Author Topic: What books are you reading? (Read 724595 times)

SKesselman · « **Reply #50 on:** February 08, 2010, 12:45 AM »

The elegant social skills that I have witnessed you deploy here belie your words.
Swaying a few others to your ways would be worth a book or three!
-cranioscopical (February 07, 2010, 07:53 PM)

Thank you!

However, I must admit that it takes me quite a while to compose even the simplest post. Edit, edit, edit...
If I only had that kind of time when responding to others verbally.

Side note: I read both books today.
The tactics discussed might work on people of average intelligence & respectable values, but they've got nothing on my subject.
He is way ahead of the game.
So, tomorrow at the book store, I'll be moving from the Self-Help section on to the Psychology section...What a project this is.
I've also read, "Dealing with Difficult People", and can now say with complete confidence that these authors have yet to encounter a truly difficult person. (Sorry, but the girl in the copy room who ignores me when I need help just doesn't meet my criteria as a "difficult person".)
In any case, I have one more book to try, "The Art of Manipulation". (Talk about sinking morals and values. Eeessshh...)

cranioscopical · « **Reply #51 on:** February 08, 2010, 10:35 AM »

I have one more book to try, "The Art of Manipulation". (Talk about sinking morals and values. Eeessshh...)
-SKesselman (February 08, 2010, 12:45 AM)

Consider this one...

What books are you reading?

SKesselman · « **Reply #52 on:** February 08, 2010, 12:37 PM »

[/spoiler]
-cranioscopical (February 08, 2010, 10:35 AM)

Thank you! Unfortunately, this one is for helping those whose minds have been played around with.
I don't want to help my subject, I need him to help me.
If anyone knows of a book on this subject, here's the problem:
[Warning: It's personal & kind of heavy & I'll totally understand if I get no responses

]

Spoiler

I need my very controlling, narcissistic dad to cat sit for me for my upcoming trip to France.
Whenever he takes care of her, he refuses to accept any tips from me & yells, "Don't tell me what to do, I know how to take care of a cat".

She has me practically 24 hrs. a day & he stays about 10 minutes with her, twice a day.
When I get home, she is depressed & lethargic (he won't play with her), greasy, (???), sleeping in corners facing the walls & has hairballs (he won't brush her & is happy to tell me so).

He says he'll cat sit, but when I ~~kindly~~ carefully asked him if he could spend a little more time (like, 10 minutes more each trip) with her, he blew up. He feels very put out & complains about it in an angry tone. He says he'll do it as he always does, the way he wants, but I'm not to call him & check on her anymore

.

When I did call in the past, all he'd say is, "I'm petting her. She's alive".

He says if he were in my position, he wouldn't ask him for any requests, as I owe him so much for him taking care of her in the first place & I am so lucky he's doing it at all.

It's been my experience that it's best to avoid accepting help from anyone who resents the favor they're doing for you.

I cannot afford a sitter & am re-considering even going on my trip at all.

If anyone hs read this in its entirety, thank you so much for listening. I know it's "off topic", the question was, "What are you reading", not "...and why are you reading it?" Anyway, if anyone knows any books that can help me, ruthless, ill willed or otherwise, please make your suggestion. Thank you again.I really love my cat, she is my constant companion.

Darwin · « **Reply #53 on:** February 08, 2010, 05:12 PM »

Hi Sarah - I'd say that you should heed this (your own) advice:

it's best to avoid accepting help from anyone who resents the favor they're doing for you.

As far as books/articles that might help you, I can offer none. But I am sending you some DC credits to help offset the cost of a cat-sitter!

SKesselman · « **Reply #54 on:** February 08, 2010, 07:12 PM »

As far as books/articles that might help you, I can offer none. But I am sending you some DC credits to help offset the cost of a cat-sitter!
-Darwin (February 08, 2010, 05:12 PM)

O M G !!!

Darwin,

what a wonderful & kind gesture that is!

You're helping me & my boyfriend have a good time (I won't be worrying about her 'cause I can spoil the sitter

).
You're helping an aging animal get the attention and affection she's used to, AND
You're helping the cat-sitter by helping to fill the fridge for her / him!

Your suggestion for me to take my own advice is what helped me to make up my mind, and go with the cat sitter, regardless of the cost.
So, I told my bf & he is paying for it...I don't know what he's giving up in order to do it, but I know it's a lot. Thanks to you, now I can thank the sitter in advance with a really nice tip, food, or anything to make them comfortable and to feel at home here

. What a great and unexpected contribution! You rock!

