What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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denismurf
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by denismurf »

Homo Deus, "A Brief History of Tomorrow," by Yuval Noah Harari.

I'm only on page 300 of almost 400, but already understand that Harari is speculating about what will replace the religion of humanism to provide guidance and inspiration to humans to convince them that they matter.

Among many quotable quotes is this one directed to people who still look to monotheistic religions for reasons to keep on living: "God is dead, but it's just taking a while to get rid of the body."

Harari is not ideologically against religion, but he believes religion as currently structured has nothing to offer humans in the future.

Pretty discouraging stuff, but I'm hoping to be encouraged by the next 100 pages.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by jebmke »

denismurf wrote: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:19 pm but already understand that Harari is speculating
I stopped reading his first book about 2/3 of the way through. It was filled with a lot of speculation.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Van »

TIGER WOODS. I enjoyed it, but I'm a 76 year old golf bum.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Finridge »

jebmke wrote: Sat Aug 25, 2018 5:13 pm
denismurf wrote: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:19 pm but already understand that Harari is speculating
I stopped reading his first book about 2/3 of the way through. It was filled with a lot of speculation.
I'm only about 15% into this book and not impressed so far. Like you say, it has a lot of speculation. It's not bad--just not up to the expectations that I had formed for it after reading his first book, Sapiens. Sapiens is very worth reading. I give it my highest recommendation.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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Dave55
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 »

I just read Dave Robicheaux 10th and 11th in the series; "Sunset Limited" and "Purple Can Road" by James Lee Burke. Now on the 12th book in the series, "Jolie Blon's Bounce". I confess, I am enjoying this series very much and I am also addicted to it.

Dave
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by MP173 »

dave55 -

James Lee Burke is outstanding and the Robicheaux series is one of my favorites. Just received a notice from Goodreads that his latest is being released next month.

I just finished "The Redeemers" by Ace Atkins...a new author for me. Set in Mississippi, Atkins has a series on Quinn Colson, a sheriff in rural Mississippi.

Similar to Robicheaux, but Atkins does not have the wordsmanship of Burke...but frankly how many authors do? Still, this was a very good crime book and has hooked me. Glad to add a new author to my roster.

Ed
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ResearchMed »

hdas wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:24 pm The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237 ... n_the_Seas
We read this not too long ago, as we are hoping to take a Panama Canal cruise full transit at some point.
And we'll re-read it whenever that trip approaches.

it was an AMAZING endeavor, and it's hard to imagine how they did it, with the equipment available back then.
(Of course, there are those pyramids, too...)

I had not realized quite what was involved.

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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 »

MP173 wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:14 pm dave55 -

James Lee Burke is outstanding and the Robicheaux series is one of my favorites. Just received a notice from Goodreads that his latest is being released next month.

I just finished "The Redeemers" by Ace Atkins...a new author for me. Set in Mississippi, Atkins has a series on Quinn Colson, a sheriff in rural Mississippi.

Similar to Robicheaux, but Atkins does not have the wordsmanship of Burke...but frankly how many authors do? Still, this was a very good crime book and has hooked me. Glad to add a new author to my roster.

Ed
Hi Ed, I also enjoyed the Ace Atkins Quinn Colson series. I just finished reading that series early August. Ace Atkins also took over the Spenser series when Robert B. Parker died and he does a stand up job carrying on the Spenser legacy. I also agree with you that James Lee Burke is top tier, one of the best and does magic with words.

Dave
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by SagaciousTraveler »

SagaciousTraveler wrote: Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:26 am
Fallible wrote: Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:01 am Yes, I definitely enjoyed the book and recommend it. I meant the last sentence to be positive, but I see now how it's confusing. I was glad it ended only because I had another book that had finally come in from the library and I was eager to read it but couldn't put this one down.
Ah, thank you for clarifying. I very much understand the good ole 'readers anxiety' when you know you have a good book waiting in the wings.
Finished Bad Blood a few weeks ago. Fantastic!
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by SagaciousTraveler »

Finished 'Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man' by Robert Kurson.

