Discussion Topic |
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yosguns
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 14, 2007 - 05:19am PT
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I'm wondering what the last book you all read is. Mine was called Not Me. I'm reading Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man now; never got my fix of Joyce before. Hoping to get Dubliners in at some point; I hear it's better. (P.S. To the JT thread: I would love to do Chasm sometime over New Year's.)
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ng
Trad climber
southwest
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:30am PT
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"Confessions of a Slacker Mom"
highly recommended for anyone with kids
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Dec 14, 2007 - 08:02am PT
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"on the ridge between life and death", david roberts.
man, he was a screwed up kid.
just started "life of pi"
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Kartch
climber
belgrade, mt
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Dec 14, 2007 - 08:27am PT
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Hey Euro,
Life of Pi was worth the read but I thought it had a slow start. Hopefully you stick through the philosophy to get to the meat of the story. Just my take on the book.
I just started quit reading "Che" halfway through, I'll have to get back to it sometime, and started reading "Flags of Our Fathers."
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pro_alien
Sport climber
Zurich, Switzerland
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Dec 14, 2007 - 08:31am PT
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Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story (by Leonie Swann)
A herd of sheep resolving the violent death of their shepherd.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 09:53am PT
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Night Driving; Invention of the Wheel and Other Blues. A Memoir.
Dick Dorworth
quite a worthwhile read... I recommend it.
http://www.firstascentpress.com
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valygrl
climber
Boulder, CO
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Dec 14, 2007 - 09:55am PT
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Jonathon Waterman's In the Shadow Of Denali.
I hated Life of Pi.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:01am PT
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Royal Robbins: Spirit of the Age, the biography by Pat Ament.
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hossjulia
Trad climber
Eastside
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:06am PT
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"The God of Small Things" Arundhati Roy
A disturbing book about the Chaste system in India.
Perhaps not the best time of year to be reading something like this.........
Yeah, I thought the Life of Pi was over rated, but it was OK, not a waste of time.
Sounds like I need to pick up a copy of Dorworths book. Greg Childs (NOT Craig)has a new book out too. He's fantastic!
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survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:09am PT
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"Razor's Edge" A history of the Falklands war. A great book, but almost toooo detailed. The story kind of gets lost in the extreme historical accuracy at times.
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imnotclever
climber
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:11am PT
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Kartch,
I'm almost done with "Flags" it's pretty impressive. I may have to do more WWII books after this one.
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:48am PT
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Sonny Liston was a Friend of Mine by Thom Jones. He also wrote the Pugilist at rest. Both are good collections of shorts that are for the most part character related.
I'd recommend them.
Prod.
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Ain't no flatlander
climber
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:52am PT
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Enduring Patagonia by Greg Crouch. Not bad, not great. Good stories with too many attempts at flowery prose that come off insipid.
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Dec 14, 2007 - 11:11am PT
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After hearing hype I personally thought Life of Pi sucked. But I'm not much of a non-fiction guy. whatever.
But my book of the week club (only part way into it) "American Empire" (Andrew Bacevich). Basically arguing that in spite of American "we're the shining light of democracy and justice" rhetoric this nation's foreign policy, in fact, ever since the revolution has been to do whatever necessary to feed economic growth. Baceevich demonstrates that Bush H, Clinton, and Bush W all have the same neo-imperialist goals. Just differing tactics. Worry not though, the book is not all leftest rhetoric either. Even mainstream scholars seem to appreciate the volume.
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BrentA
Gym climber
Roca Rojo
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Dec 14, 2007 - 11:19am PT
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Three Cups of Tea...mighty heart warming read. World needs more like Greg. He should win the Nobel Peace Prize within the next 3 years...imho.
Crucial COnversations is getting digested now, decent business talk book
I read "Leadership and Self Deception" not so long ago, and found it terrific
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Dec 14, 2007 - 11:19am PT
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" The Evil Gene ". Great read dealing with new info on the genetic foundation for much pathology, particularly sociopathy. It explains some ST... no, I won't go there.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Dec 14, 2007 - 11:25am PT
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Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan. Very interesting, everyone who subjects strangers to their dog at the crags should read and heed this book.
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andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Park City, UT
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Dec 14, 2007 - 11:41am PT
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I like to juggle 3-4 books or so at a time. I read a lot and very fast, so its nice to have a change of pace. I just finished a round of four:
The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough, Saltwater Flyfishing by Lefty Kreh, Chapterhouse Dune by Frank Herbert, and Traveling Music by Neil Peart.
I thought the Life of Pi was a decent book, but not wonderful. The Power of One by Bruce Courtenay is a better book in more or less the same genre. I think the Life of Pi falls in the cracks between a fun trash novel and a real piece of literature, and disappointed anyone expecting one or the other.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Dec 14, 2007 - 12:14pm PT
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The Road by Cormac McCarthey
post-apocalyptic blues
I do want to read his other books. His language is very strong. All The Pretty Horses is my wife's fave.
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quartziteflight
climber
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Dec 14, 2007 - 12:21pm PT
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I hope the serve beer in hell. Pretty raunchy, but funny as hell
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Festus
Mountain climber
Enron by the Sea
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Dec 14, 2007 - 01:04pm PT
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It had dwarfs, trolls, wizards, vampires, and a talking dog, among other characters, so your immediate reaction is probably
"Thanks but no thanks, Moonbeam, and careful with that thing, you're about to spill bongwater on your paisley bellbottoms."
But it, and the whole series it's part of, is really about politics, technology, and, er, human nature.
The book was The Truth, by Terry Pratchett, one in his Discworld series. I've read four or five of them (there are a few dozen, I think). The first one I read (Guards! Guards!) I thought was entertaining, and pretty damn funny. But four books later I'm here callin' it brilliant, and seriously damn funny!
The effect is cumulative, the characters grow from book to book, and your understanding of the politics and society of the place's largest city, Anhk-Morpork, gets to the point where you're laughing every few pages (at least), at the same time you're realizing you're in the hands of one helluva writer/social critic.
I read Guards! Guards!, then Jingo, then The Fifth Elephant, then Reaper Man, and now this, and that was more than a good enough introduction to Discworld. Sadly, I just read yesterday that Pratchett has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers. Give him a read or two, you won't regret it.
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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Dec 14, 2007 - 02:12pm PT
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I'm reading Life of Pi too, I'm halfway through and it's been boring so far. If he doesn't end up battling a tiger stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean I'm gonna be pissed.
Before that was Don't Know Much about the Bible. That was excellent. Knowing that history gave me a lot of insight into why things are the way they are now.
Before that was the His Dark Materials trilogy. Of which the first book was just made into the movie Golden Compass. The movie was good, but the book was better. Very smart and imaginative.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Dec 14, 2007 - 02:35pm PT
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From Dallas Murphy's Rounding the Horn;
"I watched from a stable, elevated viewpoint, an albatross eye at masthead height off his starboard quarter. The seas were lethal, seething forty-footers with streaks of crazy spume tearing down their faces. Jarli sat at the tiller of his little boat- it had blue topsides- running under bare poles before the wind and seas without a chance of survival. Jarli knew it; I knew it. A breaking wave higher than the rest soon lifted the stern, pointed the bow at the bottom, and for an instant the boat hung there. Jarli glanced astern, his face calm, watching the wave curl with a seaman's interest. He didn't seem frightened, that's what struck me, as if he'd known his whole life that he would die young at sea, and now with the moment at hand he was curious about the shape of the wave. He released the tiller- no more steering to be done- and leaned back against the lifelines as it broke over his head."
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 02:39pm PT
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The Little Sister, by Raymond Chandler.
Not his best book, but Chandler's so good, and that coming from a former English major who's read his fill of Joyce, Faulker, Dostoyevsky, etc. No one captures LA, the good and the bad, better.
