Head-Fi Recommended Reading List!
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MD1032
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
My dad read one book by him and literally never wanted to read any of his books again. He finds his writing style just incredibly immature and annoying. Each of the chapters are only like 2 pages long. Let me simulate:
Chapter 1:
"Joe, we've discovered a mystery afoot. I know exactly who's behind it."
"Who is it?"
Chapter 2:
"It's the Evil Alliance again! Up to no good!"
"Good God, John, whatever will we do?!"
"I know exactly what we need to do!"
Chapter 3:
"Be careful, man. There's EA members swarming this super-secret area"
"Help! I'm being shot at by the master of all evil, which is Doctor..."
Chaper 4:
"Rutherson!"
"Don't worry, I know exactly how we can escape this situation. Of course, you'll have to turn the page to find out."
Chapter 5:
"We'll just put on bulletproof vests!"
"Wonderful idea, Jim, but there's one thing you're forgetting..."
"That I have to turn the page to find out what I'm forgetting?"
Chapter 6:
"Yes."
(127 chapters later)
Chapter 133:
"Well, I'm glad that adventure is over."
"Yes, all of the falling action has taken place. We're now in a strategic position to give the reader a cliffhanger so they'll buy the next book."
"The answer to the only riddle not solved in this book is..."
| Originally Posted by dd3mon Surprised no one's mentioned last year's rage - Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I've actually read all of Dan Brown's books now, and I find them all enjoyable, although several of them use the same basic plot formula as DaVinci code. He uses different settings and as always includes a wealth of intriguing information on the relevant topics. |
My dad read one book by him and literally never wanted to read any of his books again. He finds his writing style just incredibly immature and annoying. Each of the chapters are only like 2 pages long. Let me simulate:
Chapter 1:
"Joe, we've discovered a mystery afoot. I know exactly who's behind it."
"Who is it?"
Chapter 2:
"It's the Evil Alliance again! Up to no good!"
"Good God, John, whatever will we do?!"
"I know exactly what we need to do!"
Chapter 3:
"Be careful, man. There's EA members swarming this super-secret area"
"Help! I'm being shot at by the master of all evil, which is Doctor..."
Chaper 4:
"Rutherson!"
"Don't worry, I know exactly how we can escape this situation. Of course, you'll have to turn the page to find out."
Chapter 5:
"We'll just put on bulletproof vests!"
"Wonderful idea, Jim, but there's one thing you're forgetting..."
"That I have to turn the page to find out what I'm forgetting?"
Chapter 6:
"Yes."
(127 chapters later)
Chapter 133:
"Well, I'm glad that adventure is over."
"Yes, all of the falling action has taken place. We're now in a strategic position to give the reader a cliffhanger so they'll buy the next book."
"The answer to the only riddle not solved in this book is..."
stuartr
Loyal member of Team Useful Post.
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Currently reading:
For pleasure: Nancy Mitford: The Pursuit of Love. Julien Busselle: Printing and Processing.
For Work: Alfred Cobban: The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution
Garin: Pravda o voyne (a book written in 1905 about the russo-japanese war)
Favorites of all time:
Nabokov: Invitation to a Beheading.
Salinger: Nine Stories
Lermontov: A Hero of Our Time
Nabokov: Pnin
Hawthorne: "The Birthmark"
For pleasure: Nancy Mitford: The Pursuit of Love. Julien Busselle: Printing and Processing.
For Work: Alfred Cobban: The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution
Garin: Pravda o voyne (a book written in 1905 about the russo-japanese war)
Favorites of all time:
Nabokov: Invitation to a Beheading.
Salinger: Nine Stories
Lermontov: A Hero of Our Time
Nabokov: Pnin
Hawthorne: "The Birthmark"
Bunnyears
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
Art and Iconology by Irwin Panofsky. the antidote to Da Vinci Code.
If Dan Brown had read it, he could never have written the Da Vinci Code. If the rest of the world read it, they would be laughing at Dan Brown.
| Originally Posted by dd3mon Surprised no one's mentioned last year's rage - Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. -dd3mon |
Art and Iconology by Irwin Panofsky. the antidote to Da Vinci Code.
