Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
After a really interesting Jordan Peterson podcast with theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence M. Krauss.
Too many books, not enough time. For every book I read, another five are delivered from Amazon!
Too many books, not enough time. For every book I read, another five are delivered from Amazon!
droopsnoot said:
I've just finished "The Thursday Murder Club" by Richard Osman, on the local charity bookshelf in the Co-op so I thought I'd give it a go. It was pretty good, decent enough storyline.
Likewise. Got it for my birthday at the end of June and read it last week. Quite an enjoyable, light-hearted read with a bit of genuine emotion in there too.Hunting Hitler's Nukes
By Damien Lewis
A real page turner telling the story of the SOE attempting to prevent the Nazi scientists getting their hands on the heavy water needed to process uranium to make a bomb.
An appreciation of the agents hiding out in the wilderness in Norway is incredible. Reindeer lichen stew for example while the snow prevents you moving from a hunters hut for weeks. Starvation looming and all the while the enemy is searching for secret radio transmissions.
Only the last chapter out of 30 is the Telemark ferry mentioned as this was just the final part of the jigsaw.
Best book I've read this year.
By Damien Lewis
A real page turner telling the story of the SOE attempting to prevent the Nazi scientists getting their hands on the heavy water needed to process uranium to make a bomb.
An appreciation of the agents hiding out in the wilderness in Norway is incredible. Reindeer lichen stew for example while the snow prevents you moving from a hunters hut for weeks. Starvation looming and all the while the enemy is searching for secret radio transmissions.
Only the last chapter out of 30 is the Telemark ferry mentioned as this was just the final part of the jigsaw.
Best book I've read this year.
BryanC said:
Hunting Hitler's Nukes
By Damien Lewis
A real page turner telling the story of the SOE attempting to prevent the Nazi scientists getting their hands on the heavy water needed to process uranium to make a bomb.
An appreciation of the agents hiding out in the wilderness in Norway is incredible. Reindeer lichen stew for example while the snow prevents you moving from a hunters hut for weeks. Starvation looming and all the while the enemy is searching for secret radio transmissions.
Only the last chapter out of 30 is the Telemark ferry mentioned as this was just the final part of the jigsaw.
Best book I've read this year.
He's really well researched and a good story teller.By Damien Lewis
A real page turner telling the story of the SOE attempting to prevent the Nazi scientists getting their hands on the heavy water needed to process uranium to make a bomb.
An appreciation of the agents hiding out in the wilderness in Norway is incredible. Reindeer lichen stew for example while the snow prevents you moving from a hunters hut for weeks. Starvation looming and all the while the enemy is searching for secret radio transmissions.
Only the last chapter out of 30 is the Telemark ferry mentioned as this was just the final part of the jigsaw.
Best book I've read this year.
Just finished this latest tome in my "riveting aviation reads" corner
As ex-fast jet aircrew, Dave Gledhill is a prolific aviation author by himself - but in this instance he is a compiler for a collection of submitted tales from the "unsung heroes" on the groundcrew.
The stories cover a wide range of eras (from the 50s to the 2000s) and an even wider range of topics, from routine RAF life to genius bodgery against the clock to mischievous misdeeds and punishments. Some of the situations encountered, and the descriptive phrases used, are genuinely laugh-out-loud - and some of the rewards and perks will make you green with envy
10/10 would recommend!
As ex-fast jet aircrew, Dave Gledhill is a prolific aviation author by himself - but in this instance he is a compiler for a collection of submitted tales from the "unsung heroes" on the groundcrew.
The stories cover a wide range of eras (from the 50s to the 2000s) and an even wider range of topics, from routine RAF life to genius bodgery against the clock to mischievous misdeeds and punishments. Some of the situations encountered, and the descriptive phrases used, are genuinely laugh-out-loud - and some of the rewards and perks will make you green with envy
10/10 would recommend!
After a good start this year, the cumulative effect of working like a Trojan and family matters, my reading has slowed considerably.
I’m still plodding away at Shop Class as Soul Craft by Matthew Crawford.
The basic premise is that, in spite of him having a PhD and being a former lobbyist, he actually runs a motorcycle repair business. The book is an assessment of how America (and with it the western world) has lost sight of the value of blue collar work.
It’s a denser read than I expected - no bad thing, though has the strong hint of the academic writer about it at times - and there are some interesting strands.
I’ll go back to fiction after this.
I’m still plodding away at Shop Class as Soul Craft by Matthew Crawford.
The basic premise is that, in spite of him having a PhD and being a former lobbyist, he actually runs a motorcycle repair business. The book is an assessment of how America (and with it the western world) has lost sight of the value of blue collar work.
It’s a denser read than I expected - no bad thing, though has the strong hint of the academic writer about it at times - and there are some interesting strands.
I’ll go back to fiction after this.
OMITN said:
After a good start this year, the cumulative effect of working like a Trojan and family matters, my reading has slowed considerably.
I’m still plodding away at Shop Class as Soul Craft by Matthew Crawford.
The basic premise is that, in spite of him having a PhD and being a former lobbyist, he actually runs a motorcycle repair business. The book is an assessment of how America (and with it the western world) has lost sight of the value of blue collar work.
It’s a denser read than I expected - no bad thing, though has the strong hint of the academic writer about it at times - and there are some interesting strands.
I’ll go back to fiction after this.
I have that on my shelf.I’m still plodding away at Shop Class as Soul Craft by Matthew Crawford.
The basic premise is that, in spite of him having a PhD and being a former lobbyist, he actually runs a motorcycle repair business. The book is an assessment of how America (and with it the western world) has lost sight of the value of blue collar work.
It’s a denser read than I expected - no bad thing, though has the strong hint of the academic writer about it at times - and there are some interesting strands.
I’ll go back to fiction after this.
I picked it up a few weeks ago and read the first couple of pages…I also didn’t expect it to be so dense and academic so it went back on the shelf until I am ready to commit to it properly!
I'm late to the game, but I've recently discovered Michael Lewis. I read The Big Short, and immediately ordered the rest of his books. Just finished reading The Premonition - A pandemic story, and will start The Fifth Risk later today.
I was a bit skeptical of the Premonition before I started, after all the pandemic isn't over yet, so writing a book about it may be a little premature, but its an excellent read.
I was a bit skeptical of the Premonition before I started, after all the pandemic isn't over yet, so writing a book about it may be a little premature, but its an excellent read.
Mezzanine said:
I have that on my shelf.
I picked it up a few weeks ago and read the first couple of pages…I also didn’t expect it to be so dense and academic so it went back on the shelf until I am ready to commit to it properly!
I’d stick at it. Is really just a style of writing - all academics do it (except my wife, who - as with so many things in her life - seems to be the exception!). I’m not much of a non-fiction reader, hence the slower going. I picked it up a few weeks ago and read the first couple of pages…I also didn’t expect it to be so dense and academic so it went back on the shelf until I am ready to commit to it properly!
Desiderata said:
Just started this one this afternoon. Not exactly a rip roaring page turner, but it's surprisingly easy reading and interesting. No real revelations, just some well explained thought about why the world is as it is and how that might play down in the future.
Just bought his (new) follow-up - will report back when I get around to it.
Desiderata said:
Just started this one this afternoon. Not exactly a rip roaring page turner, but it's surprisingly easy reading and interesting. No real revelations, just some well explained thought about why the world is as it is and how that might play down in the future.
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