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Are there any fun non-fiction books on the history of man's experimentation, experiences, and results with mind-altering substances ? Maybe something with broad range of subjects, like how the double helix structure was discovered on the effects of LSD, or how many biblical prophets were probably on psychedelic shrooms to have visions, religious rituals with peyote, etc. The only book I know that is similar is Out of Our Heads: Rock and Roll Before the Drugs Wore Off, which documents the use and drug habits of famous musicians from the 60's through the 80's and the cultural changes that occured during that time with anecdotes and interviews. Any ideas?
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Jan 1, 2015 21:13
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fozzy fosbourne posted:Any recommendations for great novels or nonfiction about food? Preferably something that would enrich the experience of eating and preparing food; not looking for a cynical treatise on the food industry or The Jungle, heh I've enjoyed Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, but it's pretty sciency in its approach.
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Jan 2, 2015 17:00
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If you want a part cookbook and part fun memoir of a likable fuckup try L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food by Roy Choi.
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Jan 2, 2015 23:00
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derkaiser posted:I've enjoyed Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, but it's pretty sciency in its approach. Might be good to know that there is the original 1984 edition and the revised 2004 edition, which contains a lot of changes. What was added: The 2004 edition is much longer, since it explains more ingredients and expands its explanations of the previously included ingredients. It also goes more in depth about preparation methods. Almost everything else was rewritten also to reflect the author's new insights. What got cut out: The chapters about human physiology, nutrition and additives are gone in the 2004 edition. I got all this info from the 2004 version's introduction - hope it's useful in picking the right edition.
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Jan 3, 2015 08:55
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The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay might be my favorite book ever, and I loved The Yiddish Policeman's Union as well; where do I go next with Chabon?
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Jan 6, 2015 04:08
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I'm looking for new books/writers (new as in I don't know them yet) similar in style to the following: Rayuela by Cortazar, Gravity's Rainbow by Pynchon, the Illuminati trilogy by Wilson & Shea, Naked Lunch by Burroughs. Basically something that fries my brain, and spits it out again.
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Jan 7, 2015 10:16
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I just finished and enjoyed this book: http://www.amazon.com/Cockpit-Confi...20631959&sr=1-2 I'm looking for some other similar things about airlines and air travel, any suggestions? Light stuff about how it all works, not technical books. Cursory searching turns up lots of technical stuff, a bunch of "how not to be afraid to fly" stuff, and angry flight attendant memoirs. Those may be okay if they're funny but not interested in the other two. Grand Fromage fucked around with this message at 13:04 on Jan 7, 2015 |
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Jan 7, 2015 13:01
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Fartmaster posted:I read like 8 pages of Atlas Shrugged years ago, but I hear she was more renowned for her philosophy than her writing. And her philosophy was and remains toxic. I think the most important thing I learned from Atlas Shrugged was that I should not feel obligated to finish a book just because I've started it. (I was about 19 at the time I read it and while I did finish it I later told myself I shouldn't have.) You've got Dumas, Twain and Hammett lying there, if you want something that's actually enjoyable.
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Jan 7, 2015 13:19
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Groke posted:And her philosophy was and remains toxic. I think the most important thing I learned from Atlas Shrugged was that I should not feel obligated to finish a book just because I've started it. (I was about 19 at the time I read it and while I did finish it I later told myself I shouldn't have.) I read The Fountainhead which I kind of like, but I was young and it was the first time I was exposed to her philosophy. Later on I tried to read Atlas Shrugged (just to say I've read it I guess), but I stopped about halfway. Of course by that time I knew about her philosophy. Several of the high ups at my work (who lean to the right big time) got into Ayn Rand around the time that Atlas Shrugged movie came out. During a discussion they was having about the Ayn Rand (they was talking about her like she was their new idol) I couldn't resist to let them know I've read some Rand (which of course some of them never even heard of her until recently, and none of them had read anything by her). I had to let these very religious people know that Rand was an atheist who had an open affair with a younger man (which drove her husband to drink) , and then tried to ruin in his life once she found out he was sleeping with someone else. Also I pointed out how confusing it was to me that for a group who's motto is 'WWJD ' that Rand's philosophy seemed to be the opposite of that. I wanted to say more, but I did use some tact. My point I guess is the only advantage to reading anything by Rand is it gives you a ticket to talk about her in certain situations. This makes me want to read (finish this time) Atlas Shrugged now. Crap. Edit: Just saw that Nathaniel Branden (her famous affair) died last month. nate fisher fucked around with this message at 14:40 on Jan 7, 2015 |
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Jan 7, 2015 14:34
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If you want to read a Rand so you can poo poo on her with authority I'd say Anathem is the one to do, it's the shortest and has all the same bullshit as the other books.
