Saturday, March 12, 2011

Papers Betwixt Covers

Bike Bubba's Night Time Readings
So, question for you grumpy gents. 


If you like books, what are two (and only two!) that you would recommend to read within the next year?


With the presumption that the Bible is excluded from the list, because its already frequently read.


Leave a comment, or make a post out of it with expanded reasoning. 

10 comments:

  1. Stephen Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" about the battle of Thermopylae. An incredible read, even if you're not a history buff.

    And how about C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters".

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  2. "Horton Hears A Who" has always been a favorite of mine.
    it teaches that one should stand by their beliefs, regardless of what disregard others may offer in repsonse.

    "The Cat In The Hat" because you got to admit...
    a cat wearing a hat is some pretty funny shit.

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  3. The Federalist Papers and The Road to Serfdom

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  4. I agree with Gino that the Cat in the Hat is some pretty funny shit. However, I'd recommend these two:

    1) The True Believer, by Eric Hoffer. A user's manual for Madison, among other things. And other than The Great Gatsby, one of the best books I know that you can read in an afternoon.

    2) The Glory of Their Times, edited by Lawrence Ritter. An oral history of baseball from around the turn of the century (19th to 20th, that is). The best book I know about baseball, but it's also about a lot more than that. Everyone should make the acquaintance of Wahoo Sam Crawford and Smoky Joe Wood.

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  5. I take offense to the idea that you'd accuse me of reading the federal budget. My taxes are more than enough! :^)

    Seriously, I'm hoping to read Calvin's Institutes and Newton's Principia (in translation both).

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  6. mr d: as for baseball books, i hear "Men At Work" by george will was pretty good.

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  8. Gino: Men at Work is an excellent book -- I definitely recommend it. I'm reading a pretty good biography of Walter Johnson right now, written by his grandson -- I always read baseball books at this time of year.

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  9. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. It's about an older pastor who married a much younger woman late in life and they have a son together. He realizes that his time is limited and he is examining his whole life in terms of that and trying to figure out what he can pass on. The book isn't so much about plot as it is about recollection and contemplation. For some people that would make for a boring read. I was absolutely fascinated by the book when I read it two years ago and will be reading it again.

    By the way, Crankbait has also read the book (he gave me my copy) and would surely be able to give a more insightful summary.

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  10. One that I haven't read yet, because I just heard about it from my dad, but plan to get quickly: As America has done to Israel; by John McTernan.

    He says it's a fascinating read.

    He also handed off to me The Twelfth Imam, by Joel Rosenberg, which I plan to read next. I've read other books of his which weren't bad, although more for the prophetic scripture correlations. I don't think he's a particularly riveting novelist.

    kingdavid

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