Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[LizKat]

I would love to have some summary within spoiler tags. I promise not to politicize the thread. The only "insider" book I've read about it is of course Kissinger's third and final volume of his WH years, "Years of Renewal". 1000+ pages that go in depth into the atmosphere and decision making, however it's mostly focused on foreign policy. Definitely an interesting read if you want to know more about the behind the scenes of a few tumultuous years (warning, as the other two volumes, the book is HEAVY, about 4lbs. As a reviewer said, "once you put it down, you can't pick it up").

Yep, it really depends on the purpose. I like having high production value books (not necessarily expensive), but at the same times I love taking notes, scribbling in the margins etc. In some cases I do have to buy a second, clean copy just to re-read the book.

On a side note, although I love my kindle (I am reading a book on it now), the true missing feature is serious note taking. There is of course the highlight and "take note" function (with an odd on screen keyboard), however it's nothing compared to the ease of paper (and PDFs on iPad). I am sure that one day we'll reach the point in which we can circle and write on epaper, but for now I consider real paper THE best way to take notes on texts.

Oh I don't mean to add anything to what I wrote on the Werth book... I meant do you think I should have stuck what I did write into a spoiler and just leave the one-line reference to fact I was reading it...

On scribbling:

I agree about the immediate ease and simplicity of grabbing a pen or pencil and setting it on paper et voila, writing is happening. No checking to see if the digital equivalents are "paired" or have enough juice to get the task done etc. Annotating PDFs on a laptop or iPad is ok though. On latter I use a BT kb since I still do prefer hardware keys to virtual ones for typing more than a grocery list.​

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As my eyes age and as screen technology and related apps improve, I do tend to prefer digital format reading in general. I've sometimes missed the old days of having been able to stick a rolled up magazine or dogeared paperback into a totebag and just hit the road with it, totally unconcerned if I end up leaving it in the car or at the office or someone's home etc.​

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Next up on my reading list: some Kindle books that I've taken as a member of Prime and just never get around to prioritizing. I download the latest pick and think hmm these are piling up... My Prime sub renewed recently, and of course that always triggers my intention to make more use of what "comes free" with the membership hit.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Oh I don't mean to add anything to what I wrote on the Werth book... I meant do you think I should have stuck what I did write into a spoiler and just leave the one-line reference to fact I was reading it...

I see. no, it was great and very a-political. Criticism/praise is not necessarily a political stance, even if directed to political figures and/or political events.

On scribbling:

I agree about the immediate ease and simplicity of grabbing a pen or pencil and setting it on paper et voila, writing is happening. No checking to see if the digital equivalents are "paired" or have enough juice to get the task done etc. Annotating PDFs on a laptop or iPad is ok though. On latter I use a BT kb since I still do prefer hardware keys to virtual ones for typing more than a grocery list.​

​

As my eyes age and as screen technology and related apps improve, I do tend to prefer digital format reading in general. I've sometimes missed the old days of having been able to stick a rolled up magazine or dogeared paperback into a totebag and just hit the road with it, totally unconcerned if I end up leaving it in the car or at the office or someone's home etc​

​

I am really curious to see how this technology will evolve. In general, I still prefer paper, but in general the comfort of a kindle is unparalleled. I have, right next to me, tens of books, and when I leave, they will all be in my pocket and available to be read whenever I want. The fact that it's easy on the eyes, and that it can be read without the lights on is a HUGE plus for me.

Next up on my reading list: some Kindle books that I've taken as a member of Prime and just never get around to prioritizing. I download the latest pick and think hmm these are piling up... My Prime sub renewed recently, and of course that always triggers my intention to make more use of what "comes free" with the membership hit.

I am building a list of classical Greco-Roman philosophical texts that I want to read (@Scepticalscribe , any recommendation other than the usual Plato, Homer, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca?).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I see. no, it was great and very a-political. Criticism/praise is not necessarily a political stance, even if directed to political figures and/or political events.