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purplesage
Trad climber
Bend, OR
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Dec 14, 2007 - 02:50pm PT
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The Path Between the Seas by McCullough. Long detailed history of the Panama Canal. Be a good choice for a long dark winter.
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Dec 14, 2007 - 02:51pm PT
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Kingdom of Fear, Hunter S. Thompson. I had never read any of his well-known books, and thought this would be one that I would enjoy. He was originally from the east end of Louisville, Kentucky, as am I, so I thought there would also be some experiences that I could relate to (even though we are of two different generations).
At first, his totally anti-authority and anti-establishment attitudes were funny, as were the characterizations of some of his experiences. But by the end of the book, his paranoid, egocentric, jaded rantings turned out to be pretty boring, and his experiences probably more fantasy than fact. He really seemed to hate everything by the time of his death.
The latest edition of the AAJ (there I was, climbing overhanging verglas on my single-push ascent of my new VII,5.12,A4+,WI6, blah, blah, blah) is a better read.
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Richard
climber
Bend, OR.
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Dec 14, 2007 - 03:12pm PT
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A re-read of Exodus by Leon Uris
GREAT book!
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maestro8
Trad climber
Sunnyvale, CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 03:12pm PT
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A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.
Insanely funny, and I mean insane. Batshiat crazy. Nuts. Loved it.
The main character is someone you'll never forget. Truly a piece of work.
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TheDullEnd
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 03:39pm PT
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To really up the intellectual ante:
"Death or Glory" Sandy Mitchell
Covers the liberation of the planet Perlia from an orc army by the Imperial Commissar Ciaphas Cain.
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andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Park City, UT
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Dec 14, 2007 - 06:07pm PT
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Confederacy of Dunces is a great book. He wrote one before that called the Neon Bible that I would also recommend, though it isn't nearly as good as CoD.
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Ricardo Cabeza
climber
Meyers,CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 06:55pm PT
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Just finished reading The Perfect Man by Naeem Murr. Before that it was The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. Now I'm juggling the second half of Che and Flags of our Fathers, while kinda rereading From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank by Joshua Tickell
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:03pm PT
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hey there... say, jody, most folks dont read that... i had that on my list too--it helped concerning the loss of my dear auntie.... seems the good book does a lot more good than folks realize, at times...
and then, of course, my good ol' book is one of the last i have read... welllllll, and maybe a little kid's story i just shared with my stepgrandaughter...
folks may learn of my book, at:
http://jj-ns.read-jake-and-donate.com
seizure awareness... and head injury awareness... tongue-loss... speach loss... sign-language... fraternal twins ... ranch life...mentoring young kids... all short fiction stories...
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:18pm PT
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on the last chapters of four books right now, Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan,
An Alchemy of Mind by Diane Ackerman, The Web of Life by Fritjof Capra, and
Plan B 2.0 - Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble by Lester Brown. All are excellent and recommended. I keep beginning the last chapter of the latter two books and get sucked back into rereading earlier sections as I am so excited about and seeking to systemize my understanding of the material and the applications to my work. To relax my mind to go to sleep sometimes I re- read Harry Potter books -- there I admitted it!
Peter
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scuffy b
climber
Stump with a backrest
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:27pm PT
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I guess the last one I read was Yosemite in the 60s.
It's a good read (though there's very little text)
and it has a couple nice pictures of Mister E.
I seem to be in a slump, not much real reading these days.
Yosguns, I think you will probably enjoy Dubliners more than
Portrait...
I've read that collection several times but couldn't gain traction with Portrait.
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sheepdog
Trad climber
just over the hill
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:33pm PT
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I'm re-reading books lately...I would recommend Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian. This is the first of a series by O'Brian that ended up being his life's work. It took me awhile to get in the zone here, as they're written with the attitudes, perspectives and language of the early 19th century. The writing is outstanding.
In the same vein I'll second the recommendations of Raymond Chandler's books. And for that matter, Cormac McCarthy's; my favorites are Sutree and/or the Orchard Keeper, both set in Tennessee (before his move to El Paso).
All these should be gathering dust on the local library shelves...so check 'em out...
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:36pm PT
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hey there jody... awwwww... say, remember now... it is DIFFERENT, for a reason... ;) :)
say....
it is also made to be read over and over in the future, as "after thoughts", when things arise in daily life...
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:48pm PT
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confederacy OD is/was a great read- whacky good fun.
it's been awhile, but the best fiction i've read in a bit was the kite runner. set in afganistan and pakistan, good book.
(you people out there with brown people issues ought to give that one a go, might make a more complete human of you in some way).
have not yet finished but highly recommend the omnivore's dilemma by michael pollan (author of boany of desire, another fantastic book). the former is about industrial food production and is both disturbing and enlightening, but also empowering as you will know more than perhaps you want to about the packaged food in american supermarkets (go read it, i dare you!)
my wife just read a great book, i'll post that up later...
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Chalkpaw
climber
Flag, AZCO
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Dec 14, 2007 - 07:50pm PT
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"Deeper" by Jeff Long. I haven't read fiction for awhile, been buried in books about the Middle East. Three Cups of Tea was good. Also Rory Stuart is telling some good tales. Much different report that CNN.
I first read JL in my early climbing days. I bought a just released Ascent in 1984 and in it was a short story called Angels of Light. It was so vivid how he described those two guys, Tinkerbell and oh shoot, what was the other guys name? About how he took that epic fall and could hear the pieces zippering out. It really set the hook in me . Anyway, I was in the library and his name on the cover caught my eye. So far, is pretty fun. Monsters and caves, how cool is that? I'll have to check out his other books once I have finished this one.
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Risk
Mountain climber
Minkler, CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 09:23pm PT
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“Peter the Great, His Life and World,” Robert K. Massie. Over 800 pages and rural phonebook sized. I bought it, and when it arrived, I was turned off by its enormity. Literarily after the first paragraph, I was hooked. I read it slowly and carefully, and as expected, the end came too soon. This book will bring you across Europe and Russia from about 1670 to 1725 when Russia became a true player in world affairs. This guy, Czar Peter I, really did deserve to be called “the great.” Read it and you will agree. Exemplary.
Now I am in the middle of “The Rasputin File,” Edvard Radzinsky. Thought I would put it down too, but it is the only book I have at hand unread. Turning out to be much more interesting than I would have ever imagined. Downright spooky, really. A filthy, peasant monk from Siberia changing the course of history?
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Dec 14, 2007 - 09:42pm PT
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I haven't read a book w/ words on paper for a while, but the last audiobook was called "When Madeline Was Young." It was just OK.
I got an e-mail from the library that I'm finally getting my turn w/ Shantaram on CD...recommended to me here. :-)
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samg
climber
SLC
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:02pm PT
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I also juggle three or four books at a time.
Currently
Dreamtigers -Borges
Big Wall Climbing - Doug Scott
The Man Without Qualities - Robert Musil
Capitalism and Schizophrenia vol. 2, A thousand Plateaus - Deleuze and Guattari
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TheDullEnd
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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Dec 14, 2007 - 10:11pm PT
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Ugh, you're reading thousand plateau's voluntarily? I'm impressed.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Dec 14, 2007 - 11:54pm PT
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TM Jesse,
Massie first started writing the russian tomes because his son, who I went to school with, was a hemophiliac which prompted his study of Nicholas and Alexandra (whose son was too).
The book did really well and so he was able to afford the expensive treatment for his boy, but with the onset of HIV hemophiliacs were something like 10,000 times more likely to test positive than a person who took one transfusion.
Don't want to ask if he's still around.
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Dec 15, 2007 - 01:36am PT
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Either Sedaris' Naked or Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut. Both are good but not the best works of either author.
