Stuff wot we should all read

[John the Monkey]

I knew Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance would be in there. One of a handful of books I gave up on and never finished, but that was a good few years ago. What do others see in it that I missed, and is it worth another go?

Sorry for the thread revival, I just happened upon what is now my favourite review of this book, one star, with the comment

I feel like Robert M. Pirsig has wronged me personally.

 

[mybike]

I'd like those who criticise Dawkins to actually read some of his work, then they might understand where he's coming from. So for the impact he's had as a figure in society, as well as for the work itself, I'd keep him on the list.

Read him, all he has is assertion & he's created nothing. Since the list is from the gruaniad I'll add the books to my "not worth the time" list.

 

[John the Monkey]

Read him, all he has is assertion & he's created nothing. Since the list is from the gruaniad I'll add the books to my "not worth the time" list.

"Sources: Pulitzer Prize, Time, National Review, Times Literary Supplement, Good Reads, Library Thing, Guardian and others."

 

[mybike]

"Sources: Pulitzer Prize, Time, National Review, Times Literary Supplement, Good Reads, Library Thing, Guardian and others."

None of them impress.

 

[John the Monkey]

None of them impress.

Not to worry then, eh?

 

[Profpointy]

His whisky book is excellent. Amazing to think an international superstar would write so well on British booze as well
(I'll get my coat ...)

Joking aside, what impressed me about his whisky book is it conjured up an expectation of what a given whiskey might taste like , rather than being just flowery waffle. Every drachm I sampled I agreed with his description even if that particular tipple turned out not to be my cup of tea (at the risk of mixing my drinks)

 

[Yellow Fang]

The problem with some of those books is that they get out of date rather quickly. Some of the books that I have read that have impressed me were:

Blair's Wars
Flat Earth News
Eating Animals
Six Degrees
The Revenge of Gaia
Whole Earth Discipline
Alone in the Universe
The Emperor's New Mind
Treasure Islands
Homocide (A year on the killing streets)
Homage to Catalonia
People of the Abyss
The Quest
The Squeeze

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Joking aside, what impressed me about his whisky book is it conjured up an expectation of what a given whiskey might taste like , rather than being just flowery waffle. Every drachm I sampled I agreed with his description even if that particular tipple turned out not to be my cup of tea (at the risk of mixing my drinks)

A fine writer, knowledgeable and entertaining, the guy knew his stuff.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I knew Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance would be in there. One of a handful of books I gave up on and never finished, but that was a good few years ago. What do others see in it that I missed, and is it worth another go?

I only got half way through. I think the point was you should be patient, take however long it takes, read the instructions, work out how to do it, rather than lose your temper with it, hit it with a hammer until it breaks, then fling it away in disgust.

Only got half way though Eminent Victorians too.

 

[anothersam]

I've read a few on that list but most are unread.

Not a problem!

Only got half way though Eminent Victorians too.

Who did you get stuck at? Personally I was shocked by Strachey's claim that Florence Nightingale practiced cannibalism on live orphans, and refused to read further.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Not a problem!

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Who did you get stuck at? Personally I was shocked by Strachey's claim that Florence Nightingale practiced cannibalism on live orphans, and refused to read further.

View attachment 90525

I read the bit about Cardinal Manning and I think the one about Thomas Arnold. Then I thought this is just a hatchet job by a smart alec. I didn't think Florence Nightingale deserved that treatment so I stopped reading.

 

[marknotgeorge]

I've recently finished Hamburg by Keith Lowe, about the Operation Gomorrah bombings in the summer of 1943. Fascinating, and manages to discuss the effectiveness of the aerial bombing campaign without retrospectively applying 21st century morality in hindsight. I'm reading Savage Continent by the same author now, about the immediate aftermath of WW2. Being a bit of a Tube geek, I also liked Tunnel Vision, but that's fiction.

 

[John the Monkey]

I've recently finished Hamburg by Keith Lowe, about the Operation Gomorrah bombings in the summer of 1943. Fascinating, and manages to discuss the effectiveness of the aerial bombing campaign without retrospectively applying 21st century morality in hindsight. I'm reading Savage Continent by the same author now, about the immediate aftermath of WW2. Being a bit of a Tube geek, I also liked Tunnel Vision, but that's fiction.

You might like Richard Overy's "The Bombing War" which looks at how the campaigns originated and evolved over the course of the war.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I read 11 of those books on the Guardian infographic, or maybe ten because I only read half of Emminent Victorians and half of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

 

[Tin Pot]

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

Good to see athe Prince up there, but never hear did most of those books.