Seeing Mary Ann Gwinn's list and Michael Upchurch's list reminded me — let me put this gently — that I have different tastes than the book editor and book critic for the Seattle Times. Nothing wrong with that, but it does lead me to suspect that some of you may also have different tastes than those two worthies.
And so I thought I would give all of you a chance to share books that you think are worth reading, books, for instance, that you would tell a good friend about. To get this started, I mention an essential book on the global warming controversy, Bjorn Lomborg's Cool It. I mention the book, not because I agree with everything in it — I don't — but because Lomborg presents an essential framework for thinking about the problem. He looks at the costs and benefits of different policy mixes. That this approach is unusual shows why more should read Cool It.
(For those unfamiliar with Lomborg's thinking, a very brief summary: Lomborg is not what Al Gore would call a denialist, and others might call a "coolist". He accepts the climate change projections from the UN as the best estimates we now have. He then asks what we should do about the climate changes, and uses semi-official estimates of costs and benefits to come to conclusions about the best policy choices, conclusions that are very different from Al Gore's.)
And I will give a negative recommendation, too: If you are buying a book for a kid, do not buy any book that has won a Newbery Medal recently. Unless, of course, the kid is a really, really bad kid, and you can't find any lumps of coal.
Note to commenters: Book recommendations only, please, even though I began with one that many of you would like to debate. Recent books are better, but feel free to tell us about older books if you read them recently.
(I began to suspect that Gwinn and I had rather different tastes when I saw her run a piece recommending
a fancy version of the Marquis de Sade — as a Christmas present. Sorry, as a holiday
present, of course. As far as I know she has never apologized for that.)
Posted by Jim Miller at December 21, 2008
02:32 PM | Email This
Neither of these are recent releases.....But I couldn't put down either book.
Posted by: Right Stuff on December 21, 2008 03:49 PMHaving said that - Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Hannakah...and God bless us, every one!
Posted by: Suzihomemaker on December 21, 2008 04:04 PMFor an interesting site to keep track of what you've read, read commentaries and recommendations try Shelfari.
I've kept a journal since 1992 of what I've read. I entered them all onto my Shelfari bookshelf... I'm up to 2136 over the last 16 years. I've even been contacted by a few publishers about new books that I've listed. It's fun and a great resource.
Non-Fiction
-The Kind of Man Every Man Should Be by Kevin McCullough
-50 Rules Kids Won't Lean in School by Charles J. Sykes
-There's No Elevator to The Top by Umesh Ramakrishnan
-Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, Robert B. Cialdini
-The Liberal Case Against Abortion by Vasu Murti, Carol Crossed
-Always Wear Clean Underwear: And Other Ways Parents Say I Love You by Marc Gellman, Debbie Tilley {Makes a great Christmas gift!)
-How Do You Spell God? by Marc Gellman
Fiction:
-Lady Cottingtons Pressed Fairy Book
by Terry Jones (Hysterical for about mid-tween girls)
-The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn
-Golfing with God by Roland Merullo
-No One Hears But Him by Taylor Caldwell
-Sometimes I Dream in Italian by Rita Corsi
-A Tree Grows In Brooklyn - Betty Smith
Authors:
Richard Russo
Larry McMurtry
Michael Connelly
Robert Crais
Harlen Coben
Maybe when I'm retired...
Posted by: BA on December 21, 2008 07:21 PMThe oh-so-Northwest favorites in the Times make me want to puke. I read only what I want to read, not what the Times and P-I suggest.
This year, I'm shooting for 100.
Posted by: Max Dad on December 21, 2008 09:26 PMI'm also in awe of #15. Great job.
Posted by: Marge on December 21, 2008 10:14 PMOn message: the pro-life handbook by Mark Crutcher.
