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Facial Fracture posted:I asked this months ago and got no answer. I'm reading a thing with popes in it now so I'll try again: Does anyone know of a good book about the history of the Catholic Church? And I mean a history, not anti- or pro-Catholic polemic with some names and dates thrown in. What I think you're looking for is officially known as "Catholic Church History". Typing that into Amazon gave me four that I think you'd like out of the first five. 1) The Catholic Church through the Ages: A History by John Vidmar 2) Church History: A Complete History of the Catholic Church to the Present Day for High School, College and Adult Reading by Fr John Laux 3) A Concise History of the Catholic Church by Thomas Bokenkotter 4) The Compact History of the Catholic Church by Alan Schreck You can find more by clicking on those books and examining the "customers who bought this book also....". Hope this helps.
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Apr 25, 2010 21:31
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Though I don't want the tone of this sentence to come off as sour and ungrateful: I can also use amazon.com. And I did: -The Vidmar thing looked too basic. I don't need Henry VIII and Wolsey/Cranmer explained to me, also, "Did you know Rome borrowed culturally from Ancient Greece?!" The sample looks like it's written by a schoolteacher for kids. Plus, "Paulist Press" + dove logo looked like Catholic vanity publishing to me. -Fr. John Laux's book might be better but there's no sample and a stated emphasis on "for Catholics, by a Catholic" in the product description and reviews. Also, never heard of TAN books. Probably Catholic publishing house. -Bokenkotter's looked alright but the introduction read like an undergrad essay and the reviews were mixed so I wasn't convinced. -The Alan Shreck PH.D book might be fine but "St. Anthony Messenger Press" = misgivings. So I came here and asked for a recommendation. Sorry it wasn't for space books, I guess? \/\/\/No, it's fine. I appreciate it. It's just, the above is precisely why I'm asking about it. I have no idea what the "standard" texts are on the subject and I don't want to naively waste money on a weirdo Catholic press thing with misspellings and weird omissions. \/\/\/ Facial Fracture fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Apr 25, 2010 |
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Apr 25, 2010 22:07
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Facial Fracture posted:Though I don't want the tone of this sentence to come off as sour and ungrateful: I can also use amazon.com. And I did: I was suggesting a specific search parameter, not necessarily Amazon.com. I also didn't know how extensively you searched. Sorry I wasn't helpful, and I apologize if I inadvertently insulted your intelligence, it was not my intention.
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Apr 25, 2010 22:12
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Facial Fracture posted:Plus, "Paulist Press" + dove logo looked like Catholic vanity publishing to me. I'd suggest Jaroslav Pelikan's The Christian Tradition but it's 5 volumes, even though a couple don't focus so much on Catholicism.
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Apr 25, 2010 22:22
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The Christian Tradition is more than I was hoping for, but that's fine. Looking it over, I'd much rather read it than the sort of crash-coursey stuff I've perused so far. And I wouldn't have found it myself, so thanks. Also, good to know about The Paulist Press. I don't know the reputation of one Catholic press from another and I didn't want to get a big apologist tome with iffy research.
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Apr 25, 2010 22:58
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Facial Fracture posted:The Christian Tradition is more than I was hoping for, but that's fine. Looking it over, I'd much rather read it than the sort of crash-coursey stuff I've perused so far. And I wouldn't have found it myself, so thanks. I was trying to look for something for you, but it seemed as if anything that's both scholarly and relatively short is also very narrow time-wise, so I think your choices will either be something of very substantial length, or something that is popular/less-convincing. I also can't tell if you'd be averse to just reference material, but apparently the Oxford Dictionary of the Popes is very good and sound, and not too long.
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Apr 25, 2010 23:54
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ONE TWO THREE TIMES TWO TO THE SIX/JONESING FOR YOUR FIX OF THAT LIMP BIZKIT MIX
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Thanks. The Oxford book is the one I was looking at for a guide to popes; I'm glad to know it's well thought of (I was just going on "Well, it says Oxford so...").
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Apr 26, 2010 00:46
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I've recently been trying to make up for lost time and reading more philosophy related books, what reignited my interest on the overall subject was Boa's Primitivism and Related Ideas in Antiquity. But I'm having issues with not having the right set of basics to work from; I have some knowledge but it's mostly scattered, and I wanted to work on that.
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Apr 26, 2010 12:24
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Any recommendations on books about Nikola Tesla? I would like something that details his discoveries and inventions as well as delving into who he was. Recommendations can be expanded to include any other of the great scientists around the same time period.
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Apr 26, 2010 22:14
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Does anyone have suggestions for a book about some kind of heist? Something along the lines of the Oceans 11 maybe? I kind of want to avoid the "Great Train Robbery" type books as I was hoping for a book with a slightly more modern setting. Thanks.
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Apr 27, 2010 03:16
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MrHyde posted:Does anyone have suggestions for a book about some kind of heist? Something along the lines of the Oceans 11 maybe? I kind of want to avoid the "Great Train Robbery" type books as I was hoping for a book with a slightly more modern setting. Thanks. Donald Westlake wrote two series about heisters: the Parker books are gritty and handboiled (he wrote them under the name Richard Stark), the Dortmunder books are lighter and more comic in tone. Both are excellent. Everyone who likes crime fiction should probably read The Hunter and The Hot Rock, the two books that open each of those series. More: The Getaway by Jim Thompson, Void Moon by Michael Connelly, Asphalt Jubgle by the writer who I can never remember. John Minihan also wrote a series of books on heists, from the perspective of the police investigating them. The first two were really good (The Great Hotel Robbery, The Great Diamond Robbery).
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Apr 27, 2010 04:17
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MrHyde posted:Does anyone have suggestions for a book about some kind of heist? Something along the lines of the Oceans 11 maybe? I kind of want to avoid the "Great Train Robbery" type books as I was hoping for a book with a slightly more modern setting. Thanks. Goddamn I love me some heist. "The Wheelman" by Duane Swierczynski is only sort of about a heist (more its aftermath) but it was pretty fun. It felt like a heist book, even though it wasn't really, if that makes sense. "Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief" is a non-fiction heist buffet. Ostensibly non-fiction, at least; there have been some questions raised about its authenticity in parts. "The California Voodoo Game" is by Larry Niven, the 3rd (and best, IMO) in a trilogy about an immersive VR competitive role-playing theme park with a strong heist plot. "Out of Sight" by Elmore Leonard is a nicely stylized heist story, and the resulting movie was also pretty decent. "Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History" is supposed to be excellent, but I haven't read it myself; waiting for Kindlification.
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Apr 27, 2010 04:36
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Honest Thief posted:I've recently been trying to make up for lost time and reading more philosophy related books, what reignited my interest on the overall subject was Boa's Primitivism and Related Ideas in Antiquity. But I'm having issues with not having the right set of basics to work from; I have some knowledge but it's mostly scattered, and I wanted to work on that. Sounds like you would benefit from a basic introduction to the field. The first philosophy book I ever read was Philosophy Made Simple, which I can recommend as striking a very good balance between using accessible language and not dumbing-down or over-simplifying things. A History of Western Philosophy also usually comes up when people ask for a decent overview of philosophy in this thread, but I think it's probably too long and too heavily weighted towards ancient / medieval philosophy to be used as a general introduction to philosophical concepts. Another one to consider is Roger Scrutton's Modern Philosophy which approaches philosophy in a more applied way, but it's also quite dense and I'm not sure how accessible it's likely to be for someone with only a "scattered" knowledge of philosophy to begin with. If you're after more specific types of philosophy, or there's a more specific reason you have for wanting to read philosophy, let me know and I might be able to give you some more specific recommendations.
