What are you reading?

[Hicks]

Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

first one i've read by him. i loved all the science and philosophy. he's very good at explaining complex topics. the book is set on a sort of alternate earth, and he does a good job describing that world. the problem comes when the plot really kicks in. he's not very good at storytelling, and the characters are pretty sketchy, making pure action sequences kind of dull (cause who cares who lives and dies when no one seems like a real person?). still, i was very much into it for something over 800 pages. then came the end, which wasn't an end. the story just stops with all these loose ends, right at the point where you'd expect to have a pretty enormous final sequence. in short, the ending just plain sucked. too bad.

anyone read Cryptonomicon? worth picking up?

I believe Anathem is the first in a series so that would explain the lack of ending.

Cryptonomicon is probably one of my favorite books of all time.

Diamond Age is outstanding too, and Snow Crash is really good in terms of a trashy pulp cyberpunk novel.

I tried reading the Baroque cycle and gave up half way through the first one, I'll probably give it another shot someday.

[Caravan2001]

Snowcrash rocks.....I haven't read it in years...  I'm curently reading Open Up and Bleed, which is the Iggy Bio.  I am also reading the Stanley "Tookie" Williams bio, which is dope, but not as good as Monster (Sanyika Shakur.)  Also just picked up a ton of books from the library that I have yet to start.

[cactusfan]

Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

first one i've read by him. i loved all the science and philosophy. he's very good at explaining complex topics. the book is set on a sort of alternate earth, and he does a good job describing that world. the problem comes when the plot really kicks in. he's not very good at storytelling, and the characters are pretty sketchy, making pure action sequences kind of dull (cause who cares who lives and dies when no one seems like a real person?). still, i was very much into it for something over 800 pages. then came the end, which wasn't an end. the story just stops with all these loose ends, right at the point where you'd expect to have a pretty enormous final sequence. in short, the ending just plain sucked. too bad.

anyone read Cryptonomicon? worth picking up?

I believe Anathem is the first in a series so that would explain the lack of ending.

Cryptonomicon is probably one of my favorite books of all time.

Diamond Age is outstanding too, and Snow Crash is really good in terms of a trashy pulp cyberpunk novel.

I tried reading the Baroque cycle and gave up half way through the first one, I'll probably give it another shot someday.

well, it HAD an ending, just not a good one. if there's a sequel, some loose ends could be tied up or explored, but that doesn't excuse what happened in this book. it's kind of hard to explain unless you've read it.

anyhow, at some point i'll try out Cryptonomicon. sounds like his best.

[kellerb]

I'm finally digging into Gravity's Rainbow, almost 1/2 done.  I got it last Xmas and finally started reading it a week or so ago.  It's good stuff, lots of characters and subplots.  I kind of feel like I should have read some Cliff's Notes or something first (worked pretty well for Faulkner, not helpful yet for Ulysses) but its been pretty good.  Lots of dirty WWII sex and intrigue.

[phil]

gavin menzies' 1421: the year china discovered america

just now getting into it, potentially mindblowing. from what i understand so far, four explorers set out columbus-style from beijing and explored literally everywhere, from antarctica to greenland, all through the carribean and south america, up and down the east and west coast of what's now the U.S. and all around europe... pretty crazy stuffs

[Mr Minor]

Life of Pi  (at home)

Eagle Strike (at school)-- Alex Rider series for young adults.  Anyone with 10 year old + should have them check this series out.  It's fun, easy read, and about young kid who is a spy.  I read it because many of my students have and again, it's an EASY read that doesn't take too much concentration for me during Independent Reading at the beginning of class.

[alcoholandcoffeebeans]

half-asleep in frog pajamas.

robbins, again

[mattstick]

Amazing read, unfortunately skips over some eras I'm more interested in but his prose is delightful.

[sophist]

Life of Pi  (at home)

Eagle Strike (at school)-- Alex Rider series for young adults.  Anyone with 10 year old + should have them check this series out.  It's fun, easy read, and about young kid who is a spy.  I read it because many of my students have and again, it's an EASY read that doesn't take too much concentration for me during Independent Reading at the beginning of class.

I loved Life of Pi, it was one of the best fiction books I've read in a long time. 

Love All The People- Bill Hicks. 

