Sunday Morning Book Thread 01-17-2016: Return Of The Natives [OregonMuse]

Walker Library, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Good morning to all of you morons and moronettes and bartenders everywhere and all the ships at sea. Welcome to AoSHQ's stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread. The Sunday Morning Book Thread is the only AoSHQ thread that is so hoity-toity, pants are required. I've even hosed down the latrines.

Hemingway hated me. I sold 200 million books, and he didn't. Of course most of mine sold for 25 cents, but still... you look at all this stuff with a grain of salt.
Mickey Spillane

The Noble Savage

According to comments in this thread earlier this week, the still-traumatized actor Leonardo DiCaprio made the following silly remark during his Golden Globe Award acceptance speech:

I want to share this award with all the First Nations people represented in this film and all the Indigenous communities around the world. It is time that we recognized your history and that we protect your indigenous lands from corporate interests and people that are out there to exploit them. It is time that we heard your voice and protected this planet for future generations.

Doubtless, Mr. DiCaprio is still suffering from the effects of recent unfortunate events. Either that, or he's been huffing bear pee again. But whatever the case, he can perhaps be excused from knowing that the peoples of the "First Nations" aren't really 'first' -- they got where they are mainly by booting other 'first' nations the hell out, only we don't know much about these other 'first' nations because the present collections of 'first' nations KILLED THEM ALL. So those other guys are in no position to tell us how they felt about being driven out of their homes and massacred by newbie interlopers such as the Aztecs, Sioux, Comanches, etc., what with being massacred and all.

This brought on some interesting comments, particularly about the Comanches, who weren't exactly pacificist hippies living at one with the earth. For example, Cicero commented:

337 DiCaprio should read a little about the Comanches and see whether they fit the Noble Savage leftard dipshit mythology.

...and then recommended the book Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S. C. Gwynne. According to the Amazon blurb for this book, the Comanches were complete badasses:

[I]t was...the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined just how and when the American West opened up. Comanche boys became adept bareback riders by age six; full Comanche braves were considered the best horsemen who ever rode. They were so masterful at war and so skillful with their arrows and lances that they stopped the northern drive of colonial Spain from Mexico and halted the French expansion westward from Louisiana. White settlers arriving in Texas from the eastern United States were surprised to find the frontier being rolled backward by Comanches incensed by the invasion of their tribal lands. So effective were the Comanches that they forced the creation of the Texas Rangers and account for the advent of the new weapon specifically designed to fight them: the six-gun.

They ain't pacifist hippies. They sound more like Klingons. Just give them phasers and warp drive and watch the fun.

The war against the Comanches lasted for forty years.

Someone should write an "alt-history" novel wherein Genghis Khan's Mongol Horde somehow comes into contact with the Comanches, and the epic war that would result.

Meremortal recommends The Comanches: Lords of the South Plains by Ernest Wallace and E. Adamson Hoebel, which details how

For more than a century and a half, since they had first moved into the Southwest from the north, the Comanches raided and pillaged and repelled all efforts to encroach on their hunting grounds. They decimated the pueblo of Pecos, within thirty miles of Santa Fé. The Spanish frontier settlements of New Mexico were happy enough to let the raiding Comanches pass without hindrance to carry their terrorizing forays into Old Mexico, a thousand miles down to Durango. The Comanches fought the Texans, made off with their cattle, burned their homes, and effectively made their own lands unsafe for the white settlers. They fought and defeated at one time or another the Utes, Pawnees, Osages, Tonkawas, Apaches, and Navahos.

Finally, a book that has been sitting in my wish list a long time, The Comanche Empire by Pekka Hämäläinen, an historical account which claims to

...uncover the lost story of the Comanches. It is a story that challenges the idea of indigenous peoples as victims of European expansion and offers a new model for the history of colonial expansion, colonial frontiers, and Native-European relations in North America and elsewhere.

This Comanche empire

...eclipsed its various European rivals in military prowess, political prestige, economic power, commercial reach, and cultural influence. Yet, until now, the Comanche empire has gone unrecognized in American history.

Unrecognized, at least, by modern day American actors.

And you know this whole bear rape thing has gotten out of hand when a lurking 'ette sends me a link to her pr0n parody of Leonardo's night of savage love (link is to an NSFW short story).

Open Question For the Horde

This Forbes piece, 4 Books That Will Help Change Your Life, got me thinking about, well, books that change people's lives. So now I'm curious, and I ask you all this question: is there a book that changed your life? It could be any book, not necessarily the Bible or any religious text, it could even be something like The Reloader's Bible: The Complete Guide to Making Ammunition at Home. The point is, I'm looking for the books that fundamentally altered the way you view the world, so you can divide your life into a 'before' and 'after' period from the time you first read it.

As I said, it could be any book. One of the items from the Forbes piece is the Harry Potter series. Not one that I would ever think would be 'life-changing', but there you are.

I'll go first. The book that really opened my eyes was C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. The way he explained theology and the necessity of an absolute moral order was so clear and compelling, even for a new Christian like myself, reading it for the first time over 30 years ago, that even today it remains with me.

So what about you?

Shut Up, He Explained

If there's any public intellectual who so stereotypically reflects the common wisdom of the world as seen by liberals, it is probably newpaper columnist E J Dionne. From his perch high atop the ~~NY Times~~ Washington Post, he has been dispensing stock-in-trade liberal bromides for 25 years.

Dionne is a "sensible" liberal who desires the country to be run "sensibly", by which he means, an ever -expanding welfare state and an ever-increasing federal budget. Perhaps not by a great deal, but, you know, incremental increases, year by year, not enough to awaken the frog that's being boiled, but enough to fund the ever-increasing list of tasks that any "sensible" liberal believes falls within the purview of the federal government. That's what Dionne wants, permanently and forever.

And he just can't understand why anyone would object to such a status quo.

Which is why he wrote his soon-to-be-released book, Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism - From Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond. Because he is confused and frightened by those who think the Federal government should operate within its constitutionally prescribed limits and that unlimited deficit spending is a formula for financial disaster.

In a glowing review of Dionne's book, he identifies the evil troublemakers who are causing him such peptic distress:

Though Boehner went along with this brinksmanship, shutting down the government, sending shockwaves through global stock markets and instigating a historic downgrade of the Treasury's creditworthiness, his willingness to risk the nation's economic welfare in a game of chicken with the president didn't satisfy the very tea party legislators pressing him to keep fighting.

It's those evil conservatives! So, in other words, decades of profligate spending which pushed the national debt to absurd levels wasn't what was responsible for the reduction of the Treasury rating. It was those who objected to the profligate spending that are the problem.

It is an article of faith among the cognoscenti such as E J Dionnne that liberals who fight against any reduction in government spending are never "intransigent". That word is only used for conservatives who want to fight against it.

It's infuriating to read crap like this:

At heart, Dionne is an empiricist, and his solutions reflect this worldview. He calls for a break with the cycle of false conservative hope followed by disappointment within the party. This transformation would require an ideological shift back toward the center, including GOP acceptance of the market's drawbacks, seeing a role for the government in the modern economy, and a reversal on a broad range of issues, including taxes, healthcare and environmental regulation.

Let me translate this:

At heart, Dionne is an ~~empiricist~~ liberal, and his liberal solutions reflect this liberal worldview. He calls for ~~a break with the cycle of false conservative hope followed by disappointment within the party~~ conservatives to shut up and bend over. This transformation would require an ideological shift back toward the center, including GOP acceptance of the market's drawbacks, seeing a role for the government in the modern economy, and a reversal on a broad range of issues, including taxes, healthcare and environmental regulation Republicans to pretty much think, talk and act like Democrats. Hell, they might as well just give up being Republicans, join the Democratic Party, and turn the country into a one-party state, where there's always room for more government spending, increases in the marginal tax rates, and no backtalk.

But lest he be accused of being a shill for the Democrats, Dionne offers criticizes of them, too:

The Democrats also deserve some blame for the GOP's rightward progression. Bill Clinton's move to the right — announcing that the "era of big government is over" — engineered his presidential victories, yet conceded the nation's ideological bearing to the GOP.

In other words, Bill's problem was that he was too gosh-darned conservative. Alrighty, then.

Dionne desperately wants conservatives, with their silly ideas of small government, to give up and shut up. He's obviously pining for the good old days before Reagan when conservatives politely kept their place at the back of the bus. His idea of a "good" Republican is probably somebody like Bob Michel, who was the Republican Minority Leader of the House of Representatives before Newt Gingrich. Michel never put up much of a fight over anything the Democrats wanted to do, and was generally content with the status of the Republicans as a permanent minority party.

This reminds of me of when liberals complain the "loss of civility" in public discourse. Because what that boils down to is: you conservatives shut up and let us do the talking.

Artistes At Play

Moron commenter Mike Hammer sent me a link to a review of Mickey Spillane's potboiler One Lonely Night, which is in the form of an imagined conversation between Spillane, Earnest Hemingway and Ayn Rand, cobbled together from actual quotes made by each. It's pretty funny, but I'm curious about this bit:

Mickey: Now what happened with Ernest was that he wrote this nasty piece about me. I never say anything bad about a writer. Some are better than others, that’s all. And some make more money. But anyway, I got aggravated at him writing that piece about me, cause none of it was true. So I was on a show in Chicago, a live TV show. It was in a big theatre and there was a stage audience, and the guy who was interviewing me said, “Did you read that piece that Hemingway wrote about you?” And I said, “Hemingway who?” It brought the house down, but he hated my guts after that.

Does anyone know what he's talking about, this piece Hemingway supposedly wrote about Spillane? I Googled around a bit, but couldn't find it.

Bookstore Contest

Recommend your favorite bookstore and win money:

Vote for your favorite bookstore and you could win a $50 gift card. We’ll also award the winning bookstore with a $3,000 prize, so make sure to ask your fellow bookloving friends in your community to vote.

The sweepstakes closes on Friday, February 19th, so get your entry in quickly!

Books By Morons

Armageddon Is Here And It's Here To Staaaaay: Moron author Dave Dubrow has just released the second book of his "Armageddon" series: The and the False Prophet (Armageddon Book 2) is available now on Kindle for the low price of $2.99.

And it looks like Armageddon is breaking out all over:

Fueled by brutal, random violence and a worldwide leprosy epidemic, the Earth descends into chaos. Preparing for Armageddon, Hell plans an atrocity called The Slaughter of the Innocents while Heaven’s scattered agents fight a cold war against superstar evangelist Kyle Loubet, who they believe is the False Prophet foretold in the Bible...Caught in the middle, Hector, Ozzie, and Siobhan face terrible dangers from all sides. Now free from their infernal prison, what are the Watcher angels planning? With only days before the Apocalypse, can humanity be saved?

This is the sequel to The Blessed Man and the Witch (Armageddon Book 1), which I've mentioned a couple of times before in previous book threads.

This one is also available for $2.99 on Kindle, but here is an offer from the author:

I'm happy to give out free copies of this book and The Blessed Man and the Witch in exchange for reviews on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Please email me at davedauthor at gmail dot com and I'll send a PDF or .MOBI, whichever is preferred.

___________

The Art of the Short Short Story: Moronette 'Krukke1' was pixy-banned a few years ago, so she's been reducing to monitoring status. However, she has published a short story collection, Glimpse. She tells me "Even though they are about females, the male reviewers seem to love the abrupt, to-the-point-style", which she self-describes as "Poe on meth":

Forty imagined scenes from forty imagined lives. Glimpse is a different kind of short story collection, highlighting scenes or short “glimpses” into the lives of the characters. Cry with a Goth rocker in London in one scene, then blink and travel to heaven with an angel in another. Laugh with a middle aged woman on a crowded bus, then flip to another scene and soar with a seagull in search of Cheetos. Some scenes are poignant; some hilarious, some sad, some ironic.
Just like life.

To this I would add, some are edifying, some will perhaps remind you of The Twilight Zone, and some will punch you in the face. I know, because I've read a few of them. Each story is only a page long, and I kept interrupting Mrs. Muse with "oh, oh, I have to read you this one" and "oh come on, just one more - this is the best one yet."

Available on Kindle for $3.99.

___________

Don't forget the AoSHQ reading group on Goodreads. It's meant to support horde writers and to talk about the great books that come up on the book thread. It's called AoSHQ Moron Horde and the link to it is here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/175335-aoshq-moron-horde.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, bribes, rumors, threats, and insults may be sent to OregonMuse, Proprietor, AoSHQ Book Thread, at the book thread e-mail address: aoshqbookthread, followed by the 'at' sign, and then 'G' mail, and then dot cee oh emm.

What have you all been reading this week? Hopefully something good, because, as you all know, life is too short to be reading lousy books.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:04 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 2nd

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:03 AM (hk3Fb)

2 Working on reread of Modisette's Soprano Sorceress series. Almost through with the second book and I think I will move on to something else after I finish the last of this.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:05 AM (t2KH5)

3 Wow, that is some pumpkin of a library in that pic.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:06 AM (t2KH5)

4 There's slight advantage in being in Kenya, namely I'm already up and about.

For reading, finished Sabrina Chase's Seqoyah trilogy. Good old fashioned sci-fi with a fun story and no preaching.

Preaching was left to Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. An excellent and thought-provoking biography, well-told.

Posted by: Long Running Fool at January 17, 2016 09:06 AM (dPt3I)

5 Read Battle for Omaha Beach official history of the US Army and D-day Through German Eyes (book 1, there is a 2). I think the reason that whole war can be summed up by a observation from a German soldier captured on D-day when he was being transfered to England and saw the armaments on the beach took note that there wasn't 1 mule or horse to be seen.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:10 AM (hk3Fb)

6 I want to share this award with all the First Nations people

Empty, meaningless words.

Posted by: t-bird at January 17, 2016 09:11 AM (+c55T)

7 So now I'm curious, and I ask you all this question: is there a book that changed your life?

I don't know about "changing my life" but Heinlein books from the 60s really changed the way I thought politically.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:12 AM (t2KH5)

8 The only reason to visit Portland OR. Powell's Bookstore.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 17, 2016 09:12 AM (EZebt)

9 A quick plug here for a book co-authored by an acquaintance:

'Hunters and Killers: Volume 1: Anti-Submarine Warfare from 1776 to 1943'

http://tinyurl.com/zmk6t7f

This week I am reading 'Counterinsurgency: Exposing the Myths of the New Way of War'

The author and I do not agree on some things, but the recounting of historical 'small wars' is very interesting.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 09:12 AM (n22zQ)

10 MY wife got a book in the mail yesterday, "The Encyclopedia of Miracles...". She wrote a few entries for the encyclopedia a couple years ago, had almost forgotten that they'd promised to send her a copy. She wrote the entry on the Scala Santa and a few others. If you feel like spending 90 bucks for an academic book, I'm sure it's available somewhere.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 17, 2016 09:15 AM (2cS/G)

11 The film the Revenent took ENORMOUS liberties with the true story. The film is about frontiersman Hugh Glass. He was mauled by a bear. Hiscomrades thought he was going to die. They paid two men to stay with him until he died and to give him a proper burial. Instead they stole his two guns (not kill his two children lile in the film) and abandoned him. Glass did pursue them. BECAUSE HE WANTED HIS GUNS BACK. Not for some revenge. When he found them, he decided to let them live, BECAUSE HE GOT HIS GUNS BACK. During his pursuit, Glass was attacked by indians who were impersonating some indians who were known for their peacefulness. An ambush. Glass got his guns back and had more adventures, but was eventually KILLED BY INDIANS

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:15 AM (zOTsN)

12 Atlas Shrugged.

Posted by: SC Lurker at January 17, 2016 09:16 AM (lZ85W)

13 Though Boehner went along with this brinksmanship, shutting down the
government, sending shockwaves through global stock markets and
instigating a historic downgrade of the Treasury's creditworthiness, his
willingness to risk the nation's economic welfare in a game of chicken
with the president didn't satisfy the very tea party legislators
pressing him to keep fighting.

Like all liberals Dione can not write or say anything without lying his ass off. The government has never been truly shutdown. And the time that the MFM claims it was shutdown was done exclusively by the Democrats during the Gingrich years.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:17 AM (t2KH5)

14 .. sent me a link to a review of One Lonely Night by Mickey Spillane which an imagined conversation between Spillane, Earnest Hemingway and Ayn Rand, cobbled together from actual quotes made by each.
-----------------------

Here is a direct link to that 'conversation'. It is at GoodReads, and damned amusing:
http://tinyurl.com/h5w64lx

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 09:18 AM (n22zQ)

15 I'd read the Camacho Empire Picture Book, but it's not the future yet.

Posted by: Haulin' Ass, Gettin' Paid at January 17, 2016 09:18 AM (Nf1Uv)

16 I read The Hare With the Amber Eye and thought it was really interesting. Its about the Ephruzzi family, Russian Jews who were as rich and powerful as the Rothschilds and by the end of WWII they were scattered to the winds and penniless. Slow start but a really good read. One of them, Charles Epruzzi was an avid art critic and collector and was friends with Renior and Degas. Later letters revealed that they hated him, because he was Jewish

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:19 AM (zOTsN)

17 Republicans to pretty much think, talk and act like Democrats. Hell,
they might as well just give up being Republicans, join the Democratic
Party, and turn the country into a one-party state, where there's always
room for more government spending, increases in the marginal tax rates,
and no backtalk.

Too late, almost all of them already have.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:19 AM (t2KH5)

18 Also plowed through The Battle of Kursk :the history and legacy of the biggest tank battle of 2nd world war.
The author points out at the beginning of the war Stalin's micromanagement did the soviets in and Hitler free reign almost won, then during Kursk they switched Hitler micromanagement ended the battle and Stalin giving free feign to his commanders pushed on as the beginning to the end.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:19 AM (hk3Fb)

19 No "serious" books this week. If there's anything more stressful than current reality, it's people opining about it.

Dug into my piles o' books and pulled out a couple of Paul Erdman's novels. I had forgotten how good his writing is; guess that has something to do with his knowledge and experiences in the world of High Finance.

Going through The Crash of '79 right now. Except for the Shah of Iran being a central character, the batshit-crazy Arabs, greedy, short-sighted political hacks and the devious, hardball-playing antics of bankers seem as relevant today as they did back in the '70s.

As a definite "plus," Erdman wrote with both clarity and a solid sense of humor. I'm pretty sure he'd make a good Moron if he was still around.

Posted by: MrScribbler at January 17, 2016 09:19 AM (ZPz7d)

20 West With the Night, by Beryl Markham.

Posted by: goatexchange at January 17, 2016 09:21 AM (Nd4YY)

21 Happy birthday to Anne Bronte, the most underrated of the Bronte sisters. This is partly due to the fact that although Tenant of Wildfell Hall was a big hit when it was first printed, Anne & Emily died a year later and Charlotte, the remaining sister refused yo let Tenant be reprinted. She highly disapproved of the graphic subject matter.

I did a brief bio of Anne on my blog today, link in nic.

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 09:22 AM (cbfNE)

22 So now I'm curious, and I ask you all this question: is there a book that changed your life?

Reading works by Mark Twain at any early age forced me to look at humanity in a different light. He exposed me to the drunks, charlatans, the religious, the do-gooders, the naive.

Up until that point in my life I didn't know such people existed. I was naive. It was an eye opening experience. Through his experience with those kinds of people I was able to avoid making mistakes when I eventually ran into those types of people later in life.

It's a damn shame the revisionist types want to paint him as evil or racist.

Posted by: The Annoying Guy Who Always Bitches About JavaScript at January 17, 2016 09:22 AM (fbovC)

23 My favorite 'bookstore' was my Father's library. Blue collar , retired Marine / Air Force man who had hundreds and hundreds of books of fiction , non fiction, reference , auto biographies, etc. He read them all though I don't know how he made the time.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at January 17, 2016 09:23 AM (MNgU2)

24 The film the Revenent took ENORMOUS liberties with the true story.

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:15 AM (zOTsN)

That's why they say "based on a true story." If they were honest, they'd say, "we took a true story and changed everything in it".

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 09:23 AM (qppoh)

25 "Someone should write an "alt-history" novel wherein Genghis Khan's Mongol Horde somehow comes into contact with the Comanches, and the epic war that would result."

The Mongols already have, but call it real history (or at least some of them). They think some of the typhoon survivors from the attack on Japan were carried by the storm to North America and taught the Indians how to ride.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (GDulk)

26 DiCaprio should read a little about the Comanches and see whether they fit the Noble Savage leftard dipshit mythology.

