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The Recommended Reading Thread, What's your book? Who's your author?
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StarGazeR
post Jan 6 2007, 07:27 PM
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I have noticed in a few of our VIP threads that some of our VIPs have recommended books. I think that is a great idea. :thumbsup:

There is no such thing as too much knowledge. So as long as there is room in our skull, let's cram as much as we can in there. :w00t:

I will pin this thread for easy reference.

So, what are your favorite books? What authors have opened your eyes or who do you just get a lot of pleasure and entertainment from reading?

I will start.

Salt: A World History (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-History-M...2906910-5924026

Sounds boring doesn't it? Actually though, it is pretty cool. It's not a huge book, pretty short read. It's cheap too. :lol: It discusses the contributions that salt has made to society.

Salt made long explorations possible because of its ability to preserve food. Salt was once one of the worlds most valuable substances, even used as currency in some cases.

I found it interesting that such a simple substance that is so cheap and abundant today made such a huge contribution to society in the not so distant past.

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[StR]Gyrokinesis
post Jan 6 2007, 09:07 PM
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http://www.amazon.com/Engagement-Not-Enoug...ie=UTF8&s=books

It's directed at people who own their own business or managers primarily, but is a valuable insight into peoples behaviour that would be beneficial for anybody. As we know, it's often people skills that help you in the real world, more than just your education.

BTW, the author is my Dad, so yeah a shameless plug. :P

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chucknthem
post Jan 6 2007, 10:09 PM
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Freakonomics by steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

a NYT best seller for 86 weeks in counting :o

the reviews on amazon.com sums it up better than I can so I'll just leave you with that.
I'll post a couple here for all you lazy people :)

Amazon.com
Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences. The annual Nobel Prize winner in that field never receives as much publicity as his or her compatriots in peace, literature, or physics. But if such slights are based on the notion that economics is dull, or that economists are concerned only with finance itself, Steven D. Levitt will change some minds. In Freakonomics (written with Stephen J. Dubner), Levitt argues that many apparent mysteries of everyday life don't need to be so mysterious: they could be illuminated and made even more fascinating by asking the right questions and drawing connections. For example, Levitt traces the drop in violent crime rates to a drop in violent criminals and, digging further, to the Roe v. Wade decision that preempted the existence of some people who would be born to poverty and hardship. Elsewhere, by analyzing data gathered from inner-city Chicago drug-dealing gangs, Levitt outlines a corporate structure much like McDonald's, where the top bosses make great money while scores of underlings make something below minimum wage. And in a section that may alarm or relieve worried parents, Levitt argues that parenting methods don't really matter much and that a backyard swimming pool is much more dangerous than a gun. These enlightening chapters are separated by effusive passages from Dubner's 2003 profile of Levitt in The New York Times Magazine, which led to the book being written. In a book filled with bold logic, such back-patting veers Freakonomics, however briefly, away from what Levitt actually has to say. Although maybe there's a good economic reason for that too, and we're just not getting it yet. --John Moe --This text refers to the Roughcut edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Forget your image of an economist as a crusty professor worried about fluctuating interest rates: Levitt focuses his attention on more intimate real-world issues, like whether reading to your baby will make her a better student. Recognition by fellow economists as one of the best young minds in his field led to a profile in the New York Times, written by Dubner, and that original article serves as a broad outline for an expanded look at Levitt's search for the hidden incentives behind all sorts of behavior. There isn't really a grand theory of everything here, except perhaps the suggestion that self-styled experts have a vested interest in promoting conventional wisdom even when it's wrong. Instead, Dubner and Levitt deconstruct everything from the organizational structure of drug-dealing gangs to baby-naming patterns. While some chapters might seem frivolous, others touch on more serious issues, including a detailed look at Levitt's controversial linkage between the legalization of abortion and a reduced crime rate two decades later. Underlying all these research subjects is a belief that complex phenomena can be understood if we find the right perspective. Levitt has a knack for making that principle relevant to our daily lives, which could make this book a hit. Malcolm Gladwell blurbs that Levitt "has the most interesting mind in America," an invitation Gladwell's own substantial fan base will find hard to resist. 50-city radio campaign. (May 1)


I'm half way through it and can't put it down. I'll finish by tomorrow :) it will definitely be one of the best books I've ever read

This post has been edited by chucknthem: Jan 6 2007, 10:16 PM

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KS_Rockstar
post Jan 7 2007, 07:30 PM
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They Way We Eat and why our food choices matter:
http://www.amazon.com/Way-We-Eat-Choices-M...ie=UTF8&s=books
Some of the siht we do will totally blow your mind.

The Pillars of the Earth:
http://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth-Ken-Fo...ie=UTF8&s=books
This one is fiction but its probably one of the best books ive ever read. It's a historical work of fiction set in the 13th century.