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blackbird
Trad climber
over yonder en th' holler
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Dec 15, 2007 - 10:48am PT
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another juggler here...
Just finished The Kite runner, A Thousand Sacred Suns, Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.
In the wings to read as soon as the holiday rush settles would be a whole stack of historical fiction... YEAH!!!
BB
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Risk
Mountain climber
Minkler, CA
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:30am PT
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Piton Ron, Massie's book, Nicholas and Alexandra, was the first one on Russia I read. I didn't seek the book out, but just happened upon it at home while moving. It was a fantastic read and I have been hooked ever since. Massie is great.
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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Dec 15, 2007 - 12:04pm PT
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"The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.
Finally got to check it out at the library for the kids. Realmojede read it to them, and it was the first time that she had seen the book. Tears on the adult cheeks, smiles for the offspring.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Dec 15, 2007 - 12:08pm PT
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I have Dick Dorworths Night Driving on order from our Library- which is where I go to get my books.
I am starting Brokaws "Boom"
I always have a couple of Louis L'Amours by the toilet- case I runout of TP
I just finished let my people go Surfing by Chouinard for the second time- I mostly read everything two times or more- I enjoyed it the second time better than the first.
My favorite climbing books are:
In the shadow Denali- Waterman
One mans Mountains-Patey
Breaking Point-Randall
History of Climbing in N.A. Jones
Read On
Murf
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Carolyn C
Trad climber
the long, long trailer
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Dec 15, 2007 - 12:20pm PT
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"The Third Chimpanzee" by Jared Diamond, and "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" by Peter Matthiessen.
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jbaker
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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Dec 15, 2007 - 01:19pm PT
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I've been juggling too many books. I just finished "The Conscience of a Liberal," by Paul Krugman, which is excellent. I also just finished "Will in the World" by Stephen Greenblatt, a great look at Shakespeare's life. I'm also reading Everything is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger, On the Ridge... by David Roberts. I got bogged down in The Echo Makers by Richard Powers,a nd I'm not sure I'll pick it up again. I'm enjoying The Control of Nature by John McPhee, which is an interesting read post-Katrina.
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Dec 15, 2007 - 02:06pm PT
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TM Jesse: Peter The Great blew me away too! Inspired me to buy a boat! Then I read Dr. Zhivago also, to balance out the history with great art. Recommend it.
Bruno
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Dec 15, 2007 - 02:13pm PT
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And Yea Jody: The Bible!!! You better believe it!
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atchafalaya
climber
Babylon
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Dec 15, 2007 - 02:14pm PT
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The I Chong by Tommy Chong. Chong does nine months in federal prison for sending bongs across state lines, as a result of the war on terror. Entertaining.
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nutjob
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Dec 15, 2007 - 03:32pm PT
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Tom Clancey novel, "Cardinal and the Kremlin". I got caught on this one... OK I'll admit it. I enjoyed every minute of it. That was the last book I finished.
The most recent book I was reading was "Yosemite Climbs (Meyers/Reid 1987)". Of course you can't go wrong there.
"The Spy's Guide: Office Espionage"
Great tools for the workplace!
If I dig back a bit deeper, I'm in progress or finished the following:
Shantaram
(stuck ~700 pages because a book collation error lost ~40 pages... cheap copy from India. But I absolutely love how the book let me relive my first experiences in India minus some of the baggage I had at the time)
Life of Pi
I guess I'm less jaded than other folks here... or maybe it's just that I read the book with no expectations and knew nothing about it other than a cover that attracted me at an airport bookstore a few years ago. I quite enjoyed it.
Moby Dick
A great book, but "all time best"? I thought the symbolism was nice but not world-rocking.
Tom Jones
I spent several years where I would read the first 5 pages, mark about 20-30 vocabulary words to memorize, then put it down again if the text wasn't flowing for me and sinking in. At some point I got enough momentum and got through it - turns out that the use of vocabulary up front was part of his humorous introduction... the rest of the book went smoothly and I really enjoyed the plot and the author's sense of humor.
Short Stories of Saki (H.H. Munroe)
Pretty funny in an anti-social and dysfunctional way. Classic irony.
Most geek stuff I just google to learn these days, but some things are nicer to have in a book. Here're some recent reference books that have helped me a lot:
Linux Administration Handbook (2nd Edition)
Managing RAID on Linux
SQL Clearly Explained, Second Edition
Relational Database Design Clearly Explained
High Performance MySQL
Books that I'd like to get into "some day" when I find myself with more time than activities or responsibilities:
My System & Chess Praxis (Nimzowitsch)
Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamics (Peitgens, Jurgens, and Saupe)
I told myself I would just reply with the most recent cheese-ball library discard spy novel.... But I couldn't help trying to act all intellectual and important with a more respectable list.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 15, 2007 - 03:43pm PT
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hey there... say, i just saw someone mention moby dick... it made me think... back when i had more time, i used to try to read the book that certain movies were based on---if it was one i was interested in of course---as the books obviously, were the blue print... this always proves to be VERY interesting...
could be a good at-home project for some of you, this winter...
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Dec 15, 2007 - 03:50pm PT
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I think the last book I actually finished is Krishna Das - Flow of Grace (it's a short one on how to chant the Hanuman Chlisa).
I have like 12 books partially started. They include, The Bhagavad Gita, The Prophet, Desert Solitude, The Places that Scare You, Acid & Alkaline, Peace is Every Step, Alkalize or Die, Typo3, Create an Oasis with Greywater, Strawbale Home Plans, colon health, "gods, goddesses & religious symbols of Hinduism", Buddhism & Tantrism, PHP5.
Sadly, the one getting the most attention is Typo3 (though I am getting paid to read it).
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Dec 15, 2007 - 04:01pm PT
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Brunosafari,
so after the Pasternak did you buy a balalaika?
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Dec 15, 2007 - 04:19pm PT
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Sword of God - author? (fiction)
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rands (re-read)
Confessor - Terry Goodkind
New Bishop bouldering guidebook - Wills Young
Automatic Millionare - author?
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Dec 15, 2007 - 04:28pm PT
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Atlas Shrugged. Dave Bloom and Matt Childers both read that book and right after named a climb at Winslow Wall after it. It's an odd sort of name for a climb unless you understand that book exists.
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ewto
Mountain climber
slOwHIO
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Dec 15, 2007 - 04:52pm PT
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This is almost embarrassing, but I just finished a kids book called "Peak" by Rowland Smith. It's about a kid who's separated parents are (or were) world-class climbers. The kid gets in trouble and his estranged dad comes to take the kid to climb Everest.
My 12 year old son was reading it, and seemed mesmerized by it, so I picked it up last Friday, and suddenly couldn't put it down. If you know kids who like climbing, it's a great read. (Some of you adults might like it, too.)
http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Roland-Smith/dp/0152024174/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197755521&sr=8-1
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Scrunch
Trad climber
Provo, Ut
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Dec 15, 2007 - 05:16pm PT
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"Ink" By Hal Duncan. It's as close to perfect as modern literature can get.
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Dec 15, 2007 - 05:47pm PT
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that's funny, nature.
I keep seeing bumper stickers that ask "Who's John Galt?"
aaron
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Dec 15, 2007 - 05:57pm PT
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Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. Since some surveys rate it as the greatest novel ever written I felt obligated to finally read it. Something lost in the translation, perhaps, I found it disappointing, a story not likely to happen in real life. War and Peace is probably Tolstoy's masterpiece, but (in my opinion) not always the voice of truth.AK is much less of a sweeping historical epic.
Having finished, I feel compelled to read Look Homeward, Angel for the 27th time. Beware of (long) classics reading lists unless you're a Cliff's Notes kind of person.
