What book are you reading?

Morpheus

Professional
From time to time, I play Amazon roulette and pick up a book based solely on its title.

I just started reading, "Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple." Who could resist a title like that? Unfortunately (for me) the book begins with the following two sentences:

"The Central Nervous System (CNS) includes the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord (fig. 1) plus a few scary-sounding structures situated between the brain stem and cerebrum; namely, the diencephalon (Which includes everything with the name "thalamus;" i.e., the thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus and subthalamus) and the basal ganglia (which includes the caudate nucleus, the global pallidus, the putamen, claustrum, and amygdala). Fortunately, it is clinically unimportant to have a detailed understanding of the connections of the diencephalon and basal ganglia."

(Thank goodness. I doubt I could have read on had they explained the dreaded connections between the diencephalon and basal ganglia.).

Anyone have any recommendations for my next read? What are you reading now?
 

MTChong

Professional
I'm reading:
The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
The Tycoons by Charles R. Morris
Walden: A Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau

I can't tell you that I just choose them based on the title; the first was off a recommendation. It deals with the superstring theory and explains the basis of it. The Tycoons is about Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gould, and Morgan; and Walden is, well, Walden.

In terms of recommendations, I haven't read too many books, but it would help to know what types of books you like to read. I just finished Grisham's The Partner (my first Grisham novel by the way), and I thought it was pretty good (I'm interested in law, too, so that might be the reason behind it). Freakonomics by Levitt was also a real interesting read; this one, I would definitely recommend.
 

Morpheus

Professional
MTChong said:
I'm reading:
The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
The Tycoons by Charles R. Morris
Walden: A Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau

I can't tell you that I just choose them based on the title; the first was off a recommendation. It deals with the superstring theory and explains the basis of it. The Tycoons is about Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gould, and Morgan; and Walden is, well, Walden.

In terms of recommendations, I haven't read too many books, but it would help to know what types of books you like to read. Freakonomics by Levitt was also a real interesting read; this one, I would definitely recommend.

Isn't that a coincidence. I have in front of me the DVD (as seen on public television) of "The Elegant Universe." I am into science and this was a gift.

Freakonomics was an interesting read. Grisham has fast moving plots (but he tends to butcher the language with phrases like "he had a massive chip on his shoulder." (from The Firm).

I am looking for interesting books that I wouldn't normally pick out.
 

joe

New User
David Foster Wallace

Try David Foster Wallace's A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again. It's a collection of essay's which includes a superb piece on his experience playing competitive tennis as a junior in Illinois and surrounding states back in the early eighties or thereabouts. He also wrote a piece for Harper's magazine a few years back about a journeyman pro named Michael Joyce (remember him?) and his trials of life on the tour, specifially the week of the Canadian Open in Montreal. It's an awesome work written by a tennis player who understands the nuances of the game and the life of the pros. Peter Bodo is good but DFW simply mesemerizes.
 

Geppetto

New User
I'm about 200 pages into The Kite Runner, a novel written as a first-person retrospective, with the main character recalling his growing up in Afghanistan, etc. Excellent storyline, IMO, and very educational to boot.
 

RiosTheGenius

Hall of Fame
serveitup911 said:
I'm reading "Vector Calculus" by Colley and "No paso Nada" by Skarmeta
how do you like Skarmeta??...I have never gotten a hold of any of his books, but I'm curious.... is he kinda like Jose Saramago?

whiel where there.... I'm currently reading "Ensayo Sobre la Seguera" by Saramago (highly recommend any of his books, he's awesome.... I think the English version is called "Blindness"
 

RiosTheGenius

Hall of Fame
ProStaffTour90 said:
I'm still trying to get into The Da Vinci Code.

Can't get past the terrible writing though, finding it a bit of a chore.
drop it, not worth it if you're not into it. I found it a bit cryptic. Brown is very implicit, and when you're dealing with complex history figures or myths ( i this case fiction) , you should be more explicit as the book was pretty long. it's just my opinion.... you better read "Seeing" by Saramago..... he tells you truth flat out and he's very colorful with his language
 

slewisoh

Semi-Pro
Never seem to be reading just one book, so here is a partial list...

One Man's Meat by E.B. White - timely collection of essays dating back to rise of Hitler. Many issues/observations that are relevant today.

The Geese of Beaver Bog, by Bernd Heinrich. Naturalist's observations in a narrative form. Pleasant read and a nice break from the other stuff I tend to read.

Religions of American, edited by Leo Rosten. Christianity, neatly packaged.