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Jan 7, 2015 14:44
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midnightclimax posted:I'm looking for new books/writers (new as in I don't know them yet) similar in style to the following: Rayuela by Cortazar, Gravity's Rainbow by Pynchon, the Illuminati trilogy by Wilson & Shea, Naked Lunch by Burroughs. Have you tried Flann O'Brien? At Swim-Two-Birds or The Third Policeman might do you. Another possibility: Italo Calvino. Grand Fromage posted:If you want to read a Rand so you can poo poo on her with authority I'd say Anathem is the one to do, it's the shortest and has all the same bullshit as the other books. Anthem, surely? Anathem is a Neal Stephenson book.
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Jan 7, 2015 15:09
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Selachian posted:Have you tried Flann O'Brien? At Swim-Two-Birds or The Third Policeman might do you. Yeah, I know Flann O'Brien, it's possible I read something of his about a bicycle accident (that's probably At-Swim-Two-Birds)? I've read "Baron in the trees" by Calvino, liked it. There's also "Eden Eden Eden" by Pierre Guyotat, which is pretty stream-of-consciousness and the kind of stuff I'm looking for. There's some american author I keep forgetting about, he wrote something called Satanburger as well as a fake D&D supplement... Mallick Jr.? It sounded whacky, never had a chance to read it.
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Jan 7, 2015 15:21
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Selachian posted:Anthem, surely? Anathem is a Neal Stephenson book. Yeah. I read it a long time ago and have never revisited it to remember spellings.
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Jan 7, 2015 15:26
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midnightclimax posted:Yeah, I know Flann O'Brien, it's possible I read something of his about a bicycle accident (that's probably At-Swim-Two-Birds)? I've read "Baron in the trees" by Calvino, liked it. There's also "Eden Eden Eden" by Pierre Guyotat, which is pretty stream-of-consciousness and the kind of stuff I'm looking for. The bicycle accident is probably The Third Policeman -- one of the running gags of that book is the policemen are obsessed with bicycles.
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Jan 7, 2015 16:24
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midnightclimax posted:I'm looking for new books/writers (new as in I don't know them yet) similar in style to the following: Rayuela by Cortazar, Gravity's Rainbow by Pynchon, the Illuminati trilogy by Wilson & Shea, Naked Lunch by Burroughs. If you haven't read Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me by Richard Fariña, do so immediately. Pynchon and Fariña were best friends, and it's one of the funniest books I've read, the prose is hallucinatory and beautiful, and I put the book in my top 3 favorites. Edit: Gravity's Rainbow is dedicated to Fariña.
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Jan 7, 2015 19:50
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Franchescanado posted:If you haven't read Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me by Richard Fariña, do so immediately. Oha I thought that line is from Jim Morrisson. Will order.
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Jan 7, 2015 21:28
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midnightclimax posted:
Carlton Mellick III. I've read a few of his books. I'm not sure I'd recommend him on the basis of looking for something similar to Pynchon, but going from Burroughs...hmmm...maybe. You might also want to try some Richard Brautigan, particularly Trout Fishing in America and/or In Watermelon Sugar. My favorite book of his is So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away, but it's not something that's likely to "fry your brain."
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Jan 8, 2015 17:02
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Yeah I've read Brautigan, a collection of short stories, can't remember the title. But it's good stuff.
