Whatya reading currently?

I need something.
I am now officially tired of racking my brain with physics problems.

Nonfiction preferred.

[witchdoctor]

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar

http://www.amazon.com/Plato-Platypus...3715291&sr=8-1


And then the follow up

Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington

http://www.amazon.com/Aristotle-Aard..._bxgy_b_text_b

[Bigsmc]

Sea of Glory, by Nathaniel Philbrick.

http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Glory-Disc...3715733&sr=8-1

The story of The U.S. Exploring Expedition (1838-1842). The search of the Southern Hemisphere for new lands (mostly in the Pacific Ocean). It similar to the Lewis and Clark Expedition (I prefered Stephen Ambrose's, Undaunted Courage) except on a broader scale. I am only a third of the way through, but it is very good.

Philbrick also wrote the excellent, In the Heart of the Sea. The story of the whaleship Essex, which was also a good read.

[Sightseek]

I just finished "1776" and liked it enough that I am going to pick up a copy of John Adams.

http://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McC.../dp/0743226712

[Seattleallstar]

ive been reading a Post American World by Fareed Zakaria when im at home. On the way to work and at lunch ive been rerading Economic facts and fallacies by Thomas Sowell

[Seattleallstar]

I just finished Tuesdays with Morrie, I know a few years too late but hey.

[ArlJim78]

derbytrail.com

[SentToStud]

Shantaram by Gary Roberts.
"Autobiographical" novel
about a guy who
escapes from an Australian prison, goes
to Bombay, gets involved with
the Mafia there,
spends a couple years
in prison there
and winds up fighting
for the Afghans agaisnt the Russians.

900+ pages. First fiction of any kind I've
read in years.
Very good.

Sorry I am going to extend this based on STS comments.

Something you have currently finished reading that
was very good. Nonfiction preferred.

Thank you very much.

Please keep em coming.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I just finished "1776" and liked it enough that I am going to pick up a copy of John Adams.

http://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McC.../dp/0743226712

mccullough is excellent.
i also recommend alexander hamiltons bio by ron chernow. fantastic book, great subject.
also have a couple by joseph ellis, his majesty george washington and founding brothers. both very good.

i am taking john adams on vacation, as well as the last cavalier (the last dumas) and a book on sarah churchill, duchess of marlborough.

but at the moment, i'm reading the second book in a trilogy by bernard cornwell. that guy is fantastic!! great historical fiction for those who like lots of action, battles, etc

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Danzig

mccullough is excellent.
i also recommend alexander hamiltons bio by ron chernow. fantastic book, great subject.

Stuff like that is okay, if that is the kind of stuff you like. I'm not going to tell people what to read, but if you are really interested in history I would suggest reading stuff written by actual historians instead.
Neither McCullough nor Chernow are trained historians and it shows in their work. They are both good writers, and that is why they win awards like the Pulitzer, but the quality of their scholarship is more than questionable.
Ellis - who you also mentioned - actually IS a PhD and his work is (not surprisingly) a little bit better.
If you are really interested in something like the American Revolution and Early Republic however, I would reccomend reading the stuff from real scholars like Rosemarie Zagarri, Woody Holton, T.H. Breen etc. It might not always be as cleverly written as the stuff the journalists like Chernow produce, but the level of analysis dwarfs anything these untrained people attempt.

What was written by Miraja above is a huge problem in Science.
But writers like Asimov, Gould, Dawkins, are all writers
that have done real science. Same for Sagan. Even though
he got a little maudlin at times with the sci fi. Also RIP.

Sagan wrote a great book on what science is and is not
that should be read by all who like the power of logic and
reasoning, "The Demon Haunted World". Of course one could
conclude that the book is terribly flawed, look who recommends it.

[hockey2315]

Love Sagan. . . Have you read Smolin's "The Trouble with Physics"? I have it but can't decide if I feel like reading it yet. . .

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Stuff like that is okay, if that is the kind of stuff you like. I'm not going to tell people what to read, but if you are really interested in history I would suggest reading stuff written by actual historians instead.
Neither McCullough nor Chernow are trained historians and it shows in their work. They are both good writers, and that is why they win awards like the Pulitzer, but the quality of their scholarship is more than questionable.
Ellis - who you also mentioned - actually IS a PhD and his work is (not surprisingly) a little bit better.
If you are really interested in something like the American Revolution and Early Republic however, I would reccomend reading the stuff from real scholars like Rosemarie Zagarri, Woody Holton, T.H. Breen etc. It might not always be as cleverly written as the stuff the journalists like Chernow produce, but the level of analysis dwarfs anything these untrained people attempt.

i read a little bit of everything, minus science fiction and romance novels. i have some history books here as well, both american and european.

i forgot to also recommend the two books on hitler, 'hubris' and 'nemesis' by ian kershaw. also 'constantine's sword' by james carroll.

i have american creation by jos. ellis, but haven't read it yet. one of the books i'll take on vacation.

[Danzig]

and i know you said nonfiction, but you need to read (unless you just absolutely don't care for civil war era books) the trilogy by michael and jeff shaara. gods and generals, the killer angels, and the last full measure.

[Bigsmc]

I just finished, An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson. It is the first of a trilogy and I will definitely be reading the next two.

http://www.amazon.com/Army-Dawn-1942...3788714&sr=8-1

[SentToStud]

Golden Gate PPs. Trying to figure if this chalky thing in the 3rd can be tossed.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Golden Gate PPs. Trying to figure if this chalky thing in the 3rd can be tossed.

i got stumped trying to figure out the last thing I read on personal time that wasn't PP's, the racing form, or horse racing message boards or blogs.

[jcs11204]

Joey The Hitman
Classic