What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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VictoriaF
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by VictoriaF »

Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart by Gerd Gigerenzer, Peter Todd, and the ABC Research Group.

I have just started it and so far I don't like it. The authors are unnecessarily sarcastic about the rationality research and some of their arguments are wrong. Nevertheless, I want to read at least 15% of the book to make sure that I've covered all the bases of the cognitive biases and their mitigation.

Victoria
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Barkingsparrow »

VictoriaF wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:16 am Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart by Gerd Gigerenzer, Peter Todd, and the ABC Research Group.

I have just started it and so far I don't like it. The authors are unnecessarily sarcastic about the rationality research and some of their arguments are wrong. Nevertheless, I want to read at least 15% of the book to make sure that I've covered all the bases of the cognitive biases and their mitigation.

Victoria
Why 15% specifically?
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Barkingsparrow »

jebmke wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:14 pm
TomatoTomahto wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:10 pm I’ve got to stop reading this thread.
What is really a killer is when someone hooks you on a crime novel and you need to start at the beginning of the 10-15 book series to really do it justice. Fortunately a lot of early books can be had on Libby through local libraries.
Or you can check online used book stores such as thriftbooks.com or betterworldbooks.com.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bfeenix44 »

Hurricane Season
by Fernanda Melchior:
The English-language debut of one of the most thrilling and accomplished young Mexican writers...Longlisted for the National Book Award...Shortlisted for the Booker Prize...Winner of the Internationaler Literaturpreis.

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
by James Nestor:
Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out why humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe.
Portfolio here: | https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=345748&p=5936072#p5936072
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by VictoriaF »

Barkingsparrow wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:46 am
VictoriaF wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:16 am Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart by Gerd Gigerenzer, Peter Todd, and the ABC Research Group.

I have just started it and so far I don't like it. The authors are unnecessarily sarcastic about the rationality research and some of their arguments are wrong. Nevertheless, I want to read at least 15% of the book to make sure that I've covered all the bases of the cognitive biases and their mitigation.

Victoria
Why 15% specifically?
The book comprises 16 chapters that are written by different groups of people. The chapters are intended for consecutive reading and I want to read the first two. 2/16 = 12.5%. But page count-wise the first two chapters have 56 pages and all chapters have 364 pages, which is 15.4%. If I find Chapter 2 informative, I will move to Chapter 3, and so on, until I decide that the opportunity cost of not reading other books on my list is higher than reading this one.

Victoria
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by cyfairslam »

I am reading the book "Dune".

The new movie was going to be released late this year, but it now looks like it will be released next year. The 1980's movie was not considered very good and it was stated that it did not capture the nuances of the book. I wanted to read the book and see for myself. The book itself has gotten great reviews.

So far I have enjoyed the book and it is almost identical to the 1980's movie with a few minor additions.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Barkingsparrow »

VictoriaF wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:07 am
Barkingsparrow wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:46 am
VictoriaF wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:16 am Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart by Gerd Gigerenzer, Peter Todd, and the ABC Research Group.

I have just started it and so far I don't like it. The authors are unnecessarily sarcastic about the rationality research and some of their arguments are wrong. Nevertheless, I want to read at least 15% of the book to make sure that I've covered all the bases of the cognitive biases and their mitigation.

Victoria
Why 15% specifically?
The book comprises 16 chapters that are written by different groups of people. The chapters are intended for consecutive reading and I want to read the first two. 2/16 = 12.5%. But page count-wise the first two chapters have 56 pages and all chapters have 364 pages, which is 15.4%. If I find Chapter 2 informative, I will move to Chapter 3, and so on, until I decide that the opportunity cost of not reading other books on my list is higher than reading this one.

Victoria
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 »

heartwood wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:32 am Dave55. you beat me to it! I wrote mine but walked away for awhile before posting.

I just finished Tana French's The Searcher. I recommend it I've enjoyed all but one of her books. All set in Ireland, but this one is a bit different in that its not a Dublin Murder Squad story, and the protagonist is an American, a retired Chicago detective. He's moved to a very rural Irish village and sets out to renovate an old house and become part of the village life.

There were at least two unexpected turns in the 2nd half of the book. I didn't see either coming!

I'll probably go back and give The Witch Elm, the one I had a hard time with, another go.

