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What are you reading?

Among other things I'm reading Lugbara Religion: Ritual and Authority Among an East African People.

While reading Paul Theroux's 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' I noticed that he gave occasional references to works of anthropologists who wrote on Africa. So a few weeks ago I spent an hour or so looking for famous works of African anthropology. Came across the above which I found in Weldon library and have been reading through this week. Pretty in depth account of a specific African religion, very interesting book.

Also put a request on Chaga Childhood: A Description of Indigenous Education in an East African Tribe, which was so rarely checked out that Weldon had put it in storage. Picking it up today.
 
DBT said:
The Necessity of Atheism by David Marshall Brooks.

Published in 1933, yet still fresh.

Paints quite an ugly picture of the role of the Church during the dark ages in stifling science and medicine in favour of superstition and self interest.
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Have to say that this book should be on the required reading list in every classroom.
 
DBT said:
DBT said:
The Necessity of Atheism by David Marshall Brooks.

Published in 1933, yet still fresh.

Paints quite an ugly picture of the role of the Church during the dark ages in stifling science and medicine in favour of superstition and self interest.
Click to expand...


Have to say that this book should be on the required reading list in every classroom.
Click to expand...

I'll check it out.
 
WAB said:
DBT said:
DBT said:
The Necessity of Atheism by David Marshall Brooks.

Published in 1933, yet still fresh.

Paints quite an ugly picture of the role of the Church during the dark ages in stifling science and medicine in favour of superstition and self interest.
Click to expand...


Have to say that this book should be on the required reading list in every classroom.
Click to expand...

I'll check it out.
Click to expand...

It provides a breathtaking account of the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Church (and religion in general), repression of knowledge, condoning slavery, inequality, merciless exploitation of the poor, etc. I was aware of some of it, but this book lifts it to another level.
 
I'm now two chapters into the section of The Last Train to Zona Verde where the author has crossed from Namibia (a peaceful, well governed country) into Angola (a badly corrupt African country). Fantastic reading so far.
 
Re-reading Old Man's War by John Scalzi. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed these books but I kind of dropped the series after The Human Division. I really should read the newest books at some point (if I re-read the whole series) but I have a hard time justifying spending $14 for a Kindle book.
 
rousseau said:
Among other things I'm reading Lugbara Religion: Ritual and Authority Among an East African People.

While reading Paul Theroux's 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' I noticed that he gave occasional references to works of anthropologists who wrote on Africa. So a few weeks ago I spent an hour or so looking for famous works of African anthropology. Came across the above which I found in Weldon library and have been reading through this week. Pretty in depth account of a specific African religion, very interesting book.

Also put a request on Chaga Childhood: A Description of Indigenous Education in an East African Tribe, which was so rarely checked out that Weldon had put it in storage. Picking it up today.
Click to expand...

The former is pretty good, but Chaga Childhood is great. So good that I just bought my own copy (bought Lugbara too but that was more an afterthought).
 
I am reading coalescents by Stephen Baxter.

Not sure whether to worry. I've read it before (I'm hoping under another name) and returned to it because a sequel referred to something in the past that didn't ring a bell.

There is a whole story arc that either didn't register with me on my last reading or Alzherimer's is becoming more reality than joke.

A third possibility is that he released the book in an abridged version and then expanded it to make it part of the series. I'm hoping for that, but can find nothing on Wiki that suggests it is the case.

Anybody know something I don't?
 
Went to my local today and found The Nuer: A Description of the Modes of Livelihood and Political Institutions of a Nilotic People, in the same vein of African ethnography as the prior two, except because I found it locally it was about a third of the price.

I never thought I'd be as interested as I am in the indigenous over the past two years, but there you have it.
 
Got started on Arthas: Rise of the Lich King. I bought it years ago when it was on sale on Kindle for about a dollar I think, just never got around to reading it. Pretty good so far, if you enjoy Warcraft-related books.
 
Picked up some books on Mesopotamia yesterday. One of them a series of lectures on how the original civilization came to be (very interesting), and a few other basic histories. Also read through a history of Rastafarianism this afternoon.
 
How to Change Your Mind, by Michael Pollan, and Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schulz.
 
On a Pale Horse, by Piers Anthony. My wife is re-reading it as well at the same time. We're considering reading the entire Incarnations series.
 
Goodchild said:
On a Pale Horse, by Piers Anthony. My wife is re-reading it as well at the same time. We're considering reading the entire Incarnations series.
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I read those a long time ago. I think “On a Pale Horse” and “For Love of Evil” were the best of the series.
 
Picked up two new ones from the library yesterday:

Sexual Behavior in the Human Female

Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion

I read a bit of both of them last night and was impressed by the former, done by Kinsey. I wasn't expecting something with so much rigor and depth, but it looks like he really went the full mile with his study.
 
I Passed for White (1955) by Reba Lee. Published when I was one year old. A time capsule of race relations from the still-remembered past.
 
rousseau said:
Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion
Click to expand...

Got about 100 pages deep into this one over the past few days. I was shocked at how developed a Chinese city was in the 13th century. Not too dissimilar from modern times, except sans oil and electricity.
 
Recently finished Sujata Massey's The Sleeping Dictionary. Massey is excellent with protagonists who seem to be betwixt and between various levels of social standing, whether it be classes or cultures.

Just started a complete collection of Dorothy Sayers short stories.

Rob
 
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