1. Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
2. The Moon is Down (John Steinbeck)
3. Night (Elie Wiesel)
4. The Thousand Orcs (RA Salvatore)
5. The Lone Drow (RA Salvatore)
6. The Two Swords (RA Salvatore)
7. The Crystal Shard (RA Salvatore)
8. The Promise of the Witch-King (RA Salvatore)
9. Way of the Peaceful Warrior (Dan Millman)
10. God's Debris (Scott Adams)
11. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
12. In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)
13. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
14-20. Harry Potters 1-7 (JK Rowling)
21. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)
22. The Alphabet of Manliness (Maddox)
23. The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien)
24. Artemis Fowl: the Opal Deception (Eoin Colfer)
25. Choke (Chuck Palahniuk)
26. The Fellowship of the Ring (JRR Tolkien)
27. The Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger)
28. The Man in the High Castle (Philip K Dick)
29. The Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
30. Stranger than Fiction (Chuck Palahhniuk)
31. Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk)
The movie was a really good adaptation of the book.
The 50 book challenge
I'm aiming for 50 books by September 20, 2009.
1. Letter to a Christian Nation - Sam Harris (95 pages [lawl])
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
I'd like to recommend Jim Butcher's 'The Dresden Files' to any fantasy readers. Butcher weaves an interesting urban fantasy universe, with some unique (as far as I can tell, I'm not especially well-read) depictions of your classic vampires and werewolves and faeries oh my. Harry Dresden is a Wizard-for-hire, and a powerful one at that. He resides in Chicago where he is occasionally called upon by the Special Investigations unit of the local police force to help with those especially strange cases. The series may come off badly with some female readers, there are quite a few references to the *ahem* beauty of female characters. Alas, good character development, lots of interesting side-plots that don't get overwhelming. Check them out, they're steadily becoming a personal favourite.
1. Letter to a Christian Nation - Sam Harris (95 pages [lawl])
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
I'd like to recommend Jim Butcher's 'The Dresden Files' to any fantasy readers. Butcher weaves an interesting urban fantasy universe, with some unique (as far as I can tell, I'm not especially well-read) depictions of your classic vampires and werewolves and faeries oh my. Harry Dresden is a Wizard-for-hire, and a powerful one at that. He resides in Chicago where he is occasionally called upon by the Special Investigations unit of the local police force to help with those especially strange cases. The series may come off badly with some female readers, there are quite a few references to the *ahem* beauty of female characters. Alas, good character development, lots of interesting side-plots that don't get overwhelming. Check them out, they're steadily becoming a personal favourite.
Andrew Langstaff
1. Letter to a Christian Nation - Sam Harris (95 pages [lawl])
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
Refer to the first post in this thread.
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
Refer to the first post in this thread.
Andrew Langstaff
Sweet 
. Does that mean you felt the same way about it as I did? Otherwise what did you think?
I thought this topic would be good to mention this website;
http://www.goodreads.com/
Which is pretty cool - like a social networking site but just books. I guess there are plenty of similar apps on facebook, but I prefer this one (having found it about an hour ago and spent that hour not working at all
)
You can add me as a friend if you like - my username is "owheelj"
. Does that mean you felt the same way about it as I did? Otherwise what did you think?I thought this topic would be good to mention this website;
http://www.goodreads.com/
Which is pretty cool - like a social networking site but just books. I guess there are plenty of similar apps on facebook, but I prefer this one (having found it about an hour ago and spent that hour not working at all
)You can add me as a friend if you like - my username is "owheelj"
Yes, I do agree with what you had said. Dennett is excellent, he is so clever and tactful in his challenges to organised religion, which is refreshing after Dawkins's and Harris's in-your-face prose.
I think I'd like to head on over to Dennett's "Darwin's Dangerous Idea", after I finish "A Devil's Chaplain" and "The Ancestor's Tale" (ordered and received my high quality Weidenfeld & Nicolson version from the UK! Hell yeah) by Dawkins. I'll also be reading through "The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing" while I'm at it. The next Dresden book also! Oh dear... Less than 10 months to go, gotta get cracking... 
I think I'd like to head on over to Dennett's "Darwin's Dangerous Idea", after I finish "A Devil's Chaplain" and "The Ancestor's Tale" (ordered and received my high quality Weidenfeld & Nicolson version from the UK! Hell yeah) by Dawkins. I'll also be reading through "The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing" while I'm at it. The next Dresden book also! Oh dear... Less than 10 months to go, gotta get cracking...
Andrew Langstaff
I like the theme of your reading at the moment . If you think Dawkins and Harris are "in your face" you really should read Hitchens. He is hilarious and awesome at the same time. He's probably the most talented writer of the four of them, but probably deliberately sets out to offend people as well. He is a force to be reckoned with
. If you think Dawkins and Harris are "in your face" you really should read Hitchens. He is hilarious and awesome at the same time. He's probably the most talented writer of the four of them, but probably deliberately sets out to offend people as well. He is a force to be reckoned with 
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 240pgs
2. The Restaurant at the end of the Universe, Douglas Adams, 256pgs
3. Life, The Universe and Everything, Douglas Adams, 240pgs
4. The Game, Neil Strauss, 496pgs
5. The Final Detail, Harlan Coben, 399pgs
6. The Unadulterated Cat, Terry Pratchett, 116pgs
7. The Beach House, James Patterson and Peter de Jonge, 318pgs
8. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 238pgs
9. A Time to Kill, John Grisham, 543pgs
10. The Long Walk, Richard Bachman (Stephen King), 341pgs
11. Along Came a Spider, James Patterson, 429pgs
12. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card, 461pgs
13. Kiss The Girls, James Patterson, 399pgs
14. Needful Things, Stephen King, 672pgs
15. The Jester, James Patterson and Andrew Gross, 444pgs
16. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick, 277pgs
17. A Maiden's Grave, Jeffery Deaver, 503pgs
18. The Genesis Code, John Case, 464pgs
19. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer, 760pgs
20. L'ame du mal, Maxime Chattam, 531pgs
21. The Tommyknockers, Stephen King, 638pgs
22. Farciarz, Andrzej Horubała, 223pgs
23. Oko Jelenia: Droga do Nidaros, Andrzej Pilipiuk, 399pgs
24. Evening in Byzantium, Irwin Shaw, 306pgs
25. Onze minutos, Paulo Coelho, 235pgs
Few years ago I started reading Coelho's "O alquimista" but I didn't finish it. The author's style was weird for me. That's why for a long period of time I haven't read any of his books. Few days ago during some boring lectures I borrowed a book from a friend who was sitting nearby and it was "Onze minutos". I started reading and it turned out that it's a really good book and I can read it with a pleasure. It's about a young prostitute. But actually it's about few things that are really important in our lives: love, sex and destiny. I was wondering about an ending during reading but it was nice.
Hurray! Half way to 50!
2. The Restaurant at the end of the Universe, Douglas Adams, 256pgs
3. Life, The Universe and Everything, Douglas Adams, 240pgs
4. The Game, Neil Strauss, 496pgs
5. The Final Detail, Harlan Coben, 399pgs
6. The Unadulterated Cat, Terry Pratchett, 116pgs
7. The Beach House, James Patterson and Peter de Jonge, 318pgs
8. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 238pgs
9. A Time to Kill, John Grisham, 543pgs
10. The Long Walk, Richard Bachman (Stephen King), 341pgs
11. Along Came a Spider, James Patterson, 429pgs
12. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card, 461pgs
13. Kiss The Girls, James Patterson, 399pgs
14. Needful Things, Stephen King, 672pgs
15. The Jester, James Patterson and Andrew Gross, 444pgs
16. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick, 277pgs
17. A Maiden's Grave, Jeffery Deaver, 503pgs
18. The Genesis Code, John Case, 464pgs
19. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer, 760pgs
20. L'ame du mal, Maxime Chattam, 531pgs
21. The Tommyknockers, Stephen King, 638pgs
22. Farciarz, Andrzej Horubała, 223pgs
23. Oko Jelenia: Droga do Nidaros, Andrzej Pilipiuk, 399pgs
24. Evening in Byzantium, Irwin Shaw, 306pgs
25. Onze minutos, Paulo Coelho, 235pgs
Few years ago I started reading Coelho's "O alquimista" but I didn't finish it. The author's style was weird for me. That's why for a long period of time I haven't read any of his books. Few days ago during some boring lectures I borrowed a book from a friend who was sitting nearby and it was "Onze minutos". I started reading and it turned out that it's a really good book and I can read it with a pleasure. It's about a young prostitute. But actually it's about few things that are really important in our lives: love, sex and destiny. I was wondering about an ending during reading but it was nice.