I was born in the 80s but it was an eye opener because just like most people I had no idea about the details of Apollo 8 or even the Astronauts associated with it.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ResearchMed »

Dave55 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 6:49 am
MP173 wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:14 pm dave55 -

James Lee Burke is outstanding and the Robicheaux series is one of my favorites. Just received a notice from Goodreads that his latest is being released next month.

I just finished "The Redeemers" by Ace Atkins...a new author for me. Set in Mississippi, Atkins has a series on Quinn Colson, a sheriff in rural Mississippi.

Similar to Robicheaux, but Atkins does not have the wordsmanship of Burke...but frankly how many authors do? Still, this was a very good crime book and has hooked me. Glad to add a new author to my roster.

Ed
Hi Ed, I also enjoyed the Ace Atkins Quinn Colson series. I just finished reading that series early August. Ace Atkins also took over the Spenser series when Robert B. Parker died and he does a stand up job carrying on the Spenser legacy.

Dave
Thanks. I didn't know that the Spenser series continued. How many "newer" books have been written by the new author, Ace Atkins (never heard of him before)?

I'll have to give them a try.

It's always fun to read something set in a location where one has spent some time at one point or another.

Also fun is reading something set in locations one is going to go to for the first time. I sort of (emphasis on SORT of) learned my way around Venice, reading the Donna Leon mystery series. The physical books had maps on the inside of the cover, with specific locales noted. Surprisingly, having studied those as I read *did* indeed make a difference in terms of my being able to orient myself when we were there. My previous visit had been decades earlier, and I had little memory of the physical layout.

RM
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Dave55 »

ResearchMed wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 7:16 am
Dave55 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 6:49 am
MP173 wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:14 pm dave55 -

James Lee Burke is outstanding and the Robicheaux series is one of my favorites. Just received a notice from Goodreads that his latest is being released next month.

I just finished "The Redeemers" by Ace Atkins...a new author for me. Set in Mississippi, Atkins has a series on Quinn Colson, a sheriff in rural Mississippi.

Similar to Robicheaux, but Atkins does not have the wordsmanship of Burke...but frankly how many authors do? Still, this was a very good crime book and has hooked me. Glad to add a new author to my roster.

Ed
Hi Ed, I also enjoyed the Ace Atkins Quinn Colson series. I just finished reading that series early August. Ace Atkins also took over the Spenser series when Robert B. Parker died and he does a stand up job carrying on the Spenser legacy.

Dave
Thanks. I didn't know that the Spenser series continued. How many "newer" books have been written by the new author, Ace Atkins (never heard of him before)?

I'll have to give them a try.

It's always fun to read something set in a location where one has spent some time at one point or another.

Also fun is reading something set in locations one is going to go to for the first time. I sort of (emphasis on SORT of) learned my way around Venice, reading the Donna Leon mystery series. The physical books had maps on the inside of the cover, with specific locales noted. Surprisingly, having studied those as I read *did* indeed make a difference in terms of my being able to orient myself when we were there. My previous visit had been decades earlier, and I had little memory of the physical layout.

RM
Ace Atkins wrote 7 new Spenser books since Parkers death in 2010.

Dave
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon »

hdas wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:24 pm The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237 ... n_the_Seas
I read this book many years ago, it is very good.

The canal was an amazing achievement, I think I will want to read this book again.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

Currently reading Larry Swedroe's book, The Only Guide to a Winning Bond Strategy You'll Ever Need: The Way Smart Money Preserves Wealth Today.

I have four bond holdings at the moment, US Savings Bonds Series I and EE, Vanguard Total Bond, Vanguard Short-term Treasury Index, Vanguard Intermediate-term Treasury Index. Need to get to two only. One will definitely be my savings bonds.

I attempted to read Annett Thau's book, The Bond Book, previously, but I just didn't click with her book. No reflection on her book, as she is well respected.

I have read most of Larry's books, and I much prefer his style of writing. So far so good with his bond book.

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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Artful Dodger »

Cornell '77: The Music, the Myth, and the Magnificence of the Grateful Dead's Concert at Barton Hall by Peter Conners

I just received this as a birthday present from a good friend who's a fellow Dead head. I have the recent reissue of the show, and perused the book while listening. Super surprised and grateful.

