Book suggestions for travelling...

[dirtylover]

Hello all, just to let you all know that I'm going travelling (well, driving through Spain) in a couple of weeks, and so won't be around these parts so much.

Since I'll have lots of free time, I was hoping some of you might be able to recommend some good reading material. I'm looking for mind-expanding stuff, and the more esoteric, the better...

 

[MathGirl]

Dear DL,
I've always found the "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics" to be excellent.
MG
Ps. Especially the natural log tables

 

[minsue]

You are the queen of esoterica, MG. I've missed you.

Wish I could offer some suggestions, DL, but I only read trash.

 

[dirtylover]

Dear DL,
I've always found the "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics" to be excellent.
MG
Ps. Especially the natural log tables

Thanks MG, but I've read a lot of that sort of stuff when I'm at work...

ps
I was reading about aromatic compounds just yesterday in fact. Or was it aliphatic?

pps
anything a little less esoteric, anybody?

 

[MathGirl]

I was reading about aromatic compounds just yesterday in fact. Or was it aliphatic?

Dear DL,
It's easy to tell the difference. One type of compound is ... well ... aromatic.
Chemically,
MG
Ps. I may be the only person ever to take organic chemistry as an elective.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Hello all, just to let you all know that I'm going travelling (well, driving through Spain) in a couple of weeks, and so won't be around these parts so much.

Since I'll have lots of free time, I was hoping some of you might be able to recommend some good reading material. I'm looking for mind-expanding stuff, and the more esoteric, the better...

Sun Tzu's Art of War Not only esoteric, but philosophic and instructive.

The Meditations of Marcus Arelius: Can't get a lot more esoteric than the musings of one of histories most prominent stoics.

Erwin Rommel's the Infantry in attack: Tactical implications of and strategies for small units.

Evidence that demands a verdict by John McDonald: A very through examination of christianity, and tealealogical proofs of the bible & existance of god.

The Trial of the Nazis by Eugene Mcdonald: A through examination of the Nuremberg trials.

The Theory & Practice of Hell by Eugen Kogon: A look at the concentration camps, complied from captured german records. Esoteric in the extreme it dosen't seek to expose the horrors on a personal level but to explain the running of and bussiness of the camps. Not reccomended for night time reading, it's very distrubing.

Watership Down by Richard Adams: Not esoteric. But my favorite book

-Colly

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: Book suggestions for travelling...

Evidence that demands a verdict by John McDonald: A very through examination of christianity, and tealealogical proofs of the bible & existance of god.

Dear Col,
How did Travis McGee ever get involved in a story about that stuff?
MG

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

... I'm going travelling ... hoping some of you might be able to recommend some good reading material...

Certainly not! Not if you intend to do the driving! That could be more dangerous potentially than using a cell-phone.

However, “Another Roadside Attraction,” by Tom Robbins would be an appropriate book to have found clenched in your cold dead hand.

Somehow, filling the role of a perished gun-lover seems so tacky.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: Re: Re: Book suggestions for travelling...

Dear Col,
How did Travis McGee ever get involved in a story about that stuff?
MG

I think he was working on the boat and that dry rot on the left panel finally got to him Mg. He'll be fine, just needs aother job, a little luck to avoide being shot/stabbed/clubbed and a sexy lady should snap him out of it.

On the other hand, what do you think of Assignmant: Bethlehem?

-Colly

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Book suggestions for travelling...

On the other hand, what do you think of Assignmant: Bethlehem?

Dear Co,
Couldn't be Travis McGee. The title doesn't include a color.
Flushed,
MG

 

[Weird Harold]

Since I'll have lots of free time, I was hoping some of you might be able to recommend some good reading material. I'm looking for mind-expanding stuff, and the more esoteric, the better...

I don't think you'll have as much time or inclinationfor reading as you think you will, so anthlogies and collected essays are your best bet.

Check and see if you can still find any of Isaac Asimov's essay collections -- Of Time,Space, and Other Things and Quasar, Quasar, Burning Bright are two of the best although The Subatomic Monster might be a bit more 'mind-expanding.'

Note these are NOT Science Fiction, they are "popularized science" -- simplified explanations of complex theories and such.

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: Book suggestions for travelling...

Note these are NOT Science Fiction, they are "popularized science" -- simplified explanations of complex theories and such.

Dear Mr Harold,
I agree. Some of Azimov's essays on physics could be used in science classes for non-science types. Even I could understand some of it, and they are very well written.
Pedantically,
MG
Ps. Time to get out my Barbie golf clubs and go ruin some perfectly good bermuda grass.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Book suggestions for travelling...

Dear Co,
Couldn't be Travis McGee. The title doesn't include a color.
Flushed,
MG

Many of travis's later adventures are dentoed by assignment. Assignment: Ceylon being the first I ever read of travis the beach bum

-Colly

 

[oggbashan]

How about Cervantes' Don Quixote?

Georgette Heyer's 'Spanish Bride' gives a good account of the Peninsular War.

So does C S Forester's 'The Gun' filmed as 'The Pride and the Passion'.

Robert Graves' Sergeant Lamb is another Peninsular War novel.

More modern:

'South from Granada'

El Cordobes autobiography

and the epitome of travellers: Marco Polo

Og

 

[cantdog]

Ditto on the Asimov stuff. He did history, too. There's a very fine timeline-based book, Issac Asimov's History ofg the World or some such very obvious title.

Have you ever read The Maltese Falcon, the book itself? It's uncanny how verbatim the movie dialogue was. It's a trip to read it. You hear Peter Lorre and Bogart speaking the lines.

cantdog

edited to add: I looked it up, it's Asimov's Chronology of the World.

c

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

I don't think you'll have as much time or inclination for reading as you think you will...

Mr. Harold is right. You probably won't have much time for reading.

That Asimov suggestion is a good one.

Have you read "The Dirty Little Limerick Book" by Dr. A.

You could read an entire entry at every traffic light.

 

[Guest]

When I worked for a geochemist at Caltech we had a monthly calendar of scientists' birthdays. The month with Isaac Asimov's name, the fellow who first dated the age of our planet crossed out his name saying, "He is not a scientist." He was a very dour man.

Perdita

dl, try a recent bio. of Patricia Highsmith called Beautiful Shadow, by Andrew Wilson. In case you don't know, PH wrote the Ripley books, which I also recommend.

 

[dirtylover]

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody!

re The Art of War - that would never have ocurred to me, but sounds very interesting.

“Another Roadside Attraction,” by Tom Robbins - Well, I don't plan to read and drive at the same time , so wassis book about?..?

Asimov stuff - oo yes! I've only read his SF stuff - -I really liked 'I computer' - I must look up the other ones you mentioned...

Don Quixote - perfect! I've been meaning to read that for years - I fancy myself as a bit of a quixotic

The Maltese Falcon - never heard of it, but I'll look it up

Patricia Highsmith- ditto (erk! Sorry P. )

Great - I knew it would be a good idea to aks you guys about recommended reads. Last time I went travelling, I read Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (which went over my head at the time), and the sequel, which I remember begins with an L, a girls name...damn it! Anybody? I really enjoyed it anyway.

I alse read Celestine Prophecy, which S'n'P was going on about; lots of other trashy books - seemed to ave slipped me mind at da mo

Oh yesh, i'm going for 3 months, and I've hardly any money, so I'm sure I'll be able to read some...

 

[ABSTRUSE]

The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff.

 

[dirtylover]

The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff.

Oh, that's a great book - me pops gave me that to read when I was a yongerster Can't remember for the life of me what it's about though - apart from you're supposed to pronounce Tao as Dow...

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: art of War

It should be required reading. Be sure you get a reliable translation. About 6 or 7 years ago corproate CEO's discovered old Sun and his book. They made it mandatory reading for middle management in a lot of bussiness. Translations started coming out which really emphasised some of his theories on how to deal with an enemy, with a heavy slant to applying his theories to bussiness. Those translations miss much of what he had to say.

-Colly

 

[dirtylover]

Re: Re: art of War

It should be required reading. Be sure you get a reliable translation. About 6 or 7 years ago corproate CEO's discovered old Sun and his book. They made it mandatory reading for middle management in a lot of bussiness. Translations started coming out which really emphasised some of his theories on how to deal with an enemy, with a heavy slant to applying his theories to bussiness. Those translations miss much of what he had to say.

-Colly

I think you've hit on the head exactly what I'm after - my dad's popping round for a veggie barbecue tomorrow - I think he may have a copy lying around somewhere. Does it philosophise about the nature/point of war too, cos that's what really interests me...tx Colly.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: Re: Re: art of War

I think you've hit on the head exactly what I'm after - my dad's popping round for a veggie barbecue tomorrow - I think he may have a copy lying around somewhere. Does it philosophise about the nature/point of war too, cos that's what really interests me...tx Colly.

It covers war from the expression of a ruler's intent to the tactical nuts & bolts. has a huge amount of what we would now call psycological warefare and mob psycology in it as well. Whatever else he was, Sun Tzu was very very far ahead of his time.

-Colly

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

... “Another Roadside Attraction,” by Tom Robbins - Well, I don't plan to read and drive at the same time , so wassis book about?....

Tom Robbins books are different.

Perhaps someone else can describe how he writes. I just find them vastly entertaining, but then, I am used to being the weirdest person in the room.

If you trust my judgement, I have read, and recommend:

Another Roadside Attraction
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Still Life With Woodpecker

I have recently purchased, but not yet read:

Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas

The next ones I plan to buy, or borrow, are:

Skinny Legs and All
Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates

Perhaps you are familiar with some of these titles already.

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: Re: Re: art of War

It covers war from the expression of a ruler's intent to the tactical nuts & bolts. has a huge amount of what we would now call psycological warefare and mob psycology in it as well. Whatever else he was, Sun Tzu was very very far ahead of his time.

-Colly

Is it wrong that I'm finding all of this incredibly sexy?

Yes? Hmm, I thought so.