austenandrews Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? I'm trying to get through The Biology of Transcendence but having a hard time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GothKidSamurai Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? A Lion's Tale: Around the World In Spandex - Chris Jericho Man, this guy has jammed a lot of living into his career. This starts with him doing wrestling stuff with his best friend as a kid and ends with him doing his first appearance in the WWE on RAW. You get to see from his vantage point just how messed up most of the promotions are and why the WWE just seem like Nirvana by comparison. Some very funny incidents, a lot of self-deprication. I really need to get that book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eosin Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training. Wow, is it dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Haven't finished it yet, but I'm reading Isaac Newton's Optics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copeab Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? The last non-fiction book I read was _At Dawn We Slept_ (Gordon Prange), a very thorough look at events leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack. Still holds up well nearly 30 years after it was first published. Read it as research for my weird WWII campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Rethinking Mycenaean Palaces, 2 rev., exp. 2nd Edition, eds. Michael L Galaty and William A. Parkinson [2007]. I'm not an archaeologist and have to fight a strong temptation to read the first paragraphs and zone out, but it is amazing how far we've come ..and how far we have left to go. (And by "we," I mean, "you archaeology boys." My job is to skim the abstracts.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amused Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Stiff by Mary Roach Reviews the history and current use of human cadavers in science. It is humorous, but remains respectful of the dead. I have read it three times and would recommend it to anyone who isn't too squeamish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training. Wow' date=' is it dry.[/quote'] Going for your certification, or just interested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet How was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? How was it? It provided me with some insight and inspiration for a socially inept super genius character that I'm working on, though that's not why I started reading it. Overall, I thought it was a quick and interesting read. It's a rather unique look at savantism and I would generally recommend it to others. That said, Daniele's brilliant with mathematics and linguistics, but he's a somewhat uneven writer. This is probably a good thing though, as I think it gives you an impression of how his mind works. He'll obsesses over certain small details or explanations on one thing and then gloss over another entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edsel Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan It is a very good book if you are into military history. The writing style of the author is excellent and not dry. You actually get a feel for the crews and their exploits. One of the best history books I have read in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? CSS, DHTML & AJAX 4th Edition -Jason Cranford Teague. Technically I am not "finished" with it. A very helpful guide to getting off the ground with CSS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? It provided me with some insight and inspiration for a socially inept super genius character that I'm working on, though that's not why I started reading it. Overall, I thought it was a quick and interesting read. It's a rather unique look at savantism and I would generally recommend it to others. That said, Daniele's brilliant with mathematics and linguistics, but he's a somewhat uneven writer. This is probably a good thing though, as I think it gives you an impression of how his mind works. He'll obsesses over certain small details or explanations on one thing and then gloss over another entirely. Thanks, I've been thinking of picking it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiggins Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Judo Unleashed by Neil OlenKamp. A book on judo throws, very good pictures, easy to understand. Of course I've taken judo, It's not something you can learn from a book. If you aint been taught DON'T TRY IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eosin Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Going for your certification' date=' or just interested?[/quote'] I have toyed with the idea of getting a cert but it would basically be a vanity credential. I do train a few health professionals but outside of the ER staff and a few patients who hit me up at the gym I don't have any intention of doing it "for real." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? I have toyed with the idea of getting a cert but it would basically be a vanity credential. I do train a few health professionals but outside of the ER staff and a few patients who hit me up at the gym I don't have any intention of doing it "for real." Fair enough. I feel similarly about some of the training camps and seminars I get invited to. It would be fun, but if you're not in the industry there's not much practical value. A few months ago I read through Pavel Tsatsouline's Beyond Bodybuilding; it's commercial, and aimed at the mass market, but it's also entertaining and pretty information dense. Worth picking up second hand. I also re-read Zatsiorsky's "Science and Practice of Strength Training" every now and then. Pretty dry, but very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Thus far in 2008 I've read the following non-fiction books: Eisenhower Geoffrey Perret Patton: A Genius for War Carlo D’Este Charles Darwin: Voyaging Janet Browne Charles Darwin: The Power of Place Janet Browne The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties Mark E. Neely, Jr. A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America Stacy Schiff An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa 1942-1943 (Reread) Rick Atkinson The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944 Rick Atkinson The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower Stephen E. Ambrose Russia’s War: A History of the Soviet Effort: 1941-1945 Richard Overy Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero Donna Hoppes The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Adam Tooze The Dictators: Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Russia