It's a remembrance of their May 8, 1977 concert at Cornell University. While every fan has their favorite show, Cornell is widely viewed as one of the band's best. It took place during a magical tour in Spring of 1977. A combination of incredible creativity, tight playing, and very good recording quality.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Angst »

Fallible wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:45 pm
Angst wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:30 pm
Fallible wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:08 pm After watching the excellent Steven Spielberg film, The Post, some months ago, I got curious about how close it played to the real events. So I re-read Katharine Graham's book, Personal History, and then the Pentagon Papers section in the book, Ben Bradlee: A Good Life, and thought it was close enough. I also for the first time realized what an extraordinary man Graham's father was (on Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, first president of the World Bank, newspaper publisher, etc.). So I'm now reading his 1974 biography, Eugene Meyer, by Merlo J. Pusey, and enjoying it so far.
I read Katherine Graham's book a long time ago (I've always referred to it as her memoir - correct me if I'm wrong, but it's the one in which Warren Buffett figures fairly prominently, correct? All about her inheriting responsibility for the Washington Post when her husband passed away...) and thought it was wonderful. I always believed it would make a great bio-pic.
Warren arrives later in the book, but once he does, yes, he figures prominently. I won’t say more if you’re going to re-read the book. I also read the book some years ago, but got much more out of it this time around, such as her father’s influence on her, especially when he bought the newspaper and realized she was the only one of his children destined for the news business. She also had worked on newspapers before she married.

Btw, the movie, The Post, centers mainly on her handling of the Pentagon Papers, which was before Warren came along. Wonderful acting by all, especially Meryl Streep as Katharine and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee.
I just finished the bio on Eugene Meyer. It was wonderful. He was a fascinating individual and such a good person whose range of achievements throughout his life affecting industry, finance, government and publishing unfolded like an epic movie. A fine piece to the puzzle of the history of the 20th century. Thank you for the suggestion.

Btw, "The Post" movie was just ok for me. I watched it a few days ago, but as much as it of course told a small but important piece of the story of the Pentagon Papers, it all came across like a superficial blip in comparison to a bio of such a life as Eugene Meyer's.

Edit: I just added re-reading Personal History to my list. Like you, I expect I too am going to get quite a bit more out of it 2nd time around. Thanks again. :happy
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by ruralavalon »

The Secret of Chimneys, by Agatha Christie.

The mystery is a tangle of blackmail, assassination, romance, a diplomat's memoir, oil, international intrigue, concealed identities, and a long-ago jewel theft.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by jdb »

Now starting to read The Iliad with translation by Robert Fagles. Last time I read it several years ago it was the translation by Samuel Butler from around 1895. Now I love Butler’s great novel The Way of All Flesh but thought would be nice to read a translation at least from the 20th century. This should occupy my free time for at least a month, no rush.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Fallible »

Angst wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 1:52 pm
Fallible wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:45 pm
Angst wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:30 pm
Fallible wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:08 pm After watching the excellent Steven Spielberg film, The Post, some months ago, I got curious about how close it played to the real events. So I re-read Katharine Graham's book, Personal History, and then the Pentagon Papers section in the book, Ben Bradlee: A Good Life, and thought it was close enough. I also for the first time realized what an extraordinary man Graham's father was (on Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, first president of the World Bank, newspaper publisher, etc.). So I'm now reading his 1974 biography, Eugene Meyer, by Merlo J. Pusey, and enjoying it so far.
I read Katherine Graham's book a long time ago (I've always referred to it as her memoir - correct me if I'm wrong, but it's the one in which Warren Buffett figures fairly prominently, correct? All about her inheriting responsibility for the Washington Post when her husband passed away...) and thought it was wonderful. I always believed it would make a great bio-pic.
Warren arrives later in the book, but once he does, yes, he figures prominently. I won’t say more if you’re going to re-read the book. I also read the book some years ago, but got much more out of it this time around, such as her father’s influence on her, especially when he bought the newspaper and realized she was the only one of his children destined for the news business. She also had worked on newspapers before she married.

Btw, the movie, The Post, centers mainly on her handling of the Pentagon Papers, which was before Warren came along. Wonderful acting by all, especially Meryl Streep as Katharine and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee.
I just finished the bio on Eugene Meyer. It was wonderful. He was a fascinating individual and such a good person whose range of achievements throughout his life affecting industry, finance, government and publishing unfolded like an epic movie. A fine piece to the puzzle of the history of the 20th century. Thank you for the suggestion.

