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The New Coffee Room

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  3. What are you reading now?

What are you reading now?

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  • K Offline
    K Offline
    kluurs
    wrote on 8 Oct 2021, 13:31 last edited by
    #372

    Just started
    97eb9050-8edc-4673-8a9e-5f9f38108e57-image.png

    G 1 Reply Last reply 8 Oct 2021, 13:35
    • K kluurs
      8 Oct 2021, 13:31

      Just started
      97eb9050-8edc-4673-8a9e-5f9f38108e57-image.png

      G Offline
      G Offline
      George K
      wrote on 8 Oct 2021, 13:35 last edited by
      #373

      @kluurs "Our ORIENTAL Heritage?"

      alt text

      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

      1 Reply Last reply
      • X xenon
        6 Oct 2021, 15:16

        @george-k Ha! I started looking for some similar books. Old Man's War seems to be a frequently recommended one as well.

        J Offline
        J Offline
        Jolly
        wrote on 8 Oct 2021, 15:47 last edited by
        #374

        @xenon said in What are you reading now?:

        @george-k Ha! I started looking for some similar books. Old Man's War seems to be a frequently recommended one as well.

        Check out the Honor Harrington series. Think of it as Hornblower in space. Besides, the first six or seven books are available online for free. Just do a search for Baen CD.

        I thought Jim Baen was a very smart man for giving away author's blacklists.

        “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

        Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

        1 Reply Last reply
        • B bachophile
          17 Sept 2021, 11:23

          alt text

          just started this, its the story of an american british convoy to deliver matériel, to archangel in arctic russia, summer 1942. along the way, the c0mplex relationship between FDR, Churchill and Stalin.

          when it comes to history, im a sucker for all things maritime (yes i loved greyhound with tom hanks even though some panned it) and every time i think there cant be another angle about world war two that hasn't been covered, i discover this. Just started but I know from the first few pages it will be my kind of book.

          J Offline
          J Offline
          Jolly
          wrote on 8 Oct 2021, 15:50 last edited by
          #375

          @bachophile said in What are you reading now?:

          alt text

          just started this, its the story of an american british convoy to deliver matériel, to archangel in arctic russia, summer 1942. along the way, the c0mplex relationship between FDR, Churchill and Stalin.

          when it comes to history, im a sucker for all things maritime (yes i loved greyhound with tom hanks even though some panned it) and every time i think there cant be another angle about world war two that hasn't been covered, i discover this. Just started but I know from the first few pages it will be my kind of book.

          Read Forrester's The Good Shepard which is the book on which Greyhound is based. Available for free at The Faded Page.

          “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

          Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

          B 1 Reply Last reply 8 Oct 2021, 15:52
          • J Jolly
            8 Oct 2021, 15:50

            @bachophile said in What are you reading now?:

            alt text

            just started this, its the story of an american british convoy to deliver matériel, to archangel in arctic russia, summer 1942. along the way, the c0mplex relationship between FDR, Churchill and Stalin.

            when it comes to history, im a sucker for all things maritime (yes i loved greyhound with tom hanks even though some panned it) and every time i think there cant be another angle about world war two that hasn't been covered, i discover this. Just started but I know from the first few pages it will be my kind of book.

            Read Forrester's The Good Shepard which is the book on which Greyhound is based. Available for free at The Faded Page.

            B Offline
            B Offline
            bachophile
            wrote on 8 Oct 2021, 15:52 last edited by bachophile 10 Aug 2021, 15:52
            #376

            @jolly yea I put that on a to read list a ways back.

            I enjoyed the archangel convoy book a lot.

            1 Reply Last reply
            • D Doctor Phibes
              8 Oct 2021, 13:08

              @bachophile said in What are you reading now?:

              Recognize the bird next to him?!

              She looks like a lady of a certain age. Then again, so does he.

              G Offline
              G Offline
              George K
              wrote on 9 Oct 2021, 17:04 last edited by
              #377

              @doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:

              Recognize the bird next to him?!

              Well, who is it???

              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

              F C 2 Replies Last reply 9 Oct 2021, 19:08
              • G Offline
                G Offline
                George K
                wrote on 9 Oct 2021, 17:06 last edited by George K 10 Sept 2021, 17:07
                #378

                Enjoyed Project Hail Mary. Not as good as The Martian, but MUCH better than Artemis. Weir tends to let techno-talk get in the way of storytelling a bit too much, however.

                Up next:

                Screen Shot 2021-10-09 at 12.05.39 PM copy.jpg

                "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply 9 Oct 2021, 18:13
                • G George K
                  9 Oct 2021, 17:06

                  Enjoyed Project Hail Mary. Not as good as The Martian, but MUCH better than Artemis. Weir tends to let techno-talk get in the way of storytelling a bit too much, however.

