What books are you reading at the moment

[lenidog]

I was just curious to see what my fellow DUers are reading. I am looking for some books since I will have some extra time to read this summer.

Currently I am reading three books, the first is the "Black Book of Communism" originally written in France and now translated by Harvard its written by a group of former Communists tracing the history of things such as Stalin's Gulag system, China's slow destruction of the Tibetan people and other events in the history of Communism.

The second one is called the "Mole People" by Jennifer Toth. Its her doctorial thesis in sociology and its about her discovering and meeting the citizens of New York city who live underground in the city's various subway tunnels, maintenance shafts etc.

The final one is "Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes. Its about 20 years old but still considered to be the definitive book on the founding of Australia.

[gratuitous]

1. Caesar's Hours

Sid Caesar's autobiography. Just started it, but the first five pages or so are pretty good.

[WeRQ4U]

2. The Knights Templar

History book. So far, horribly boring. Informative yes, thrilling, no.

[lenidog]

6. I am finishing my Masters in history so I know exactly what you are

talking about. ;-)

[mark414]

3. Can't Stop Won't Stop

i skip around the whole book but i've read every chapter at least twice so far...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=314x74

[progmom]

4. these two - both great

[Book Lover]

5. The Care and Reapir of Books

and Repairing Leather Bindings. Have to brush up - I have a leather binding job on my bench - I usually work on cloth or paper.

[Call me Deacon Blues]

7. I would recommend

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson; it's about the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago (the Chicago World's Fair). It gave us, among other things, Cracker Jack, the Pledge of Allegiance, AC current, and the Ferris Wheel. Oh, and America's first documented serial killer had a little death factory set up just a few blocks away -- he made Jack the Ripper (who terrorized London just a few years before) look like a rank amateur. A fascinating and scary book.

[lenidog]

9. I have heard about that one

I heard its excellent. I will have to put that one on my list. Thank you.

[mikita]

8. Welcome to the Machine

by Derrick Jensen and George Draffan. I think Jensen's book, The Culture of Make Believe, should be on EVERYONE's list, so that's why I've started this one. Hope it's anywhere near as good....

[4_Legs_Good]

10. "Ruins of the Earth" and "Your Money or Your Life"

Ruins is the new Thomas Covenant book. I'm amazed that Stephen R. Donaldson can return to the story so many years later. It's weird for me reading this sequel now 20 years after I finished the other two series when I was a late teenager. So far it's really good. I remember loving the first series and hating the second one, but he's a good writer. I hope someone explores making a movie of some of his stuff.

You're Money or Your Life, because I'm a spendaholic, and trying to learn how to be better about it.

david

[Hugin]

22. Hey cool!

I didn't know there were more Thomas Covenant books out
there.

Hmm... Going to have to check those out.

Thanks.

[chickenscratching]

11. lemme see, i think 'generation of swine'

and 'catch 22' for the first time in my life

[lenidog]

20. Catch-22 I haven't read that one in years

I may have to reread that one.

[eyepaddle]

31. Stay with Catch-22.

It's a great book, especially when you consider it was anti-war a good decade before anti-war became cool.

I ain't giving nothing away, but the ending is superb. I usulaly feel a lttle melancholy when I finish a book (gotta find something new to read) but that one was so great I couldn't help but smile.

[lenidog]

37. Another great anti-war book is All's Quiet on the Western Front

I have read that one at least a half dozen times since I first read it in HS. The first time I read it I wept because of what happened to Paul at the end. It felt like I had lost a friend.

[eyepaddle]

38. I'm glad you mention that,

It's been on my list of "books to get to" for a while--I'll have to see if I can actually get to it.

[lenidog]

39. Its an excellent book and a heart rending one at that

I cannot recommend it enough.

[eyepaddle]

12. War: The Lethal Custom by Gwynne Dyer

Something everybody should read a totally non-romanticized view of human history and evolution as it relates to combat. It also examines our chances of wiping ourselves out due to habitual stupidity.

I'm about 1/3 through it, so I don't know what prescriptions, if any, are made.

On edit: Well, I typed MOST of the letters the words called for.....(sigh)

[Tyler Durden]

18. Gwynne Dyer is a living genius.

The "War" series was a work of art.

[eyepaddle]

24. I'm always impressed by his work,

I guess that's why you don't hear a lot from him. He just makes too much sense.

By the way you are referring to the old PBS miniseries aren't you? That was so good I made a mental note as a teenager to keep my eye open for any of his stuff. :hi:

[lenidog]

21. That one seems very intresting

that is another one I will have to look up.

[Hugin]

13. I'm half way through "The Machine Crusade".

The second book in Brian Herbert's prequel trilogy to his
father's "Dune" trilogy... or something like that.

LOL!

[lenidog]

16. Thank you for reminding me about those

last year a friend of mine got me the trilogy based on House Harkonnen, Corrino and Atreides. (sp?) They were pretty good. There is just so little time and so many books that I forgot he had started the other trilogy.

[Hugin]

25. I decided to read the Machine books first.

Then... maybe the Family books.

I was really curious about the things leading to
"Dune".

They've been very interesting.

[Parrcrow]

14. Robertson Davies: Man of Myth

by Judith Skelton Grant

[Tyler Durden]

15. Hannibal.

Re-reading for the 3rd time.