Btw, "The Post" movie was just ok for me. I watched it a few days ago, but as much as it of course told a small but important piece of the story of the Pentagon Papers, it all came across like a superficial blip in comparison to a bio of such a life as Eugene Meyer's.

Edit: I just added re-reading Personal History to my list. Like you, I expect I too am going to get quite a bit more out of it 2nd time around. Thanks again. :happy
Glad you enjoyed the Meyer book, which I thought nicely brought out the areas of his life most responsible for developing his eclectic talents and interests and sound judgements, including judging character. Most significant, he not only made a fortune on Wall Street, he hung onto it!

On your second read of "Personal History," I think you will be more aware of Meyer's influence as I was.

Edit: to add that I thought the movie could've gone a bit more into Katharine's relationship with her father, in particular her educational choices and work on newspapers before she met Phil Graham.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Symphonyman »

Just finished “Black Edge” by Sheela Kolhatkar, which is the story of insider trading at the hedge fund run by Steven Cohen, SAC Capital, and the efforts at prosecution by the SEC, the FBI, and the New York District Attorney’s office. Gripping tale expertly told, in my opinion. I think I’ll stick with Vanguard Index Funds after reading this one!
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by nisiprius »

Got 3/4ths through 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant, 2006, fascinating and unlike other books I've read about that time and place, when my eBook loan expired; I' m waiting for the book to become available again and then I'll finish it.

While I'm waiting, I'm reading Camino Island, by John Grisham. Entertaining.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by FreeAtLast »

nisiprius wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:14 pm Got 3/4ths through 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant, 2006, fascinating and unlike other books I've read about that time and place, when my eBook loan expired; I' m waiting for the book to become available again and then I'll finish it.

While I'm waiting, I'm reading Camino Island, by John Grisham. Entertaining.
I am going to take the opportunity to piggyback onto nisiprius's post and quickly recommend two other books about Los Alamos that I consider to be essential reading:

First, "The Manhattan Project", edited by Cynthia C. Kelly of the Atomic Heritage Foundation (Tess Press, 2007). And then, of course, the sine qua non of all MP histories = "The Making Of The Atomic Bomb", by Richard Rhodes (Simon & Schuster, 1986).
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Valuethinker »

https://www.amazon.com/Human-Planet-How ... thropocene

The Human Planet: how we created the Anthropocene by Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin.

Good overview of human history on this planet. And the quest for the definable geologic event which will allow us to say we left (have left) the Holocene and entered the Anthropocene.

Insight into the politics of the geology community and how a new era gets named. For example the Quarternary is almost certainly incorrect as scientific nomenclature. But an influential group of geologists seized control of the process and gave it scientific recognition.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Valuethinker »

Symphonyman wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:11 pm Just finished “Black Edge” by Sheela Kolhatkar, which is the story of insider trading at the hedge fund run by Steven Cohen, SAC Capital, and the efforts at prosecution by the SEC, the FBI, and the New York District Attorney’s office. Gripping tale expertly told, in my opinion. I think I’ll stick with Vanguard Index Funds after reading this one!
I understand that the tv series "Billions" with Paul Giametti was based on these real world events. There was also a good narrative in the case in the New Yorker.

Contrast to the Galleon case, where the hedge fund manager of a billion dollar plus hedge fund was brought to justice. Taking down with him the former CEO (Senior Partner) of McKinsey worldwide, among others. The common link seemed to be that the conspirators were all classmates together at the Wharton Business School in the late 1970s (that would have been just after Michael Milliken of junk bond fame graduated from there - I think he was class of about 1976).
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Valuethinker »

Fallible wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:03 pm

Edit: to add that I thought the movie could've gone a bit more into Katharine's relationship with her father, in particular her educational choices and work on newspapers before she met Phil Graham.
The movie is a narrative of a very specific event: the death of her husband etc. are referred to as past events. It was not a biopic, it was about a great event and the relationships of the people in that event. Put Merryl Streep on screen and a movie will be about her, though (I keep thinking of Amy Adams in Arrival which will surely be one of the defining science fiction movies of our time "because you called me").