Thank you BA and Marge. I read every day for at least an hour. I've maxed out the holds list for all 5 family members at KCLS ... I'm pretty sure KCLS would like to prohibit me from ever checking out another Publishers Weekly since I tend to order loads of books that haven't even been released yet. My local branch teases that I have my very own 'memorial hold shelf'.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on December 22, 2008 12:13 AM
Also, it appears Michelle is better than she deserves :-) I recommend getting Dave Ramsey's podcasts which are great for any Gregoire commute.
Liberal Fascism, Jonah Goldberg.(http://liberalfascism.nationalreview.com/)
Traces the "development" of liberal/progressive thinking from the French revolution, through Marx and Engels, William James, Woodrow Wilson, Mussolini, FDR, Hitler, JFK/LBJ, through to the Clinton/Obama era.
Liberals hate it. Reason enough to read it right there.
It's a great adventure - a true one. And it's very well written and edited. Rutstein did the very long section across Iran before the revolution of 1979 - not possible now - and several cities have since been flattened by earthquakes; mud construction kills. Getting across the pass from Afghanistan to China literally took him ten years to get permission and he and his companion were the very first "foreigners" since 1949 to cross (though the highway went across a different pass then).
Also - top marks to "The Forgotten man" by Amity Schlaes.
Posted by: Ron Hebron on December 22, 2008 10:56 AMIf you are not familiar with Parsons who was born into a filthy rich Florida family of drunkards and hop-heads who for the most part kicked their own bucket through substance abuse. He lived his life in the family tradition, but along the way formed/was a member of, The Byrds, The International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers as well as pursuing a solo career and put out two timeless albums backed by some of Elvis' session players.
It's a hell of a book and the best on Parson's life that I have read, BTW I have read a half dozen on the subject.
Posted by: JDH on December 22, 2008 11:49 AM
I drove our youngest, now 20, to school for most of his pre-college years and we listened to many books in those hours and miles. I found I could introduce him to classics and other books which might not normally be of interest to him (Angela's Ashes, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Standing in the Rainbow, even the Traveling Pants series!). The rule was "just listen to one side of the tape"... I always caught his interest!.
WE share a bonus room with our computers adjacent to each other. We are currently listening to 'A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity' by Bill O'Reilly and I'm reading the latest Alex Cross novel, 'Cross Country'.
My book is Kill Bin Laden by Dalton Fury, almost certainly a pseudonym. It was about the effort of Delta Force to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora in the Spin Ghar mountains of Afghanistan.
Time and again Delta Force was frustrated in its attempts to get bin Laden by political interference by the Bush Administration. For example the most advantageous approach to Tora Bora would have been to enter from Pakistan but this nixed to preserve the fantasy that Pakistan was our loyal ally. Delta was also prohibited from operating independently from the Afghan mujahideen, another dubious ally.
In spite of all these impediments Delta was successful in routing al Qaeda from Tora Bora and wounding bin Laden in the process.
If you are a fan of the CBS series The Unit you will find this book fascinating.
Posted by: Bill K. on December 22, 2008 09:28 PMMy personal favorite is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Posted by: blindman on December 23, 2008 01:42 AMAtlas Shrugged.
Back in the early 90's, a study commissioned by Readers' Digest and the American Library Assoc. (I think) listed it as the second most influential book ever written in English.
Just behind the Bible, ironically.
Many people defend fiscal conservatism because it works. It is the best practical way to raise the living standards of the most people, especially the poor.
But only Rand gives a strong MORAL defense of property rights and the free market.
If you are a true fiscal conservative, you MUST read some Rand, if you are to really know the moral arguments for the cause for which you fight.
Free minds and free markets!
Posted by: Bruce Guthrie on December 23, 2008 09:11 PMI never saw him race the Stanguillini, but stumbled across in the80's and could have bought and restored. His reputation endures.
Tom was a good foot. He was also a nice guy who owned the Porsche/VW/Audi dealership in Tacoma. A no holds barred ass kickin' machine, whether at work or at play. And he played at bird hunting when not racing, that's where I knew him from.
He has a hell of a reputation as a SCAA racer from the 40's til the 80's.
Posted by: JDH on December 23, 2008 09:56 PM