Thomas Harris uses language like Emanuelle Boivsvert plays a Stradivarius. If you don't want to live in Tuscany after the descriptions in that book, you just hate Italy.

The best part is that the character of Startling isn't 3 Dimensional, it's N Dimensional! The movie was OK but if you loved the film, NEVER read the book: you'll be so disappointed in David Mamet's screenplay.

[livetohike]

17. My Life - Bill Clinton

and I am almost finished. Well, only 150 more pages. Very interesting, if you haven't read it yet :-).

[lenidog]

26. That one is on the pile

to read. I heard it was very good and very intresting. The only bad thing I heard about it was that at times it got a little tedious because he detailed everything he did from the mundane to the important. That was just one persons opinion.

[livetohike]

40. Well it is pretty detailed but

he's a good story teller. If you aren't in a hurry to read it (has to be due in the library for instance), I think you'll enjoy it. Especially his early years and the way he made his political connections.

It's a really good primer for anyone thinking of campaigning. He is a master, imo.

[lenidog]

42. I am working through the pile in order of when the books were bought

the three I am reading right now are the oldest

[bertha katzenengel]

19. Wings: A History of Aviation from Kites to the Space Age

by Tom D. Crouch, a curator at the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum.

[eyepaddle]

41. I bet that's good,

I've always liked books on aviation.

[GumboYaYa]

23. I'm reading Barak Obama's autobiography.

It is a very inspiring book.

[lenidog]

28. That is news to me

I didn't know he had one out. I will definitely look that one up. I expect great things from him in the future and would like to know more about him.

[GumboYaYa]

29. It was written about ten years ago.

He wrote it when he was chosen as the first african-american editor in chief of the Harvard Law Review. He has an amazing story.

[lenidog]

34. I totally missed that one

but its only been recently that I really became aware of him. That is a typical problem with me. There are so many books I want to read and so little time that many good ones get lost in the shuffle.

[GumboYaYa]

33. Here is a link:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?cds2Pid=6841&isbn=1400082773

[lenidog]

36. Excellent and thank you

I already bookmarked the page and put it in my books, movies and music folder. I have favorites folder where I bookmark pages like that from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc and then when its time to order some books, music or movies, I head right to the book mark and order it.

[Arugula Latte]

27. "Sister of My Heart." Just started it -- seems good so far.

Recently read "The Memory of Running" - I recommend it, and "Running with Scissors" -- also good, if a little cringe-worthy.

[Left Is Write]

30. I'm reading Nighttime Is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark

[bleedingheart]

32. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

recommended by DUers...I had to read it.

[lenidog]

35. I did too for an undergrad class

[Ksec]

43. The Summons by John Grisham

Its ok. Not excellent, but pretty good.

[BlueIris]

44. "The Last Thing He Wanted," by Joan Didion.

Also, "Go East, Young Man," (biography of William O. Douglas). That second one, I'm less thrilled about.

[Lady President]

45. "When God Was a Woman"

I've only read a few pages, but here is the synopsis:

In addition to being worshiped for fertility, the Goddess was revered as the wise creator and the one source of universal order. Under her, women's roles differed markedly from those in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Women bought and sold property, traded in the marketplace and the inheritance of title and property was passed from mother to daughter.

How and when did the change in our perception of God (and woman) occur? By documenting the wholesale rewriting of myth and religious dogmas, the author reveals a very ancient conspiracy: the patriarchal re-imaging of the Goddess into a wanton, depraved figure. The author demonstrates that this is the portrait that laid the foundation for one of culture's greatest shams -- the legend of Adam and fallen Eve.

I've read "Mole People" and thought it was absolutely fascinating.

[RevCheesehead]

46. OK, I confess:

I'm just finishing Harry Potter #3 (Prisoner of Azkaban), and am just starting "The Gospel According to Harry Potter."

[usedtobesick]

47. "Lamb" by Christopher Moore

"Stalin, In the Court of the Red Czar" great read but need the laughs from Moore to keep life in focus.

[RevCheesehead]

52. I love that book! n/t

[Kathy in Cambridge]

48. "No Ordinary Time" which is about FDR during WWII

by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It's a great book.

[bobthedrummer]

49. "VACCINE A:The covert government experiment that's killing our soldiers

and why GI's are only the first victims" by Gary Matsumoto.

[carpetbagger]

50. A Birder's Guide to Alaska by George West.

16 days from now, I'll be watching the sun setting in the south at 1:45 in the morning over the Bearing Sea.

[BrotherBuzz]

51. A seventy-three year old wholesale hardware catalog..

The Schaw-Batcher Company, Sacramento, California. Catalog number 32. It was used by my Grandfather, the contractor. Interesting reading his notes and math calculations that included his professional discount. It's also sad to see his wish list check-marks next to neat stuff he desired and needed, but couldn't afford because the nation was in the throes of the great depression. He always said - take care of your nickels and dimes, and the dollars will take care of themselves.

I just finished with priming cups and I'm now on to Compression hose bibbs. I'm looking forward to savoring the sporting goods and hand tool sections.

[Radical Activist]

53. Gramsci Reader, A collection put together by Howard Zinn, and

Lolita