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Jonny D
Social climber
Lost Angelez, Kalifornia
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Dec 15, 2007 - 06:15pm PT
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Africa Trek part 2
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 15, 2007 - 06:34pm PT
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Ron, I actually did buy a Balalaika after I read Pasternak, but them damn theives pinched it!
"John Galt" is always going to be an 'in' thing for all kinds of refernces. However, though 'The Fountanhead' was a brilliant work about integrity, and idealism, 'Atlas shrugged' was a too long bit of self-referential nonsense; no wonder they threw her in the bin after she inflicted that limbaugh-esque tripe on the world.
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Dec 15, 2007 - 06:39pm PT
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Right now I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's "No Country For Old Men," which is playing now at- a- theater- near- you.
Piton Ron: I would actually love to learn the balalaika, but they are about as common as Russian Aiders, which I also want to try. After I recover economically from buying the boat, I would like to buy a balalaika cuz as you astutely suggest, Zhivago's daughter plays one, and "No Country" is almost inspiring me to buy...a...er...shotgun.
B
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Dec 15, 2007 - 06:47pm PT
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ha ha - i hated anna karinininininina
the only book i ever started that i didn't finish!
yeah jaybro, the fountainhead is awesome
i loved atlas shrugged too though
-aaron
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 15, 2007 - 07:01pm PT
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To each their own I guess, TC.
I've read Anna K, multiple times (more than 3) and got different things out of it each time. (Never really made it through some others, like,say, Moby Dick, without cheating, though.) Did you like War & Peace or the death of what's his name?
I'm with you on the F-head. But feel I was hornswaggled out of hours of my life with Atlas- the whole thing is Leb-ified, to use the vernacular of our day.
One cool thing about the Balalaika is that two strings are the same note (E?) so you save money when buying replacemnt strings in bulk.
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Dec 15, 2007 - 08:35pm PT
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Jaybro: Do you mean "One Day in The Life Of Ivan Denizovitch," by Solzhenitsyn (sp)? Piton Ron: You must play a stringed instrument??
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Dec 15, 2007 - 08:41pm PT
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maybe i need to try anna again...now that i'm older and slightly more patient...
ayn does get a little wordy in atlas, but LEB-ified? I disagree with you for once jaybro.
She at least sticks to topic! Though she does tend to repeat herself a little. (and by a little i mean a lot, but i like the message so it's okay)
war and peace -*shrugs* eh.
death of a traveling salesman? more of the same.
its okay if we don't "like-like" the same books. :)
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Dec 15, 2007 - 08:51pm PT
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I read two to three books a week, usually water down fiction that is not worth recommending.
Yet just recently I came across a book that blew my mind.
it is so well researched and documented, it has changed my way of seeing how biographies can be written.
"The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh, A woman in World History." By Linda Colley.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 15, 2007 - 08:53pm PT
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"She at least sticks to topic!" LOL! -which one?
at least they each stick to their own agenda! hardy-har.
No prob, plenty of books out there to agree/dis about.
Remember, Gregor Samsa was a traveling salesman, too.
Bruno-The death of Ivan Illyitch.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Dec 15, 2007 - 09:36pm PT
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Alternating between the Meaning of Night by Michael Cox, which is a mystery/thriller set in Victorian England, and The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk, non-fiction about the struggle for Central Asia between England and Russia.
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andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Park City, UT
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:02pm PT
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Anna Karenina is great - a book i've read twice. That and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo are probably my two favorite novels.
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch is also wonderful. I got on a big Russia kick after working for awhile at a former gulag in Uzbekistan, and A Day in the Life really brought that experience into focus for me. I've been working my way through the Gulag Archipelago for a long time, but it isn't quick.
Some cool more modern Russia travelogues are Open Lands by Mark Taplin, and Siberia Bound by Alexander Blakely.
Another Russian favorite that is hard to classify is Master and Margerita by Bulgakov.
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reddirt
climber
subarwu
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:02pm PT
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currently reading:
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:12pm PT
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I'm with you Andy, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, to me, is the greatest novel ever. But I still have a few more to go. B
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:37pm PT
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Just curious---did anyone read Anna Karenina in Russian text?
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L
climber
The Late Great Planet Earth
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:42pm PT
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I did, Jennie...and since I don't know Russian, it was a bitch to understand! :-)
Currently reading No Time To Lose by Pema Chodran and Hang Gliding for Beginner Pilots by Peter Cheney.
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samg
climber
SLC
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:45pm PT
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Ugh, you're reading thousand plateau's voluntarily? I'm impressed.
The Man Without Qualities is slower and rougher going, surprisingly, although I think Musil is right up there with Joyce. Plus it's kind of fun to decipher D&G's word games.
Then again, I'm the kind of sick person that actually thinks the banana tree counting passage in Robbe-Grillet's Jealousy is fun to read...
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Dec 15, 2007 - 11:56pm PT
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"Just curious---did anyone read Anna Karenina in Russian text?"
"I did, Jennie...and since I don't know Russian, it was a bitch to understand! :-) "
HaHaHaHa!
Someone (?) said eloquence is logic on fire. The logic was there in the Garnett translation of Anna K but I guess I missed the fire.
I thought Tolstoys most eloquent writing was his second epilogue to War and Peace. But I only read English translations.
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Dec 16, 2007 - 01:47am PT
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I read the iliad in Greek and it still didn't work until I learned to read it in Ionic/Homeric Greek. Only in that version did the story form into a dactylic hexameter and rocked my socks off.
In it's oldest form it rhymes into a song just in general reading form! You read it normal and the actual words beats into a song!
It is brilliant!
AF
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Risk
Mountain climber
Minkler, CA
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Dec 16, 2007 - 02:55am PT
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Andy, Thanks for the Russian tips. As I said earlier, I became hooked on Russian history with Nicholas and Alexander by Massie, and now the stack of books grows taller each month. I already tackled Gulag Archipelago; keep going. . . . My favorite quote from it:
“What about the main thing in life, all its riddles? If you want, I'll spell it out for you right now. Do not pursue what is illusory--property and position: all that is gained at the expense of your nerves decade after decade, and is confiscated in one fell night. Live with a steady superiority over life-- don't be afraid of misfortune, and do not yearn after happiness; it is, after all, all the same: the bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing. It is enough if you don't freeze in the cold, and if thirst and hunger don't claw at your insides. If your back isn't broken, if your feet can walk, if both arms can bend, if both eyes see, and if both ears hear, then whom should you envy? And why? Our envy of others devours us most of all. Rub your eyes and purify your heart--and prize above all else in the world those who love you and who wish you well. Do not hurt them or scold them, and never part from any of them in anger; after all, you simply do not know: it might be your last act before your arrest, and that will be how you are imprinted in their memory!”
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Dec 16, 2007 - 03:39am PT
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"I read the iliad in Greek and it still didn't work until I learned to read it in Ionic/Homeric Greek. Only in that version did the story form into a dactylic hexameter and rocked my socks off.
In it's oldest form it rhymes into a song just in general reading form! You read it normal and the actual words beats into a song!
It is brilliant!
AF "
Yes, a knowledge of ancient Greek dialects, Homeric Greek, Epic greek would be indespensible tools in understanding the whole context of ancient classics. And many early Christian texts were written in Koine Greek.
There are numerous translations of the Iliad and those in English aren't really that close to one another. Much better to receive it in the same meaning, context and meter the ancients did. (Unfortunately, I didn't have opportunities in classical studies or historical linguistics until I transfered to Utah State Univ. )
Classics are most relevant in the language they were created, if you understand the language, of course. But with works of more modern western european writers like Victor Hugo, the writers social conscience, political orientation translate into English quite well.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 16, 2007 - 01:29pm PT
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jennie, Anna k, по-рускии is too long a project for me.
