What Are You Reading Now? - My Quarterly Survey

10/01/10 | MplsSteve

[MplsSteve]

Hi everyone! It's time again for my quarterly "What Are You Reading Now?" thread.

As you know, I consider Freepers to be among the more well-read member of the cyber world. I like to find out what you're all reading.

Essentially, it can be anything. A timeless classic, a trashy pulp novel, a technical journal, etc. In short, anything!

Please do not ruin this thread by posting something stupid like "I'm Reading Your Thread". It became really really unfunny a long time ago.

I'll start. I'm reading "Pendergast!" by Lawrence J Larsen and Nancy J Hulston. Written in 1997, it chronicles the life as well as the rise and fall of Tom Pendergast. In the 1920's and 30's, he was the undisputed boss of Kansas City. Nothing moved or happened in that city without his approval. He was responsible for the rise of Harry S Truman as well.

Pendergast was a contradiction in many terms. he was a family man but also contracted syphilis from a prostitute. He looked out for the downtrodden by getting them jobs and food and then skimmed money off the side (on public works projects) for his own use.

And last but not least, he was a life-long Democrat as well!

All in all, this is a good book and one I'd recommend strongly.

Well, what are you reading now?!

[NoExpectations]

A History of the American People - Paul Johnson
Prayer for Beginners - Peter Kreeft

[Poser]

I finally read The Fountainhead.

[Nosterrex]

I am reading “Nietzsche and the Nazis” by Stephen Hicks. This books does an excellent job of pointing out the similarities and differences between Nietzsche and the Nazis. It is also alarming, because I see so much of the socialist agenda being carried out in our country today. It seems that we are doomed to repeat history.

[PLD]

“Roots of Obama’s Rage”by Dinesh D’Souza..

This is a book everyone should read..

[lahargis]

I am reading a classic, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. Almost finished. Short read. Pretty much about the government dumbing down citizens in order for the country to run more smoothly. Seems appropriate for this day and age. :-)

[KingLudd]

The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse
by Fernando Ferfal Aguirre

just finished

Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality by Christopher Ryan, Ph.D. & Cacilda Jethá, M.D.

[savagesusie]

Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel (1999). Surprisingly good—excellent historical detail.

God and Man at Yale by W.F.Buckley,Jr. It was written in 1951 and he precisely describes the faculty of Yale as being anti-Christian (with documentation, of course) and pro-Keynesian (collectivists)also, well-documented. He scours the textbooks used which were very friendly to Karl Marx and his ideology.

Not surprising that the “intellectuals” that produced anti-Christians, pro-Keynesians are in control of all governmental institutions today.....the results of our educational system is being felt and Buckley warned us in 1951 about the type of “intellectuals” his alma mater was spitting out. What an amazing intellectual at the young age of 22 years. Fascinating!!!!

[fml]

You can't stop there. I have read almost all she has written and plan to read the rest.

Title?!?

[agere_contra]

Heck. You could have asked me last week, when I was reading "Crossings" by a Benedictine Monk, but no.

Instead you ask me this week, when I just started leafing through a compilation of Warhammer 40K war stories.

And we're not talking about the high end Dan Abnett ones, we're talking the ones where somebody yells "Blood for the Blood God!!!" every few pages.

Well, there you go, LOL.

[jjw]

jQuery in action

[stylecouncilor]

I agree with you. To Kill a Mockingbird is great, but Huck is better!

[circlecity]

The Pensees - Blaise Pascal

[mewzilla]

Since Chi-Town's been in the news so much of late, I pulled this outta my stack...

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America , by Erik Larson.

Halfway through.

Alternately fascinating and horrifying. Explains a lot, too...

[AFreeBird]

“Sarah takes on Big Oil”.

[stylecouncilor]

Thanks for the idea!

[IYAS9YAS]

I'll give them a look.

The last six books I read were the three in Matt Bracken's Enemies series, two Sue Grafton Alphabet series (sucker for modern gumshoe stuff), and 13 Cent Killers about Marine snipers in Vietnam (currently loaned out to a Marine vet buddy of mine).

[Old Grumpy]

“Wyatt Earp Speaks” by Wyatt Earp and John Richard Stephens.

[Eddie01]

Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance

[IYAS9YAS]

The director wimped out.

Agreed. Cujo the book kept me up nights. Cujo the movie had me looking for a new pup.

[Billthedrill]

The prose is so clear that I suspected - I was certain - that it was written by Samuel Clemens, who published it. Quite a story, actually - Clemens was broke, Grant was dying and broke, and Clemens promised him $400K he didn't have to write it. Grant managed it before he died so his family would be provided for. Thing is, though, the manuscripts are in Grant's hand and he did write like that. Amazing.

Grant didn't want to be a soldier, he wanted to be a mathematics instructor at West Point. He despised the Mexican War in which he fought and stated very bluntly that he considered it fraudulent, admired Robert E. Lee a very great deal, knew a fair number of the other Confederate commanders as fellow junior officers. The butt of most of his jokes is himself. It's actually a pretty easy read.