What's the last book of _______ you've read?

MadArchitect

And by "read", I mean finished.

... science:
... history:
... social science:
... philosophy:
... fiction (don't count "the Road"):
... current events:
... poetry:
... humor:

MadArchitect

My answers:

... science:
To be honest, it's been a while since I've read one all the way through. I'm not counting books like "Biology as Ideology" or "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", which are about the practice and philosophy of science. Probably something about evolution. The last one I distinctly remember reading was Desmond Morris' "The Naked Ape", but I'm probably forgetting something.

... history:
"The World of the Shining Prince", by Ivan Morris, about the court culture of 10th century Japan.

... social science:
"A Rumor of Angels", by Peter Berger.

... philosophy:
Hmm. I think it was "Philosophy and Social Hope", by Richard Rorty.

... fiction (don't count "the Road"):
Heh. "From Russia With Love", by Ian Fleming. Probably the best James Bond novel I've read yet, with the possible exception of "Casino Royale".

... current events:
Depending on how you categorize the first, either "Terror and Liberalism", by Paul Berman, or "War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning", by Chris Hedge.

... poetry:
I don't read much poetry (who does?), but on an impulse I bought the "Selected Poems" of Patrick Kavanagh about a year ago, and have enjoyed them.

... humor:
Now why the hell did I ask that? I'm reading a P.G. Wodehouse novel now, but that doesn't count, because I haven't finished it yet. Robertson Davies' "The Merry Heart" made me laugh a lot, but I don't know if it counts as a book of humor. Beyond that, the only thing I can think of is "Candide", and that's been a while. I suppose this is a genre I should revisit.

Mr. Pessimistic

I will have to look at my notes...for the past year plus I have written down every book I read (and finish). I thought it would be good as a reference. I am sure many people remember reading something and just cannot remeber the source, well this was my way around that.

Mr. P.

I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - Asana Boditharta (former booktalk troll)

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

What is all this shit about Angels? Have you heard this? 3 out of 4 people believe in Angels. Are you F****** STUPID? Has everybody lost their mind? - George Carlin

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

JulianTheApostate

... science:
The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design by Lenny Susskind

... history:
Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution by Simon Schama

... social science:
I've read two books lately that may count in this category.
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do by Judith Rich Harris

... philosophy:
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris

... fiction (don't count "the Road"):
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

... current events:
The Republican War on Science by Chris Mooney

... poetry:
I haven't ever read a book of poetry.

... humor:
America by Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show

Edited by: JulianTheApostate at: 4/5/07 1:31 am

irishrosem

Mr. P.: I will have to look at my notes...

I had to do the same thing to hit each category. It's a good thing I have a recently read pile. (Although the last book in some categories were no longer on my recently read pile. Guess I have to change things up a bit.)

Science: *cough* ummmm...you mean science science...*chirp* *chirp* ::220

History: America on Trial Alan M. Dershowitz. Short description of major trials that shaped American history, more so than they shaped American jurisprudence.

Social Science: I just read Susan Sontag's Regarding the Pain of Others, but that was a reread. The most recent new read would be Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women.

Philosophy: I don't read much philosophy. And now between my lack of science and philosophy reading, you're wandering what the heck I'm doing on this forum. The last book I would categorize as philosophy is Carol Christ's Diving Deep and Surfacing: Women Writers on Spiritual Quest. I enjoyed the book, but more for it's literary scholarship than the philosophy per se.

Fiction: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie

Current Events: The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman. Most of my current events reading is in article format (magazine, journals, newspapers) and briefs/opinions in important cases. Often by the time it makes it to book, to my book shelf, and I've read it, it's no longer current.

Poetry: I've never read much poetry. Probably the last, possibly only, book of poetry I read through was by Sylvia Plath. It was borrowed (forced upon me actually) from a friend and I don't recall the title.

Humor: Lamb, Christopher Moore

Mad, if you don't mind, I'm going to add a few of my personal favorite categories.

Drama: Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare

Biography: John Adams, David McCullough. At the end of quite a run of biography reading, I picked up McCullough's John Adams. I read most of it sitting in the shadows of Carpenter Hall in Olde City, Philadelphia, in early fall last year. I spend a lot of time reading on the grounds that housed the birth of the U.S., but reading John Adams in that setting was definitely the most poignant of those experiences.

Essays: Echoes Down the Corridor, Arthur Miller

Dissident Heart

... science: EO Wilson's The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth

... history: Rebecca Goldstein's Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity

... social science: Cornel West's Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism

... philosophy: John Caputo's The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event

... fiction (don't count "the Road"): Irvin Yalom's The Schopenhauer Cure: A Novel

... current events: Norman G. Finkelstein's Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History

... poetry: Earth Prayers From around the World: 365 Prayers, Poems, and Invocations for Honoring the Earth

... humor: Woody Allen's Without Feathers

Mr. Pessimistic

I am actually bad at categorizing where a book should be classified, especially "Social Science"...but here goes...

... science: The Third Chimpanzee
... history: Salt: A World History
... social science: Botany of Desire (This may be a stretch, I know).
... philosophy: Atheist Universe
... fiction (don't count "the Road"): Worthing Saga
... current events: Our Endangered Values
... poetry: None
... humor: The Bible ::03

Real Answer: The Truth (with Jokes)

Mr. P.

I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - Asana Boditharta (former booktalk troll)

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

What is all this shit about Angels? Have you heard this? 3 out of 4 people believe in Angels. Are you F****** STUPID? Has everybody lost their mind? - George Carlin

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

Edited by: misterpessimistic at: 4/6/07 8:43 am

riverc0il

*Walks back into the room*

Well now, ski season is over and I seem to have a little more time on my hands. Well met! Even though I have not posted recently and have devoted entire weekends for the past five months to skiing, I have been doing significant reading.

... science:
Can not say I have read any science reading a long time. Probably "In Search of Schrodinger's Cat" by John Gribbin which I read last year.

... history:
Just finished "The History of Modern Skiing" by John Fry and right before that "1776" by David McCullough. Also recently read were local Vermont history books "Dateline Vermont" by Graff and "Fast Lane on a Dirt Road" by Sherman

... social science:
Technically I have not finished the book, but currently reading "The Illusion of Conscious Will" by Wegner. Fascinating stuff and is one of a series of books I am reading in interest of the disconnect between will and action.

... philosophy:
"Shinto" by Kasulis and "Atheist Universe" by David Mills

... fiction (don't count "the Road"):
Re-read of "Hart's Hope" by Orson Scott Card

... current events:
"Running on Empty" by Peter Peterson

... poetry:
Poetry books do not interest me.

... humor:
Humor books do not interest me.

I will add...

...memoir
"Loosing the Garden" by Laura Waterman

riverc0il

MadArchitect wrote:

Quote:
... philosophy:
Hmm. I think it was "Philosophy and Social Hope", by Richard Rorty.

What did you think about this book? Rorty has been on my to read list for a while and this seemed like the most accessible of his works which is currently near the top of my Amazon wish list.

Edited by: riverc0il at: 4/30/07 10:25 pm

Mr. Pessimistic

rivecOil:

I was thinking about you today, honestly. I was wondering where you and St. Gas had gone to. Nice to see you back.

I have a copy of Rorty's "Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature". I have not read this and it came into my collection with a bag full of college books someone gave me. I have NO experience with his work at all though...for what it is worth.

Mr. P.

I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - Asana Boditharta (former booktalk troll)

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

What is all this shit about Angels? Have you heard this? 3 out of 4 people believe in Angels. Are you F****** STUPID? Has everybody lost their mind? - George Carlin

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

irishrosem

river: "1776" by David McCullough

What do you think of McCullough? 1776?

Mr. P.: I was wondering where you and St. Gas had gone to. Nice to see you back.

What, Mr.P., we're not good enough for you? ::75


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