Still Looking, Essays on American Art, by John Updike

A Good Man is Hard to Find, and other short stories by Flannery O'Conner

When my insomnia is really bad, I pick up Founding Mothers, by Cokie Roberts. I so wanted to like this book...

The E.B. White essays are my favorite. Like to read a bit and then chew on the ideas for a while.
 

MTChong

Professional
Morpheus said:
Isn't that a coincidence. I have in front of me the DVD (as seen on public television) of "The Elegant Universe." I am into science and this was a gift.

Freakonomics was an interesting read. Grisham has fast moving plots (but he tends to butcher the language with phrases like "he had a massive chip on his shoulder." (from The Firm).

I am looking for interesting books that I wouldn't normally pick out.

Yeah, with respect to Grisham, I noticed some of that, too; but it's fine with me as I read his novels solely for leisure - no thought going into it.

Yeah, The Elegant Universe is definitely good so far (only about halfway through); I'm thinking about his other book next: The Fabric of the Cosmos.

I'm not sure if you'd enjoy them, but I read about titles in my US History class such as Uncle Tom's Cabin, Walden, The Federalist Papers, etc. So far, I've read parts of Walden and the first twenty or so papers; and they're actually not that bad - pretty good read.

In terms of fiction, I'm a big fan of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series; but I haven't gotten around to checking out his latest book with all the AP Tests that I just finished and with the tennis season coming to a close. He's definitely worth checking out if you have read The Lord of the Rings and enjoyed that; I found that there were many parallels, but Jordan really creates a whole new universe.

Any suggestions from yourself?
 

serveitup911

Semi-Pro
Rios,

I can't really compare Skarmeta because I don't read much in Spanish. However, "No paso nada" is a short, dramatic novel about a young boy's experiences when his family is exiled from Chile and goes to Germany. It is not too political, but definitely is against Pinochet.
 

Freedom

Professional
I really like the Left Behind series. I've only gotten hold of Books 1 & 2 though. If anyone has them and wants to get rid of them, drop me an email!
 

rounick

Semi-Pro
Douglas Adams'
"Mostly Harmless"
THE HITCH HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
Volume 5 in the trilogy of five
 

atatu

Legend
I'm trying to finish The World is Flat by Michael Freidman, but it's slow going. I know I should read it, but I'm not that into it. I read The Kite Runner a few months ago and thought it was fantastic, the best book I've read in some time...
 

max

Legend
simi: yeah, I'm in the middle of Plutarch's Lives, too, the Clough translation. Problem I'm running into is the edition I have is printed with tiny type on thin paper, making everything gray and hard to read and so I fall asleep!

Recently checked out American Theocracy from the library. Kevin Phillips, the author, is especially good with discussing those kinds of political questions we Americans don't like to mention, like wealth and income.

Also, anyone tired of the Da Vinci Code already? I keep hearing so much about it. I read the book, it's a fine thriller, ala Jaws, but not very accurate in its art history or church history, but, heck, it's just FICTION, not some grand revelation. People are on a conspiracy jag anymore.
 

Freedom

Professional
max said:
Also, anyone tired of the Da Vinci Code already? I keep hearing so much about it. I read the book, it's a fine thriller, ala Jaws, but not very accurate in its art history or church history, but, heck, it's just FICTION, not some grand revelation. People are on a conspiracy jag anymore.

I loved the book, but people are reading into it way too deeply. It's entertainment, for chrissakes.
 
"The Porking of Pelham 1, 2, 3" by Ben Dover (Forward by LarrHall)

"The Connoissuer's 'Do's and Don't" Guide to Beastiality in the Deep-South" by Rabbit

"Moose In the Caboose" by Frodo Bagless








(re-reading)

"The Teachings of Don Juan; A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" by Carlos Castaneda
 

GeauxTigers

New User
Sir, we in the Deep South...

Dedans Penthouse said:
"

"The Connoissuer's 'Do's and Don't" Guide to Beastiality in the Deep-South" by Rabbit
(re-reading)



Don't author books on animal buggery, and we can spell "connoisseur" correctly, to boot.
 
GeauxTigers said:
Don't author books on animal buggery, and we can spell "connoisseur" correctly, to boot.
Well maybe you can spell it correctly.

"Liten" up Bayou Bengal..........er, suh.......

(fyi: the Deep-South ref. was a private joke w/ a Dixie friend--mutual "chop bustin'")
 

GeauxTigers

New User
Guess I should have included a smiley...

Dedans Penthouse said:
Well maybe you can spell it correctly.

"Liten" up Bayou Bengal..........er, suh.......