There was a group of North American Jewish women at mid century: Betty Friedan (sp?), Jane Jacobs the architecture critic and famous urbanist who laid low Robert Moses, Katherine Graham, Martha Gellhorn the war journalist - they walked among us as giants. Every day we cross the invisible trails of their work (you might add Golda Meir, perhaps).

The movie caught the relationships between Graham and Robert MacNamara (see Alec Baldwin play him in the John Frankenheimer HBO miniseries Path To War), and between Graham and Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). And the grand old days of Lazards, the investment bank - as a business which advised its clients as to their best interests -- a long-gone approach to investment banking.

Spielberg cannot resist the old time movie cliche. Sometimes (the shower scene in Schindler's List) it just felt manipulative or cliched (the night before the final battle in Saving Private Ryan); the kids climbing the fence in Brooklyn in Bridge of Spies. The South Asian lawyer at the hearing who speaks to Katherine Graham also felt ahistorical and anachronistic (so ahistorical that it might have been an actual occurrence).

But sometimes -- the presses held mid production whilst they wait for the lawyer's call from the hearing - it's pure Hollywood, and has DRAMA written in first year scriptwriting school meta-language -- but it works*. You forgive Spielberg for the rest when those moments run*.

The presses rolled.

(*although Spotlight did it better, with the phone ringing in the Boston Globe reception on the Sunday morning).
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Fallible »

Valuethinker wrote: Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:41 am
Fallible wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:03 pm
Edit: to add that I thought the movie could've gone a bit more into Katharine's relationship with her father, in particular her educational choices and work on newspapers before she met Phil Graham.
The movie is a narrative of a very specific event: the death of her husband etc. are referred to as past events. It was not a biopic, it was about a great event and the relationships of the people in that event. Put Merryl Streep on screen and a movie will be about her, though (I keep thinking of Amy Adams in Arrival which will surely be one of the defining science fiction movies of our time "because you called me").
...
The movie caught the relationships between Graham and Robert MacNamara (see Alec Baldwin play him in the John Frankenheimer HBO miniseries Path To War), and between Graham and Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). And the grand old days of Lazards, the investment bank - as a business which advised its clients as to their best interests -- a long-gone approach to investment banking. ...
I saw the movie as equal narratives of the Pentagon Papers (government secrecy, accountability, press freedom, business side vs. news side) and also gender equality, i.e., Katharine Graham becoming publisher in her own right, having struggled with insecurities dating back to childhood (per her book, Personal History) and inheriting control of the paper after the death of her husband, who inherited control after the death of her father, since, according to her book, “in those days, the only possible heir would have been male.”

I thought that adding something of Graham and her father, Eugene Meyer, could bring out some of his background with the “Post” and her background showing journalistic skills in high school and college, and experience on newspapers. Because of the "Post," father and daughter had finally become close, sharing a love for the paper and communicating often about it. And yet, in the film, Graham’s character says that when her husband died, “I was 45 and never had a job in my life.” The remark is made in a scene (with her daughter) that I felt was misleading and perhaps unnecessary, while a flashback scene to the earlier days could dispel the notion (similarly described by one of the film’s characters) that she totally lacked experience or ability for the job.

Anyway, those were my thoughts.

Btw, Eugene Meyer’s father worked at Lazards, then got his son a job there. It’s an interesting chapter in the book, Eugene Meyer.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Angst »

Thank you VT and Fallible both for your observations.
I believe the scope of Katherine Graham's book is huge compared to what "The Post" intended to cover, no fault of the movie, just fact. Graham's book is the movie I'd really love to see. For that matter, Eugene Meyer's life would even outdo Graham's in terms of breadth. But perhaps books like these don't lend themselves well to cinema. Whatever, thank goodness for great books.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by 6miths »

'Pharmageddon' by Dr David Healy. It's interesting to read about people that you have worked closely with. Sobering and thought provoking.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by InvestingGeek »

Saturday visit to the library with the kids means lots of fun browsing and new book goodies for me too :happy.

Just returned Naked Money by Charles Wheelan, a fun romp through the history and working of fiat currency. Very nice conversational style. Unlikely to teach you anything new if you already know how things work but a fun read regardless.

