Literature; what are YOU reading, and why?

srs ghost · Post by **srs ghost** » Mon May 05, 2003 8:49 pm 0

Currently reading The Way of All Flesh, Samuel Butler,
for its really clean prose. The reason why it's "important" is
that it's an ironic look at Victorian culture and their attitudes
about religion, especially Church of England. The reason why
I'm reading it is because it makes my brain feel good to read
something written that well.

Last thing I read was Taliesin, some crap fantasy about the kingdom of
Atlantis sinking and the Atlantians travelling to druid-era
England and embracing the true religion of Christ. It's a
sad, sad thing to slog through hundreds of pages of badly
written fiction only to discover the whole thing is a set up.

The fact that religion plays heavily in both books is coincidental
on my part.

Kemper_Boyd · Post by **Kemper_Boyd** » Mon May 05, 2003 9:34 pm 0

Well here's some, not even close to all, of the books I am currently reading,
I tend to read in a round-robin way. High latency but high throughput too.

True Tales of American Life - Paul Auster
- short stories submitted to NPR.

Advanced Renderman - Apodaca and Gritz
- everything you wanted to know about shaders but were afraid to ask.

A Cook's Tour - Anthony Bourdain
- irreverent tales of the best and worst of world cuisine.

Low Life - Luc Sante
- crime in 19th century New York.

The Base - Jane Corbin
- yet another Al-Qaeda book for me, but a good one by a
respected BBC journalist.

Effective STL - Scott Meyers
- Mmmmm Standard Template Library tastes good.

Modern C++ Design - Andrei Alexandrescu
- template meta programming, mmmmm generic programming
double plus good. Seriously this is the hot shit in current
C++ programming.

The Right Stuff - Tom Wolfe
- to infinity and beyond.

Cg Toolkit User Manual - NVIDIA Corporation
- currently my most read book.

The Kid Stays In The Picture - Robert Evans
- Hollywood hijinks from the producer's producer.

Why am I reading these? Knowledge is power, would be a trite answer.
I just like to read; papers, magazines, books and the internet. I just
plain like to read. How could you not want to find out new things?
How could you not want to read about places you will never go,
or times past. It's more entertaining than TV or films or music as well.

If you don't read then you will be ill-informed, lack knowledge, have a
closed mind and be missing out on the greatest human achievement in history,
language and the ability to communicate ideas and experience.

Istar · Post by **Istar** » Mon May 05, 2003 9:38 pm 0

Aside from the Dune series, plus most of Tolkiens' stuff, I find myself returning most frequently to my Julian May collection.

To be read in this order:
The Saga of The Exiles (comprised of The Many-Coloured Land, The Golden Torc, The Non-Born King, and The Adversary).

Then:
Intervention (in the US I think this is two books; The Surveillance and Metaconcert - in the UK it's a single volume).

Finally:
The Galactic Milieu Trilogy (being Jack The Bodiless, Diamond Mask, and Magnificat).

Also as an aside is The Pliocene Companion, which is a funny little collection of bits and pieces relating to The Saga of The Exiles).

For sheer mind-expanding imaginative punch, this lady rocks. I must have read this lot over half-a-dozen times in the last 20 years, and it still blows me away every time (much like TLoTR).

Istar.

teamonkey · Post by **teamonkey** » Mon May 05, 2003 9:53 pm 0

Computer Simulation Using Particles
Galactic Dynamics
An Introduction to Chaos in Dynamical Systems

(I have my thesis Viva tomorrow)

Java in a Nutshell

(I have an interview on Wednesday)

Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes
(Just because

)

darkladywolf · Post by **darkladywolf** » Mon May 05, 2003 11:44 pm 0

I've just finished Terry Pratchett's "Wee Free Men" (yet another wonderful read), and "Science of the Discworld II: The Globe"

I'm working my way though "Chaucer's Knight" by Terry Jones and also "Belgarath the Sorcerer" by David Eddings.

I tend to have a few books going at any one time.

strangeloop · Post by **strangeloop** » Tue May 06, 2003 12:11 am 0

Oh how Iâ€™d love to say Iâ€™m reading Umberto Ecoâ€™s Foucaultâ€™s Pendulum or something but Iâ€™m not. I is reading a great work of literature by Andy McNab. Hey Iâ€™m no snob, itâ€™s flipping great.

Kemper_Boyd · Post by **Kemper_Boyd** » Tue May 06, 2003 12:26 am 0

No problem, Umberto Eco can kiss it.

He's one of the most overated writers IMHO. Ah fuck it,
he sucks, it's a fact, take it to the bank and cash it.

Might be better in Italian I guess.

Now Primo Levi's a good writer.

I've never read any McNab but I like Tom Clancy.

jshawnd · Post by **jshawnd** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:01 am 0

Has anyone else experienced a severe decline in bedtime (or hell, any) reading due to the GBA-SP? I have a stack of stuff just waiting...

dtj · Post by **dtj** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:11 am 0

Kemper_Boyd wrote:No problem, Umberto Eco can kiss it.

He's one of the most overated writers IMHO. Ah fuck it,
he sucks, it's a fact, take it to the bank and cash it.

Might be better in Italian I guess.

Now Primo Levi's a good writer.

I've never read any McNab but I like Tom Clancy.

Foul!!!!!!!!!

Eco is a fantastic philosopher. Have you read anything by him? Any of his scholarly works? He's a professor of semiotics, you know. Fascinating topic, that. My goat, man... The Name of the Rose... how could you not be into that?

Be gone foul Eco basher! Be gone!!!!! Ick! Fie! Fie! May a pox... etc., etc....

dtj · Post by **dtj** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:12 am 0

jshawnd wrote:Has anyone else experienced a severe decline in bedtime (or hell, any) reading due to the GBA-SP? I have a stack of stuff just waiting...

/me raises hand...

noodles · Post by **noodles** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:23 am 0

On War by Von Clausewitz

Programming C# (bye bye C++, never liked you, hope to never to see
you again...)

Umberto Eco rules. :- P
When interviewed and asked if he believes in god, he replies :
"I believe in something much bigger."

Kemper_Boyd · Post by **Kemper_Boyd** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:53 am 0

dtj wrote:
Kemper_Boyd wrote:No problem, Umberto Eco can kiss it.

He's one of the most overated writers IMHO. Ah fuck it,
he sucks, it's a fact, take it to the bank and cash it.

Might be better in Italian I guess.

Now Primo Levi's a good writer.

I've never read any McNab but I like Tom Clancy.
Foul!!!!!!!!!

Eco is a fantastic philosopher. Have you read anything by him? Any of his scholarly works? He's a professor of semiotics, you know. Fascinating topic, that. My goat, man... The Name of the Rose... how could you not be into that?

Be gone foul Eco basher! Be gone!!!!! Ick! Fie! Fie! May a pox... etc., etc....

No I haven't read anything by him, I just spout crap on the net.

Travels in Hyper Reality and Foucault's Pendulum FYI.

Both utter rubbish IMNSHO.

Maybe The Name of the Rose is
the good one.

I know he's a professor of semiotics, doesn't make him a de facto
great writer. God damn his job says nothing about his ability as a
writer.

That said you're entitled to your opinion, please feel free to slag off
something I like.

I won't give a hoot.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue May 06, 2003 2:29 am 0

manicx · Post by **manicx** » Tue May 06, 2003 8:15 am 0

Nothing because I am fed up...

kroll · Post by **kroll** » Tue May 06, 2003 9:29 am 0

What I'm reading:

The Functional Approach to Programming by Guy Cousineau and Michel Mauny

Radio Free Albemuth by Philip K Dick