You totally made my day

.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #55 on:** February 08, 2010, 08:02 PM »

I am sending you some DC credits to help offset the cost of a cat-sitter!
-Darwin (February 08, 2010, 05:12 PM)

Nicely done, sir!

kyrathaba · « **Reply #56 on:** February 08, 2010, 09:03 PM »

Anyone ever read "Var the Stick"? I'm a fan of Piers Anthony. He published it when I was two years old

Darwin · « **Reply #57 on:** February 08, 2010, 10:58 PM »

You totally made my day .
-SKesselman (February 08, 2010, 07:12 PM)

Glad to help! I hope you have a GREAT time in France and I hope your cat has a purrfectly lovely time with the sitter

kyrathaba · « **Reply #58 on:** February 16, 2010, 06:30 PM »

Anyone here read "Off Armageddon Reef" by David Weber. I'm 2/3 of the way through it, and really enjoying it.

zridling · « **Reply #59 on:** February 17, 2010, 11:09 PM »

Devil's Pact, an erotic Western thriller that is so bad it's good. My review is very NSFW. Hilarious.

mouser · « **Reply #60 on:** February 18, 2010, 12:32 AM »

I just finished Gallistel's "Memory and the Computational Brain"; not as good a read as Organization of Action/Learning but kind of an important book for neuroscientists to read. Well at least the first and last chapters, which argue forcefully that current models of computation and memory in the brain are lacking fundamental properties of agile explicit representation and manipulation of symbols.

Now i need to pick another book..

f0dder · « **Reply #61 on:** February 18, 2010, 06:43 AM »

erotic Western thriller
-zridling (February 17, 2010, 11:09 PM)

"Erotic western" and "western thriller" don't compute!

steeladept · « **Reply #62 on:** February 18, 2010, 12:11 PM »

kyrathaba - I see you have the same taste in books I do, though I haven't read either of those. I HAVE read a great many of Piers Anthony's works as well as all of the Honor Harrington series of David Weber's. Another author I really like if you are interested is Dennis McKiernen (his last name may not be spelled right). Also, my wife, who is a more avid recreational reader than myself, really likes Elizabeth Moon. They are not authors of Space/Future fantasy like the two books you mentioned, but they are traditional fantasy instead. Still you may want to look at those authors and see if they interest you as well. If you like Piers Anthony, another series I really like if you haven't read them yet is the Apprentice Adept series. It is a cross-over series of fantasy books - both traditional and sci-fi/future fantasy. Well written and very entertaining.

As for books I am currently reading, well I am mostly reading work-related whitepapers so I rarely read books anymore. If I had to say one, though, it would have to be Terry Pratchett's Soul Music. And I just finished reading the last Harry Potter book, so that series is done.

Darwin · « **Reply #63 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:25 PM »

Haven't posted in a while. This is what I can remeber from the past month:

Just finished "The Neck of the Giraffe" by Francis Hitchings, which was very disappointing, primarily because its treatment of evolutionary theory is VERY uneven - in places I got the impression he hadn't a clue about what he is writing about (natural selection) and yet in others I thought he did a reasonable job of presenting the concepts (genetics). I am currently reading Richard Dawkins' "The Greatest Show on Earth", which is better. Next up are "The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals died out and we survived" by Clive Finlayson and "The Calculus Lifesaver" by Adrian Banner. Prior to "The Neck of the Giraffe", I read "North America's great ape, the Sasquatch : a wildlife biologist looks at the continent's most misunderstood large mammal" by John A. Bindernagel (his grandsons are in my sons' classes at school) and "Sasquatch : legend meets science" by Jeff Meldrum. I found the last quite disappointing. Bindernagel's book didn't get preachy or try to "convert" the reader to the cause, he simply stated at the outset that he was making the assumption that Big Foot/Sasquatches are real and presented a discussion and interpretation of the evidence. Meldrum's book was almost evangelical in its presentation of the evidence and anecdotes, which I found annoying. I remain very skeptical about the existence of sasquatches, but enjoy reading about them.

The last fiction that I read were: "Through Black Spruce" by Joseph Boyden (excellent), Michael Connelley's penultimate effort, "The Scarecrow" (very good), and "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card - one of my all time favourites. I have a P.D. James novel queued up for a read courtesy of my mother, but I don't know the title.

EDIT: added links
EDIT 2: added a missing link

kyrathaba · « **Reply #64 on:** February 18, 2010, 08:46 PM »

Steeladept, thanks for the suggestions. I read the Apprentice Adept series years ago, but wouldn't mind a re-read. Here are some more authors I've enjoyed:

Fred Saberhagen
Troy Denning
Raymond E. Feist
David Eddings
China Mieville

zridling · « **Reply #65 on:** February 18, 2010, 09:28 PM »

"Erotic western" and "western thriller" don't compute!
-f0dder (February 18, 2010, 06:43 AM)

That's why you have to read the review. The book is badddddd. So bad, it's good.

Perry Mowbray · « **Reply #66 on:** February 19, 2010, 04:01 AM »

Michael Connelley's penultimate effort, "The Scarecrow" (very good),
-Darwin (February 18, 2010, 02:25 PM)

We enjoyed The Scarecrow too; though it got very mixed (almost polarized) reviews on GoodReads.

parkint · « **Reply #67 on:** February 19, 2010, 11:03 AM »

I have been challenged, by my wife, to read every one of the books in my massive collection (just over 150) of Isaac Asimov literature.

