Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Black Wolf on May 30, 2005, 11:53:24 am

Title: Books.
Post by: Black Wolf on May 30, 2005, 11:53:24 am: We haven't had one of these in awhile - what's everyone reading ATM? For myself

Now: At the Waters Edge: At the Water's Edge : Fish with Fingers, Whales with Legs, and How Life Came Ashore but Then Went Back to Sea by Carl Zimmer.

It's comprehensive, but also easy to read - he talks as much (so far) about the gistory of the sciences and all the false starts that built up into the modern evolutionary picture for this particular problem (Fish to tetrapods), so it's not all dry facts.

Next: Taking Wing : Archaeopteryx and the Evolution of Bird Flight. by Pat Shipman. I haven't seriously started this one yet - looks a bit more technical, but it's gotten good reviews, so I'm looking forward to it.

Anyone else?
Title: Books.
Post by: Fineus on May 30, 2005, 12:04:42 pm: Terry Pratchett books.. lots of them. I'm now on my fourth Discworld novel picked at random from the selection (Small Gods, incase anyone cares). The man is a genius.
Title: Books.
Post by: Rictor on May 30, 2005, 12:22:02 pm: Just finished Breakfast of Champions.

reading: A Perfect Spy.
Title: Books.
Post by: kode on May 30, 2005, 12:29:46 pm: "Programming Ruby: a pragmatic programmers guide"
Great book, great language.

"A book of Five Rings", Miyamoto Musashi
has a few interesting points, even though I don't take kendo.

"The Prince", niccolo machiavelli, or whatever-his-name-was
not too shabby of a book either, I must say.

"Coup d'etat: a practical handbook", Edward Luttwak
yeah, exactly what it sounds like.
Title: Books.
Post by: Corsair on May 30, 2005, 01:26:24 pm: Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy (for fun for like the twentieth time)
also doing a lot of review of this semester because my English exam is on Wednesday so...

As I Lay Dying by Faulkner
The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Willliams
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
some short stories by Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston
Title: Books.
Post by: Primus on May 30, 2005, 01:52:48 pm: Quote
Originally posted by kode

"The Prince", niccolo machiavelli, or whatever-his-name-was
not too shabby of a book either, I must say.

:nod: :yes: Same here. Excellent book.
Title: Books.
Post by: Grey Wolf on May 30, 2005, 01:59:34 pm: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Due Wednesday.
Title: Books.
Post by: Zarax on May 30, 2005, 02:21:24 pm: Management Planning and Control... Damn exams :p
Title: Books.
Post by: Night Hammer on May 30, 2005, 02:27:39 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Corsair
Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy (for fun for like the twentieth time)

:yes: :yes: :yes:

I just finished that and am currently reading Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose
Title: Books.
Post by: Martinus on May 30, 2005, 03:21:22 pm: [color=66ff00]Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance - Robert Pirsig.

Rogue Squadron - Michael A. Stackpole.
[/color]
Title: Books.
Post by: Goober5000 on May 30, 2005, 03:36:52 pm: The Silver Chair - C. S. Lewis.
Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card.
Title: Books.
Post by: Taristin on May 30, 2005, 03:38:06 pm: World War; In the Balance - Harry Turtledove
Title: Books.
Post by: Mongoose on May 30, 2005, 10:42:49 pm: I think it's about time for a Lord of the Rings re-reading. I'll probably follow that with a Chronicles of Narnia re-read, in preparation for this December's amazing movie release. :D
Title: Books.
Post by: NGTM-1R on May 30, 2005, 10:51:28 pm: Rat Race and Second Wind, both by Dick Francis, with Win, Place, or Show (compliation of Mr. Francis' Sid Halley stories) to follow.
Title: Books.
Post by: Ransom on May 30, 2005, 11:32:53 pm: Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds.
Title: Books.
Post by: Rictor on May 30, 2005, 11:35:39 pm: Quote
Originally posted by kode
"Coup d'etat: a practical handbook", Edward Luttwak
yeah, exactly what it sounds like.

Hmm, I'll have to check this out. Oh, by the way, can I be like a Duke or something when the new regime comes to power? Don't worry, I'm corrupt as hell, so everything will be fine.
Title: Books.
Post by: Phoenix_Emperor on May 30, 2005, 11:58:48 pm: American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Title: Books.
Post by: icespeed on May 31, 2005, 02:28:34 am: finished neil gaiman's 'neverwhere' recently, just finished robert jordan's 'eye of the world', am currently reading the fifth harry potter for lack of convenient books in my house...
Title: Books.
Post by: oohal on May 31, 2005, 02:45:11 am: currently reading E.E 'Doc Smith's lensman series bit old but not bad books

-oohal
Title: Books.
Post by: Goober5000 on May 31, 2005, 02:47:11 am: Quote
Originally posted by oohal
currently reading E.E 'Doc Smith's lensman series bit old but not bad books
Ooh. I have those, but I've never gotten around to reading them. How are they?
Title: Books.
Post by: Fergus on May 31, 2005, 04:36:30 am: The Dark Valley by Piers Brendon
Title: Books.
Post by: Col. Fishguts on May 31, 2005, 04:46:51 am: Just finished "The shadow over Innsmouth" by Lovecraft, short but nice.
Title: Books.
Post by: Mefustae on May 31, 2005, 04:59:29 am: I just finished reading "Stalingrad" and "Berlin", both by the same author (who's name escapes me), if you want to know a detailed picture of the Battles of Stalingrad and Berlin, read these books.

