The Book Thread

[sumi]

----------------
On 4/18/2004 10:29:57 PM wallace wrote:

Oh,

Foucault's Pendulum and Everything by Umberto Eco. Just finished Baudolino.



----------------

....and we can't mention Umberto Eco with bringing up The Name of The Rose!

 

[wallace]

OF COURSE NOT!!!! It's just that it's its own thread = in it's own right! You are a devotee of Eco!

Excuse me, but every time I see your posts I think of Sumi Jo - the most amazing contemporary Queen of the Night.

Is Sumi your first/christian name or your last/surname?

Should we start an Eco thread?

 

[sumi]

----------------
On 4/19/2004 1:58:25 AM wallace wrote:

OF COURSE NOT!!!! It's just that it's its own thread = in it's own right! You are a devotee of Eco!

Excuse me, but every time I see your posts I think of Sumi Jo - the most amazing contemporary Queen of the Night.

Is Sumi your first/christian name or your last/surname?

Should we start an Eco thread?
----------------

Sumi is my cat's name.

My cat is black and sumi means charcoal in Japanese.


I am aware of Sumi Jo though. My college roommate was a music major and a HUGE Sumi Jo fan.

 

[kkeen15]

Anybody read the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card??? I read the entire series about six months ago, and I would definitely recommend them!!

Pretty much my favorite book...Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston.

Ever read Stranger In A Strange Land, by Heinlein??? I finished it last week... It was great until he started having sex w/ everbody, lol...I don't really understand what the author's goal for the reader was in taking the book in that direction.

 

[winyan]

Hi there Kkeen15. I've read OSC, but I, like you with 'Stranger' have a problem with him. I don't like the trail of child abuse virtually all his books contain.

*shiver*

win

 

[wallace]

One of the funniest books I ever read was the Illuminatus Trilogy - I always forget the author's name b/c it's not that hard! Alan Something...

One of best-written (contemporary) books I had read in a long, long time was Love, War, and Circuses by Eric Scigliano. It an history of the relationship between man and elephants - I know, it sounds... yeah - but the writing is exceptional, the research - it's not a hard-core green book - it's a book dedicated to an animal that is loved and appreciated by an international journalist. Very Good - even if you do not care overmuch about elephants!

The book I am reading now is my current best written contemporary book since: King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild. An history of the Congo under Belgian colonialism. Excellent!!! My friend who doesn't like to read much could't put it down and finished in three days.

Very interesting, well-researched, and timely - Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpian Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor. THe history of fighting dirty - it's nothing new!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

----------------
On 4/26/2004 2:28:57 AM wallace wrote:

One of the funniest books I ever read was the Illuminatus Trilogy - I always forget the author's name b/c it's not that hard! Alan Something...!----------------

It's by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson

This is among my husband's favorite books!

 

[babblingal]

I only have a couple of minutes so forgive me for not having all the author info on the books, but here is my list of books I love, and can remember right now, that I don't think have been mentioned yet:

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down- It's a story about a Hmong family with a child with Epilepsy and how the Hmong cultural beliefs and modern medicine collide in Merced California.

A Confederacy of Dunces- takes place in New Orleans and is about a grown man who lives with his mother in New Orleans. It won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction, but sadly the author had committed suicide prior to the book being published. His mother had it published.

The Corner- a book about inner city black youth in Baltimore.

There Are No Children Here- follows the life of a child growing up in the housing projects of Chicago.

The Shopaholic Series- light mindless reading.

Anne Rule's true crime books -although my husband has admitted that he feels a bit nervous with me perched next to him reading true crime books about women who murder their husbands.

 

[Sagebrush]

Ok how about something relevent to the forum, a really good book on gemstone quality and connoisseurship! Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur's Guide To Precious Gemstones by Richard W. Wise. Free chapters at www.secretsofthegemtrade.com. Excerpted for a whole year in Colored Stone Magazine. This is the book!

 

[Rowan]

I'm reading Hope: Adventures of a Diamond by Marian Fowler. It's a really fascinating look at history as it was "experienced" by the diamond. Cool book!

 

[Camellia]

Hello Fellow Bookworms

I''ve just started reading The Rule of Four. But I don''t understand the American college system. Can someone please enlighten me? Is it usual for people to live on campus? What do the terms freshman and sophomore mean? I live in Australia and our university system is similar to that of the UK.