I've read the overcoat, notes from the underground, The nose, Crocodil, White nights and some others in their mother tonque, generally over college xmas breaks, with a dictionary at my side, back in the old old days.
Right now I'm stealing time from school work reading Nature Girl-Carl Hiiasen
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 16, 2007 - 01:37pm PT
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wonderful thread title, especially if you use the other meaning... i.e. the last book you will ever read...
...for thread drift, what are your thoughts on that book?
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L
climber
The Late Great Planet Earth
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Dec 16, 2007 - 02:03pm PT
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Ed,
My thoughts on that are:
I hope it's How To Reach Enlightenment In 4 Easy Steps
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 16, 2007 - 06:08pm PT
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well, it only goes, East, from there...
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Dec 16, 2007 - 06:44pm PT
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Jaybro,
But its great you have read some of the Russian classics in the mother tongue. I only learned German and Latin, no Russian, Greek or French.
Seems like a lot of people loved Anna K. I suppose I didn't develop "sympatico" with the characters, except Levin and family. My favorite novel has been Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel but others have told me they thought it was shapeless or confusing. (That's Thomas Wolfe the novelist from the 1920's and 1930's, rather than the modern writer Tom Wolfe.)
Reading taste vary widely I guess.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Dec 17, 2007 - 01:32pm PT
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nutjob, My System is entertaining as all get out.
Anastasia, reading Homer like that must be a real treat.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Varied locales along the time and space continuum
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Dec 17, 2007 - 04:24pm PT
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Wow Anastasia, that's great about the Iliad! One of my objectives for college (inspired by a great teacher I had when I was about 16 or so) was to read the Odyssey in the original Greek. In college I studied Classics and read bits and pieces but never got good enough (especially with the Homeric Greek) to really read the whole thing. Both the Iliad and the Odyssey are fantastic literature. The Odyssey, in particular, has continued to influence me throughout my life. A very rich tale.
I even once cited it in a resignation letter. :-)
Back on topic: Last book I completed may have been Lord of the Rings and that was a while back... with my little kids, I find I fare better with magazines time-wise. I have the perpetual pile of books to read by the bed.
I saw Fatal Mountaineer abut Will Unsoeld in the bookstore last night. Might pick that one up.
Fletch
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Dec 17, 2007 - 04:52pm PT
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Fall Of the Phantom Lord by Andrew Todhunter
has to be the worst book i've ever read. i want hear about the wild man Osman not some wannbe writer hang dogging up a 5.10, riding a motercycle then scuba diving in a river.
The book SUCKED
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scuffy b
climber
Stump with a backrest
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Dec 17, 2007 - 06:25pm PT
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Jennie, do you read the others in Wolfe's trilogy?
Was one time enough for the others?
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Dec 17, 2007 - 10:06pm PT
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Scuffy B:
I believe I’ve read most all of Thomas Wolfe’s work that has been made public. I have four anthologies of his work plus his novels in single form. He left an immense collection of unpublished fragments. I assume most of his more prolific work has been published.
My opinion is that Look Homeward, Angel was his most important novel but I’ve reread much of his writing over and over since high school.
Some surveys don’t even include LHA in the top 200 novels of English language. Faulkner called him the most important American novelist and Somerset Maugham listed LHA as one of the ten greatest novels. Opinions vary widely.
He wasn’t a great plot master. But his prose is some of the most beautiful in the English language.
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darod
Big Wall climber
South Side Billburg
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Dec 17, 2007 - 10:33pm PT
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I'm on such a roll, just finished reading two great books, "The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao", by Junot Diaz. Then a couple of days later, in a few hours I read "Distant Star" by Roberto Bolaño. Both books very recommended.
Need a break now!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 17, 2007 - 11:20pm PT
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Fascinating, Jennie. What is it that attracts us to these various things? Look homeward... didn't seem to work for me (I suspect I was too young) and I moved on, may catch with me later or would have earlier, can't say, yet. The "electric koolaid acid test'-T wolf held my interst for several books.
I had no reason to be intriqued and influenced by the russians, as I was as a teenager-midtwenties, from suburban Chicago/SF bay Area n00b background, but much of that has stuck with me.
If I have time tonight, after school work, I'm going b ack to Carl Hiaassen
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 18, 2007 - 01:46am PT
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hey there anastasia.. say, that is really neat stuff about the greek, etc, and the Illiad.. and the original, etc...
i see how wonderful it would have THEN been for you...
i wrote a book and some novels, BUT the way i wrote them, would never make sense, if they were translated--parts are done in a certain kind of word use that if translated, literally, would throw someone wayyyyyyyyyyy off course..
thanks for the great share...
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Dec 18, 2007 - 02:10am PT
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I guess it depends on whether the intent = the action. I have several books I mean to read. Really. They're in a pile. In fact, possibly in several heaps. However, the ones I'm actually reading at the moment - I usually have a few on the go at once - are:
Beowulf: An Illustrated Edition (Seamus Heaney)
Illustrated History of the Arctic
A Man on The Moon (Andrew Chaikin) - A very good summary of the Apollo Moon landing.
Kristin Lavransdatter (Sigrid Undset, new translation)
I agree with the comments upthread - it's nice to be able to read original versions, and translations almost always are inferior. Beowulf, for example, is not only in old English, but in verse. Kristin Lavransdatter is in a deliberately archaic form of Norwegian, but still won the Nobel Prize.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 18, 2007 - 03:01am PT
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Amother good reason to read 'Grendel'
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quietpartner
Trad climber
Moantannah
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Dec 18, 2007 - 12:22pm PT
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"Charlie Wilson's War"
Bloody interesting! Renegades from the CIA and Congress maneuver behind the scenes to help oust the Russians from Afghanistan. Reads like a spy novel, but it's supposed to be true.
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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Jan 10, 2008 - 12:09pm PT
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I finished Life of Pi a few weeks ago. I agree with most comments above. Slow start but good after about 1/2 way through.
Halfway between literature and a fun trash novel. I thought that made it a fun read that provokes some thought.
I'm going to have to go through this thread and make up a list of books to read, good stuff.
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KuntryKlimber
Mountain climber
Rock Hill, SC
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Jan 10, 2008 - 12:59pm PT
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The Road to the Nose by Chris McNamara et al.
Uh, I thought this was gonna be a tale about CA highway 140, so I found it very confusing. Also, the illustrations leave something to be desired - not even colored in.
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Wade Icey
Big Wall climber
Indian Caves, CA
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Jan 10, 2008 - 04:49pm PT
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I hope I haven't read my last book yet.
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FeelioBabar
climber
Sneaking up behind you...
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Jan 10, 2008 - 04:55pm PT
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Like Andy...I tend to read 3 or 4 at a time. (mom was a reading teacher)
"Shantaram"-G.D.Roberts
"One square mile of hell:the battle for Tarawa"-j.Wukovits
"Not a good day to die"-Sean Naylor
"Bay of Pigs"-Peter Wyden
"Guns Germs and Steel"
"The Peloponesian Wars"
"A Voyahe for Madmen" AMAZING BOOK
"Ghost Wars"-Steve Coll
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
ghost ride the cop car
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Jan 10, 2008 - 04:56pm PT
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Jan 10, 2008 - 05:00pm PT
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Curious George rules! Way better than Cat in the Hat.
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scuffy b
climber
Stump with a backrest
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Jan 10, 2008 - 05:13pm PT
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Cat in the Hat was written to tighter specs than the Curious
George books.
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michaellane
climber
Spokane, WA
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Jan 10, 2008 - 05:25pm PT
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Sick Puppy - Carl Hiaason ... funny stuff. Made me laugh out loud.