But before that, I'm finally starting Louise Penny's latest Gamache novel, All the Devils Are Here. Apparently set in Paris (France), not Three Pines (Canada). I wonder whether Ruth will make an appearance?
The Witch Elm was my least favorite of Tana French's books.

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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by VictoriaF »

Barkingsparrow wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:40 am
VictoriaF wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:07 am
Barkingsparrow wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:46 am
VictoriaF wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:16 am Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart by Gerd Gigerenzer, Peter Todd, and the ABC Research Group.

I have just started it and so far I don't like it. The authors are unnecessarily sarcastic about the rationality research and some of their arguments are wrong. Nevertheless, I want to read at least 15% of the book to make sure that I've covered all the bases of the cognitive biases and their mitigation.

Victoria
Why 15% specifically?
The book comprises 16 chapters that are written by different groups of people. The chapters are intended for consecutive reading and I want to read the first two. 2/16 = 12.5%. But page count-wise the first two chapters have 56 pages and all chapters have 364 pages, which is 15.4%. If I find Chapter 2 informative, I will move to Chapter 3, and so on, until I decide that the opportunity cost of not reading other books on my list is higher than reading this one.

Victoria
I had a feeling you were sitting there just hoping someone would ask.
I have a feeling you regret that you have asked.

Victoria
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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The Room where it Happened, by John Bolton.

Regardless of the politics, the author comes off as a complete know it all, surrounded by people who aren’t as smart as he is. While I was reading it, I kept thinking that he would be a horrible dinner guest. I couldn’t make it past the second chapter.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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"Normandy '44: D-Day And The Epic 77-Day Battle For France", by James Holland (Atlantic Monthly Press 2019)

You are probably thinking what I thought when I first saw the cover of this book: "Oh no - not another analysis of the Battle of Normandy!" Well, having finished Holland's effort, I can tell you that its is worth buying (or borrowing) it. Before the text begins, a large collection of excellent battle maps are provided for later reference. The author is an opinionated guy who likes to challenge long-held beliefs and I felt myself re-assessing some of mine as I worked through the chapters. I did not agree with all of his judgments, but I certainly was never bored. Holland is a bit of a British chauvinist; for example, he provides very detailed orders of battle for the British and German forces but neglects to include the same for the Americans. This is OK with me, because the British and Canadians endured a horrific Ragnarok while fighting against the Wehrmacht/SS around Caen and I am not sure that all American readers are properly appreciative of that fact.

His detailed comparisons of the advantages/disadvantages of Allied vs. German weaponry are superb and very illuminating. Most important, throughout his re-telling he continually concentrates on the testimonies of the (usually) very young soldiers, sailors, and airmen who fought desperately for their survival at "the sharp end". At times, Holland's analysis approaches the sublime. Beginning at the middle of page 280 and continuing for another page, he lays out one of the most cogent, succinct descriptions that I have ever read as to how Hitler's obsessive meddling interfered with the Wehrmacht generals' management of this battle. Any historian who can pen an interpretation like that that deserves a respectful hearing.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by CRJPylote »

If audio books count, The Stand by Stephen King. Picked it up in the spring and listen to it when I drive sometimes. Interesting book, not what I expected, first novel of his I've looked at.

To summarize, starts out as the typical apocalypse plot, but gets into the human condition and the supernatural. About 60% in.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by familythriftmd »

I found The Greatest Story Ever Told at one of the little free libraries. Published back in the 60s, I think. It is just OK. The prose is a little bit folksy, and yet the diction is rather advanced, so kind of an odd juxtaposition.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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The Darkest Evening, by Ann Cleeves.

Two women murdered in rural Nothumberland in mid-winter, a tangled web of family ties adds to the mystery. The title is from a line in a Robert Frost poem.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by protagonist »

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson....his account of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I am enjoying it quite a bit (and can relate, being familiar with several segments of the trail). Lots of fascinating information (history, geology, ecology, politics) and good humor. I have found Bryson to sometimes be a bit loose with the facts on occasion in his books, but I can deal with that. It is a travelogue, not passed off as serious science (like my previous criticisms of Kahneman or Harari).

I recommend it. Good fun.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 »

"Jewelweed" by David Rhodes. Excellent story and characters about ordinary people in rural Wisconsin. Also reading "The Keeper of Lost Causes" the first Department Q book of the series by Jussi Adler-Olsen. These are detective novels taking place in Denmark. It is translated from Danish, and these books are best sellers in Europe. Pretty good so far.


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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by heartwood »

I finished Louise Penny's latest in her Gamache series, All the Devils are Here. A good story if a little over the top at the end.

I'm now reading Network Effect by Martha Wells. It's the 5th novel in the Murderbot Diaries. I've enjoyed each. This one started a little slow for me, because I have trouble recalling who the different side characters from previous novels are. I'm a quarter way into it now and it's picked up tremendously.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by quantAndHold »

The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson.

The story of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the race to get it designed and built, and how it changed America. And about the serial killer that was living next door at the time. Larson is an incredible storyteller, and he had some good material to work with on this one.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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A Trick of the Light, by Louise Penny.

There is another murder in Three Pines, Quebec. An old enemy is found murdered in the garden, the host is finally in mid-life celebrating her triumph as an artist. Old secrets are uncovered, as people try to make amends for past wrongs.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Van »

Disloyal. Michael Cohen's account of being Trump's consigliere.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by jebmke »

finished this week - The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot

started - The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789, Joseph Ellis

in progress - The Cruelest Month, Louise Penny (#3 in Gamache series)
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by quantAndHold »

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis.

Yes, I know everyone else read this when they were 11. I tried to read it when I was 11, but failed because of a learning disability that wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 30's that made reading comprehension hard. Especially trying to understand fantasy worlds. So anyway, for the five Bogleheads who haven't read this one, it's cute, charming, part of the children's lit canon, and only about 90 pages long.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Barkingsparrow »

America's Bank - The Epic Struggle to Create the Federal Reserve - Roger Lowenstein

Prior to the creation of the Federal Reserve, our banking system was well lagging behind our economic prowess. You had thousands of banks all over the country, most with their own currency, with no central/federal reserve to provide stability. They relied on hard assets such as gold, which was always in short supply. As a consequence, we experienced panics, bank runs, and money shortages on a constant basis. This book is the story of primarily four men involved with getting the Federal Reserve established in 1913. Everyone knew that we needed a central bank, but few had the political will to step forward and get it done. It basically took a major economic upheaval to provide the impetus and get a bill passed.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by abuss368 »

I just finished “Enough” by Jack Bogle. Loved it.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Barkingsparrow »

What Color is Your Parachute - Retirement Edition - John Nelson.

Since I'm within a year or two (hopefully) of retirement, I am probably not in the target audience for this book. That said, I did not find the book all that much useful and quit reading. My eyes started to glaze over with the diagrams and quizzes, which I found pointless; and reminded me of all these personality/psychology seminars we had to endure at work, and the resulting colorful graphs depicting our personal profile ("You are a borderline sociopath!") My opinion is that a lot of 'self-help' books simply reiterate information from various sources and just repackage it to make it look like something new and that is exactly how I felt about this book. The investment portion of the book was fairly basic - essentially put your retirement investments into some 'autopilot' program (target fund). Then all these 'planning' chapters for planning your ideal retirement. If only life was that simple. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you when are busy making other plans". Think of all your plans you were making a year ago before Covid hit. Maybe I'm just more cynical because I've experienced far more deaths/serious illnesses with friends/family/co-workers this one year more so than any year in the past, and feel like more I just want to survive.

At any rate, I learn far more from this forum relative to real-life experiences/retirement investing and I doubt any book could come close to the wealth and variety of that information.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bertilak »

Barkingsparrow wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:08 pm What Color is Your Parachute - Retirement Edition - John Nelson.
("You are a borderline sociopath!")
Is a curmudgeon borderline sociopath? Asking for a friend.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 »

"Shock Wave" by John Sanford.

Dave
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Barkingsparrow »

bertilak wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2020 10:27 am
Barkingsparrow wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:08 pm What Color is Your Parachute - Retirement Edition - John Nelson.
("You are a borderline sociopath!")
Is a curmudgeon borderline sociopath? Asking for a friend.
Yes, if the friend is in his 70's.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Fallible »

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry. About the 1918 so-called Spanish influenza. The similarities to our current pandemic are chilling, but there also are important differences. Never thought I'd be reading about this pandemic while in the midst of another. A criticism: IMO overwriting and a repetitive writing style, especially about the backgrounds and personalities of the epidemiologists and their struggles to find the pathogen.

Why?: What Makes Us Curious? by Mario Livio. I'm about half way through and thoroughly enjoying it. Livio is an astrophysicist with, he says, "no artistic talent," but a passion for the visual arts, a science advisor to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra taking part in its concerts as a presenter of the "links between science and music." In other words, the perfect person to write about curious people such as da Vinci, Feynman, Einstein, etc.

It's also a fun read, beginning with chapter titles that especially curious people for whom curiosity just won't stop can appreciate:

-Chapter 1: "Curious"
-Chapter 2: "Curiouser"
-Chapter 3: "And Curiouser"
-Chapter 4: "Curious about Curiosity..."

And so on...
"Yes, investing is simple. But it is not easy, for it requires discipline, patience, steadfastness, and that most uncommon of all gifts, common sense." ~Jack Bogle
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 »

"The Sentinel" written by Lee Child and coauthor is his brother Andrew Child (for the first time) the 25th book in the series which was released a few days ago. I got about 3/4 way through the book highly entertained by tough guy Jack Reacher, the fun dialogue and page turning story. I have never been disappointed in a Reacher book.

Dave
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by eldinerocheapo »

"The legend of Bagger Vance". I'd seen the movie dozens of times and thought the book would be an in depth examination of the characters. Well, it turns out the movie was a lot better than the book. The mystical powers and vision of the caddy play out like a bad LSD trip for several chapters. I found it annoying and unnecessary, and wished they'd stuck to the story line about golf, a tortured veteran, his caddy, and the boy who narrates the story. Not a bad read, but a good story got side tracked in a big way.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by MP173 »

Just finished "The Tyranny of Merit" by Michael Sandel.

Sandel, a Harvard professor, examines Meritocracy, how it led to Brexit and the Presidential election in 2016 and what needs to be done to bring dignity and respect back to work.

Ed
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon »

One Lost Soul, by J. M. Dalgliesh.

This is a mystery novel set in Norfolk UK about an teenage schoolgirl who was strangled, her parents' desire for her to study medicine, her desire to escape her home to become an artist, and her relationships with her tutor and with a boy from a local family of criminals.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Jeff Albertson »

this one might be of interest to a few Bogleheads - 'The Delusions Of Crowds: Why People Go Mad in Groups'
Praise for The Delusions of Crowds:
“An intriguing contemporary update of Charles Mackay’s 1841 classic, Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions . . . Readers will wince at the often bloody hysteria that accompanied the Reformation, roll their eyes at our inability to resist get-rich-quick schemes, and chuckle at the widespread American movement that awaited the world’s end in 1843―all of which makes for disturbing yet fascinating reading . . . A well-researched, wide-ranging, and discouraging addition to the why-people-do-stupid-things genre.”―Kirkus Reviews
Publisher : Atlantic Monthly Press (February 23, 2021)
https://www.amazon.com/Delusions-Crowds ... 802157092/
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by nisiprius »

Just finished Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier, the first one by this author that I've read... and I can't believe I never got around to reading it before. I think it's the most compellingly readable book I've read this year. It is not unlike a mystery novel. I'm glad I did not make the mistake of reading anything about it first, because the plot twists are amazing (and pretty convincing), and it really would spoil the book to know too much about them.

She writes in short sentences and I am wondering if it would be a good book for advanced ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students?

Aficionadoes, what DuMaurier novel should I read next?
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bertilak »

nisiprius wrote: Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:46 pm Just finished Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier, the first one by this author that I've read... and I can't believe I never got around to reading it before. I think it's the most compellingly readable book I've read this year. It is not unlike a mystery novel. I'm glad I did not make the mistake of reading anything about it first, because the plot twists are amazing (and pretty convincing), and it really would spoil the book to know too much about them.

She writes in short sentences and I am wondering if it would be a good book for advanced ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students?

Aficionadoes, what DuMaurier novel should I read next?
Jamaica Inn, to be sure. This is another one Hitchcock made a movie from.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by LilyFleur »

bertilak wrote: Thu Oct 29, 2020 11:38 pm
nisiprius wrote: Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:46 pm Just finished Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier, the first one by this author that I've read... and I can't believe I never got around to reading it before. I think it's the most compellingly readable book I've read this year. It is not unlike a mystery novel. I'm glad I did not make the mistake of reading anything about it first, because the plot twists are amazing (and pretty convincing), and it really would spoil the book to know too much about them.

She writes in short sentences and I am wondering if it would be a good book for advanced ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students?