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Apr 27, 2010 05:16
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Honest Thief posted:I've recently been trying to make up for lost time and reading more philosophy related books, what reignited my interest on the overall subject was Boa's Primitivism and Related Ideas in Antiquity. But I'm having issues with not having the right set of basics to work from; I have some knowledge but it's mostly scattered, and I wanted to work on that. I don't know if you're looking for overviews or specific works, nor do I know if you were more interested in the "primitivism" or the "antiquity" part of that title. I'm going to suggest Rousseau because you can read him, then read Voltaire (who thought Rousseau a primitivist), branch out and read Spinoza, Hume and other "big names" who influenced the Enlightenment group or who were part of it, gathering context as you go if you read intros and notation. I'd recommend working backwards in time from them rather than forwards; going forward I think you'll end up reading more political philosophy than anything else? I may be wrong. I like History of Western Philosophy for an overview. It's not a replacement for the works discussed within, but I've found it really useful, when I've picked up an unfamiliar text, to quickly read the chapters surrounding that philosopher's entry and get some context for their views. It's useful enough for reference. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will give you better specific suggestions and know which editions of works are best. You should be clearer about what you're looking for though.
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Apr 27, 2010 16:33
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Interociter posted:Suggestions dokmo posted:Suggestions
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Apr 27, 2010 17:03
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Just got finished with Seeker by McDevitt and am looking for something along the vein of that book. Searching for a long lost ship of some sort, preferably sci-fi based but I wouldn't mind something taking place around current era. I know about the book I think it's Rama, about a cylinder that shows up in Earth-space and is investigated, read it a while ago though. edited to add: If at all possible I'd like it to be more along the lines of exploring said ship, and not focused almost fully on the search like the Seeker. I mean, if it's good I'll read it either way, thanks! drat this kindle... thecallahan fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Apr 27, 2010 |
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Apr 27, 2010 20:27
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I apologize if this is a really stupid question, but here it goes. When I have read for personal enjoyment, I have usually turned to non-fiction books. I am starting to take a greater interest in literature, and am essentially looking to catch up on the 'classics'. I know of a bunch already, but is there anything that sort of constitutes a definitive list of 'must read' books? I poked around on Google, but there didn't seem to be anything that constituted a consensus - it was either a reading list composed by an author trying to push a specific world view, or a bunch of 'reader's choice' lists that had every Ayn Rand and Twilight book written in the top 25 or so.
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Apr 27, 2010 21:41
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Sounds like you're looking for the "canon". Wikipedia's Western canon article may be a good start.
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Apr 27, 2010 21:49
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Blurred posted:suggestions Facial Fracture posted:more suggestions Soft Money 1M posted:Cyclonopedia might be just what you're looking for. The premise is that oil is the lifeblood of the middle east and that the land itself is a living horror causing all the violence and terror in the world.
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Apr 27, 2010 22:35
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MrHyde posted:Does anyone have suggestions for a book about some kind of heist? Something along the lines of the Oceans 11 maybe? I kind of want to avoid the "Great Train Robbery" type books as I was hoping for a book with a slightly more modern setting. Thanks. I'm reading The Lies of Locke Lamora right now, which so far feels like a fantasy version of Ocean's 11.
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Apr 27, 2010 23:32
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I'm looking for a book about Buddhism, as somebody who is just starting to learn its teachings. Can anybody recommend one?
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Apr 28, 2010 00:58
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thecallahan posted:Just got finished with Seeker by McDevitt and am looking for something along the vein of that book. Rendezvous with Rama has a number of sequels. I don't think they're any good though and are less focused on exploration and discovery so probably not what you are after. Another similar series is "The Way" series by Greg Bear. Again only the first book is primarily concerned with exploration of the object itself. It's either Eon or Eternity, don't remember which. Might be worth a look. I haven't read Seeker but based on the synopsis on Wikipedia you might really like Alistair Reynolds Revelation Space stuff. It's big on forgotten races, acheaology and their leftover artifacts (including ships). The first one (which I think is just called Revelation Space) might be exactly what you're after.