Today's haul:
  • Naked Statistics by Charles Wheelan. I liked his money book so decided to try this one out too.
  • The Four Pillars of Investing, Bernstein - Often recommended here and considered a classic. Looking forward to it.
  • Other People's Money, a book about finance. Skimmed through it and it looks interesting.
  • Markets Never Forget, Fisher. Looked like a fun read.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Valuethinker »

6miths wrote: Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:38 am 'Pharmageddon' by Dr David Healy. It's interesting to read about people that you have worked closely with. Sobering and thought provoking.
Was this the pharmaceutical magnate and his wife who were murdered in Toronto last year?

Sorry I didn't have time to look up the write-up of the book but I gathered from the Toronto Life profile and newspaper reports that he was a controversial character who might have left a lot of enemies. Conversely it's not the sort of crime that Toronto usually sees - would have put a chill down the spine of every Canadian hundred million or billionaire family.

I did go to school with the children of one billionaire. He was chauffeur driven to school. His father could be found in the local Loblaws shopping for groceries (that will tell you who I mean ;-)). I don't know what their security arrangements were.

When Prince Andrew attended Lakefield College School (Peterborough) there was an RCMP officer in the classroom with him at all times (this was of course the days of IRA activity e.g. Mountbatten was assassinated with a 16 year old royal cousin on board, also killed) -- that was handled quite sensitively I gather.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Valuethinker »

Fallible wrote: Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:12 pm
Valuethinker wrote: Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:41 am
Fallible wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:03 pm
Edit: to add that I thought the movie could've gone a bit more into Katharine's relationship with her father, in particular her educational choices and work on newspapers before she met Phil Graham.
The movie is a narrative of a very specific event: the death of her husband etc. are referred to as past events. It was not a biopic, it was about a great event and the relationships of the people in that event. Put Merryl Streep on screen and a movie will be about her, though (I keep thinking of Amy Adams in Arrival which will surely be one of the defining science fiction movies of our time "because you called me").
...
The movie caught the relationships between Graham and Robert MacNamara (see Alec Baldwin play him in the John Frankenheimer HBO miniseries Path To War), and between Graham and Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). And the grand old days of Lazards, the investment bank - as a business which advised its clients as to their best interests -- a long-gone approach to investment banking. ...
I saw the movie as equal narratives of the Pentagon Papers (government secrecy, accountability, press freedom, business side vs. news side) and also gender equality, i.e., Katharine Graham becoming publisher in her own right, having struggled with insecurities dating back to childhood (per her book, Personal History) and inheriting control of the paper after the death of her husband, who inherited control after the death of her father, since, according to her book, “in those days, the only possible heir would have been male.”

I thought that adding something of Graham and her father, Eugene Meyer, could bring out some of his background with the “Post” and her background showing journalistic skills in high school and college, and experience on newspapers. Because of the "Post," father and daughter had finally become close, sharing a love for the paper and communicating often about it. And yet, in the film, Graham’s character says that when her husband died, “I was 45 and never had a job in my life.” The remark is made in a scene (with her daughter) that I felt was misleading and perhaps unnecessary, while a flashback scene to the earlier days could dispel the notion (similarly described by one of the film’s characters) that she totally lacked experience or ability for the job.

Anyway, those were my thoughts.

Btw, Eugene Meyer’s father worked at Lazards, then got his son a job there. It’s an interesting chapter in the book, Eugene Meyer.
Sounds like there was an oversimplification of her past. Not unusual for Spielberg, and not unusual for Hollywood screen writers ;-).

To the extent that there were actual errors in the portrayal of her past, that was a mistake. I am not sure, though, a flashback would have served the purpose of the film.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Fallible »

