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Enentol posted:If you're looking for bang for your buck, Marc Mulholland's Northern Ireland, A Very Short Introduction has you set. It's $9, 150 pages and it'll learn you good. Thanks, I'll check it out.
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Dec 6, 2009 19:25
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flistputt posted:The further reading section of the wikipedia page looks like it has a few potentially useful titles: Thanks for this. Amazon's "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" for these two titles gave me enough possibilities to last quite awhile.
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Dec 6, 2009 21:26
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Looking for a good page turner, possibly something more modern. Recent favorite books are Love Falls by Esther Freud (although I couldn't get through Hideous Kinky if that helps anything), Extremely Loud and Increibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, and The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. I have a huge tendancy to pick up a book, read the first 20 pages (if even that much) and if I'm not hooked I'll put it down forever. Most recently put down What is the What by Dave Eggers, My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, and I: The Divine by Rabih Alameddine. Aside from Amazon's "Customers who also bought..." does anyone have recommendations for a website, etc that can help my picky brain find something satisfying?
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Dec 6, 2009 23:38
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I want to learn more about the Cold War but there are a million books on the subject and I'm hoping someone here can help me avoid the crap. I'm really looking for a comprehensive history of the time, or as close to it as possible.
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Dec 8, 2009 01:22
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mallratcal posted:I want to learn more about the Cold War but there are a million books on the subject and I'm hoping someone here can help me avoid the crap. For a very good general history of the Cold War I strongly recommend The Cold War, A New History by John Lewis Gaddis. Gaddis is a professor at Yale. After teaching a course on the Cold War for years, he got fed up with all the complaints from his students about not having a truly comprehensive text, so he just wrote his own. It's a pretty solid, enjoyable read. He's got a nice style that flows, and it's under 300 pages. It's gotten pretty great reviews in a lot of popular media and also in academic circles. Besides one or two chapters it's a pretty great book. The first couple of pages will get you hooked pretty fast.
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Dec 8, 2009 05:02
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Hello literate folks. I've got me a serious war-on right now and need some war-porn to satisfy my base and cruel urges. I'm looking exciting fights gouts of blood and perhaps C-beams glittering off the Tannhauser Gate and all that fun stuff. Any era of human history or sci-fi/fantasy would be fine. I don't care about contrived circumstances or cardboard characters so long as the fights are epic in the Homeric sense. Lowest-common-denominator stuff like the works of John Ringo is fine, too but I really don't like sex scenes getting in the way of my tanks and legionaries and explosions and aliens being blown up so thoroughly that their skeletons act as shrapnel.
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Dec 8, 2009 05:05
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Grand Prize Winner posted:Hello literate folks. I've got me a serious war-on right now and need some war-porn to satisfy my base and cruel urges. I'm looking exciting fights gouts of blood and perhaps C-beams glittering off the Tannhauser Gate and all that fun stuff. Any era of human history or sci-fi/fantasy would be fine. I don't care about contrived circumstances or cardboard characters so long as the fights are epic in the Homeric sense. Lowest-common-denominator stuff like the works of John Ringo is fine, too but I really don't like sex scenes getting in the way of my tanks and legionaries and explosions and aliens being blown up so thoroughly that their skeletons act as shrapnel. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman -- If you can suspend your disbelief for this one, it's a classic. Old Man's War by John Scalzi -- Old man signs up for the colonial armed forces and gets a new body. Armor by John Steakley -- Highly recommended.
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Dec 8, 2009 17:13
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wldmn13 posted:
http://www.amazon.com/Lees-Miserables-Northern-Wilderness-Appomattox/dp/080785414X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260584531&sr=1-1 two thumbs way up
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Dec 12, 2009 03:22
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Can anyone recommend some good "audiobook" podcasts? I listened to Pseudopod for a little while and enjoyed most of the stories, but got tired of the genre. I don't particularly care for their sci-fi or fantasy sister casts. I'd prefer it not to be one genre.
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Dec 13, 2009 04:14
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Can anyone reccommend me any non-fiction books on the mafia?
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Dec 13, 2009 16:33
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I just finished DMT: The Spirit Molecule - can anyone recommend any similar books that go a little deeper into the stuff about near death experiences and windows into alternate realities, even if it's talking about how it's all bogus.
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Dec 13, 2009 17:00
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Toupee posted:Can anyone recommend some good "audiobook" podcasts? I listened to Pseudopod for a little while and enjoyed most of the stories, but got tired of the genre. I don't particularly care for their sci-fi or fantasy sister casts. I'd prefer it not to be one genre. Maybe CBC Radio's Between the Covers? I think it's mostly Canadian lit, but it's a pretty solid podcast. Used to be a good radio show, too.
