swiftdream
Trail Wise!
the Great Southwest Unbound
Posts: 543
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Post by swiftdream on Dec 10, 2016 11:09:54 GMT -8
I recently finished Little Big Man, by Thomas Berger. It is one of the best works of fiction I have ever read. Hilarious, tragic, and very well-researched. Some of the best social/cultural commentary I have ever read. Thanks for the recommendation. It does get good reviews. The local library had it available on Overdrive and I downloaded it. I do understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction and will start it later tonight. Looks like something I'm in the mood for.
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on Dec 14, 2016 9:17:24 GMT -8
Well the last few days am re-reading parts of an old book on my bookshelf: A Brief History of Time Sep 1, 1998 by Stephen Hawking
I read a lot of non-fiction. Looking at my Amazon orders this year shows:
Why the Universe Is the Way It Is 2008 Ross, Hugh (read this month, highly recommended)
Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity's Home 2016 Ross, Hugh (read in November)
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus's Crucifixion 2016 by N. T. Wright (Kindle) (read this fall)
Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley 1997 Robert P. Sharp (read this spring between a couple DV road trips)
------------------------- Have also re-read all or parts of books on my bookshelves or Kindle because much technical and science knowledge tends to fade fade away with time unless one refreshes.
The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery 2004 by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards (re-read fully November, highly recommended)
Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe 2000 by Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee (re-reading parts of this almost every year, highly recommended)
Currently am working on better understanding astronomy, astrobiology, cosmology, and fine tuning of the universe that are difficult subjects to understand at greater math/technical levels. And expect to start picking through this textbook again:
Voyages to the Stars and Galaxies 2005 by Andrew Fraknoi, David S Morrison
And then by later January going back into a fat intro botany college textbook I bought a few years ago to refresh. Amazon used books have lots of slightly dated college level textbooks that once were very expensive that one can buy at rock bottom prices. So now you know why over decades have spent little time watching the boob tube.
David
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Post by burntfoot on Dec 26, 2016 12:14:03 GMT -8
Recently: 1. Tourist Season by Carl Hiaason 2. The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan 3. Then Everything Changed by Jeff Greenfield 4. Hawaii Trails by Kathy Morey
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Post by burntfoot on Dec 28, 2016 16:25:01 GMT -8
Thanks. I've got 2 more of his to read. But, first I have to finish that Ottoman book. It is for my history book club in January, and is a nasty read. Hard to slog through.
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foxalo
Trail Wise!
Life is infinitely stranger than anything the mind could invent.---Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Posts: 2,359
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Post by foxalo on Jan 3, 2017 11:30:42 GMT -8
Enlightening as well as entertaining.
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Post by graywolf on Jan 6, 2017 5:35:55 GMT -8
Unearthing the Dragon: The Great Feathered Dinosaur Discovery by Mark Norell. He's one of the paleontologists that started going to China in 2001 when they were first digging up dinosaur fossils that had feathers. You not only learn a lot about fossils but also Chinese culture.
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Post by hikerjer on Jan 6, 2017 9:08:50 GMT -8
Yellowstone: A Journey through America's Wild Heart. New book on the park by local author (Bozeman) and renowned environmentalist, David Quammen. Got it for Christmas and am just beginning it. He takes the approach of Yellowstone being "the cultivated wild". It'll be interesting to get his take on it. I'll report back when I'm finished. So far, it's rather interesting. Regardless, it will be a nice addition to my library on the Yellowstone shelf.
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grace
Trail Wise!
Posts: 276
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Post by grace on Jan 6, 2017 10:34:46 GMT -8
Alexander Hamilton's bio. Because I met this guy in a bar.... I'll never see him again, but any guy who brings a book to a bar has my attention. He dared me to finish it. 18% and counting. It's good, when I can focus.
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Post by trinity on Jan 6, 2017 10:55:04 GMT -8
I'll report back when I'm finished. Please do. Sounds promising.
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foxalo
Trail Wise!
Life is infinitely stranger than anything the mind could invent.---Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Posts: 2,359
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Post by foxalo on Jan 6, 2017 11:44:57 GMT -8
grace My mom and dad hang out at a bar in their hometown. My mom decided to start a mini library there. It's one little bookshelf that people can share books they've finished so others can read. They are books that the original owner doesn't necessarily want back. It's taken off and gets a lot of people sharing books. I think my son read that book or at least some book on Alexander Hamilton. He kind of considers him a hero. Hope you finish!
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toejam
Trail Wise!
Hiking to raise awareness
Posts: 1,795
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Post by toejam on Jan 8, 2017 15:08:55 GMT -8
Last year there was a woman from Santa Cruz on a trailwork trip. Afterwards she emailed everybody saying she'd written a book. Just a few copies had been printed and were available at a local bookstore.
I ordered the book - "Into the Pillared Dark." Synopsis - she was shot at the riots at Kent State, lived in a bus in the mountains above Boulder, CO, raised livestock and ran a boat rental in Santa Cruz, had an epiphany backpacking the John Muir Trail.
I saw her working on a trail last weekend. She asked me if I read the book - said some people bought the book and never got around to reading it. It's not Hemingway, but I enjoyed it having met her in a different context.
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,666
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Post by rebeccad on Jan 8, 2017 20:59:55 GMT -8
She asked me if I read the book - said some people bought the book and never got around to reading it. That's why that's not a question I ask people I also don't ask what they thought of my books. Her story sounds interesting. I'm currently reading, among several other things, Wicked Women: Notorious, Mischievous, and Wayward Ladies from the Old West. Just what it sounds like, and only so-so as to the writing, but I always like reading about the settlement of the west, and I'm fond of women who refuse to conform
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foxalo
Trail Wise!
Life is infinitely stranger than anything the mind could invent.---Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Posts: 2,359
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Post by foxalo on Jan 9, 2017 8:13:02 GMT -8
I finished the Redneck Manifesto. It's a great read no matter what side of the political spectrum you belong.
My next book will be "The Nature Principle" by Richard Louv. I believe this one was discussed awhile back.
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Post by plodalong on Feb 14, 2017 13:12:17 GMT -8
"Emerson: The Mind on Fire" by Robert Richardson Jr. was an amazing journey! Extremely readable and although the title describes Emerson's mind "on Fire" this book ignited my mind over and over! But, I have to admit by the time I ended it I needed a little breather. So, you know all those books you think of and say, "I loved that book!" but actually read so long ago you sorta forgot? (Or is my age showing here?). I just started RE-READS of some of those "loved but sorta forgot" books. Two books I re-read and found even more to love were "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London and "Into the Wild" by Jack Krakauer with the new postlude chapters in the recent edition. (The re-read of "Into the Wild" provoked me to read "The Wild Truth" written by Chris's sister, Carine McCandless it was...."meh"...worth a thumbing through or just check out her interviews on YouTube rather than wallow through it.) So which one should I re-read next "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" or "Of Mice and Men"?
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foxalo
Trail Wise!
Life is infinitely stranger than anything the mind could invent.---Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Posts: 2,359
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Post by foxalo on Feb 14, 2017 13:33:12 GMT -8
plodalong I'd read Tom Sawyer. I haven't read that in ages, but I love the story. Of Mice and Men is good too, but for me, probaby not worth the re-read.
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