Valuethinker wrote: Sun Sep 02, 2018 10:16 am
Fallible wrote: Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:12 pm
Valuethinker wrote: Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:41 am
Fallible wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:03 pm
Edit: to add that I thought the movie could've gone a bit more into Katharine's relationship with her father, in particular her educational choices and work on newspapers before she met Phil Graham.
The movie is a narrative of a very specific event: the death of her husband etc. are referred to as past events. It was not a biopic, it was about a great event and the relationships of the people in that event. Put Merryl Streep on screen and a movie will be about her, though (I keep thinking of Amy Adams in Arrival which will surely be one of the defining science fiction movies of our time "because you called me").
...
The movie caught the relationships between Graham and Robert MacNamara (see Alec Baldwin play him in the John Frankenheimer HBO miniseries Path To War), and between Graham and Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). And the grand old days of Lazards, the investment bank - as a business which advised its clients as to their best interests -- a long-gone approach to investment banking. ...
I saw the movie as equal narratives of the Pentagon Papers (government secrecy, accountability, press freedom, business side vs. news side) and also gender equality, i.e., Katharine Graham becoming publisher in her own right, having struggled with insecurities dating back to childhood (per her book, Personal History) and inheriting control of the paper after the death of her husband, who inherited control after the death of her father, since, according to her book, “in those days, the only possible heir would have been male.”

I thought that adding something of Graham and her father, Eugene Meyer, could bring out some of his background with the “Post” and her background showing journalistic skills in high school and college, and experience on newspapers. Because of the "Post," father and daughter had finally become close, sharing a love for the paper and communicating often about it. And yet, in the film, Graham’s character says that when her husband died, “I was 45 and never had a job in my life.” The remark is made in a scene (with her daughter) that I felt was misleading and perhaps unnecessary, while a flashback scene to the earlier days could dispel the notion (similarly described by one of the film’s characters) that she totally lacked experience or ability for the job.

Anyway, those were my thoughts.

Btw, Eugene Meyer’s father worked at Lazards, then got his son a job there. It’s an interesting chapter in the book, Eugene Meyer.
Sounds like there was an oversimplification of her past. Not unusual for Spielberg, and not unusual for Hollywood screen writers ;-).

To the extent that there were actual errors in the portrayal of her past, that was a mistake. I am not sure, though, a flashback would have served the purpose of the film.
Yes, it could be just an oversimplification that would not be unusual for Hollywood, even Spielberg. And I think this would be more likely with Graham’s book, which was meticulously researched and detailed (a reason, in addition to the fine writing, that it won a Pulitzer).

The film scene I mentioned with Kay and daughter Lally is mainly to further show the reasons it was hard for Graham to decide on publishing the Papers. But the book shows that this would go back to her father, a major figure in her life and with whom she shared a love of the “Post” and also work on it before her marriage. My thought is that these powerful emotions could bring out the same point even better - and more accurately, without making Graham’s character appear less capable of running a newspaper. You’re right about a flashback, but it could be a similar scene adding the father and getting it right.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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The Lady from Zagreb by Philip Kerr. Bernie Gunther series. I think there are two more left.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by d0gerz »

Just started Call for the Dead by John Le Carré. This is his first novel. Intend to go down the list. This year I've almost exclusively read Michael Connelly novels. Still have a few to go but thought I'd switch it up a bit.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, by Dan Egan.

This is a very interesting history of human induced changes in the lakes such as the invasions by sea lampreys, alewives, zebra mussels, quagga mussels, the introduction of salmon, the threat of Asian carp, and toxic algae.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by XtremeSki2001 »

I listen to books via Audible. Listening to The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg during my morning runs. On my drive to/from work I’m listening to The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child by Alan E. Kazdin.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by 6miths »

ruralavalon wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 11:09 am The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, by Dan Egan.

This is a very interesting history of human induced changes in the lakes such as the invasions by sea lampreys, alewives, zebra mussels, quagga mussels, the introduction of salmon, the threat of Asian carp, and toxic algae.
Thanks I should look at this one.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by 6miths »

Valuethinker wrote: Sun Sep 02, 2018 10:15 am
6miths wrote: Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:38 am 'Pharmageddon' by Dr David Healy. It's interesting to read about people that you have worked closely with. Sobering and thought provoking.
Was this the pharmaceutical magnate and his wife who were murdered in Toronto last year?

Sorry I didn't have time to look up the write-up of the book but I gathered from the Toronto Life profile and newspaper reports that he was a controversial character who might have left a lot of enemies. Conversely it's not the sort of crime that Toronto usually sees - would have put a chill down the spine of every Canadian hundred million or billionaire family.

