good books

daktx2 · Post by **daktx2** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 9:37 pm

what are some good suggestions for me to read? i prefer non fiction books but fiction is good also.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:23 am

Just finished Molly Ivins' "Bushwhacked'. Definitely worth a read.

Okay, go ahead and flame away, but not if you haven't read the book.

Joe Baker · Post by **Joe Baker** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:51 am

Chuck(G) wrote:Just finished Molly Ivins' "Bushwhacked'. Definitely worth a read.

Okay, go ahead and flame away, but not if you haven't read the book.

Haven't read the book, but have read Molly for years. All I can say is that the reader should expect a presentation that is as highly partisan as anything Ann Coulter ever wrote, just in the opposite direction. As long as one isn't expecting objectivity, she's a pretty good writer.

To the original poster: I started to ask you what you're interested in before recommending something; but instead, I'll ask you, in what area do you feel you'd like to know more. I find it gratifying to focus on these areas when I read; for example, I've recently become aware of just how ignorant I am of U.S. history in the first quarter of the 19th century. I'm looking for some good books on that topic (suggestions from anyone are welcome). If you'll fess up to your weak spots, maybe someone can suggest some good fare.

One book I recommend to everyone, though: "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking. The last couple of chapters get a little chewy, but up until then it's a brilliantly accessible treatise on the nature of time, matter and energy. One totally unexpected consequence of reading the book: Hawking is an agnostic, but I found the material answered many of my lingering theological conundra. An absolutely fantastic book!

Another I'll suggest since you're from Texas: "Texas", by James Michener. It's a long sucker, but great reading. It's fiction, but Michener wove the characters into real events in Texas' history. He was an artist in residence (or something like that

) at UT Austin when I was there, in the early '80s. A good read, but think "War and Peace" thickness.
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Joe Baker, who is presently reading "At Dawn We Slept", a very interesting (so far -- I just started it last night, and have only read about 50 pages) history of Pearl Harbor.

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 7:35 am

Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It
by James Q. Wilson

The Killer Angels
by Michael Shaara

American Soldier
by Tommy Franks

(in the spirit of A Brief History of Time)
The Elegant Universe
by Brian Greene

Flatterland
by Ian Stewart

(and a classic)
War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy

All very good reads, with enough variety to keep you interested.

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:53 am

Mission Earth. 10 volumens, but they are fairly quick reads.

Some of the best satire I've ever read. L. Ron Hubbard, and it sci-fi, but it';s great. I liked it better than Battlefield Earth (which is great, though the "movie" didn't come close to justice).

Anything by Douglas Adams. The HHGTTG series is best read in order.

For non fiction, Bill O'Reilly's books are good. Especially "Who's Looking Out for You".

brianf · Post by **brianf** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:23 pm

How about All That Glitters by Raymond Chandler? Yep a tell all book written by the uncle of the kid in question with the Michael Jackson case.

Here's the tuba relationship - seems that it has been listed that I publish it, take a look at http://www.midpointtrade.com/detail.php?bk_id=6226 - Of course I have no idea about this but reporters were calling me up diriving me crazy. Notice why there is a notice on my webpage? While this is funny, I'm dodging a lawsuit from Michael Jackson's attorney's!

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 4:36 pm

Throw out some more:

I'll second Thomas--anything by Douglas Adams.

"Gettysburg" and "Grant Comes East"
by Newt Gingrich.

"Nothing but the Truth"
by Avi
(children's book, but a very good read)

"The Bourne Identity"
by Robert Ludlum
(NOT the movie)

and of course, anything by Lewis Grizzard or Erma Bombeck

Joe Baker · Post by **Joe Baker** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 4:46 pm

Doug@GT wrote:...
and of course, anything by Lewis Grizzard or Erma Bombeck

OH YES!!! And Patrick McManus is also great fun.
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Joe Baker

winston · Post by **winston** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:56 pm

Dylan King · Post by **Dylan King** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 5:46 am

Just a few good ones.

The United States and Great Britain in Prophesy by Hrebert W. Armstrong

The Ten Things You Can't Say in America by Larry Elder

Happiness is a Serious Problem by Dennis Prager

Miles the Autobiography

The Real Frank Zappa

Both Arnold Jacobs books of course

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne

A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The Quickening by Art Bell

The Holy Bible by God. I prefer the NKJV.

Jonathan Fowler · Post by **Jonathan Fowler** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 2:42 pm

Crime & Punsihment-Dostoyevsky (sp?)

In Search of Lost Time- Proust

some of my fav's

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 3:38 pm

Jonathan Fowler wrote:Crime & Punsihment-Dostoyevsky (sp?)

some of my fav's

What translation do you use? I tried reading this sucker and was bored to tears by the dull writing. I'm wondering if I just got a bad translator.