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Jan 8, 2015 17:15
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Cithen posted:Are there any contemporary authors writing some good satire? Or anything that falls somewhere between Vonnegut and the film 'Network' would likely hit the spot. Max Barry? Australian guy who writes mostly dystopian satire about the amorality of the corporation.
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Jan 8, 2015 19:37
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midnightclimax posted:Yeah I've read Brautigan, a collection of short stories, can't remember the title. But it's good stuff. My guess would be Revenge of the Lawn. Or possibly the aforementioned Trout Fishing in America, which is categorized as a novel (or novella) but could easily give one the feeling that it's a collection of short stories. Anyway, yes, good stuff. He had a "voice" that's not quite like anyone else I've ever read.
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Jan 9, 2015 04:37
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Secret Agent X23 posted:My guess would be Revenge of the Lawn. Or possibly the aforementioned Trout Fishing in America, which is categorized as a novel (or novella) but could easily give one the feeling that it's a collection of short stories. Anyway, yes, good stuff. He had a "voice" that's not quite like anyone else I've ever read. Ah, no, it was "Forty Stories" by Donald Barthelme. Ok then Brautigan added to the list. e: Anyone old enough to remember this?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozc_wkc28nc midnightclimax fucked around with this message at 10:02 on Jan 9, 2015 |
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Jan 9, 2015 09:54
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I'm looking for beautifully descriptive books about the nature, ecology, or scenery of the American Southwest. I've read all of Ellen Meloy's books as well as Desert Solitaire, and I want more books in that vein. New Mexico and the redrock region of the Colorado Plateau are preferred, but failing that, I'll take any really well-written books on the ecology of anywhere in the American West. Thanks.
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Jan 10, 2015 20:35
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this might be up your alley.
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Jan 11, 2015 16:41
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Criminal Minded posted:The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay might be my favorite book ever, and I loved The Yiddish Policeman's Union as well; where do I go next with Chabon? Chabon's pretty consistent, tho Kav and Clay is by far his best. Wonder Boys is my second favorite of his, and Telegraph Avenue (his latest) ain't bad. His essays and short stories are also worth a shot.
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Jan 11, 2015 17:15
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Time Cowboy posted:I'm looking for beautifully descriptive books about the nature, ecology, or scenery of the American Southwest. I've read all of Ellen Meloy's books as well as Desert Solitaire, and I want more books in that vein. New Mexico and the redrock region of the Colorado Plateau are preferred, but failing that, I'll take any really well-written books on the ecology of anywhere in the American West. Thanks. Just about anything Abbey's written fits the bill, including some of his fiction. Also, it's a novel but Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather has lots of beautiful and detailed descriptions of the area around Santa Fe. It's a wonderful book. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/545951.Death_Comes_for_the_Archbishop
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Jan 12, 2015 01:34
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I'm hoping to get an anthology of some the most famous English language poems as a sort of introduction to poetry. Any recommendations for a paperback I can flip through?
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Jan 12, 2015 13:21
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ihopeirememberthis posted:I'm hoping to get an anthology of some the most famous English language poems as a sort of introduction to poetry. Any recommendations for a paperback I can flip through? The Voice That Is Great Within Us is my go-to recommendation outside of a Norton Anthology
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Jan 12, 2015 14:38
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Franchescanado posted:The Voice That Is Great Within Us is my go-to recommendation outside of a Norton Anthology Ah but I'm from the UK and I'm more interested in poetry from this area.
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Jan 13, 2015 15:23
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What are the front runners for best transport textbook for chemical engineers? I'm taking the second transport class, having done momentum/heat transfer and now we're doing mass transfer and separations, but our book is pretty light and easy. Last semester it wasn't a problem since the professor was great and his homework problems were pretty challenging, yet this one seems to almost entirely rely on book problems. I've heard Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot is good, but wanted to make sure. e: Forgot to mention, our book is Geankoplis.
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Jan 13, 2015 20:12
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Who are the big names in adult supernatural thrillers these days? Way back when I used to read corny stuff like King and Koontz, and while they were great for a fifteen year old they are astoundingly cheesy trying to go back and reread them (with a few exceptions). I'm trying to search out more recent and frightening authors but apparently any book dealing with supernatural anything is the realm of YA trash.
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Jan 15, 2015 01:55
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Karl Sharks posted:What are the front runners for best transport textbook for chemical engineers? I'm taking the second transport class, having done momentum/heat transfer and now we're doing mass transfer and separations, but our book is pretty light and easy. Last semester it wasn't a problem since the professor was great and his homework problems were pretty challenging, yet this one seems to almost entirely rely on book problems. I've heard Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot is good, but wanted to make sure.
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Jan 15, 2015 04:17
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pumpinglemma posted:You should probably try the SAL thread, this one is mostly for fiction. Ah, I forgot about that one, my bad.
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Jan 15, 2015 04:28
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Danger Mahoney posted:Who are the big names in adult supernatural thrillers these days? The problem you're going to run in to is that it's going to be hard for a book to frighten you, especially in any category that could be reasonably called a supernatural thriller. Koontz and King are essentially still the top dogs for that kind of story. You may get some mileage from Justin Cronin or Nick Cutter, though I'd argue they're better classified as horror (and they are pretty polarizing). If you're after horror, check out the cosmic horror thread; there are some great recommendations in there and they don't all focus on the cosmic aspect.
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Jan 15, 2015 04:35
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Danger Mahoney posted:Who are the big names in adult supernatural thrillers these days? There's Adam Nevill, my favorite of his is Last Days. Chris Buelman is a good horror writer. I don't know of any younger authors who are considered top of the genre guys with a large bibliography like King, Barker or Koontz. I wish there was, it would make finding this stuff a lot easier. There's some who have written one or two good horror novels, like the already mentioned Cutter and Cronin, there's the Ruins by Scott Smith. I'm sure there's others I don't know of, wouldn't mind finding em out myself.
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Jan 15, 2015 08:07
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Danger Mahoney posted:Who are the big names in adult supernatural thrillers these days? You may like the recent book The Boy Who Drew Monsters. It wasn't horrifying, but it's a fun quick "literary horror" novel that I enjoyed. I really liked The Troop by Nick Cutter, but it is not for the squemish. You might be best off buying a Best of Horror anthology for a recent year. There's some good stuff out there, like The New Dead.
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Jan 15, 2015 15:27
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Could I get some recommendations for great travel writing? It's an area I have very little experience in, and I want to correct that. I'm really looking for authors with a strong voice and sense of style; a lot of my favorite travel writing feels almost like reading fiction.
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Jan 17, 2015 02:32
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Grizzled Patriarch posted:Could I get some recommendations for great travel writing? It's an area I have very little experience in, and I want to correct that. I'm really looking for authors with a strong voice and sense of style; a lot of my favorite travel writing feels almost like reading fiction. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome Travels of Marco Polo Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman (sortof) West with the Night by Beryl Markham.
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Jan 17, 2015 02:45
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Grizzled Patriarch posted:Could I get some recommendations for great travel writing? It's an area I have very little experience in, and I want to correct that. I'm really looking for authors with a strong voice and sense of style; a lot of my favorite travel writing feels almost like reading fiction. You can't do better than Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands. The writing is majestic. He also had another one about traveling with Arabs that I can't remember but was also very good. Also, Jan Morris has a bunch of good travel books, Venice I think is the best known.
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Jan 17, 2015 04:58
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Not sure whether it counts but as a complete couch potato I was always very fond of Richard Halliburton. The "almost fiction" bit definitely fits.
anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 10:31 on Jan 17, 2015 |
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Jan 17, 2015 10:29
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Grizzled Patriarch posted:Could I get some recommendations for great travel writing? It's an area I have very little experience in, and I want to correct that. I'm really looking for authors with a strong voice and sense of style; a lot of my favorite travel writing feels almost like reading fiction.
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