Hurray! Half way to 50!
Michał Biarda (Me-how Be-r-da)
-
bigdirtyfoot
- Sloppy
- Posts: 3142
- Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
- Location: NC
1. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
It was enlightening, to say the least, to read a work of Hofmann's. It is written in a similar style to Aldous Huxley's Doors of Perception. Although a bit dry at times, it has loads of information for the reader to discover.
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
It was enlightening, to say the least, to read a work of Hofmann's. It is written in a similar style to Aldous Huxley's Doors of Perception. Although a bit dry at times, it has loads of information for the reader to discover.
1. Letter to a Christian Nation - Sam Harris (95 pages [lawl])
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
11. A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins (272 pages)
This is a collection of writings by Richard Dawkins, on a wide range of topics. I especially liked his stuff on Memes, and the way he is able to express with such coherence the beauty and majesty of the universe that we live in. Perhaps it would have been a little more thought provoking had I not already read a handful of his books, as many of his ideas are reiterated in this collection. A good read nonetheless.
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
11. A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins (272 pages)
This is a collection of writings by Richard Dawkins, on a wide range of topics. I especially liked his stuff on Memes, and the way he is able to express with such coherence the beauty and majesty of the universe that we live in. Perhaps it would have been a little more thought provoking had I not already read a handful of his books, as many of his ideas are reiterated in this collection. A good read nonetheless.
Andrew Langstaff
1. Letter to a Christian Nation - Sam Harris (95 pages [lawl])
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
11. A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins (272 pages)
12. Death Masks - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
Another sound addition to the Dresden series. I wouldn't say it was quite as good as the fourth book, but it was certainly better than the first three. Butcher always comes up with some very interesting foes for our protagonist, and he becomes steadily more powerful with each book. There was an intriguing twist, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of it in later books.
By the way, thanks for sharing that site Jeremy, it is pretty cool. I'll have to refer a few friends one of these days. Anybody on this thread who wants to add me as a friend feel free to search for the name in my signature.
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
11. A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins (272 pages)
12. Death Masks - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
Another sound addition to the Dresden series. I wouldn't say it was quite as good as the fourth book, but it was certainly better than the first three. Butcher always comes up with some very interesting foes for our protagonist, and he becomes steadily more powerful with each book. There was an intriguing twist, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of it in later books.
By the way, thanks for sharing that site Jeremy, it is pretty cool. I'll have to refer a few friends one of these days. Anybody on this thread who wants to add me as a friend feel free to search for the name in my signature.
Andrew Langstaff
-
bigdirtyfoot
- Sloppy
- Posts: 3142
- Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
- Location: NC
1. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
35. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey, 281 pg.
One of the best books I've read in a long time. Makes Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (which focuses on Kesey's Merry Pranksters) come alive.
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
35. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey, 281 pg.
One of the best books I've read in a long time. Makes Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (which focuses on Kesey's Merry Pranksters) come alive.
Re: The 50 book challenge
Great stuff David. I'm glad you liked that, and I pretty much thought the same thing when I read it as well (that it's one of the best books I've read this year).
1. Breaking The Spell Daniel Dennett 339pg
2. On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan 166pg
3. Church And State; Australia's Imaginary Wall Tom Frame 95pg
4. The Kiwi's Egg; Charles Darwin & Natural Selection David Quammen 253pg
5. The Voyage Of The Beagle Charles Darwin 452pg
6. The Stupid Country; How Australia is Dismantling Public Education Chris Bonnor and Jane Caro 223pg
7. The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane 241pg
8. Psychogeography Will Self (and illustrated by Ralph Steadman) 256pg
9. Crash J. G. Ballard 185pg
10. The Naked Lunch William Burroughs 261pg
11. Neuromancer William Gibson 317pg
12. American Gods Neil Gaiman 588 pg
13. Scorcher Clive Hamilton 230 pg
14. On The Road Jack Kerouac 281 pg.
15. Requiem for a Beast Matt Ottley 88pg.
16. How the Mind Works Steven Pinker 565 pg.
17. One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn 143 pg.
18. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey 281 pg.