The Clan of the Cave Bear:
http://www.amazon.com/Clan-Cave-Bear-Jean-...ie=UTF8&s=books
Also fiction. The five book series is the bomb. It follows a 5 year old girl in the time of the Neanderthals and the passing of evolution towards the more modernly advanced Cro-Magnons. Again, one of my favorite stories ever.



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KS_Rockstar
post May 25 2007, 10:05 AM
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I just read Freakonomics and I agree it kicks ars. Worth a read. I perticularly enjoyed abortion and crime....

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Tordenskiold
post May 26 2007, 07:49 AM
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QUOTE
The Pillars of the Earth:
http://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth-Ken-Fo...ie=UTF8&s=books
This one is fiction but its probably one of the best books ive ever read. It's a historical work of fiction set in the 13th century.


Read that one too - found it quit entertaining. Not easy being a regular guy in those days :blink:

Being an atheist, I would also recommend the 2 most known books by Dan Brown

Angels and Demons

The Da Vinci code

although I realize that some of it (maybe most of it) is pure fiction, it still reveals some of the hollowness and cruelty that lies within the catholic church, even up to this day.


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StarGazeR
post May 26 2007, 08:51 AM
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I liked Hop on Pop.

(IMG:http://images.amazon.com/images/P/039480029X.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif)


It gives a subtle yet revealing look at why atheists hate and attack both religion as well as the religious and find a constant need to find outside sources to reaffirm their faith, or lack there of, as the case may be.

It explains in great detail, if you read between the lines, how the insecurity of atheism often leads to an obsession with religion, and a need to constantly try to find ways to remove any and all "what ifs" from their mind as well as belittle the religious in an effort to convince themselves that they are the superior "free thinkers" and that the religious are just uneducated and inferior, living their lives based on stupid superstition.

Mostly though, it's just two furry things jumping up and down on their fathers stomach. It's a good read. A short read too which makes it perfect for those times you feel like reading, but only have about 3 minutes of free time. :thumbsup:

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Tordenskiold
post May 26 2007, 10:12 AM
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QUOTE(StarGazeR @ May 26 2007, 03:51 PM)
Mostly though, it's just two furry things jumping up and down on their fathers stomach. It's a good read. A short read too which makes it perfect for those times you feel like reading, but only have about 3 minutes of free time.  :thumbsup:
*




How nice to know your respect for other people's views and opinions can be explained in 3 minuts by reading a childrens's book <_<

However, I am not surprised that you like Dr. Seuss according to this:

QUOTE
In November 2004, an edition of MAD Magazine (Mad #447) featured a cover story in which lines from Seuss' books were compared with supposedly similar lines from speeches made by George W. Bush. It was titled "The Strange Similarities Between the Bush Administration and the World of Dr. Seuss." The cover drawing was of a Cat in the Hat that resembled Bush.
:lol:

The tone from the religious and ultra-conservatives on this forum is getting more and more obnoxious - I wonder why ?

This post has been edited by Tordenskiold: May 27 2007, 02:48 AM

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KS_Rockstar
post May 26 2007, 02:30 PM
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Angels and Demons

The Da Vinci code

are both pretty awesome..... never read hop on pop... do they make it in book on tape??

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StarGazeR
post May 26 2007, 06:45 PM
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QUOTE(Tordenskiold @ May 26 2007, 09:12 AM)
QUOTE(StarGazeR @ May 26 2007, 03:51 PM)
Mostly though, it's just two furry things jumping up and down on their fathers stomach. It's a good read. A short read too which makes it perfect for those times you feel like reading, but only have about 3 minutes of free time.  :thumbsup:
*




How nice to know your respect for other people's views and opinions can be explained in 3 minuts by reading a childrens's book <_<

The tone from the religious and ultra-conservatives on this forum is getting more and more obnoxious - I wonder why ?
*



Because we are right, you can't shut us up, and it pisses you off. Liberals always lose in the arena of ideas. The only hope you have is to discredit or insult your opponent.

Here is another good read. You will love this one Torden.

(IMG:http://www.shopaim.org/assets/images/images/books/godless.jpg)

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Roark
post May 26 2007, 07:38 PM
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Freakonomics wasn't really that good, but I guess for people who haven't really looked at things in an economic light before it could be interesting.

My fav books (fiction and non-fiction with political tones):

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand (on the pitfalls of collectivism)
More Guns, Less Crime - John Lott Jr. (on gun control)
Faith of the Fallen - Terry Goodkind (on central planning)
Who Was Adam? - Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross (on human origin)
What's So Great About America - Dinesh D'Souza (we rock)

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Orion_Zorn
post May 26 2007, 11:25 PM
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I wonder why atheists dont attack religious people, but religious people attack atheists? The books i just ordered are:

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance (The American Empire Project) - Noam Chomsky


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Tordenskiold
post May 27 2007, 02:22 AM
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QUOTE
I wonder why atheists dont attack religious people, but religious people attack atheists? The books i just ordered are:


Funny you should mention that. I just read a very interesting article in my morning newspaper about that exact subject. Since it was in danish, I cannot quote from it - but some of the conclusions where that the reason you do not see atheists so much is that they do not have to stand out like religious people. We don't have to wear a funny pointed hat, burka, crosses, stars or any other symbols to show who we are. We are perfectly happy just knowing that we are right and that the money in society are better spend building schools for people to be educated to make up their own mind about things than building mosques or churches to teach people exactly what to think and how to live their lives based on ancient legends or stone plates brought down from a mountain top :lol:

It also concluded that fact that according to studies, atheist on average are more intelligent than religious people, which this topic seem to confirm ^_^

QUOTE
"Is your tape recorder running? Turn it on! I got something to say."
Then she said: "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."
I told her to be careful.
"You’re right, after 9/11 I shouldn’t say that", she said, spotting a cab and grabbing it.

...Ann Coulter - what a girl  :ph34r:


This post has been edited by Tordenskiold: May 27 2007, 02:41 AM

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Tordenskiold
post May 27 2007, 02:39 AM
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QUOTE
Here is another good read. You will love this one Torden.


I think not:

QUOTE
Known for her controversial style, she has been described by The Observer as "the Republican Michael Moore", and "Rush Limbaugh in a miniskirt".Coulter has described herself as a "polemicist" who likes to "stir up the pot" and does not claim to be "impartial or balanced".


QUOTE
In August 2005, the Arizona Daily Star dropped Coulter's syndicated column citing reader complaints that "Many readers find her shrill, bombastic and mean-spirited. And those are the words used by readers who identified themselves as conservatives."


QUOTE
In her book Godless: The Church of Liberalism, Coulter criticizes the four 9/11 widows known as the "Jersey Girls;" in it Coulter wrote:

These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them. ... I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much ... the Democrat ratpack gals endorsed John Kerry for president ... cutting campaign commercials... how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy."

These statements received national attention after an interview on The Today Show, and were widely criticized. Coulter has repeated her criticism of the Jersey Girls in subsequent columns.

Nice one :thumbsup: attacking the families of the victoms.

This post has been edited by Tordenskiold: May 27 2007, 02:43 AM

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Tordenskiold
post May 27 2007, 02:43 AM
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QUOTE
Coulter has had a long-running animosity toward the New York Times for what she claims is liberal bias on the newspaper's part. Her book Slander is dedicated to the New York Times as epitomizing the practice of stealthily calumniating conservatives.

In an interview with George Gurley of the New York Observer shortly after the publication of that book, it was mentioned that Coulter actually had friends and acquaintances who worked for the newspaper, namely Frank Bruni and David E. Sanger. Later in the interview, she exclaimed amusement at her recollection of the gratuitousness of the Times publishing two photos of George H. W. Bush throwing up at a diplomatic meeting in Japan, then said:

"Is your tape recorder running? Turn it on! I got something to say."
Then she said: "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."
I told her to be careful.
"You’re right, after 9/11 I shouldn’t say that", she said, spotting a cab and grabbing it.

By way of context, during an interview earlier in June 2002 with Katie Couric to promote the same book, Coulter expressed frustration about "constant mischaracterization" through being misquoted. "The idea that someone can go out and find one quote that will suddenly, you know, portray me—just dismiss her ideas, read no more, read no further, this person is crazy...is precisely what liberals do all the time", she said.

When asked by John Hawkins, the web manager of a right-wing blog, through a pre-written set of interview questions if she regretted the statement, Coulter replied by saying: "Of course I regret it. I should have added, 'after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters.'". Lee Salem, the president of Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes Coulter's column, later defended Coulter by suggesting that she was a brilliant satirist who does not mean it when she periodically wishes violence or even death on liberals and their enablers.

The subject came up again when she appeared on the Fox News program Hannity & Colmes. Alan Colmes mentioned Salem's claim, and said to her that remarks like saying "Timothy McVeigh should have bombed The New York Times building" were "laughable happy satires, right?" then said he now realized that Coulter was "actually a liberal who is doing this to mock and parody the way conservatives think." She replied, "Well, it's not working very well if that were my goal. No, I think the Timothy McVeigh line was merely prescient after The New York Times has leapt beyond — beyond nonsense straight into treason, last week", (referring to a Times report that revealed classified information about an anti-terrorism program of the U.S. Government involving surveillance of international financial transactions of persons suspected of having Al-qaida links). Alan Colmes continued in this sarcastic vein when he responded, calling her remarks "great humor", and that it "belongs on Saturday Night Live. It belongs on The Daily Show."



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