What book is everyone reading at the moment? Part 2.

[catsmate]

Current pile:

Kerry Greenwood's latest Phyrne Fisher book, Murder in Williamstown.
The excellent fanfic, Harry Is a Dragon, and That's OK. Just up to first squirrel in soace.

[fleabeetle]

Have just discovered the existence of one Andy McDermott -- British author (seemingly prolific and liked by many) of thrillers with an archaeological flavour. Acquired one of these (The Sacred Vault) in a charity shop, very cheaply and purely "on spec". Found it -- for my tastes -- the most utterly awful thriller that I have ever attempted to read: struggled to about a third of the way through, then packed it in. I will, for sure, have no more ado with Mr. McDermott's works.

[JimOfAllTrades]

Originally Posted by catsmate

Current pile:

Kerry Greenwood's latest Phyrne Fisher book, Murder in Williamstown.
The excellent fanfic, Harry Is a Dragon, and That's OK. Just up to first squirrel in soace.

I'm going to have to try some of these. I liked the TV adaptation of the character from some years back. I have no idea how closely (or not) they followed the books, but it's definitely made me want to read some of them.

[catsmate]

Originally Posted by JimOfAllTrades

I'm going to have to try some of these. I liked the TV adaptation of the character from some years back. I have no idea how closely (or not) they followed the books, but it's definitely made me want to read some of them.

They're not that close, characters were dropped, her police foil has a different personality, plots were trimmed.
They are damned good books though.


Also I recommend Harry is a Dragon excellent stuff.

[Lennart Hyland]

Bought a very nice edition of All Quite On The Western Front so I'm gonna start with it today. I've been very keen to watch the movie after all the praise it got but it can wait now

[dudalb]

Originally Posted by Lennart Hyland

Bought a very nice edition of All Quite On The Western Front so I'm gonna start with it today. I've been very keen to watch the movie after all the praise it got but it can wait now

I presume you mane the current film.
The 1930 version won the BP Oscar, and stands up pretty well today.

[KDLarsen]

Went to a history exhibition in Copenhagen today, where Antony Beevor was present and offering some brief insights into the Russian state. Afterwards he was signing copies of his various books and since I haven't yet read his book on the Russian revolution 1917-1921, I picked it up and had him autograph it. Started reading it on the train home, but it may be a while as there were a lot of book sellers, and I hadn't been cautious enough to set a limit on my credit card for the day...

[Lennart Hyland]

Originally Posted by KDLarsen

Went to a history exhibition in Copenhagen today, where Antony Beevor was present and offering some brief insights into the Russian state. Afterwards he was signing copies of his various books and since I haven't yet read his book on the Russian revolution 1917-1921, I picked it up and had him autograph it. Started reading it on the train home, but it may be a while as there were a lot of book sellers, and I hadn't been cautious enough to set a limit on my credit card for the day...

Very nice!

My wife's grandfather died recently and he left behind a some books which I will be able to take whichever I want. I've Only seen some photos of the collection yet and saw some Beevor in there

I'll report a list later.

[JimOfAllTrades]

I've now finished The Uplift War, and it's a great end to the first part of the series.

It takes place right after the events of the previous book, but on another planet called Garth. Garth is a colony of Earth, with both humans and neo-chimps. An avian-like alien race called the Gubru has decided to invade Garth and hold the Terrans hostage in exchange for information about the ancient spaceships and relics found by the dolphin crewed spaceship Streaker in the previous book Startide Rising.

The book follows the humans, chimps, and a couple of friendly ETs and their fight against the invading Gubru. I thought the characters of the chimps and ETs were very well done. I thought the depictions of the neo-chimps, mostly alone, conducting an underground resistance to the Gubru were great (and they even make a joke about guerilla warfare ). Plenty of action and character development both, and even though the chimps are similar to humans they are different in some fundamental ways, and those differences are well handled and add considerably to the story.

I liked all three books in this series quite a bit, I think it's one of the best series I've read in a while. This last book is my favorite, but all three are good.

I've now started the second series of three books. These are written about 10 years after the first three. The first one in this set is Brightness Reef. It's a little slow getting started, but I'm only about 15% of the way in.

[Spektator]

Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Nothing new, but a depressing read about the Agency's ineptitude. About once every four or five years it generates an internal assessment, and they all conclude, "We really need to recruit better people. Plus, none of us knows what we're doing."

