I read a lot of the suggestions when I started the last thread. I was hoping to get it started up again.
- What are your favourite books & why?
- What have you read recently/would you recommend it?
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- My favourite fiction book is "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. I read it when I was 16 and it actually changed my life. It's an extremely long book (1400 pages at like size 10 font lol), and it has some insanely boring parts, but the good parts more than make up for it. She also makes an amazing case for selfishness being a virtue instead of a vice.
- My favourite (said loosely because it's constantly changing) non-fiction book would probably be "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. It gives a pretty fair overlay and the facts are pretty well-researched for such a non-specialized topic. It isn't the best read ever, but he's not a bad writer, either. I like a lot of the topics he covers (even in other books). I really enjoyed "Troublesome Words" by him. It makes for a really good pick-up book. It explains and covers almost all of the most common grammatical errors, words that are spelt wrong, and phrases that are said wrong. At the very least, I can't see this being a bad investment for anyone's writing.
I just finished reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall (suggested by a gtam member) and it was actually one of the best non-fiction reads I've had in a while. It's infused with general facts (ie the most biomechanically efficient way to run with a water bottle is not with it in your hand, but squeezed between your arm and body). It also has plenty of mini-biographies on marathon runners that drive his point home (there's an amazing story about this Olympic runner who got sick and decided to skip the olympics...but he changed his mind last minute and caught a cab to the field. The traffic was horrendous, so this guy hopped out of the cab and ran a pretty good distance to the race. Then with a couple of minutes to spare, he got there, ran the race and even ended up setting a new world record). Lastly, he tells a story about a race between some of the best ultrarunners in the world that was set up in the middle of bum**** nowhere, with no sponsors, no bs, and just running. The narrative was actually just as gripping and suspenseful as a fiction book.
I didn't want to go into too much detail, but I'd highly recommend it. It also has some amazing insights on running. I switched to vibrams a couple of months ago (they're the shoes with individual toes) and the philosophy behind these shoes is right in line with the point that McDougall not only makes, but experiences first-hand. I no longer get back pain from running and I'm actually back to competitive times (which I haven't done since I was grade 5 and really into cross country). I noticed the change, but the book explained why.
Before this book, I read "The Genius in All of Us" by David Shenk. It was recommended by a psychologist who's arguably the leading expert on child development (he's also re-designed policies for Ontario childcare). The book represents a major shift in psychology and I think this is one of the best reads that a parent can have (and I've read A LOT of literature on psychology, in general). Shenk makes the argument that the outcome of a person isn't determined by nature or nurture, but with the interaction of the two. He claims that "talent" is bs and challenges the widely-held belief that we're born with certain skills (nature) and that we learn to work with what we have (nurture). There's a major shift in child development psychology that's been happening for the past 5 years and this author (as well as the one doctor who recommended it) are actually at the forefront of it. If anything, the book's a good read for a parent with a young child/baby.
- I also got to read about halfway through "4 Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferris. I was skeptical to read it because a lot of self-help-themed books tend to be very disappointing for me (they rarely teach me anything that's new or could've been figured out through common sense lol). I only read it 'cause I finished a book too early and a co-worker literally handed it to me. It was a lot better than I thought it'd be and one of the points that stuck with me is that the author says how the most unrealistic goals are actually more achievable, if you think about it: the competition's fiercist for mediocre goals because they're "realistic". Case in point: think of your cute friends and think of any dimes that you know. Who gets hit on the most? The cute friend because she seems like a more likely option. Entry level positions are also harder to get into for that reason. If anyone's read this book through, is it worth reading through the second half?
----------------------------------------
Sometimes I go through a couple of books a week, so reviews and recommendations are highly welcomed!
Also, sorry for the long post...I tried bolding it to make it easier to skim through
edit: FUQ, what are the chances that someone else made a similar thread. Sorry mods. But in my defense, I'm not just looking for summer reads
- What are your favourite books & why?
- What have you read recently/would you recommend it?
---------------------------------------
- My favourite fiction book is "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. I read it when I was 16 and it actually changed my life. It's an extremely long book (1400 pages at like size 10 font lol), and it has some insanely boring parts, but the good parts more than make up for it. She also makes an amazing case for selfishness being a virtue instead of a vice.
- My favourite (said loosely because it's constantly changing) non-fiction book would probably be "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. It gives a pretty fair overlay and the facts are pretty well-researched for such a non-specialized topic. It isn't the best read ever, but he's not a bad writer, either. I like a lot of the topics he covers (even in other books). I really enjoyed "Troublesome Words" by him. It makes for a really good pick-up book. It explains and covers almost all of the most common grammatical errors, words that are spelt wrong, and phrases that are said wrong. At the very least, I can't see this being a bad investment for anyone's writing.
I just finished reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall (suggested by a gtam member) and it was actually one of the best non-fiction reads I've had in a while. It's infused with general facts (ie the most biomechanically efficient way to run with a water bottle is not with it in your hand, but squeezed between your arm and body). It also has plenty of mini-biographies on marathon runners that drive his point home (there's an amazing story about this Olympic runner who got sick and decided to skip the olympics...but he changed his mind last minute and caught a cab to the field. The traffic was horrendous, so this guy hopped out of the cab and ran a pretty good distance to the race. Then with a couple of minutes to spare, he got there, ran the race and even ended up setting a new world record). Lastly, he tells a story about a race between some of the best ultrarunners in the world that was set up in the middle of bum**** nowhere, with no sponsors, no bs, and just running. The narrative was actually just as gripping and suspenseful as a fiction book.
I didn't want to go into too much detail, but I'd highly recommend it. It also has some amazing insights on running. I switched to vibrams a couple of months ago (they're the shoes with individual toes) and the philosophy behind these shoes is right in line with the point that McDougall not only makes, but experiences first-hand. I no longer get back pain from running and I'm actually back to competitive times (which I haven't done since I was grade 5 and really into cross country). I noticed the change, but the book explained why.
Before this book, I read "The Genius in All of Us" by David Shenk. It was recommended by a psychologist who's arguably the leading expert on child development (he's also re-designed policies for Ontario childcare). The book represents a major shift in psychology and I think this is one of the best reads that a parent can have (and I've read A LOT of literature on psychology, in general). Shenk makes the argument that the outcome of a person isn't determined by nature or nurture, but with the interaction of the two. He claims that "talent" is bs and challenges the widely-held belief that we're born with certain skills (nature) and that we learn to work with what we have (nurture). There's a major shift in child development psychology that's been happening for the past 5 years and this author (as well as the one doctor who recommended it) are actually at the forefront of it. If anything, the book's a good read for a parent with a young child/baby.
- I also got to read about halfway through "4 Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferris. I was skeptical to read it because a lot of self-help-themed books tend to be very disappointing for me (they rarely teach me anything that's new or could've been figured out through common sense lol). I only read it 'cause I finished a book too early and a co-worker literally handed it to me. It was a lot better than I thought it'd be and one of the points that stuck with me is that the author says how the most unrealistic goals are actually more achievable, if you think about it: the competition's fiercist for mediocre goals because they're "realistic". Case in point: think of your cute friends and think of any dimes that you know. Who gets hit on the most? The cute friend because she seems like a more likely option. Entry level positions are also harder to get into for that reason. If anyone's read this book through, is it worth reading through the second half?
----------------------------------------
Sometimes I go through a couple of books a week, so reviews and recommendations are highly welcomed!
Also, sorry for the long post...I tried bolding it to make it easier to skim through
edit: FUQ, what are the chances that someone else made a similar thread. Sorry mods. But in my defense, I'm not just looking for summer reads
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