What nonfiction book are you currently reading?

JBrainard

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I'm about half way through Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind.
So far it's focused mostly on the black metal scene of the early 90's. Crazy stuff.
 

Sukerkin

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The badly titled but very good "Secrets of the Samurai" by Ratti and Westbrook.

It's a wonderful book physically too, hessian covered and protected by a box (first edition too).

It used to belong to Sensei Shaw, who sadly passed a few years ago and was leant to me by my Sensei - I can still smell in the pages the roll-up tobacco he used to smoke. All that adds to the emotional and sensory experience that reading should be, even when you're learning :).
 

crushing

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Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher. It's very interesting and gets into the history and science of beer as well as various styles and food pairings. It was a thoughtful gift from my beer mentor in celebration of my birthday last month.
 

stickarts

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Barbara Walters autobiography. Dull in some spots, too much infomation in other spots, but overall interesting. The audiobook helps to pass the long commutes to work. :0)
 

blindsage

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Started and trying to get through the Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith. A friend and I are trying to follow a 'book club' on-line for it with commentary by a couple economists.

Also catching up on the backlog of newsletters my sifu has been writing since '92 and has up on his website, great stuff.
 
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arnisador

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The Language of Physics: The Calculus and the Development of Theoretical Physics in Europe, 1750-1914, Elizabeth Garber
 

Sukerkin

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Started and trying to get through the Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith. A friend and I are trying to follow a 'book club' on-line for it with commentary by a couple economists.

Also catching up on the backlog of newsletters my sifu has been writing since '92 and has up on his website, great stuff.


Good luck with Smith :D. I have been accused many times in my life of speaking and writing with an 'archaic' form but even I, who studied Chaucer in English Literature, find C18th English hard going at times :lol:.

Despite some of it's precepts underpinning aspects of economic thinking, I've not read Moral Sentients, other than the odd abstract or two in Economic History, so please let me know what you learn :tup:.
 

girlbug2

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The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, both by Michael Pollan. He has a very lyrical style, turning what could be dry or tedious subject matter into something almost poetic. Reminds me of Epitaph for a Peach by Masumoto.

Quite thought provoking, they made me take a look at some things I'd taken for granted. Now I'm firmly in the Organic camp, when I can afford it, with a renewed committment to growing as much of my own food as possible.
 

blindsage

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I also just pulled out a book that's been sitting on my shelf for a while and decided to breeze through it- Bare Fists: The History of Bare-Knuckle Prize-Fighting by Bob Mee. Interesting so far.
 

teekin

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The Language of Physics: The Calculus and the Development of Theoretical Physics in Europe, 1750-1914, Elizabeth Garber

You read this for Pleasure ?! Yikes :yoda: Dude. Try Alice Through the Looking Glass( Lewis Carroll) or The Penal Colony (Kafka) Give your brain a rest.:uhyeah:
lori
 
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arnisador

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It's OK, but poorly edited--lots of typos and grammatical faux pas slipped through!
 

teekin

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Arni this is for you :

[SIZE=+1]The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1] "The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one[/SIZE]
 

Ken Morgan

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Someone here mentioned Dune a while back. I finally got off my *** and picked up a copy. I only passed it in the books store a few thousand times. 65 pages into it, OK so far. I'm more a fantasy then Scifi type guy. Oh crap.....non fiction..oh well
 

stickarts

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"My Remarkable Journey" by Larry King Enjoyable so far but some of the stories get a bit long and drawn out. Interesting though overall so far.
 

crushing

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The Brewmaster's Table - Garrett Oliver. It is subtitled "Discovering the pleasures of real beer with real food". I've never heard of many of the foods he is talking about pairing with various styles of beer. So I'm a googling fool looking up various dishes Mr. Oliver mentions. Now I'm hungry! lol
 

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