Richard Overy When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler David Glantz & Jonathan House Operation Jedburgh: D-Day and America’s First Shadow War Colin Beavan Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War Rick Atkinson How The Allies Won Richard Overy The Third Reich: A New History Michael Berleigh Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives Alan Bullock Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War Michael J. Neufeld Dragon Hunter: Roy Chapman Andrews and the Central Asiatic Expeditions Charles Gallenkamp I'm currently about halfway through Mysteries of the Middle Ages and the Beginning of the Modern World by Thomas Cahill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Thus far in 2008 I've read the following non-fiction books: Eisenhower Geoffrey Perret Patton: A Genius for War Carlo D’Este Charles Darwin: Voyaging Janet Browne Charles Darwin: The Power of Place Janet Browne The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties Mark E. Neely, Jr. A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America Stacy Schiff An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa 1942-1943 (Reread) Rick Atkinson The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944 Rick Atkinson The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower Stephen E. Ambrose Russia’s War: A History of the Soviet Effort: 1941-1945 Richard Overy Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero Donna Hoppes The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Adam Tooze The Dictators: Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Russia Richard Overy When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler David Glantz & Jonathan House Operation Jedburgh: D-Day and America’s First Shadow War Colin Beavan Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War Rick Atkinson How The Allies Won Richard Overy The Third Reich: A New History Michael Berleigh Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives Alan Bullock Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War Michael J. Neufeld Dragon Hunter: Roy Chapman Andrews and the Central Asiatic Expeditions Charles Gallenkamp I'm currently about halfway through Mysteries of the Middle Ages and the Beginning of the Modern World by Thomas Cahill Very interesting list. Would make a better syllabus for a WWII history course than a few I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Very interesting list. Would make a better syllabus for a WWII history course than a few I've seen.Yeah, I've been on a bit of a WW2 roll lately. I've still got a fair number of WW2 books in my "reading list" which are two boxes of unread books I keep in my car; including a biography of Mussolini and a 1200 page general history of the war. Several others are on order with Amazon, although not all WW2. So far in 2008 I've spent $630 on books. No reason to think I won't hit $1000 by the end of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? How to Build a Time Machine Paul Davies As a science fiction / science fact fan there's little here that I haven't read before. This, however, is a really nice summation of the basics of wormholes, black holes, time dilation, etc. for the layperson. Very accessible language and examples. A short book, I read it over three lunch breaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman, Rom Brafman Attempting to answer the question "Why do smart people do stupid things?" can be tricky at best. This book starts by getting inside the head of a pilot right before a plane crash, and makes many assumptions that the authors cannot possibly verify. It also has several bad examples to support the garden variety psychology presented here. Though the reading is mildly interesting, there's nothing new or insightful. Until chapter 7. If the information in chapter 7 about the function of the brain is correct, it's pretty mind blowing. I'm leery to accept it as 100% accurate just now (due to some sloppy logic earlier in the book) but the implications are incredible enough that I need to follow this up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815--1848 (Oxford: OUP, 2007). 978-0-19-507894-7. This contribution to the OUP history of the United States series is a breakout hit this year, winning the Pulitzer Prize and garnering massive attention and sales. It isn't the last word, to my mind, but deserves the attention. The lack of cut-and-paste repetition is a miracle in the modern era of book compositing. Benny Morris, 1948: The First Arab-Israeli War (New Haven and London: YUP, 2008) 978-0-300-12696-9. A reluctant read in that it falls out of my period of focus right now, but still worthy. It is difficult for me to say, but this would seem to be the most generous possible pro-Zionist interpretation of the events of 1947/8, and that is surely "damning with faint praise." Don't be fooled by the first passages of the conclusion. Log-Man, if the findings that shook you are what I think they are, you may wish to look up Merlin Donald, A Mind So Rare: The Evolution of Human Consciousness (New York and London: W. W. Norton, 2001). 0-393-04950-7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
input.jack Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? Up Till Now, the autobiography of William Shatner. Full of funny comments and unexpected insights. Id just finished Get a Life!, his book about Star Trek fans and conventions, and his completel lack of understanding of them at first to his present love of them. Up Till Now gives a pretty detailed understanding of the man and his story, but it jumps around a lot. Often an anecdote will be interrupted by something totally unrelated, then he will go back and finish. It can be a bit jarring. Overall, I liked it, and Im glad to have read it. Knowing that he viewed the original series as a "failed TV show" helps explain why he couldnt understand why so many people wre so devoted to it until he decided to get out into the crowd and see what it was like from another perspective. Shatner is an interesting dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished? I recently finished Weather: A Visual Guide by Bruce Buckley, Edward J. Hopkins, and Richard Whitaker. I'm a total weather whore, so I liked it. I wish they'd spent more time on extreme weather, but it has a lot of good "intro to weather" information in it, from how clouds form to what causes doldrums. The last part of the book focused on global climate change, but didn't really get into much detail. Overall, a good beginner's guide to weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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