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What non-fiction book should we read next? (probably in Oct. & Nov.)

Collaborate in choosing our next NON-FICTION book for group discussion within this forum. A minimum of 5 posts is necessary to participate here!
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Chris OConnor

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What non-fiction book should we read next? (probably in Oct.

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What non-fiction book should we read next? (probably in Oct. & Nov.)

As you can see from our menu of book discussions we now have books chosen for several months in advance. This wasn't the original intention. When "The Extended Phenotype" was selected a group of us discussed the need to read "The Selfish Gene" first. These two books are meant to be read in sequence. By adding both books to the upcoming book schedule it really filled out the calendar for most of the rest of this year.

We can read more non-fiction books!

We don't have to stick with just the currently selected non-fiction books: "The Selfish Gene" and "The Extended Phenotype." We can read additional non-fiction books right along side these two books.

This thread is for gathering suggestions for additional non-fiction books

What would you like to read next? Not everyone is a science nut so the Richard Dawkins books might not excite you. Would you like to read a history book? How about a philosophy or current events book?

Please make suggestions here in this thread. And even more important than making suggestions is to leave feedback on the suggestions your fellow BookTalk.org members have made.

If you're a brand new member (less than 10 posts) or an author just here to tell us about your books please do NOT do so in this thread. Your suggestions will be deleted. This thread is for members that will actually participate in the book discussions and not for advertisements. Authors and publishers are welcome to plug their books, but please create a new thread.

So what non-fiction book would you like to read next?
Last edited by Chris OConnor on Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Idolatry by Moshe Halbertal, Avishai Margalit and Naomi Goldblum (Translator) http://www.amazon.com/Idolatry-Moshe-Ha ... 0674443136

If philosophy, linguistics, history of religion, in-depth and critical scriptural analysis, the politics of ideology and psychology of group identity interest you...then Idolatry is a book you'll enjoy reading. This is an extraordinary intellectual examination of what turns out to be a crucial term in the development of Western Civilization: Idolatry. This term has been used to shape the belief, practice and identity of millions: keeping guard of the right way to think about and worship God...and patrolling the borders of heresy, blasphemy, falsehood and the worship of alien deities. The authors describe how the term has shaped communities and evolved over time, finding application across multiple religious traditions and even utilization by secular enlightenment critics of religion. Although their main emphasis is upon the use of Idolatry in the history of Judaism, they make great effort to show linkages across Christianity, Islam and other dominant ideologies in Western Civilization.

A top-notch piece of scholarship that brings a well-worn term into consistently new, fresh and illuminating contexts.


Reviews
An absorbing and ingenious book.
--Frank Cioffi (Times Literary Supplement )

A remarkably hard-nosed and often profound inquiry into the way Judaism in particular has constructed its concept of false or deviant worship...The authors' discussion consistently illumines familiar texts and ideas with fresh questions and insights drawn from a variety of contemporary philosophical traditions...[This book] will stimulate discussion.
--Martin Jaffe (Religious Studies Review )

If hatred were affected by logic, Idolatry would put an end to holy wars...Together Halbertal and Margalit have created a remarkable book, which tells us, more thoroughly and persuasively than anyone has done so far, why and in what ways religions hate one another...In view of the mass slaughter taking place in the name of religion, far to much of it glibly and falsely explained by arguments about 'fundamentalism,' this is a very important book.
--Wendy Doniger (New York Review of Books )

This is a very important book, supplying substantially to a crucial but unrecognized void in scholarship. It is a rare book, joining philosophic analysis with a mastery of rabbinic texts.
--Jerome Eckstein (International Studies in Philosophy )

This is a book of a very high quality, which contributes substantially to our understanding of a crucial topic in Western religion, filling thereby a gap in modern scholarship... The conceptual approach is fostered by detailed textual analyses, excellent in themselves, which contribute not only to the understanding of the topic of idolatry, but also to a better understanding of these texts in themselves, especially those related to the thought of Maimonides... An outstanding contribution to the analysis of religion in general, original and audacious.
--Moshe Idel (Hebrew University )

The discussion throughout is of a very high order... The outstanding contribution of the book is that it both defines and helps to solve the difficulties surrounding the notion of idolatry on one hand, while using this discussion to shed light on the multiple developments of the notion throughout our history on the other. Philosophical analysis is being used here to good effect to illuminate an important thread of our religious and cultural tradition... One great value of the book is thus that it brings philosophical analysis to bear on the issues of idolatry. Another important contribution is that it draws on a deep knowledge of the Talmudic literature and discussions. This makes for a double bonus. Christian theologians have tended to ignore the Talmud, and so have those Jewish writers conversant with modern philosophy.
--Charles Taylor (McGill University )

A wonderful book, brilliant and important... It has a kind of straightforward wisdom, a solid, common sense approach that is both charming and entirely persuasive. It is a book about pluralism and intolerance, about the logic and illogic of the arguments that religions make against one another. This is a fascinating and critical topic in these dark days of religious warfare.
--Wendy Doniger (The Divinity School, University of Chicago )
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ILuvBookz13 Praises Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits:
ILuvBookz13 wrote:Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits is an amazing story. Bo Parfet had one of the worst lives you could ask for, he was dyslexic, physically inadequet, and unhappy with life. But Bo possesed a power that can alter the lives of anyone and everyone; courage, motivation and optimism. Bo's rough life brought him to understand the little things in life that make the big difference, and he learned to overcome obstacles, even when things got really tough, which they usually did. He motivated himself to achieve what nobody thought, believed or even suggested him achieving. He managed to maintain a 2.7 GPA in college and even worked on Wall Street successfully for a while, but he learned later on that his life was in mountain climbing. It can be viewed as ironic that he climbs all of his mental mountains, and now, he is climbing physical mountains? Bo's story is inspiring, touching and humoresque at times. This book inspires you to learn how to climb both physical and mental mountains, no matter how tough it gets." - ILuvBookz13

Other Praise for Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits:
Ruth Langs, Amazon.com Customer Review wrote:Out of all the climbing books out on the market today, Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits is on the cutting edge of the highest mountain of good books. This one I will re-read and read again. Bo's physical,personal and spiritual struggle bring to life my own inner dreams to conquer the summits of life!
- Ruth G. Langs, Amazon.com
Jason Vanburen, Amazon.com Customer Review wrote:Parfet's story is a deep and raw account of his painful struggle with dyslexia. Through toil and toughness he learned to deal with his learning disability which subsequently created a foundation fueling his motivation to tackle the seven highest continental peaks including Mt. Everest. Simultaneously he was working his way through college, obtaining multiple degrees and securing a coveted role with JP Morgan Chase on Wall Street where he consistently logged intense 100-hour work weeks. Unlike many of today's greed stricken investment professionals Parfet balanced his success by an innate commitment to civic leadership establishing numerous educational scholarships for young students here in the U.S. and internationally. The skills obtained along the journey empowered the 30 year old Parfet to leave the self interested dull drums of Wall Street to create and play principal roles in three thriving businesses including one venture focused on energy efficient (green) building development, a sector critically vital to today's energy independence and overall national security. The stories of his mistakes and learned humility are lessons everyone can relate to and easily embrace. The life and death experiences in Die Trying are tragically heartfelt, will guide and inspire the reader to inwardly reflect on one's own interpersonal life.
Midwestern Book Reviews, Amazon.com Customer Review wrote:When he left for Kilimanjaro in 2003 author Bo Parfet was an overweight Wall Street investment banker with little experience - not your usual candidate for mountain-climbing. None of his fellow climbers thought he'd make it to the top, but despite many ailments he reached the top of the mountain - and decided to climb all seven summits. His story is an inspiration to any who are not neo-professional athletes.



Back Cover Testimonials
Omar Samra, the First Egyptian to summit Mt. Everest wrote:There are two kinds of expedition: ones with Bo and ones without...You want to be on the former! While his climbing ability and mental toughness are exemplary, his charisma and boundless energy will lift you in freezing conditions, amid high winds and very little oxygen. Those who'll never go an expedition with Bo should read this box...it is really the next, best thing!
Dr. Ken Kamler, author of Doctor on Everest and Surviving the Extremes wrote:Though i've climbed only one of the Seven Summits, Bo Parfet's vivid account of his adventures on every continent makes me feel like i've climbed them all.

A great book i'm reading, actually won it in Contest #7. I wrote a little praise on it, then looked up some others for you to read. I encourage anyone that enjoys adventure to read this. A lot of you will perceive this as a boring biography, but please, take a moment or two, to read the praises or get the book at your local library and read the first few pages and see if you like it. I've found that it starts slow, because he has to introduce himself and his life in 23 pages, but after that it is pure gold! You'll enjoy it, trust me :)
Last edited by Iluvbookz13 on Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Iluvbookz13, have you read that book? I think it's a great suggestion, but I was hoping to hear your thoughts on it.
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I think the suggestion given for the book "Die Trying" sounds interesting. I personally am out of shape, pushing 40 and very interested in hiking and climbing. I would love to hike the Appalachian trail one day...and maybe I will. It would be great to read about someone who faced their weaknesses and won. I vote for it!
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I agree about Die Trying.
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The Monstrosity of Christ: Paradox or Dialectic?

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Review
"The contemporary return to the theological most dramatically occurs in this book, as Zizek fully realizes his earlier Hegelian and Lacanian theological work, a work that Milbank can essentially know as a uniquely modern expression of nihilism. Nonetheless Milbank enters into a genuine theological dialogue with this nihilism, and a truly new theological discourse occurs. This effects a paradoxical union between orthodoxy and heterodoxy, and between radical orthodoxy and radical heterodoxy, which is perhaps the deepest motif of the contemporary return to the theological."
—Thomas J. J. Altizer, author of Godhead and the Nothing

"In this dazzling dialogue, Zizek and Milbank change words and cross swords, until the point where both recognize that Christ and Hegel, in their monstrosity, look very much alike. A phenomenal achievement!"
—Catherine Malabou, Maître de Conferences, Philosophy Department, Université Paris-X Nanterre

Product Description
What matters is not so much that Žižek is endorsing a demythologized, disenchanted Christianity without transcendence, as that he is offering in the end (despite what he sometimes claims) a heterodox version of Christian belief.
—John Milbank

To put it even more bluntly, my claim is that it is Milbank who is effectively guilty of heterodoxy, ultimately of a regression to paganism: in my atheism, I am more Christian than Milbank.
—Slavoj ÂŽižek

In this corner, philosopher Slavoj Žižek, who represents the critical-materialist stance against religion's illusions; in the other corner, "radical orthodox" theologian John Milbank, an influential and provocative thinker who argues that theology is the only foundation upon which knowledge, politics, and ethics can stand. In The Monstrosity of Christ, Žižek and Milbank go head to head for three rounds, employing an impressive arsenal of moves to advance their positions and press their respective advantages. By the closing bell, they have proven themselves worthy adversaries--and have also shown that faith and reason are not simply and intractably opposed.

ÂŽižek has long been interested in the emancipatory potential offered by Christian theology. And Milbank, seeing global capitalism as the new century's greatest ethical challenge, has pushed his own ontology in more political and materialist directions. Their debate in The Monstrosity of Christ concerns nothing less than the future of religion, secularity, and political hope in light of a monsterful event—God becoming human. For the first time since ÂŽižek's turn toward theology, we have a true debate between an atheist and a theologian about the very meaning of theology, Christ, the Church, the Holy Ghost, universality, and the foundations of logic. The result goes far beyond the popularized atheist/theist point/counterpoint of recent books by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and others.

Žižek begins, and Milbank answers, countering dialectics with "paradox." The debate centers on the nature of and relation between paradox and parallax, between analogy and dialectics, between transcendent glory and liberation.

Short Circuits series, edited by Slavoj Žižek

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The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff

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Product Description
The authors who brought you the bestseller in game theory, Thinking Strategically, now provide the long-awaited sequel. Game theory means rigorous strategic thinking. It's the art of anticipating your opponent's next moves, knowing full well that your rival is trying to do the same thing to you. Though parts of game theory involve simple common sense, much is counterintuitive, and it can only be mastered by developing a new way of seeing the world. Using a diverse array of rich case studies—from pop culture, TV, movies, sports, politics, and history—the authors show how nearly every business and personal interaction has a game-theory component to it. Are the winners of reality-TV contests instinctive game theorists? Do big-time investors see things that most people miss? What do great poker players know that you don't? Mastering game theory will make you more successful in business and life, and this lively book is the key to that mastery. .

About the Author
Avinash K. Dixit is John J.F. Sherrerd University Professor of Economics at Princeton University, where he offers his popular freshman course in game theory. He is among the world’s leading economists, having made fundamental contributions in several major fields, including Game Theory. He is world famous. He is the author of many books, including Thinking Strategically (Norton, 1991), Investment Under Uncertainty (Princeton UP, 1994), and The Art of Strategy (Norton, 2009).

Barry J. Nalebuff is the Milton Steinbach Professor at the Yale School of Management. Nalebuff applies game theory to business strategy and is the co-founder of one of America's fastest-growing companies, Honest Tea.

Review By J. Kim "A Political Methodologist"
Of course. It is an updated version of their best selling book [Thinking Strategically]. I have taught an introduction to Game Theory course to college undergraduates for years and used their earlier version "Thinking strategically" as a textbook. Nalebuff and Dixit's effort on updating their classic became less than good news to college students. They put too much materials about their ABC documentary which was taken under Dr. Nalebuff's guidance while trying to put too much materials in otherwise a simple-clear book. I strongly recommend you to go to the bookstore and buy their earlier version "thinking strategically" rather than this 'confusing/messy" version.
Review By Matthew L. Sadler
If you like "game theory" -- or want to know what game theory is -- this could be the best book out there. Certainly there are more scholarly pieces on game theory, but this book is an A+ for its accessible writing, its use of examples that are interesting and a clear approach to point out how game theory comes into play every day for every person, whether we realize it or not. This book helps you understand the decision process in cooperative and competitive situations. It is better to know the "game" and how it is being played, than having the game played on you unwittingly. Highly recommended.
Review By Totes Magotes
Nalebuff is a genius that not only studies and teaches strategy, but applied it himself to build an international beverage company (Honest Tea) recently acquired by Coca-Cola. Any chance to learn from him is well worth it, including this outstanding book with myriad applications to anyone's work and day-to-day life.
-Colin

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Well, I would have to stick with my choice.

I think that if we were to read a mountaineering book it should be one of Reinhold Messner'sas he was obviously the greatest mountaineer/author the world has ever know.
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Grim wrote: I think that if we were to read a mountaineering book it should be one of Reinhold Messner'sas he was obviously the greatest mountaineer/author the world has ever know.
Hmm maybe I should look into him if he writes good mountaineering books :) although the reason I picked Die Trying was not mountaineering, but because it was one of the most interesting Non Fiction books i've read. In fact, it's one of about 10 nonfiction books i've read :hmm:
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