Just now, i've started 'Fortunes of War' by Stephen Coonts, an interesting tale of a Japanese invasion of Siberia to gain her precious Oil Reserves, and a crack American F22 Raptor Squadron sent to aid the Russians in defending the motherland...not a bad book, kinda like Tom Clancy, but he gets to the point a hell of a lot quicker...
Title: Books.
Post by: aldo_14 on May 31, 2005, 05:30:32 am: The Deeper Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams & John Lloyd.

As you can guess, I've not been reading all that much of late.
Title: Books.
Post by: Rictor on May 31, 2005, 09:49:42 am: Quote
Originally posted by aldo_14
The Deeper Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams & John Lloyd.

As you can guess, I've not been reading all that much of late.

:yes: :yes:

Good man aldo.
Title: Books.
Post by: redsniper on May 31, 2005, 12:19:33 pm: Vector Prime by R. A. Salvatore

and good job on starting the X-wing series, Maeg. They're awesome books. :yes:
Title: Books.
Post by: Night Hammer on May 31, 2005, 06:47:28 pm: Quote
Originally posted by redsniper
Vector Prime by R. A. Salvatore

Spoiler:
Chewie dies:sigh:
Title: Books.
Post by: Ace on May 31, 2005, 07:00:46 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Goober5000
Ooh. I have those, but I've never gotten around to reading them. How are they?

Duodec bombs! Allotropic iron reactors! Negaspheres! Hyperspace tubes! Planets being smashed by tractor beams!

It's a fun, simple bubblegum space opera.
Title: Books.
Post by: Ford Prefect on May 31, 2005, 07:01:58 pm: This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Title: Books.
Post by: mikhael on May 31, 2005, 08:14:40 pm: Eric Flint's 1633, Charles Scheffield's Transvergence, David Eddings Sorceress of Darshiva, Stephen Baxter's Manifold: Origin.

Just finished Atlas Shrugged. Reminded me I'm not alone. Good stuff.
Title: Books.
Post by: Clave on June 01, 2005, 06:58:05 am: Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
Terry Pratchett books.. lots of them. I'm now on my fourth Discworld novel picked at random from the selection (Small Gods, incase anyone cares). The man is a genius.

Stop stealing! I was going to post the exact same thing, but with Feet of Clay instead of Small Gods...
Title: Books.
Post by: pyro-manic on June 01, 2005, 11:15:54 am: Pratchett is great. Also be sure to read the Truckers Trilogy, The Carpet People and the Johnny and the ___ series (Only You Can Save Mankind!, Johnny and the Dead, Johnny and the Bomb). And also Good Omens, his collab with Neil Gaiman. Great stuff...

As for me:

The Art of Chi Kung - Wong Kiew Kit
Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
Unfinished Tales - Tolkien

I've also got a couple of Chinese sword training manuals on order, and a copy of Paradise Lost that needs reading too. Busy, busy....
Title: Books.
Post by: Grey Wolf on June 01, 2005, 08:24:25 pm: I'd recommend anything by Neil Gaiman, but I've started reading from a book of short stories he's written. Some of them are getting really odd...
Title: Books.
Post by: karajorma on June 02, 2005, 03:43:19 am: Love All The People - The Letters, Lyrics and Routines of Bill Hicks I'm a big fan of his so I was given the book as a birthday present last year and I finally got around to reading it. Very interesting.
Title: Books.
Post by: Nico on June 02, 2005, 05:32:22 am: Robert Merle, a whole series of books about a guy during the 16th century, all written in french from that era, very cool read, and very funny expressions ( and now I have many new ways to say cr*p in french :p )
Title: Books.
Post by: pyro-manic on June 02, 2005, 08:13:43 am: Quote
Originally posted by karajorma
Love All The People - The Letters, Lyrics and Routines of Bill Hicks I'm a big fan of his so I was given the book as a birthday present last year and I finally got around to reading it. Very interesting.

Ah! Good book. A bit repetitive, but interesting nonetheless. :yes:
Title: Books.
Post by: Martinus on June 02, 2005, 11:43:59 am: Quote
Originally posted by redsniper
Vector Prime by R. A. Salvatore

and good job on starting the X-wing series, Maeg. They're awesome books. :yes:

[color=66ff00]It's my second read through, haven't got the second in the series yet but I have read a lot of other SW books. I Jedi was superb. :nod:
[/color]
Title: Books.
Post by: NGTM-1R on June 02, 2005, 02:11:13 pm: Again with the "All Hail Stackpolla!"

And this isn't even a Battletech forum...
Title: Books.
Post by: redsniper on June 02, 2005, 03:21:32 pm: He's really that good. I've only read one book by him that was crappy and even then it had some awesome parts.
Title: Books.
Post by: Kamikaze on June 02, 2005, 08:12:55 pm: Foundation and Earth - Isaac Asimov - For some reason I'm reading this last book of the series about 6 years after I read the rest of the series.

How to Solve It - G. Polya - A book about solving math problems. Interesting because it has a lot of hypothetical dialogues.

The Riddle in Torsional Nest - Hiroshi Mori - Part of Hiroshi's long mystery series. It's the 18th book in the series.

Shiosai - Yukio Mishima - A Japanese classic about island life. English title is "The Sound of Waves".
Title: Books.
Post by: TopAce on June 04, 2005, 05:30:25 am: I have just read the Phatom Menace, completely in English. Damn, the movie is missing some chapters. :doubt: