Books 2nd Edition, Foreword by m0r1arty Options

[Stella MM]

Pies & Prujudice - Stuart Maconie
Northerner in exile Maconie goes in search of "The North".  An excellent, funny and educational travel book about the North of England, its people, history and rivalries.  Great stuff.

I'll have to hunt that out. I loved his Cider with Roadies.

I've started reading How to Make Love Like a Porn Star 'by' Jenna Jameson (actually Neil Strauss) though I'm not sure why. The contradiction inherent in the line "I had made it as a stripper" rather made me want to hurl the book across the room. And I'm irritated by the cod-psychology insights into the differences between men and women that have clearly been added in by Strauss - not Jameson, since anyone stupid enough to subscribe the patently bullshit "stripping = feminist empowerment" theory probably doesn't spend that much time in deep thought about the human condition.

[maian]

Finished Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk last night. Another great book, with a great ending (something of a rarity in Palahniuk books, I find). Now ploughing my way through some Sherlock Holmes stories and I'm going to start reading Don Quixote. Again.

[rabbit57i]

Just finished Titanic: End of A Dream. One of the best books I've read on the subject. Does an excellent job of interpreting what exactly happened that night to the late-20th century reader. The author doesn't speculate but just takes first person accounts & transcripts from the American inquiry to tell the story.

I have to say that I am actually quite surprised that my opinion of Captain Smith has changed after this. I am very disappointed in how useless he was after they had hit the ice. Also, Ismay isn't quite the low-life that he is made out to be. He did more than the Captain did to get passengers into the boats.

[Mase]

Just finished re-reading American gods by Neil Gaiman.

Seemed diffrent this time think i must have somehow skipped a few chapters on my last reading, haha.

[Jubei]

I'm reading Soul of the Fire, the fifth book of the Terry Goodkind series "Sword of Truth", for some reason there's seems to be a lot of dislike for this series, but I don't mind it.  It's certainly not as ponderous as Wheel of Time where I couldn't even be bothered to finish the first book.

I've read 7 or 8 of them. My problem with them was that they had already been written by the time I found them, so I read them one after the other. As they are really one long story, with no real stand-alone moments, it can be a bit frustrating, and also as I was moving straight to the next books, things that had been 'forgotten' by the characters were still fresh in my mind, like the number of wives Richard has.

This post has been edited by Jubei: Apr 10 2007, 09:25 AM

[tigerlily]

anyone stupid enough to subscribe the patently bullshit "stripping = feminist empowerment" theory probably doesn't spend that much time in deep thought about the human condition.

This, along with numerous other qualities, pretty much form the basis for my unyielding and unwavering hatred for Jodie Marsh. But this is probably not the thread for that.

I've just finished What a Carve Up by Jonathan Coe, which I finally got a chance to get through. It was wonderful. There was so much happening within it that it was a really satisfying read. It's been a while since a book kept me reading until 3am, but this is one of them.

Now I've got a choice between Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys or The Successor by Ismail Kadare. Might be a case of Eenie Meanie.

[Stella MM]

This, along with numerous other qualities, pretty much form the basis for my unyielding and unwavering hatred for Jodie Marsh.  But this is probably not the thread for that.

I don't hate Jodie Marsh; mock and pity, yes. Hate, no. She wants peopple to hate her, I'm sure of it.

[tigerlily]

You would think that, but according to her solicitors she doesn't.

Hatred is probably a very strong word and since she doesn't figure too prominently in my own life then it's possibly the wrong one. However, she used to merely annoy me, but lately she's stepped that up into proper revulsion.

[zeden]

Currently about half way through Teach Yourself NLP.
I was looking for something a little more technical and written from a phsychologists point of view, but for now this is a decent stop gap.
NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming for those unfamiliar with the term, is a concept which covers the way the human mind works and programs itself based upon beliefs and values we have been tought, how we process new information using these beliefs and values as filters and how it is possible to change even the deepest held beliefs by changing the way we think and react to situations.
It's heavy going, many of the concepts are abstract and require one to look beyond ones own perception and hypothisise different thought patterns, but it would seem that I already practice many of the core behaviours of NLP.
Picking apart exactly what one feels and thinks about given a situaiton and what these reactions are based on experience-wise is proving to be very useful in confronting some of my more prominent stresses.

Very temped to buy The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo, which explores what it takes, from a phsychological point of view, to turn a "good" person "evil". Anyone read it yet? Opinions?

[Starscream`s Gho...]

I don't hate Jodie Marsh; mock and pity, yes. Hate, no. She wants peopple to hate her, I'm sure of it.

Similar to JK Rowling, then.

[tigerlily]

Apparently JK Rowling failed the teacher training course that I'm on. And it was one of my tutors that failed her. Therefore if I pass the course then I win!

I don't know what I win, but I do. That's the main thing.

[Raven]

Just finished Titanic: End of A Dream. One of the best books I've read on the subject. Does an excellent job of interpreting what exactly happened that night to the late-20th century reader. The author doesn't speculate but just takes first person accounts & transcripts from the American inquiry to tell the story.

I have to say that I am actually quite surprised that my opinion of Captain Smith has changed after this. I am very disappointed in how useless he was after they had hit the ice. Also, Ismay isn't quite the low-life that he is made out to be. He did more than the Captain did to get passengers into the boats.

I've always felt Ismay was a bit hard done by, but he was being judged by the standards of his day, and given that most of the male gentry went down with the ship - and he owned it - I suppose it's only natural he got the vilification he did.

[Jessopjessopjess...]

Today I bought The Prefect, the latest baroque SF novel by Alastair Reynolds.

Not only that, but I met him and got my book signed!



Nice chap too.

[Chapman Baxter]

Today I bought The Prefect, the latest baroque SF novel by Alastair Reynolds.

Not only that, but I met him and got my book signed!

Very nice! Must not give in to jealousy...

[Jessopjessopjess...]

Very nice! Must not give in to jealousy...

I must say I thought of you when I got there. But then, I often think of you.