I am really curious to see how this technology will evolve. In general, I still prefer paper, but in general the comfort of a kindle is unparalleled. I have, right next to me, tens of books, and when I leave, they will all be in my pocket and available to be read whenever I want. The fact that it's easy on the eyes, and that it can be read without the lights on is a HUGE plus for me.



I am building a list of classical Greco-Roman philosophical texts that I want to read (@Scepticalscribe , any recommendation other than the usual Plato, Homer, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca?).

My own tastes tend to run to histories (but Roman historians frequently trod on and sometimes crossed that line where politics-philosophy-and-history intersected), but have you looked at Tacitus or Suetonius?

Herodotus would amply reward a visit, as well, to my mind.

 

[yaxomoxay]

My own tastes tend to run to histories (but Roman historians frequently trod on and sometimes crossed that line where politics-philosophy-and-history intersected), but have you looked at Tacitus or Suetonius?

Herodotus would amply reward a visit, as well, to my mind.

Ah you see, that's why I asked; I didn't even think of that!
I remember reading some Tacitus and Herodotus in high school.

Edit: added to list, together with some Plutarch.

 

[LordVic]

While I tend to stick to fiction for my personal reading,

LOoks like this weekend will be full of

"The Data warehouse Toolkit" and "Python and HDF5 Unlocking Scientific Data"

Not exactly my usual expanse novel

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Ah you see, that's why I asked; I didn't even think of that!
I remember reading some Tacitus and Herodotus in high school.

Edit: added to list, together with some Plutarch.

You can always pay them a return visit; as with Marcus Aurelius, these are works that can be read and re-read.

And I might add that The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius is excellent and a work I recommend highly.

 

[yaxomoxay]

You can always pay them a return visit; as with Marcus Aurelius, these are works that can be read and re-read.

And I might add that The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius is excellent and a work I recommend highly.

I will certainly revisit them, esp. because I don't remember much. My original inattention and the passing of time have definitely taken a toll on what I know and what I don't know.
On the other day I was reading a letter from Seneca in which he makes the point of telling Lucilius NOT to read too many books, but to rely on the classics ("standard authors" he says) and to revisit the good books that he has already read so to digest them. I think it's a wise approach, one that I am going to take for a while; that's why I am looking for some classics to read.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I will certainly revisit them, esp. because I don't remember much. My original inattention and the passing of time have definitely taken a toll on what I know and what I don't know.
On the other day I was reading a letter from Seneca in which he makes the point of telling Lucilius NOT to read too many books, but to rely on the classics ("standard authors" he says) and to revisit the good books that he has already read so to digest them. I think it's a wise approach, one that I am going to take for a while; that's why I am looking for some classics to read.

As a teenager, I remember reading "I, Claudius" by Robert Graves - which I devoured, and loved - I had also watched the superb BBC series with my mother, all of which served to whet my appetite for reading some of the (well-written) source material, such as Suetonius, later on.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Hellenistic Philosophy by John Sellars. Very good introduction to the subject, it describes the main schools, their sources, and their impact.

 

[BigHungry04]

I'm currently reading Fracture, the 8th book in the First Colony Series, by Ken Lozito. The entire series is on Kindle Unlimited. Its pretty entertaining and I'm blowing through this series quickly. Another series I've read this year is the Blood on the Stars series by Jay Allan, also on Kindle Unlimited. It's fantastic. Both of these series are great Space Combat Operas. If you have Kindle Unlimited I'd recommend both of these series.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

The Neon Lawyer by Victor Methos.

With money and hope in short supply, newly minted attorney Brigham Theodore decides it’s time to lower his standards. He joins a seedy fly-by-night firm in Salt Lake City out of desperation. After he loses his first case—a speeding ticket—he’s convinced his career is over. But to his shock, his boss hands him a slightly more complex case: capital murder.