If Dan Brown had read it, he could never have written the Da Vinci Code. If the rest of the world read it, they would be laughing at Dan Brown.
Stephonovich
Headphoneus Supremus
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First, yes, I forgot The Elegant Universe. Quite a good read. Since we're on rather geeky books, I might as well throw in one I left out in my original...
_The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonshing Number_ by Mario Livio. I'm quite into numbers (Pi and Phi especially) and how they can be found in the world. Even if you aren't interested in this type of book, it's really an interesting read. Quite a bit of back history on number systems.
As for Dan Brown's books, a friend of mine keeps saying how great they are. Personally, the premise didn't sound that great. An anti-matter bomb in the Vatican that's going to blow up the world? C'mon, people... I don't really like books or movies that try to be technical but fail miserably. I've learned to deal with impossible tech in movies, as otherwise 99% of 'em I couldn't watch, but please, people, if you're writing a book (or movie producers, if you happen to be reading this) do some background work. Crichton and Clancy are excellent examples of this.
Bunnyears, that book looks quite interesting. Methinks I'll have to look into that.
_The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonshing Number_ by Mario Livio. I'm quite into numbers (Pi and Phi especially) and how they can be found in the world. Even if you aren't interested in this type of book, it's really an interesting read. Quite a bit of back history on number systems.
As for Dan Brown's books, a friend of mine keeps saying how great they are. Personally, the premise didn't sound that great. An anti-matter bomb in the Vatican that's going to blow up the world? C'mon, people... I don't really like books or movies that try to be technical but fail miserably. I've learned to deal with impossible tech in movies, as otherwise 99% of 'em I couldn't watch, but please, people, if you're writing a book (or movie producers, if you happen to be reading this) do some background work. Crichton and Clancy are excellent examples of this.
Bunnyears, that book looks quite interesting. Methinks I'll have to look into that.
Feanor
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I'll second the Ender and Alvin Maker books from Orson Scott Card(Looove them. I could always identify with his characters. Loooove them),
Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson,
The Master and Margaret by Bulgakov(pure magic),
Catch 22 by Heller(his other works good, but never as good),
anything from Asimov, Clarke, Tolkien or Douglas Adams.
My contribution:
Chaos by James Gleich
My introduction to chaos theory. Nice book, non-technical(perhaps a bit too
untechnical).
How The Mind Works by Stephen Pinker
A bit more hefty book on the title subject plus evolutionary biology, very educational.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig
Kundera books
A Farewell to Arms, by Hemingway
Nick Hornby (for a dash of something lighter)
Noam Chomsky books where somewhat eye-openers for me, not that his anarcho-socialism is definitly correct, but his views on events are a nice alternative
I'm suprised nobody voluntered a very good one: The Dune books, by Frank Herbert... Maybe my favorites. Frank Herbert creates a wonderfully new universe, in a beutiful mix of science fiction and trancendence. I loved his storytelling, compared to him, Asimov and Clarke are dry technocrats (and I do love their books, but still). Not to mention the fact that some of the current scifi scene (Matrix, anyone?) is stealing from him bigtime...
Thats all I can think of for now...
Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson,
The Master and Margaret by Bulgakov(pure magic),
Catch 22 by Heller(his other works good, but never as good),
anything from Asimov, Clarke, Tolkien or Douglas Adams.
My contribution:
Chaos by James Gleich
My introduction to chaos theory. Nice book, non-technical(perhaps a bit too
untechnical).
How The Mind Works by Stephen Pinker
A bit more hefty book on the title subject plus evolutionary biology, very educational.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig
Kundera books
A Farewell to Arms, by Hemingway
Nick Hornby (for a dash of something lighter)
Noam Chomsky books where somewhat eye-openers for me, not that his anarcho-socialism is definitly correct, but his views on events are a nice alternative
I'm suprised nobody voluntered a very good one: The Dune books, by Frank Herbert... Maybe my favorites. Frank Herbert creates a wonderfully new universe, in a beutiful mix of science fiction and trancendence. I loved his storytelling, compared to him, Asimov and Clarke are dry technocrats (and I do love their books, but still). Not to mention the fact that some of the current scifi scene (Matrix, anyone?) is stealing from him bigtime...
