• Welcome to the new Internet Infidels Discussion Board, formerly Talk Freethought.

What are you reading?

All he does is discuss the history of racism and how it affects the world today, and you are offended by that.

So tell me: under what circumstances are we allowed to discuss racism without offending you?

I suspect you're misinterpreting his post. He's not offended, just doesn't like the preachy writing. Not everything has to be a grandiose political issue.

It's the same problem I had in the past year while trying to learn about North American indigenous. I couldn't find anything that was strictly about indigenous culture, and not political. If that's your bag, fair enough, I just didn't want to listen to people lecture me about colonialism.

There are brands of readers out there who just want to know what happened, not necessarily save the world from evil.

I didn't say it was preachy writing. I was asking if it was. My first impression is yes. I was just wondering if it gets better.

Yup. Totally agree. I picked up a book on Roma culture. Almost nothing about their culture. Almost entirely a book on how much they have been victims and then stuff about how they are just like everybody else. Not interesting for me and not the book I wanted to read.

I also picked up a book on North American Indigenous. Same deal.

There's a theme with these books. Too overloaded with violins. Too little substance imho.

Contrast it to books about wars and military history. Overall, great at giving an in depth description of what went on, from a variety of perspectives. How about a book like that about some contemporary racial issue?

I'm getting allergic to virtue signalling by authors.

On the other hand, in a lot of these areas politics is where the money's at. I'm reasonably sure that 99% of the people buying books about the North American indigenous are anti-colonial liberals.

As I progress as a reader I'm finding this more and more, there's often no market for the topics I want to read about and so it gets surprisingly hard to find books I want to read. Especially given that Google search goes by what's 'popular'.
 
I didn't say it was preachy writing. I was asking if it was. My first impression is yes. I was just wondering if it gets better.

Yup. Totally agree. I picked up a book on Roma culture. Almost nothing about their culture. Almost entirely a book on how much they have been victims and then stuff about how they are just like everybody else. Not interesting for me and not the book I wanted to read.

I also picked up a book on North American Indigenous. Same deal.

There's a theme with these books. Too overloaded with violins. Too little substance imho.

Contrast it to books about wars and military history. Overall, great at giving an in depth description of what went on, from a variety of perspectives. How about a book like that about some contemporary racial issue?

I'm getting allergic to virtue signalling by authors.

On the other hand, in a lot of these areas politics is where the money's at. I'm reasonably sure that 99% of the people buying books about the North American indigenous are anti-colonial liberals.

As I progress as a reader I'm finding this more and more, there's often no market for the topics I want to read about and so it gets surprisingly hard to find books I want to read. Especially given that Google search goes by what's 'popular'.

You can specify it even more. 99% are anti-colonial, anti-intellectual liberals who don't want to learn anything. They just want value loaded words that they can project whatever preconceptions they already have onto.
 
Don't let Go - Harlan Coben.

Well written murder mystery thriller;

''With unmatched suspense and emotional insight, Harlan Coben explores the big secrets and little lies that can destroy a relationship, a family, and even a town in this powerful new thriller.'
 
Just finished re-reading the Dark Tower series. Now I'm reading 'salem's Lot. I'll probably follow up with It, and The Stand, and everything else in that Stephen King universe.
 
Upon recommendation of posters in another thread, I picked up Christopher Moore's Lamb.

Having read an earlier title, I picked up two pulp mysteries by Spencer Quinn, And Thereby Hangs a Tail and Paw and Order. The narrator of the stories is the PIs mutt, Chet.

I'm also working my way through Rick Steve's Budapest in preparation for next spring.
 
Artemis, by Andy Weir

So this is his next book after the Martian, and by golly it's just as good. He really knows how to keep tension going without making it silly. The story is excellent.

He's made a convincing story about a base on the Moon, built with private money for profit. It's a cool idea. I also like that it's primarily staffed by third world citizens, making it to be like any cruise ship.

The story is engrossing, about a young girl who has grown up on the station and have made some bad choices in her life and has ended up having to do pretty morally questionable things, just to stay afloat. It reminded me a lot about Deep Space 9. An excellent book. Can't recommend it enough. It's got all the science of the Martian, and added politics and economy. I finished it in two days. Just couldn't put it down
 
Artemis, by Andy Weir

So this is his next book after the Martian, and by golly it's just as good. He really knows how to keep tension going without making it silly. The story is excellent.

He's made a convincing story about a base on the Moon, built with private money for profit. It's a cool idea. I also like that it's primarily staffed by third world citizens, making it to be like any cruise ship.

The story is engrossing, about a young girl who has grown up on the station and have made some bad choices in her life and has ended up having to do pretty morally questionable things, just to stay afloat. It reminded me a lot about Deep Space 9. An excellent book. Can't recommend it enough. It's got all the science of the Martian, and added politics and economy. I finished it in two days. Just couldn't put it down

OK, that's my next book, once I finish Persepolis Rising, which I am just about to start.