Thanks

 

[AGBF]

Date: 11/8/2004 3

2:21 AM
Author: Camellia

Hello Fellow Bookworms

I've just started reading The Rule of Four. But I don't understand the American college system. Can someone please enlighten me? Is it usual for people to live on campus? What do the terms freshman and sophomore mean? I live in Australia and our university system is similar to that of the UK.

Thanks

Hi, Camellia,

I have not read "The Rule of Four" and know nothing about it, so I may be giving you useless information, but here goes!

The "traditional" college (which may or may not be part of a university) is a four-year institution. If one attends full-time for four years and passes one's courses he graduates with a BA (Bachelor of Arts) degree or a BS (Bachelor of Science) degree.

We tend to say, "going to college" the way people in other countries say, "going to university". College *ususally* means getting a university degree which is necessary for entry into graduate schools and many jobs.

Unlike countires like France and Italy we do not enroll in a 6 or 8 year program that takes us from high school to being a doctor, lawyer, or veterinarian. Instead we apply to graduate and/or professional schools if we choose to further our education beyond that all-important bachelor's degree.

There are universities in cities where few, if any, students live on a "campus" or in a dormitory. There are others, usually in rural areas, where almost all or all students live on campus, either in dormitories or in sorority or fraternity houses.

The first year of college is the freshman year. The second is the sophomore year. The third is the junior year. The fourth is the senior year. These same terms also apply to the four years of high school, so a person may say, "I am a freshman in college" or "I am a senior in high school" to differentiate between whether he is referring to a year of high school or of college.

If I have not addressed your questions, please let me know.

There are many other things that can be mentioned, like Associate's degrees (two-year degrees); community colleges; etcetera. I am sure other people will chime in!

Now *I* would like to understand the British A levels and O levels! Care to explain them?

Deborah

 

[AGBF]

I just read the beginning of this thread and realized that I had never commented on "The Poisonwood Bible" here after reading it (eons ago). I loved it. I wrote a review of it for Amazon.com, which I can point you to or reprint here when I have the time!

Deborah

Here is the review. It is a bit out of context posted here. When one writes on Amazon.com it is in the middle of the reviews of many others who have read the book. I am "speaking" to people who will have read hundreds (perhaps thousands) of other readers' reviews!

* * *

"I see "The Poisonwood Bible" not as a political book so much as a philosophical one, albeit an unflinchingly honest philosophical book which relates historical events as they were regardless of whether the truth offends American sensibilities.

Kingsolver, who spent some of her youth in the Congo, was deeply affected by it. The four daughters and the wife of the missionary Reverend Nathan Price, all of whom relate parts of the story, are able to give voice to impressions that Kingsolver must have had when she arrived there, as she lived there, and after she left there. (When one daughter returns to the United States she is stunned in the way Peace Corps volunteers report that they are upon arriving back here.)

The story of how the United States and Belgium deposed Patrice Lumumba after he was elected is truthful. For me the discussion of the history brought back memories of the names Lumumba, Tschombé, and Mobutu and of studying a map of The Belgian Congo in the fourth grade. I do not think my teacher knew then the role that President Eisenhower had in deposing and murdering Patrice Lumumba, but that has come to light since then. If what the United States did to Patrice Lumumba reminds us of other things the United States has done (Salvador Allende in Chile, anyone?), Kingsolver is not to blame. She is merely the messenger that some would like to shoot lest she deliver her message.

Kingsolver's thesis is that Africa, due to its climate, is not conducive to the cultivation of crops on a wide scale and that that has influenced its history. She probably believes that Africa would have been better off had Europeans never gone there. Yet she is loathe to blame individuals within the Price family for its sorrows or any one nation for the misery of Africa.

The irreverence of Adah Price who writes in palindromes and refers to the Reverend Price as Our Father made me laugh and her betrayal by her entire family on one fateful night made me cry. Leah's bravery loyalty, and stubborness inspired me. Only Rachel Price appeared more caricature than person.

I found the book riveting; I stayed up late reading because I didn't want to put it down. And has no one yet said, "love story"?"

 

[Camellia]

Thanks Deborah - that explains a lot. I was getting confused by terminology and the concept of graduate school.

Unfortunately, I don''t understand the English A levels and O levels either. My knowledge of them is also from books, so I second Deb''s request for someone to explain them.

In Australia, most people complete their year 12 or high school certificate (HSC) - the name varies depending on which state one is in. Students tend to be 17 or 18 at that time and that certificate provides them with a tertiary entrance score (TER) for university. How high the TER determines which course one is accepted in eg medicine has the highest TER, pharmacy, vet science, engineering also require high TERs.