--ML
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
ghost ride the cop car
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Jan 10, 2008 - 05:28pm PT
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"Cat in the Hat was written to tighter specs than the Curious
George books."
apples and oranges.
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scuffy b
climber
Stump with a backrest
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Jan 10, 2008 - 06:03pm PT
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Yes T*R
Curious George was all the author's idea. he could write whatever
he wanted. It turned out great, of course.
Cat in the Hat was actually written to meet some specifications,
for example, a maximum number of words to be used.
The age of the reader was narrowly targeted.
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Redwreck
Social climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jan 10, 2008 - 06:08pm PT
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Either "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell or "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess -- was switching back and forth between them and forget which I finished first.
Now a few chapters into "Windows Server 2003 MCSA/MCSE Exam Cram" which is almost as hard to decipher as the Burgess.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Jan 10, 2008 - 06:16pm PT
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I just finished The Shadow of the Wind, really good. Spanish author, can't recall his name at the moment...
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Jan 10, 2008 - 09:07pm PT
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I read about 2-3 a week. No TV, unemployed, etc.
Yesterday finished:
Cormac McCarthy - The Road.
Very good, highly recommended.
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10b4me
climber
1/2way between Yos and Moab
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Jan 21, 2008 - 02:48pm PT
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Kiss or Kill
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SteveW
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Jan 21, 2008 - 03:03pm PT
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The Prince of War
Billy Graham's Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire
Not the most scholarly tome out there, but certainly
has some interesting reading--foot notes and all. . .
And we talk about Muslim fundamentalists???
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jan 21, 2008 - 03:10pm PT
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Multilevel Analysis for Applied Research. I sat there one evening marking pages and writing notes on post-its, thinking "This is cool stuff," while Leslie looked on bemused.
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yosguns
climber
Durham, NC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2010 - 03:07am PT
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Expecting Adam...and then Mountains without Handrails by Joseph Sax. Good one. And even Yosemite-related.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Dec 12, 2010 - 04:28am PT
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The Remains of Elmet.
JL
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 12, 2010 - 04:47am PT
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"The Forever War" by Dexter Filkins.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
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Dec 12, 2010 - 08:09am PT
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Man With A Squirrel~Nicholas Kilmer
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Wallwombat
Trad climber
Australia
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Dec 12, 2010 - 08:45am PT
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Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry.
It was my favourite book when I was a little kid and when my grandmother recently passed away and I was sorting through all her books, I found my old hard back copy. I'd forgotten what a great book it was. If you have young children, I strongly recommend it.
Currently, I'm making my 18th attempt to read Possession by A.S. Byatt. I can't say I'm confident.
I don't see how anyone can say Life of Pi and The Power of One are of the same genre. I'd have thought Life of Pi was more like magical realism and The Power of One was more of a historical novel.
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Dec 12, 2010 - 10:19am PT
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Coming of Age in the Milky Way, Timothy Ferris
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Disaster Master
Social climber
Born in So-Cal, left my soul in far Nor-Cal.
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Dec 12, 2010 - 11:19am PT
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"The Science Of Breath"
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Dec 12, 2010 - 11:31am PT
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The Voyage of The Beagle by Charles Darwin.
A great adventure book on the account of his travels round the world over 5 years as a young naturalist. Very easy to read and fascinating.
My copy is part of the single volume of the complete works of Darwin recently published with excellent design and manufacturing and sold en' masse through Costco.
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Dec 12, 2010 - 01:36pm PT
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The Greatest Trade Ever - Gregory Zuckerman
John Paulson made $15 billion for his hedge fund including $4 billion for himself buying credit default swaps on junk mortgage securities. Lots of stuff on doubt, timing and tactics. Exciting read.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Dec 12, 2010 - 01:53pm PT
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Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow by Maria Coffey
(the author was the surviving girlfriend of Joe Tasker)
The book "reveals the consequences of loving people who pursue
such risk--the exhilarating highs and inevitable lows, the stress
of long separations, the constant threat of bereavement, and the
lives shattered in the wake of climbing accidents."
Forward by Dr. Thomas Hornbein
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Dec 12, 2010 - 03:10pm PT
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The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 12, 2010 - 03:22pm PT
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Collected Stories and Later Writings of Paul Bowles
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Dec 12, 2010 - 05:57pm PT
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Michael Tolliver lives, Armistead Maupin
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MH2
climber
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Dec 12, 2010 - 08:40pm PT
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Tami,
A possible next book to read:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/arts/08iht-idbriefs9A.6059015.html
I last read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, a remarkable story of a curious youngster growing up in Malawi, including what famine looks like from the inside.
Then I started The Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir, but left it behind at Mom's and will have to get it from the library.
The next book I hope to read is about the tiger in siberia, written by the same guy who wrote about BC's own golden spruce and who, when he heard the story of the tiger, thought to himself, "This is the golden spruce with stripes!"
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Pastrami
Trad climber
Somewhere on this Planet
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Dec 12, 2010 - 10:34pm PT
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The Closing of The Muslim Mind, Robert Reilly
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Dec 13, 2010 - 04:24pm PT
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"Cat in the Hat"...Actually it's CCNA certification for idiots.
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MisterE
Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
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Dec 13, 2010 - 04:25pm PT
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Strider
Trad climber
one of god's mountain temples.... ಠ_ಠ
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Dec 13, 2010 - 04:46pm PT
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The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, Book 1...
Working on Book 2 now.
-n
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Dec 13, 2010 - 04:55pm PT
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Under the Tuscan Sun.
Some parts really good, some parts really dragged. Overall very good though.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 13, 2010 - 05:43pm PT
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I can't remember, it was over a week ago. Might have been that one by Evelyn Wood.
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scuffy b
climber
Three feet higher
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Dec 13, 2010 - 06:02pm PT
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The American Crow and the Common Raven
Lawrence Kilham
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Anywhere I like
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Dec 13, 2010 - 06:28pm PT
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Best book I have read in a long time. Read a few Kesey books, usually pretty good. "Sometimes a Great Notion is a GREAT book, with a slow sart. just keep burning through and it gets soo good.
my recent favorites, Tom Robbins, "Skinny Legs and All"
"the long Walk" about some guys escaping a soviet prison camp in WWII and hiking all the way to India from eastern Siberia. pretty amazing story.
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miss.julienne
climber
Grand Junction, Colorado
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Dec 13, 2010 - 06:30pm PT
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Just Finished Minus 148 Degrees By Art Davidson. First winter ascent of Denali!! Highly reccomended
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 01:19am PT
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"The Five Chinese Brothers" a classic.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Long Beach, CA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 01:22am PT
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Notes from the Underground... again. Just gets better. :)
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Dec 16, 2010 - 02:04am PT
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By Motor to the Golden Gate by Emily Post 1915.
About miss manners adventure by motor car across the United States with her son and sister. It was not written as a funny book but it is pretty dang hilarious.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 02:32am PT
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"Rikitikitembonosairembocheriberiruchipipperipembo" Tragic ending.
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bookworm
Social climber
Falls Church, VA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 11:11am PT
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well, i just finished teaching "hamlet", which i estimate makes about the 30th reading (they're taking their timed writing even as i type)
but i recently finished victor davis hanson's "culture and carnage"--brilliant
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bookworm
Social climber
Falls Church, VA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 11:26am PT
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December 16, 2010 12:00 A.M.
In Defense of the Liberal Arts
The therapeutic Left and the utilitarian Right both do disservice to the humanities.
The liberal arts face a perfect storm. The economy is struggling with obscenely high unemployment and is mired in massive federal and state deficits. Budget cutting won’t spare education.
The public is already angry over fraud, waste, and incompetence in our schools and universities. And in these tough times, taxpayers rightly question everything about traditional education — from teachers’ unions and faculty tenure to the secrecy of university admissions policies to which courses really need to be taught.