I did go to school with the children of one billionaire. He was chauffeur driven to school. His father could be found in the local Loblaws shopping for groceries (that will tell you who I mean ;-)). I don't know what their security arrangements were.

When Prince Andrew attended Lakefield College School (Peterborough) there was an RCMP officer in the classroom with him at all times (this was of course the days of IRA activity e.g. Mountbatten was assassinated with a 16 year old royal cousin on board, also killed) -- that was handled quite sensitively I gather.
No that was Barry and Honey Sherman who were murdered. He was the founder of generic drug company Apotex. David Healy is a psychiatrist and Cardiff University professor who also wrote 'Let Them Eat Prozac'. He details some of the ways that Big Pharma has altered the rules surrounding the way drugs are developed, approved and marketed. Interesting and elucidating.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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“Nudge” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. - from the cover “improving decisions about health, wealth and happiness”
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by nisiprius »

I finished Camino Island by John Grisham. It was awful. I don't recommend it.

I'm 3/4th through 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos, by Jennet Conant, and it's great. Nonfiction.

I'm reading The Alienist by the Brazilian author, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (in English translation). (Not to be confused with a modern US novel of the same name by Caleb Carr.)

I'm trying to read The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, but I think I've bogged down.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bertilak »

nisiprius wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 8:30 pm I'm trying to read The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, but I think I've bogged down.
I just started Count of Monte Cristo (also by Dumas). I'm only at page 16 of 479. So far our hero has been arrested on trumped up charges by someone who will obviously benefit from that. My thoughts so far: If our hero had a good lawyer he might have saved us from 463 pages of impending frustration I'm not sure I want to subject myself to! I'm debating whether or not to continue based on the book's reputation as a classic. I'm glad it was a cheap "buy now" on eBay and the seller accepted my low-ball offer!
Last edited by bertilak on Tue Sep 04, 2018 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Blues »

bertilak wrote: Tue Sep 04, 2018 12:08 pm
nisiprius wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 8:30 pm I'm trying to read The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, but I think I've bogged down.
I just started Count of Monte Cristo (also by Dumas). I'm only at page 16 of 479. So far our hero has been arrested on trumped up charges by someone who will obviously benefit from that. My thoughts so far: If our hero had a good lawyer he might have saved us from over 460 pages of impending frustration I'm not sure I want to subject myself to! i'm debating on whether or not to continue based on the book's reputation as a classic. I'm glad it was a cheap "buy now" on eBay and the seller accepted my low-ball offer!
It's a great book and I urge you to continue.

If you are not moved by some of the upcoming scenes in the Château d'If I'll be beyond surprised.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by bertilak »

Blues wrote: Tue Sep 04, 2018 12:12 pm
bertilak wrote: Tue Sep 04, 2018 12:08 pm
nisiprius wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 8:30 pm I'm trying to read The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, but I think I've bogged down.
I just started Count of Monte Cristo (also by Dumas). I'm only at page 16 of 479. So far our hero has been arrested on trumped up charges by someone who will obviously benefit from that. My thoughts so far: If our hero had a good lawyer he might have saved us from over 460 pages of impending frustration I'm not sure I want to subject myself to! i'm debating on whether or not to continue based on the book's reputation as a classic. I'm glad it was a cheap "buy now" on eBay and the seller accepted my low-ball offer!
It's a great book and I urge you to continue.

If you are not moved by some of the upcoming scenes in the Château d'If I'll be beyond surprised.
OK, the argument is swinging in favor of continuing!
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

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You'll be glad you did.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Gnirk »

I just started The Lost Order by Steve Berry. I think I'm going to enjoy this read.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by abuss368 »

The Bogleheads Guide to the Three Fund Portfolio.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by jdb »

Started to reread The Iliad. Forgot how violent it is, even though epic poem. Remembered last one I read was translation by Samuel Butler. Remembered how great his novel was. Ended up re reading The Way Of All Flesh, one of my all time favorites. And only reason I got book was cause found a leather bound old Easton Press edition with illustrations and good sized font in my favorite Chicago used book store last year. Highly recommend especially if find leather bound edition in used book store. Still am looking at The Iliad.
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Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Post by Hayden »

I just started reading Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker.

Edited: I've gotten further in the book and I think it's excellent. Highly recommend it.
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