Apparently the Expanse series has been made into a TV show, though I haven't seen it listed over here, so presumably it's not yet being broadcast in Australia (or perhaps I just don't watch enough TV, and have missed it completely). I find the idea of such an adaptation a little unnerving, as it cannot possibly do justice to the imagery that the books engender in my brain. I think I would avoid watching it even if it was available, unless and until someone I really trust can reassure me that it's worth watching.
 
One of the books I'm making it through right now is 'The Intelligence Paradox' by Satoshi Kanazawa, and have been finding it far more interesting than I expected.

Basically, he makes the argument that IQ is a real, tangible thing which measures a very specific ability in people (their capacity to solve novel problems), and that this fact can be used to make a lot of predictions, which he goes through in the book.
 
Artemis, by Andy Weir

So this is his next book after the Martian, and by golly it's just as good. He really knows how to keep tension going without making it silly. The story is excellent.

He's made a convincing story about a base on the Moon, built with private money for profit. It's a cool idea. I also like that it's primarily staffed by third world citizens, making it to be like any cruise ship.

The story is engrossing, about a young girl who has grown up on the station and have made some bad choices in her life and has ended up having to do pretty morally questionable things, just to stay afloat. It reminded me a lot about Deep Space 9. An excellent book. Can't recommend it enough. It's got all the science of the Martian, and added politics and economy. I finished it in two days. Just couldn't put it down

OK, that's my next book, once I finish Persepolis Rising, which I am just about to start.

Apparently the Expanse series has been made into a TV show, though I haven't seen it listed over here, so presumably it's not yet being broadcast in Australia (or perhaps I just don't watch enough TV, and have missed it completely). I find the idea of such an adaptation a little unnerving, as it cannot possibly do justice to the imagery that the books engender in my brain. I think I would avoid watching it even if it was available, unless and until someone I really trust can reassure me that it's worth watching.

Finished those two; Now, using the Kindle recommendations system to good effect, I am reading The Wrong Stars, by Tim Pratt - and so far (I am about half way through) it is excellent. I should probably try reading something other than SciFi. But I don't feel like it, so I shan't. :p
 
Took a break from The Intelligence Paradox and have picked up 'Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School' for a bit.

It's pretty intuitive and familiar if you're well studied in neuro-science, but it's simplicity actually works to it's advantage, in that it summarizes stuff about the brain into the most critical points, rather than over-complicating stuff. So lots of signal, low noise.

So far I especially liked the chapter on exercise and how it mentions that regular exercise doesn't optimize our mood, it makes us feel as we're supposed to. Basically emphasizing that a sedentary lifestyle is far from normal, and it's hard to function properly if you're living one.
 
Having a lot of fun with Margaret Atwood, having been reminded of her because The Handmaids Tale was on the teeve. Currently on The Robber Bride.

Alert! Alert!. If you see a series by Rebecca Collins continuing the story of Pride and Prejudice, run.

It could have been good, having a reasonable framework and good historical and political setting (to the best of my knowledge) but she entirely changed Lizzie's character, and if I see the words "respect", "admire", "strength", "goodness" or "acknowledge" very much in the next few months I will be posting from a place where they keep things quiet and the drugs are free.
 
"Believe Me" by Eddie Izzard.

Haven't got to the part where he explains jazz chickens, but good reading so far.
 
Anyone have a horror/sci-fi recommendation?

I really need a good book to read.

Alternate history, although I've read almost everything by Turtledove, is also something I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance.
 
Bought a couple of books by author and economist Satyajit Das on the strength of an ABC program, big ideas.

Extreme Money;
''The human race created money and finance: then, our inventions recreated us. In Extreme Money, best-selling author and global finance expert Satyajit Das tells how this happened and what it means. Das reveals the spectacular, dangerous money games that are generating increasingly massive bubbles of fake growth, prosperity, and wealth--while endangering the jobs, possessions, and futures of virtually everyone outside finance.''

A Banquet of Consequences

''Essential reading for anyone interested in the future of the global economy and their own prospects, A Banquet of Consequences incisively explains the problems confronting us, how we're making those problems worse, and what the real solutions are.

For ordinary individuals, the goal of a steady job, a home or one's own, a comfortable retirement and a good life for our children is receding. In this brilliantly clear-eyed account, Satyajit Das links past, present and future to show that it's not just unrealistic expectations, but the poor performance of those governing us that are to blame.

The strategies and policies deployed to promote economic growth after the Great Recession have failed, not least because such growth cannot continue indefinitely. The solution – structural change – is electorally unpopular and therefore ignored. A Banquet of Consequences explains why the ultimate adjustment, whether stretched out over time or in the form of another sudden crash, will be life-changing.''
 
Back
Top Bottom