Editorial Reviews
Review
'Savage, brilliant, funny, tremendously intelligent' John Cleese 'He was hilarious, brilliant, brave and right about everything.' Henry Rollins 'Being a genius is a heavy burden, and he's the only one I'm ever likely to meet' Sean Hughes 'He was what only a great comedian can be for any age: an enemy of boundaries, a disturber of the peace, a bringer of insight and of joy, a comic distillation of his own rampaging spirit'. - John Lahr, from the foreword. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
In 1993, network executives abruptly cut the final appearance of comedian Bill Hicks — a scathing tirade of digs on the Pope and the pro-life movement — from an episode of The Late Show with David Letterman. His banning from the show, along with a profile in The New Yorker by veteran writer John Lahr, catapulted Hicks to national prominence. Just months later, at age 32, he died of pancreatic cancer.
Now available for the first time are Hick's most critical and comic observations, gathered from his stand-up routines, diaries, notebooks, letters, and final writings. This collection features his controversial humor and witheringly funny attacks on American culture, from its worship of celebrity and material goods to its involvement in the first Gulf War. Love All the People faithfully traces Hicks's evolution from a funny but conventional stand-up comedian into a fearless and brilliant iconoclast.

I just finished this, and it was a wonderful read.  So much of what Hicks said still applies today. 

I just started the this one:

The Conservative Soul

Synopsis
What does it mean to be a conservative any more?
With the Iraq war, the rise of Christian fundamentalism, exploding government spending, soaring debt, insecure borders, and an executive branch with greater and greater power, Republicans and conservatives are debating this question with more and more urgency.
The contradictions keep mounting. Today's conservatives support the idea of limited government, but they have increased government's size, power and reach to new heights. They believe in balanced budgets, but they have boosted government spending, debt, and pork to record levels. They believe in individual liberty and the rule of law, but they have condoned torture, ignored laws passed by Congress, and been indicted for bribery. They have substituted religion for politics, and damaged both.
In The Conservative Soul, Andrew Sullivan, one of the nation's leading political commentators, makes an impassioned call to rescue conservatism from the corruption of the Republican far right, which has become the first fundamentally religious political party in America. Through an incisive look at the rise of Western fundamentalism, Sullivan argues that conservatives cannot in good conscience keep supporting a party that believes in its own God-given mission to change people's souls, instead of protecting their liberties. He carefully charts the arguments of the new conservatism, showing why they cannot work in today's America, why they fail the test of logic and pragmatism, and why they betray the conservative tradition from Edmund Burke to Ronald Reagan.
In this bold and powerful book, Andrew Sullivan criticizes our government for acting too often, too quickly, and too expensively. He champions a political philosophy based on skepticism and reason, rather than certainty and fundamentalism. He defends a Christianity that is sincere but not intolerant; and a politics that respects religion by keeping its distance. And he makes a provocative, heartfelt case for a revived conservatism at peace with the modern world, dedicated to restraining government and empowering individuals to live rich and fulfilling lives.

[Mr Minor]

Life of Pi  (at home)

Eagle Strike (at school)-- Alex Rider series for young adults.  Anyone with 10 year old + should have them check this series out.  It's fun, easy read, and about young kid who is a spy.  I read it because many of my students have and again, it's an EASY read that doesn't take too much concentration for me during Independent Reading at the beginning of class.

I loved Life of Pi, it was one of the best fiction books I've read in a long time. 

I love the analogies of the zoo and the philosophical connections.  Granted I am not too far in, but it sounds pretty interesting so far.

[sophist]

Well, enjoy! 

[tet]

Amazing read, unfortunately skips over some eras I'm more interested in but his prose is delightful.

one of my favorite books.  i can just imagine him speaking that whole thing, and it flows very nicely.  agreed that i would have been more interested in his take on lots of other things, but he writes so well that i was just captivated from the first page. 

[susep]

preety interesting so far, great insights into the band's gear, esp. like the descriptions of Jerry's axe's even going back to his bluegrass days.  awesome pics too!

[Ellis Dee]

preety interesting so far, great insights into the band's gear, esp. like the descriptions of Jerry's axe's even going back to his bluegrass days.  awesome pics too!

me thinks this book will make the perfect gift for somebody...might have to buy my own copy too...seems really cool...thanks

[sls.stormyrider]

Steve Martin
Born Standing up


Albert Einstein


in case you haven't figured out, I like bios