Thats all I can think of for now...
halcyon
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Great recommendations! Keep them rolling.
Here's a couple of more non-fiction from me:
What Smart Students know, Adam Robinson
- If you're into self-study, this book is the best I've read. I bought it, because I want to be a better learner and thinker. Yes, it has somewhat stupid title. Also, there's lots of redundancy in the book and it does get preachy. However, as far as pedagogical understanding and effectivity, this is second to none in the area of practical layman books on learning methods. If you're in a school institution or doing study on your own while you work, you could really benefit from this book. I know I sound like an ad, but I really do like this book (and I've read quite a few books on self-study and pedagogy, if that matters any). Highly recommended.
Surpassing ourselves, Bereiter & Scardamalia
- A mini-classic from the field of expertise research, written for a layman. I picked this up 10 years a go from a library on a whim, based on the title and the publish (Open Court, Chicago). It really thought me to think about professionalism, routines, routined and flexible expertise in a new light. Can be very enlightening if you're trying to achieve expertise in one particular field. Considering that it usually takes one up to 10 years of full day study/work/thinking to achieve that, it might be useful to understand what are the pitfalls and what type of expertise is there. One of the most life changing books for me personally. If you're into learning about learning, this one could not be more highly recommended by me.
Here's a couple of more non-fiction from me:
What Smart Students know, Adam Robinson
- If you're into self-study, this book is the best I've read. I bought it, because I want to be a better learner and thinker. Yes, it has somewhat stupid title. Also, there's lots of redundancy in the book and it does get preachy. However, as far as pedagogical understanding and effectivity, this is second to none in the area of practical layman books on learning methods. If you're in a school institution or doing study on your own while you work, you could really benefit from this book. I know I sound like an ad, but I really do like this book (and I've read quite a few books on self-study and pedagogy, if that matters any). Highly recommended.
Surpassing ourselves, Bereiter & Scardamalia
- A mini-classic from the field of expertise research, written for a layman. I picked this up 10 years a go from a library on a whim, based on the title and the publish (Open Court, Chicago). It really thought me to think about professionalism, routines, routined and flexible expertise in a new light. Can be very enlightening if you're trying to achieve expertise in one particular field. Considering that it usually takes one up to 10 years of full day study/work/thinking to achieve that, it might be useful to understand what are the pitfalls and what type of expertise is there. One of the most life changing books for me personally. If you're into learning about learning, this one could not be more highly recommended by me.
Dusty Chalk
Head-Fi-holic: With headphones would just be a benny.
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1. What are you favorite readings (i.e., short stories, poetry, novels, science fiction, biographies, periodicals including magazines, etc.)? Science fiction, Tad Williams, Otherland series
2. Why did you choose to read it? dave1 recommended it to me and lent me a copy of the first volume.
3. What did you learn that was exciting or entertaining? Nothing, it's fiction.
4. Would you recommend it to others? Definitely -- if you like virtual reality, action, suspense/intrigue, a little bit of horror/terror, all thrown in together -- somewhere between Neal Stephenson without his sense of humour and Orson Scott Card without his characterization, yet wildly inventive, and with a sense of humour of his own -- then this is for you.
Warning though: it's a bit long -- four long volumes -- and they read pretty much like a single book.
2. Why did you choose to read it? dave1 recommended it to me and lent me a copy of the first volume.
3. What did you learn that was exciting or entertaining? Nothing, it's fiction.
4. Would you recommend it to others? Definitely -- if you like virtual reality, action, suspense/intrigue, a little bit of horror/terror, all thrown in together -- somewhere between Neal Stephenson without his sense of humour and Orson Scott Card without his characterization, yet wildly inventive, and with a sense of humour of his own -- then this is for you.
Warning though: it's a bit long -- four long volumes -- and they read pretty much like a single book.
saint.panda
Headphoneus Supremus
Books that I read recently and would recommend are Life of Pi by Yann Martel and, excuse me, the Da Vinci Code. The latter one contains a lot of nonsense but it's a really engrossing thriller with many conspiracy theories and twists and turns. Nice read for a rainy weekend but nothing to remember.
