What have you read recently?

[51notout]

Layered Money: by Nik Bhatia.

Finished this today. Very short read but gives a good explanation of the different layers of money. Stuff I hadn’t really thought about or known. I’m certain many on this board will know the first half of the content - origin of money layers, collapses etc.

2nd half of the book gives details of how digital currencies will fit into the money layers.

 

[Lsbcal]

The Future of Humanity: by Michio Kaku

Finished this a few days ago. It’s about terraforming Mars, interstellar travel, immortality and our destiny beyond earth. Surprisingly readable and interesting topics. I liked it a lot.

Was it good science?

 

[51notout]

Was it good science?

Well it’s some futuristic stuff so “good science” might be a stretch [emoji3]

 

[bigreader]

I lost the thread when we switched over here. I don't know if it's already been mentioned but Michael Lewis' (Moneyball, Big Short...) latest book, focusing in on the leadup to the pandemic, is a must read. The Premonition is a blistering indictment of the US health care system, the CDC, and bureaucratic institutions at all levels. At the same time it heaps well deserved praise on heroes struggling to do right within and outside of those institutions. There is almost nothing about Trump in this book - [Mod Edit] But there are lots of villains and action heroes. Interestingly, George W Bush performs well in this arena.

Agree that this is worth a read.
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[51notout]

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The solutions we have and the breakthroughs we need. by Bill Gates.

I really like the way Gates thinks about getting to solutions. The book examines what we have and what’s needed in order to negate the greenhouse gas issues. Should be mandatory reading for all politicians, not necessarily for Gates’ specific technical solutions, but for the planning thought process to get to net zero emissions.

Recommend

 

[CoolRich59]

Just finishing up "Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins. I picked it up because I had seen it promoted in a lot of places and it has a huge number of positive reviews on Amazon.

Goggins definitely has an incredible story: growing up in an abusive home, then escaping with his mom but then forced to live in poverty; he then managed to get into the Navy and went through SEAL training - three times! He also went through the Army's Ranger school for good measure. During his time in the Navy, he also became an ultramarathoner.

But, as the book winds down, I have to say that I'm liking Goggins less and less. He wears his "extremism" as a badge of honor (he even manages to alienate his fellow SEALs) and I think his recommendations to ignore the pain and warning signals our bodies give us are downright dangerous. It's one thing to "suck it up and keep going", it's something else to advocate taking shots to mask the pain of a broken patella or wrapping your feet and ankles with tape to compensate for stress fractures. After one race, he was urinating blood and bile, but refused to go to the ER because he said he wanted to relish the ordeal and "I knew if we went to the hospital they’d give me pain killers and I didn’t want to mask this pain".

I haven't finished the book and don't know if he moderates his views; if not, I worry that someone following him could end up in the hospital or dead.

 

[bigreader]

I highly recommendEmpire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. It is a history of the Sackler family who owned Purdue Pharmacy, which contributed mightily to the opioid epidemic.
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[scrabbler1]

I just finished reading, "Seaver," by Bill Madden. The biography of Hall of Fame Mets pitcher Tom Seaver was a good read, an enlightening one about the man who achieved a lot while going through some ordeals along the way. He enjoyed a good life after his playing days ended in 1986 before he suffered from dementia in his final months.

 

[scrabbler1]

I also just finished "The Indispensables," by Patrick K. O'Donnell. These were the soldier-marines who greatly helped George Washington and the Americans win the early battles in the American Revolution. Part of them being expert boatmen, they were the ones who helped the trapped Continental Army escape from Brooklyn to Manhattan and avoid capture by the British. Later, they got Washington's army across a nearly frozen Delaware River to engage in a surprise attack and defeat of the Hessians in the Battle of Trenton (New Jersey), a battle which changed the trajectory of the war.

Awesome read.

 

[Koogie]

Had a quiet week on holiday at the cottage last week and managed to get five and a half books done.

Confessions of a Long Distance Sailor - Paul Lutus. Can't remember how I found this book (if it was here I apologize). Mostly written in a diary format as he sailed 1.25 times around the world. The author is a fairly oblivious computer nerd type (made millions by selling a computer program to a startup "fruit company" if you know what I mean) and I finished the book despite him. Would not read again and do not recommend.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession. Allison Hoover Bartlett. This was originally written as an investigative magazine piece and it shows. Way too padded out to make it book length. An interesting story but it could have been adequately explored in 50 or 75 pages. An one point she says she was inspired by the book "The Orchid Thief" which I have also read. It is far superior and would recommend it instead of this book.

The British Lion - Tony Schumacher. A detective story set in an alternative London after the fall of the UK to the Nazis during WW2. I am a sucker for alternate history settings and the added bonus is this guy can actually write really well (something not all alternate history authors can do). It is sort of the mirror image of the novel "Fatherland" with Reich Detective Xavier March if anyone has read that. Would recommend this one and will read the other in the series sometime.

The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch. Went into this one not expecting much as it seemed a really fanciful fantasy setting. It was excellent. One of the better books I have read in a long time. The ability this guy has to do world building is incredible. The city of Camorr (modeled on Venice) comes alive. It is also "adult fantasy" along the lines of GOT and GRRM. Lots of swearing, violence and sex. Apparently Lynch has a full series of these novels and they are incredibly successful. I'll definitely be reading more.

The Lost Valley of Iskander - Robert E. Howard. Just an adventure short story set in the Afghan hills. REH was one of my favorite authors as a child (he was one of the seminal pulp fantasy writers and the creator of Conan). So much so that as a teenager I made a 1600 mile journey to Cross Plains, TX in my old beatup Civic to see his hometown and grave. Anyway, I came across this short story that I hadn't read in about 35 years and enjoyed it again.

The Doors of Eden - Adrian Tchaikovsky. DNF. A decent sci-fi premise about parallel earths and divergent paths of evolution. However, the author is way too impressed with his own cleverness and often disappeared down useless tangents. Add in a hefty dollop of progressive politics and poor character development and I gave up halfway through. Heartily do not recommend.

 

[rpguy4]

Utopia Avenue

Was given this book to read by a concert going buddy friend of mine titled Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell.

The plot of the book : a Canadian record producer named Levon Frankland is sent off to England / UK to find the next greatest rock band in the late 1960s (after the Beatles and the Stones). Levon ends up bringing 4 individuals together to form a new band that he thinks has some great potential.

Here is a NPR interview with the author :
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/11/889862161/utopia-avenue-the-greatest-sixties-band-that-never-was

It was an enjoyable read once I got past all the British slang and euphemisms. 2nd half of the book was better than the 1st half in my opinion. Book was published in July 2020. BTW, the band Utopia Avenue never existed.

 

[51notout]

Four Fifths a Grizzly by Douglas Chadwick.

Nonfiction.

It’s about the connections humans have to nature (how much DNA we share). Maybe it was me and I wasn’t really getting into the book, but it seemed like a lot of lists to me. A bit boring until the last couple of chapters.

Meh.

 

[brett]

Nazis on the Run. Gerard Steinacher.

How Nazi war criminals escaped Germany/Austria, through to Italy and then to South America with much assistance, financial and otherwise, from the various Allied secret services and from the Church.

 

[51notout]

What have you read recently? 2021

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

Alexander von Humboldt’s New World

I absolutely loved this book! It’s basically a biography of Humboldt the explorer and scientist and his travels and influences. He was a global superstar of his time and throughout his life (90 years old when he died). He influenced so many including Charles Darwin, Thoreau, Muir, Wordsworth, Simon Bolivar, Jefferson, etc, etc. and the book has tangents into some of these peoples lives too which I also enjoyed.

The descriptions of his voyages where excellent. I found Humboldt’s life riveting and recommend this book highly. I learnt a lot and I’ll read this one again [emoji3]

 

[MuirWannabe]

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

Alexander von Humboldt’s New World

I absolutely loved this book! It’s basically a biography of Humboldt the explorer and scientist and his travels and influences. He was a global superstar of his time and throughout his life (90 years old when he died). He influenced so many including Charles Darwin, Thoreau, Muir, Wordsworth, Simon Bolivar, Jefferson, etc, etc. and the book has tangents into some of these peoples lives too which I also enjoyed.

The descriptions of his voyages where excellent. I found Humboldt’s life riveting and recommend this book highly. I learnt a lot and I’ll read this one again [emoji3]

Yes, great book. His life was so interesting. Quite a worldwide famous man pre WWI and WWII. Not much anymore, although lots of mountains, forests, and other places still bear his name.