Opportunistic private trade schools have sprouted in every community, offering online certification in practical skills without the frills and costs of so-called liberal-arts “electives.”
In response to these challenges, the therapeutic academic Left proved incapable of defending the traditional liberal arts. With three decades of defining the study of literature and history as a melodrama of race, class, and gender oppression, it managed to turn off college students and the general reading public. And, cheek by jowl, the utilitarian Right succeeded in reclassifying business and finance not just as undergraduate majors, but also as core elements in general-education requirements.
In such a climate, it is unsurprising that once again we hear talk of cutting the “non-essentials” in our colleges, such as Latin, Renaissance history, Shakespeare, Plato, Rembrandt, and Chopin. Why do we cling to the arts and humanities in a high-tech world in which we have instant recall at our fingertips through a Google search and such studies do not guarantee sure 21st-century careers?
But the liberal arts train students to write, think, and argue inductively, while drawing upon evidence from a shared body of knowledge. Without that foundation, it is harder to make — or demand from others — logical, informed decisions about managing our supercharged society as it speeds on by.
Citizens — shocked and awed by technological change — become overwhelmed by the Internet chatter, cable news, talk radio, video games, and popular culture of the moment. Without links to our heritage, we in ignorance begin to think that our own modern challenges — the war in Afghanistan, gay marriage, cloning, or massive deficits — are unique and not comparable to those solved in the past.
And without citizens broadly informed by the humanities, we descend into a pyramidal society. A tiny technocratic elite on top crafts everything from cell phones and search engines to foreign policy and economic strategy. A growing mass below has neither understanding of the present complexity nor the basic skills to question what they are told.
During the 1960s and 1970s, committed liberals thought we could short-circuit the process of liberal education by creating advocacy courses with the word “studies” in their names. Black studies, Chicano studies, community studies, environmental studies, leisure studies, peace studies, women’s studies, and hundreds more were designed to turn out more socially responsible young people. Instead, universities have too often graduated zealous advocates who lacked the broad education necessary to achieve their predetermined politicized ends.
On the other hand, pragmatists argued that our 20-year-old future CEOs needed to learn spreadsheets rather than why Homer’s Achilles did not receive the honors he deserved, or how civilization was lost in fifth-century Rome and 1930s Germany. But Latin or a course in rhetoric might better teach a would-be captain of industry how to dazzle his audience than a class in Microsoft PowerPoint.
The more instantaneous our technology, the more we are losing the ability to communicate. Twitter and text-messaging result in economy of expression, not in clarity or beauty. Millions are becoming premodern — communicating in electronic grunts that substitute for effective and dignified expression. Indeed, by inventing new abbreviations and linguistic shortcuts, we are losing a shared written language altogether, in a way analogous to the fragmentation of Latin as the Roman Empire imploded into tribal provinces. No wonder the public is drawn to stories like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, in which characters speak beautifully and believe in age-old values.
Life is not just acquisition and consumption. Engaging English prose uplifts the spirit in a way Twittering cannot. The anti-Christ video shown by the Smithsonian at the National Portrait Gallery will fade when the Delphic Charioteer or Michelangelo’s David does not. Appreciation of the history of great art and music fortifies the soul, and recognizes beauty that does not fade with the passing fad.
America has lots of problems. A population immersed in and informed by literature, history, art, and music is not one of them.
— Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University
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scuffy b
climber
Three feet higher
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Dec 16, 2010 - 11:33am PT
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Ah, Wayno.
Whenever I hear or read the word "smother" I think of that brother in
the oven with whipped cream.
It's Marcia Wise Brown, right?
She also did the best version of Stone Soup.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 03:01pm PT
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I just looked it up Skuffy, Claire Huchet Bishop wrote it. It seems that there was some controversy as to how the Chinese were depicted to children. Not PC enough for today's kids.
The other one was actually,"Tikki Tikki Tembo..." by Arlene Mosul. I can't spell words longer than 19 letters.
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lars johansen
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 08:39pm PT
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Roberto Bolano's 2666, a fictional study of the proliferation of violent murders on the US Mexico border, mostly of young women. These terrible events remain unexplained and largely unsolved.
Roberto Bolano is now gaining popularity as a writer unfortunately after his premature death from hard living. Also check out The Savage Detectives.
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damage
Social climber
olympia, wa
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Dec 16, 2010 - 10:34pm PT
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Anything sci-fi with spaceships
but,
Kafka on the Shore was recommended to me. It's very good.
Postcards from the trailor park, gave me some good laughs.
Just started.
Postcards from the ledge,
The six alpine/himalayan climbing books,
Glacier mountaineering, An illustrated guide
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Bad Climber
climber
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Dec 18, 2010 - 03:55pm PT
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Great thread--and a literate bunch of Tacos!
I'm currently on an Afghanistan binge:
Just finished War by Sebastian Junger--an absolute MUST read. That the US abandoned the Korengal Valley where all these terrible firefights take place leaves me to believe our efforts there are doomed, just like the Russians. Junger doesn't take much of a stand on the right or wrong or genesis of the war, although his sense of desperation comes through at times. It's mostly a record of what front line soldiers go through--riveting.
Just started Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. I'm a big fan of Krakauer's work, and the Pat Tillman story is a tragic, compelling tale.
Last novel: A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore---good!
BAd
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Dec 18, 2010 - 04:43pm PT
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not all so literate...reading Life/Keith Richards. surprisingly articulate for someone who can barely speak.
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dogtown
Trad climber
JackAssVille, Wyoming
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Dec 18, 2010 - 08:35pm PT
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Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommels, book and wrtings.
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Skeptimistic
Mountain climber
La Mancha
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Dec 18, 2010 - 10:54pm PT
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Travell & Simmons "Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction"
About to start "The Art of Racing in the Rain"
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
Its about the Vietnam war. Exceptional. It took him 40 years to write it. It just came out in paperback.
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NigelSSI
Trad climber
B.C.
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Claudius the God
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada City, CA
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Mariposa by Greg Bear
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Gal
Trad climber
a semi lucid consciousness
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"Cutting for Stone" -it was ok, but...
I would now like to read "postcards from the trailer park" from the above recommendation, I hope it to be hilarious ;).
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Zero History William Gibson
-a must read if you're into post-cyberpunk in a contemporary setting.
Tell us more Sully. I vaguely remember liking that one.
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sempervirens
climber
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Forever on the Mountain. It's a very good read about the 1966 tragedy on Mt McKinley, published in 2007, sorry I forget the author's name. The book kinda makes Brad Washburn look like an egotistical jealous climber spouting out about his superiority at Degnan's deli on a rainy winter day.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Wade...I heard Keith Richards on Fresh Air and was moved to buy the audiobook. I don't even like the Rolling Stones. I hope it's as good as the interview.
We listened to Juliet, Naked last weekend. Easy fun, as is generally true of Nick Hornby books.
I love the Bean Trees. Sully, why does it make you shudder?
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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'Unbroken' by Laura Hillenbrand. Excellent story about the life of Louie Zamparini. She also wrote 'Seabiscuit' another gem.
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sac
Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
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A Passion for Mountains.
The lives of Don and Phyllis Munday.
By Kathryn Bridge.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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speaking of NPR, anyone catch Ray Davies on Morning edition the other day? Class act, all the way!
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Ashcroft
Trad climber
SLC, UT
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Forever on the Mountain. It's a very good read about the 1966 tragedy on Mt McKinley, published in 2007, sorry I forget the author's name. The book kinda makes Brad Washburn look like an egotistical jealous climber spouting out about his superiority at Degnan's deli on a rainy winter day.
