(August 11, 2018 at 11:44 pm)Astreja Wrote: and about to start Guns, Germs and Steel.

Oh...my...goodness...

Good luck with that one. I tried it on the suggestion of someone here. The introduction was about a thousand pages long. I felt like the people in Airplane who killed themselves because Striker's story was so boring. I gave up somewhere in chapter 1.

(August 13, 2018 at 8:34 am)alpha male Wrote:

(August 11, 2018 at 11:44 pm)Astreja Wrote: and about to start Guns, Germs and Steel.

Oh...my...goodness...

Good luck with that one. I tried it on the suggestion of someone here. The introduction was about a thousand pages long. I felt like the people in Airplane who killed themselves because Striker's story was so boring. I gave up somewhere in chapter 1.

I've only given up on two books so far -- The Emperor's New Mind by Roger Penrose, and Ulysses by James Joyce (and I may actually give Ulysses another try someday).

Another hard slog is Stolen Lightning:  The Social History of Magic by Daniel O'Keefe.  Got through that, but it took me several months.  I did learn a lot about sociology, though.

(August 13, 2018 at 8:59 am)Astreja Wrote:

(August 13, 2018 at 8:34 am)alpha male Wrote: Oh...my...goodness...

Good luck with that one. I tried it on the suggestion of someone here. The introduction was about a thousand pages long. I felt like the people in Airplane who killed themselves because Striker's story was so boring. I gave up somewhere in chapter 1.

I've only given up on two books so far -- The Emperor's New Mind by Roger Penrose, and Ulysses by James Joyce (and I may actually give Ulysses another try someday).

Another hard slog is Stolen Lightning:  The Social History of Magic by Daniel O'Keefe.  Got through that, but it took me several months.  I did learn a lot about sociology, though.

Don't listen to AM. Guns, Germs, and Steel is a wonderful read. I think you'll find it enjoyable and stimulating.

(August 13, 2018 at 2:33 pm)Crossless2.0 Wrote: Don't listen to AM. Guns, Germs, and Steel is a wonderful read. I think you'll find it enjoyable and stimulating.

Enjoying it so far, although I'm still in the preface.  Stylistically it reminds me of A Brief History of Everything, which I enjoyed very much.

Currently on The Third Reich in Power. A good analysis so far, but I do find Evans' decision to cover the transformation of Nazi Germany in its first six years in a non-linear, issue-by-issue basis to be a bit alienating. Then again, a proper, linear, description might be confusing due to the chaotic nature of the whole thing (plus, going between the drama involving Richard Strauss and Stefan Zweig that led him to losing his job at the Reichsmusikkammer might be hard to fit in with the reunification of the Saarland and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement). Also, I'm not sure about his decision to translate the Volkischer Beobachter as The Racial Observer. Technically, the word volkisch is so tied up in nationalism and populism and racism that it's pretty much impossible to give a direct translation into English, but, at least in context, one would think "People's Observer" would be more accurate.

Reading two books at once; 'schaarste', a non-fiction book about The effects of scarcity. Original title 'scarcity: why having too little means so much'. My boss and my boss's boss suggested this one, for work-related reasons. Engaging read, interesting ideas sprinkled with a lighthearted humor concerning The way they are brought. Would recommend, almost through it.
By sendhik mullainathan and eldar shafir.

Also half-way through 'the living dead' on my e-reader. A collection of anthology stories, with zombies as a common theme.
Bought it for less than two euro's . Exceptionally pleased with The purchase.

Currently reading: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K Dick

Not far into it so far but enjoying it

I am currently reading The Price of Inequality by Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

I'm in the final stretch of Woodward's Fear. Yes, it is even more disturbing than the news reports had indicated in the days prior to the book's release.

Of course, the people who most need to read it either won't or will rationalize and play down whatever they see.


Once that's done, I will be casting about for something entirely non-political to enjoy.

Now onto:

No Country For Old men by Cormac McCarthy.