19. The Freedom Paradox: Towards a post-secular ethics Clive Hamilton 247 pages.
20. The Origin of Species Charles Darwin 460 pg.
21. The Future of Life E. O. Wilson 189 pg.
22. Ten Commitments; Reshaping the Lucky Country's Environment Ed. David Lindenmayer et. al. 231pg
This is basically a collection of essays by Australia's leading environmental scientists outlining the 10 things they feel need to happen in environmental policy in their field. It was very dry scientific writing, but I found it very interesting and thought provoking. I especially enjoyed the articles that challenged my preconceptions - especially on the issues of the fishery industry, population policy and population health. Because each issue was touched so briefly, I feel like I have a great deal more research to do to be able to hold firm opinions on these issues. If anything it made me less sure of my positions on a number of issues, and I think the conclusion summed it up best when it says that there are no magic bullets, just "wicked environmental problems." Probably not a book that anybody else on this forum would read, but definitely *the* book to read if you ever decide you want to know a lot about environmental issues in Australia.
1. Breaking The Spell Daniel Dennett 339pg
2. On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan 166pg
3. Church And State; Australia's Imaginary Wall Tom Frame 95pg
4. The Kiwi's Egg; Charles Darwin & Natural Selection David Quammen 253pg
5. The Voyage Of The Beagle Charles Darwin 452pg
6. The Stupid Country; How Australia is Dismantling Public Education Chris Bonnor and Jane Caro 223pg
7. The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane 241pg
8. Psychogeography Will Self (and illustrated by Ralph Steadman) 256pg
9. Crash J. G. Ballard 185pg
10. The Naked Lunch William Burroughs 261pg
11. Neuromancer William Gibson 317pg
12. American Gods Neil Gaiman 588 pg
13. Scorcher Clive Hamilton 230 pg
14. On The Road Jack Kerouac 281 pg.
15. Requiem for a Beast Matt Ottley 88pg.
16. How the Mind Works Steven Pinker 565 pg.
17. One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn 143 pg.
18. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey 281 pg.
19. The Freedom Paradox: Towards a post-secular ethics Clive Hamilton 247 pages.
20. The Origin of Species Charles Darwin 460 pg.
21. The Future of Life E. O. Wilson 189 pg.
22. Ten Commitments; Reshaping the Lucky Country's Environment Ed. David Lindenmayer et. al. 231pg
This is basically a collection of essays by Australia's leading environmental scientists outlining the 10 things they feel need to happen in environmental policy in their field. It was very dry scientific writing, but I found it very interesting and thought provoking. I especially enjoyed the articles that challenged my preconceptions - especially on the issues of the fishery industry, population policy and population health. Because each issue was touched so briefly, I feel like I have a great deal more research to do to be able to hold firm opinions on these issues. If anything it made me less sure of my positions on a number of issues, and I think the conclusion summed it up best when it says that there are no magic bullets, just "wicked environmental problems." Probably not a book that anybody else on this forum would read, but definitely *the* book to read if you ever decide you want to know a lot about environmental issues in Australia.
Re: The 50 book challenge
1. Breaking The Spell Daniel Dennett 339pg
2. On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan 166pg
3. Church And State; Australia's Imaginary Wall Tom Frame 95pg
4. The Kiwi's Egg; Charles Darwin & Natural Selection David Quammen 253pg
5. The Voyage Of The Beagle Charles Darwin 452pg
6. The Stupid Country; How Australia is Dismantling Public Education Chris Bonnor and Jane Caro 223pg
7. The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane 241pg
8. Psychogeography Will Self (and illustrated by Ralph Steadman) 256pg
9. Crash J. G. Ballard 185pg
10. The Naked Lunch William Burroughs 261pg
11. Neuromancer William Gibson 317pg
12. American Gods Neil Gaiman 588 pg
13. Scorcher Clive Hamilton 230 pg
14. On The Road Jack Kerouac 281 pg.
15. Requiem for a Beast Matt Ottley 88pg.
16. How the Mind Works Steven Pinker 565 pg.
17. One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn 143 pg.
18. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey 281 pg.
19. The Freedom Paradox: Towards a post-secular ethics Clive Hamilton 247 pages.
20. The Origin of Species Charles Darwin 460 pg.
21. The Future of Life E. O. Wilson 189 pg.
22. Ten Commitments; Reshaping the Lucky Country's Environment Ed. David Lindenmayer et. al. 231pg
23. The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham 233pg
I smashed this; read the whole book in one go last night. Good read, if somewhat frustrating. It seems remarkably similar to 28 Days Later. I read an essay recently by Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) about why zombies don't run, and I think the triffids definitely play the same role. Anyway definitely worth a read.
2. On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan 166pg
3. Church And State; Australia's Imaginary Wall Tom Frame 95pg
4. The Kiwi's Egg; Charles Darwin & Natural Selection David Quammen 253pg
5. The Voyage Of The Beagle Charles Darwin 452pg
6. The Stupid Country; How Australia is Dismantling Public Education Chris Bonnor and Jane Caro 223pg
7. The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane 241pg
8. Psychogeography Will Self (and illustrated by Ralph Steadman) 256pg
9. Crash J. G. Ballard 185pg
10. The Naked Lunch William Burroughs 261pg
11. Neuromancer William Gibson 317pg
12. American Gods Neil Gaiman 588 pg
13. Scorcher Clive Hamilton 230 pg
14. On The Road Jack Kerouac 281 pg.
15. Requiem for a Beast Matt Ottley 88pg.
16. How the Mind Works Steven Pinker 565 pg.
17. One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn 143 pg.
18. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey 281 pg.
19. The Freedom Paradox: Towards a post-secular ethics Clive Hamilton 247 pages.
20. The Origin of Species Charles Darwin 460 pg.
21. The Future of Life E. O. Wilson 189 pg.
22. Ten Commitments; Reshaping the Lucky Country's Environment Ed. David Lindenmayer et. al. 231pg
23. The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham 233pg
I smashed this; read the whole book in one go last night. Good read, if somewhat frustrating. It seems remarkably similar to 28 Days Later. I read an essay recently by Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) about why zombies don't run, and I think the triffids definitely play the same role. Anyway definitely worth a read.
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 240pgs
2. The Restaurant at the end of the Universe, Douglas Adams, 256pgs
3. Life, The Universe and Everything, Douglas Adams, 240pgs
4. The Game, Neil Strauss, 496pgs
5. The Final Detail, Harlan Coben, 399pgs
6. The Unadulterated Cat, Terry Pratchett, 116pgs
7. The Beach House, James Patterson and Peter de Jonge, 318pgs
8. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 238pgs
9. A Time to Kill, John Grisham, 543pgs
10. The Long Walk, Richard Bachman (Stephen King), 341pgs
11. Along Came a Spider, James Patterson, 429pgs
12. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card, 461pgs
13. Kiss The Girls, James Patterson, 399pgs
14. Needful Things, Stephen King, 672pgs
15. The Jester, James Patterson and Andrew Gross, 444pgs
16. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick, 277pgs
17. A Maiden's Grave, Jeffery Deaver, 503pgs
18. The Genesis Code, John Case, 464pgs
19. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer, 760pgs
20. L'ame du mal, Maxime Chattam, 531pgs
21. The Tommyknockers, Stephen King, 638pgs
22. Farciarz, Andrzej Horubała, 223pgs
23. Oko Jelenia: Droga do Nidaros, Andrzej Pilipiuk, 399pgs
24. Evening in Byzantium, Irwin Shaw, 306pgs
25. Onze minutos, Paulo Coelho, 235pgs
26. Veronika decide morrer, Paulo Coelho, 213pgs
Again Coelho book. Even though the ending was predictable the book was pretty good. It was about few really interesting aspects: madness, life and death.