Brigham’s new client is Amanda Pierce, a lost, exhausted woman who gunned down the man who tortured and killed her six-year-old daughter. A jury may prove sympathetic to her unbearable pain, but the law is no fan of vigilante justice—and neither is Vince Dale, the slick and powerful prosecutor who’s never lost a murder case. There’s no question that Amanda pulled the trigger—she did it in front of five witnesses. If she pleads guilty, she will avoid a death sentence, but saving her life this way comes with an admission that what she did was wrong. However, if she refuses the “guilty” label, Brigham will have no choice but to fight for his career—and Amanda’s life.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The Neon Lawyer by Victor Methos.

View attachment 872711

Let us know how you find the book and whether you consider it worth recommending.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I'm currently reading Fracture, the 8th book in the First Colony Series, by Ken Lozito. The entire series is on Kindle Unlimited. Its pretty entertaining and I'm blowing through this series quickly. Another series I've read this year is the Blood on the Stars series by Jay Allan, also on Kindle Unlimited. It's fantastic. Both of these series are great Space Combat Operas. If you have Kindle Unlimited I'd recommend both of these series.

Those sound interesting. I'm going to download a sample of each to my Kindle.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Blood on the Stars series by Jay Allan, ... It's fantastic. Both of these series are great Space Combat Operas.

That sounds like an interesting series. I'll check it out, too. Thanks!

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Let us know how you find the book and whether you consider it worth recommending.

It's worth recommending.

It's based on a true story as well, I found out. A pretty good book for spending time with on a gray, rainy Sunday where you can start and finish it in a single day.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's worth recommending.

It's based on a true story as well, I found out. A pretty good book for spending time with on a gray, rainy Sunday where you can start and finish it in a single day.

Ah, thank you for your recommendation; books that are based on true stories are often extraordinarily interesting to read.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Just picked this one up at the library today. Promises to be interesting:

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Moving on now to this one.

The Burden of Command
by John B. Edwards

The Burden of Command is a short primer or handbook regarding successful strategies with specific tactics for use in leadership, supervision, and management in today’s public and private sector workplace. The book uses an introduction to open and five chapters, each identified as a particular burden or requirement for anyone appointed to a position of supervision as a guide to shape their conduct and plot their course to develop the necessary skill sets for effective and meaningful job performance. The epilogue ties everything together with the latest research in support of the strategies implemented. Two case studies and a reading list complete the book’s goal of providing new and seasoned supervisors with a “tool chest” of management tools to perform proactive maintenance, problem repairs, and high performance enhancements in the leader’s personal repertoire.

The book uses practical applications, detailed lists, and specific examples in each chapter to explain how and why the book’s methods are important and useful. This book is a result of the author’s many years of practical experience and many interactive classes with hundreds of supervisors across the country. It is a very unique and useful book, easily understood with an interesting and important angle of view for modern leadership expectations. It provides objective insight and promotes best practices for anyone given leadership authority over others.

 

[Gutwrench]

Moving on now to this one.

The Burden of Command
by John B. Edwards

View attachment 872800

Interesting synopsis.

Decades ago I read Lincoln on Leadership and Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun. While at Tippie (Iowa) several books on leadership and time management were required reading. I find the topic fascinating.

 

[mikzn]

Reading Darwin's Radio again 3rd time - first read this book over 15 years ago and loved it - one of my favorite SF stories of all time - I thought it was leading edge stuff about biology at the time - lol - retro viruses etc - really enjoyed it - great story IMHO

 

[0388631]

Just picked this one up at the library today. Promises to be interesting:

Neat! I was looking for something similar to Bryson's summary books just for reading here and there. I'll have to check this one out and see what it's like.

 

[RootBeerMan]

Just started "Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd Century America", by Robert Charles Wilson. So far I am liking it. Wilson uses language very well and descriptively. I like that.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Just started this. So far very interesting.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just started this. So far very interesting.

I don't know David McVea, but David McKittrick is a very impressive and respected (and knowledgeable) journalist, and I would consider anything he writes (or has written) on the subject matter of Northern Ireland to be well worth reading.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Have you always wanted to write a book, but don't know where to start or how to make it happen? In "I've Always Wanted to Write a Book!" I give you the 10 steps I use when creating my books, as well as other valuable information such as how to overcome writer's block, your publishing options, and more!