Life of Pi on the other hand is a book I'll probably remember all my life. Winner of last year's booker prize and other major awards, this book contains a message that will make you believe. The impact right after reading it is not that strong but it will grow. This book made me believe in belief itself again. Highly recommended.
Life of Pi on the other hand is a book I'll probably remember all my life. Winner of last year's booker prize and other major awards, this book contains a message that will make you believe. The impact right after reading it is not that strong but it will grow. This book made me believe in belief itself again. Highly recommended.
rauer
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Reviving this older thread.
I've read all of the so far published Harry Potter books though I've mainly bought them for my kids. Fairly entertaining reading but still pretty much light weight. While reading those I remembered some older fantasy novels I read when I was a kid, books that according to my memory were much better. For a long time I wanted to check those books again and finally a week ago managed to find one of those book series. These books again were bought mainly for my kids, but I couldn't resist reading them myself once more. And how right I was - compared the these, the Harry Potters feel like a Disney or fast-food version of the glorious older ones. If slightly naiive fantasy is your cup of tea, have a sip of this:
Susan Cooper: the Dark is Rising series
- Over sea, under stone
- The dark is rising
- Greenwitch
- The grey king
- Silver on the tree
I've read all of the so far published Harry Potter books though I've mainly bought them for my kids. Fairly entertaining reading but still pretty much light weight. While reading those I remembered some older fantasy novels I read when I was a kid, books that according to my memory were much better. For a long time I wanted to check those books again and finally a week ago managed to find one of those book series. These books again were bought mainly for my kids, but I couldn't resist reading them myself once more. And how right I was - compared the these, the Harry Potters feel like a Disney or fast-food version of the glorious older ones. If slightly naiive fantasy is your cup of tea, have a sip of this:
Susan Cooper: the Dark is Rising series
- Over sea, under stone
- The dark is rising
- Greenwitch
- The grey king
- Silver on the tree
GoRedwings19
Headphoneus Supremus
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Dammit dudes, i only have one book.
The Hockey News - Hockey Almanac....
Does this count?
The Hockey News - Hockey Almanac....
Does this count?
PSmith08
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Two books are all I can recommend:
Julian by Gore Vidal. Elegant, well-crafted historical fiction. It is decidedly fiction, but it is a wonderful story told by someone who clearly identifies with his character.
The Last Empire by Gore Vidal. I know, two books by the same guy. Scandalous! However, Vidal writes clearly and lucidly about the general decline of America as he knows it. The book is essential for "Shredding the Bill of Rights," which is a good starting point for any discussion of civil rights in modern America.
Julian by Gore Vidal. Elegant, well-crafted historical fiction. It is decidedly fiction, but it is a wonderful story told by someone who clearly identifies with his character.
The Last Empire by Gore Vidal. I know, two books by the same guy. Scandalous! However, Vidal writes clearly and lucidly about the general decline of America as he knows it. The book is essential for "Shredding the Bill of Rights," which is a good starting point for any discussion of civil rights in modern America.
trivik12
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Jeffrey Archer - Not a Penny more Not a penny less. Great plot and humor.Climax was very good.
Richard Bach - Johnathon Livingston Seagull and One. U might love them or hate them.
Richard Bach - Johnathon Livingston Seagull and One. U might love them or hate them.
steel102
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Recently read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. An interesting read.
just started The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey
just started The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey
Trance-Fusion
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i'm going to give another vote in the the dune books, especially the first one, that was great... a must read for sci-fi enthusiasts. Another book i enjoyed would be the hobbit, this is a great adventure storry, alot more exciting then the lotr series imho.
and great posts every1, i'm going to buy the suze orman book for my mom and myself, we need to learn how to save money!! i'm also goin to check out alot of the other books in this thread so thanks everyone.
and great posts every1, i'm going to buy the suze orman book for my mom and myself, we need to learn how to save money!! i'm also goin to check out alot of the other books in this thread so thanks everyone.
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