): Erik Larson: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pou06j0nL.@@AMEPARAM@@51pou06j0nL[/ame]

                                [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Krakauer/dp/0385486804"]Amazon.com: Into the Wild (9780385486804): Jon Krakauer: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510D0oUtO0L.@@AMEPARAM@@510D0oUtO0L[/ame]

                                The ESPN book was a little bit long (700+ pages) but I have always been an ESPN and SportsCenter junkie so I liked it.

                                The Erik Larson book was great. Anybody with an interest in WWII would like it I think.

                                Somehow I never read Into The Wild before and that was well worth it, too.

                                Comment

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