A few people have highly recommended this book. Is it really life changing?Herekittykitty wrote:"the life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo. It is a quick read and worth it. I checked it out from the library.
Victoria
A few people have highly recommended this book. Is it really life changing?Herekittykitty wrote:"the life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo. It is a quick read and worth it. I checked it out from the library.
I'm only a little way through the book (Chapter 2VictoriaF wrote:Is it really life changing?
Haven't read it but apropos just signed up on Amazon for "The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F#ck. How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do" by Sarah Knight, due out end of this month. Will report back as to whether life changing.VictoriaF wrote:A few people have highly recommended this book. Is it really life changing?Herekittykitty wrote:"the life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo. It is a quick read and worth it. I checked it out from the library.
Victoria
I have a couple of editions of the book and read it every few years -- or watch the movie (I have the DVD). It is amazing how the suspense can build even though you knew the ending before you ever read the book (1971) or saw the movie (1973). "Gripping" is the right word either way. I forget which came first for me, book or movie but it was back in the '71 - '73 time-frame. I was a voracious reader of those kinds of books back then.Allixi wrote:The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
Gripping story, to say the least
Finished Six Frgates, Epic History of founding of the US Navy Ian Toll.ruralavalon wrote:Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates, by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.
This is is a short history of the First Barbary War, 1801 - 05. While Lewis and Clark were exploring the Far Wast, the tiny U.S. Navy was battling pirates in the Mediterranean and North Africa, trying to oust the Bashaw of Tripoli, and freeing U.S sailors held as slaves.
I'm starting to get a little aggravated. Ordered The Conquering Tide from Amazon several months ago, arrived with two other books, remember opening box and removing books, other two I have now read. But can't find The Conquering Tide. Looked in all the likely places. Not first book misplaced, typically am reading several at any time and they do get misplaced, but almost always find them within month or so. And I don't consider myself a hoarder, though have lots of bookshelves and books. So what should I do? Order another one? Wait patiently for it to appear? Or get The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up?itstoomuch wrote:Started, The Conquering Tide: Pacific War 1942-1944, vol2,
I have this one on order at the library.gkaplan wrote:I just finished The Crossing by Michael Connelly.
Detective Harry Bosch has retired from the LAPD, but his half-brother, defense attorney Mickey Haller, needs his help. The murder rap against his client seems ironclad, but Mickey is sure it's a setup. Though it goes against all his instincts, Bosch takes the case. With the secret help of his former LAPD partner Lucia Soto, he turns the investigation to inside the police department.
This just one more in a long line of great Michael Connelly crime novels.
What did you think of this? It is on my list.ruralavalon wrote:SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard. A history from myth, to kings, to republic and empire.
Some twenty or thirty years ago, I idly checked out the first volume of the four-volume Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell. (This is not any for-the-record academic complete collection, it's edited by Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus. It was so long ago that I might have been steered to it by a recommendation in the Whole Earth Catalog. Quite to my surprise, I read it straight through from start to finish, borrowed the next volume, read it straight through, then the third, then the fourth. Then a few years later I bought the set in paperback, and have since read through it two or three times more. So you might think about it as a possibility if you want more.Dantes wrote:Essays by George Orwell. The Everyman's Library Edition, a very well made book, good paper, good typography. Its long, many of the essays are on topics that were important in the thirties and forties of the last century, and have been more or less forgotten, but never the less it was a pleasure to read, and sustained my interest over a period of a few months. Essays make great bedside reading.
I could not agree more. A truly unique occurrence in human history.NYBri wrote: Every American should know the story of drafting and ratification of the Constitution, that made America what it is today, after 27 amendments.
I found it interesting. I know so little about ancient history that I can't say if it's accurate, or how well it compares to other books about the subject.jebmke wrote:What did you think of this? It is on my list.ruralavalon wrote:SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard. A history from myth, to kings, to republic and empire.
Relatedly - I saw Colbert interview the creator and star of the musical "Hamilton" on the Late Show Friday night. Intrigued, I listened to the cast recording on YouTube on Saturday - and repeatedly since. It is amazing.NYBri wrote:I just read The Return of George Washington, Uniting the States 1783-1789 by Edward J Larson - and discovered it is really the story of the ratification of the Constitution - and how Washington declined to be involved, because he was sure he would be drafted to be the 1st President.
Subsequently, I bought Washington & Hamilton, The Alliance that Forged America - by Stephan F Knott & Tony Williams - but before I could start it I came across The United States Constitution, A Graphical Adaptation - by Jonathan Hennessey.- a quick fun read.
Amazingly, that same day, I received unsolicited, from CATO, a pocket size The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
Every American should know the story of drafting and ratification of the Constitution, that made America what it is today, after 27 amendments.