                  Up next:

                  Screen Shot 2021-10-09 at 12.05.39 PM copy.jpg

                  Aqua LetiferA Offline
                  Aqua LetiferA Offline
                  Aqua Letifer
                  wrote on 9 Oct 2021, 18:13 last edited by
                  #379

                  @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                  Enjoyed Project Hail Mary. Not as good as The Martian, but MUCH better than Artemis. Weir tends to let techno-talk get in the way of storytelling a bit too much, however.

                  Up next:

                  Screen Shot 2021-10-09 at 12.05.39 PM copy.jpg

                  👍👍👍

                  Books are fun.

                  Please love yourself.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • G George K
                    9 Oct 2021, 17:04

                    @doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:

                    Recognize the bird next to him?!

                    Well, who is it???

                    F Offline
                    F Offline
                    Friday
                    wrote on 9 Oct 2021, 19:08 last edited by
                    #380

                    @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                    @doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:

                    Recognize the bird next to him?!

                    Well, who is it???

                    I think that is Sarah Duchess of York.

                    B 1 Reply Last reply 9 Oct 2021, 19:46
                    • G George K
                      9 Oct 2021, 17:04

                      @doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:

                      Recognize the bird next to him?!

                      Well, who is it???

                      C Offline
                      C Offline
                      Catseye3
                      wrote on 9 Oct 2021, 19:46 last edited by
                      #381

                      @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                      Well, who is it???

                      Hint: Her first name starts with F.

                      I think.

                      Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace. – Mike Ditka

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • F Friday
                        9 Oct 2021, 19:08

                        @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                        @doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:

                        Recognize the bird next to him?!

                        Well, who is it???

                        I think that is Sarah Duchess of York.

                        B Offline
                        B Offline
                        bachophile
                        wrote on 9 Oct 2021, 19:46 last edited by
                        #382

                        @friday yup. Fergie.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • taiwan_girlT Offline
                          taiwan_girlT Offline
                          taiwan_girl
                          wrote on 26 Oct 2021, 02:07 last edited by
                          #383

                          PHOTO-2021-10-19-19-48-46.jpg

                          Actually, for me, it is kind of a boring book. 😬

                          About how the earth would be if humans suddenly disappeared. Each chapter is kind of standalone and examines the impact (or lack of impact) on different areas of earth.

                          I was read that it was based on a magazine article that the author wrote and then expanded into a book.

                          Maybe I will just read the article. 5555

                          C 1 Reply Last reply 26 Oct 2021, 02:13
                          • taiwan_girlT taiwan_girl
                            26 Oct 2021, 02:07

                            PHOTO-2021-10-19-19-48-46.jpg

                            Actually, for me, it is kind of a boring book. 😬

                            About how the earth would be if humans suddenly disappeared. Each chapter is kind of standalone and examines the impact (or lack of impact) on different areas of earth.

                            I was read that it was based on a magazine article that the author wrote and then expanded into a book.

                            Maybe I will just read the article. 5555

                            C Offline
                            C Offline
                            Catseye3
                            wrote on 26 Oct 2021, 02:13 last edited by
                            #384

                            @taiwan_girl There was a TV show several years ago that was pretty fascinating (especially for TV), that examined what the world would be like if people disappeared. That is, not that they were never here, but that they had been here but vanished.

                            I remember one episode in particular that was set in Las Vegas. As years passed, you saw the tall signs and marquises on the Strip gradually buried in sand, and then at the end, a smooth surface of desert . . . and you knew a whole city was . . . down there . . .

                            Br-r-r-r!

                            Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace. – Mike Ditka

                            taiwan_girlT 1 Reply Last reply 26 Oct 2021, 02:17
                            • C Catseye3
                              26 Oct 2021, 02:13

                              @taiwan_girl There was a TV show several years ago that was pretty fascinating (especially for TV), that examined what the world would be like if people disappeared. That is, not that they were never here, but that they had been here but vanished.

                              I remember one episode in particular that was set in Las Vegas. As years passed, you saw the tall signs and marquises on the Strip gradually buried in sand, and then at the end, a smooth surface of desert . . . and you knew a whole city was . . . down there . . .

                              Br-r-r-r!

                              taiwan_girlT Offline
                              taiwan_girlT Offline
                              taiwan_girl
                              wrote on 26 Oct 2021, 02:17 last edited by
                              #385

                              @catseye3 The book is the same. It assumes that people were here, but then disappeared. Mostly, I like books more than movies, but in this case, I can see where a subject like this might be better visually than just words on paper.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • K Offline
                                K Offline
                                kluurs
                                wrote on 27 Oct 2021, 03:57 last edited by kluurs
                                #386

                                Finished
                                3af63f47-77ff-4137-89dc-c1444686437a-image.png

                                It is a quick read discussing the rise of authoritarianism around the world beginning with Poland, Hungary, etc. She notes that the desire is linked to both left and right ideologies coming from an insufficient understanding of (respect for?) the nature of democracy.