I thought that little turd was going to give up acting and just concentrate on global warming. By flying around in a private jet to events to get his picture taken at. I'd love to get it out there that making movies causes global warming/climate change. Shut the whole damn thing down.

Posted by: TheQuietMan at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (45oDG)

27 Wondering how many of you juggle books (reading more than 1 at a time), and if so how many?

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (hk3Fb)

28 I guess that Leo doesn't understand that every group was a "First Nation" at one time.

When will these idiots start actually thinking about what they're saying?

They have (apparently) no clue as to what words actually mean.

They just string together some nice sounding buzz words to get themselves the polite handclaps and affirming smiles.

All they do it for is to be accepted by those they respect or hope to get the respect of.

For monetary reasons or psychological.

But guys like Leo are just plain stupid.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (Xo1Rt)

29 Happy Sunday all. I'm going to attempt Chesterton's Everlasting Man this week.

Posted by: Beth M at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (kiy9d)

30 As this is a book thread , litchur doncha know ,and so for the winning side of the Commanche thing , I recommend Blood Meridian by Cormac Mac Carthy . One of those books where you can pick it up again , open to any page and dive right back in . Good Stuff .

Posted by: jay hoenemeyer at January 17, 2016 09:26 AM (uvj0z)

31 Then there was "Cliffhanger", "Based on a premise."

Posted by: Grampa Jimbo at January 17, 2016 09:26 AM (1ijHg)

32 Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 09:18 AM

Now that there was funny!

The only things missing were Ernie dragging bullfighting into the convo and a 20-page speech from Rand....

Posted by: MrScribbler at January 17, 2016 09:27 AM (ZPz7d)

33 I read Steal This Book as a teenager. It really opened my eyes to how the movers and shakers of the Hippie Kulture viewed the rest of society. I was somewhat hippie-ish back then and I was shocked at the disrespect, the condescension and hatred of that movement. Abbie Hoffman seemed to see a lot of things I didn't.

Second Most Influential Book was Call Me Brick. You get three guesses what type of book it was and the first two don't count.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 09:27 AM (LUgeY)

34 Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:19 AM (hk3Fb)

I think Ana Puma will tell you one of the reasons the Russians prevailed was that their tank was overall superior.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at January 17, 2016 09:27 AM (MNgU2)

35 Thanks for another good book thread OM.

Just a quick thank you to all the Morons who have mentioned To Save Us All From Ruin here in the comments and who participated in the group discussion at the Goodreads group. And special thanks to the few intrepid souls who ventured their reviews on Amazon.

Kindle special priced at $1.00 this week only. Link through at the blog link in my nick.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at January 17, 2016 09:28 AM (NeFrd)

36 Haven't read "For whom the Bell Tolls." Does it mention the murder of Catholic priests and nuns?

Posted by: Grampa Jimbo at January 17, 2016 09:28 AM (1ijHg)

37 It sounds like a lot of the fighting that "Western" genre fiction and tv credited to Apaches were actually Comanchee. I have suspected for a long time that the Apache had to have been badly defeated at some point to be pushed into the really miserable territory they inhabited.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:29 AM (GDulk)

38 A full-sized replica of Sputnik 1? Odd choice for a library, but nice.

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 09:29 AM (sdi6R)

39 Goodread groupies, today is the last day to nominate books for March April group reads.

Also, try our group poll (what's your favorite genre) if you haven't yet.

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 09:30 AM (cbfNE)

40 Nothing serious read this week as well - Tiny Publishing Bidness matters to tend to, an editing job, and doing up the state sales tax paperwork for all the books that I sold face-to-face at events last year.

Did get started on the second collection of stories about Luna City, Texas, though, and hope to have that next book out in time for the 2016 Christmas book shopping season. (Chronicles is on my Amazon book page, Celia Hayes, along with all the other books.)

Yes, the Comanches were incredibly bad-assed warriors -- in a large part because they took to horseback almost as soon as the Spanish brought horses to the new world. Another very good book , about them besides those listed is T.H. Fehrenbach's "Comanches: The History of a People." (Although newer editions have a slightly different title.) Fehrenbach was a sort of Texas version of Victor Davis Hansen, and a very, very good writer as well.

Posted by: CeliaHayes at January 17, 2016 09:30 AM (95iDF)

41 It's Minnesota. Socialism runs deep there.

Posted by: Grampa Jimbo at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM (1ijHg)

42 The best novel about Hugh Glass, mountain man and pirate(!) is Lord Grizzly by F. Manfred

The best "trapping era" non-fiction history is "A Majority of Scoundrels". Colter, Glass, Bridger, Jed Smith, Fitz... and all the boys.

The BEST novel of the era, bar none, is "Mountain Man" by Vardis Fisher. It's the one the film "Jeremiah Johnson" is (sort of) based on. (and even so, it's a great film). Fishers opinion of the natives was a revelation... it turns out that is how most people felt.

The novel that changed the way I think?

Again, as with Vic (and many others 'round here I suspect) was Heinlein. (until he just became a dirty old man).

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM (+xsJL)

43 Is there a book that changed your life?

****

The Holy Bible- KJV

The greatest story ever told, in language of pure poetic beauty.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM (NeFrd)

44 I just finished watching Man in the High Castle and I'm confused by the ending - so where is the Japanese Trade Minister now?

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM (cbfNE)

45
Haven't read "For whom the Bell Tolls." Does it mention the murder of Catholic priests and nuns?

Posted by: Grampa Jimbo at January 17, 2016 09:28 AM (1ijHg)

An inconvenient truth that I'm sure Ernie overlooked. Fck that over rated commie turd and his ilk

Posted by: TheQuietMan at January 17, 2016 09:32 AM (45oDG)

46 The film the Revenent took ENORMOUS liberties with the true story.

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:15 AM (zOTsN)

That's why they say "based on a true story." If they were honest, they'd say, "we took a true story and changed everything in it".
Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 09:23 AM (qppoh)

well how they could make a movie about his astounding survival if he was motivated by dsire to get his guns back and not some fictitious children

plus the fact that indians killed him is inconvenient

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:33 AM (zOTsN)

47 "Though Boehner went along with this brinksmanship, shutting down the government, sending shockwaves through global stock markets and instigating a historic downgrade of the Treasury's creditworthiness, his willingness to risk the nation's economic welfare in a game of chicken with the president didn't satisfy the very tea party legislators pressing him to keep fighting."

SP and Moody's downgraded US debt in 2011. The government shutdown was in 2013.

The quote above is just making up facts to suit its position.

Posted by: cool breeze at January 17, 2016 09:33 AM (6Cu7i)

48 How do *italicize* on a ipad? any hints?

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:33 AM (+xsJL)

49 It wasn't so much that certain books changed me as it was that I felt a mental chime go off, an aha! moment of recognition.

For its acts of guerrilla humor and the appreciation of chaos and randomness, the Illuminatus Trilogy manifested itself to me at an impressionable age.

Reality is what you can get away with.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 09:34 AM (jR7Wy)

50 by: TheQuietMan at January 17, 2016 09:32 AM (45oDG)

I've always said that the Spanish Civil war was the exception to the case that the victors write the History.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at January 17, 2016 09:34 AM (MNgU2)

51 42 Again, as with Vic (and many others 'round here I suspect) was Heinlein. (until he just became a dirty old man).

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM (+xsJL)

That's why I specified his 60s books. I was also a lot younger then and impressionable then.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:34 AM (t2KH5)

52 The Life changing book for me was "The Stars are ours" by Andre Norton. Read it in the six grade. Do you understand just how miraculous a flashlight is? Probably not since everyone has one or more. But Andre Norton's description of a simple handheld 'torch' changed the way I looked at things. (Any sufficiently advanced technology appears to be magic.)

Then her description of rebels attempting to flee an oppressive government, and escape also stuck with me. Going into space was just the icing on the cake.

I've just finished reading "Commando : A Boer Journal of the Boer War" by Deneys Reitz. (99 cents on Amazon.) The Boer lost the second war against the British, and this true account details the hardship, privation, endurance and deprivation of the Boer commando in the field. Outnumbered, forced to scavenge for everything. They cause the British troops considerable difficulty and were defeated only by numbers and a scorched earth policy that left the Boer impoverished and forced to submit to British rule.

Reminiscent of the White Settlers war against the American Indian, and The United States civil war and Sherman's march to the sea.

War is something you need to know about, because it seems we just can't avoid getting into them.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at January 17, 2016 09:35 AM (acECL)

53 I have always argued mechanization won the war for both the Americans/Great Britain's and the Soviets from lend lease trucks.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:36 AM (hk3Fb)

54 I laughed because it sounds like Spillane talked a bit like Trump.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:37 AM (GDulk)

55 27 Wondering how many of you juggle books (reading more than 1 at a time), and if so how many?
Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (hk3Fb)
---
Ha! All the time. Typically four or five. At the moment I'm bouncing between:

The Long Afternoon of Earth by Brian Aldiss
The Conquest of Space by Willy Ley and Chesley Bonestell
The Eye in the Pyramid by Robert Anton Wilson
The Life-changing magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Lights Out by Ted Koppel

It's my Adult Onset Attention Deficit Disorder.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 09:38 AM (jR7Wy)

56 BTW , as to Blood Meridian , the character which I most cozy up to is the Walker Colt which arms the scalp hunters : single action , .44 caliber and 5 pounds large . A real hand cannon . The Winchester 73 may have won the West , but the Colt revolvers got the party started .

Posted by: jay hoenemeyer at January 17, 2016 09:38 AM (uvj0z)

57 Vic: of course. first the Juveniles, then the late '50's and '60's. never did like Stranger in a Strange Land though. dunno why.

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (+xsJL)

58 Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

-Groucho Marx

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (LUgeY)

59 "so where is the Japanese Trade Minister now?"

I'm just gonna go with "Da Fuqua" when describing the ending.

Odd, as there was strong discussion concerning a possible Season II.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (ptqRm)

60 So now I'm curious, and I ask you all this question: is there a book that changed your life?
Posted by: The Annoying Guy Who Always Bitches About JavaScript at January 17, 2016 09:22 AM

Interesting question.

To be honest, I can't think of a single one. Would be nice to claim some Great Philosopher put me on the road to my current mindset, but it didn't happen.

I can think of one, but it requires some backstory. As a yoot, I read what everyone else read: some kid's books, some sci-fi, some classics (Ivanhoe???) and whatever else was lying around. After a while, it got tiring....

Flash forward to high school and Mr Tepner, my Freshman English teacher. I carped loudly about the dull shit he (and the school board) made us read. One day after class, he handed me a copy of Terry Southern's Candy. It was a revelation! Funny, sexy and irreverent as hell. It changed my thinking about writing.

In retrospect, not the World's Greatest Book. But still, it was such a welcome change from the dry-as-dust Young People's Books that filled the library in my white-bread, middle-class community.

Posted by: MrScribbler at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (ZPz7d)

61 there are books I've read that changed my life for a time, but then that time would pass as I reflected more on it or my natural inertia reasserted itself - if inertia can do that.

like Atlas Shrugged or Mere Christianity, sorry.

more recently, The Lucifer Principle and Lipstick Traces and The Great War and Modern Memory to varying degrees. But those are fading.

And now likely Starving the Monkeys is in there somewhere

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (Cq0oW)

62 I've been listening to Alan Pinkerton's "The ........and the Investigators" series on TTS. Would those be consideted the beginning of the true crimr genre?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (GDulk)

63 As much as I wish that Walker Library was in Minneapolis, I believe that it is actually the Walker Library of History of Human Imagination in Connecticut. The Walker library in Minneapolis is your typical proggie nightmare

Posted by: Tundra at January 17, 2016 09:40 AM (YDJUc)

64 The Noble Savage

That's "Nobel Savage", these days.

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at January 17, 2016 09:40 AM (zc3Db)

65 The book that had the most effect on me , besides the bible, was American Ceasar by William Manchester. I was 13 and it made me realize that men in their sixties weren't on their deathbeds. It also confirmed what my father had taught me up until that time about honor and leadership.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at January 17, 2016 09:40 AM (MNgU2)

66 47 SP and Moody's downgraded US debt in 2011. The government shutdown was in 2013.

The quote above is just making up facts to suit its position.

Posted by: cool breeze at January 17, 2016 09:33 AM (6Cu7i)

The so-called shutdown of 2013 was a MFM invention. Less than 15% of the government shutdown and almost all of that dealt with closing national parks and other things Obama thought would get the most public attention.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:40 AM (t2KH5)

67 Greetings, bookworms.

I'm wearing pants.

With long juans.

Posted by: mindful webworker - book warm? at January 17, 2016 09:41 AM (hgso/)

68 The Mongols already have, but call it real history (or at least some of them). They think some of the typhoon survivors from the attack on Japan were carried by the storm to North America and taught the Indians how to ride.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (GDulk)

--

It would be pretty cool if DNA could prove that.

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 09:41 AM (cbfNE)

69 I could argue for Atlas Shrugged or perhaps Time enough for Love but the one book that blew my mind and choked me up was Chaos by James Gleick. It was like looking in a microscope and seeing the fingerprints of the Maker on the universe He made.

Well, it was.

Sorry to sound all weird and stuff.

Posted by: Alo89 at January 17, 2016 09:41 AM (xLrSa)

70 Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:05 AM (t2KH5)

I think I only finished book 2 of that series as well. It's been several years but, if I'm remembering right, she seemed really whiny.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:41 AM (GDulk)

71 44�I just finished watching Man in the High Castle and I'm confused by the ending - so where is the Japanese Trade Minister now?Posted by:�@votermom�at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM

I'm sure it will be explained in season two. To my eye, based on the sudden absence of anything Japanese in the scene around him, it was if the allies had actually won WWII. Something had changed history to the way it actually had occurred.

Play the final minute again and look at the street scene carefully.

Posted by: The Annoying Guy Who Always Bitches About JavaScript at January 17, 2016 09:42 AM (fbovC)

72 Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 09:27 AM (LUgeY)

What was even more revealing is what the Yippie founders became themselves in later years.

I too read the book feeling all "fuck the establishmet" and shit. Then I realized at one point watching a guy who was trying to get the janitors to unionize (or something) that they don't want to do away with the power structure. They just want to be in CONTROL of the power structure.

Scratch a protester and you'll find an elite snob; someone who believes THEY should be in charge and NOT YOU.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:42 AM (Xo1Rt)

73 Retropox, to italicize, you type [ i ] word you want to italicize [ / i ] without the spaces .

(hope this works)

Posted by: Emmie at January 17, 2016 09:42 AM (ezXrF)

74 This Forbes piece, 4 Books That Will Help Change Your Life,

I like that little list. And, yes it would be subjective.

Which brings me to this.

A Kickstarter now up to $272,637

The Freedom Journal: Accomplish Your #1 Goal in 100 Days by John Lee Dumas

http://ow.ly/Xb4KV

truly unbelievable
I guess people need stuff like this.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 09:42 AM (qCMvj)

75 I stack them but only ready at a time, but have 2 on the awaiting deck. But not to say another may replace one of those.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:43 AM (hk3Fb)

76 The so-called shutdown of 2013 was a MFM invention. Less than 15% of the government shutdown and almost all of that dealt with closing national parks and other things Obama thought would get the most public attention.
Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:40 AM (t2KH5)

============

I knew it! The NPS has been totally infiltrated by leftards. Even the LEOs are mostly tools.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 09:43 AM (iQIUe)

77 Mongols already have, but call it real history (or at least some of them). They think some of the typhoon survivors from the attack on Japan were carried by the storm to North America and taught the Indians how to ride.

====

impressive, since North America didn't have any horses prior to discovery

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 09:43 AM (Cq0oW)

78 57
Vic: of course. first the Juveniles, then the late '50's and '60's.
never did like Stranger in a Strange Land though. dunno why.

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (+xsJL)

I thought that was a good book when I first read it. I went back a few years ago when I got my Kendall and did a reread. Didn't like it.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:43 AM (t2KH5)

79 Y'know what? Instead of reading the post and the comments right now, I'm going to sit down and read those last two short chapters of HG Wells's First Men in the Moon.

And enjoy this first cup of coffee.

Posted by: mindful webworker - moon man at January 17, 2016 09:43 AM (hgso/)

80 Odd, as there was strong discussion concerning a possible Season II.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2016 09:39 AM (ptqRm)

I googled - season 2 is confirmed.

I have to say, Rufus Sewell plays a great layered villain.
And the Kempetai chief inspector has a great sneer.

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (cbfNE)

81 66 47 SP and Moody's downgraded US debt in 2011. The government shutdown was in 2013.
The quote above is just making up facts to suit its position.
Posted by: cool breeze at January 17, 2016 09:33 AM (6Cu7i)

This is why I can't wait for Dionne's turd of a book to be released. It's going to be reviewed at conservative sites like the American Spectator, PJMedia, NRO, etc., and the beatdowns are going to be epic.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (qppoh)

82 Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (GDulk)

You do know that the horse didn't make it's reappearance on the North/South American continent until the Spanish conquistadors brought them with them and some got loose?

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (Xo1Rt)

83 Glass was attacked several times, and eventually killed, by the Mandan of ND

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (zOTsN)

84 The Mongols already have, but call it real history (or at least some of them). They think some of the typhoon survivors from the attack on Japan were carried by the storm to North America and taught the Indians how to ride.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (GDulk)

Ride what? Gophers?

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (zc3Db)

85 I just finished watching Man in the High Castle and I'm confused by the ending - so where is the Japanese Trade Minister now?

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM

You wanna be confused by an ending? Don't watch the teevee version -- read the book, instead.

I really dug the first part of Man in the High Castle. It was one of those can't-put-the-book-down reads. And then it all went to hell.

Posted by: MrScribbler at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (ZPz7d)

86 Again, as with Vic (and many others 'round here I suspect) was Heinlein. (until he just became a dirty old man).
Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM (+xsJL)
----
I started out with the D.O.M. Heinlein and worked backward to his juveniles, which are now my favorites.

Did read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" at 18 and loved it. It had a huge impact on my life, because I should have been studying my electronics texts instead of sneaking in my Heinlein paperback, flunked out of A school, switched my MOS, and now here I am...reading the SMBT instead of studying.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (jR7Wy)

87 "Empire of the Summer Moon" is one of the best reads I can recall over the past 15 years, and I'm a 10-15 book per year reader, 80% non-fiction.

Texans of my generation are generally quite aware of both the military prowess of the Comanch, their ferocity, and their terrifying resolve to roll back white expansion. They kicked the shit out of the Spaniards along with every other SW or great plains tribe at some time.
It took a rag tag bunch of mostly Scots-Irish "Texians" to defeat them. If you ever want to understand where Texas pride comes from, this war was its genesis.

Posted by: Alamo at January 17, 2016 09:45 AM (E/XIS)

88 I know this might sound a little strange, but the book that has colored my life for a very long time is one about Godel's Proof. A very simple explanation, and I hope all you mathematicians will give me a mulligan, is that he proposed that any system will create problems that cannot be solved within that system. Now, he was specifically working within mathematics and a primary rule is not to generalize these kinds of things, but I can't help it. I've seen this same situation play itself out throughout all aspects of life. It rhymes, so to speak.

Posted by: Last at January 17, 2016 09:46 AM (8HiDF)

89 70 I think I only finished book 2 of that series as
well. It's been several years but, if I'm remembering right, she seemed
really whiny.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:41 AM (GDulk)

Yeah, it wasn't so bad when I first read it because it was fresh. But now on the re-read it just seems the lead character is whiny and boring.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:46 AM (t2KH5)

90 Votermom: sorting out NorthAsian Mongol Asian's from NorthAsian 'Indian' Asians would be next to impossible with mitochondrial DNA. It is possible that whole genome sequencing will be able to reveal those subtleties in time, but don't hold your breath.

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:46 AM (+xsJL)

91 Still reading "The Arabs" by David Lamb. I just noticed that this copy is signed by the author to some woman with the extra added bit of "with apologies to Tony." Who is Tony and what did David Lamb do to him? Anyway, Lamb isn't that smart about Islam but then he didn't have Robert Spencer to provide some education either.

Most influential book was probably "Atlas Shrugged" which I read in junior high, which is not a good age to read Ayn Rand as she makes so much sense when you're that ignorant. But she still has an effect in that, in spite of having been confirmed in the Catholic church almost one year ago, I still can't abide their means for achieving what they call "social justice." And I would probably have to credit her influence for thinking that any time you attach any kind of adjective to "justice," someone's going to get screwed.

And on my Kindle I have "open" right now both Paul Johnson's biography of Jesus - highly recommended so far - and "Guests of the Ayatollah" which seems like a good thing to read right about now.

Once upon a time I would have had a favorite book store but now it's all amazon, all the time. And abebooks.com makes it so easy to get used books that I simply never bother going to used stores unless they have coffee and I'm meeting someone.

Posted by: Tonestaple at January 17, 2016 09:47 AM (RtCTo)

92 the Akira/Mandan now runs a Casino in ND, Four Bears Casino. Someone should tell Leo

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:48 AM (zOTsN)

93 Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:41 AM (GDulk)

BTW, another thing that really aggravated me was that I had to pay $10 for the first book in the series. (Kindle)

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:48 AM (t2KH5)

94 I remember as a 3rd grader reading "The Day That Will Live In Infamy".

And it did affect my life.

Unfortunately, it made me believe in a country and leaders of that country that by the time I was an adult, no longer existed. But I still thought it did.

Once again the media lied to us and then laughed at our belief in their lies.

The ideal of this country is one to aspire to. But we've never really reached that ideal.

We're still better off than most other countries/peoples but the differences are getting less and less.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:49 AM (Xo1Rt)

95 ITALICIZE THIS!

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:49 AM (+xsJL)

96 Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:19 AM (t2KH5)

And Dionne's book shows why they *shouldn't* have. They still get blamed for everything while capitulating as fast as possible. Dems, like arabs, respect a strong opponent even while hating them (because they're going to hate either way) and have only contempt for an accommodating one. There is no grace, no recognition of legitimate concerns.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 09:49 AM (GDulk)

97 88 I know this might sound a little strange, but the book that has colored my life for a very long time is one about Godel's Proof.
Posted by: Last at January 17, 2016 09:46 AM (8HiDF)

Is that the one by Douglas Hofstadter where he combines Godel with Bach and Escher?

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 09:50 AM (qppoh)

98 "I googled - season 2 is confirmed. "

Wonderfull!!

I hope that they pull it all together, and it's just matter of a script so well written that they briefly lost me.

And yes, Sewell's character is as complex as any that I have seen.

Don' forget, his son has been diagnosed with a disease for which the American Reich would require euthanasia, if discovered.

And it would label his entire bloodline as tainted.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2016 09:50 AM (ptqRm)

99
Israel News Flash
MASSACRE: In a sick act ISIS slaughters 300 Syrian civilians mainly women, kids & elders, 400 others were abducted.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 09:50 AM (iQIUe)

100 HA! emmie emmie emmie, fee fi fo femmie, EMMIE! thanks!

Posted by: retropox at January 17, 2016 09:51 AM (+xsJL)

101 Ride what? Gophers?

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (zc3Db)

Ride the caddies instead.

Posted by: Carl Spackler, Asst Greenskeeper, Bushwood at January 17, 2016 09:51 AM (JO9+V)

102 Glass was attacked and killed eventually by the Akira, part of the Mandan. He was helped by the Sioux.

See the tribes were not of the borg, they had their own interests. They had different relationships with white people. Some cooperated. Some did not. Some fought each other. Like any other nation state ever. Leo is a dodo

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:51 AM (zOTsN)

103 just a public service reminder to all you Hispanic Illegal immigrants who struggle with the DMV test in California, Currently the California Governor offers the knowledge test in an additional 30 languages for your reading pleasure....
Always holding the door open for you..

Posted by: Rudolph Aliman at January 17, 2016 09:52 AM (hforh)

104 Israel News Flash
MASSACRE: In a sick act ISIS slaughters 300 Syrian civilians mainly women, kids elders, 400 others were abducted.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 09:50 AM (iQIUe)

I'll bet they wish they had guns.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:52 AM (Xo1Rt)

105 I remember when everyone was reading (or pretending to read) "Godel, Escher, Bach".

I made an attempt. I mostly remember his chapter on how the language you speak and write informs your reality.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 09:52 AM (jR7Wy)

106 Yeah! Book Thread! Book Thread! Book Thread!

I've been working too many hours lately and have missed out on most of the recent BTs- reading too late to comment.

What I've read:
"The Director's Cut: Theda Bara Mysteries." Enjoyed it. The world of silent movies and pre-WWII New York recreated in a way that is clever and convincing. Good job, MP4!

"Barefoot to Avalon: A Brother's Story." David Payne's unflinching and beautifully written memoir about his troubled bipolar brother and his own choices in life. I found myself highlighting sections related to self-awareness and family dynamics.

"Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage" by Kay Marshall Strom and Michele Rickett. Horrifying and sad true stories of the abuse and cruelty toward women and girls outside of Judeo-Christianity. It is made bearable only by the authors telling of Christians who break the cycle of evil. Rickett works with a charity called She is Safe, which seeks to rescue girls from abuse and trafficking.

What I'm reading:
"A History of the English Speaking Peoples - Vol 1." by Churchill. At the rate I'm progressing I am going to take 6 months to get through it.

"The Best American Travel Writing - 2014" edited by Paul Theroux. Mainly picked this up for a rare unapologetic essay about America -"America the Marvelous." I'll eventually make it through all the essays - I'm just a little tired of the obvious and shallow lefty tropes that seem to underlie most of the essays that get picked for these yearly "Best of . . ." series.

Now on to get ideas from the horde - my book budget is YOUR FAULT!

Posted by: Jade Sea at January 17, 2016 09:53 AM (O108X)

107 All these award shows are just circle jerks.

Emphasis on Jerks.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:53 AM (Xo1Rt)

108 Ride what? Gophers?
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (zc3Db)

Ha!

Now I can't get this image out of my mind of a fearsome band of Indian warriors riding into battle on a thundering herd of gophers.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 09:53 AM (qppoh)

109 "Empire of the Summer Moon" is a worth the effort.
It is a very uneven book. Much of it is fascinating. The history of the Comanche is one that is sadly untold and unknown.
Overall, highly recommended.

Posted by: nitbitbot at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (ErdUZ)

110 86 started out with the D.O.M. Heinlein and worked backward to his juveniles, which are now my favorites.

Did read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" at 18 and loved it. It had a
huge impact on my life, because I should have been studying my
electronics texts instead of sneaking in my Heinlein paperback, flunked
out of A school, switched my MOS, and now here I am...reading the SMBT
instead of studying.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (jR7Wy)

Which one was D.O.M.?

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (t2KH5)

111 The big, before and after, life changing book for me was The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenistsyn. Of course it helped that I was reading it in 1979 as Carter World was imploding. Felt so good to vote for Reagan in 1980.

Posted by: Emily at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (7Rn+/)

112 Is that the one by Douglas Hofstadter where he combines Godel with Bach and Escher?

Yes and another by Ernest Nagel and James Newman. I have to confess I studied Number Theory in school too. Long since gave up that since I was so crappy at it.

Posted by: Last at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (8HiDF)

113 Good morning fellow book threadists. Books that changed my life? Hmmmm! There isn't just one but:
Lord of the Rings: let me see the power of words and story.

Several books by Robert Heinlein (including some juveniles): taught me to ask questions about 'accepted' attitudes. Books like "The Rolling Stones" read in 2nd grade, taught me to expand and treasure my vocabulary.

Atlas Shrugged: for obvious reasons.

Mere Christianity and The Everlasting Man: These are recent but their influence qualifies for life changing.

I find it interesting that the so-called classics of literature, especially 20th century, like Faulkner and Hemingway don't come close to qualifying.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (FvdPb)

114 As a follow on, somewhat related to books.

A Nook GloLight review.

As you know, Mrs VIA gave one for Christmas, and I have been eating used to it.

After three weeks....I think I like it.
Battery life is fantastic.
Features are very good.
Readability is outstanding.

It's smaller and much lighter form factor from the original Simple Reader was a little off putting at first.
But I'm firmly trending towards "Glad I got it".

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (ptqRm)

115 These pukes who puff themselves up by extolling the "authentic" aboriginal cultures while "righteously" destroying the Southern Scots-Irish make me feel like puking myself.

Posted by: in another life I was abu-garcia at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (o2Z7Y)

116 Now I can't get this image out of my mind of a fearsome band of Indian warriors riding into battle a thundering herd of gophers.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 09:53 AM (qppoh)

They are more controllable than the prairie crabs.

Posted by: Count de Monet at January 17, 2016 09:55 AM (JO9+V)

117 Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 09:12 AM (n22zQ)

Speaking of anti-submarine warfare...."The Cruel Sea" is a magnificent novel about a British corvette in the Atlantic during WWII. It was written by Nicholas Monsarrat, who also began, but never finished a series called "Master Mariner."

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 09:55 AM (Zu3d9)

118

I was going to post this in the Food Thread, but it's "reading" so I'll double post it.

If you haven't read this review by "Karen" over at Goodreads, do. It is hilarious. It's long, so be sure to click the "more..." and enjoy. I laughed all the way through.

this book is probably what's going to kill me.
and
kill me now because this is what heaven is made of.

She's writing about a cookbook called

PornBurger: Hot Buns and Juicy Beefcakes

http://ow.ly/Xb5K6

Seriously. So funny. And, then you want a burger. And, yes, I made one.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 09:55 AM (qCMvj)

119 the book that confirmed me as a reader was probably the Hobbit and LOTR when I was 14 or so. I'd always read but that cemented it. it led, inexorably, to RPGs and such, so I guess one could say "changed my life" only I don't think that's what you mean

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 09:55 AM (Cq0oW)

120 They are more controllable than the prairie crabs.

But not quite as tasty.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 09:57 AM (LUgeY)

121
I'll bet they wish they had guns.

=====

guns are so hard to find in the Middle East.

/sarc

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 09:57 AM (Cq0oW)

122 Weren't there still some "Mega-Fauna" alive on the continent when the fore fathers of the American Indian made it's way over the Land bridge?

Like those giant flea looking animals in SW II when anakin and padme are out lolling around the prairie.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:57 AM (Xo1Rt)

123 This was a good week for reading. I finished three books. I read an excellent historical thriller, Heresy, by S. J. Parris, the pen name of Stephanie Merritt. Set in England in 1583, it is based on the life of a real historical character, Giodano Bruno. It is in the 25th year of the reign of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, but Papist plots and intrigue abound. Bruno is an excommunicated Italian monk fleeing from the Holy Roman Inquisition for believing in Copernicus's heresy of a heliocentric universe. He is also looking for an ancient Egyptian manuscript he believes is in one of England's universities. Before he can leave London for Oxford, he is recruited by the queen's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, to root out and report any Catholic activities in Oxford. Soon after arriving there, murders begin to occur with obvious religious overtones, and Bruno is soon wrapped up in the solving of these crimes. This book is a very good mystery with many interesting characters and a dose of history boot. The other two works in the trilogy are Prophecy and Sacrilege.

I also read Meltdown, the second book in The Breakers series, by Edward W Robertson. It's a story about aliens unleashing a virus which kills off most of the Earth's population and the survivors' fight back from oblivion. It's just good enough for me to continue with the series.

Finally, I read The Short Victorious War by David Weber. It is the third book in the Honor Harrington series. Most of the book is about the build up and planning on both side leading to a space battle finale. A good story, well told.

Posted by: Zoltan at January 17, 2016 09:58 AM (JYer2)

124 I have to confess I studied Number Theory in school too. Long since gave up that since I was so crappy at it.
Posted by: Last at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (8HiDF)

I've taken a lot of math classes in my life, and number theory was my favorite. Alas, like you, I was crappy at it.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 09:58 AM (qppoh)

125 113 I find it interesting that the so-called classics of
literature, especially 20th century, like Faulkner and Hemingway don't
come close to qualifying.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (FvdPb)

I have never liked either one of those authors.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:59 AM (t2KH5)

126 FYI Four Bears Casino got "terrible" ratings on trip advisor, as in 1 "very good" and 26 "terrible"

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:59 AM (zOTsN)

127 Suppose to be a launch today.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX

The launch is at 1042 am pst but I dont see the time of landing.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

128 Lots of books shaped me, but can't think of any that changed me. That would be events. There are events that mark a before - after for me.

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 10:00 AM (cbfNE)

129 I don't see the time of landing.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

Are they planning one?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:01 AM (Zu3d9)

130 101 Ride what? Gophers?

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (zc3Db)

Giant tapirs.

Posted by: Joseph Smith at January 17, 2016 10:01 AM (yxw0r)

131 " Eating used to it"?

The gods of the keyboard are mocking me again.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2016 10:01 AM (ptqRm)

132 Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 09:24 AM (hk3Fb)

All the time. When I'm being good I read a biography, a business/self improvement, historical fiction, and regular fiction. Right now I'm being bad (the excuse that "The world sucks and is too depressing for anything but light reading" is ever green) and I'm chewing through FeedBooks public domain mysteries on TTS.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (GDulk)

133 "The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier" is another book that will convince you that not all Indians were the peace-loving savants the libs think they were.

I hate to admit it, but "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus" changed my way of thinking. After reading it I understood that people think differently and are motivated by different things, and one way isn't necessarily better than another. I had already started realizing this, but reading MAFM,WAFV solidified it for me and made me realize it did no good to rail against the fact that the rest of the world didn't think the same way I did, but just accept that people are different and to try to understand them on their terms.

Another book that has changed my thinking is "Stumbling on Happiness." One of the things I gleaned from this is that people tend to overestimate future pain; thus we avoid taking risks that might lead to failure, heartbreak, or loss because we think the future pain will be unbearable. In reality, most of us are quite capable of handling future loss and pain and we shouldn't let that get in the way of present happiness.

Posted by: biancaneve at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (e98eb)

134 115
These pukes who puff themselves up by extolling the "authentic"
aboriginal cultures while "righteously" destroying the Southern
Scots-Irish make me feel like puking myself.

Absolutely agree Life-- There is a Scots-Irish culture that fostered the westward expansion; brash, bold, sometimes reckless and cruel. Most of all intensely independent, which makes that culture an absolute anathema to modern leftist / statists. The foundation of the American character that is loathed by the left was laid by the Scots-Irish.

Posted by: Alamo at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (E/XIS)

135 Oh and Science fiction.

By anyone. I read stuff I can't remember the titles and can't find them now.

Really off the wall stuff and precursors of stuff that is now considered the bleeding edge.

I was/am a voracious book worm. If the books are available, I've been known to read an average size book (200-350 pgs) in about 2 days.

And I don't speed read. I took a speed reading class once and it was interesting but what I read didn't stick in my head. So I went back to my way.

A lot of what authors write is formulaic. You can read an intro sentence and just about guess where they're going so you can skip to the next paragraph and see if you missed anything important. Sometimes I read like that and sometimes every word. Depends on the author. Some authors fill every sentence with interesting dialog or concepts or plot and others add too much detail that I don't feel necessary to the plot.

YMMV

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (Xo1Rt)

136

Books will change you depending on when in your life you read them.

Going back and re-reading a book can be an entirely new experience, with a deeper understanding.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (qCMvj)

137 Didn't get as much reading done as I had hoped as we continue to organize the household. (A never ending effort.) I spent much of the time realizing how much treasure we have at Casa JTB in books and Teaching Company courses. We've been getting Teaching Company materials for many years. I even looked through the list of books on Nook and was surprised by the Victor Davis Hansen books and other quality books I've downloaded over the years.

If I never got another book (Like THAT is going to happen), I could spend decades just going through and absorbing what is in the house now.

Anyone else go through these moments of revelation and (re-) discovery?

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 10:03 AM (FvdPb)

138 Posted by: Alamo at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (E/XIS)

Exactly what I meant when I referred to all groups having been "First Nations" at one time.

Most celebrities apparently don't read history.

Not any.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:03 AM (Xo1Rt)

139 Yes it's way past time the Comanches were acknowledged for their badassery. My first Comanche book was TR Fehrenbach's Comanche: Destruction of a People.

In Lone Star, Fehrenbach's theory for why Texans have the mindset we have is from all the decades we had settlers living on TWO hostile borders: Mexico and Comancheria.

Posted by: stace at January 17, 2016 10:04 AM (CoX6k)

140 is there a book that changed your life?

Oddly, H. Beam Piper's Lord Kalvan, Space Viking, and Lone Star Planet. To some extent Cosmic Computer.
Just a wonderful dose of Classic liberalism.

Then on top of that was L. Niel Smith for the more Rothbardian Libertarianism, and David Drake for the real world application of the same or similar principals.

The germ was started in a way by Beverly Cleary and her Henry Huggins books way-way-way back in grade-school.

Posted by: Kindltot at January 17, 2016 10:04 AM (q2o38)

141 Alistair MacLean and Ian Fleming had a big influence on my reading as a yute. Characters were men who got tough stuff dealt with and never gave up.

Posted by: Count de Monet at January 17, 2016 10:04 AM (JO9+V)

142 "A Time for Truth," by William Simon. Reversed my socialism.

Posted by: David at January 17, 2016 10:04 AM (dhQoG)

143 Thanks for the warning about the EJ Dionne book. Sounds like another bundle of BS designed to be bought by the leftards but never read.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 10:05 AM (FvdPb)

144 The launch is at 1042 am pst but I dont see the time of landing.

If it's anything like the spectacular night launch and successful landing down here last month, the landing will be about 10 or 15 minutes after launch. They're going to try another landing on the barge at sea. I hope they succeed this time.

I got to see last month's L&L from the front yard of Casa Backwardio. Awesome didn't begin to describe it. I'd seen plenty of liftoffs, but seeing a descent was an historic milestone of epic proportions.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 10:06 AM (LUgeY)

145 Pretty much, I have never liked any of the so called "Classics" of literature.

Usually boring or pedantic or just plain wrong headed.

I suppose I'm missing a lot but I once tried to read some of them and just couldn't get past the first few pages.

Atlas Shrugged and Les Miserables come to mind.

There's plenty of other.

Sure I had to read them for English class but I couldn't tell you which ones and what they were about unless I get asked.

They just didn't impress me.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:06 AM (Xo1Rt)

146 I hate to admit it, but "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus" changed my way of thinking.

This book came to my mind too. (it actually helped me understand men more, and myself).

But, so many books did. I have to say it's more of an accumulation that changes your life, especially if you are an avid reader. Too many knocked me broadside.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:06 AM (qCMvj)

147 "...Faulkner and Hemingway..."

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (FvdPb)

They both have their moments.

Hemingway was a fine short story writer...probably some of the best American short stories of his era. But only a few of his novels are worth more than a casual read. He became a caricature of himself in middle age and was never able to return to the writing of his youth.

Honestly? Hemingway was an asshole who treated many of those around him with contempt. He was less of an asshole when he was young, and that shows in his early work.

Faulkner? He can be a tough slog, and I never was able to appreciate his "genius," but maybe revisiting now would change that.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:06 AM (Zu3d9)

148 143
Thanks for the warning about the EJ Dionne book. Sounds like another
bundle of BS designed to be bought by the leftards but never read.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 10:05 AM (FvdPb)

All you need to know about EJ Dionne can be gleaned from reading one of his columns. Our local Democrat PR rag used to put one in each of its two issues per week.
He is a drooling idiot.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 10:07 AM (t2KH5)

149 Not sure if it was life-changing, but a very important book for me was one I read at a young age: The Voyage of the Beagle, by Chuck Darwin.

Posted by: eman at January 17, 2016 10:07 AM (MQEz6)

150 Book that changed my life.

Catch-22

Read it at 15. Life is absurdity, contradiction, futility, self-interest.

(Heller, in his wildest imaginings, never wrote anything as outlandish as Joe Biden calling it "standard nautical practice" for the Iranians to board and seize a US Navy vessel and then bound and blindfold US sailors.)

Thought of Milo Minderbinder this week when it was announced the Obama administration let Hellfire missiles into Cuba.

That knowledge has served well practicing law for thirty years.

Posted by: Randy at January 17, 2016 10:08 AM (QolCq)

151 In case someone hasn't mentioned it, another book to consider vis-a-vis the Comanche thing is War Before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage.

http://tinyurl.com/hl893tu

Posted by: Country Singer at January 17, 2016 10:08 AM (GUBah)

152 Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 09:41 AM (cbfNE)

It would but I'm pretty sure there are serious timeline issues.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 10:09 AM (GDulk)

153 Lakota Sioux were warriors too. The issue is that we do not have any histories of Native Americans prior to the introduction of Europeans. They didnt write. We assume they were in this utopia of relative peace.

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 10:09 AM (zOTsN)

154 I'm reading texts from hawt underage gals!

Posted by: Bill in Chappaqua at January 17, 2016 10:10 AM (UBS9M)

155 Posted by: Count de Monet at January 17, 2016 09:55 AM (JO9+V)

But not as tasty.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:10 AM (Xo1Rt)

156 "America the Marvelous" by A. A. Gill:

http://tinyurl.com/gpzw5to

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:10 AM (jR7Wy)

157 I've been thinking of this life changeing book idea but honestly can't pin it on one or even two dozen.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 10:11 AM (hk3Fb)

158 @ #61: Bigby's knuckle sandwich

"more recently, The Lucifer Principle"

Have you read The Global Brain by Bloom. It ain't a great book, but one chapter, "The Conformity Police" does a terrific job of crystallizing a lot of thought about human socializing.

http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/2/2248/1.html

Posted by: in another life I was abu-garcia at January 17, 2016 10:12 AM (o2Z7Y)

159

Even The Tao of Pooh changed my life

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:13 AM (qCMvj)

160 What I love about Mathematics is that it's about RULES and is infinite.

Or is it can predict the infinite?

Either way, it's very structured compared to the other sciences.

And it will shape your mind.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:13 AM (Xo1Rt)

161 Mrs. JTB and I made a change in meal procedure. We usually listen to talk radio during while eating and I spend increasing amounts of time yelling and cussing at the radio. (The hosts are fine, what they are discussing is the problem.)

For the sake of a more pleasant meal and, probably, better health, we have switched to listening to books on tape while cooking and eating. This week has been "Too Many Women" by Rex Stout. It's a Nero Wolfe story and Archie Goodwin is in his best wise-cracking mode.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 10:14 AM (FvdPb)

162 I just finished 'The Life of the Law' by Alfred Knight and it was fascinating g to understand the history that shaped our legal system going back to the Magna Carta.

Posted by: IC at January 17, 2016 10:14 AM (+3RH+)

163 Looking at the library pictures even week makes me want to see the whole building. Which makes me come to a idea I've seen on the Web of being able to visually tour a place on line moving around as you would like zooming in on objects. Surely some library has done this.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 10:15 AM (hk3Fb)

164 One life changing event for me was the Dem primary of 2008. Opened my eyes to the nature of Dem corruption and thuggery.

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 10:15 AM (cbfNE)

165 Which one was D.O.M.?
Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 09:54 AM (t2KH5)
---
Well, maybe not "dirty", but polyamorous? That was the grokking one.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:15 AM (jR7Wy)

166 I do love To Kill a Mockingbird. Prolly made me want to be a lawyer. Any James Bond book because my husband is such a fanatic and they were such a part of his growing up. The Torah. Pretty pedestrian

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 10:15 AM (zOTsN)

167 Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (Xo1Rt)

Yes, and told the Mogolian I was speaking to (a young adult) that I was concerned there was a very big problem with the theory. Mongolians are great people who have to deal psychologically with being both a backwater and associated with empire-building carnage. It's not surprising that they stretch a point to be associated with something beyond where they are now, and horses seemed a logical connection to people unfamiliar with the length of time between the two occurrences.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 10:16 AM (GDulk)

168 Imagine a future where the USA divides into several nations and one of them is exclusively reserved for Liberals and their ilk.

I suspect E.J. Dionne won't want to live in that new home because he is smart enough to know he would soon starve to death.

He knows he is a parasite. Sadly, for guys like he, he can't control the Left hurricane.

Posted by: eman at January 17, 2016 10:16 AM (MQEz6)

169 Back from finishing First Men in the Moon.

Wells certainly had fun exercising his vivid imagination in creating his lunar universe!

Posted by: mindful webworker - moon struck at January 17, 2016 10:18 AM (hgso/)

170 What I love about Mathematics is that it's about RULES and is infinite.

Or is it can predict the infinite?

Either way, it's very structured compared to the other sciences.

And it will shape your mind.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:13 AM (Xo1Rt)

You would probably enjoy

Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem

http://ow.ly/Xb95f

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:18 AM (qCMvj)

171 136

Books will change you depending on when in your life you read them.

Going back and re-reading a book can be an entirely new experience, with a deeper understanding.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (qCMvj)

-------------------

Hmmmm. Maybe I'll re-read Debbie Does Dallas.

Posted by: Soona at January 17, 2016 10:18 AM (Fmupd)

172 Life changing books...that is a hard one. I would say the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys books in the tiny library we had in the town I grew up in. It was poor township in the boonies in third world country but those books got me hooked on reading and realizing there was a world out there to explore.

Posted by: IC at January 17, 2016 10:18 AM (+3RH+)

173 Reading Heinlein and Asimov caused me to vote for McGovern.

NEVER. AGAIN.

Although this year is a toss up.

(not on whether I'd vote for a Democrat but whether I'll be able to vote for a Republican.)

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:19 AM (Xo1Rt)

174 Posted by: Soona at January 17, 2016 10:18 AM (Fmupd)

That's in book form?

I would think the pages would be all stuck together.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:19 AM (Xo1Rt)

175

Fermat's Enigma description

xn + yn = zn, where n represents 3, 4, 5, ...no solution

"I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain."

With these words, the seventeenth-century French mathematician Pierre de Fermat threw down the gauntlet to future generations. What came to be known as Fermat's Last Theorem looked simple; proving it, however, became the Holy Grail of mathematics, baffling its finest minds for more than 350 years. In Fermat's Enigma--based on the author's award-winning documentary film, which aired on PBS's "Nova"--Simon Singh tells the astonishingly entertaining story of the pursuit of that grail, and the lives that were devoted to, sacrificed for, and saved by it. Here is a mesmerizing tale of heartbreak and mastery that will forever change your feelings about mathematics.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:20 AM (qCMvj)

176 BTW; bookbub is showing a biography of Caesar today on Amazon for 2.99.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 10:20 AM (t2KH5)

177 129 I don't see the time of landing.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

Are they planning one?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:01 AM (Zu3d9)

The first stage lands about 9-10 minutes after liftoff, depending on the flight profile.

Today they're going to try a barge landing downrange, but the sea is apparently a little frisky, so I don't know how that's going to go.

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 10:20 AM (sdi6R)

178
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

Are they planning one?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:01 AM (Zu3d9)

==========
Yes! On a barge. I think maybe the rocket goes up, releases the satellite, and immediately comes back and lands. Exciting stuff. Be there or be square!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 10:20 AM (iQIUe)

179 Life changer was Dracula. Not because it was some deep thought provoking bs. It was the first "adult" book I read. I remember being intimidated because it was so long and no pictures!

Once i finished it I realized that even a kid could read adult books.

Second was Red Storm Rising. Techno thrillers ftw!

Posted by: weirdflunky at January 17, 2016 10:21 AM (Q00p4)

180 it actually helped me understand men more

Got to admit that Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus helped me to understand women better than Updike's "I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability".

Posted by: cool breeze at January 17, 2016 10:22 AM (6Cu7i)

181 "83
Glass was attacked several times, and eventually killed, by the Mandan of ND

Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:44 AM (zOTsN)"

Killed by Mandarins? Were they brought to North America by the Mongols when the storm wrecked the Japan invasion fleet?

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at January 17, 2016 10:22 AM (QHgTq)

182 Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:20 AM (qCMvj)

I don't think he actually found it, but we will never know.

Posted by: eman at January 17, 2016 10:23 AM (MQEz6)

183 Every culture has it's 15 centuries of fame or power.

Maybe not all at once but the dominance seems to travel around the globe.

Some places have gotten missed every time (maybe they're time is coming) and some have been repetitive. (like the Yankees and Pennants.)

And sometimes it's centuries before their turn comes again if it ever does.

It's called EVOLUTION folks. And once a culture has outlived it's usefulness, it usually doesn't come up again. Unless, of course, the species is regressing.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:24 AM (Xo1Rt)

184 I picked up The Homemade Kitchen by Alana Chernila. It's a nice book, with some great recipes. And I like the looks of her kitchen too.

I also got "Money Secrets of the Amish" which is enjoyable so far. She mentions a book by PT Barnum called "The Art of Money Getting". I wish I knew why books like this fall out of fashion. It's a fun read and some good advice.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at January 17, 2016 10:24 AM (Lqy/e)

185 "Are they planning one?"

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 10:20 AM (sdi6R)
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 10:20 AM (iQIUe)

So...my wife is correct....I am not as funny as I think I am.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:26 AM (Zu3d9)

186 The Bible.

Two non-books The Iceman Cometh and Marat De Sade did a pretty good job of ripping off the mask of human pretense for me.
[The Naked Ape
The Human Zoo
One day in the Life of Ivan Denosivitch

War Before Civilization is an important book, but I found it to more or less just confirm and crystallize my understanding of the world.

Posted by: in another life I was abu-garcia at January 17, 2016 10:26 AM (o2Z7Y)

187 Last night on the ONT, CaliGirl said she lives 20 miles from Vandenberg and is going to drive to the top of a nearby mountain to watch the launch. I'm so jealous.

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 10:26 AM (sdi6R)

188 Isn't the cost of fuel for going and returning more than the rocket body is worth recycled?

I question the economies.

Recycling those rockets back into reliable flight capable vehicles has got to be expensive.

Better to spend the research money on anti-gravitics.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:27 AM (Xo1Rt)

189 180 - so that's were it comes from, Dennis Prager uses that clip on his male female hour.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 10:27 AM (hk3Fb)

190 Well, maybe not "dirty", but polyamorous? That was the grokking one.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:15 AM (jR7Wy)

D.O.M = Stranger in a Strange Land ????

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 10:27 AM (t2KH5)

191 Okay folks, if no one else will mention the Federalist Papers (sorry if I missed it), I will.

Until I was 16 or 17 I had the standard (certainly better than today) secondary school understanding of our founding documents. It took the Federalist Papers to fully inform me of the founders intent, and the complete genius of their vision. If the United States had followed the ideal expounded by John Jay; the relationship between the respective states, and that between the states and the federal government, we would still be a great nation with an ever more prosperous future.

Posted by: Alamo at January 17, 2016 10:28 AM (E/XIS)

192 I need to feed horses, but will savor the book thread later. Reading Celia Hayes "Steel Rails and Sunset" and had a hard time setting it down yesterday. I've decided to try to read mostly moron authors. Working well so far for not having a good read marred by a bunch of progressive tripe sneaking in.

If Christopher Taylor is about you mentioned some weeks ago an organization that was sort of a gofundme for authors? Do you have more details? I prefer to support moron authors by just buying their books and leaving good reviews if I like them, but a few I would consider being a crowd source patron but I'm not willing to drop my boycott of GFM.

Posted by: PaleRider at January 17, 2016 10:28 AM (chkUd)

193

For my professional career - tons of books on negotiating, and goal setting, etc, but what guided me the most/changed my "professional life" was the Harvard Business Review, looking forward to each issue, and gobbling them up like candy.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:29 AM (qCMvj)

194 I am working through Church Dogmatics by Karl Barth-who was probably the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20the century- but I'm not doing it systematically because it's 14 volumes!

Here's a quote of Barth's I like:

"No one can be saved - in virtue of what he can do. Everyone can be saved - in virtue of what God can do."

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:30 AM (w4NZ8)

195 We should just give it all back to the Neanderthals.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 10:30 AM (Nwg0u)

196 So...my wife is correct....I am not as funny as I think I am.

CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:26 AM (Zu3d9)

There, there. I laughed.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:30 AM (Xo1Rt)

197 I hate to admit it, but "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus" changed my way of thinking. After reading it I understood that people think differently and are motivated by different things, and one way isn't necessarily better than another.

Posted by: biancaneve at January 17, 2016 10:02 AM (e98eb)

I should have mentioned this book. It really helped me understand how men and women are different (eff you, feminists!) and how that affects my relationship with Mrs. Muse, and how these differences can work together to create a happy relationship. My life is a whole lot better because of that book.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:30 AM (qppoh)

198 Catch-22 did it for me. It was the only book I couldn't just sit down and read all the way through. I had to put it down and walk away from it for a bit.

Posted by: no good deed at January 17, 2016 10:30 AM (GgxVX)

199 impressive, since North America didn't have any horses prior to discovery
Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 09:43 AM (Cq0oW)

They taught the Nootkas how to ride squirrels.

Actually it is not far-fetched to think that ships of the Mongol invasion of Japan were washed up in the Pacific Northwest, the Japanese current goes right to the Pacific Northwest and there are documentation of Japanese junks floating to the Northwest, and possible pre-contact finds of bronze and iron objects.
Not to mention Fukashima debris washing up the last couple of years, too.

Whether the Mongols could actually influence things enough to make an impression is another thing. I have a long rambling theory about adoption of new technology, that boils down to:
It is not enough to have a good idea, it has to either fit into the current technology, culture and/or worldview, or it has to be clearly valuable enough to give a reason for adoption with all the dislocation it may cause.

Posted by: Kindltot at January 17, 2016 10:31 AM (q2o38)

200 Revenant beautiful movie. But a load of crap.... Hugh Glass, did NOT have a half
breed son. Did not see another soul the whole ordeal. He did it on his
own. Did Not supplicate himself in front of an Indian for a scrap of
meat etc... Liberals again give You the history THEY want you to
see.....

Posted by: marine43 at January 17, 2016 10:31 AM (Qovtd)

201 188 Isn't the cost of fuel for going and returning more than the rocket body is worth recycled?

I question the economies.

Recycling those rockets back into reliable flight capable vehicles has got to be expensive.

Better to spend the research money on anti-gravitics.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:27 AM (Xo1Rt)

Not at all. RP-1 is basically highly refined kerosene, and liquid oxygen is made from air. Both are dirt cheap compared to the cost of a rocket.

The fuel and oxidizer make up most of the weight of a rocket at liftoff, but they are only a tiny portion of the total cost of a launch.

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 10:31 AM (sdi6R)

202 I question the economies.

It's the whole reason for the company. Musk is convinced that the price of orbital deliveries can be reduced greatly and he has a first stage back in the hangar to prove it.

I want him to succeed because America! and free market. NASA can stick to their flying carpets.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 10:32 AM (LUgeY)

203 That's it, Vic! "Stranger" was in his Dirty Old Man phase.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:33 AM (jR7Wy)

204 I have just finished "The Winter King" by Bernard Cornwell. It is the first book in his Warlord trilogy, an imagined story of King Arthur as a Britanic (read Welsh) chief after the Romans had left Britain and the Saxons began their gradual take over of the Island. Like everything I have read by Cornwell, it is very good.

If you like historical fiction and have an interest in British history, read Cornwell.

Posted by: nc at January 17, 2016 10:35 AM (iopMS)

205 "I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain."

I've heard that perhaps Fermat thought he had a solution but later on found out that he was mistaken, since there's no mention of the "marvelous demonstration" in any other of his other writings.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:35 AM (qppoh)

206 I started The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb this week. It took a few chapters before it really caught my attention, but when it did, whew, off to the races. I started book two last night.

Posted by: no good deed at January 17, 2016 10:35 AM (GgxVX)

207 This argument still persists.

Humankind can only be saved by the grace of God. Never works.

Humans being imperfect can never devise any action that will cause them forgiveness and absolution.

Thus the Son of God was required to manifest himself on this Earth to provide a means of forgiveness for humankind.

Faith in that fact is what absolves one's sin.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. That whosoever shall believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." (john 3:16)

(and no it doesn't mean immortality of the flesh but of the soul)

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:36 AM (Xo1Rt)

208 I really like that Sputnikesque mirrored globe in the library pick. I also dig the integration of artwork in the stacks and the hanging models. Must file away in idea folder for future fantasy home libraries.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:37 AM (jR7Wy)

209 I don't know why people make such fun of "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus". I found it a very helpful book. I think some of the people making fun of it haven't read it or thought the name was goofy, or are baulking at the fact that the it spawned a whole series of follow up books that got rather silly.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:38 AM (w4NZ8)

210 NASA can stick to their flying carpets.

We are much too busy trying to make the Muzzies feel better about themselves, even though they haven't invented anything since Mo came along. Look, we've already got them repackaging some electronic components and saying they invented a clock!

Posted by: NASA at January 17, 2016 10:38 AM (6Cu7i)

211 I've heard that perhaps Fermat thought he had a solution but later on found out that he was mistaken, since there's no mention of the "marvelous demonstration" in any other of his other writings.
Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:35 AM (qppoh)

Everything seems to be disproven eventually.
Even black holes...

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:39 AM (qCMvj)

212 Maybe not life changing, but definitely an influence was 'How Democracy Failed' that used personal stories from between war Germany that gave reasons/excuses why the Germans would be open to a political party like the Nazis. This was back in either grade school or middle school. I consumed the schools ww2 books but this was the first real 'adult' book I read. Reading it years later it wasn't as impressive, but now I kinda want to reread again. See how many parallels I see with our current conditions. The one saving grace I sorta remember is that the Weimar constitution was a copy paste of ours, but for one important thing, they had a clause for emegengy powers that a certain a**hole took full advantage of.

Posted by: cavejohnson at January 17, 2016 10:39 AM (kCUDh)

213 203 That's it, Vic! "Stranger" was in his Dirty Old Man phase.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:33 AM (jR7Wy)

I would rate "Stranger in a Strange Land" as "semi-dirty."

I mean, compared with his later pr0n.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:39 AM (qppoh)

214 the only AoSHQ thread that is so hoity-toity, pants are required.

Even if they're around your ankles?

Posted by: Leonardo di Caprio at January 17, 2016 10:40 AM (+c55T)

215 My favorite bookstore is long gone, so, no vote: Lewis Meyer's on Peoria in Tulsa.

I wrote about it in a book thread comment back in September.
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?blog=86&post=358957#c24178411

Posted by: mindful webworker - books tore? at January 17, 2016 10:41 AM (hgso/)

216 Though Boehner went along with this brinksmanship, shutting down the government, sending shockwaves through global stock markets and instigating a historic downgrade of the Treasury's creditworthiness,

-
Whoa. For a second there I almost felt like defending Bone-Head.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 10:41 AM (Nwg0u)

217 For me it was almost certainly filching my sister's copy of Heinlein's _Podkayne of Mars_ some time around 1976. That (and a certain movie which came out not long after) made me an omnivorous science fiction reader . . . and that has affected my choice of career, my interests, and my attitudes for the rest of my life.

Funny thing is, it's not that great a book. Heinlein based it on some non-SF stories he'd written about a teenage girl and her wacky family. Having raised a daughter myself I can see that he didn't really know what the hell he was talking about at all.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 17, 2016 10:41 AM (zq6az)

218 I hope it works also.

Anything to get NASA (big government bureaucrats) out of the business of space exploration.

During the 15th century an 16th most oceanic explorations were done by governments.

Once they stopped (and/or companies started) exploration and exploitation began and things moved much faster.

The best protection from an extinction scenario occurring is for the human race to occupy more than one planet.

Until that happens we're (humans that is) are at risk.

I was always hoping I'd get to see us on Mars but the Welfare state sucked up all the money. And still is.

Too bad I don't believe in reincarnation.

Can't we just get our damn flying cars?

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:43 AM (Xo1Rt)

219 Leonardo as long as there is a bear behind you then your ok

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 10:43 AM (hk3Fb)

220 208 I really like that Sputnikesque mirrored globe in the library pick.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:37 AM (jR7Wy)

That looks like an actual replica of Sputnik 1.

OK, "actual replica" is a bit of an oxymoron, but you know what I mean.

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (sdi6R)

221 I don't know why people make such fun of "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus". I found it a very helpful book. I think some of the people making fun of it haven't read it or thought the name was goofy, or are baulking at the fact that the it spawned a whole series of follow up books that got rather silly.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:38 AM (w4NZ

I was a skeptic, until I read it.

As I recall it was SO repetitive, but that reinforced and imprinted the ideas in your mind.

It was an eye-opener.

The only other one that was an eye-opener, and actually played taffy with my brain was Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, which is the ultimate Brain Taffy Machine book. It can make your brain "ache." Not kidding. It's a real workout.

http://ow.ly/Xbc4z

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (qCMvj)

222 Congress constantly gives up it's power to the executive.

One could say that they've already abrogated their power.

And from observation that seems the truth.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (Xo1Rt)

223 The middle aged Mr. DiCaprio is too busy collecting very young models to pick up a book and read.

Posted by: Tuna at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (JSovD)

224 "...perhaps Fermat thought he had a solution but later
on found out that he was mistaken..."

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:35 AM (qppoh)

Was he a socialist?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (Zu3d9)

225 Books that changed my life ... hmmm ...

"Chaos" by James Gleick really got me to distinguish between static systems and dynamic systems. Good book to read before "The Future and Its Enemies" by Virginia Postrel.

"And So It Goes" by Linda Ellerbee is a good one about news media - more informative in many ways than anything by Ann Coulter or Bernie Goldberg.

"The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando de Soto was a paradigm-making book for me.

Posted by: FireHorse at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (acon4)

226 If the United States had followed the ideal expounded by John Jay; the relationship between the respective states, and that between the states and the federal government, we would still be a great nation with an ever more prosperous future.

Lately as I've seen things change for the worse at an ever-increasing rate, I ponder where we'd be as a nation had we recognized our domestic enemies for what they were and vanquished them. How much better would our standard of living (and that of the rest of the world, too) be? Would we have an outpost on Mars by now? Would cancer be an ancient disease that no one suffers from? What would the average IQ be? 110 maybe?

I look at what could be and wonder, "Why not?"

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 10:46 AM (LUgeY)

227 If Christopher Taylor is about you mentioned some weeks ago an organization that was sort of a gofundme for authors?

--

I think that may be Patreon.

Posted by: @votermom at January 17, 2016 10:46 AM (cbfNE)

228 It's not some Sputnikesque mirror ball, it's an actual 1957 backup Sputnik. There's also a Vanguard satellite in there somewhere, too.

http://www.walkerdigital.com/the-walker-library_welcome.html

Posted by: t-bird at January 17, 2016 10:46 AM (+c55T)

229 A genuine model

A real facsimile

A true to life example

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:46 AM (Xo1Rt)

230 Trump just commented George Stuffy's best friend was the Clinton in a interview with him

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 10:47 AM (hk3Fb)

231 The book that changed my life was a series of biographies written for children that I read when I was 8-9 years old. The subjects were some of the Founding Fathers, Presidents, and inventors/scientists. I remember that they all had the same plain orange cover with just the subject's name in gold on the spine. These hooked me into a lifetime of reading. An honorable mention should go to Dick and Jane which started the ball rolling.

Posted by: Zoltan at January 17, 2016 10:47 AM (JYer2)

232 203
That's it, Vic! "Stranger" was in his Dirty Old Man phase.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 10:33 AM (jR7Wy)

I would say that was the beginning of his dirty phase. It wasn't real dirty. Nothing like Time Enough For Love which he wrote 12 years later.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 10:47 AM (t2KH5)

233

Oh, Mark Levin's book Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto

was a life-changer

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:47 AM (qCMvj)

234
I liked the series and the book A Town Like Alice by Neil Shute. Written in 1950 and definitely antisocialist. The heroine not only shows great strength as a Japanese pow but she then sets out to better peoples lives by capitalism - digging a well and setting up various industries in the outback. The result is to provide jobs and increase the quality of life for those who live there. Two Koala Bears Up!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (iQIUe)

235 Hernando de Soto the Explorer?

Posted by: FireHorse at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (acon4)

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (Xo1Rt)

236 @212 Cave Johnson

"See how many parallels I see with our current conditions. The one saving grace I sorta remember is that the Weimar constitution was a copy paste of
ours, but for one important thing, they had a clause for emegengy powers
that a certain a**hole took full advantage of."

We don't have emergency powers in our Constitution, but they are there abundantly in the Defense Production Act of 1950 (with amendments and Executive Orders), just wait a few more years.

Posted by: in another life I was abu-garcia at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (o2Z7Y)

237 "Was there a book that changed your life?"

Brave New World

Posted by: creeper at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (/6YA/)

238 Jumbo shrimp

Posted by: Count de Monet at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (JO9+V)

239 Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (qCMvj)

Yes, I think the redundancy in MAFM, WAFV is deliberate

I read "Drawing On the Right Side of The brain" when it first came out, but that having been a while ago I can't recall too much about it. I still have it; I should probably read it again.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (w4NZ8)

240 Was he a socialist?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM (Zu3d9)

+1
I laughed

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:49 AM (qCMvj)

241 I don't know if I have read a life changing book -- maybe "The Gulag Archipelago" (also mentioned above thread). I was in sixth or seventh grade when I first read it. I was shocked by the bureaucratic insanity and cruelty of the Soviet system that Solzhenitsyn wrote about.

The book I loved most growing up was "The Lord of the Rings". I read that in sixth grade too (guess that was around the time my love of books took off). Though, I recently re-read "The Hobbit" to my daughter. I had always though that the lesser of Tolkien's middle-earth series, but in retrospect I am not so sure. It is really a great book in its own right.

Posted by: nc at January 17, 2016 10:49 AM (iopMS)

242 Remember, life is too lousy to be reading short books.

Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 10:49 AM (kpqmD)

243 I read "Drawing On the Right Side of The brain" when it first came out, but that having been a while ago I can't recall too much about it. I still have it; I should probably read it again.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (w4NZ

it requires homework, lol

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:50 AM (qCMvj)

244 I liked the series and the book A Town Like Alice by Neil Shute

I like that book; It's one of the books I've read several times because I enjoy it so much.

And the series was very good too.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:50 AM (w4NZ8)

245 As far as Heinlein goes, 'Stranger in a Strange Land' was strange for me as a teenager. "Time Enough for Love" which was mostly about Lazarus Long, the immortal, was interesting except for all the sex in the story.

I've never liked sex in SciFi. Nerds don't get sex. Rocket ships and ray guns, sure, war and Van Rijn's traders, but sex with females is a mystery. Females are a mystery, never to be understood. It's just not logical.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at January 17, 2016 10:50 AM (HrDHj)

246 It's just not logical.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at January 17, 2016 10:50 AM (HrDHj)

But veeery veeery interesting.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:51 AM (Xo1Rt)

247 Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:50 AM (qCMvj)

Yes, I guess I8 can cheat since I already did the homework. ;^)

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:51 AM (w4NZ8)

248 The Vanguard is over in the Firepit.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:52 AM (Xo1Rt)

249 Hiya Book Thread!
I lounge with my morning cup of tea in my library (not as grand as any pictured here, but it is mine), and laptop to see what the Morons are up to.

Currently reading Unstable Prototype, sequel to the very fun Bypass Gemini by Joseph Lallo. Featuring a truly mad (ok, sociopathic) scientist and his minder AI Ma and a cast of fun characters. There are many explosions and funny bits. Tried to read Holly Lisle's Memory of Fire and failed miserably. Too many unrevealed motives, incompetent secret societies, and an allegedly strong woman who goes hardcore Stockholm Syndrome for her kidnapper EVEN THOUGH she tells herself she is going hardcore Stockholm Syndrome. I was looking forward to her clever escape and the next thing I know she's writing his name on her Trapper Keeper and picking out china patterns. Bleh.

Tidying up the beta of One Blood so it can sit for the usual month before the final edits.

NOTE: for authors asking for reviews as above! Be aware that Amazon has some way of determining for itself if an author and reviewer are "friends" to the extent they will DELETE said reviews. There is some evidence that using Facebook to be friends is one clue, and logging in to Goodreads with Facebook is another. Y'all know Amazon owns Goodreads now, right? Amazon probably hosts the NSA servers too, now that I think about it (Hi Bob!). Just be alert and aware.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at January 17, 2016 10:52 AM (GG9V6)

250 I suppose the Bible has had the most impact, but It's a fish-in-water thing so I don't think to mention it just as I don't mention reading/listening to it when I list what I'm reading.

Only book I know of that influenced me was Agatha Christie's Sad Cypress. And that caused me problems because I was to young to realize that the fiancee was unreasonable in desiring the heroine to show her attachment to him (because he didn't want to be troubled by emotional consequences of maerying someone *he* wasn't attearched to. It wasn't until after I reread it as an adult that I realized the damage it had caused me to do to our marriage.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 10:52 AM (GDulk)

251

I loved Hemingway. Went through a "Hemingway" phase where I tried to read all of his stuff, one after the other...

What stood out was how simple and short a sentence could be with such impact. But, then I like efficiency.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (qCMvj)

252 actually the lack of horses thing is one of the reasons I think stories of Vikings coming to North America are overblown. Vikings rode, and would've brought horses had they intended more than a stopover.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (Cq0oW)

253 "Economic Facts And Fallacies," by Thomas Sowell wasn't quite a life-changing book, but it connected economics with reality in a way that I had never seen before. I often think of it when I read the newest pie-in-the-sky plan spouted by our politicians.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (Zu3d9)

254 Well, you folks have done it again. Now I've got a list I've got to see if they're in the local library.

It keeps getting longer and longer.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (Xo1Rt)

255 Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 10:48 AM (iQIUe)

And it's a good back to read nowadays because it's about resiliency. I also think it's one of those books that both men and women can appreciate.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (w4NZ8)

256 I still have it; I should probably read it again.

So do I. I should probably read it.

I do wish I weren't so lazy about stuff like that.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 10:54 AM (LUgeY)

257 With the walkways out from a mezzanine like platform, that library looks kind of M.C. Escher-ish.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:55 AM (Xo1Rt)

258 147 ... CBD

OT, would you tell me the model and length of the baton you had to use the other night? Mrs. JTB is interested.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 10:55 AM (FvdPb)

259 That library gives me a Steampunk vibe, even if it doesn't really fit the parameters.

The space in which you read can really enhance the experience of reading. (Contrariwise, if you're stuck on the floor of a bus station dodging chewed pieces of gum, reading can take you out of there).

When I was a young punk needing a job in NYC and having nothing of my own in life, I'd read in the business reading room (not sure if that's its proper name) of the NY Public Library.

It had high ceilings, beautiful windows, and oak everywhere. It gave me the feeling that it was rightfully mine and I should have the nice experiences.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at January 17, 2016 10:55 AM (1xUj/)

260 245 As far as Heinlein goes, 'Stranger in a Strange Land' was strange for me as a teenager. "Time Enough for Love" which was mostly about Lazarus Long, the immortal, was interesting except for all the sex in the story.

I rate 'Time Enough For Love' as "mostly dirty."

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:56 AM (qppoh)

261 Yeah, rule 34 is alive and well and living in your pants. Here is a nine book hook bear rape, well, were-bear rape, series.

http://tinyurl.com/zrg89gn

My plan to sell a million copies of Insex: Tales of Man's Romance With Giant COCK-Roaches seems to be feasible.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 10:57 AM (Nwg0u)

262 Are you seeing this press conference! What a bowl of pudding. The guy is shameless in his delusions.

Posted by: goon at January 17, 2016 10:57 AM (gy5kE)

263 Hubert Howe Bancroft was an American Ethnologist who focused on the Western United States, starting with a focus on the Pacific coast.

He had the benefit of working from primary documents. (since he was the first, really)

His "works" published in the 1880's is on Gutenberg

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41070

Posted by: Kindltot at January 17, 2016 10:58 AM (q2o38)

264

As far as Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, going to read this next.

It looks incredible. I'm behind...

Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez

http://ow.ly/XbdC2

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 10:58 AM (qCMvj)

265 Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (Cq0oW)

But totally within the realm of being blown off course (they did put colonies on Newfound land and Greenland. (a bit of marketing propaganda there).

So it's eminently possible for them to have made several trips to the lower Atlantic coast.

And BTW, Horses don't do well on Oceanic sailing trips.

And the Vikings ships were not usually made to accommodate them. Too low a freeboard and horses are very large and have to be fed and cleaned up after.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 10:59 AM (Xo1Rt)

266 262 Are you seeing this press conference! What a bowl of pudding. The guy is shameless in his delusions.
Posted by: goon at January 17, 2016 10:57 AM (gy5kE)

What press conference?

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:59 AM (qppoh)

267 252 Vikings rode, and would've brought horses had they intended more than a stopover.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (Cq0oW)

I don't think those viking longboats would have been very amenable to carrying horses such a distance.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 11:00 AM (t2KH5)

268 Are you seeing this press conference!

No; What's the topic?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 11:00 AM (w4NZ8)

269 Pale Rider #192 - glad you are enjoying Sunset and Steel Rails! - I know that Sabrina has warned about Amazon pulling reviews if some kind relationship between author and reviewer is on their horizon, but can I ask for a review in any case?
(So far, I have only had Amazon pull a review on one of my books - one that was done years ago for my first book, which had been also posted on a book review website.)

Posted by: CeliaHayes at January 17, 2016 11:00 AM (95iDF)

270 "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando de Soto was a paradigm-making book for me.
Posted by: FireHorse at January 17, 2016 10:45 AM

I'll have to get that from the library. I've always said it is because Capitalism has to be tempered by ethics, specifically Christian Ethics (tolerance, fairness, obligation to help the poor, Greed as a sin, etc.) because Capitalism without ethics is slavery. And it needs a limited government; government limited to keeping the peace, and leaving everyone free to succeed on their own.

I also want to remark on a late night ONT where someone (I'm too lazy to look it up) recommend the movie 'Buck' about a real life Horse Whisperer. That was an amazing DVD. Thank you for recommending it.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at January 17, 2016 11:01 AM (HrDHj)

271 Also "East of Eden", which has the single best line evah in a book: "I believe there are people in this world who are born evil."

Posted by: creeper at January 17, 2016 11:01 AM (/6YA/)

272 "Economic Facts And Fallacies," by Thomas Sowell wasn't quite a life-changing book, but it connected economics with reality in a way that I had never seen before. I often think of it when I read the newest pie-in-the-sky plan spouted by our politicians.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (Zu3d9)

Sowell can not only find, but describe the needle in the haystack.
I consider him genius.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 11:01 AM (qCMvj)

273 Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 10:53 AM (Zu3d9)

Come to think of it, Sowell's Basic Economics (took me three tries ti get through, and John said it wasn't really basic which made me feel better) belongs on the list. His definition of economics is extremely useful.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 11:02 AM (GDulk)

274 261 Yeah, rule 34 is alive and well and living in your pants. Here is a nine book hook bear rape, well, were-bear rape, series.
http://tinyurl.com/zrg89gn

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 10:57 AM (Nwg0u)

Leonardo DiCaprio would rate this series as "unbearable".

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:02 AM (qppoh)

275 Are you seeing this press conference!

nope
just watched Manchester United win (finally).

Sunday is no news day for me.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 11:02 AM (qCMvj)

276 All those are great book on the Comanche. Another interesting book to add to the ones listed is: War of a Thousand Deserts (The Lamar Series in Western History)
by Brian DeLay.

This book pushed the idea that Mexico was badly weakened by wars with the Comanche, Apache, etc. Mexico in fact basically lost, and the Comanche in particular were gaining territory. Much of the history of Texas, bringing in settlers from America, was actually Mexico's desperate attempt to buffer and turn back these attacks.

In essence the Wars of Texas Independence, and the Mexican-American War of 1846 was much more complex than idiotic Mexican nationalists propaganda and even our own more rational history explains. The Comanche were brutal, warlike, expansionists, but also were the finest horsemen of their day. They were much harder to defeat than Mexico and its goofy plodding cheap knock off of Napoleonic armies.

Posted by: William Eaton at January 17, 2016 11:03 AM (q52Ma)

277 It's a sad day in Liverpool.

The hooligans will be out in force.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:04 AM (Xo1Rt)

278 It's too bad Sowell isn't the head of the Federal Reserve Board.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 11:04 AM (LUgeY)

279 ...I rate 'Time Enough For Love' as "mostly dirty."...

Heinlein didn't write dirty. He wrote perverted. Any character with a vagina wanted or were willing to allow any character they loved to penetrate them. Almost always just talked about. Dirty would have had kissing and groping and descriptions. As one character said FF or FF. (food first or ...)

Posted by: reader at January 17, 2016 11:04 AM (kk/oj)

280 I don't know that there's been one book change my life, but Pyle's Merry Adventures of Robin Hood was my favourite book from childhood, and the one book I've probably read the most.

Posted by: DMV at January 17, 2016 11:05 AM (FS4Wf)

281 When I think of "life-changing books," I relate it to Jesus' saying one must be "born again."

Seems t'me some people have (as the expression goes) a major "come to Jesus" moment where their life is re-directed. This is a very cementing event, as a rule, because it so profoundly differs from how they had been.

Some people, having been raised in faith by faithful people, never really have a need of being "born again," in that they were never mis-directed. They may experience a personal realization of dedication, but it's not so emphatic as the sinner coming to the light.

For others, it is not one sudden experience but many gradual changes, a series of steps of re-orientation in first one area, then another. This is a difficult path, too easy to slip back into doubting and less permanently cementing in attitude, especially in early stages.

I'm sort-of in all three categories. I was raised with Jesus, not deeply, but he has always been in my life. I did have a pivotal eye-opening, as I've mentioned before, when I read the Gospels through for myself as an adult (if 19 can be called adult), but I certainly wasn't utterly re-directed at that point. My "enlightenment" (education in the spirit) happened in stages over decades, due to many influences.

I suppose some might say that by this definition I've not yet been "re-born," but that's my thinking.

So, when I think of life-changing books, I think of many stages of change. And the overlap is heavy of my search for truth and influential books, because, after all, finding truth is not just a niche of one's life, but the whole of it, affecting one's morals, politics, lifestyle, and relationships.

I could name some Major Influences, but that wouldn't even tell the story, because some big steps happened only after a lot of little nudges. Some works stuck with me structurally; many were just scaffolding.

Any good book, or even a short story, changes my life, to some degree.

Sometimes, it's just a profound sentence.

Posted by: mindful webworker - spare change? at January 17, 2016 11:05 AM (hgso/)

282 Dionne writes for Washington Post, not the NY Slime.

Just correcting the otherwise excellent post . . .it's easy to think of NYT and WaPo interchangeably, given their ideological tilt.

Posted by: hmitchell3rd@nc.rr.com at January 17, 2016 11:06 AM (G0t7U)

283 I use to read those little bio books in grade school. All the history ones.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 11:06 AM (iQIUe)

284 1984

Posted by: sherlockzz at January 17, 2016 11:06 AM (uBsvC)

285 The book I've read the most (cover to cover) is the 3 episode set bound together of LOTR.

If I'm feeling chronological, I read The Hobbit first.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:06 AM (Xo1Rt)

286 What press conference?

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 10:59 AM (qppoh)

Obama. It just this minute concluded. Touting the Iran nuke "deal" and his tireless efforts to have Americans returned and how cool John Kerry is and how fun it will be for the Iranians to have their money and how 10 sailors were released so quickly because of diplomacy and not war. And grab the duct tape to keep you're head from exploding....

Posted by: goon at January 17, 2016 11:07 AM (gy5kE)

287 Ah. A Traitor In Chief propaganda conference.

Putting out the talking points to the serfs.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:08 AM (Xo1Rt)

288 to the doubters

look up history of Icelandic horses.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 11:08 AM (Cq0oW)

289 Posted by: goon at January 17, 2016 11:07 AM (gy5kE)

Thanks for the synopsis. Much more preferable for
to me than actually listening to lying Obama.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 11:08 AM (w4NZ8)

290 is there a book that changed your life?

The Big Book - if qualifying doesn't kill you.

Posted by: DaveA at January 17, 2016 11:09 AM (DL2i+)

291 You're firing on all cylinders today, Muse.
- Two thumbs up for 'Mere Christianity', which I first read at age 15.

- Whenever I hear someone say that Texas was stolen from Mexico, I like to point out that we stole it fair an square from the Comanches.

- Hemingway's comments about Spillane were from an interview he did in a publication called Bluebook. The quotes can be found at :
http://tinyurl.com/jn295rw
starting on page 208.

Posted by: Anonymous Coward at January 17, 2016 11:09 AM (1Sk79)

292 Ah. A Traitor In Chief propaganda conference.

Putting out the talking points to the serfs.

Oh. Joy.

I wonder how we've disappointed him this time.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 17, 2016 11:10 AM (LUgeY)

293 My life changing book is The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz. The book expressed everything I desire in life. Magic and friendship.

Posted by: reader at January 17, 2016 11:10 AM (kk/oj)

294 Well now that I know it's a backup Sputnik I really want to visit that library.

After hours.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 11:10 AM (jR7Wy)

295 282 Dionne writes for Washington Post, not the NY Slime.

Posted by: hmitchell3rd@nc.rr.com at January 17, 2016 11:06 AM (G0t7U)

D'oh! Thank you, you're right, I've corrected it.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:11 AM (qppoh)

296 I was just saying that the Vikings didn't necessarily always travel with horses along.

Didn't say they NEVER did.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:11 AM (Xo1Rt)

297 Jeremiah Johnson died at the West LA VA hospital. Known bullshitter.

Posted by: Will Geer wearing bear claw knecklace at January 17, 2016 11:12 AM (UBS9M)

298 Village Idiot's Apprentice: "so where is the Japanese Trade Minister now?"

I'm just gonna go with "Da Fuqua" when describing the ending.

Odd, as there was strong discussion concerning a possible Season II.

Only up to comment #60, so I don't know if this has been mentioned, but, Amazon has green-lighted the next season.

I had thought it was going to be a complete tale, and was only barely warned by a single comment on AoS that the conclusion was not a true ending but a seasonal cliff-hanger.

Surely someone has read the book and can tell us (if they are similar) how many seasons it'll take at this rate to complete the story? If they will give us an ending!

Posted by: mindful webworker - spare change? at January 17, 2016 11:12 AM (hgso/)

299 As one character said FF or FF. (food first or ...)
Posted by: reader at January 17, 2016 11:04 AM (kk/oj)
---

Again, I rail against the tyranny of "or".

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 11:12 AM (jR7Wy)

300 It's a sad day in Liverpool.

The hooligans will be out in force.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:04 AM (Xo1Rt)

yeah, I do like their new coach tho, I root for them if one of my teams isn't playing

next up Barcelona in a few hours

But, I need to get to reading my own now.

Going to dive into some advanced robotics books. I'm clueless in that area/industry.

Kill Decision - for the right side of brain
Robotics - for the left... as they say

Read on!

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 11:13 AM (qCMvj)

301 If we'd only let him be clear.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:13 AM (Xo1Rt)

302 Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 10:55 AM (FvdPb)

8" closed, 26" extended. Generic brand (no markings). Sven was gracious enough to send it to me because he was doing a spring cleaning and had a few extra. I sent him a jar of BBQ dry rub, but I think I got the better end of the deal.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 11:14 AM (Zu3d9)

303 No surprise to anyone but Bernie says health care should be a right for all citizens on George Stuffy's interview.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 11:14 AM (hk3Fb)

304 Hemingway's comments about Spillane were from an interview he did in a publication called Bluebook. The quotes can be found at :
http://tinyurl.com/jn295rw
starting on page 208.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward at January 17, 2016 11:09 AM (1Sk79)

Thank you for the info, and the link. Hmmm.. According to Google, I can buy the e-book for $39. That's a bit steep, I'd say.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:16 AM (qppoh)

305 Life changing book?

The Gulag Archipelago.

More than merely confirming what I already had guessed at, it brought the Evil Empire into very sharp focus. I went from ambivalent, happy-go-lucky US citizen to, we must win...

...at all costs.

Thank you, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Ronald Reagan.

.....and fuck you every LIbEral who ever lived.

Posted by: 98ZJUSMC Staring at the Lake in the rain at January 17, 2016 11:16 AM (WWdgA)

306 I'd say 1984 and The Road to Serfdom were life-changing books for me. Also, while a short story and not a book, Harrison Bergeron affected me deeply as well.

Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 11:16 AM (kpqmD)

307 ...Empty, meaningless words...

He spouted a mantra of his tribe. I am praying to God that all the bad things Obama has set in motion punish his tribe and not mine.

Posted by: reader at January 17, 2016 11:17 AM (kk/oj)

308
lastly,

favorite Fairy Tale?

The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen

stuck with me all my life

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 11:17 AM (qCMvj)

309 Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 11:14 AM (hk3Fb)

Totally unrelated to that comment, but I cannot look at Bernie Sanders without mentally putting a "Mad Hatter"hat on him.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 11:17 AM (w4NZ8)

310 Trying to soften up the LIV's to accept being dhimmis.

Boy, have they got some surprises in store for them if they go along with that.

Dhimmis are considered slaves that just happen to be free at the moment.

And that moment can end anytime a genuine Muslim decide it's time for it to end.

And all the while before hand the dhimmis is humiliated, taxed and abused. And that's the men. The women and children fare much worse.

Yeah. That's how I want to spend the end of my life; under the boot of some barbarian death cult asshole.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:18 AM (Xo1Rt)

311 There are two books that changed my life.

The first is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Fear not! I will not write of an epic love story set against Napoleon's invasion of Russia. I grew up dirt plot with an invalid father and a bitter and fearful mother. I was convinced I was doomed to fail at everything. Since I had no friends and certainly no girlfriends I had plenty of time to read. One night I was reading W&P (Ampersand! It's a MLK day miracle!) When I got to t h e part where Pierre is manipulated into marriage to Helene , an obviously pathological relationship, and I was so consumed by jealousy of such a horrible relationship that I realised I need professional help.

(By the way, the Lifetime Channel is airing a new production of W&P. Is it too much to hope that it might actually be good?)

The second book is entitled Conversationally Speaking by, if I recall correctly, a guy named Garner. Using the tips in that book plus professional therapy I was able to decrease my social isolation.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 11:18 AM (Nwg0u)

312 Not a changer but reading World War 2 Soldier Stories IV true chilling stories from the Russian front. Like Frederick the Great, man's inhumanity to man doesn't surprise me.

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2016 11:20 AM (hk3Fb)

313 MrScribbler: I really dug the first part of Man in the High Castle. It was one of those can't-put-the-book-down reads. And then it all went to hell.

Aw, dang it. (The show already reflects that. I'd hoped for better resolution.)

Posted by: mindful webworker - spare change? at January 17, 2016 11:20 AM (hgso/)

314 The Comanches should have written down some of that bad ass history of theirs. Oh yeah... never mind.

Posted by: Dang at January 17, 2016 11:20 AM (2oWD2)

315 I did have a pivotal eye-opening, as I've mentioned before, when I read the Gospels through for myself as an adult (if 19 can be called adult), but I certainly wasn't utterly re-directed at that point. My "enlightenment" (education in the spirit) happened in stages over decades, due to many influences.

====

that's an important way to look at it. it happens in stages, not always at once or from one source.

for myself, i had read Christianity and believed. and then I read several others. when I actually understood what and who the Buddha was and is, it kind of changed that. though I'm not Buddhist, the impression was indelible.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (Cq0oW)

316 8" closed, 26" extended

Um...

Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (kpqmD)

317 - Hemingway's comments about Spillane were from an interview he did in a publication called Bluebook. The quotes can be found at :
http://tinyurl.com/jn295rw
starting on page 208.

Oh thank you for that.

I am about All Things Papa.

Quite tangentially, it mentions Hemingway's marlin fishing as part of his macho persona. What is, I believe, under-understood (that should so be a word) is that Hemingway was a literal pioneer in offshore fishing.

This is best described in "Hemingway's Boat", a book ostensibly about the Pilar and his time with her.

When he decided to pursue offshore fishing he consulted the world's leading expert on marlin, who had caught something like 5 marlin over 7 years and therefore knew more about it than anyone.

Within a year Hemingway was catching 50 or 60 giants a year. He basically invented the sport and was one of the creators of IGFA, the International Game Fish Association which is still the arbiter of world records and sporting techniques.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (1xUj/)

318 Posted by: artisanal 'ette at January 17, 2016 11:17 AM (qCMvj)

My favorite Fairy tale books-"The Princess and the Goblin" an "The Princess and Curdie" by George McDonald who was a Christian who very much influenced C.S. Lewis. Those books are like C.S. Lewis' Narnia books. You don't have to be Christian to enjoy them. Mcdonald wrote a ton of books. I think most of them are out of print now.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (w4NZ8)

319 In "The Objectivist Letter" Rand once did a line-by-line analysis of writing samples from Spillane and Thomas "You Can't Go Home Again" Wolfe, strictly on narrative technique and descriptions. To put it mildly (as she never did), Wolfe suffered by comparison.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (xq1UY)

320 OH and BTW, profession of the Muslim creed does not guarantee one that one will be let live.

No. All are infidel unless proven otherwise and proof will most likely take too much time. And as I said there are few surrahs about mercy and patience when considering the infidel.

I'll take them at their word and their deed; they want to kill me, my family, my neighbors and my friends.

If they are not actively doing so now, they're just waiting for a better time.

A moderate Muslims is one who hasn't killed anyone . . yet.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (Xo1Rt)

321 I've really enjoyed reading the book thread today and all of the comments. It is so calming and refreshing and fun to see what people have been reading. But, the liquor stores are about to open and there shall be football again today, and a new news cycle will begin, so I've got to get out there amongst them and harden my heart. Everybody stay warm! I sure hope that there is a food thread today. Something about nice thick soups would be fun....

Posted by: goon at January 17, 2016 11:22 AM (gy5kE)

322 Hemingway vs Spillane. That's interesting. I always thought authors were the pure of heart, like journalists, who only wanted the best for their readers, and no ego was involved in the piety of authorship when in reality, they are money grubbers and egomaniacs just the everyone else. And now I've learned, they all have a political ax to grind.

I have ordered the book "The Road to Hell" about humanitarian aid to Somalia. Some of the reviews on Amazon complain of 'muckraking' as a pejorative. The book is about how humanitarian aid does more damage than good, and how the distributors of that humanitarian aid profit by it.

The very same reviewers who complain about the muckraking (apparently some corruption is inevitable) celebrate that style of journalism when the target is the evil Military-Industrial-Complex and Lockheed Martin which is a member.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at January 17, 2016 11:22 AM (HrDHj)

323 Didn't say they NEVER did.

===

I'm just saying if they meant to settle they would have.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 11:24 AM (Cq0oW)

324 Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (kpqmD)

Mind out of the gutter, you, you moron you.

CBD almost got hijacked the other day and an extendable baton saved him.

Baton: stick, rod like. Long and thin.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:24 AM (Xo1Rt)

325 Rubio just said on Meet The Press that law abiding illegal aliens can stay. I think he even called the undocumented instead of illegal

Posted by: ThunderB at January 17, 2016 11:26 AM (OgEU3)

326 324 Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (kpqmD)

Mind out of the gutter, you, you moron you.

CBD almost got hijacked the other day and an extendable baton saved him.

Baton: stick, rod like. Long and thin.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:24 AM (Xo1Rt)

Heh heh heh. I know, I saw the comment. Good thing he had some type of weapon on him.

Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 11:26 AM (kpqmD)

327 Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 11:17 AM (w4NZ

And the voice of Ed Wynn?

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:26 AM (Xo1Rt)

328 I can't single out a specific book, but Ayn Rand changed my way of thinking. I read most of her other books and saved Atlas Shrugged for later. I was a leftist in my youth, and I like to say "she systematically demolished my most cherished beliefs and assumptions, then proceeded to rebuild them on a stronger foundation".

She has several collections of nonfiction essays, which are more bite-sized than the Atlas Shrugged monster tome. I recommend them to those who feel intimidated by that book. I think "The Virtue of Selfishness" was the earliest collection.

Anybody who says "healthcare is a right" is literally advocating slavery, since somebody has to provide it. Does Sanders think doctors and nurses should work for free?

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 11:27 AM (sdi6R)

329 Bandersnatch, Hemingway was also a pioneer in the sport of Self-Contained Short Range Shotgun Shooting. Perfected it, you might say. Marlin rejoiced.

Favorite fairy tale? No contest. "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel."

Posted by: Stringer Davis at January 17, 2016 11:28 AM (xq1UY)

330 Law abiding Illegal?

"I do not think you understand what those words mean"

But then is English his first language?

I'd bet he was rocked to sleep in Cuban.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:28 AM (Xo1Rt)

331 Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 11:18 AM (Nwg0u)

Interesting comments. I read W&P the first time at age 15 and in the 70's I enjoyed watching the series on T.V. It was the first role I ever saw Anthony Hopkins (as Pierre) in. He was very good.

I wish i could see the new series but my T.V. doesn't work.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 11:28 AM (w4NZ8)

332 A moderate Muslims is one who hasn't killed anyone . . yet.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (Xo1Rt)

Yup....after we get off our asses and slaughter a few million of these bastards it will never end.

If we do then "islam" can join the dung heap of history along with Communism, Nazism, Fascism, Socialism and Obamaism.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at January 17, 2016 11:29 AM (ej1L0)

333 "law abiding illegal aliens"

a little bit pregnant

Posted by: derit at January 17, 2016 11:29 AM (jT+gh)

334 293
My life changing book is The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz. The
book expressed everything I desire in life. Magic and friendship.

Posted by: reader at January 17, 2016 11:10 AM (kk/oj)

I have always wanted to read that book but Amazon is asking $7.00 for it (e-book) and it is only 344 pp long. That is pretty steep for a book published in 1966.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 11:31 AM (t2KH5)

335
A moderate Muslims is one who hasn't killed anyone . . yet.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:21 AM (Xo1Rt)

I remember years ago, this would be during the 1980s when 200+ US Marines in Lebanon were killed by a huge IED, some comedian had this joke in his act, "...and what is a 'moderate' Arab, anyway? An Arab that only holds a grudge for 8 generations."

I denounce myself.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:31 AM (qppoh)

336 I took the Evelyn Wood course, and read "War and Peace" in two hours.
It's about Russia.

--last Woody Allen joke I laughed at

Posted by: Stringer Davis at January 17, 2016 11:31 AM (xq1UY)

337 OK kid is a big fan of Super Why, a spelling cartoon where superheroes find letters.

Super Why just found HITEY and I'm like Oh No Racism

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 11:32 AM (Cq0oW)

338 Books that have changed my life? Of course, the bible is one. Even if you haven't read it or don't believe it, it is the book (or collection of 66 books) that has most affected mankind so you should read it. If you're new to it most people recommend starting in the gospel of John. Then maybe a read the bible in a year plan.

Another book that changed my life is about the bible; R. C. Sproul's Chosen by God. It summed up and gave specific scriptural backing to a lot of beliefs I had after reading the bible.

Posted by: Dang at January 17, 2016 11:32 AM (2oWD2)

339 302 ... CBD, Many thanks for the information. That gives me a starting point.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 11:34 AM (FvdPb)

340 during WW2 Russia used War and Peace as armor for tanks. because nobody gets through W and P

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at January 17, 2016 11:34 AM (Cq0oW)

341 One of the things that stuck with me from W and P was the serf apologizing for having tried to dodge a blow from his master.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 11:34 AM (GDulk)

342 Well, have a pleasant day, I'm going to continue reading the book I was reading before I stopped off here to talk about reading books.

Is that meta or what?

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 11:35 AM (Xo1Rt)

343 Modern Times by Paul Johnson was certainly a life changer for me because I was still a lib when I read it in the early1980's. It opened my eyes to the fact that the expansion of the state was what led to the massive atrocities committed in the 20th century.

I recall the shock I felt when I read Johnson's very harsh appraisals of FDR, JFK and Ghandi. I grew up in a Dem family and had always assumed those 3 figures were on the side of the angels. I had never been exposed to any counter arguments in college. I think that MT made me aware for the first time that the Conventional Wisdom about historical figures could be very distorted.

Posted by: Donna &&&&V. (Brandishing ampersands) at January 17, 2016 11:35 AM (P8951)

344
325 Rubio just said on Meet The Press that law abiding illegal aliens can stay. I think he even called the undocumented instead of illegal
Posted by: ThunderB at January 17, 2016 11:26 AM (OgEU3)

The candidate that says no they can't will win.

Posted by: eman at January 17, 2016 11:35 AM (MQEz6)

345 Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 11:18 AM (Nwg0u)
==========

Oh, man! I hate Tolstoy, W&P especially. Been watching the BBC airing of W&P. It is very good with lots of good looking actors, but it is still W&P.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 11:36 AM (iQIUe)

346 I think he even called the undocumented instead of illegal

And this is why I scream at the TV when that asshole attacks Cruz.

Posted by: no good deed at January 17, 2016 11:36 AM (GgxVX)

347 Favorite fairy tale? No contest. "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel."
Posted by: Stringer Davis at January 17, 2016 11:28 AM (xq1UY)

Oh yeah! I like Mike, and so did my kids when I read it to them. That's when I saw that the steam shovel really was a steam shovel, meaning it was powered by a steam engine, not diesel. I think the book was originally written back in the day when a steam shovel was high tech.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:37 AM (qppoh)

348 EJ Dionne has always been proof that going to the right schools and knowing the right people will keep an idiot with no idea what is going on outside of his social circle working.

If Dionne and David Brooks went to dinner together, they'd probably spend all night trying to calculate a 15 percent tip on a $100 tab

Posted by: kbdabear at January 17, 2016 11:37 AM (IrTTd)

349
The actor who plays Pierre - there was an article on him that said his dad has all these bit parts in his productions. Which is sort of neat.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 11:37 AM (iQIUe)

350 The concept of a "law abiding illegal alien" escapes me.

Posted by: goatexchange at January 17, 2016 11:38 AM (nF8KV)

351 a jar of BBQ dry rub

That's what that damned bear was using. Dammit, that shit stings!

Posted by: Leonardo di Caprio at January 17, 2016 11:38 AM (J3phO)

352 Undocumented?

You mean, they left their ID in their other pants?

The dog ate the documents?

I had them, but then hoo boy such a windy day?

Posted by: eman at January 17, 2016 11:38 AM (MQEz6)

353 Oh, and a heartfelt thank you to Oregon Muse for the book threads. I don't always comment, but I always look forward to reading it. You do an excellent job.

Posted by: Donna &&&&V. (Brandishing ampersands) at January 17, 2016 11:38 AM (P8951)

354 Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 11:18 AM (Nwg0u)

I wasm't socially isolated but I was an introvert. It's interesting how reading is often so very important to people who were either shy or socially isolated. In that sense i always thought of books I really treasured and the characters in them as friends.

I will have to recommend "Conversationally Speaking" to my son. He reads a lot but being high functioning autistic social isolation is an issue. I had heard that book recommended before but never read it. Thanks

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2016 11:38 AM (w4NZ8)

355 Only up to comment #150, but wanted to post this before the thread wore out / got buried by food or football.

*

The other day, my beloved companion of over forty years and I traversed another difficult patch. (Someone said on some thread recently, all fights are about stupid stuff.) Afterward, she read me what I've quoted below -- sorry for it being kinda long.

She introduced it by recalling something I've sometimes said, if the Devil set out to mess up our lives, relationships, family (immediate and extended), how would it be different than it has been, the obstacles internal and external we've faced?

=====

Relational Attacks
(from Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge)

Another common enemy that often is at work in women's relationships is a spirit of accusation. In our friendships, in our relationships with peers at work, and especially in our marriages, we often feel that we are a disappointment to others, that they disapprove of us. We feel in their presence that we are not enough, or that we are too much. After we leave a time with them, we're plagued by a deep sense of failing. We feel frustrated and irritated and ashamed that we feel that way. Our hearts often land in shame and isolation, or we go to resentment ... and isolation.

Do you know what I am talking about? Do you recognize this in your own life? That replaying of conversations you've had with people, that sense of having blown it, or that other sense of just being really irritated at them? Have you noticed how the feelings grow as you continue to mull it over? Now, who do you suppose would have a vested interest in ruining your relationships? This is exactly What Paul warned the Corinthians about when he said, "For we are not unaware of his schemes" (2 Cor. 2:11).

Well, a spirit of accusation was operating in our marriage for the first ten years of our married life. I felt John's disapproval over how I spent my time, my relationship with God, even how I chopped vegetables. I felt as though everything I did disappointed him somehow. I could not live up to his (unspoken) desires. It's hard to offer your heart and love to a person when you feel that way. Our tendency is to withdraw in shame or anger. At least, that's what I do.

Then one night, after an unusually uncomfortable dinner, John wanted to know how he was failing me. He often felt, he said, that I was disappointed in him, that he couldn't do anything right, that I disapproved of how he lived and who he was.

What?!

This was unbelievable to me. I felt nothing of the sort toward him. I wanted to be more like him. I told him that I didn't feel that way toward him, but I certainly felt that from him - felt that I was a deep disappointment to him. He told me that was utterly untrue. He felt nothing of the sort. It was then that John and I realized we were not alone in the room. We were being attacked by a spirit of accusation that had effectively worked between us for ten years, operating to isolate us from one another and ultimately destroy our marriage.

We got mad. Together, we took a stand against it and commanded it to leave. This can feel a little weird at first, talking to the air and saying stuff like, "I bring the cross of Christ against you. In Jesus' name I command you to leave." Sometimes you have to be firm and pray several times. As Peter said, "firm in the faith" (1 Pet.5:9, emphasis added). But leave it does!

What a relief. What a breakthrough for us. To be able to look into my husband's eyes now and not have mine clouded over by false accusation allowed me to see his love for me as true and real and deep. We now could believe that we liked each other, were for each other, and that the truest thing in our marriage was committed love.

It changed everything.

Posted by: mindful webworker - get thee behind me! at January 17, 2016 11:39 AM (hgso/)

356
348 EJ Dionne has always been proof that going to the right schools and knowing the right people will keep an idiot with no idea what is going on outside of his social circle working.

If Dionne and David Brooks went to dinner together, they'd probably spend all night trying to calculate a 15 percent tip on a $100 tab
Posted by: kbdabear at January 17, 2016 11:37 A

And how to get someone else to pay for it.

Posted by: eman at January 17, 2016 11:40 AM (MQEz6)

357 If Dionne and David Brooks went to dinner together, they'd probably spend all night trying to calculate a 15 3 percent tip on a $100 tab

Posted by: kbdabear at January 17, 2016 11:37 AM (IrTTd)

Fixed.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:40 AM (qppoh)

358 One book I really enjoyed was Robert K. Massie's, Peter the Great: His Life and World.

It's got all the strangeness of Russian history you could hope for. It's one I want to read again some day.

Posted by: Dang at January 17, 2016 11:41 AM (2oWD2)

359 122 Weren't there still some "Mega-Fauna" alive on the continent when the fore fathers of the American Indian made it's way over the Land bridge?

Like those giant flea looking animals in SW II when anakin and padme are out lolling around the prairie.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at January 17, 2016 09:57 AM (Xo1Rt)

Yeah, humans here were killing mammoths, giant bison, paleo horses, etc. there's a big Clovis site near Salado full of bones from those things. Also, a buffalo jump near Langtry has giant bison bones as well as modern bison. The Indians were stampeding buffalo into that canyon for thousands of years for mass slaughter.

Speaking of which, a few years ago I attended a lecture on the environmental damage the Aztecs did by requiring annual tributes from slave tribes of bushels and bushels of jaguar pelts, quetzal feathers etc--all just for ornamental use.

If the other tribes didn't kill enough quetzals, hummingbirds and the like for the Aztec tribute, the Aztecs would kill THEM

Posted by: stace at January 17, 2016 11:41 AM (CoX6k)

360 The Holy Bible- KJV

The greatest story ever told, in language of pure poetic beauty. Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at January 17, 2016 09:31 AM (NeFrd)
_____________Putting this in before I have read the rest of the thread because I just had a conversation with my youngest about KJV resonating as the English-speaking world's 'language of G-d'. Of course, as my kid, I am silly and my enthusiasms are a pain-in-the-neck, but it was a revelation to me.Grew up with Revised Standard Version, but when I ran into KJV in college, my awe at the work and love crafting an accessible and beautiful translation of various existing texts changed my view of religion. I'm still an agnostic, but I really think KJV was divinely inspired.

Posted by: mustbequantum at January 17, 2016 11:42 AM (MIKMs)

361 Right now I'm working my way through The Tale of Genji, an 11th-century Japanese soap opera novel. As a look inside a profoundly alien culture it's fascinating, doubly so for the way that love and sex are fundamentally the same despite extremely different codes of behavior and morality.

But it's not an easy book. The author basically never tells you anyone's name, only their title. And people get new titles every so often. Thank goodness for footnotes.

It was written by a lady of the Imperial court and it shows: obsessive attention to romantic intrigues, details of fashion and proper performance of ceremonies . . . and no context outside of that. What the men who hold various positions do, and what problems they must solve, simply do not exist.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 17, 2016 11:42 AM (zq6az)

362 Posted by: Dang at January 17, 2016 11:41 AM (2oWD2)

Fun fact (at least for me): when my family moved to the NYC suburbs, we rented Massie's house in Irvington for the summer while my parents looked for a place to buy.

It had two staircases and an elevator!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 17, 2016 11:44 AM (Zu3d9)

363 Oh, and a heartfelt thank you to Oregon Muse for the
book threads. I don't always comment, but I always look forward to
reading it. You do an excellent job.

Posted by: Donna V. (Brandishing ampersands) at January 17, 2016 11:38 AM

Same from me.

I couldn't do OM's job; if I dislike a book, I try to delete it from my memory. Heck, if the title strikes me as boring/wrong/pretentious, it sits in the bookstore, unbought and unread. So I'm simply too judgmental and downright cranky (not to mention lazy) to ever offer something as well-rounded as OM's SMBT.

And I prefer reading books to reading what Big-Time Intellectual Reviewers say about them.

Posted by: MrScribbler at January 17, 2016 11:44 AM (ZPz7d)

364 The Grand Inquisitor scene in the Brothers Karamazov (one of the brothers describes Jesus on trial before the Inquisition) is a piece of writing that has stayed with me since my college days. I don't remember the overall plot anymore,but I remember that part.

Posted by: Donna &&&&V. (Brandishing ampersands) at January 17, 2016 11:47 AM (P8951)

365 It changed everything.
Posted by: mindful webworker

That rings an old, painful bell, but I love the happy ending in your version.

Posted by: t-bird at January 17, 2016 11:49 AM (yddCj)

366 Posted by: stace at January 17, 2016 11:41 AM (CoX6k

We have a mammoth skeleton on the family ranch, and when we found it we contacted some colleges to see if they were interested. They were all, Meh, call us back if you see some evidence it was killed by humans.

Posted by: stace at January 17, 2016 11:49 AM (CoX6k)

367 The concept of a "law abiding illegal alien" escapes me.

-
Kinda like dehydrated water.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 11:50 AM (Nwg0u)

368 Another vote for Atlas Shrugged.

Before that, Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man got me hooked on science fiction. Later, William Gibson's Neuromancer rekindled my passion for it.

More votes for The Gulag Archipelago and 1984 for telling the truth about communism, as well as Robert Conquest's The Harvest of Sorrow.

Charles Murray's Losing Ground probably had more effect on American policy than any other book in the last 40 years.

Posted by: Lawrence Person at January 17, 2016 11:50 AM (zPalU)

369 #353, #363 thank you both for your kind words

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:52 AM (qppoh)

370 Rubio just said on Meet The Press that law abiding illegal aliens can
stay. I think he even called the undocumented instead of illegal

Posted by: ThunderB at January 17, 2016 11:26 AM (OgEU3)

The candidate that says no they can't will win.

Posted by: eman at January 17, 2016 11:35 AM (MQEz6)

By definition, illegal aliens have not abided by the law.

Posted by: redbanzai at January 17, 2016 11:52 AM (NPofj)

371 Grampa Jimbo

I thought i recalled the murder of priests and nuns in For Whom the Bell Tolls.
But it may have just been a bunch of people murdered in a church. Pretty sure they're was at least a priest in there.
That book is pretty brutal though. I didn't think the "revolutionaries " came out looking very good.

Posted by: Sugar Plum Fairy - it tolls for thee at January 17, 2016 11:53 AM (hnCis)

372
UPDATE: Massive manhunt still ongoing by the #IDF for terrorist who stabbed a 38 year Israeli female who was stabbed in front of her 3 kids.

Lady died... Ahole broke into her home and murdered her.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 11:55 AM (iQIUe)

373 What's a bookstore?

Posted by: Ddad99 at January 17, 2016 11:55 AM (fUksb)

374 373 What's a bookstore?
Posted by: Ddad99 at January 17, 2016 11:55 AM (fUksb)

Damn Millennials.

Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 11:56 AM (kpqmD)

375 I'm still an agnostic, but I really think KJV was divinely inspired.

Posted by: mustbequantum at January 17, 2016 11:42 AM (MIKMs)

That sounds like a difficult circle to square. It reminds me of me, because:

1) I have sometimes doubted the existence of God

2) I have NEVER doubted that He will hold me accountable for everything I've done.

Heh. Go figure that one out.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:56 AM (qppoh)

376 We have a mammoth skeleton on the family ranch, and when we found it we contacted some colleges to see if they were interested. They were all, Meh, call us back if you see some evidence it was killed by humans.

I am fascinated by everything about human pre-history and mostly convinced that we don't know a fraction of what we think we know.

There was just this week an examination of the stomach bacteria of Oetzi, the Alpine mummy, in which the NYT referred to humans leaving Africa 50K years ago.

Also last week was a report of a mammoth in the Siberian Arctic which seems to have been hunted and butchered by humans 50K years ago.

So, that's either some really fast travelling Siberians or we don't know a lot of what we claim to know.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at January 17, 2016 11:57 AM (1xUj/)

377 Two of my favorites:

Free to Choose by Milton Friedman, and

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Yeah, I know they're very different. Get over it.

I long for a Vincent Black Lightning, bought freely on the open market, of course.

Posted by: Ddad99 at January 17, 2016 12:01 PM (fUksb)

378 361. Read Tristram Shandy with my son in High School. That was illuminating (so to speak) but very painful.

Posted by: edmundburkesshade at January 17, 2016 12:01 PM (nUTvL)

379 For me, probably The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. The sheer level of inhumanity and manipulation from the Nazi regime was absolutely staggering. And the book does an excellent job of documenting it.

Another book that caused some interesting insight was Arabs at War. It's a thick tome, but an easy read. And the author does an excellent job of laying out and explaining why the Arabs have not won a single war against a non-Arab nation since the end of World War 2. (hint - culture)

Posted by: junior at January 17, 2016 12:01 PM (quU2w)

380 Einstein - thoughts and ideas. A collection of short essays on a variety of topics.
Oddly enough, it was his writing on science, specifically the about of energy contained in each atom and the about of force necessary to overcome the inertia therein, that changed my thinking on life, the universe and willpower more than any of his ideas on society (often disagreed with some of those).
As an avid reader there is, as was said, a progression of books that have changed my life and thinking. That's just the most recent.
Been staring down Atlas Shrugged for a month now. Determined to read it. I'm gonna start that... really.

Posted by: Sugar Plum Fairy #176-671 at January 17, 2016 12:02 PM (hnCis)

381 361 Right now I'm working my way through The Tale of Genji, an 11th-century Japanese soap opera novel. As a look inside a profoundly alien culture it's fascinating, doubly so for the way that love and sex are fundamentally the same despite extremely different codes of behavior and morality.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 17, 2016 11:42 AM (zq6az)

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I may have to devote some book thread space to this.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 12:02 PM (qppoh)

382 I'm 63 years old you whippersnapper.

Get off my lawn! And your music, it's just noise.

Posted by: Ddad99 at January 17, 2016 12:02 PM (fUksb)

383 Never read Tristam Shandy; I suppose I should put it on the list. I read about half of Tom Jones and kind of got bored with it.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 17, 2016 12:03 PM (zq6az)

384 Quanah Parker is actually like my great-great-great-something-or-other grandfather on my grandmother's side...

Posted by: I smell something rotten at January 17, 2016 12:03 PM (ctO3Z)

385 2) I have NEVER doubted that He will hold me accountable for everything I've done.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:56 AM (qppoh)

So....you wouldn't be interested in a little wager.....

Posted by: Blaise Pascal at January 17, 2016 12:03 PM (Zu3d9)

386 I cannot say there are any books that changed my life. Changed my view, yes. Especially school/work related texts.

When I started delving into Paul Johnson's stuff, it's not tremendously deep, and certainly not life changing, but he writes with clarity, and gives confidence to anyone who is wavering on the values that shape western civilization (not New York values, btw).

Most influential book, other than the Bible, that I HAVE seen change people's lives is the Big Book of AA. If you haven't read it, it's not a hard read, and it may change your view on some things... whether the stuff in there directly relates to your life or not.

Posted by: BurtTC at January 17, 2016 12:04 PM (Dj0WE)

387 382 I'm 63 years old you whippersnapper.

Get off my lawn! And your music, it's just noise.
Posted by: Ddad99 at January 17, 2016 12:02 PM (fUksb)

So you forgot what a bookstore was because of the senile dementia. Sorry.

Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death at January 17, 2016 12:05 PM (kpqmD)

388 Fiction: "The Light In The Forest" by Conrad Richter.

The Disney movie is crap, but the book is a masterpiece. I lived on the Navajo reservation for 8 yrs. Richter knew Indians, treated them with respect in his writing, but didn't airbrush their potential for cruelty.

Posted by: Born Free at January 17, 2016 12:06 PM (uGTin)

389 What's a bookstore?
Posted by: Ddad99

That's where the Obsolete Man hangs out.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734667/?ref_=fn_ep_tt_1

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at January 17, 2016 12:06 PM (FkBIv)

390 377
I long for a Vincent Black Lightning, bought freely on the open market, of course.
Posted by: Ddad99 at January 17, 2016 12:01 PM (fUksb)

Richard Thompson fan, I take it?

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 12:06 PM (sdi6R)

391 "I want to share this award with all the First Nations people"

How? Is he going to give them a percentage of the gross? Is he going to clean up all the damage his filming created?

How, Leo?

Books that changed my adult life: Children of Violence by Doris Lessing, as a youth; then, Road to Serfdom by Hayek, Terror and Liberalism by Paul Berman.

Oh and I bought Glimpse. Got to support the (hopefully) non-leftist artists.

Posted by: pj at January 17, 2016 12:07 PM (cHuNI)

392 Yeah, I couldn't read Tom Jones either. Why Trimegistus, similar to Hermes Trismegistus from TS, just curious.

Posted by: edmundburkesshade at January 17, 2016 12:08 PM (nUTvL)

393 That sounds like a difficult circle to square. It reminds me of me, because:

1) I have sometimes doubted the existence of God

2) I have NEVER doubted that He will hold me accountable for everything I've done.

Heh. Go figure that one out.
Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 11:56 AM (qppoh)

It has been noted many times, many of the internal battles within humans is NOT between themselves and God, but between themselves and the version of God that was created for them by the faith in which they were raised.

I would never dismiss that as a false battle, or one a person should just "get over" or anything, but it's worth reminding people: This "God" you are fighting might not actually be, you know, God.

Posted by: BurtTC at January 17, 2016 12:10 PM (Dj0WE)

394 Reading this blog and the Morons has changed my thinking - horrifyingly so.

Posted by: DaveA at January 17, 2016 12:11 PM (DL2i+)

395 It's a variant spelling. Hermes Tri(s)megistus was the later-Roman Gnostic era name for Thoth, and by the Renaissance had been rationalized as an ancient king of Egypt who just happened to invent all the arts and sciences, especially magic and alchemy.

As to why . . . it's a distinctive handle so I can search it with a relatively good chance of finding stuff I posted.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 17, 2016 12:13 PM (zq6az)

396 nood

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 12:14 PM (t2KH5)

397 Reading this blog and the Morons has changed my thinking - horrifyingly so.
Posted by: DaveA at January 17, 2016 12:11 PM

There are good days, and then there are bad days. Sometimes it's my perceptions, sometimes it's mass insanity infecting the horde.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at January 17, 2016 12:14 PM (HrDHj)

398 You saying breaking and entering, I saw they are law-abiding undocumented tenants.

Posted by: t-bird at January 17, 2016 12:16 PM (ANVXm)

399 >>Posted by: ThunderB, Bitchin Betty at January 17, 2016 09:15 AM

LOL!
It was about getting giins back...and being killed by Indians. Wow.

Posted by: Lizzy at January 17, 2016 12:17 PM (NOIQH)

400 For Whom the Bell Tolls presents the Commies as the good guys and the Nationalists as the bad guys. Period. There is even a scene in which Pilar, Pablo's woman, tells of how great Pablo was before he took to drink when he would invade villages and murder all who disapproved of the government. I don't recall any mention of him murdering priests and nuns but, of course, that is what they did.

I recently read a review of a new book or movie about a priest trying to escape the murderous Nationalists. What a load of crap!

Incidentally, everybody knows that the Nationalists were evil because they were allied with the Nazis. But at the time of the war, 1936, the Republicans' ally, the USSR, had murdered millions while the Nazis had murdered only thousands.

The is a movie that I liked about the Spanish Civil War entitled There Be Dragons that shows the Commies for the priest and nun murdering fanatics that they were.

http://tinyurl.com/3jg5aks

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 12:18 PM (Nwg0u)

401 I've always like the short stories and plays of Chekov but as I've gotten older and developed more of a sense of history, I appreciate him more and more. All those weak, vacillating upper class and upper middle class turn of the century Russians obsessing about private, trivial concerns,completely unaware that their country is headed toward the abyss and their class is doomed - they remind me of modern day libs. A contemporary Chekov would set plays on the Upper West Side, with the characters fretting about global warming, homophobia, guns, and rednecks,with TV reports about ISIS and Iran providing a constant backdrop.

Posted by: Donna &&&&V. (Brandishing ampersands) at January 17, 2016 12:20 PM (P8951)

402 >>We have a mammoth skeleton on the family ranch, and when we found it we contacted some colleges to see if they were interested.

Stace, did you contact the Denver Museum of Nature and Science?
They're currently doing an excavation of a mammoth in Snowmass...

Posted by: Lizzy at January 17, 2016 12:21 PM (NOIQH)

403 I've been anti organized religion for most of my life but could never make it to atheist status. Even at my most agnostic periods I couldn't shake having faith. There are miracles around us all the time. I cannot see a family fed from a handful of seeds that weigh almost nothing, or learn of the persistence of life in the deep ocean under the worst possible conditions, or see a sapling struggling and succeeding to live in a dollop of dirt in a stone wall and reject faith. This is why, after so many decades, the writings of CS Lewis and Chesterton are so powerful for me.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 12:23 PM (FvdPb)

404 The Nationalists and the Commies were both the bad guys in the Spanish Civil war. Both the Russkies and the Nazis used it as a practice field for the coming war in Mitteleuropa.

The Lincoln Brigade, the misguided American leftists who came to help, were misguided American leftists.

The whole thing was a dog's breakfast.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at January 17, 2016 12:23 PM (1xUj/)

405 395. Interesting, certainly is unique.

Posted by: edmundburkesshade at January 17, 2016 12:23 PM (nUTvL)

406 Meh, call us back if you see some evidence it was killed by humans.

-
Humans. You can't trust those bastards.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 12:23 PM (Nwg0u)

407 As a piece of writing, "The Fountainhead" is a much better book than "Atlas Shrugged", IMHO.

I would never have read "Atlas Shrugged" if I had not read "The Fountainhead" first and liked it. 35 years ago, or something like that.

In her biography, Ayn Rand (Alice Rosenblum) said she got all kinds of letters of support after Fountainhead was published, and the ones she appreciated most were from guys in the service (WWII). One guy who was an Army Air Force pilot in Britain said they took turns reading from the book, and that was the kind of world they hoped for after the war. And this was after at least ten years of Roosevelt's New Deal. You may disaprove of Rand's sometimes overlong prose, but she also wrote in an era in which many of her ideas were strongly disapproved of, and had an awful time getting "The Fountainhead" published. But then, it became a best seller......

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...a rube in America at January 17, 2016 12:26 PM (+1T7c)

408 The Indians were stampeding buffalo into that canyon for thousands of years for mass slaughter.
================

They did the same thing in Z Nation with a horde of zombes. It was sort of neat.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at January 17, 2016 12:29 PM (iQIUe)

409 I thought Fountainhead was awful as a novel.

It's just that the ideas stuck and were unshakeable and confirmed by all sorts of things I hadn't previously noticed.

For me the strength of Fountainhead was its aftereffects.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at January 17, 2016 12:30 PM (1xUj/)

410 I am appalled at the lack of culture on this thread. 100, Retropox, that should go:

Emmie, Emmie, bo-Bemmie, Banana-fana-fo-Femmie, Fee-Fi-Mo-Memmie, Emmie.

Posted by: Tonestaple at January 17, 2016 12:32 PM (RtCTo)

411 Yes to C.S. Lewis and Mere Christianity - I have to say the same for this, although I've never thought about it terms of before and after. The rational approach to Christianity is what made such a deep impression on me. It is easy to dismiss appeals to the heart and sentiment, less so a linear argument.

Posted by: Chris at January 17, 2016 12:34 PM (bpfuQ)

412 404 The Lincoln Brigade, the misguided American leftists who came to help, were misguided American leftists.

The whole thing was a dog's breakfast.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at January 17, 2016 12:23 PM (1xUj/)

When I went into the Navy we had a period in boot camp where we had to fill out a form with questions designed to filter out subversives. One question asked was "Have you ever been a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade". I asked the chief giving the questionnaire who they were since I had never heard of them. He said "if you don't know who they are then you obviously have never been a member".

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 12:34 PM (t2KH5)

413 I try to include a HUGE and well deserved thanks to OregonMuse every few weeks for the Book Thread. It is my favorite part of AOSHQ and something I look forward to every week. I keep the tab open for a few days and go back through it to note the books and topics I want to check into.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 12:35 PM (FvdPb)

414 Yeah I too will have to vote for Atlas Shrugged

Posted by: chemjeff at January 17, 2016 12:40 PM (uZNvH)

415 Modern Times by Paul Johnson was certainly a life changer for me because I was still a lib when I read it in the early1980's.
---
His "Intellectuals" skewered the "rules for me but not for thee" attitude of Our Betters, and really illustrated the disposability of human relationships for these methane gas bags.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 12:40 PM (jR7Wy)

416 Whoops, I meant "rules for thee but not for me"!

My most broken resolution is that I will rereadd mi posts befor hiting "sand"

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 12:42 PM (jR7Wy)

417 BurtTC: This "God" you are fighting might not actually be, you know, God.

As I've often said, when I encounter folks who disbelieve, and ask after what they think God is like, I can pretty much always say, yeah, I wouldn't believe in a God like that, either!

Posted by: mindful webworker - but then... at January 17, 2016 12:42 PM (hgso/)

418 Reading this blog and the Morons has changed my thinking - horrifyingly so.

Posted by: DaveA at January 17, 2016 12:11 PM (DL2i+)

So true. I also learned much more about history since beginning to read here 8 years ago, than in the 30+ before.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 12:43 PM (GDulk)

419 Greetings:

I would like to offer "Comanches: The History of a People" by T,R, Fehrenbach. Originally published back in 1974 before all the nonsense took so much of a hold, I recently came across the book newly titled "Comanches: The Destruction of a People". So there you go. Relentless.

Oh, and I've read the Quanah Parker book and found it to be significantly less of a history and more of a biography.

Posted by: 11B40 at January 17, 2016 12:46 PM (evgyj)

420 I really liked "The Fountainhead". I read it before "Atlas Shrugged", and I thought it was a ripping good read. It had much to say about the media and critics who praise the ugly and stunted over the good and noble.

A lot of people hear the name Ayn Rand and think only of "Atlas Shrugged", but she wrote a couple of other novels. I also liked her first novel, "We the Living", about a young woman living in the Soviet Union in the 1920s. She said many years later that it was the closest she would ever come to writing an autobiography.

She had a hard time getting it published. One publisher told her that she didn't really understand Communism. Yeah, no.

Shortly after reading it, I adopted two kittens, and named them Kira and Leo. Leo died several years ago, but I still have Kira, who will turn 16 neat month.

Posted by: rickl at January 17, 2016 12:46 PM (sdi6R)

421 Late to the tread, as usual.

I've been reading a number of books on management and interviewing techniques, including Interviewing for Dummies .

In a week and a half I interview for a executive position. There is a lot of good competition for the post. I intend to be the selectee.

In my increasing rare down time I watched the Chiefs lose in the playoffs, while rereading Shards of Honor and Barrayar by Lois McMasters Bujold.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at January 17, 2016 12:49 PM (u82oZ)

422 Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 12:34 PM (t2KH5)

They hadn't changed the questions in 30(ish) years?!

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 12:49 PM (GDulk)

423 BurtTC: This "God" you are fighting might not actually be, you know, God.

A lot of people's idea of G-d (Jehovah) is actually Zeus, if you think about it. And Zeus was a spoiled toddler with *way* too much power.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 12:51 PM (GDulk)

424 Books that have left a vivid mark upon my life:

The Books of Genesis and Leviticus - they showed me the law.

The Book of John - It showed me that I can not possibly keep the law, that only grace can cover my lawlessness.

Goodnight Moon - because it soothed my children, and now my grandchildren. Continuity of caring. So simple.

Hop on Pop - it taught my children to read. It is the first book that grandbaby#1 can read all by herself. This is no small thing - to watch someone you love learn the magic of reading.

Thank God for books and the ability to read them.

Posted by: grammie winger, sign of The Time at January 17, 2016 12:53 PM (dFi94)

425 Thank God for books and the ability to read them.
Posted by: grammie winger, sign of The Time at January 17, 2016 12:53 PM (dFi94)
---
A love of books and reading is the greatest gist you can give a child. Once you know how to read you are on the road to independence - if you choose.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 12:55 PM (jR7Wy)

426 There's a new thread. Doesn't mean the book thread dies, but does diminish its attendance somewhat. Or just time moving on does so.

Anyway, thought I'd once again drop a blurb for my little oddity, a science-fictionish webwork, Invulnerable. It's not a book, so it doesn't really qualify for here, but it's mostly text; you also can't buy it because it's free to read. ;D

Link in nick.

Comments may be left on the table of contents page, and there's PayPal buttons on every page, which theoretically work, in case you for some reason think the work is worth a buck, or just want to make a pity donation like you would to a bum on the street with an illegible sign.

Posted by: mindful webworker - he arose from... the subway... at January 17, 2016 12:55 PM (hgso/)

427 gift! Dammit!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at January 17, 2016 12:55 PM (jR7Wy)

428 Greetings, again:

Okay, okay, if you're going to whine, here's my favorite Comanche anecdote.

Back in the 1840s, the Texicans and the Comanche were rubbing up against each other in a pretty awful way. The ever alert Texicans, however, thought that they had discovered an opportunity in the Comanches desire to extract "gifts" from those with whom they came in contact with but hadn't yet killed, scalped, or filled the bowels of with burning embers. So, the local Texican General-in-non-Indian-Chief decided to invite them to a pow-wow meeting and gift-receiving opportunity at the courthouse in old San Antone near where Rose used to live. The Comanches came and those chiefs were invited into the courthouse to extract the giftees, but the General had the doors locked and his troops trooped in and went into their "close quarters combat" routine. with predicable results.

We used to know how to do things. Anybody got a cell number for the Talibunnies ???

Posted by: 11B40 at January 17, 2016 12:59 PM (evgyj)

429 Speaking of "first peoples..."

Somewhere in the catacombs is a thick college volume I picked up and (mostly) read years ago, a history of the Osages. (The county next door is Osage Co., where Frank "66" Phillips made them rich from oil leases.) The book collected oral histories.

IIRC, the book could actually somewhat trace the Osages practically from their crossing the Bering land bridge to their settling in the North-East North America. What I found especially memorable (tricky as my biomemory can be) was that when they got to the NE NAm, they encountered indigenous people who had come in from the other direction - the Eskimos or relatives, I think.

Or my flaky mind may be making the whole thing up. It was a while ago.

Posted by: mindful webworker - in the Land of the Red Man at January 17, 2016 01:01 PM (hgso/)

430 422 They hadn't changed the questions in 30(ish) years?!

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 12:49 PM (GDulk)

More like 40 years then and I'll bet they are still asking the same crap now.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 01:03 PM (t2KH5)

431 There's a new thread. Doesn't mean the book thread
dies, but does diminish its attendance somewhat. Or just time moving on
does so.

Anyway, thought I'd once again drop a blurb for my little oddity, a science-fictionish webwork, Invulnerable.
It's not a book, so it doesn't really qualify for here, but it's mostly
text; you also can't buy it because it's free to read. ;D

Link in nick.

Comments may be left on the table of contents page, and there's
PayPal buttons on every page, which theoretically work, in case you for
some reason think the work is worth a buck, or just want to make a pity
donation like you would to a bum on the street with an illegible sign.

Posted by: mindful webworker - he arose from... the subway... at January 17, 2016 12:55 PM (hgso/)

But it does cut down on he non-book related stuff.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 01:04 PM (t2KH5)

432 Posted by: mindful webworker - in the Land of the Red Man at January 17, 2016 01:01 PM (hgso/)

My paternal grandmother lived on the Oklahoma Osage reservation as a kid. They weren't Osage, but her dad wrote a history of Oklahoma (and I'm blanking on his name) that was used as a textbook there for a while. One of the last old-time chiefs would sit in a place they had to pass to get to school and she said he scared them silly in all his traditional regalia.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 17, 2016 01:06 PM (GDulk)

433 Afternoon all readers, both at sea and land, in the air, and beyond the Ether.

Busily writing and was wondering about putting out another story collection that includes Combat Meido Alice. But with a twist. Add the first chapter of Golden Isis with link to buy actual book, add in story from Alexandria, and the opening to my current San Francisco based story.

Would that be a good thing?

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2016 01:14 PM (xKFP+)

434 "Hi!" he said on the Sunday Morning Book thread as asked.
You're welcome.

Posted by: Ostar at January 17, 2016 01:30 PM (tHQJo)

435 Most recently read: Wrangham, __Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human__ . While it gets a little preachy in the last chapter, people who like to read evolutionary biology and physical anthropology will enjoy this book.

Changed my life: Quine, __From a Logical Point of View__, specifically the essays "On What There Is" and "Two Dogmas of Empiricism". I read this fifty years ago, at age 16, and I remember being depressed for two weeks, such was the wrenching readjustment "Two Dogmas ..." compelled.

Posted by: Malcolm Kirkpatrick at January 17, 2016 01:33 PM (IbUUZ)

436 Me: There's a new thread. Doesn't mean the book thread dies, but does diminish its attendance somewhat....

Vic: But it does cut down on he non-book related stuff.

The book thread stays on-topic about as well as any thread (save maybe football) and doesn't get too much of the usual open thread chatter, and sometimes book talk does just lead in to other topics, but, yeah, maybe they should put up an open thread sooner?

Hmm... Unless... by non-book-related stuff you were referring to the rest of my blurb about Invulnerable?

Posted by: mindful webworker - book marque at January 17, 2016 01:48 PM (hgso/)

437 436 Hmm... Unless... by non-book-related stuff you were referring to the rest of my blurb about Invulnerable?

Posted by: mindful webworker - book marque at January 17, 2016 01:48 PM (hgso/)

Back when Monty first started the book thread he used to enforce the "on topic" rule strictly. That has since withered away. I don't even comment on it anymore.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 01:54 PM (t2KH5)

438 Rickly, not only Sputnik but a model of the X-29 FSW test plane is hanging in that library.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2016 01:55 PM (xKFP+)

439 Posted by: Skandia Recluse at January 17, 2016 11:01 AM (HrDHj)

You might like to see Temple Grandin's movie as well, not quite as upbeat but I found it fascinating.

http://astore.amazon.com/aoshq-20/detail/B007Q35PLI

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 17, 2016 01:56 PM (wYnyS)

440 All Hail Eris, The Long Afternoon of the Earth by Aldiss. That is a bit of a classic in its own right. Photosynthesize and all.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2016 01:57 PM (xKFP+)

441 Wondering how many of you juggle books (reading more than 1 at a time), and if so how many?
Posted by: Skip
--------------

I try not to do that, but it happens, generally, when I am not too engaged with one or the other. At any rate, when it does, the books are separated to different locations. Maybe one on the coffee table where I might read rather than watching TV, and the other on the bedside table.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 02:04 PM (n22zQ)

442 POLITICS
Bernie Sanders Defends His Health Against Recent Attack From Clinton Ally: 'Thank God I Am Very Healthy'

-
Hmm. I guess he means physically.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 02:08 PM (Nwg0u)

443 Speaking of anti-submarine warfare...."The Cruel Sea" is a magnificent novel about a British corvette in the Atlantic during WWII. It was written by Nicholas Monsarrat, who also began, but never finished a series called "Master Mariner."

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo
------------

Thnx. I think I have read it, will have to check the bookshelf.

You might enjoy 'The Good Shepherd', C.S. Forester:

"The Good Shepherd is literally the USN Commander of an Allied convoy in the darkest days of WWII."

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 02:09 PM (n22zQ)

444 Nobel savage? Isn't that Paul Krugman?

Posted by: The Great White Snark at January 17, 2016 02:11 PM (Nwg0u)

445 Not that the book changed my life, but the place it describes did: "A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back" by Kevin Hazzard centers around his time with Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services, the very poster child of what a rough, gang and drug infested urban crack-hell of a "knife and gun club" EMS is like. I spent three years as an EMT there in the early 1980s, and Hazzard gives a blisteringly accurate portrayal of what the place is like these days.

He does say some nice things about the "dinosaurs of EMS" of my generation of medics, and admits things aren't as bad today as they were back when Atlanta was the "murder capital of the world," but it's still a harrowing place. A great read, possibly the best EMS memoir out there. Not that there are that many others to compare to, EMS really is the forgotten step-cousin of the emergency services.

Posted by: John the Baptist at January 17, 2016 02:12 PM (MPH+3)

446 "The Good Shepherd is literally the USN Commander of an Allied convoy in the darkest days of WWII."
Posted by: Mike Hammer
------------

Here's a copy, used paperback, $3.48 and FREE SHIPPING.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 02:12 PM (n22zQ)

447 It changed everything.

Posted by: mindful webworker - get thee behind me! at January 17, 2016 11:39 AM (hgso/)

Thanks for posting that.

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 17, 2016 02:14 PM (wYnyS)

448 Here's a copy, used paperback, $3.48 and FREE SHIPPING.
Posted by: Mike Hammer,

-----
A link would help, no?
http://tinyurl.com/z46ehag

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 02:16 PM (n22zQ)

449
From the author info for the bearseks book comes these howlers --

Gina Jordan has recently published, "For One Night Only", which is more of a traditional erotica but with rough human sex in it. Jordan will be publishing a series of Popcorn Porn books beginning in January 2016, debuting with "Attack of the Space Slut" and "If They Only Knew." If there is a demand for it, Jordan will write a sequel to "Unbearable Love"

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 17, 2016 02:18 PM (BK3ZS)

450 So effective were the Comanches that they forced the creation of the Texas Rangers and account for the advent of the new weapon specifically designed to fight them: the six-gun.
---------------

Book Thread jumps the shark, into a Gun Thread.
See: The Colt Walker

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 17, 2016 02:19 PM (n22zQ)

451 THE book on peaceable pre-industrial peoples living in harmony with others and the environment is War Before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage. The author is a serious archaeologist who finally cracked and realized the enormity of the sites he was excavating. He does an excellent and well researched job of disabusing the reader of the romantic notions of primitive man.

Posted by: Ronsonic at January 17, 2016 02:30 PM (yIVBh)

452 I generally juggle my reading, at least two books unless one requires full attention. CS Lewis and GK Chesterton qualify for full attention. There are always magazines around and I enjoy them so much I try not to go through them quickly so they get spread out until the next issue. Then there are the instructional books for hobbies like wood carving, fly tying, reloading, or art that I dip into as the mood hits.

Sure helps to be retired.

Posted by: JTB at January 17, 2016 02:38 PM (FvdPb)

453 Attack of the Space Slut??

You've come a long way baby.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2016 02:39 PM (7cLaW)

454 I long for a Vincent Black Lightning, bought freely on the open market, of course.
Posted by: Ddad99
-------------

Stay away from Brough's, bro.

Posted by: T.E. Lawrence. at January 17, 2016 02:42 PM (oFSUK)

455 The C S Forester and Nicolas Montserrat references remined me that my Uncle was on the Murmansk run in tough days of WW II. He didn't talk about it.

I remember at one time reading several authors that wrote novels about the US Merchant Marine before it was pretty much destroyed, but I can't remember the names of any of them.

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 17, 2016 02:46 PM (wYnyS)

456 Never read Tristam Shandy; I suppose I should put it on the list. I read about half of Tom Jones and kind of got bored with it.
Posted by: Trimegistus
--------------

Mike Hammer's Cat is named Toby, after Tristram's uncle.

BTW, when you get to the portion written in Greek, send me a translation.

Posted by: T.E. Lawrence. at January 17, 2016 02:47 PM (oFSUK)

457 So Lawrence of Arabia has stolen Hammer's cat??

That could be a book. Especially when the two raid the sheik's harem.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2016 02:49 PM (7cLaW)

458 I loved Lewis's defense of patriotism in his essays I think in Screwtape.

Posted by: pj at January 17, 2016 03:08 PM (cHuNI)

459 Neutron Star by Larry Niven

A Christmas present from an aunt when I was a kid. My first real taste of sci-fi. Once I started reading the genre, I couldn't get enough.

I blame those subversive ideas for my libertarian tendencies today.
http://tinyurl.com/zfjwy8o

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at January 17, 2016 03:12 PM (R+30W)

460 Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at January 17, 2016 03:12 PM (R+30W)

Sounds like another one I should add to the stack, although if I recall correctly, I tried one of the Ringworld series and just couldn't get into it.

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 17, 2016 03:31 PM (wYnyS)

461 It's too bad Sowell isn't the head of the Federal Reserve Board.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy

He's already said on more than one occasion that he would eradicate it entirely.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at January 17, 2016 03:45 PM (W0RfD)

462 Well, I finished that second book I was working on in the Spellsong Cycle. I am not going to the 3rd book which originally was intended to end the trilogy.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 03:46 PM (t2KH5)

463 Book that influenced me forever in the 1990s was "Handbook to Higher Consciousness" by Ken Keyes. It's a hippie book. The book mainly told me that other people's actions were not about me and not to take everything personally. I was neurotically thinking people were doing stuff because of me. They were not.

Posted by: microcosme at January 17, 2016 04:10 PM (8QCtS)

464 Posted by: Hrothgar at January 17, 2016 03:31 PM (wYnyS)

I think Ringworld works better once you are into Niven's Known Space series. Neutron Star is a good intro. Of course, if you really want to get into it, first you have to decide whether to read the stories based on the timeline in the series or the date of publication.

http://www.chronology.org/niven/

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at January 17, 2016 04:23 PM (R+30W)

465 test

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 17, 2016 04:33 PM (wYnyS)

466 Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at January 17, 2016 04:23 PM (R+30W)

Thanks for the perspective, it's very helpful, I'll give NS a second look.

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 17, 2016 04:34 PM (wYnyS)

467 Downloaded Michael Crichton's "State of Fear". It was only 5 bucks and I just finished "Micro" last week which I thought was pretty good. I have read this one before in dead tree format. I loved the ending and figured it will be good for another shot on the Kindle.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at January 17, 2016 04:43 PM (t2KH5)

468 @377 I long for a Vincent Black Lightning

Bring oil. Lots and lots of oil.
I've met two-strokes that use less.

Lawrence said that if what he had was the Brough-Superior, he'd hate to think what a Brough Inferior would be like.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at January 17, 2016 04:47 PM (xq1UY)

469 463 Book that influenced me forever in the 1990s was "Handbook to Higher Consciousness" by Ken Keyes. It's a hippie book. The book mainly told me that other people's actions were not about me and not to take everything personally. I was neurotically thinking people were doing stuff because of me. They were not.
Posted by: microcosme at January 17, 2016 04:10 PM (8QCtS)

Wow. I think I remember seeing this book back in the 1970s. So it's been around for awhile. If it helped you realize that people weren't necessarily doing things because of you, that's a valuable lesson.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 05:01 PM (qppoh)

470 OM - Just passing this along in case you didn't see it at Instapundit: Gen. Mattis on the importance of Marines reading.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/cztrw72

Posted by: Lizzy at January 17, 2016 07:10 PM (NOIQH)

471 Thanks, Lizzy

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 17, 2016 07:56 PM (qppoh)

472 Books that changed my life:

Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel - the nugget at the end about luck and preparation

Mere Christianity - the woman who insists on her toast =just so=

Atlas Shrugged - I was in a dysfunctional, shame-oriented organization and the realization of forced altruism and going on strike - wow.

Falling Free, Lois Bujold:
""This is how guilt-free genocide is handled. One administrator passes you on to the next, and him to the next, and him to the next. You become a routine expense on the inventory. Expenses rise, as they always do. In response your support employees are gradually withdrawn, and the agency names you 'self-sufficient.' Life support equipment deteriorates with age. Breakdowns happen more and more often, maintenance and resupply become more and more erratic.

""Then one night - without anybody ever giving an order or pulling a trigger - some critical breakdown occurs. You send a call for help. Nobody knows who you are. Nobody knows what to do. Those who placed you there are all long gone. No hero takes initiative, initiative having been drained by administrative bitching and black hints. The investigating inspector, after counting the bodies, discovers with relief that you were merely cripples. The books are quietly closed on the project. Finis. Wrap. It might take twenty years, or only five or ten. You are simply forgotten to death.""

Posted by: My clarinet's name is Oscar, thank you at January 17, 2016 08:42 PM (Wk1K/)

473 The Shawnee were not exactly offering hot cocoa to settlers in Kentucky...

Posted by: Cicero Kaboom! Kid at January 17, 2016 10:17 PM (TpR7w)

474 Hi. I want join the book thing on GoodReads. I should be qualified as I drink Valu Rite vodka while huntin' hobos. Allegedly.

Posted by: Jeff the Connecticut Texan at January 19, 2016 05:46 PM (Y4euC)

475 Book that changed my life was Dennis Prager's "Think a Second Time" Really changed a number of assumptions in life. And shortly afterwards I discovered another book of his, "Happiness is a Serious Problem." This was the follow up one two punch that sent my life in a completely different direction.

Posted by: Noelemite at January 21, 2016 03:34 AM (3+vNM)

Processing 0.08, elapsed 0.1122 seconds.
14 queries taking 0.044 seconds, 483 records returned.
Page size 303 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.