[Scorpion]

In 9/11/01 when the word trade center went down I wondered what on earth could make Muslims commit suicide and homicide in such a terrible act. So in 2002 I read the Quran.
I started reading this book with an open mind, but after 20 minutes I already smelled a rat, as I observed it was largely a rehash of the bible. Subsequent readings confirmed this and when I read the following verses I also decided it was an evil book of lies about God.
Quran surah 4.56 and 22.19 to 22.22 and 40.72 . These verses tell of terrible tortures that God will inflict on unbelievers in the words of Muhammad for all eternity.
I have a lifetime of study of the practical occult and spiritualism, and I was completely certain these threats of hell in the Quran are lies made up by Muhammad to scare people into obeying him.
I concluded the world needed to know these things and embarked on an effort to express my views on the internet. I also thought I might one day write a book criticizing the Quran, but doubted I would ever be able to do so because it is a formidable undertaking, and because I cannot read Arabic. Also I am no scholar and I doubted my ability to write such a book even with a lot more studying.
But yesterday I received a copy of the book

The complete infidels guide to the Koran, by Robert Spencer.

I started reading it and all though I have not so far learned a lot I did not already know
it has confirmed to me my views are correct and I have not been wasting my time criticizing the Quran these past twenty years. It is a job that should be done, and must be done, by as many people who can do it. Because in Britain today there is a very real and present danger that Muslims are attempting to turn Britain into an Islamic state. In fact they aim to take over the entire world including the USA and enslave us all with their evil doctrine, because they are all utterly deluded by thinking they are doing Gods work and the rest of us are their inferiors.

Here is a passage from chapter one- Of the infidels guide.
"The fact that the Koran counsels warfare against unbelievers should move the readers to act in defense of freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the legal equality of all people before it is too late."

As I have schizophrenia I sometimes felt it is me that is delusional and I have been wasting my time for 20 years, but Robert Spencer's lucid criticism of the Koran has
clarified to me I am doing the right thing, and will continue to do so for as long as I live.

I no longer need to write such a book because it has already been done far better that I could do it, so from now on I will simply refer to this book by Robert Spencer, and quote it, and recommend people to read it.

For those who want to follow my efforts on twitter my name there is Dajjal, and my address is @dajjal_dd

[Scorpion]

Belay that, in my last message I had not read far enough into Robert Spencer's book,
The complete infidels guide to the Koran.
Now I have read a few more chapters I have learned a lot I did not know. It is a well researched and scholarly book full of informative details.
I realize that my idea of writing a book about the Quran would have been restricted to a personal opinion of the text of the Quran without all the background information in Roberts book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the Quran, and the real and present danger that many Muslims pose to the free world.

I am relieved of the burden of attempting to write a book about the Quran because it has been done far better that I could do it so from now on I will be promoting Robert Spencer's book, and quoting it all over the Internet.

PS. I have just ordered another Robert Spencer book. 'The critical Quran' I looked through some of it on Amazon where you can look inside to review the book, and I decided it is worth getting it too as it appears to be a close analysis of the entire Quran.

[Scorpion]

I have finished reading 'the complete infidels guide to the Koran' by Robert Spencer.
It is an affordable A4 sized paperback book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding what the Koran/Quran really says. It is critical and honest.

Today I received 'The critical Quran' by Robert Spencer. This is a more expensive hardback book which is a complete criticism of the M.M.Pickthall English translation.
It has copious notes on every surah in the Quran. it is well worth getting if, like me you are dedicated to critcizng the Quran on the internet.

[KDLarsen]

Robert Spencer? As in, the guy in cahoots with Pamela Geller?

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by KDLarsen

Robert Spencer? As in, the guy in cahoots with Pamela Geller?

I don't know anything about his personal life.

[JimOfAllTrades]

I've been working my way through The Uplift Universe books by David Brin. I liked the first three books in this series quite a bit, I think it's one of the best series I've read in a while. The third book, The Uplift War, is my favorite, but all three are good.

I've now started the second series of three books. These are written about 10 years after the first three. The first one in this set is Brightness Reef. I said previously that this book had started slowly, and it didn't really change. I have to give credit to the massive character development in several different alien characters of several different races. It's an impressive feat.

Unfortunately it just dragged on way too much. I think I was about 60% through the book when I finally just skipped ahead about ten chapters. I figured that if I got totally lost I'd go back, but I didn't have to. The stuff I'd skipped didn't really seem to change what I knew of the actual plot.

In the end I think this could have been cut down to 8 or ten chapters in the next book in the series. Who knows, maybe in the next book the stuff I skipped will leave me not getting something.

All in all this was disappointing, especially considering how much I liked the previous three books.

I'll be starting the next book Infinity's Shore in the day or so. It seems to pick up immediately after this one. I hope it's better.