BTW - Thomas Jefferson did not help write the Constitution, he was in Paris, France at the time.
The Chernow bio is wonderful; you're in for a great read.black jack wrote:...
That I got from the musical. Now I've started Ron Chernow's biography of Hamilton, the inspiration for the musical.
This book and the earlier "The Suspect" featuring Maggie is a remarkable insight into the mindset and physical capabilities of dogs. Of course, I don't know if any of it is true, but the narrative from the dog's perspective is the best part of the book.MP173 wrote:Robert Crais has a new one "The Promise" which combines Elvis Cole, Joe Pike, and Officer James Scott and his trusty partner Maggie (K9). Pretty good book.
Ed
Yes, please report back! In the mean time, I'll try the tidying up magic.jdb wrote:Haven't read it but apropos just signed up on Amazon for "The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F#ck. How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do" by Sarah Knight, due out end of this month. Will report back as to whether life changing.VictoriaF wrote:A few people have highly recommended this book. Is it really life changing?Herekittykitty wrote:"the life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo. It is a quick read and worth it. I checked it out from the library.
Victoria
Just started this myself.nisiprius wrote:Just finished Mr. Standfast, by John Buchan, best known as author of The Thirty-Nine Steps. Pretty good, quite readable. But I'm getting too old for this kind of melodrama.
Victoria, how did the presentation go? Were they asked what was really new in the book? I've read only a Kindle sample while awaiting the library book, but it seemed they were anticipating readers would wonder this. Want to share your question to Akerlof and his answer with us?VictoriaF wrote:Akerlof, G.A. and Shiller, R.J."Phishing for Phools".
On 17 December 2015, I attended Akerlof's and Shiller's presentation of the book at the Smithsonian. That was my fist time in the presence of two Nobel prize laureates at the same time. I came in early and sat in the front row. Akerlof and I have exchanged some smiles before he started and later he took my question.
Victoria
Hi Fallible,Fallible wrote:Victoria, how did the presentation go? Were they asked what was really new in the book? I've read only a Kindle sample while awaiting the library book, but it seemed they were anticipating readers would wonder this. Want to share your question to Akerlof and his answer with us?VictoriaF wrote:Akerlof, G.A. and Shiller, R.J."Phishing for Phools".
On 17 December 2015, I attended Akerlof's and Shiller's presentation of the book at the Smithsonian. That was my fist time in the presence of two Nobel prize laureates at the same time. I came in early and sat in the front row. Akerlof and I have exchanged some smiles before he started and later he took my question.
Victoria
Fallible
Buchan is significantly earlier than the others. It's a bit like complaining a crime writer isn't any good compared to Hammett and Chandler, if he wrote *before* Hammett and Chandler. Those two moved the genre so far forward. Or similarly writing about science fiction before Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein in that period 1940-1960 and comparing it adversely to them-- the period that saw stories like "Nightfall", "The Roads Must Roll", "Blowups Happen", "The Man Who Sold the Moon" and novels like Foundation, Childhood's End and the Heinlein "juveniles".bertilak wrote:Just started this myself.nisiprius wrote:Just finished Mr. Standfast, by John Buchan, best known as author of The Thirty-Nine Steps. Pretty good, quite readable. But I'm getting too old for this kind of melodrama.
There is something about the Hannay books. Objectively they are quite bad. Hanney is the most self-satisfied, condescending, braggart and name dropper there is. The plots are -- well, whatever the word is for plots where there is an evil, super capable, villain about to destroy all that is good with the world. The ease with which Hannay deals with everything is unbelievable. Sure, he takes his lumps, but he is tough whereas you, the poor reader, could never be strong and clever enough -- you'd curl up and wet your pants. That is if you really swallowed the plot.
But somehow you keep reading! Works for Ian Flemming and James bond, too. (Flemming is hands down better at it.)
Oddly enough, Buchan's short stories are completely different, and of the few I have read so far, completely different from each other, too. I guess the Hannay books are like comfort food. You are already familiar with the protagonist and the kinds of things he gets into. You know you aren't going to get hurt or emotionally challenged. This is like all the series books including Agatha Christie (Poirot and Miss Marple), her contemporaries and on up through the modern crime and mystery writers, my favorite being the late Donald E. Westlake who has several unique series, primarily Parker and Dortmunder -- each in a class of its own. The formula works.
So I continue to read Buchan's Hannay, having exhausted all of Christie, Flemming, Westlake, and a some others.
Right, I didn't mean it to sound quite so much like criticism, just noting my opinion! Right, Bond is direct descendant of Hannay.Valuethinker wrote:Buchan is significantly earlier than the others. It's a bit like complaining a crime writer isn't any good compared to Hammett and Chandler, if he wrote *before* Hammett and Chandler.