reading
This is a list of books I've read over the years (or since I started keeping records). Also, take a look at some of my favorites.
Most recent read books of...
2008
- Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov
- Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
- On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins
- Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
- The Search by John Battelle
- The Garden of Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
- The Stuff of Thought by Steven Pinker
- Rama Revealed by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
The forth and final book of Arthur C. Clarke's Rama series. Gentry Lee once again teams up with Clarke, and this time they write the conclusion to the amazing story of the mysterious alien spaceship known as Rama. Picking up were The Garden of Rama left off, the sociopolitical problems of the human colony of New Eden and its inter-species battle continues as it hurtles through space inside Rama to it's final destination: the Node.- The Promise of Sleep by William C. Dement
- The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michaell Pollan
- So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
- Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
- Ghost From The Grand Banks by Arthur C. Clarke
- Stardust by Neil Gaimen
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
American Gods
Neil Gaiman
American Gods is the second book I've read by Neil Gaiman (the first was Stardust which I highly recommend). It's hard to narrow this book down to one genre; it's a mix of fantasy, Americana, with a mix of mythology. The story revolves around ex-convict Shadow who becomes mixed up in a war between Gods. These Gods are ideas or beings that have been worshiped over the course of man's history. The Gods range from ancient mythology carried over from the old world to modern Gods like Media, Internet, and Interstates. Through the book you'll follow Shadow's journey, and you'll come to discover why America is a harsh land for Gods. A must read for anyone that enjoys a challenging, thought provoking book.
A Clockwork Orange
Anthony Burgess
Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange has been on my list of movies to watch for sometime, but I usually prefer to read books before I see their film version. On a recent visit with my buddy Mitch we got to talking about films, one of them being A Clockwork Orange. Turned out he had the book. The one thing that I will tell you about this book that is different from any other book you've ever read is the prose. The narrator of the book is a youth that, as you will discover, has slang language of his own. It takes the first few chapters to discover the meaning of the words in the boy's, shall we say different, vocabulary.
Stardust
Neil Gaimen
I first heard of Stardust when I saw the movie of the same name. First few minutes of the movie seemed cheesy, but I soon grew to love the characters and their story of struggles. In the credits I noticed that it was based on a book by Neil Gaimen. Within two days I had ordered the book from Amazon, and a few days after that finished the book. As usual the book version was many times better. It's one of those books that really connects you with the characters; when the characters feel joy, you feel joy, when they feel sorrow, you feel sorrow. Suffice to say that all of Neil Gaimen's books are on my to-read list.
Ghost From The Grand Banks
Arhtur C. Clarke
While Arthur C. Clarke is usually known as a master of science fiction, Ghost From The Grand Banks gives us a glimpse of a world that is almost as unknown to us as space: the ocean. It also just happens that Clarke is an avid diver and underwater explorer. Even though the setting isn't in space or far in the future, the story is full of Clarke's usual technological genius. The book revolves around two expeditions, and their plans to raise the Titanic on its 100 year anniversary. The race to reclaim what has been lost becomes an obsession, and for some, a fatal one.