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A while back I read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond and I was wondering if anyone could point in the direction of books with a similar premise or style. Edit: Oh, it was mentioned last page... Huh.
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Jan 8, 2013 22:23
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AlternatePFG posted:A while back I read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond and I was wondering if anyone could point in the direction of books with a similar premise or style. You could try Why the West Rules - For Now by Ian Morris (don't be put off by the title) which tries to go through history and look at whether the "West" or "East" had greater material development at different points in time, and why. I thought it fits quite well with Guns, Germs and Steel because I felt that Diamond never really offered a good explanation for why Europe eventually overtook China.
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Jan 8, 2013 22:48
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AlternatePFG posted:A while back I read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond and I was wondering if anyone could point in the direction of books with a similar premise or style. William McNeill's Plagues and Peoples is similar in that it attempts to explain huge sweeps of human history without resorting to human agency.
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Jan 8, 2013 22:58
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Nostratic posted:I've searched the thread for a recommendation, but haven't seen anything, so here's my request: I'm looking for a book that addresses how to think like a philosopher. I know philosophy is a massive subject, so I'm not really sure where to start. Should I look at classic philosophy texts, textbooks, a Dummies book? I really have no background in the subject other than the Yale philosophy of death videos on YouTube, but it's really piqued my interest. The Teaching Company has some pretty good courses on Philosophy. I picked up their Gread Ideas of Philosophy audio course and it went into a lot of detail on the cultural and scientific background of philosophers to understand where/how their ideas came to be. I believe they also have a video course.
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Jan 9, 2013 15:29
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Need a couple of good books on the O J Simpson murder and trial. A chronicle of evidence/handling of crimescene/ criminal proceedings etc. Tis for school so heh 
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Jan 10, 2013 04:10
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nessin posted:The Teaching Company has some pretty good courses on Philosophy. I picked up their Gread Ideas of Philosophy audio course and it went into a lot of detail on the cultural and scientific background of philosophers to understand where/how their ideas came to be. I believe they also have a video course. As an alternative, Paul Strathern's X in 90 minutes audiobooks are great for a thorough discussion of philosopher's lives. I really enjoyed his Aristotle, Plato, and Confucius, if I had to pick 3 out of the entire series. The Greeks were just so.. weird.
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Jan 10, 2013 18:44
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Anyone have any book recs for recent books with great characterization and dialogue? Lately I've been reading a lot more books that focus more on worldbuilding and ideas as opposed to actual people. I am open to any genre, so fire away. Thanks!
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Jan 10, 2013 19:49
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I've read a couple melancholy and depressing books in a row now. What is a good pickupmeup where fuckyeah things keep happening and lead to a happy ending?
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Jan 10, 2013 20:03
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Network42 posted:I've read a couple melancholy and depressing books in a row now. What is a good pickupmeup where fuckyeah things keep happening and lead to a happy ending? I found myself really happy by the end of Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold. Fun throughout. tonytheshoes fucked around with this message at 20:16 on Jan 10, 2013 |
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Jan 10, 2013 20:13
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I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this, but I was wondering if somebody could recommend me some Georgian or Regency era novels/short stories, along the lines of Jane Austen, but the kind of insipid fiction I'm told her stories (Emma, et al) were often a parody of. I'm curious about how bad they actually were.
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Jan 10, 2013 20:50
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Does anyone know how the graphic adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Coraline compares to the novel?
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Jan 10, 2013 21:35
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Akarshi posted:Anyone have any book recs for recent books with great characterization and dialogue? Lately I've been reading a lot more books that focus more on worldbuilding and ideas as opposed to actual people. The most recent book I've read was from 2011 - Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick (fantasy) - but the characters and dialogue were good enough that everything I've tried to read since has felt flat by comparison. If it doesn't have to be recent, I also like Carol Berg and Lynn Flewelling for their characters. Network42 posted:I've read a couple melancholy and depressing books in a row now. What is a good pickupmeup where fuckyeah things keep happening and lead to a happy ending? Diana Wynne Jones is my go-to author when I've overdosed on dark fantasy. Archer's Goon, especially, had me laughing harder than I can ever remember laughing at a book. LooKMaN posted:Could someone recommend a fantasy book to me? As a kid I read Harry Potter, LOTR and many others but after that I've been on a reading break until now. I've read SoIaF and the two books from the Kingkiller Chronicle and really liked those. A book with magic, especially rare, forgotten magic like in SoIaF or Kingkiller Chronicle would be great. The above suggestions apply to you, too. More specifically, Carol Berg's Song of the Beast, Lighthouse Duet and Collegia Magica; and Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series (but only the first three books, 4 and 5 read like bad fanfiction). I sound like a broken record.
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Jan 10, 2013 22:47
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Castomira posted:I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this, but I was wondering if somebody could recommend me some Georgian or Regency era novels/short stories, along the lines of Jane Austen, but the kind of insipid fiction I'm told her stories (Emma, et al) were often a parody of. I'm curious about how bad they actually were. Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho is the most famous example I can think of for the gothics that Austen was mocking in Northanger Abbey. Other than that I'm not much help, sorry, but this Wikipedia page might point you in the right direction: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimental_novel :edit for spelling wheatpuppy fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Jan 11, 2013 |
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Jan 11, 2013 08:24
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Hey, I think this is exactly what I'm looking for. Much appreciated.
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Jan 11, 2013 10:23
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ToxicFrog posted:No, that's about a PI (and I have read it). This was about an actual official investigator and there was, as I recall, a heavy emphasis on department internals and procedures for magical investigation of a crime scene and whatnot. This also sounds a little bit like Max Frei's "The Stranger"
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Jan 11, 2013 11:10
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Akarshi posted:Anyone have any book recs for recent books with great characterization and dialogue? Lately I've been reading a lot more books that focus more on worldbuilding and ideas as opposed to actual people. Stuart O'Nan writes real people like a champ. Start with Last Night at the Lobster, it's a fairly quick read.
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Jan 11, 2013 12:22
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ToxicFrog posted:Along similar lines, I remember (earlier this year) hearing about a series that was basically "CSI: Magic" - it's about a forensic magician (magicians?) in a modern-day-with-magic setting, solving crimes by investigating the magical rather than physical traces left by the criminal(s). It sounded interesting but I can't remember the title or author. Is that the Aaronovitch series that starts with Rivers of London/Midnight Riot?
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Jan 11, 2013 14:35
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I was watching some British gangster/crime movies recently and was wondering if there are any worthwhile novels of the same ilk out there?
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Jan 12, 2013 04:45
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Castomira posted:I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this, but I was wondering if somebody could recommend me some Georgian or Regency era novels/short stories, along the lines of Jane Austen, but the kind of insipid fiction I'm told her stories (Emma, et al) were often a parody of. I'm curious about how bad they actually were. I'm not sure what Jane Austen was mocking specifically, but here's a rather ridiculous book that was very popular when it first came out in the early 1800s: Santo Sebastiano; or, The Young Protector, by Catherine Cuthbertson. It is five volumes and I apologize if you end up spending an entire day reading them like I did.
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Jan 12, 2013 23:56
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Anyone know if there is any "political dramas" simular to the TV shows The West wing or The Newsrrom
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Jan 13, 2013 22:04
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Not really asking for a recommendation but I didn't feel this question would deserve it's own thread. I'm considering reading "Atlas Shrugged". I've been hearing a lot of things about it, a lot of bad things and good things, aswell. Could you guys give me your input? I'm tempted to just start reading it and make my own opinion, but the 1000~ pages frighten me. So I guess my question is would you recommend Atlas Shrugged to me?
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Jan 13, 2013 22:18
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Red Garland posted:So I guess my question is would you recommend Atlas Shrugged to me? I don't know, how much do you like capitalism and libertarianism?
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Jan 13, 2013 22:34
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Red Garland posted:So I guess my question is would you recommend Atlas Shrugged to me? I don't know, how much do you like paper-thin characters and long-winded monologues?
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Jan 13, 2013 22:39
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Red Garland posted:So I guess my question is would you recommend Atlas Shrugged to me? No, Dokmo pretty much sums it up. Read a Cliffs Notes on it if you must or check out Rand's wikipedia page, either will be much more well-written and mercifully shorter.
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Jan 13, 2013 22:48
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I used to like Atlas Shrugged, so part of me wants to defend it by saying that it can be interesting at times, but I'd be the first to admit that I read four or five books last year which were waaay more interesting and not nearly as poo poo.
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Jan 13, 2013 23:49
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A.S. is a weird bit of outsider art which through some foul necromancy is now the cornerstone in the economic policy of the world's most powerful country.
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Jan 14, 2013 00:22
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Red Garland posted:Not really asking for a recommendation but I didn't feel this question would deserve it's own thread. It's very, very, very preachy. Like "forty five page long speech" preachy. If you want to read Ayn Rand, read The Fountainhead instead. It has most of the same core ideas in it, with the advantage of actually having a story that's written relatively well. Depending on your personal moral makeup you'll either find it deeply abhorrent or deeply attractive, but at least it has a story and something approximating characters who move through arcs. Atlas Shrugged is just a thousand pages of ranting. I would not actually recommend either. If you want a crash course in capitalism / libertarianism, read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein instead. It's actually got a good plot and interesting characters and is written well.
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Jan 14, 2013 01:39
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I read Atlas Shrugged a few years ago just to see how bad it was. I will admit after a couple of hundred pages I was kind of hooked on the story and wanted to keep reading to see what happened, I mean, just who the hell is this John Galt guy anyway? Probably the best thing to come from it is I can now say in conversations 'hey, I've read Atlas Shrugged and I know Ayn Rand was a horrible, horrible person'.
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Jan 14, 2013 01:51
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:It's very, very, very preachy. Like "forty five page long speech" preachy. I'll second this. I loved The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. The huge drawn out speeches in Atlas Shrugged are unbearable. 45 pages isn't an exaggeration. Edit: plus, would you rather read about trains or a civil war between the Earth and the Moon? Day Man fucked around with this message at 01:53 on Jan 14, 2013 |
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Jan 14, 2013 01:51
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fritzov posted:Anyone know if there is any "political dramas" simular to the TV shows The West wing or The Newsrrom Eric L Harry's Arc Light may fit the bill. A series of misunderstandings leads to a brief, limited nuclear exchange between the US and Russia. While a good portion of it reads like a Clancy-style military-techno-thriller, there's just as much political drama as the president tries to keep everything under control while dealing with other politicians and backstabbers who want further retaliation against Russia. Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but it's the closest thing I know of.
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Jan 14, 2013 02:50
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I'd like a recommendations for a couple different authors: First off, I read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson a couple months back, and I was hooked. In short order I read most of the rest of his stuff (Isaac's Storm, Thunderstruck, In the Garden of the Beasts). I was never much for history, or even as-accurate-as-possible-kinda-fictional history before, but I really really want to read more books like this. They are super enjoyable. I also like Thomas Ligotti. His books are hard to find and he hasn't written many. He writes very unique, strange and vague sort of horror like I've never read before. I'd love to find another author like that. I'd love it if someone had a book suggestion or two.
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Jan 14, 2013 05:25
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M42 posted:I'd like a recommendations for a couple different authors: All three of these are true crime combined with history of the area in which they take place. Satan's Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption, and New York's Trial of the Century (Mike Dash). Takes place in the 1890s. Features Tammany Hall, prostitution, police and New York political figures trying to make a name for themselves. London 1849: A Victorian Murder Story (Michael Alpert) and The Italian Boy (Sarah Wise). Similar timeframes and similar discussions about the backstreets of London. In the latter, the history is a good bit more fascinating than the case.
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Jan 14, 2013 07:51
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M42 posted:First off, I read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson a couple months back, and I was hooked. In short order I read most of the rest of his stuff (Isaac's Storm, Thunderstruck, In the Garden of the Beasts). I was never much for history, or even as-accurate-as-possible-kinda-fictional history before, but I really really want to read more books like this. They are super enjoyable. Sin in the Second City, The Lost City of Z, The Killer of Little Shepherds, Holly Tucker's Blood Work
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Jan 14, 2013 13:10
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M42 posted:I'd love it if someone had a book suggestion or two. funkybottoms posted:The Killer of Little Shepherds, That one is excellent. Also American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century - Howard Blum The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century - Harold Schechter The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars - Paul Collins Crimes of Paris: A True Story of Murder, Theft, and Detection - Dorothy Hoobler Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris - David King Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory - Ben Macintyre The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I - Stephen Alford The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York - Deborah Blum Mr Briggs' Hat: A Sensational Account of Britain's First Railway Murder - Kate Colquhoun The Savage City: Race, Murder, and a Generation on the Edge - TJ English
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Jan 14, 2013 14:03
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Zola posted:Is that the Aaronovitch series that starts with Rivers of London/Midnight Riot? I don't know! Someone suggested that last week and it's in my queue. I'll probably start Rivers of London once I've finished the Magister trilogy. WastedJoker posted:This also sounds a little bit like Max Frei's "The Stranger" I'll check that out too, thanks! Hieronymous Alloy posted:It's very, very, very preachy. Like "forty five page long speech" preachy. Every word in this post is true. If asked, I would recommend The Fountainhead over Atlas Shrugged, but The Moon is a Harsh Mistress outclasses both and is by far my favourite Heinlein. I don't think the politics come through quite as clearly in Moon, because it's more concerned with telling a story than with sitting you down and explaining the author's philosophy to you, so if that's specifically what you're after you might check out Fountainhead instead, but Moon is by far the better book.
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Jan 14, 2013 17:02
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Whoa! Thanks for all the recommendations. Do Isaac's Storm and In the Garden of the Beasts count as true crime, too? There wasn't a second story with a murderer in either.
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Jan 15, 2013 06:14
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Has anyone read No Easy Day by Mark Owen? How was it?
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Jan 15, 2013 07:44
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AFStealth posted:Has anyone read No Easy Day by Mark Owen? How was it? From the what did you just finish thread. oddspelling posted:I just finished No Easy Day by Matt Bissonnette (aka: "Mark Owen") and Kevin Maurer.
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Jan 15, 2013 10:03
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I want to read the very best of cyberpunk. I've read Neuromancer, and I thought it was pretty good, but where do I go from here? I'd like to stick to the old stuff which created the genre, at least to start; I have a feeling modern works depend a lot on the reader's knowledge of previous work. So jack me in and let's navigate those silicon oceans together.
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Jan 15, 2013 19:43
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:I want to read the very best of cyberpunk. I've read Neuromancer, and I thought it was pretty good, but where do I go from here? I'd like to stick to the old stuff which created the genre, at least to start; I have a feeling modern works depend a lot on the reader's knowledge of previous work. There are two "sequels" in Gibson's Sprawl Trilogy (Neuromancer, then Count Zero, then Mona Lisa Overdrive). I somewhat prefer his "Bridge Trilogy" (Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties). You could also try Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash or The Diamond Age. If you want to get really old-school try the ultimate pre/proto-cyberpunk novel, The Stars My Destination Alfred Bester. Has everything except the internet! 50 Years ahead of schedule!
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Jan 15, 2013 20:47
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