Aficionadoes, what DuMaurier novel should I read next?
Jamaica Inn, to be sure. This is another one Hitchcock made a movie from.
I agree.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by LilyFleur »

I just read Olive Kitteridge for book club. At our book club, we rate the book on a scale of one to ten. Usually the ratings are between 5 and 9. At our meeting today, I gave Olive Kitteridge an 11 out of 10. Evidently no one in the history of our book club had ever done that. Then another book club member, emboldened by my move, did the same. :sharebeer

Then we agreed that Olive, Again would be our next book. We all loved Olive Kitteridge and had an incredible discussion about it.

The writing is exceptionally high quality. (I'm a former English teacher, so trust me on that.)

The book club members who are not former English teachers felt that it was well written. I experienced it on a different level but felt exactly the same about it. Now, that is good writing.

The book won a Pulitzer prize.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by DiploInvestor »

The Joys of Compounding - by Gautam Baid
— sort of a philosophy of value investing with lots of good Munger and Buffet quotes and advice

The Great Depression and the New Deal - by Eric Rauchway
— I find the 1930s a particularly interesting time period

The Little Book of Stoicism - by Jonas Salzgeber
— because I like that particular philosophy and really appreciate Marcus Aurelius and Seneca

The Talisman - by Stephen King
— one of my favorite authors, and this is a particularly good read
"History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes." -- Mark Twain // "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." — Cicero
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by jebmke »

Finished Joseph Ellis' "The Quartet."

revisits in more summarized version much of the same ground covered by Bernard Bailyn (on the constitution) and Pauline Maier (ratification) but with a deeper dive on four people mainly involved in steering events.

Worth reading for a different angle but would not skip Bailyn especially for deeper historical perspective.

Ellis' spends very little time on ratification so I would highly recommend Maier's work for anyone interested in the gory details of that process.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon »

jebmke wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 10:46 am Finished Joseph Ellis' "The Quartet."

revisits in more summarized version much of the same ground covered by Bernard Bailyn (on the constitution) and Pauline Maier (ratification) but with a deeper dive on four people mainly involved in steering events.

Worth reading for a different angle but would not skip Bailyn especially for deeper historical perspective.

Ellis' spends very little time on ratification so I would highly recommend Maier's work for anyone interested in the gory details of that process.
I read Ellis' The Quartet several years ago. It is a nice, very readable history of the creation of the our Constitution.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Artful Dodger »

LilyFleur wrote: Thu Oct 29, 2020 11:49 pm I just read Olive Kitteridge for book club. At our book club, we rate the book on a scale of one to ten. Usually the ratings are between 5 and 9. At our meeting today, I gave Olive Kitteridge an 11 out of 10. Evidently no one in the history of our book club had ever done that. Then another book club member, emboldened by my move, did the same. :sharebeer

Then we agreed that Olive, Again would be our next book. We all loved Olive Kitteridge and had an incredible discussion about it.

The writing is exceptionally high quality. (I'm a former English teacher, so trust me on that.)

The book club members who are not former English teachers felt that it was well written. I experienced it on a different level but felt exactly the same about it. Now, that is good writing.

The book won a Pulitzer prize.
My wife's book club read Olive Kitteridge a few years back. I'm pretty sure I've got in our Audible library. She has recommended a number of books in the past that her group read, which I liked. Educated - Tara Westover, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I'm reading another recommendation from her group right now - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by LilyFleur »

Artful Dodger wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 11:21 am
LilyFleur wrote: Thu Oct 29, 2020 11:49 pm I just read Olive Kitteridge for book club. At our book club, we rate the book on a scale of one to ten. Usually the ratings are between 5 and 9. At our meeting today, I gave Olive Kitteridge an 11 out of 10. Evidently no one in the history of our book club had ever done that. Then another book club member, emboldened by my move, did the same. :sharebeer

Then we agreed that Olive, Again would be our next book. We all loved Olive Kitteridge and had an incredible discussion about it.

The writing is exceptionally high quality. (I'm a former English teacher, so trust me on that.)

The book club members who are not former English teachers felt that it was well written. I experienced it on a different level but felt exactly the same about it. Now, that is good writing.

