Books you recommend - nonfiction

[PJSprog]

I have a signed copy of the book. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein, are excellent books. Everyone knows their stories, but few have read the source material. We read these two as part of an english literature class.

Those are two excellent books, although not exactly non-fiction. I read them both in high school lit classes, too, and have leather bound copies I bought years ago through Easton Press.

 

[plowhog]

Whoops. Forgot about the non-fiction part, thanks!

My friend read the previously mentioned Gold, Germs, and Steel (I think that is right) and said it is excellent.

 

[dmccarty]

The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho
It's a collection of letters written by a Japanese Zen Master to a master swordsman, but the advice given is easily applicable to pretty much anyone.
Probably my favorite book ever written.

Ghost Rider by Neil Peart
Drummer from the band Rush documented his motorcycle therapy from Canada to Belize and back in an attempt to deal with the sudden tragic losses of his wife and daughter.

The Book of Five Rings is good as well. Small book but not one can read once and be done. Many readings are needed. Lot of versions on Amazon which is interesting so I just picked one and not my edition which is 30+ years old. Amazon.com: The Book of Five Rings eBook: Miyamoto Musashi, Shiro Tsujimura, William Scott Wilson: Books

Never was a fan of Rush for some reason but I had to look up what happened to Neil. Pretty sad.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

Dan, you just taught me a lot of stuff that I didn't know, and now I'm curious about reading this book. Thanks for the review, it was very good!!!!

You are welcome. It is a good book but scary. Not a big book either but big enough and well researched.

Later,
Dan

 

[PJSprog]

The Book of Five Rings is good as well. Small book but not one can read once and be done. Many readings are needed. Lot of versions on Amazon which is interesting so I just picked one and not my edition which is 30+ years old. Amazon.com: The Book of Five Rings eBook: Miyamoto Musashi, Shiro Tsujimura, William Scott Wilson: Books

Go Rin No Sho is a timeless classic, indeed. It's one of three books I've lost count of how many times I've read, each time gaining new insights - along with Art of War and The Unfettered Mind.

 

[RobertN]

The Devil in the White City - It is a very interesting look at building the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. It is also about the first US serial killer who thrived while the fair was being built. Very interesting book.

The Last Kingdom - This is historical fiction, but I have enjoyed The Last Kingdom; bot book series and Netflix show. It is late 809's when Alfred the Great rose in power, in what would later become England.

 

[/pine]

Given what I said earlier in the thread...I have to recommend: 'Escape from Davao'
"The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War"
Escape from Davao - Wikipedia

This is the story of how the rest of the world learned of the "Bataan Death March"...and other atrocities that are no less worse than many of ******'s actions...

This is a special story for me as my father was a defender of Bataan and Corregidor...he survived the death march and was a POW of the Japanese for 3 years following the fall of Bataan

Amazon.com: escape from davao: Books

 

[om21braz]

Here's a few I have enjoyed:

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea: Sebastian Junger: 97813: Amazon.com: Books

Death in the Long Grass: A Big Game Hunter's Adventures in the African Bush: Peter H. Capstick, M. Philip Kahl: 978312186135: Amazon.com: Books

The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected: Nik Ripken, Gregg Lewis: 86419711: Amazon.com: Books

 

[VroomVroom]

"Lure of the Labrador wild" . It takes place in 1903 as a young man and his companion, hiring a "half breed" to cross Labrador mapping a route along the way that was still blank on the map of Canada. They were to run in with the Naskapi Indians who still lived in the woods at that time, coming out only to get ammo and supplies once or twice a year and living inland the remainder of the year. They would see the great Caribou migration and go down stream on the George river ending up in the arctic or ungava bay. Tragedy would strike and it was a battle to survive against nature. Many of the features they named while writing the book or travelling across are now the official names on the topo map. This book then lead to 2 more expeditions taking place the same time 2 years later in 1905 which made headlines in New York at the time. Finally in 1913, one of the original members of the first expedition went back inland to a boulder that held a special place in his heart during the first expedition in 1903 and mount a plaque. He lost the plaque on the way up, never to be found and scribed in the rock a message and rubbed white lead into the rock. Fast forward to the 1970s or 1980s and his great grandson wanted to see if he could find this rock in the middle of the Labrador interior. He flew in with the help of the Newfoundland government and found the rock , eventually mounting a replica of the plaque that was suppose to be mounted in 1913. Anyway, the first book, "lure of the Labrador wild" of 1903 leads into two more books two years later "A women's way through unknown Labrador" and another book. Three of these books were culminated and compared in a book within the last 10 years called "the great heart" . Another book was written later of a guy who spent time researching the original three books while canoeing some of the same routes.

 

[dmccarty]

...
This is the story of how the rest of the world learned of the "Bataan Death March"...and other atrocities that are no less worse than many of ******'s actions..

