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msj

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Read this one a while ago, but given events in Europe and all thought it relates in an interesting way: The Dinner by Herman Koch.

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Koch is a Dutch writer and this book involves an unreliable narrator and brutal events that unfold/retold/discovered over a family dinner between brothers and their spouses.

One brother is a minister in a right wing government while the other brother is a former teacher and leftish.

Their sons were involved in some racist violence and etc etc...

I think the story can be polarizing. I can understand why one would absolutely hate this book while I think it is pretty good.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/books/review/the-dinner-by-herman-koch.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Edited by msj
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  • 1 month later...

After listening to Paul L Williams about his book Operation: Gladio I had to order it from Amazon. It's about the CIA, Mafia, Vatican and the corruption within all three groups since the forming of the CIA in 1947 to this very day and he has written proof on everything he says and it took him 14 years with the help of other throughout the world to write it. I'm half-way through the book and my view is the CIA is one big terrorist group, not caring about people but just drugs, money and power.

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  • 4 months later...

Have read Neil Gaiman's "Trigger Warning" recently.

Hit and miss short stories. Just have to complete the last one which ties into Shadow and American Gods but so far I'm having a hard time keeping interested.

But man did I love American Gods so this is disappointing.

On the poetry side my wife has got me into the Persian poet Hafez and other poets of Shiraz, Iran.

AYearWithHafiz.jpg

Good stuff - shocking that he wrote this, in Iran in the 1300's (during a liberal period I suspect):

Moses And The Pinup Girl

Who is to say that Moses was not sweet on a
local pinup girl, and pinup boy,

And when Moses was not acting like a religious
wild man

they often appeared as a damn cute

t
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?

Edited by msj
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  • 9 months later...

Has anyone read "A World Without End" by Ken Follett? If so, is it important to have read "The Pillars Of The Earth" ahead of time?

I vaguely recall reading both these books a long time ago.

No, I think you can read "The World Without End" first and Pillars not at all.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Been listening to "Customs of the World: Using Cultural Intelligence to Adapt Wherever You Are" on my way to and from work lately.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/Customs-of-the-World-Using-Cultural-Intelligence-to-Adapt-Wherever-You-Are-Audiobook/B00EHOSG1A/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1463234721&sr=1-1

Not only is this going to help me in my travels but also is useful in dealing with other people in daily life (yes, even other people like me).

It also extends beyond that where I can see the links between this and behavioural finance (which will be reinforced again once I get to Rhichard Thaler's "Misbehaving" ).

It is part of the "Great Course" series which I have been sceptical of in the past but after overhearing parts of the History of China and another on the History of Japan that my wife has downloaded thought I would give it a try and glad I did.

Recommend trying out the series.

Edited by msj
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Now into "Market Masters" by Robin Speziale. Link to Indigo site: http://preview.tinyurl.com/hlhwo2z or http://tinyurl.com/hlhwo2z

51LHKJ%2BAM4L._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jp

It is a really nice style and is organized really well so you can either breeze through it quickly or take your time and carefully read the interviews he has done with 28 Canadian-ish investment pro's.

It's a unique book because of the Cancon and gives a nice overview of different investing styles.

Edited by msj
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Another book I'm into right now is a guide about Angkor Wat: Ancient Angkor. Link to Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/jep8vjf

tracks-cambodia-ancient-angkor.jpg

A friend who visited Camboadia last year picked it up while there and has lent it to me to prepare for our trip later this year.

Full of beautiful pictures of the many and sprawling temples that make up Angkor.

Edited by msj
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Finally, listening to an audio version of "Misbehaving" by Richard Thaler. Indigo link: http://tinyurl.com/jeu4ee4

Misbehaving.jpg

Just started it so only about 30 minutes or so into it.

The narrator is fine and Thaler's writing is fine although I fear it might be a retread of some of his previous material.

It's about behavioural finance - taking the theoretical world of economics and comparing it to reality to find improvements to theory and to the practice of economics (for example, through nudge policy).

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  • 3 months later...

Finished Thaler's "Misbehaving" book and quite enjoyed it. Think "Nudge" is better but they are different books looking at behavioural finance.

For something different I decided to try some fiction:

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It involves two stories that interconnect families in modern day Seattle/Orcas Island and families from the same area in the 1880/90's.

It's a story about the "ethnic cleansing" (a somewhat too loose term) of the Chinese during that time in Washington Territory.

Very entertaining historical fiction.

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Spent the weekend driving to Port Hardy and back home so we could visit the mother in law for her birthday.

So, almost managed to finish this audible book:

511kUXZ9GkL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Quite interesting history about pigs and their roles throughout history and relationship to empires, the conquering of North/South America, the pre-Ford packing production line methods, and their overall tastiness.

Nice readable little book.