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Apr 28, 2010 12:22
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Gravy Jones posted:Rendezvous with Rama has a number of sequels. I don't think they're any good though and are less focused on exploration and discovery so probably not what you are after. Another similar series is "The Way" series by Greg Bear. Again only the first book is primarily concerned with exploration of the object itself. It's either Eon or Eternity, don't remember which. Might be worth a look. Neither are available on kindle unfortunately. What's weird is Alastair Reynold's first book isn't available but the rest are. That seems a bit backwards to me but I'll keep looking but thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep an eye on them. thecallahan fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Apr 28, 2010 |
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Apr 28, 2010 20:01
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It might be a weird rights issue as it's available in the UK as an ebook (one of the first I bought). Usually stuff like that shows up on Amazon eventually.
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Apr 28, 2010 23:37
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Could someone recommend me a good collection to start with of Philip K. Dick's short stories? I've read most of his major novels (sans Ubik and Flow My Tears) and I'd like to see how his short stories hold up next to them, but I really have no idea where to begin with. Thanks in advance.
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Apr 29, 2010 00:33
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OregonDonor posted:Could someone recommend me a good collection to start with of Philip K. Dick's short stories? I've read most of his major novels (sans Ubik and Flow My Tears) and I'd like to see how his short stories hold up next to them, but I really have no idea where to begin with. Thanks in advance. Here's a big collection: http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Reader/dp/0806518561/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272500375&sr=1-5 It's not all of them by a long shot but it's probably the most comprehensive single volume Here's a smaller, more selective collection with a kickass foreword by Jonathan Lethem: http://www.amazon.com/Selected-Stories-Philip-K-Dick/dp/0375421513/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272500375&sr=1-4
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Apr 29, 2010 01:22
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I'm interested in reading a history of the Cold War. I'm looking for some that's fairly comprehensive without being too dense if that's at all possible. Suggestions?
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Apr 29, 2010 05:14
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Inside Outside posted:I'm interested in reading a history of the Cold War. I'm looking for some that's fairly comprehensive without being too dense if that's at all possible. Suggestions? The Cold War : A New History by John Lewis Gaddis is the one most people recommend.
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Apr 29, 2010 14:09
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dokmo posted:The Cold War : A New History by John Lewis Gaddis is the one most people recommend. I was kind of hoping for a graph from you. I'll be sure to check this out.
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Apr 29, 2010 23:16
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I am looking for some good stuff on hypnosis. I don't mean the kind that makes your friends lick each others chode or make a girl drop her pants (well, maybe I would browse those), but more like the sort of hypnosis that puts you into a trance state and helps with anxiety, memory, or other cool, useful things. I have read that hypnosis is a form of hyper-attentiveness, so if anyone has anything that links that with study skills, that would also be the bee's knees.
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Apr 30, 2010 04:40
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So after another run to barnes and noble to try finish out my between semester reading stack I found myself staring at The Koran again and I was wondering if anyone knows a good translation or should I even worry about translation? Also Orcs by Stan Nicholls and The Dwarves by Markus Heitz caught my eye fantasy isn't typically my thing so I'm wondering if they're worth it?
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Apr 30, 2010 21:03
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CommunistMojo posted:So after another run to barnes and noble to try finish out my between semester reading stack I found myself staring at The Koran again and I was wondering if anyone knows a good translation or should I even worry about translation? Get a Abdel Haleem translation like the Oxford edition: http://www.amazon.com/Quran-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199535957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272658232&sr=8-1 A lot of schools use this version for teaching now, it's not full of goofy bowdlerisms like a lot of other English translations.