Different undergraduate degrees have different lengths - bachelor degrees in arts, commerce, economics or science are usually 3 years full time. If one is bright enough to be asked to do honours, that''s another year. Degrees like medicine and pharmacy are about 5 or 6 years I think.

Graduate and post-graduate work is done after completion of a an undergraduate degree. In some cases completion of an honours degree is required.

Now, going back to books. Has anyone read Iris Murdoch? I''ve become a big fan over the last year or so. In case people don''t know, she was a philosopher as well as a novellist and her life was shown in the film Iris starring Judy Dench. Her novels examine the motivations of the characters and what makes them who they are and why they act as they do. The situations in the novels are often domestic but Murdoch gets at the heart of the characters. I highly recommend them.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 11/8/2004 8:58

3 PM
Author: Feydakin

Right now I''m reading ''War, As I Knew It'' but Gen. George Patton.. It''s primarily a collection of diary entries.. Very intersting reading.. Including how he agreed to asend a Colonel into French North Africa ahead of his invasion force.. The French commander refused and was promptly defeated..

Ok, now, who knew that the US engaged French forces early in World War II??

Steve

Steve,

I do not understand what happened. Would you retell this in other words, please? I do love history and I don''t want to miss out on something!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

So it was an American colonel under Patton''s command? I am not an expert on military history, but I do find this an interesting footnote. The French troops were, presumably, Vichy Regime loyalists.

 

[Matata]

The Sweet Potato Queens'' Field Guide to Men: Every Man I Love is Either Married, Gay, or Dead.

irreverent, rip roaring funny.

 

[mightyred]

Camillia:
Unfortunately, I don''t understand the English A levels and O levels either. My knowledge of them is also from books, so I second Deb''s request for someone to explain them.


Hi......
O-level (Ordinary level) is basically for 16-year-olds, and A-level (advanced level) for 18 year olds and are non-compulsory examinations taken by students at the end of secondary education. They are available in a wide range of subjects. Eg: when I finished high school at 16 I took O levels to determine if I would get into college and then I went on to college (sometimes called 6th form college) to take A levels to determine if I could go on to University for my degree. As a general rule you need 2 good O-levels (eg English & Maths) and 3 A-levels to get to a good unversity. O levels are also known as GCSE''s in some areas (General Certificate of Secondary Education) .

I took about 7 O-levels and 4 A-levels which was fairly typical.

That is a simplistc version ( there are many spin off exams also taken and there is constant debate if the O & A levels wil be replaced) . Is that helpful?

 

[AGBF]

Date: 11/24/2004 3:14

0 PM
Author: mightyred

That is a simplistc version ( there are many spin off exams also taken and there is constant debate if the O & A levels wil be replaced) . Is that helpful?

Extremely. Thank you. The "A" levels sound a bit like the SAT and AT exams American high school students take if they want to go to college (university) in the US. The SATs (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) are Verbal and Math. The AT exams (Achievement Tests) are available in many subjects.

Thanks again!

Deborah

 

[rubydick]

As another big-time reader, here are some of my favs.

In the realm of gem books, I have an entire list here on my gem web site:

Food For Thought: Gemological Reading Matter

And because I'm a big-time political junkie, I also have a political site, with a recommended list of political books:

Dog-Earred: Recommended Reading

On both lists, I've read and enjoyed virtually all titles.

In the realm of gems/minerals, since I am a book nut, I must mention the works of John Sinkankas (R.I.P.). Together with his wife Marge, he did more to spread the word about gem and mineral books than anyone since Pliny. I keep his last major book, Gemology: An Annotated Bibliography, closer at hand than my own writings, which should say something. Anything by John is a gem/mineral classic.

I'm also a sucker for anything by George F. Kunz. Particularly his Book of the Pearl, which is simply a masterpiece, not only of the written word, but of the manner in which the book is produced. Let's call it the "Art of the Book." Where it is not simply the ink patterns on the pages, but also a matter of presentation. And if you take the time and spend the coin to look up what Kunz was about, you discover a world where not only the words on the manuscript were considered important, but where equal care was taken in how they appeared on the page.

'Twas truly inspirational. Call me a luddite, but I yearn for the days of Kunz, the days when it was both politically and scientifically correct for gems to be described in both technical and romantic terms. Those were the days, when reading gemological writing required neither degree nor dictionary. R.I.P.