The book won a Pulitzer prize.
My wife's book club read Olive Kitteridge a few years back. I'm pretty sure I've got in our Audible library. She has recommended a number of books in the past that her group read, which I liked. Educated - Tara Westover, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I'm reading another recommendation from her group right now - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.
Thanks! I will add those to my list. I've read Educated and found it quite enlightening.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Wings5 »

protagonist wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:44 am A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson....his account of hiking the Appalachian Trail.
...
I recommend it. Good fun.
I recently gifted a copy of his other book, One Summer, to a friend. It’s an entertaining account of the summer of 1927 in America. Many of his books are enjoyable reads.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bengal22 »

quantAndHold wrote: Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:08 am The Room where it Happened, by John Bolton.

Regardless of the politics, the author comes off as a complete know it all, surrounded by people who aren’t as smart as he is. While I was reading it, I kept thinking that he would be a horrible dinner guest. I couldn’t make it past the second chapter.
I read the whole thing. While he struck me as a bitter ex employee who betrayed peers/boss trust, I found it interesting on how decisions are made in very stressful, critical situations.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Nicolas »

bengal22 wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:58 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:08 am The Room where it Happened, by John Bolton.

Regardless of the politics, the author comes off as a complete know it all, surrounded by people who aren’t as smart as he is. While I was reading it, I kept thinking that he would be a horrible dinner guest. I couldn’t make it past the second chapter.
I read the whole thing. While he struck me as a bitter ex employee who betrayed peers/boss trust, I found it interesting on how decisions are made in very stressful, critical situations.
I also read it through and enjoyed it. Bolton seems to be an intelligent guy.
Last edited by Nicolas on Fri Oct 30, 2020 7:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by sbaywriter »

Finished Lanny Budd novels volume 1 (first 3 books of the 11 book series) by Upton Sinclair. He won the Pulitzer for book 3, Dragon's teeth in the 1940s.

Wow, can’t believe I never discovered these before, and that they were out of print for years and only republished in ebook form. I am finding them fascinating and I have learned so much about 20th century history, politics, and economics. The timeline for these books starts about 1914 and now I’m up to 1936.

Horrible things happened during that time period – WW1, the stock market collapse, the Great Depression, the rise of the Nazis in Germany and so on.

Sometimes it was depressing to read about and I’d have to take a break. But overall I found it comforting – a reminder that although evil things can happen, slaughter, suffering, cruelty, injustice, people somehow survive. Upton Sinclair has his own viewpoint but his protagonist lives in many worlds with many viewpoints so the novels communicate multiple viewpoints. A good antidote to current day polarization.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by protagonist »

Wings5 wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:46 pm
protagonist wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:44 am A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson....his account of hiking the Appalachian Trail.
...
I recommend it. Good fun.
I recently gifted a copy of his other book, One Summer, to a friend. It’s an entertaining account of the summer of 1927 in America. Many of his books are enjoyable reads.
Thanks for the recommendation. What are your other favorite Bryson books? I have only read two...Walk in the Woods and History of Nearly Everything.

Currently I am reading Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions. Though I have really enjoyed most Vonnegut books I have read, I have mixed feelings about this one.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Barkingsparrow »

protagonist wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:40 am
Wings5 wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:46 pm
protagonist wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:44 am A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson....his account of hiking the Appalachian Trail.
...
I recommend it. Good fun.
I recently gifted a copy of his other book, One Summer, to a friend. It’s an entertaining account of the summer of 1927 in America. Many of his books are enjoyable reads.
Thanks for the recommendation. What are your other favorite Bryson books? I have only read two...Walk in the Woods and History of Nearly Everything.

Currently I am reading Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions. Though I have really enjoyed most Vonnegut books I have read, I have mixed feelings about this one.
Just to intrude... my favorite Bryson book is "A Sunburned Country" - an account of his travels through Australia. I think it's his funniest book also.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by heartwood »

I read Lee Child's Blue Moon last year and hated it; it was like a Tarantino movie without any talent. I swore I wouldn't read any more new ones. Then he announced earlier this year that he was done writing Reacher books and turning the character over to his brother Andrew.

Must have changed his mind somewhat. A new Reacher book is out, The Sentinel, but co-written with his brother. I'm half way into it and will say its better than Blue Moon so far. But different than the early books, and different than the last several years' books. A lot less character development, many are hard to follow or place as they recur later in the book. Maybe keep notes on who's who as you read?

I'm waiting for the new Lincoln Lawyer book from Michael Connelly, The Law of Innocence, due Nov 10.
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