 

[scrabbler1]

After reading "The Indispensables," a few weeks ago, I just finished the second of 2 recent books about the American Revolution. It's titled, "The Compleat Victory: Saratoga and the American Revolution," by Kevin Weddle. It kinda picks up where the earlier book leaves off.

Saratoga was actually several smaller battles in the upstate New York region, including the Albany area and nearby Bennington, Vermont. While the American forces did quite well in securing the win over the British forces, there were many British screw-ups which helped out the Americans.

Having played the Avalon Hill board game "1776" back in the late 1970s (it's an American Revolution simulation game), it was great reading about the backstory in more detail. It also explains certain things in the board game such as the schedule of reinforcements for each side, especially the Americans during the Saratoga Campaign.

The last book in this trilogy is titled, "Winning Independence," by John Ferling. I'll start reading that one in another week or two.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

We're opening new versions of our long running threads so that they'll load faster on phones. Old version is here: https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/what-have-you-read-recently-2009-2020-a-43066.html

My rotary phones don't load threads so I don't have to worry about how fast this loads.
I'm in the third book (Rampage) of a three-part series by John Sanford & Michele Cook.

Uncaged
Outrage
Rampage

I have almost all of John (Camp) Sandford's novels and I really enjoy it when a new one comes out.

 

[Luvtoride]

I'm in the third book (Rampage) of a three-part series by John Sanford & Michele Cook.

Uncaged
Outrage
Rampage

I have almost all of John (Camp) Sandford's novels and I really enjoy it when a new one comes out.

I used to be that way with John Clancy’s novels, despite the books being huge and I would carry them with me to read during my commutes (days before audio and e-books).

These days I’m more into Psychological Thrillers like Turn of the Key (Ruth Ware), the Silent Wife (Karin Slaughter) the Chain (Adrian McKinty),Sometimes I Lie (Alice Feeney).

Also read and listen to a lot of non-fiction like Mobituaries (Mo Rocca) and Truth Worth Telling (Scott Pelley of 60 minutes). So much great stuff to read, but not enough time….I need to Retire soon!

 

[RetireeRobert]

The Simple Truth by David Baldacci. Mystery. Baldacci is my new go to author after I pretty much read everything C J Box has written.

 

[brett]

Tunnel 29. Helena Merriman.

Non fiction about a tunnel under the Berlin wall.

Also watched her multipart series on BBC web and the original NBC documentary on utube.

Easy read.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

I used to be that way with John Clancy’s novels, despite the books being huge.
So much great stuff to read, but not enough time….I need to Retire soon!

Not familiar with John Clancy. Is he any relation to Tom Clancy?

 

[Luvtoride]

Not familiar with John Clancy. Is he any relation to Tom Clancy?

Duh, thanks…it’s been too long since Tom was alive and wrote those great books. I haven’t found another writer quite like him although there are some very good ones in that genre.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Duh, thanks…it’s been too long since Tom was alive and wrote those great books. I haven’t found another writer quite like him although there are some very good ones in that genre.

I like Tom Clancy novels. I stopped reading them after he died but they continued to publish books like "Tom Clancy's... in ..." and kept on using his characters in books written by others.

I like Lee Child as well. Need to find more of his books to read.

 

[Qs Laptop]

The Simple Truth by David Baldacci. Mystery. Baldacci is my new go to author after I pretty much read everything C J Box has written.

I've been rotating Baldacci novels into my reading for about two years now. Great plots, good characters. L-O-N-G books. So far I've read:

Absolute Power (made into a movie in the 90's with Clint Eastwood)
The Winner
Total Control
Saving Faith
Camel Club
The Collectors (found the old guys in Camel Club books to be a bit cutesy and too sharp for reality, haven't continued with series.)
Memory Man (didn't like the slobbish main character, has gimmicky superpower, quit the series)
One Good Deed (promising series set in post WWII, will probably continue)
Long Road to Mercy (another character with a superpower, but might continue.)
Split Second (really like the two main characters and their interplay in these books.)
Hour Game


On the other hand I've only read one book by C.J. Box, "Open Season", which I enjoyed but haven't been back. I should probably keep going with Mr. Box.

 

[MuirWannabe]

On the other hand I've only read one book by C.J. Box, "Open Season", which I enjoyed but haven't been back. I should probably keep going with Mr. Box.

Yes, you should. And you started the right Box series. The Joe Pickett series is his best. I’ve read them all and really enjoyed it.