Then in the realm of gems we have virtually anything written by Edward Gübelin. I'm particularly partial to his The Internal World of Gemstones, for that was my personal introduction to his writings (a big tip-of-the-hat to Santpal Singh Chawla of SS Agencies in BKK for first suggesting that to me when I was a student). And the Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones with John Koivula is equally outstanding. Here's a tip: look for Volume Two next year. John and Edward are finishing it up as we speak.

Edward Gübelin's prose is as stunning as his pictures, both of which feature a highly-developed sense of aesthetics. His later collaborations with John Koivula are the merging of twin geniuses. Think Miles/Coltrane or Lennon/McCartney. So much more than the sum of the parts.

Generations pass like sand through a glass. I may have missed Kunz, but I feel blessed to have witnessed first-hand the brilliance of many of those who followed. And when I look at those coming up, I just feel equally excited. The same excitement I felt when I saw my first spectacular gemstone.

In part II, I'll discuss a few of my favorite political reads.

 

[abradabra]

What a fun thread...

- Anything by Vladimir Nabokov, but especially Pale Fire, The Defense, and of course, Lolita (this book made me love literature, especially Joyce, but I think Pale Fire really is his best work)

- Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi--> this is a beautiful ode to literature and I beg everyone I know to read it, but also an interesting view into Iranian culture

- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (the rest of the series isn''t nearly as good/well written, but fun and worth reading nonetheless)

- Anything by David McCullough, but especially Truman

- Love in the Time of Cholera and Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

- And for those of you who enjoy reading plays--The American Dream by Edward Albee and Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O''Neill

 

[onedrop]

This is a thread after my own heart!

Some of my favorites have already been mentioned: To Kill a Mockingbird, Memoirs of a Giesha, The Poisonwood Bible....

I also love Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. It''s a great novel that pulls on historical events to illustrate the effect of colonialism in Africa, specifically Nigeria.

And right now for some reason I am reading a lot of Elmore Leonard''s books like Get Shorty, Rum Punch, and Be Cool. My interest lies in the fact that the characters are not necessarily likeable, but you end up pulling for them anyway.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 12/11/2004 12:51:12 PM
Author: onedrop

I also love Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. It''s a great novel that pulls on historical events to illustrate the effect of colonialism in Africa, specifically Nigeria.

I have meant to read that for *years*! I am glad you mentioned it!

Deborah

 

[onedrop]

Date: 12/12/2004 1:17:34 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 12/11/2004 12:51:12 PM
Author: onedrop

I also love Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. It''s a great novel that pulls on historical events to illustrate the effect of colonialism in Africa, specifically Nigeria.

I have meant to read that for *years*! I am glad you mentioned it!

Deborah

Definitely pick it up! You won''t be disappointed.

 

[AGBF]

Almost all my reading is done for pleasure, if not escape. Recently I read Martin Cruz Smith''s book, "Wolves Eat Dogs". Smith is the author of "Gorky Park" and this book features the protagonist from that book, Arkady Renko. I found "Wolves Eat Dogs" to be below Smith''s usual standard of writing, but I did learn something about the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl.

The book I want to recommend by Smith is "December 6", an account of one day in Japan (December 6, 1941, the day before Pearl Harbor was attacked.) I found that to be utterly fascinating and yet it was also an "escape" read, a book one didn''t want to put down. Has anyone else read it? If so, please comment! If you haven''t read it and you like history, read it!

 

[belle]

ooohhh, all such good books! one that hasn''t been mentioned that comes to mind: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett he usually writes spy/espionage but this one is very different......good read!

**i think i need to go pick up a book!!!

 

[AGBF]

Belle,

I have a framed print of your icon (I think it is "The Lady of the Lake"). One old boyfriend thought it was me as a teenager. I wish!!!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Date: 12/16/2004 9:16:32 AM
Author: AGBF
Belle,


I have a framed print of your icon (I think it is 'The Lady of the Lake'). One old boyfriend thought it was me as a teenager. I wish!!!


Deb

Sorry...it is "The Lady of Shalott" painted by John William Waterhouse .

 

[belle]

yes, it is lady shalott, but it does have a "lady of the lake" feel to it.......
another fav is fredrick burton''s "meeting on the turret stairs" it is one of my prints that doesn''t get rotated much........
(i''m lobbying for another room addition, but for now, i have to rotate my art collection

)