[catsmate]

Originally Posted by KDLarsen

Robert Spencer? As in, the guy in cahoots with Pamela Geller?

Yep the Islamophobic nutter so beloved of Anders Breivik.

[wasapi]

A friend just gave me this book, subtitled LA In The Sixties. My friend knows how I came of age in the 60's while living in Hollywood. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Those were some of the craziest of times in the fabric of society. An interesting history, both culturally, politically.

The best part of coming of age then and there was we had the BEST MUSIC ever!!!

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by catsmate

Yep the Islamophobic nutter so beloved of Anders Breivik.

Islamophobia. A word created by Fascists and used by cowards to manipulate morons. Christopher Hitchens.

There is no such thing as islamophobia, it is the right of every individual to question a religion which claims to be peaceful, and yet is responsible for more terror attacks than any other.
In the Islamic world, women are treated as second class citizens and bound by ancient laws that have no place in the modern world.
If anything Islam has a phobia about anything not Islamic.
Author unknown.

[Scorpion]

I just began reading a book about physicists studying remote viewing and psychic abilities using scientific methods. I intend to start a discussion thread about it when I have finished it.
Its called:

Mind reach by Russell Targ and Harold E. Puthoff

[Lennart Hyland]

Originally Posted by Lennart Hyland

Very nice!

My wife's grandfather died recently and he left behind a some books which I will be able to take whichever I want. I've Only seen some photos of the collection yet and saw some Beevor in there

I'll report a list later.

Out of the Beevors he had I took Stalingard and Arnhem. Also got John Steinbeck Sweet Thursday and a few swedish novels.

Wrapping up All Quiet On The Western Front this week and will continue with Stalingrad next.

[Scorpion]

A minute ago another book hit my doormat from Amazon. It is another book by Russell Targ.

This one is called , 'The reality of ESP'

When I have read both his books I will start a thread about the scientific investigation of ESP and remote viewing by a physicist.

Maybe these books are worth all you atheists and sceptics here taking time to read.
I will know by the time I have read them, and get back to you.

[JimOfAllTrades]

Sorry, deleted this for being off topic for this thread.

[JimOfAllTrades]

I've started Infinity's Shore. I'm only a chapter or so in, but so far it's better. I'll check back as when I get finished, but I'm hopeful.

[catsmate]

Originally Posted by Scorpion

Islamophobia. A word created by Fascists and used by cowards to manipulate morons. Christopher Hitchens.

There is no such thing as islamophobia, it is the right of every individual to question a religion which claims to be peaceful, and yet is responsible for more terror attacks than any other.
In the Islamic world, women are treated as second class citizens and bound by ancient laws that have no place in the modern world.
If anything Islam has a phobia about anything not Islamic.
Author unknown.

You might want to acquaint yourself with the biases of those you read.

Originally Posted by Scorpion

I just began reading a book about physicists studying remote viewing and psychic abilities using scientific methods. I intend to start a discussion thread about it when I have finished it.
Its called:

Mind reach by Russell Targ and Harold E. Puthoff

And after that credulous nonsense, perhaps some of the authors who've debunked their claims?

[dudalb]

Originally Posted by Scorpion

In 9/11/01 when the word trade center went down I wondered what on earth could make Muslims commit suicide and homicide in such a terrible act. So in 2002 I read the Quran.
I started reading this book with an open mind, but after 20 minutes I already smelled a rat, as I observed it was largely a rehash of the bible. Subsequent readings confirmed this and when I read the following verses I also decided it was an evil book of lies about God.
Quran surah 4.56 and 22.19 to 22.22 and 40.72 . These verses tell of terrible tortures that God will inflict on unbelievers in the words of Muhammad for all eternity.
I have a lifetime of study of the practical occult and spiritualism, and I was completely certain these threats of hell in the Quran are lies made up by Muhammad to scare people into obeying him.
I concluded the world needed to know these things and embarked on an effort to express my views on the internet. I also thought I might one day write a book criticizing the Quran, but doubted I would ever be able to do so because it is a formidable undertaking, and because I cannot read Arabic. Also I am no scholar and I doubted my ability to write such a book even with a lot more studying.
But yesterday I received a copy of the book

The complete infidels guide to the Koran, by Robert Spencer.

I started reading it and all though I have not so far learned a lot I did not already know
it has confirmed to me my views are correct and I have not been wasting my time criticizing the Quran these past twenty years. It is a job that should be done, and must be done, by as many people who can do it. Because in Britain today there is a very real and present danger that Muslims are attempting to turn Britain into an Islamic state. In fact they aim to take over the entire world including the USA and enslave us all with their evil doctrine, because they are all utterly deluded by thinking they are doing Gods work and the rest of us are their inferiors.

