I did a (less than thorough) search for something like this and came up empty. Maybe I could have tried harder as my name implies...
Anyway, I've always enjoyed reading, but not carrying books (or paying lots of money for them...) I recently got a kindle and now I always have my entire library with me without destroying my back (and kindle edition books are much cheaper too!) The point of this thread is to briefly discuss/review books you've read that you found to be worth sharing. Anything will do: fiction or not, science, history, religion (not the bible; I already know about that one), anything that's good!
I'll get started with a few...
Right now I'm a little more than halfway through "The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution" By Richard Dawkins
This is a fascinating read about our origins as a species. It begins with present day humans and progresses in reverse chronological order up the branches of our evolutionary family tree meeting with other species and hearing their unique stories along the way. It's a long book though; I've been reading it in parallel with other things when it suits me. I have found it informative and it has increased my understanding of evolution.
I just finished the first 4 of the Ender's books by Orson Scott Card.
I'm not specifically talking about "Ender's Game"; that one can stand alone and is not what I want to mention here. It's the next 3 that I found to be more enjoyable. "Speaker for the Dead", "Xenocide", and "Children of the Mind"... These 3 together tell a story of "the difficult relationship between humans and [an alien species they are studying]" and Ender's attempts to stop the killing of the species out of fear and misunderstanding. There are many books in the "Enderverse" and it is my intention to read more of them.
I also recently read "The Martian" By Andy Weir (on paper though; just before my kindle purchase)
This one tells the story of Mark Watney as he finds himself marooned on Mars and the challenges he faces to try to survive long enough to be rescued. The science presented in the story is mostly accurate; although, there are a couple of details fudged to move the story along. The film adaptation is quite good too; but, condensing it to typical theatrical length necessarily cut short some of the plot lines that are explored more thoroughly in the book... Books are almost always superior.
Some that are coming up on my list in no particular order...
"The Greatest Story Ever Told-So Far" by Lawrence M. Krauss
"Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution" by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith
"God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" by Christopher Hitchens
Anyway, run with this. Anything you've read that was good... From "Dick and Jane" to "The Art of Electronics" anything that was worthy.
Anyway, I've always enjoyed reading, but not carrying books (or paying lots of money for them...) I recently got a kindle and now I always have my entire library with me without destroying my back (and kindle edition books are much cheaper too!) The point of this thread is to briefly discuss/review books you've read that you found to be worth sharing. Anything will do: fiction or not, science, history, religion (not the bible; I already know about that one), anything that's good!
I'll get started with a few...
Right now I'm a little more than halfway through "The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution" By Richard Dawkins
This is a fascinating read about our origins as a species. It begins with present day humans and progresses in reverse chronological order up the branches of our evolutionary family tree meeting with other species and hearing their unique stories along the way. It's a long book though; I've been reading it in parallel with other things when it suits me. I have found it informative and it has increased my understanding of evolution.
I just finished the first 4 of the Ender's books by Orson Scott Card.
I'm not specifically talking about "Ender's Game"; that one can stand alone and is not what I want to mention here. It's the next 3 that I found to be more enjoyable. "Speaker for the Dead", "Xenocide", and "Children of the Mind"... These 3 together tell a story of "the difficult relationship between humans and [an alien species they are studying]" and Ender's attempts to stop the killing of the species out of fear and misunderstanding. There are many books in the "Enderverse" and it is my intention to read more of them.
I also recently read "The Martian" By Andy Weir (on paper though; just before my kindle purchase)
This one tells the story of Mark Watney as he finds himself marooned on Mars and the challenges he faces to try to survive long enough to be rescued. The science presented in the story is mostly accurate; although, there are a couple of details fudged to move the story along. The film adaptation is quite good too; but, condensing it to typical theatrical length necessarily cut short some of the plot lines that are explored more thoroughly in the book... Books are almost always superior.
Some that are coming up on my list in no particular order...
"The Greatest Story Ever Told-So Far" by Lawrence M. Krauss
"Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution" by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith
"God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" by Christopher Hitchens
Anyway, run with this. Anything you've read that was good... From "Dick and Jane" to "The Art of Electronics" anything that was worthy.