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If people are looking for book recommendations, I would suggest these as some of the best fiction that I've read.Light in August by William Faulkner Light-In-August.jpgSiddhartha by Herman Hessesiddhartha-hermann-hesse-book-cover-art.Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind Yeah, there was a movie. The book is an entirely different experience. Perfume_book_cover.jpgSea of Fertility by Yukio MishimaOk. Technically it's a tetralogy, but I had to include it. The books are Spring Snow, Runaway Horses, The Temple of Dawn, and The Decay of the Angel.I'll spare you all 4 book covers. smile.pngOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquezone_hundred_years_of_solitude.jpgLife of Pi by Yann MartelThere's a movie adaptation of this book currently being made by Ang Lee. It should be in theatres soon. Also, Yann Martel is a Canadian author.200px-Life_of_Pi_cover.pngKindred by Octavia E. ButlerWhile this is technically a sci-fi book, she doesn't get into techy sci-fi language and description. Time travel is used as a plot device, but there is no elaboration on the mechanisms of time travel or scientific jargon about it. This is sci-fi done right.e2689ddf.jpgWhite Noise by Don DelilloBe forewarned, this is a postmodern novel. If you don't like postmodernism, you'll hate it.WHITE-NOISE.jpgDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Yes. The film Blade Runner was loosely based on the novel. I emphasize loosely because they are quite different. Surprisingly, they are both amazing in their own right. Comparing them to each other is like comparing apples and oranges though. 51figp%2BFE8L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-stI'll leave it at that for now. I'm a big fan of literary and non-fiction graphic novels, so I may make a post later about some of my favourites in that genre too.

Love Faukner, Hease, and Marquez. Read Life of Pi and enjoyed his writing, but haven't read anything g further.

Trivia...The website Snopes got its name from Faukner char hers of the same name.

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Always have 3 or 4 books on the go.

Currently, White Jazz, James Ellroy.

Jailbird, Vonnegut(for about the fifth time)

Chasing Che: A Motorcycle Journey in Search of the Guevera Legend, Patrick Symmes

On the Wealth of Nations:Books That Changes the World, P.J. O'Rourke. P.J. reads Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations so you don't have to.

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I have had this book in my playlist for quite some time:

9781400179503.jpg

It's the second book in the Kushiel's Legacy series: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushiel%27s_Legacy

Fantasy type stuff.

The first book, Kushiel's Dart, was very good but this second one has been very hard to get into as the first quarter is a rehash of the first book.

But since it is an audible book I'm listening to, and the narrator is Anne Flosnik, I keep coming back to it and have finally persevered through that recap crap.

She is one of the finest readers I have ever heard even though with the content of this book I find myself ensuring that the car windows are rolled up as I don't need anyone overhearing the very explicit s&m sex scenes.

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  • 1 month later...

Ok, still working on those books above....:rolleyes:

Have finished the audible version of this:

3962---packaging_flat.1420805122.jpg

 

It's a nice general overview of exploration around the world and into outer space. 

As usual, very enjoyable and has led to the addition of another dozen books or so to my wish list. 

 

 

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Reading this as an E book.  

Forty-one years in India From Subaltern To Commander-In-Chief by [Roberts, Frederick Sleigh]

 

 

First published in 1897 it gives an interesting view of the period by someone who had a big influence on it. Particularly the Second Afghan War which made his name a household word at the time and inspired Kipling's poem, Bobs.

Not always PC in todays terms, it gives an insight into colonial attitudes of the time.

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35 minutes ago, Wilber said:

Reading this as an E book.  

Forty-one years in India From Subaltern To Commander-In-Chief by [Roberts, Frederick Sleigh]

 

 

First published in 1897 it gives an interesting view of the period by someone who had a big influence on it. Particularly the Second Afghan War which made his name a household word at the time and inspired Kipling's poem, Bobs.

Not always PC in todays terms, it gives an insight into colonial attitudes of the time.

According to Wiki, one of only two people who were not members of the Royal Family to lie in state at the Palace of Westminster.  The other being Winston Churchill.

I might look that book up. It sounds like something I would enjoy.

 

Edit>  Well, Whad'Ya Know, it's on Project Gutenberg.

Edited by bcsapper
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sapper.

When I was in London, I often used to walk down the Mall or St. James Park and across Horse Guards Parade through the arch into Whitehall. On the right side of the arch is an equestrian statue of Roberts and on the left, one of Garnet Wolseley the other of Victoria's best generals. It's interesting to put a story to these things.

 

If you are interested in the Victorian army, look up Byron Farwell, an American historian who has written some of the most readable books on the subject. Also. probably the best history of WWI in Africa and a very good book on the Gurkhas. I found my first one, Queen Victoria's Little Wars, at a bookstore in San Francisco around 25 years ago and ended up reading every one I could find.

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51 minutes ago, Wilber said:

If you are interested in the Victorian army, look up Byron Farwell, an American historian who has written some of the most readable books on the subject.

Thanks for the recommendation.  I'll definitely keep an eye out for him.

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