                                a913a8c1-9d56-4056-bd6b-5d7539ebae51-image.png

                                Provides a compelling case questioning her religion, the subjugation of women, and numerous other issues antithetical to human rights. She is, an interesting person and has had an amazing life. She notes that Islam is extremely focused on the notion that this life means nothing - and the next life is the major focus. Islam has not had a reformation. She also explains why poverty and ignorance are not the causes of violent actions by its adherents.

                                b8ad115c-7b42-400d-b1e4-24bfde2eb62f-image.png .

                                I'm still slogging through Ariel and Will Durant's History of Civilization volume 1. It is dated but still fascinating. I realize some significant deficits in my education - particularly, the history and culture of India. India had an amazing culture before AD 1000 - including some quite sophisticated medical expertise.

                                Reading now.
                                b86ee2c4-a17e-4538-8686-a0771a8a831b-image.png

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • G Offline
                                  G Offline
                                  George K
                                  wrote on 27 Oct 2021, 11:25 last edited by
                                  #387

                                  A second recommendation for Ali's "Heretic." It an easy read, and she gets a bit preachy about "what must be done." But the early parts, about her growing up in a fundamentalist Islamic culture, and her later years, in the Netherlands, are just fascinating.

                                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  • K Offline
                                    K Offline
                                    kluurs
                                    wrote on 29 Oct 2021, 16:49 last edited by kluurs
                                    #388

                                    Finished
                                    Very enjoyable - amazing life.
                                    954cd9e9-592c-44ea-83e7-cf774ddd5942-image.png

                                    Better than I thought it would be with the first few chapters being the best part. I think many have seen violence work quite effectively, and our culture celebrates it in film and real life, but it is interesting and helpful to listen to a different perspective. I think there is a balance, taught in some martial arts - mastering the reptilian brain.
                                    0550decb-9d60-48c4-8292-1ef9a5fe0c4a-image.png

                                    G 1 Reply Last reply 29 Oct 2021, 17:00
                                    • K kluurs
                                      29 Oct 2021, 16:49

                                      Finished
                                      Very enjoyable - amazing life.
                                      954cd9e9-592c-44ea-83e7-cf774ddd5942-image.png

                                      Better than I thought it would be with the first few chapters being the best part. I think many have seen violence work quite effectively, and our culture celebrates it in film and real life, but it is interesting and helpful to listen to a different perspective. I think there is a balance, taught in some martial arts - mastering the reptilian brain.
                                      0550decb-9d60-48c4-8292-1ef9a5fe0c4a-image.png

                                      G Offline
                                      G Offline
                                      George K
                                      wrote on 29 Oct 2021, 17:00 last edited by George K
                                      #389

                                      @kluurs said in What are you reading now?:

                                      Finished
                                      Very enjoyable - amazing life.

                                      I read that a few years ago. His narration of the early days in the desert was fun, wasn't it?

                                      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                      K 1 Reply Last reply 29 Oct 2021, 17:26
                                      • G George K
                                        29 Oct 2021, 17:00

                                        @kluurs said in What are you reading now?:

                                        Finished
                                        Very enjoyable - amazing life.

                                        I read that a few years ago. His narration of the early days in the desert was fun, wasn't it?

                                        K Offline
                                        K Offline
                                        kluurs
                                        wrote on 29 Oct 2021, 17:26 last edited by
                                        #390

                                        @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                        @kluurs said in What are you reading now?:

                                        Finished
                                        Very enjoyable - amazing life.

                                        I read that a few years ago. His narration of the early days in the desert was fun, wasn't it?

                                        God, yeah. His life seemed to be like Forest Gump - meeting everyone of import in the mid 20th century.

                                        CopperC 1 Reply Last reply 29 Oct 2021, 17:57
                                        • K kluurs
                                          29 Oct 2021, 17:26

                                          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                          @kluurs said in What are you reading now?:

                                          Finished
                                          Very enjoyable - amazing life.

                                          I read that a few years ago. His narration of the early days in the desert was fun, wasn't it?

                                          God, yeah. His life seemed to be like Forest Gump - meeting everyone of import in the mid 20th century.

                                          CopperC Offline
                                          CopperC Offline
                                          Copper
                                          wrote on 29 Oct 2021, 17:57 last edited by
                                          #391

                                          @kluurs said in What are you reading now?:

                                          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                          @kluurs said in What are you reading now?:

                                          Finished
                                          Very enjoyable - amazing life.

                                          I read that a few years ago. His narration of the early days in the desert was fun, wasn't it?

                                          God, yeah. His life seemed to be like Forest Gump - meeting everyone of import in the mid 20th century.

                                          The only person that could get away with the ice cube thing, during the hearings on the Challenger disaster, is a Nobel Prize winner in Physics.

                                          Even Neil Armstrong couldn't have done that experiment in that setting.

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