Recommend a book thread

[DoomYoshi]

There are naval chaplains too.

[Symmetry]

There are naval chaplains too.

One of the guys in the video did seem like he might sometimes wear a dog collar, I suppose.

[jusplay4fun]

I like non-fiction books that get one to think about things in a different and interesing way, a new way to "connect the dots" to better offer insights into the world.

1) Anything by Malcolm Gladwell is worth reading, IMO. I recently read Outliers, giving examples of how certain individuals achieved great things and what they needed,, other than JUS luck or intelligence. There is a confluence of many factors. The case study of Bill Gates is a great example. Most think that he became a billionaire due to his brains and LUCK....BUT WAIT, there is MORE....

2) Freakonomics (and its follow-up, Super Freakonomics) by Levitt and Dubner are similar books. There is a great story in there of the power of regression analysis (yes, can be full of ZZZZZZ's, but the style make it actually interesting....IMO, HUMBLE. as it is....) to "tease" conclusions and insights out of a mass of data. That section deals with parenting and its impact on student success in school, a topic a teacher, like me, would find helpful.

[DoomYoshi]

I like non-fiction books that get one to think about things in a different and interesing way, a new way to "connect the dots" to better offer insights into the world.

1) Anything by Malcolm Gladwell is worth reading, IMO. I recently read Outliers, giving examples of how certain individuals achieved great things and what they needed,, other than JUS luck or intelligence. There is a confluence of many factors. The case study of Bill Gates is a great example. Most think that he became a billionaire due to his brains and LUCK....BUT WAIT, there is MORE....

2) Freakonomics (and its follow-up, Super Freakonomics) by Levitt and Dubner are similar books. There is a great story in there of the power of regression analysis (yes, can be full of ZZZZZZ's, but the style make it actually interesting....IMO, HUMBLE. as it is....) to "tease" conclusions and insights out of a mass of data. That section deals with parenting and its impact on student success in school, a topic a teacher, like me, would find helpful.

You seem pretty sane and grounded. Are you sure this is the right forum for you?


The Freakonomics blog used to be really good too.

[Symmetry]

I like non-fiction books that get one to think about things in a different and interesing way, a new way to "connect the dots" to better offer insights into the world.

1) Anything by Malcolm Gladwell is worth reading, IMO. I recently read Outliers, giving examples of how certain individuals achieved great things and what they needed,, other than JUS luck or intelligence. There is a confluence of many factors. The case study of Bill Gates is a great example. Most think that he became a billionaire due to his brains and LUCK....BUT WAIT, there is MORE....

2) Freakonomics (and its follow-up, Super Freakonomics) by Levitt and Dubner are similar books. There is a great story in there of the power of regression analysis (yes, can be full of ZZZZZZ's, but the style make it actually interesting....IMO, HUMBLE. as it is....) to "tease" conclusions and insights out of a mass of data. That section deals with parenting and its impact on student success in school, a topic a teacher, like me, would find helpful.

If you like his stuff, I highly recommend Atul Gawande- he does what Gladwel does for economics, but in the field of medicine.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/06/01/the-cost-conundrum

It's a longer read than the Gladwel article I posted before, but well worth a look.

[jusplay4fun]

I did NOT see a Freakonomics thread:


The Freakonomics blog used to be really good too.[/quote]

Mike JP4Fun

I like non-fiction books that get one to think about things in a different and interesing way, a new way to "connect the dots" to better offer insights into the world.

1) Anything by Malcolm Gladwell is worth reading, IMO. I recently read Outliers, giving examples of how certain individuals achieved great things and what they needed,, other than JUS luck or intelligence. There is a confluence of many factors. The case study of Bill Gates is a great example. Most think that he became a billionaire due to his brains and LUCK....BUT WAIT, there is MORE....

2) Freakonomics (and its follow-up, Super Freakonomics) by Levitt and Dubner are similar books. There is a great story in there of the power of regression analysis (yes, can be full of ZZZZZZ's, but the style make it actually interesting....IMO, HUMBLE. as it is....) to "tease" conclusions and insights out of a mass of data. That section deals with parenting and its impact on student success in school, a topic a teacher, like me, would find helpful.

You seem pretty sane and grounded. Are you sure this is the right forum for you?


The Freakonomics blog used to be really good too.

[jusplay4fun]

Thank you, I think....LoL

The Freakonomics blog used to be really good too.[/quote]

Mike JP4Fun

I like non-fiction books that get one to think about things in a different and interesing way, a new way to "connect the dots" to better offer insights into the world.

1) Anything by Malcolm Gladwell is worth reading, IMO. I recently read Outliers, giving examples of how certain individuals achieved great things and what they needed,, other than JUS luck or intelligence. There is a confluence of many factors. The case study of Bill Gates is a great example. Most think that he became a billionaire due to his brains and LUCK....BUT WAIT, there is MORE....

2) Freakonomics (and its follow-up, Super Freakonomics) by Levitt and Dubner are similar books. There is a great story in there of the power of regression analysis (yes, can be full of ZZZZZZ's, but the style make it actually interesting....IMO, HUMBLE. as it is....) to "tease" conclusions and insights out of a mass of data. That section deals with parenting and its impact on student success in school, a topic a teacher, like me, would find helpful.

You seem pretty sane and grounded. Are you sure this is the right forum for you?


The Freakonomics blog used to be really good too.

[jusplay4fun]

This looks like a very good informative article. It will take me a while to read. Thanks for suggesting it.

Medical issues are so complex. Hillary recognized that when Bill put her in charge of developing a health care plan in the 90's in the USA (that never got any real Congressional consideration, based solely on my recollection.......)

Mike JP4Fun


Symmetry suggested:

If you like his stuff, I highly recommend Atul Gawande- he does what Gladwel does for economics, but in the field of medicine.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/ ... -conundrum

It's a longer read than the Gladwel article I posted before, but well worth a look.

[jonesthecurl]

I'll say more about "why" later, but I was totally blown away by Laurie King's "The Murder of Mary Russell".

[Symmetry]

I'll say more about "why" later, but I was totally blown away by Laurie King's "The Murder of Mary Russell".

I'm a bit sceptical of the post-Conan-Doyle Sherlock Holmes genre. To be fair, I think some of the CD era stories were pretty silly. I shall await your elucidation.

For Sci-fi lovers, I just found a copy of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon" in a second hand book store. All previous copies owned by me having been lent out. Great book if you're a fan of Blade Runner, but don't bother with the sequels.

[DoomYoshi]

The Benedict Option has been ripping through the review circuit, the magazine circuit and the blogosphere. I'll pick up a copy and let you know how it is.

[jonesthecurl]

I'll say more about "why" later, but I was totally blown away by Laurie King's "The Murder of Mary Russell".

I'm a bit sceptical of the post-Conan-Doyle Sherlock Holmes genre. To be fair, I think some of the CD era stories were pretty silly. I shall await your elucidation.

For Sci-fi lovers, I just found a copy of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon" in a second hand book store. All previous copies owned by me having been lent out. Great book if you're a fan of Blade Runner, but don't bother with the sequels.

I am I have to dmit a fan of non-ACD Holmes. Laurie King is he best there is I think, but in this one she excels herself. You don't need to have read the others (this is about no 14), you just need to know that (a) Holmes didn't "retire" when he went to live in the country and (b0 he is now married to Mary Russell, a much younger person.

This book is for the most part the story of Mrs Hudson and her surprisingly past, and would be a great read if Holmes and Russell never even appeared.

[Symmetry]

I'll say more about "why" later, but I was totally blown away by Laurie King's "The Murder of Mary Russell".

I'm a bit sceptical of the post-Conan-Doyle Sherlock Holmes genre. To be fair, I think some of the CD era stories were pretty silly. I shall await your elucidation.

For Sci-fi lovers, I just found a copy of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon" in a second hand book store. All previous copies owned by me having been lent out. Great book if you're a fan of Blade Runner, but don't bother with the sequels.

I am I have to dmit a fan of non-ACD Holmes. Laurie King is he best there is I think, but in this one she excels herself. You don't need to have read the others (this is about no 14), you just need to know that (a) Holmes didn't "retire" when he went to live in the country and (b0 he is now married to Mary Russell, a much younger person.

This book is for the most part the story of Mrs Hudson and her surprisingly past, and would be a great read if Holmes and Russell never even appeared.

Hmm- I'll give it a grudging go.

I wonder if you've read anything by John Sutherland. He writes weird essays on 19th century fiction. Bit difficult to explain, but he takes mistakes and mysteries in them and gives them literal meaning. "Is Heathcliff a Murderer?" has an essay about "The Speckled Band" that gives an alternate, darker explanation to the story.

[warmonger1981]

Playboy or Hustlers. Are those books?

[Symmetry]

Playboy or Hustlers. Are those books?

Nah, kid.

[PeteEsk]

the best one i've read lately is definitely the Terror by Dan Simmons. very engaging and based on a real story. ideal mix

[warmonger1981]

Playboy or Hustlers. Are those books?

Nah, kid.

Ahhh horseshit.

[khazalid]

Playboy or Hustlers. Are those books?

Nah, kid.

Ahhh horseshit.

they're not even porn dude.

we can now safely place your age at 50+

[warmonger1981]

Porn?? I was talking about the articles. Have some class.

[Symmetry]

Porn?? I was talking about the articles. Have some class.

If you're reading them for the articles, you're kinda proving his point, no?

[nietzsche]

One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Best. Book. EVER

[jonesthecurl]

One book I absolutely can't recommend is R Holmes & co by J K Bangs (bet he does, bet he does, nudge nudge, wink wink). Holmes apparently married the daughter of Raffles, and the offspring is half-detective and half-thief. I'm a fan of good writers doing stuff with the Holmesian genre, but this one (one of the earliest, from 1906) has plot holes you could ride a gigantosaurus through.

One I can thoroughly recommend is Nemesis by William Bernhardt. It is a novel of Eliot Ness's 'final case", apparently based on fact though with a healthy amount of speculation thrown in. Gruesome, but gripping.

[Qista]

I really like reading books, I also have my own blog where I write reviews about this or that book. Although if you recall how hard it was for me to write reviews about the book at the beginning .. Mod edit (DK): spam link removed I had to ask writers for help

[mrswdk]

I really like reading books, I also have my own blog where I write reviews about this or that book. Although if you recall how hard it was for me to write reviews about the book at the beginning ... - I had to ask writers for help

It is definitely a struggle. Did you find anyone to help you? Are there any good online resources you would recommend?

[Inolish]

very good advices, thank you.