I am [re]reading Robot Visions.

Among my favorites are:

Nightfall
The Centennial Man
I, Robot
The End of Eternity
Both his autobiographies

slowmaker · « **Reply #68 on:** February 21, 2010, 02:21 AM »

Non-fiction
Currently reading the advance uncorrected proofs of 'Are the Rich Necessary?', by Hunter Lewis (found in a thrift store some time ago, so they are no longer 'advance' at all).
It's okay; I have not read in the economics field before, so I can't compare it to other works, but it has convinced me that some things I previously considered self-evident might not be true at all. It has also convinced me that economics is a seriously vague and muddled subject.

I had begun sporadically working through Ronald Mak's first go at 'Writing Compilers and Interpreters' (quite old), then got sidetracked by the discovery of this site and beginning to work through the Basic section of the DC Programming School. I'll probably get back to that soon.

The last remaining book in my current to-read stack at home is 'Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid'. I started it once before, because it just felt like one of those books I should be ashamed of not having read if I want to keep my nerd cred, but put it back down (don't remember why). Hopefully I'll get to it soon as well...

Fiction
One of the old collections of Van Vogt (SF writer from way back, once famous for writing 'Slan'). I'm away from home right now, so I can't look in my read-and-going-to-pass-it-on box to check the title, but I think it was either 'Destination: Universe!' or 'The Book of Van Vogt'.

On the somewhat newer (by my standards) front, I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Cabinet of Curiosities' by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The Aloysius X. L. Pendergast character in particular is the kind I enjoy, i.e. hyper-intelligent and eccentric.

On a side note, I have to admit to being impressed by some of the titles mentioned in this thread; Darwin and Mouser in particular appear to be reading at a level that makes my selections look like 'Thinner thighs in Thirty Days'.

TucknDar · « **Reply #69 on:** February 21, 2010, 03:18 AM »

I have been challenged, by my wife, to read every one of the books in my massive collection (just over 150) of Isaac Asimov literature.
-parkint (February 19, 2010, 11:03 AM)

that's quite an Asimov collection, indeed! I've only read "I, Robot", which I really liked, btw. I've got a few more that I want to read eventually.

Currently reading "Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carrol

zridling · « **Reply #70 on:** February 21, 2010, 11:30 AM »

I have been challenged, by my wife, to read every one of the books in my massive collection (just over 150) of Isaac Asimov literature.
-parkint (February 19, 2010, 11:03 AM)

I've got to admire such a noble quest.

higherstate · « **Reply #71 on:** February 21, 2010, 12:41 PM »

Hey Guys, I admit I haven't read a fiction book for ages. At the moment I am looking for inspiring stories, does anyone have a favourite biography?

rjbull · « **Reply #72 on:** February 21, 2010, 02:46 PM »

One of the old collections of Van Vogt (SF writer from way back, once famous for writing 'Slan'). I'm away from home right now, so I can't look in my read-and-going-to-pass-it-on box to check the title, but I think it was either 'Destination: Universe!' or 'The Book of Van Vogt'.
-slowmaker (February 21, 2010, 02:21 AM)

Wikipedia page on A. E. van Vogt. You do realise that DC supporting members and above are Slans, don't you?

Curt · « **Reply #73 on:** March 02, 2010, 05:42 PM »

The two last books I've read were:
The Noticer, by Andy Andrews, http://www.andyandre...product/the-noticer/
The Shack, by William P Young, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shack

"Finally, a guy meets God!" To me, a non-atheist, The Shack was mindblowing. It is like realizing yet another dimension. It is well written, and it is so full of understanding on the highest level, that I have had a hard time understanding it was 'merely' written by a human. It is out of this world.

An exceptional piece of writing that ushers you directly into the heart and nature of God in the midst of agonizing human suffering. This amazing story will challenge you to consider the person and the plan of God in more expansive terms than you may have ever dreamed.

David Gregory, author of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger
-about 'The Shack'

The Shack is also offered as an Audio♩♪♫♬Book
http://theshackbook.com/

-------
The Noticer is a fantastic clever book. It doesn't reveal a new dimension but it takes away the veil that may be covering what is already in front of you. "Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective".

It comes in all sorts of formats, printed and electronic. I am attaching a large print sample pdf version:

The book has been followed by a large scale project: http://www.thenoticerproject.com/

------
Edited: serious spelling error corrected. Thanks, cranioscopical and slowmaker.

slowmaker · « **Reply #74 on:** March 02, 2010, 08:35 PM »

it takes away the veal that may be covering what is already in front of you.
-Curt (March 02, 2010, 05:42 PM)

I'm pretty sure you meant 'veil'; the other way would be mighty gross, I suspect.

On the other hand, walking through curtains of veal might be interesting if you're feeling peckish...