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Apr 30, 2010 21:16
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CommunistMojo posted:So after another run to barnes and noble to try finish out my between semester reading stack I found myself staring at The Koran again and I was wondering if anyone knows a good translation or should I even worry about translation? Yeah, the translation is pretty important with the Koran because so much of the Arabic doesn't lend itself to clear or obvious translation. With English translations of the Bible you'll generally get two translators agreeing on the basic meaning of a given passage even if they use different words / expressions to get that meaning across, but with the Koran - due to the ambiguous nature of ancient Arabic - two translators can interpret the meaning of a passage in two completely different ways. (Side-by-side translations can be useful in demonstrating this point.) Having said that, I've got no idea about which is the "best one" or even if there's any objective way of distinguishing a good translation from a bad one. I own The Meaning of the Holy Koran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, which is good because it's apparently a highly regarded translation and also has footnotes and annotated commentary, which is extremely important if you want to really understand what you're reading (I can honestly say that I wouldn't recommend reading the Koran without annotation or some sort of guide, because it's otherwise a pretty inaccessible and confusing book, especially for western / non-muslim readers). Hope that helps.
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May 1, 2010 03:42
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ok i have been trying to figure out what book i want to read and i finally have decided on a western with revenge or justice as the theme. I was thinking something like the count of monte cristo but with guns and in texas. Or if there arent any good books like that, then book equivalents of sergio leone films like once upon a time in the old west, or for a few dollars more, etc. I dont mind deep or wordy books, as long as they are well written and flow. Random books I've read and liked would be: The stars my destination, Snow Crash, The forever War, The Dark Tower and Catch 22. Thanks in advance
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May 2, 2010 05:39
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I like reading history books that fully explore a major topic in a single volume. I enjoyed The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb, D-Day, and Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World. And I just finished Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era so my tastes aren't limited to World War II. I'm looking into the rest of the Oxford history series, but are there any other well known authoritative tomes like these that I should read? Also, I'm interested if there are any authoritative histories of the pacific theatre of WW2, because I've been watching HBO's The Pacific and realized I know very little about it. Thanks.
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May 2, 2010 09:05
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ArcaneMan posted:are there any other well known authoritative tomes like these that I should read? I don't know anything about the pacific, but as far as the eastern front goes, may I recommend Anthony Beevor's Stalingrad and Andrew Nagorski's The Greatest Battle about the battle of Moscow.
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May 2, 2010 17:11
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Prof_Beatnuts posted:ok i have been trying to figure out what book i want to read and i finally have decided on a western with revenge or justice as the theme. I was thinking something like the count of monte cristo but with guns and in texas. Or if there arent any good books like that, then book equivalents of sergio leone films like once upon a time in the old west, or for a few dollars more, etc. Have you read any of Cormac McCarthy's novels? No Country for Old Men is a very accessible read and would more or less fit your particular bill. Blood Meridian is fantastic, but difficult and rather dense - not what I'd call an "entertaining" novel, but a brilliant, American classic.
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May 3, 2010 16:00
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Sorry if this has been asked before, but is there anything out there that's similar to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in terms of structure, humour, and level of writing/intelligence?
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May 4, 2010 10:07
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I'm looking for good historical fiction or non-fiction involving crazy rear end cults like Colonia Dignidad in Chile. Any suggestions?
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May 4, 2010 18:23
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Sir Spaniard posted:Sorry if this has been asked before, but is there anything out there that's similar to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in terms of structure, humour, and level of writing/intelligence? You might like Tom Holt or Christopher Moore. I haven't read any Holt I didn't like. Moore less so.  Holt I've read and liked: Expecting Someone Taller, Who's Afraid of Beowulf?, Flying Dutch. Three novels from quite early in his career all of them take a historical/literary/mythological/folk tales theme and bring it into the modern ere with wackiness. It's not unlike The Norse gods in Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. Plus Holt is British so he shares a similar voice as well as the kind of dry observational wit Adams had. Moore I'd recommend: Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue. Where the tone of Holt a bit Dirk Gently, Moore is closer to HHGG (At least the first 3-4 books. IMO HHGG was jokes first, plot second where DG was the reverse); the difference being that Moore is zanier than Holt. King Plum the Nth fucked around with this message at 23:17 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 4, 2010 21:22
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