A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Mate (for my iminent trip to Tuscany).

Gusher of Lies - A thought provoking book with the hypothesis that "energy independence" for the United States is a myth at best for decades and attempting to try just about anything to get it is more harmful than beneficial.

Since I last updated this thread I've read:

“The World Without Us” by Alan Weisman
"Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte
"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Currently reading "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama

Just finished reading “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama. Being more right of center myself I obviously took issue with several of his points in the book but I must admit I found him to be fair and open minded about all of his points and tried to balance things out. The book itself is very well written. Barack has a good command of the English language that translates well to the written form. Interesting read.

Behold a Pale Horse. Author Bill Cooper.

Actually, I'm watching a YouTube clip right now, but I'm considering getting the book. The stuff is a little dated (1991) but interesting none the less.

Have any of you conspiracy theorists ever read or seen this stuff?

Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950.

quote:

Originally posted by wine+art:
Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950.

Is it interesting? Easy or hard read?

I have re-started the Dark Tower series - Stephen King's magnum opus. I just finished the second of the seven book series, The Drawing of the Three. It may be the best of his work. I've rarely been so drawn in by any story.

I just finished "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. It took about six weeks since it is almost 1,000 pages (small print as well). This novel is centered about life in England in the 1100 to 1200 AD range. It is an excellent read.

The original was first published in 1998. A sequel is out now, but I will take at least six months before I tackle another long novel.

The New France by Andrew Jefford. Nice read.

quote:

Originally posted by Ozarks21:
I have re-started the Dark Tower series - Stephen King's magnum opus. I just finished the second of the seven book series, The Drawing of the Three. It may be the best of his work. I've rarely been so drawn in by any story.

I had a blast with this series. Not great literature, but a hell of a ride. Enjoy.

PH

After a lovely trip to Chicago, I'm starting The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson.

PH

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PurpleHaze,

The Billionaire's Vinegar-Benjamin Wallace

quote:

Originally posted by wineismylife:
Since I last updated this thread I've read:


"Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

What did you think?

The book was a light read clocking in at a little over 200 pages in hard back. Probably the most notable idea behind the book is the causal effect of making one think differently about any given situation and question the status quo a bit more than we typically do. Not much more interesting than that.

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:
After a lovely trip to Chicago, I'm starting The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson.

PH

I think they are making a movie of this. I found the history of the fair more interesting than the history of the crimes. And the combination of the two didn't really work for me.

quote:

Originally posted by wineismylife:
The book was a light read clocking in at a little over 200 pages in hard back. Probably the most notable idea behind the book is the causal effect of making one think differently about any given situation and question the status quo a bit more than we typically do. Not much more interesting than that.

Cool. I read it last year, and thought about the same. I'd previously thought the same thing about the name theory, and found their take on the abortion issue to be eye-opening.

Cheers Joe,

Cheers,

Yep, I found their take on the abortion issue quite interesting.

Just finished reading “Sons and Lovers” by D.H. Lawrence. This was the “unexpurgated text” version printed by Cambridge University Press. When D.H. Lawrence wrote the book numerous pages where left out by the editor of the book presumably because they were to racy for the times. D.H. Lawrence acquiesced to the changes saying “It’s got to sell. I’ve got to live.” He was basically penniless at the time. This is a classic and great work centered on love and sexual tensions between mother and father, mother and son, son and lover, son and a married woman lover. The book is well written keeping the reader in it’s grip until the bitter sweet ending. This is a definite must read.

Now off to the library for the next random grab.

Much like Human Accomplishment, I'm tackling E=MC2, The Worlds Most Famous Equation again.

Cannery Row, Steinbeck.

i just finished the entire aubrey/mautrin series (the movie master and commander is based in part on one of the books). Books were written by Patrick O'Brien (who churned out a book a year until his late 80s). Great books - highly recommended. Not sure what I am going to read next. Probably something easy to read and mindnumbing as I am about to be very busy with work and will need the escapism.

quote:

Originally posted by wineismylife:
Just finished reading “Sons and Lovers” by D.H. Lawrence. This was the “unexpurgated text” version printed by Cambridge University Press. When D.H. Lawrence wrote the book numerous pages where left out by the editor of the book presumably because they were to racy for the times. D.H. Lawrence acquiesced to the changes saying “It’s got to sell. I’ve got to live.” He was basically penniless at the time. This is a classic and great work centered on love and sexual tensions between mother and father, mother and son, son and lover, son and a married woman lover. The book is well written keeping the reader in it’s grip until the bitter sweet ending. This is a definite must read.

I'm reading it very slowly... while I see it's well written (made the modern library top 100), it's not engaging me very well. I have it in my bottom 10 of the top 100 novels I've read. I'd say it is a "should read". Glad you enjoyed it. You're making me want to go finally finish it and get on to the next one.

Perhaps it's my mind set at the moment having just finished Pride and Predjudice, Wuthering Heights, etc... Took me about 100 pages to get fully engaged and easily plowed through it from there in a total of 7 days.

Just finished reading "Night" by Elie Wiesel. This quick read was not profound for the level of Elie’s writing in his first book. Although well written it was basically a straightforward narrative from beginning to end based on his life’s events during this horrific period of history. It was profound and quite disturbing based solely on the subject matter itself: treatment of himself and his fellow Jews by the Nazis while interred at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. It is recommended as a required reading to once again remind us how horrible man can truly be to one another and how we must always be vigil against such travesties occurring again even today.