(fyi: the Deep-South ref. was a private joke w/ a Dixie friend--mutual "chop bustin'")


I was gonna say it was more of an oral tradition, but i suppose that would have been over the top. Just talkin' smack!
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
Dedans Penthouse said:
"The Porking of Pelham 1, 2, 3" by Ben Dover (Forward by LarrHall)

"The Connoissuer's 'Do's and Don't" Guide to Beastiality in the Deep-South" by Rabbit

"Moose In the Caboose" by Frodo Bagless








(re-reading)

"The Teachings of Don Juan; A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" by Carlos Castaneda

I see that Dedans Penthouse has attributed a literary work to me that was not of my making, or thank goodness my experience. I am glad to know that such topics interest him, but also find that I have to file this under TMI or Too Much Information.

I can understand his interest, however let us not confuse Animal Husbandry with a practice more suited to residents of the northern clime where Dedans resides. It is they who felt the need to warm themselves both appropriately and inappropriately with the sheep it was their charge to watch over.

In fact, I'm about to start the first volume of the T. Roosevelt biography by Edmund Morris having just finished the second. Yes, I read them out of order. After that, I have a biography of Ike Eisenhower with Mark Twain to follow. After that, I'm going to find myself a good Winston Churchill book to read. I can't decide if it's one on his life, or one he wrote.
 
Last edited:
Dedans Penthouse said:
"The Porking of Pelham 1, 2, 3" by Ben Dover (Forward by LarrHall)

"The Connoissuer's 'Do's and Don't" Guide to Beastiality in the Deep-South" by Rabbit

"Moose In the Caboose" by Frodo Bagless

LarrHall writing the forward to porking anything is scary, and we are animals in the Deep South (ie, the Rabbit and the rare southern Moose), as for the Moose Caboose, no time to read, must run.......
running%20moose.gif
 
I travel a lot for work so I always have a book handy to pass the time at airports. It's either that or the safety cards in the airplanes. ;)

Some books I've read recently and enjoyed

Non-fiction:
Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the Mind - Charles Nicholl
The Fifties - David Halberstam
Big Bang: Origin of the Universe - Simon Singh
Walking the Bible - Bruce Feiler

Fiction:
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
 

MegacedU

Professional
I'm currently reading a couple:
Emma - Jane Austen (Later on came Clueless, one of my personal favorites)
The A-List 6 :Some Like it Hot - Zoe Dean.
 

Phil

Hall of Fame
Rabbit said:
I see that Dedans Penthouse has attributed a literary work to me that was not of my making, or thank goodness my experience. I am glad to know that such topics interest him, but also find that I have to file this under TMI or Too Much Information.

I can understand his interest, however let us not confuse Animal Husbandry with a practice more suited to residents of the northern clime where Dedans resides. It is they who felt the need to warm themselves both appropriately and inappropriately with the sheep it was their charge to watch over.

In fact, I'm about to start the first volume of the T. Roosevelt biography by Edmnund Morris having just finished the second. Yes, I read them out of order. After that, I have a biography of Ike Eisenhower with Mark Twain to follow. After that, I'm going to find myself a good Winston Churchill book to read. I can't decide if it's one on his life, or one he wrote.

Hey, Rabbit, don't knock the sheep thing until you've tried it...it's an acquired taste for us Yankees;)

Churchill is actually a fine writer/stylist; you won't be disappointed in his works.

Me? I'm re-reading my, uhmmm...back...issues of Penthouse Forum. The stuff never seems dated, and is always a delightful read. "I never thought I would be writing this and you'll never believe this, but..."
 

Morpheus

Professional
rounick said:
Douglas Adams'
"Mostly Harmless"
THE HITCH HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
Volume 5 in the trilogy of five

Douglas Adams is (was) a god!

Based on this small survey, tennis players appear to be quite literate (although I wish more of it would show up in our postings;) ).
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
tonysk83 said:
Just started reading Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre

I thought anything Jean Paul wrote was nauseating.... :)

Phil said:
Me? I'm re-reading my, uhmmm...back...issues of Penthouse Forum. The stuff never seems dated, and is always a delightful read. "I never thought I would be writing this and you'll never believe this, but..."

LMAO
 

bluegrasser

Hall of Fame
I'm just starting - "When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take it" ! Yogi Berra

That's about as deep as I can get..*

*'The future ain't what it used to be'.
 

NoBadMojo

G.O.A.T.
Based on your moniker Morpheus, I would recommend a sci fi book to you....Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. it's based upon some fascinating premises about the future I thought and combines all of the elements which may keep you riveted to a book. His sequel book was good as well...name escapes me just now.

Rabbit told me he was just trying to help the sheep over the fence....... ;O
 
Top