• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Post your library

I've just looked again at your lib Susan--awesome! :) At the rate of a book every two weeks it will only take me another 40 years or so to match you.
Click to expand...
That's okay, I have at least 20 years on you in age. Eventually you will catch up. I had to get reading glasses this year, so I guess it will be soon.

Susan
 
Last edited:
I had a horrible thought today. I hope no one thinks that I have actually read everything I have posted in my library. These are just books in my home library. I have written reviews of 200+ books that I have read in the last 10 years. Only about another 100 books I have read (but outside the 10 years) and many books I use as reference ect... Others are just there...

I have large stacks (virtual stacks) of books to be read next.

Right now I am struggling through Arthur Conan Doyle (before he was a Sir) "The History of Spiritualism" I am having so much trouble getting really interested, this man just believes whatever is told him.

Susan
 
GG you have added a bunch new books to your library haven't you....

My son Caspian, just finished "Guns of August" he kept telling me what was going on, he really liked the book but felt they ended the book too soon, should have included at least the beginning of the battle of the Marne.

You didn't review any of your nazi books, let me know when you get to those, I am interested in seeing your comments.

Also interested in your take on the Nicholas & Alexandra books you have.

I loved "The Professor and the Madman"

Was totally surprised how few history books we have in common, I guess I'm not surprised, but I had never heard of many of them. I guess I will have to wander through again sometime.

Every library has "Helter Skeltor" in it. I also have "I am Spock"

This Google program really pisses me off, I noticed when I clicked on your 4 skeptic books, only two came up.

Susan
 
Francesca & Kahalachan I was hoping to pick out my next book to read. I have a stack of skeptic/religion/history books sitting here and thought maybe I would find a great review from one of you that would force my hand.

Tressure, I don't have a clue what most of your titles are saying. But I do glance at your library from time to time, just in case.

So don't think someone isn't looking at your libraries....

Just finished "Letter to a Christian Nation" and last night "Spook" by Mary Roach. Loved both of these books.

I think I might start "The God Delusion" or maybe "An Anthropologist on Mars" or "The Trouble with Tom" (about Thomas Payne's remains), or "Fads and Fallacies" or......

Susan
 
Hey Susan, my reading of religion/sceptic books is not very broad actually, I have only read the recent "bestsellers" God Delusion and God Isn't Great. To be honest they fail to grab me and that is because I was fortunate to have had an angostic-atheist upbringing from my parents ("No we never had you christened because your dad and I don't really believe that stuff") and always attended non-religious schools. Also British society has always struck me as very secular (except for shops only opening for 6 hours on Sunday--grrr!). So I'm not the best reviewer of these because I think they reach out to those who are coming off some greater degree of attempted indoctrination.

ETA: On the other hand, genetics/evolution books are fantastic. I've read Guns Germs and Steel, Blind Watchmaker and The Journey of Man this year (and that would be my order of preference with the first two considerably ahead of the third)
 
Last edited:
I've posted pictures of my library before - there are far too many books to put up on a website. I'd be there forever. Unfortunately I can't link to it right now, since my website is blocked by the firewall I sit behind - categorised as blogs/personal pages.

I also have a Shelfari page for things I've read recently. But unfortunately that's also blocked - categorised as social networking.

I'll try to remember to call up this thread when I get home and I'll post the links.
 
I trust one statement you made, you do have more books than God, but then anyone who has more than one book also does.

Amazing collection, you do live in a commune right?

Can you imagine trying to move!

Susan
 
Arth I think you have the same book twice on your Steph list, the "I am a strange loop" book.

Francesca - I was just talking to a guy about this same topic, he said he doesn't bother reading Dawkins ect. because the is part of the choir and doesn't need to hear it. Personally that is why I need to hear it, I feel like I need to be reminded of the arguments.

Fran and Arth you have both read Dawkin's "God Delusion" Arth you gave it only 3 stars? Considering I have tons more to read should this be moved up to nearer the top of my list. Note: I haven't read any Dawkin's yet.

I started Oliver Sacks "An Anthropologist on Mars" last night. Reads exactly like his, "Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat" book and also "Awakenings" In this book Sacks is trying to understand the life his patients adapt to. I think all these patients are outside, not in his clinic. The first patient is a painter (art not houses) and loses his ability to see color (due to a car accident), everything is in shades of gray, he can't even see color when he dreams or closes his eyes. He sees things white as dirty, and shuns most food and physical contact as flesh looks sickly. I'm still on the first chapter and see that he is already learning to live with it, and is adapting though still can't see color. Looks like an interesting book.

Susan
 
sgf8 said:
I trust one statement you made, you do have more books than God, but then anyone who has more than one book also does.

Amazing collection, you do live in a commune right?
Click to expand...
Close. But no. We've just been collecting for a long time. A huge number of those books are out of print. Some are signed.

sgf8 said:
Can you imagine trying to move!
Click to expand...
Don't need to imagine it. We did it, a little more than three years ago.
 
sgf8 said:
Dawkin's "God Delusion" Arth you gave it only 3 stars? Considering I have tons more to read should this be moved up to nearer the top of my list. Note: I haven't read any Dawkin's yet.
Click to expand...
3 stars is the default. I usually don't rate the books I read, with a few exceptions. The fact that it has three stars on my shelf just means that I didn't bother rating it. I didn't review it either, from memory.

And yes, I'd say that you should probably move Dawkins up your list, but I wouldn't start with The God Delusion. I'd start with Blind Watchmaker, Selfish Gene and Unweaving the Rainbow, moving on to Ancestor's Tale as soon as you feel comfortable with his style.
 
sgf8 said:
GG you have added a bunch new books to your library haven't you....

My son Caspian, just finished "Guns of August" he kept telling me what was going on, he really liked the book but felt they ended the book too soon, should have included at least the beginning of the battle of the Marne.
Click to expand...
Ah, a few! I picked up Guns of August a few years ago, and enjoyed it so much that I bought all of Barbara Tuchman's books. She was not trained as a historian, but her father or husband (or maybe both) were heavily involved in the diplomatic corps, and she was well traveled. Guns won a Pulitzer Prize, and at the time she was described as 'a housewife'. Her book A Distant Mirror was about the 14th century, and a chapter on the Black Death lead me to read all those books you see on my list on that topic!

You didn't review any of your nazi books, let me know when you get to those, I am interested in seeing your comments.
Click to expand...
I haven't reviewed most of my books, I will have to gradually do that in odd hours. I read William Shirer's book twice.

Also interested in your take on the Nicholas & Alexandra books you have.
Click to expand...
I read Robert Massie's book when it first came out - I think I was in high school, and that got me interested in Russian and early Soviet history. I realized, just now, that there are some books I have that aren't yet on the list. I had a wonderful book that was about the 25 years immediately prior to the 1917 revolution - concerning the art, politics, culture, society, etc. - which I loaned to someone years ago. I never got it back. Richard Pipes' books on Russian and Soviet history are definitive. I especially recommend his Concise History of the Russian Revolution.
I loved "The Professor and the Madman"
Click to expand...


Then definitely read his book The Meaning of Everything about the development of the OED!



Every library has "Helter Skeltor" in it
Click to expand...
. But autographed??? :D Bugliosi spoke at my college, about a different book, but I carried my tattered copy and he signed it for me.

ETA: I added a couple more. I'm moving, and so much of my things are in boxes for the next few weeks.
 
Last edited:
And yes, I'd say that you should probably move Dawkins up your list, but I wouldn't start with The God Delusion. I'd start with Blind Watchmaker, Selfish Gene and Unweaving the Rainbow, moving on to Ancestor's Tale as soon as you feel comfortable with his style.
Click to expand...

But that would require me purchasing more books. Cool! Actually I am trying to avoid all book stores, just went to Reno and pretended I couldn't see the used book stores. I am way over my head in things to read.

I am waiting for a letter from my university, San Jose State. I am in limbo until I find out if they will accept me in the History Master's Program for Fall. They say they notify by April 30th, I don't think that is a firm date because 2 years ago I had to contact them in May just to find out I had been rejected. I mention this mainly because it is on my mind, and because it is going to completely affect my reading lists. If in school, I have to start buckling down to some serious reading, if not accepted I can just relax and read whatever I want to. So I am not sure what my reaction will be when I find out.

I already own the "God Delusion" so I guess I will move it up a couple books on my stack.

Susan
 
. But autographed??? :biggrin: Bugliosi spoke at my college, about a different book, but I carried my tattered copy and he signed it for me.
Click to expand...

You snot! I think a battered "Helter Skelter" book is also required for a well read library. My copy of "Dune" is also falling apart.

I love getting my books autographed, also that means I will never get rid of them. I have some copies autographed to me, and when I tried to read them I didn't like the book. How sad, now they just collect dust. I guess I could someday give them another try?

Susan
 
Complained to someone new at Google books today. I am so sick of not being able to search for a book I know is in my library. Just finished Oliver Sacks "An Anthropologist on Mars" (gave it 4 stars) and the book is sitting as the first entry in Google books, I try to search for the word Anthropologist and it pulls up 5 other books but not the one with that title. Agggg!

My science label says 53 books, but only 34 come up when you click on the label. My slavery label says 20 books but only 13 appear when you go to them.

So what are the downfalls of the other library sites? I really want this to work, but I only want to move my books once (actually I don't want to move them at all, I want Google to work) because it will take me many many hours to get them moved. Help anyone?

Susan
 
Okay, I'm done. Things did not transfer like they say they will. But it is done and I'm now using Library Thing. They have a lot of cool features and it is totally searchable.

Funny things is that under Google I had over 800 books, but with Library Thing I have 631 books. Google was crazy, their numbers never made sense.

Susan's Library
 
I have added a number of books in the past few weeks. I bought a Kindle and went a little crazy at Amazon.

I bought six books at TAM this past week, and have already read two of them: Matthew Chapman's Trials of the Monkey Boy, and 40 Days and 40 Nights, which is his story of the Dover creationism trial. The first book I mentioned was a book he started that originally was going to be about the annual re-enactments of the Scopes trial held in Tennessee every year, but ended up being a more autobiographical/travelogue missive. Let's just say he is extremely candid and open about his life!

He spoke at TAM, so I was able get them autographed. For those who don't know, he's the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, and spent most of his life seriously underachieving.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom