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      CommentAuthorStavroula
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2010 edited
    Are you talking about the the Drenai saga? I haven't but I think I should. Do you recommend it Tim?
    Whatever you gaze rests on,do not use your vision, but the eyes of your soul...She knows better...
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2010
    Yes! DEFINITELY!!! Excellently written, full of great characters that, most importantly you really care for....or hate with a vengence, but Gemmell makes his characters multi-layered too.

    Start with LEGEND* ( the first book ) which can be read as a singhular novel in it's own right and then if you like it you can continue from there.

    * for those that may not know, it has nothing to do with Ridley Scott's film of the same title.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMar 13th 2010
    Highly recommend the Larsson book "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," the first of a trilogy. I've yet to see the movie but am looking forward to it.
    Thomas
    listen to more classical music!
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      CommentAuthorMartijn
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2010
    A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

    Apparently mr. Bryson is a travel author of some repute, and the story goes that one day, while on a plane over the ocean, he realized he didn't have the first clue why the oceans were saline. And the questions multiplied from there: how do we measure the circumference of the earth? How do we navigate? How did the whole damn thing get started in the first place? And, most importantly, how do we know?

    So armed with these questions and a healthy inquisitive mind that never stopped asking "why" until he was satisfied, he visited slews of long-suffering scientists with buddhist monks' patience, and wrote this book.

    Now obviously it's hardly a history of everything.
    What it is though, is a highly entertaining and quite engrossing read ona popular science level that touches upon many (though certainly not all) of occidental physics' accomplishments and finds, interlaced with fascinating background stores and anecdotes of some of the most powerful minds in history (Leibnitz, Newton, Einstein to name but a few).

    Obviously it's not a text book, and many an academic scholar has found fault with it (mainly in the fields of oversimplification or lack of reverence, the latter of which amuses me no end! As if science is a temple or woek of art!). But I must admit I find Bryson's bright, sprightly writing style, completely devoid of irony or cynicism, a breath of fresh air.

    If you're not a hardcore physics buff (like me) and yet are interested in all things that surround us and at the very least enjoys broadening your horizons and being seduced into new avenues of knowledge (like me), you could do a lot worse than to curl up with this enjoyable and broadly informative book.
    At the very, very least you'll come away entertained.
    'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2010
    I enjoyed that book immensely Martijn, I've also read some of his travel books which are highly entertaining, funny and astutely observant.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2010
    I was never able to finish that book. Too much historical context and not enough scientific explanations for my liking (I am a hardcore physics buff, but by no means an expert).
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      CommentAuthorMartijn
    • CommentTimeMay 6th 2010
    That's exactly the thing I find charming: context, to me, is (almost) everything.
    To me understanding how and why someone came to a certain action or deduction or theory, or the era which facilitated (or indeed combatted) such insights is of intense interest to me.

    I find the scientific explanations (so far; haven't finished it yet) sufficient enough to quench my initial thirst. I'm sure that if there are any subjects that happen to catch my more than glancing interest I'll find more in-depth, non-popular text books toi help me understand them, but so far this'll do me just fine. smile
    'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn
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      CommentAuthorBregt
    • CommentTimeMay 6th 2010
    That sounds like a book I'd like as well!
    Kazoo
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      CommentAuthorStavroula
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010 edited
    I've just finished Victoria Hislop's The Island which was quite enjoyable I should say. It is about the story of a family and its ties to the island of Spinalonga, just outside the coast of Crete, which was used as Greece's leper colony until 1953.

    Now I have two books on my nightstand. The first one is The Spartans: An epic History by Paul Cartledge, conserning the myth of Sparti starting from 1200 BC until the fall of Sparti in 331 BC. And the second one is The Templars and the Assassins by James Wasserman which ia historical novel revealing the hidden connection of these two opposing "armies of God" as they are so often called.
    Whatever you gaze rests on,do not use your vision, but the eyes of your soul...She knows better...
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
    Over the last few months I've ripped through...

    The Last Kingdom
    The Pale Horseman
    The Lords of The North
    Sword Song
    The Burning Land

    All by Bernard Cornwell following the exploits of Uhtred of Bebbanberg in 9th century Saxon/Viking Britain, a great combination of fact & fiction that I find unputdownable, now I have to wait for him to write the next book in this ongoing saga.

    Now I'm reading Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There - Travels In Europe which is hughly entertaining and at times laugh out loud funny.

    Stavi, did you try any of the Drenai novels?
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
    You're a fast reader, Tim! Or is it just because the material is pretty easy to read?
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
    I've never read any of those Tim
    listen to more classical music!
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010 edited
    Thor wrote
    You're a fast reader, Tim! Or is it just because the material is pretty easy to read?


    Compared to my girl Mel and some other friends of mine I would say I'm slow to average.

    But yes, these books are easy reading ( and even educational ). I think you'd find the Cornwell books interesting, he's a fine writer and he gets his Historical facts right.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMay 24th 2010
    There is a new book I'm dying to get my hands on about the prohibition era in the U.S. You couple this with a new Ken Burns documentary on the very same topic and this is going to be one interesting subject.
    listen to more classical music!
  1. I would like to recommend the book Columbine by Dave Cullen to anyone interested in learned about what actually happened there. In case you didn't hear about it, Columbine High School was the scene of the largest public school shooting rampage ever in the U.S. It happened back in April of 1999, I think. Turns out everything I thought I knew about that day is wrong.... This book is an eye-opener. Cullen spent 10 years interviewing and pouring over police reports and other primary sources and has put together a telling of events that is both fascinating and infuriating. I can't see a better book on the (admittedly grisly) subject ever being written.
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      CommentAuthorLSH
    • CommentTimeMay 24th 2010
    Martijn wrote
    A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

    ...


    I read his travel book on Australia just before I went there two years(!) ago and I found it to be a very entertaining read. Finished it in about three days.
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJun 12th 2010
    Timmer wrote
    Over the last few months I've ripped through...

    The Last Kingdom
    The Pale Horseman
    The Lords of The North
    Sword Song
    The Burning Land

    All by Bernard Cornwell following the exploits of Uhtred of Bebbanberg in 9th century Saxon/Viking Britain, a great combination of fact & fiction that I find unputdownable, now I have to wait for him to write the next book in this ongoing saga.

    Now I'm reading Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There - Travels In Europe which is hughly entertaining and at times laugh out loud funny.

    Stavi, did you try any of the Drenai novels?


    After a very short break from reading I've just read Michael Crichton's THE PIRATE LATITUDES which I think would make a fine swashbuckling film full of bloody battles, cutthroat back stabbers, treasure, galleons, cannibals, a Kraken and a double crossing villain...very cliched really.

    As a book this was appalling and very badly written, unfortunately I've felt that way about ALL the Crichton books I've read ( Eaters of The Dead, Jurassic Park, The Lost World and Timeline ).....just why I torture myself I really don't know.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeJul 8th 2010
    I'm reading a book called EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES by Lynne Truss. A great book about puncuation.
    listen to more classical music!
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJul 8th 2010
    'punctuation' even, Tom. biggrin
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeJul 8th 2010
    yup
    listen to more classical music!
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      CommentAuthorStavroula
    • CommentTimeOct 12th 2010 edited
    Back to my university training roots! The Tempest by William Shakespeare. The is no quote more powerful for me than this:
    Prospero:
    Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
    As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
    Are melted into air, into thin air:
    And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
    The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,
    The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
    Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
    And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
    Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
    As dreams are made on
    ; and our little life
    Is rounded with a sleep.
    Whatever you gaze rests on,do not use your vision, but the eyes of your soul...She knows better...
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2011 edited
    *voice of thread*

    'here I am Tom, over here' rolleyes

    The thread is just called 'Books' now Tom, try and remember that. wink
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2011
    I'll try to remember Tim, thanks.

    This book the Ugly American is certainly an eye opener for me. Our behavior and policy making was pretty dumb ass. But then I guess we've been that way for a long time. Hated by the Brits, Euro, Orient, Soviet Union, Mexico, and the list goes on and on.
    Thomas
    listen to more classical music!
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2011 edited
    I'm currently reading Swedish-Finnish author Kjell Westö's FAREN VED Å VÆRE SKRAKE (The Danger of Being a Skrake), his 2000 book that was nominated and won several awards. It's basically a family saga written in a very oral, stream-of-consciousness-type style. It varies in quality. Some excellent sections with lots of details and atmosphere, others where he goes overboard in those selfsame details and all kinds of irrelevant, random points. There doesn't really seem to be a story per se.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2011 edited
    And now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

    Namely FAR HORIZONS, a classic sci fi compendium edited by Robert Silverberg, which includes short-stories by famous sci fi authors where they get to visit their famous universe once more. It's been sitting on my shelf for more than 10 years, but I've never really found the time or interest to start it, for whatever reason.

    It's in English, but it's quite accessible reading (even though some of the 'worlds' and writing styles aren't my cup of tea).
    I am extremely serious.
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeMar 11th 2011
    Thor wrote
    And now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

    Namely FAR HORIZONS, a classic sci fi compendium edited by Robert Silverberg, which includes short-stories by famous sci fi authors where they get to visit their famous universe once more. It's been sitting on my shelf for more than 10 years, but I've never really found the time or interest to start it, for whatever reason.

    It's in English, but it's quite accessible reading (even though some of the 'worlds' and writing styles aren't my cup of tea).


    I have it too, for many years......still unread.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorBregje
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2011
    After reading a short writing on Ryle and Turing, I got the recommendation to read Dennett and Hofstadter. Well, I just started reading Consciousness Explained (Dennett) and I love it so far. It is about cognitive science and philosophy of mind.

    I also got Freedom Evolves (Dennett), and two books by Hofstadter from the library, but it's really stupid of me to take so many pages at home with me for six weeks, because I probably can't even finish one of those in six weeks.
    wink

    Anyway, The Mind's I (Dennett & Hofstadter) seems really interesting, but weird enough my library doesn't have it. Anyone read that one? It's a collection of essays about the mind and the self and it should be fascinating, I'm sure.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2011
    Bregje wrote
    Anyway, The Mind's I (Dennett & Hofstadter) seems really interesting, but weird enough my library doesn't have it. Anyone read that one? It's a collection of essays about the mind and the self and it should be fascinating, I'm sure.


    Great title for a book!
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorBregje
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2011
    Funny you mention that.
    The little book I read that gave me the recommendation spelled it wrong: The Mind's Eye!!
    When I searched the library for The Mind's Eye I found out it was actually The Mind's I. Good title indeed.
    smile
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      CommentAuthorMartijn
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2011
    My reading speed has trailed down to an absolute crawl.
    Did I easily average four books a week in my youth, now I can't manage one book in four weeks. sad

    Seems I even have to plan reading time now, and that's not something that is making me particuilarly happy.
    'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn