Short reviews of books you've recently read

Webster

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DeeBlackthorne said:
I wish I could be as sympathetic, but I'm not. Frey's work falls just short of a boldfaced lie, and the Smoking Gun released a lengthy article entitled, "A Million Little Lies."

Here's the article:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/jamesfrey/0104061jamesfrey1.html

Here's my rant, of course:
http://tidalripper.blogspot.com/2006/01/on-credibility-false-reality-and.html

I'm not a fan of the Gun either, but they really do their investigative work. This isn't just an issue of whether or not Frey wrote nonfiction. It's shameful and anger-inducing to know that some guy really blew up details of his life for the sake of profit, and that he continues to assert that this stuff is true even as contradictory evidence surfaces bit by bit. This fool is ballsy enough to take it into the courtroom, alleging that he's on the side of truth.

But really, this is more about the people who are so caught up in this tale. I'm all for getting empowered by what you read, but at this rate, Frey's gonna call himself an addiction guru and he'd be in a real position to cause some undue harm. Never mind that I want to break his kneecaps for lying so tastelessly anyway.
____________________________________________________
Dee, I'm very surprised at your reaction to all the controversy surrounding this author. I just don't see what the big deal is. Have you read the book? I couldn't care less whether any of it really happened. It's a damn good read.
Thanks.
 

Dr. Dilznick

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Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

I was told it was "brilliant" by a friend, but the shit was garbage. Hot, damp, dumped on a pristine beach garbage, with those plastic 6-pack holders that baby seagulls get strangled with. The only thing "brilliant" about it is that this rat-faced twerp with an afro author took an on-the-face-of-it interesting concept, stretched it out for 200+ pages with a bevy of insipid examples, with nothing revelatory supporting his main theme (that humans make snap decisions).
 

B_Spladle

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MsLulu said:
Heretics of Dune. All I can say is:

1. The Atreides line knows how to f* up the universe
2. Duncan Idaho version 1034 is hotter than ever
3. It's a lot more coherent then it's predecessor by a million times
4. I always liked the idea of ruling the universe and sex being your weapon of choice. :)
I assume you're reading these in order, yes?
 

B_Spladle

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dlcs said:
"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

The story of five sisters who take their own lives one by one as told by the boys who loved/idealized them.

The first time I read it I was going through a period of major depression, but oddly enough, it didn't give me any ideas. Instead it made me think about the scope of influence people really have in their worlds and what would happen to the people I love if I made that decision.

In the end, you don't find out why the sisters did it, but it makes you hold onto the people you love just a little bit more...
I absolutely loved this book. Have you read Middlesex?
 

wellhungcamboy

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I just finished The Osama Bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader by Peter Bergen. Fascinating and informative. Dispelled a lot of the myths we've been told about Osama (by liberals and conservatives alike).
 

Dr. Dilznick

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Intellectuals by Paul Johnson

Did you know Marx was mean to his housekeeper? That means you shouldn't listen to him. Likewise for Rousseau, who liked weird sex.
 

Chuck64

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The only two books I've enjoyed reading over and over are As I lay dying by Faulkner and Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Elliot. They're both very quick reads.

Other than that, I stick to textbooks, software development and project management theory books... and the occasional physics book - string theory, black holes - all that Hawkings-type stuff.
 

B_Stronzo

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Most recent:

My Life So Far, by Jane Fonda.

It's amazingly well written and there is apparently no ghost writer.

Ms. Fonda's perspective on a screwed up upbringing, an absentee father, a suicidal mother, her exposure to Hollywood in its heyday, and her political take are impressive.

It's lengthy but well worth reading.

I don't like much of anything but biography or autobiography so this was just the ticket. It comes highly recommended.
 

spankorama_gal

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Behind Closed Dooors by JennyTomlin. Fantastic. True story of child abuse. Very well written. Iread it in two days. Couldnt put it down. Might be a bit harrowing for some but a must if true life stuff is your bag. £3.36 from Tescos and £6.99 from waterstones for us brits. What a bargain!
 

naughty

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HI,

I am in the process of reading Anita Diamant's "The Red Tent " IT is the fictionalized story of the only daughter of Jacob , father of the Jews. It is fascinating to me to read this account of her story told from the woman's perspective.....

Naughty
 

SpeedoGuy

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How Nature Works by Per Bak.

This book is a discussion of what's called "complex" behavior found in natural systems and human activity (such as economics or war). The author makes the case that groups of individuals in complex systems organize themselves in unstable ways that form and collapse in occasional castastrophic events in a manner that is inherently unpredictable. Stock market crashes, landslides, population collapses, etc. Complexity is related to chaos theory but is not the same thing.
 

tallguypns

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Recent readings:

"See Spot Run" - I saw book. I read book. Read book read.

"The Power of Positive Thinking" - I started reading it, but quit when I didn't think it would work for me.

Audio book "How to Make Friends and Be Well Liked in 30 Seconds or Less" - I gave up about 45 minutes into it. Couldn't stand the author.

"Most Obvious Secrets That Will Change Your Life Forever" - couldn't find the secrets.

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" - i thought this author was a complete moron and didn't know what he was talking about.

"Brevity: the Key to Getting Your Point Across in 2 Sentences or Less" - In the course of human history, one finds very few tomes, writings, books and other publications that are worth spending quality time reading, perusing and studying. Many authors have tried to make their works available and intersting to the public. The author of this book has most certainly a flair for saying what needs to be said and then passing on that knowledge to every reader. It's almost as if once you read this book, your life is magically transformed and you no longer have to use many, drawn out sentences and paragraphs to get your point across. Every reader is automatically transformed into one that can concisely make a point that is meaningful and pithy at the same time. Well worth taking the time to buy, open up, peruse, study, read and learn.
 

GoneA

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i'm glad this thread is experiencing a resurgence

about two weeks ago I finished reading Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. the main character is Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy who suffers (?) from autism.

in short, Christopher was blamed for the killing of his neighbor’s dog – Wellington. quite naturally, though autistic, Christopher begins an investigation to discover who the “real killers” were! as he progresses, he begins to discover more about his domestic life: the dynamic (or lack thereof) between his parents, his parents and himself and the dynamic between himself and the rest of the world.

i recommend this book to anyone – it’s a great read.

last month i also read Great Transformations: The Beginning of our Religious Traditions. for my part, i thoroughly enjoyed this book; but, for your sakes, i won’t bore you with a synopsis – short though it may be .


:tongue:
 

MorganaDrake

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I am in the process of reading(almost done) Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. It's a book about how the Indians were basically destroyed during the second half of the nineteenth century. And it's a book I'd recommend to anyone who wants to learn about Native Americans (or American Indians as that seems to be politically correct nowadays). I read books on the Native Americans because I have spent time on Pine Ridge Reservation doing some volunteer, home of the Oglala Sioux, in South Dakota and over the last few years I've developed a passion for Native American Studies. I also have some Native American blood in me. I'm not so sure most people understand exactly what they went through and what they are still living through. And I could go on to give my rant on what the Native Americans have gone through, but I won't. Anywho, getting back to the point if you're interested at all in Native Americans, this is a MUST read.