Here is a passage from chapter one- Of the infidels guide.
"The fact that the Koran counsels warfare against unbelievers should move the readers to act in defense of freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the legal equality of all people before it is too late."

As I have schizophrenia I sometimes felt it is me that is delusional and I have been wasting my time for 20 years, but Robert Spencer's lucid criticism of the Koran has
clarified to me I am doing the right thing, and will continue to do so for as long as I live.

I no longer need to write such a book because it has already been done far better that I could do it, so from now on I will simply refer to this book by Robert Spencer, and quote it, and recommend people to read it.

For those who want to follow my efforts on twitter my name there is Dajjal, and my address is @dajjal_dd

Spencer baiscally hates the Muslim religion, and it not a reliable source.
It is largely nonsense; and this is coiming from somebody who dislikes Islamis Fundemantilism immensely.

[dudalb]

Originally Posted by Scorpion

Islamophobia. A word created by Fascists and used by cowards to manipulate morons. Christopher Hitchens.

There is no such thing as islamophobia, it is the right of every individual to question a religion which claims to be peaceful, and yet is responsible for more terror attacks than any other.
In the Islamic world, women are treated as second class citizens and bound by ancient laws that have no place in the modern world.
If anything Islam has a phobia about anything not Islamic.
Author unknown.

You can say the same thing about Christiaity.....

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by dudalb

Spencer baiscally hates the Muslim religion, and it not a reliable source.
It is largely nonsense; and this is coiming from somebody who dislikes Islamis Fundemantilism immensely.

This is not a discussion thread, so I will just say this. Have you read Spenser's books ? I have and they seem to me to be a clear and accurate criticism of Islam. I myself had come to similar conclusions from my own reading of the unholy Quran.

You do remember the 9/11attack on the world trade center, and the London bus and tube attacks of 2005?

That is what we can expect from Islam, as the Quran incites Muslims to despise infidels in almost every chapter.

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by catsmate

You might want to acquaint yourself with the biases of those you read.


And after that credulous nonsense, perhaps some of the authors who've debunked their claims?

Please list the authors who have debunked Targ's claims of remote viewing and I will read them.

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by dudalb

Spencer baiscally hates the Muslim religion, and it not a reliable source.
It is largely nonsense; and this is coiming from somebody who dislikes Islamis Fundemantilism immensely.

I have just bounced my thread ' What the Quran really say' on the religion forum. If you want to discuss it I will be there.

[catsmate]

Originally Posted by Scorpion

Please list the authors who have debunked Targ's claims of remote viewing and I will read them.

Martin Gardner
David Goslin
Terence Hines
Simon Hoggart
Mike Hutchinson
Richard Kammann
David Marks
Michael Shermer

[marting]

Two books. "The Truth about Dishonesty" by Ariely and "The Craft of Power" by Siu.

These are quite good together to get a better understanding of the state of things here in the USA. They are both written by academics though the first is more for the general public. The second is a best described as a cold analysis written in an academic style. A refinement of Machiavelli.

What I found most interesting is Ariely's work that demolishes the notion, common among economists, that cheating is done based on calculating cost/benefit. While for some this is the case, for most it is not. Rather, it's something that is largely limited by what doesn't materially impact one's self image as basically a good, honest person mediated by the group dynamics of that person's associations.

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by catsmate

Martin Gardner
David Goslin
Terence Hines
Simon Hoggart
Mike Hutchinson
Richard Kammann
David Marks
Michael Shermer

Thanks, I am now retracting my previous offer to read criticisms of Russell Targ's books on account of them convincing me the science of the studies of remote viewing and telepathy was soundly conducted. That and the fact I have had personal experiences of ESP and telepathy so I know it is real. I cannot waste my time reading a stack of books by atheists and cynics when I know already that they are wrong and ESP exists.

[MarkCorrigan]

Wow, amazing.

"Give me some people who have shown it to be false and I'll read them"

*Gives list*

"I'm not reading that, they're all liars, I know it's real!"

Why even bother asking when your mind is so obviously closed?

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by MarkCorrigan

Wow, amazing.

"Give me some people who have shown it to be false and I'll read them"

*Gives list*

"I'm not reading that, they're all liars, I know it's real!"

Why even bother asking when your mind is so obviously closed?

I did not say the were liars, as far as I am concerned they are just mistaken.