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Dec 13, 2009 21:21
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oceanside posted:Can anyone reccommend me any non-fiction books on the mafia? Donnie Brasco by Joseph D. Pistone is the best one I've read, about an FBI agent who went undercover in the 80s. He puts a decent amount of focus on the law enforcement aspects of it but he also describes how he first got involved in the Mafia, the people he met and worked with, and how he dealt with the possibility of having to kill somebody while undercover. It's an absolute must-read if you haven't checked it out yet.
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Dec 13, 2009 21:46
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oceanside posted:Can anyone reccommend me any non-fiction books on the mafia? If you don't mind that they're not Sicilian, I really enjoyed Rich Cohen's historical account on Jew mobsters Tough Jews
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Dec 15, 2009 13:11
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oceanside posted:Can anyone reccommend me any non-fiction books on the mafia? I don't know if this is for you, but if you like looking at things from a sociological/economic angle, Diego Gambetta is a sociologist whose book "The Sicilian Mafia: The Business of Private Protection" is kind of a classic in the field. Here's an article by Gambetta on the mafia (pdf) if you want to see if you dig his kind of work.
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Dec 15, 2009 15:44
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Could anybody recommend any sci-fi novels that deal with water? It could be a book that takes place undersea, a sci-fi book about a water planet, something about rain, anything like that.
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Dec 15, 2009 18:42
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InfiniteZero posted:Could anybody recommend any sci-fi novels that deal with water? It could be a book that takes place undersea, a sci-fi book about a water planet, something about rain, anything like that. David Brin - Startide Rising http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startide_Rising The book mostly takes place on a water planet and most of the characters are genetically enhanced dolphins
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Dec 16, 2009 09:02
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I'm looking for recommendations on books that deal with the current economic situation. I'm talking about recently released textbooks or non-fiction works by famous economists where they talk about their opinion about the current situation and present their viewpoint on where things are headed in an understandable format. I'm not sure if anything of the like even exists yet, but if it does, I'd love to read it.
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Dec 16, 2009 18:24
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Thanks for the recommendations on Mafia books, I'm probably going to pick them up at some point. While I'm here, can anyone reccommend any non-fiction books on secret societies?
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Dec 18, 2009 20:25
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Hey I'm just reposting this because it seems to have been skipped over. I've done a bit more research into it but there is a lot of material out there and opinions about the war make reviews very iffy.Zigmidge posted:Can anyone give me a recommendation for books about the Afghanistan war?
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Dec 18, 2009 20:43
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I just finished reading two series by W.E.B Griffin: Men at War, and Honor Bound, about the (fictional) adventures of the OSS during World War II. Is there anything else out there that's close? I've read a lot of Tom Clancy novels already, and I enjoy that kind of semi-historical, well-researched spy fiction, even if it can get a little dry. I'd prefer the OSS in the forties, but Cold War stuff would probably be okay too.
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Dec 19, 2009 15:07
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thesurlyspringKAA posted:I'm looking for techno thrillers- read a Lot of Clancy, Dan brown etc etc. Preferrably stuff without a big Christian slant and something that doesn't involve the slimy liberal rat senator as the most evil character. Any takers?
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Dec 19, 2009 17:06
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Phenotype posted:I just finished reading two series by W.E.B Griffin: Men at War, and Honor Bound, about the (fictional) adventures of the OSS during World War II. Is there anything else out there that's close? I've read a lot of Tom Clancy novels already, and I enjoy that kind of semi-historical, well-researched spy fiction, even if it can get a little dry. I'd prefer the OSS in the forties, but Cold War stuff would probably be okay too. Your mileage may vary, but I really enjoyed Frederick Forsyth when I was in a similar reading mode. Better than Clancy by far, to be honest.
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Dec 20, 2009 06:25
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I want astronomy/astrophysics books. I'm thinking something about String Theory or...anything along those lines. Does anyone have any recommendations?
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Dec 21, 2009 04:19
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I'm looking to purchase a book for a good friend and she's really into victorian era stories and enjoys "the tudors". Any good suggestions along this topic? A love story would probably be a bonus here.
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Dec 21, 2009 04:23
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kyacker posted:I'm looking to purchase a book for a good friend and she's really into victorian era stories and enjoys "the tudors". Any good suggestions along this topic? 
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Dec 21, 2009 05:57
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TreFitty posted:I want astronomy/astrophysics books. I'm thinking something about String Theory or...anything along those lines. Michio Kaku loves string theory. Parallel Worlds was pretty good, but it's not really in depth.