2. The Restaurant at the end of the Universe, Douglas Adams, 256pgs
3. Life, The Universe and Everything, Douglas Adams, 240pgs
4. The Game, Neil Strauss, 496pgs
5. The Final Detail, Harlan Coben, 399pgs
6. The Unadulterated Cat, Terry Pratchett, 116pgs
7. The Beach House, James Patterson and Peter de Jonge, 318pgs
8. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 238pgs
9. A Time to Kill, John Grisham, 543pgs
10. The Long Walk, Richard Bachman (Stephen King), 341pgs
11. Along Came a Spider, James Patterson, 429pgs
12. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card, 461pgs
13. Kiss The Girls, James Patterson, 399pgs
14. Needful Things, Stephen King, 672pgs
15. The Jester, James Patterson and Andrew Gross, 444pgs
16. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick, 277pgs
17. A Maiden's Grave, Jeffery Deaver, 503pgs
18. The Genesis Code, John Case, 464pgs
19. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer, 760pgs
20. L'ame du mal, Maxime Chattam, 531pgs
21. The Tommyknockers, Stephen King, 638pgs
22. Farciarz, Andrzej Horubała, 223pgs
23. Oko Jelenia: Droga do Nidaros, Andrzej Pilipiuk, 399pgs
24. Evening in Byzantium, Irwin Shaw, 306pgs
25. Onze minutos, Paulo Coelho, 235pgs
26. Veronika decide morrer, Paulo Coelho, 213pgs
Again Coelho book. Even though the ending was predictable the book was pretty good. It was about few really interesting aspects: madness, life and death.
Michał Biarda (Me-how Be-r-da)
1. Letter to a Christian Nation - Sam Harris (95 pages [lawl])
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
11. A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins (272 pages)
12. Death Masks - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
13. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert B. Cialdini (336 pages)
This is an interesting read.
Cialdini has basically supplied a manual on how to defend yourself against manipulative psychological techniques. Or, with a different mind-set, a manual on how to psychologically manipulate people. It is sometimes hard to tell which he was shooting for.
The book covers six different forms of "social jiu jitsu":
1.Reciprocation
2.Commitment and Consistency
3.Social Proof
4.Liking
5.Authority
6.Scarcity
The author then goes through various aspects of these, finishing each chapter with a few pages on "How to say no".
I found that most of the advice he gave on defending yourself against these techniques was pretty common sense. Perhaps this is because I've always been skeptical toward people I like more than would be expected under the circumstance, people claiming authority, etc. Perhaps others more... Sociable will find these sections more informative.
You may find yourself coming to see people in a different light, and chances are you'll be able to think of at least a couple people who actively use these techniques.
Recommended.
2. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (360 pages)
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (463 pages)
4. Storm Front - Jim Butcher (Book loaned out, not sure)
5. The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (340 pages)
6. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher (342 pages)
7. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
8. Dawkins VS. Gould: Survival of the Fittest (New Edition) - Kim Sterelny (205 pages)
9. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher (384 pages)
10. Breaking the Spell - Daniel Dennett (339 pages)
11. A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins (272 pages)
12. Death Masks - Jim Butcher (378 pages)
13. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert B. Cialdini (336 pages)
This is an interesting read.
Cialdini has basically supplied a manual on how to defend yourself against manipulative psychological techniques. Or, with a different mind-set, a manual on how to psychologically manipulate people. It is sometimes hard to tell which he was shooting for.
The book covers six different forms of "social jiu jitsu":
1.Reciprocation
2.Commitment and Consistency
3.Social Proof
4.Liking
5.Authority
6.Scarcity
The author then goes through various aspects of these, finishing each chapter with a few pages on "How to say no".
I found that most of the advice he gave on defending yourself against these techniques was pretty common sense. Perhaps this is because I've always been skeptical toward people I like more than would be expected under the circumstance, people claiming authority, etc. Perhaps others more... Sociable will find these sections more informative.
You may find yourself coming to see people in a different light, and chances are you'll be able to think of at least a couple people who actively use these techniques.
Recommended.
Andrew Langstaff