Since I know for a fact that ESP exists from my own experiences, why would I waste my time reading a stack of books, when I know those authors are wrong.

I suggest you actually read the books by Russell Targ

[Scorpion]

That does it, I am not reading any more of Daniel Dennett's book, 'Consciousness explained'. It is not worth my time to read his driveling pet theories. I know he is entirely wrong. We are immortal beings swimming in the ocean of the divine. Not some bubble and squeak activity of the human brain. I am going to tweet him on twitter and tell him so.
If he had entitled his book, consciousness explored, which is a more appropriate title, I would not have wasted my money buying it.

[catsmate]

Originally Posted by Scorpion

That does it, I am not reading any more of Daniel Dennett's book, 'Consciousness explained'. It is not worth my time to read his driveling pet theories. I know he is entirely wrong. We are immortal beings swimming in the ocean of the divine. Not some bubble and squeak activity of the human brain. I am going to tweet him on twitter and tell him so.
If he had entitled his book, consciousness explored, which is a more appropriate title, I would not have wasted my money buying it.

[Lennart Hyland]

Finished Stalingrad by Antony Beevor, it was just as I thought.. fascinating, interesting and terrifying. Can't imagine life in der Kessel Januari 1943.

Over to some more mildly stuff, John Steinbeck - Sweet Thursday

[Lennart Hyland]

Originally Posted by Lennart Hyland

Over to some more mildly stuff, John Steinbeck - Sweet Thursday

Just read that Sweet Thursday is a sequel to Cannery Row... So I will read that one first.

[JoeMorgue]

Last night re-read an old guilty pleasure favorite, Carnosaur.

Carnosaur is a cheap, shlocky sci-fi horror paperback (well now e-book) novel with a lot of lurid sex and violence but a certain campy charm.

After a mysterious animal escapes from a private zoo and kills someone, a reporter discovers that a local rich old money guy is really a crazed mad scientist who has cloned a dozen dinosaurs in his country estate by extracting DNA from fossils and replacing the DNA in chicken eggs. He has a big Tyrannosaur, a member of the raptor family, a Dilophosaurus, a couple of more meat eaters, a pleasiosaur, an ankylosaurus, and a baby Brachiosaurus.

Shenanigans happen, the dinos escape, run wild throughout the English countryside, kill a lot of people in very gory fashion, the military is called in to kill them, fight fight fight bite bang bite bang bite bang bang bang big bang end of story.

Now I know what you are thinking. This exactly what you would get if a cheap pulp writer wanted to hash out a quick Jurassic Park ripoff, tone down all that egghead science and moralizing but crank up the blood and boobies, collect paycheck and it's not NOT that but...

Okay big thing out of the way. This book was published in 1984. 6 years before Jurassic Park was published. And it was written by a guy named Harry Adam Knight who doesn't exist because that's a pen name for... John Bronsan. Okay and Bronsan is nowhere a Crichton or King or even a Koontz but he's an actual writer who's written actual books.

And this makes for a weird book. Not a bad one, but a weird one. And it is weird, nowhere to the point that I think any kind of ripoff or plagiarism is at play here mainly because the pace and tone and feel are so different but still weird nonetheless, some of the parallels between Carnosaur and Jurassic Park are.

Like in Jurassic Park there's a big Tyrannosaur (A Tarbosaurus instead of T-Rex but still) to fill the "Big car stomping building smashing dinosaur" role but the scariest is a small raptor, in this case a Deinychous (which makes Carnosaur actually more realistic than Jurassic Park in this sense) that is small and fast and smart and vicious. There's a scene where a group of party goers on a Canal Boat get picked off one by one overnight by the Plesiasaur which is actually fairly tense.

But it's also a book where the bad guy is a cacklin' mad evil rich scientist who's actual plan and motivation make so little sense and advance so little beyond a vague evil for evil's sake rant he's one wardrobe change away from flying out to harass those infernal Power Rangers. The reporter gets the "inside info" about all this by starting an affair with the bad guy's wife who is a nymphomaniac in a bit that makes the sex scene in Jaws look well integrated and essential to the plot and all the kills are described like the blurb on the back of 90s slasher movie VHS box.

It got made into a bad Roger Cormon movie in 1993 which had sweet FA to do with its source material and really was just a rushed cheapie Jurassic Park knockoff.

John Brosnan/AKA Harry Adam Knight wrote a few more novels; both as himself and various pennames, including the fairly good from what I've heard "Sky Lords" sci-fi novel series, a few more horror novels under the Harry Adam Knight name, and some comic work for 2000 AD before dying of appendicitis in 2004