Another suggestion, although I'm not terribly sure what category this would fall under. I'd say "cultural studies" is probably the best description of the book, at least from what I know of it.Heirs of General Practice, by John McPheeI have basically three reasons for recommending this book:1) I was reminded of the book -- which I own, but haven't yet read -- while reading the article "A Doctor For the Future" from the New York Times Magazine (there's a link to the article in this thread.)2) John McPhee is one of my favorite non-fiction writers, and I think you all owe it to yourselves to take a sample of his work. To briefly sing his praises, he is an expert at translating his own passion for a topic into language that makes that passion understandable -- and infectious -- to the reader. I would love the opportunity to engage McPhee in an author chat.3) My grandfather was a General Practicioner, and I grew up in an atmosphere that constantly reminded me of his importance to the community, so I have some personal investment in the subject. I would bet that there are one or two other people in the forum with similar personal ties.Review"A sensitive portrayal of the heart of family medicine

Quote:I wouldn't go so far as to say I'd never read Franken, but I think the whole genre of humor-infused political commentary -- including writers like Michael Moore and Maureen Dowd -- is unlikely to spark any sort of productive discussion. It's more likely to cause a series of pointless little partisan squabbles, which I'd rather not see in BookTalk.Well said.

I've been mining the book suggestion archives. I remember seeing many great suggestions in the past, but we seem to have lost a lot in the hack.Anyway, here are several suggestions from previous recommendations. You can read the full descriptions by reading the Book Suggestions Archives forum. Perhaps we could reconsider some of these prior recommendations that were not picked in the final voting.Inventing the People, by Edmund S. MorganCreating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, by Howard GardnerThe World is Flat-- a Brief History of the Twenty First Century, by Thomas FriedmanA Brief History of Everything, by Ken WilberFull House by Stephen Jay GouldLooking For Spinoza, by Antonio DamasioThese all have appeal to me, while really none of the current suggestions ring my chimes, no offense to Mad for his excellent suggestions.Marti in Mexico

I'm also reading Reinventing Capitalism by Howard Bloom. Well, the draft, anyway. And it's pretty interesting, and I think shoul provoke a lot of discussion.I believe the actual published book is now available?Marti in Mexico

I think it's a good idea to look at past book suggestions, as Marti suggested. However, Looking for Spinoza was a past poll winner. It was an interesting read. Marti, if you're interested in that book, I suggest going into the archives and reading the threads. I also own a copy of that book and would be happy to discuss it with you through our inboxes if you choose to read it.

A few general comments: I forgot to mention earlier that I would not be adverse to reading "Freakonomics", though it wouldn't be my first choice. I'm been trying to read more economics lately, but I'd prefer to read some more classical expositions before digging into something potentially controversial like "Freakonomics". It's certainly one I'll consider voting for if it makes the ballot, though.Also, I picked up a book on the Haitian revolution today, which should more or less sate my appetite for Haitian history. I'll still read along if the other book gets picked, but don't go including it on the nomination lists just for little ol' me.GOD defiles Reason: Since this is our first quarter to be more inclusive to theists than before, I'm not strongly disagreeing with that except to say that this is the suggestion thread going through the suggestion process and not yet in the selection and voting process.Good point, and I should qualify my earlier statements by saying that it's not my intention to suppress any suggestions. It's just my understanding that Chris wants us to discuss the pros and cons of each suggestion so that we're more informed going into the actual selection process. That's really the best way we, as non-moderators, have of voicing our input into the process of narrowing down the suggestions into the five nominations that make it on the final ballot.It's up to each of us individually to keep our discussions productive rather than pointless little squabbles. We can do that no matter who the author is, if we choose to do so.That's a good point as well. My concern is simply that we pick a book that encourages that.marti1900: Inventing the People, by Edmund S. MorganGlad that you brought this one back up. I was reading the first few chapters when I made the suggestion, and while I said that I would probably be finished with the book before by the time the Q4 reading selection was decided, I got distracted by a dozen other books and haven't made much progress since then. Which is simply to say that, I'd still be reading along with everyone else if this book ended up getting picked for the Q1 reading.Full House by Stephen Jay GouldNo! I've had more than my fill of the Olsen twins, thank you kindly.(Kidding.)

Imperial Grunts : The American Military on the Ground by Robert D. Kaplanwww.amazon.com/gp/product...s&v=glanceI have read the first couple chapters and am hoping to share this with you guys so I am holding off. Kaplan is known as someone higher ups read (particularly since Colin Powell gave one of his books to Bill Clinton in the early 90s). I know some have read at least one of his books, among them "Mediterranean Winter: The Pleasures of History and Landscape in Tunisia, Sicily, Dalmatia, and Greece" (2004); "Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos" (2002); "Eastward to Tartary: Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus" (2000); "The Coming Anarchy: Shattering the Dreams of the Post Cold War" (2000); "An Empire Wilderness: Travels Into America's Future" (1998); "The Ends of the Earth: A Journey at the Dawn of the 21st Century" (1996); "The Arabists: The Romance of an American Elite" (1993); "Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History" (1993); "Soldiers of God: With the Mujahidin in Afghanistan" (1990); and "Surrender or Starve: The Wars Behind the Famine" (1988). Just read this excerpt or watch his booktv indepth interview and decide for yourselves.www.booktv.org/indepth/in...chedID=339Excerpt.

I would read Marti's suggestion of Full House by Gould. I would also read/re-read any of Gould's books.

Isn't Gould dead? "...the great events in life come from the books, rather than the people, one comes across." - Robert D. Kaplan, Mediterranean Winter: the Pleasures of History and Landscape in Tunisia, Sicily, Dalmatia, and Greece

Yes.