Posted on 03/29/2011 9:52:18 AM PDT by MplsSteve
Hi everyone! It's time again for my "What Are You Reading?" thread.
As you know, I consider Freepers to be among the more well-read of those of us on the Internet. I like to find out what all of you are reading these days.
It can be anything...a technical journal, a NY Times best seller, a classic work of fiction, a trashy pulp novel. In short, it can be anything.
However, please do not defile this thread by posting "I'm reading this thread". it became really unfunny a long time ago.
I'll start. I'm about 15% of the way thru "Henry Clay: The Essential American" by David & Jeanne Heidler. Many books have been written on Henry Clay but this one seems to be the most comprehensive. At times, the authors can be a little long-winded - but all in all, it's a good book about one of the giants of the early 19th Century.
Well, what are YOU reading?
:’D Wholeheartedly agree!
It is indeed outstanding. Some of what they write about, if it happened today, would be pretty much unbelievable.
Just the business about the bears; not having any food, drinking water straight from the river; killing deer then having the Indians with you eat the kill raw....and the like!!!
Absolutely facinating!
Currently reading...
“The Portable Blake” — Anthology of the writings of William Blake.
Also, “American Historical Documents” — Harvard Classics series.
Regardless, my bedside bibliography pile of unread books continues to grow faster than the pace at which I can read them all.
I thought so as well. I read one of Gladwell's earlier books and thought it was just "okay", but I really enjoyed this one. Of particular interest were the sections on how age influences academic and athletic success, because we have young children that will soon be school-age. My wife and I have long assumed that this phenomenon existed, but he makes the strongest case for it that I've seen.
What did you think of Frankl’s book?
I enjoyed it. My wife read it years ago and still feels that it's among the most impactful books she ever read. I wouldn't put it in that category for me, because I already believed the book's central premise (i.e. that one always has the freedom to choose their course of action no matter the circumstance). I do think my views and philosophy are now more well-informed based upon the way Frankl constructed his argument.
What I found more interesting is his relatively dispassionate analysis of his time in camp, given the fact that he lived it firsthand. I expected some emotion to creep into his writing and perhaps influence his argument, but I really didn't find that.
By the way, I read it on my Nook, so included with the download was a foreword, afterword, and an "after-afterword" that were interesting reads as well. I found it well worth the time; it isn't a long book.
Is it necessary to read the DeMille books in order?
I didn’t, except for the last few, yet I thoroughly enjoyed them.
You got me. The real world’s just too... real for me.
I did recently read a fiction book, two actually. I’d forgotten until right now:
Incarceron and its sequel. The first book was interesting, but the second lost the intensity and became formulaic. You might like Incarceron.
You’ll love this insight then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI
One of the most fascinating parts of the book for me was their frank discussion of the Indians as a fallen people. Their morality was situational and very often immoral (prostituting young girls to the whites, stealing, etc.)
It also showed that Sacajawea, though important, wasn’t desperately critical to their mission as purported by modern feminist scholars. I didn’t come away feeling that she was extraneous (she did save his papers during the flash flood), just simply not the central character in the adventure. The fact that she traveled pregnant and had the baby en route was very impressive. I feel that the feminists want to ‘man’ her up, instead of recognizing the amazing things she did while fully expressing her femininity.
I got the audio recording and we listened to it in the car as we did family stuff. My kids loved it.
I too read one of Gladwell’s earlier books which I cannot recall the name of right now, but I found his conclusions a stretch and more an attempt to fit his worldview than to find the facts.
Outliers was very interesting and more ‘scientific’ in his data sets.
As regards your school age children, have you ever considered or are you considering home schooling? We do and we don’t regret it at all. It is easier than you think and you’ll love the outcome. If you can do it I highly recommend it. If you’d like some insights or advice please FReepmail me.
Regarding Frankl, I too accept his central premise, although I find him amazing. His response and ability to clinically analyze his history without grief or rage is superhuman in my opinion. I’m not that Christlike.
What insights did you find in the Nook ‘extras’?
Ray Bradbury “Dandelion Wine”
As to Sacajawea...I had - I'll admit - some "expectations" when first reading the book about her, her "heroics" and her abilities.
What I came away with was an Indian woman "married" to a white guy who didn't go out of his way to treat her "kindly" (in fact, Lewis upbraided the guy for slapping her around), but treated her in very much the fashion of his time.
As to the pregnancy and having the baby while on the trek; apparently, this was pretty much the norm as well, for when the tribes "took to the road", the pregnant women went along, worked, contributed, and had their babies as required (I think this must have happened to the Hebrews during their wanderings, yes!!??).
For absolutely sure, a very fascinating tale. Makes me realize that I am not nearly tough enough to make such a trek....not even close! And...I'm nowhere as good a writer!
I'm really glad your kids are - or got a chance to - enjoy it as well.
Dead or Alive is very topical, especially the new left-wing POTUS.
Yes it is. Just the names are changed to protect the guilty.
They stood for a thousand years between the Muslims and the West, during which time the West went from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance.
The biography of William Morris of Philadelphia, the Revolution’s arms merchant.
I’m reading “In Search of the Miraculous”, by P. D. Ouspensky; it’s an exposition of the teachings of Georgian philosopher and mystic G. I. Gurdjieff.
I have read perhaps a book a week for the last 40 years...a lot of books; and I’d have to rate this one in the top ten. Great book!
I’ve been reading that book on Salamis and Themistocles and the original Athenian navy, when I can find it (it’s under a pile of something in the car). There’s also a bunch of softbound (better-made larger-format paperback editions) I’ve picked up at Costco. I have been known to buy books by conservatives at Costco just to keep ‘em coming. I got the GWB memoirs as a CD audiobook at Costco. I got sticker shock the other night when I wandered into a Enormous Chain bookstore in one of the malls here. They do have the books on CD in unabridged form (Huck’s, Sarah’s, Rove’s, etc, and other non-political titles) and the display by the entrace is entirely by conservative authors; the rest of the audiobooks are in the music section, and that was closed by the time I got there (near closing time).
Anyway, I’ve got bio about four allied leaders in WWII (can’t remember the title); started a book on a WWI strain of encephalitis that was dubbed “sleeping sickness” and inspired the book and movie “Awakenings”; a bio of Ben Franklin; a stack of others I haven’t yet started; plus all those titles I mentioned last quarter, although chances are good I haven’t found them to continue reading them during that interval. ;’)
Reading...when I can find it(under a pile of something in the car).
We’ve got to get our cars cleaned, not to mention desks and rooms. Once a political boss of mine had his files vandalized and thrown all over the floor. He phoned me and said I needed to come right in. I asked, “How bad is it?”. He said, “well let’s just say the entire conference room floor looks like the top of your desk.” I groaned, “That bad huh!!.”
I love Corny Ryan’s books. His wife wrote a wonderful, sad and touching book about his illness, and death, that was very moving to read.
I’m currently reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which I love, but it’s ultimately sad because the son he wrote about, who accompanied him on his bike trip, was murdered in SF years later...
Ed
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