Coincidentally, i just read this too. For a slightly different perspective, you might read Hall of the Mountain King by Howard Snyder. (I'm not saying Snyder's perspective is more objective, just different.)
Both these got me curious about another McKinley epic earlier that year, so I also read Minus 148 Degrees by Art Davidson. I recommend that as well.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Treasure of the Sierra Madre......B Travens............ Great read and alittle different from the Bogart movie.
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sempervirens
climber
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thanks Ashcroft, I'll look for those two books.
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bookworm
Social climber
Falls Church, VA
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Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors
about the last great naval battle of ww2 (and history)...will bring you to tears
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Foxy Lady-
Truth, memory and the death of Western yachtsmen in Democratic Kampuchea.
By David Kattenburg
Just published and an excellent read. Story revolves around the capture of 8 sailors on 4 different sailboats in the Gulf of Thailand off Cambodia in the late 70s and subsequent torture and death.
Excellent history of Cambodia during this reign of terror.
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Tobia
Social climber
GA
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Same here Andy but only reading one right now.
The Wooden World by N.A.M. Rodgers
Just finished Columbus GA 1865.... by Charles Musilia
About to start WAter for Elephants by Sara Gruen
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scuffy b
climber
dissected alluvial deposits, late Pleistocene
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Just finished The Prairie Falcon,
just starting another lap on Life On A Little-known Planet.
But, I just bought a copy of The Bean Trees. I guess I'll probably like it,
hate it or something else.
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Star Island, Carl Hiaasen, now 80% through. All his books are hilarious albeit a bit demented. Amazing scenes of chaos and some classic recurring characters such as "Skink", the former governor of Florida, now a recluse living in a swamp off of road kills.
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NigelSSI
Trad climber
B.C.
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I'm about 1/2 way through zero history now, Jaybro. Enjoying it.
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treeman
climber
mule city
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The Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau- a 14 year old girl's view of life growing up in Santa Barbara in the 70s.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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The Billionaires Wine
LOL, this cracked me up, good read!
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Something by Hunter S. Thompson;
I can't say I remember... most of it.
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seneca
climber
jamais, jamais pays
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The Wind-up Girl, Paulo Bacigalupi
Great Sci-Fi
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Ecric B I got that for xmas, the meeting of Skink and Chemo, too funny! Like all of those KH books.
Nigel did you read pattern recognition or Spook Countryfirst? I'm going back over it
(PR) for details on the ZH characters. since I read it 5-6 yrs ago...
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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"Wild Swans", J. Chang
Memoir of three generations of Chinese women; feudal, communist, and post Mao. Very good book. I was visiting China so it seemed like a good idea to read something. If even half of the book is true Mao was one scary dude. Thirty years in the jungle fighting for revolution side by side and shoulder to shoulder, then one day he orders your best friend to kill you because he feels threatened. Sounds like some people I know. lol
Back in the USA yesterday. Hey, what happened to summer here?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Not the most recent, but in the las few weeks
Maculated's Kiss Every Frog
Two Thumbs up!
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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My boy Jake has insisted I read the "Lemony Snickets" series. I have read 4 in the last 2 weeks, #2, #4, #5 and #6.
It's a series of "unfortunate events".
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Oxymoron
Big Wall climber
total Disarray
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Anansi Boys- Neil Gaiman.
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NigelSSI
Trad climber
B.C.
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Jaybro, I read Pattern Recognition a few months ago, so all that was still pretty fresh, but have yet to get my hands on a copy of Spook Country. Wonder what I missed there? ...
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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I'm going to reread all three as one book, I think. There's a lot in there.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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The Rivers Ran East by Leonard Clark.. one of the true explorers of our century..
this is his account of traveling through unknown jungle down the Amazon from the Cordillera takes place after the second world war. Crazy fearless.
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silentone
Mountain climber
wisconsin
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Unbroken
Great story of Louis Zamperini the long distance runner and ww2 POW.
S.O.
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Oxymoron
Big Wall climber
total Disarray
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A passage To India-EM Forster.
Slow but steady.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Currently reading the Journals (1952-2000) of Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. My wife and I were in a dollar store a few weeks ago, and I wandered over to their book shelf. There I found five pristine unused copies of this expensive book ($40+) for $.99 each. I consider this a real bargain! It's too bad more Americans don't have a sense of the value of our collective history (right, Kerwin?). Fascinating descriptions of life within the Kennedy Administration, anecdotes, etc.
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adam d
climber
The Bears, CA
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I'm just starting the new TC Boyle novel, When the Killing's Done, set on the Channel Islands. Time to stop looking at this and get back to it!
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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Dood, TY for your post, Gunfighters Highwaymen & Vigilantes(Violence on the Frontier) - Roger D. McGrath I'll have to find it. I've read lots similar.. especially liked "Men to Match Their Mountains" Irving Stone
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Bargainhunter
climber
Central California
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Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies, 9th ed.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Not the last book I read, but recent, very good, and highly recomended: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff.
I now have so much more respect for Elizabeth Taylor.
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Bad Climber
climber
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Jun 12, 2011 - 10:44pm PT
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+1 for Unbroken--simply freakin' tastic.
Workin' on another WWII story: Operation Mincemeat about a secret plot to fool the Nazi's about the allied invasion of Sicily. Really, really, ridiculously big fun--and all true.
BAd
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Jun 12, 2011 - 11:50pm PT
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Walleye: Re your read---Sometimes a Great Notion.
I have to hunt that book down and read it again.
I last enjoyed it sometime in the 1970's.
Still on my "best reads ever" list.
Ohyeah. What I have read lately?
Several Sci-fi novels, and I am also working through: "Minerals of Idaho" by Earl Shannon. Original unread book from 1922.
I know it is unread: because when it was printed, the pages were not cut when it was bound.
Read two pages, cut the next two pages open, and repeat.
The thrill of discovery.
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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Jul 26, 2011 - 01:40am PT
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I did not like how Opra handled this whole thing so I re read A Million Little Pieces by Frey. It was even better the second time around.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Jul 26, 2011 - 01:43am PT
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Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe...Liked it.
Tortilla Flat...Like a pre-draft for Cannery Row. OK, but opt for a more mature choice if you're not already deep into your list of Steinbeck options.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Jul 26, 2011 - 10:18am PT
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The First World War by John Keegan. Working on The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell, this is a very interesting book.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 26, 2011 - 10:47am PT
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Wings of Steel, it's being serialized on ST.
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Gal
Trad climber
a semi lucid consciousness
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Jul 26, 2011 - 11:01am PT
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"What is the What" about Valentino Achek Deng, a "lost boy" from Sudan. Pretty fascinating.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
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Jul 26, 2011 - 11:45am PT
|
"When a crocodile eats the sun", a memoir by Peter Godwin. About the fall of Zimbabwe into the hands of Robert Mugabe and the devastation it caused when they started killing off white farmers and destroying their land and crops. Zimbabwe was once the bread basket of Africa with it's farms until that happened.
Devastating but an engrossing read.
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Jul 26, 2011 - 11:47am PT
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jitterbug perfume by tom robbins. cant recommend it enough. brilliant.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 26, 2011 - 11:57am PT
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Fluoride,
When my Rhodesian friend comes over next week I'll ask her if she's read
it. I rather suspect not. She is Jewish and it turns out there was a
sizeable Jewish community there. I would have thought there would be an
interesting story in that but she has never related much of what one would
expect. Of course, she was barely a teen when they left what to her had been
a fairly idyllic existence.
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David Knopp
Trad climber
CA
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Jul 26, 2011 - 01:34pm PT
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Fluoride you should read Godwin's " Mukiwa " the first book of his memoirs-i found it even better than crocodile... about his childhood, more mystical, intense about his military service.
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