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Dec 21, 2009 12:37
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I've been in a reading slump for a while now, not knowing what to read and not caring about it as much in terms of my own free time reading instead of required college reading for classes, and while I should have gotten the recommendations you guys gave, I got some books of my own. Mass Effect Ascension (even though i hated the first book because it felt like something a college grad would write rather than something a novelist would write) Star Wars Republic Commando: Triple Zero (I liked the first one though goons harp on Karen Traviss for vilifying Jedi) The Dreaming Void (the book The Temporal Void especially stuck out to me, but I hate starting series in the middle so I got this one. I've started reading it and while I'm not far in, it's interesting.) I also saw The Child Thief in the same section and the artwork immediately stuck out to me and the setting sounds really interesting, and I honestly can't wait to finish reading The Dreaming Void to start this book. I also got my Sense and Sensibility/Pride and Prejudice books I mentioned and reading them a little bit I was highly amused so I'm sure I'll like them. My question is, I also saw some Forgotten Realms books and I've always been interested in that kind of stuff, I specifically saw The Ghost King that looked really good but I wanted to start at the beginning. Are any of these worth it, and which ones should i start with? Also the last and only Magic the Gathering book I've read was Odyssey by Vance Moore and thought it was decent enough, are the sequels any good or should I try something else?
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Dec 21, 2009 14:24
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I'm 24 and I have never read a book for pleasure  I'm more interested in realistic-fiction. The types of movies I enjoy most are things like 'Body of Lies', 'Black Hawk Down', the 'Bourne' trilogy is absolutely amazing. I'd like to read something along the same lines of the movies I watch, I just don't want to get too bogged down with political mumbo jumbo or get in to a story that's too deep. Since I don't have any knowledge about current authors I'll take any suggestions you guys have. Remember, my literature-cherry hasn't been popped, so be gentle.
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Dec 21, 2009 19:16
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Would anyone know of a medical version of Homicide: A year on the Killing Streets?
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Dec 21, 2009 23:15
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Vexer posted:The types of movies I enjoy most are things like 'Body of Lies', 'Black Hawk Down', the 'Bourne' trilogy is absolutely amazing. These movies are all based on books why don't you try one of those? Except Black Hawk Down if you want fiction because it's not.
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Dec 21, 2009 23:18
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Isurion posted:These movies are all based on books why don't you try one of those? Except Black Hawk Down if you want fiction because it's not. I know movies never really do the books they are portraying the justice they deserve, but since I already know the major plots of those films/books I'd like to find something new.
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Dec 22, 2009 05:00
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InfiniteZero posted:Could anybody recommend any sci-fi novels that deal with water? It could be a book that takes place undersea, a sci-fi book about a water planet, something about rain, anything like that. I recommend "The Skinner" by Neal Asher.
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Dec 22, 2009 12:00
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Can anyone recommend an english translation of the Bible, generally accepted to be very close to the original greek/hebrew? I really enjoy the King James version for its poetic value but I've been put under the impression that there are some more accurate options out there as well.
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Dec 22, 2009 12:45
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Nova Bizzare posted:Can anyone recommend an english translation of the Bible, generally accepted to be very close to the original greek/hebrew? I really enjoy the King James version for its poetic value but I've been put under the impression that there are some more accurate options out there as well.
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Dec 22, 2009 13:59
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I've been watching many great adventure shows on Discovery Channel and its affiliates, but I'd love to read about some stories as well. Anyone have any good recommendations for man vs wild adventure books, even books about ambitious travel expeditions? Preferably more modern stories, but I'm open to anything if its good enough. Any traveling books through remote areas would be great too.
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Dec 23, 2009 10:20
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LuckySevens posted:Anyone have any good recommendations for man vs wild adventure books, even books about ambitious travel expeditions? Preferably more modern stories, but I'm open to anything if its good enough. Any traveling books through remote areas would be great too. You need to find a collection of Jack London's short stories. Not modern, but no one did the man vs nature thing better. Ever.
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Dec 23, 2009 13:41
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Are there any novelization (?) books about the Iliad, Odyssey and Dante's Inferno / Divine Comedy? I've read the first two, but in the poetic original style. I'd like a more novel, fiction, story based style of the stories. I've tried googling and amazon, and indigo/chapters but with no luck.
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Dec 23, 2009 23:31
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dokmo posted:You need to find a collection of Jack London's short stories. Not modern, but no one did the man vs nature thing better. Ever. On the topic of adventure/exploration books, I gave my Dad a copy of "7 Years in Tibet" recently, and he told me the other day that he really, really liked it. I don't know much of the book, but is there anything else similar? I was looking around for journals of explorers, but I'm afraid that those might all be dry diaries written in archaic prose.
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Dec 24, 2009 01:51
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Hey, I'm interested in reading some kind of guide to the political machinations with regard to the West and the Middle East in recent world history (last 20 years or so, I guess?). This is a vast subject, I know: I'm interested in the history of countries like Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India; and how the West has interacted with these events. I'm a fan of writers like Christopher Hitchens, and I'm not looking for a textbook, but something more journalistic. Any ideas?
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Dec 24, 2009 03:56
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