The Japanese atrocities in the areas they conquered in WWII were just as bad as the Germans but not as well known. Worse, the Japanese, unlike the Germans, do not acknowledge what they did but instead deny the facts. The anger/hate for Japan in conquered countries, especially in China and South Korea, is real and understanding there feelings toward Japan is important to understanding the geopolitics in the region.

For many years I shared an office with a guy from South Korea. His anger at what Japan did to his country and people still exists even though it happened decades before he was born. I worked with a Chinese woman and she shared the same feelings towards Japan. What Japan did still resonates across the Pacific.

Later,
Dan

 

[cqaigy2]

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkins.

Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries?

It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory.

 

[dmccarty]

....

Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries?

..

I just read a review about this book, The Order of Time, Carlo Rovelli - Amazon.com, and it sounds very interesting. The reviewer said that author was a good writer and explainer of complex stuff. I saved the book to a wish list and another book by the author.

There was a TV show on yesterday that was talking about time. Going forward in time makes sense. They lost me when talking about going back in time. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

I just need MORE time. I wish they could solve that one.

Later,
Dan

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

.


Guns, Germs, and Steel --- Jared Diamond (older history)

Against the Gods --- Peter L Bernstein (older history)

The Way of the Gladiator --- Daniel P Mannix (Roman Empire)

Fart Proudly --- Benjamin Franklin (early eastern America)

Ride the Wind --- Lucia St. Clair Robson (later 1800s western America)



These are fiction set in non-fictional historical context:

Mila 18 --- Leon Uris (early WII, Poland)
Armageddon --- Leon Uris (end of WWII, Berlin)


The Shadow of the Storm --- Kurt R A Giambastiani (OK, this is science fiction! US western historical, Pres Custer )



.

Some excellent suggestions here. :thumbsup:

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

The Devil in the White City - It is a very interesting look at building the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. It is also about the first US serial killer who thrived while the fair was being built. Very interesting book.

Also a great book.

I'd add of the top of my head:

'Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage murders and the birth of the FBI'. A really good book about a bunck of inheritance murders in OK early on in Hoover's reign.


'Under the Banner of Heaven: A story of violent faith'. By Jon Krackuer about the Elizabeth Smart murder and that Mormon Fundamentalist community....


And of course '1776' by David McCullough

 

[Omega Woods]

Someone mentioned "Against the Gods". A very interesting read.

"The Last Lion" by William Manchester

And a bunch of others...

 

[dmccarty]

Just read this review of a new book/translation of Sun Tzu's Art of War, Chinese military classic The Art of War gets revealing new translation – book review | South China Morning Post

Sounds interesting enough to buy an read/reread.

Later,
Dan

 

[Einthewoods]

I think it was in the "Your land is my land" thread that someone mentioned the book "The gift of fear". I just read and it is a good book. I'm ordering my kids a copy.

Spoiler alert, the fella is anti gun for sure which I just had to ignore. Other than that, very good book.

So, whoever mentioned that book a couple weeks back, thanks! Highly recommend.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I think it was in the "Your land is my land" thread that someone mentioned the book "The gift of fear". I just read and it is a good book. I'm ordering my kids a copy.

Spoiler alert, the fella is anti gun for sure which I just had to ignore. Other than that, very good book.

So, whoever mentioned that book a couple weeks back, thanks! Highly recommend.

I'm about half way through "The Gift of Fear".

I recall two books that I read many years ago, that I highly recommend. For the scientist in you, and for a bit of an insight into what you are as an evolved human being, "The Naked Ape", by Desmond Morris is a must. It will open your eyes, or in the least challenge your intellect.

The second is "Jews, God and History", by Max Dimont.

 

[PJSprog]

I recall two books that I read many years ago, that I highly recommend. For the scientist in you, and for a bit of an insight into what you are as an evolved human being, "The Naked Ape", by Desmond Morris is a must. It will open your eyes, or in the least challenge your intellect.

I have both The Naked Ape and The Human Zoo by Desmond Morris. His viewpoint as a trained zoologist is quite fascinating. Excellent reads.

 

[HCJtractor]

Empire of the Summer Moon, is excellent. About the Comanche raids, during the westward expansion of Texas and Colorado, the kidnapping of Sarah Parker and her life with the Comanches, the rise of the Texas Rangers, etc. I hunted this area of Texas and was interesting to see what happened there not that many years ago.

Another is River of Doubt, about Teddy Roosevelt’s adventure down an uncharted river in the Amazon basin.

Lost in Shangri-La. A true story about a crash of a WW II bomber (on a sightseeing cruise with officers and nurses) in the darkest regions of New Guinea in 1945, their survival and rescue, and their encounter with a cannibalistic Stone Age tribe that had never seen civilized man.
Interesting, it includes interviews with both the survivors and the tribal members who were forever changed by this exposure.