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Books

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Comments

  • FirePlugDawgFirePlugDawg Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @Lazendaddy said:
    Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Weir is a genius with all the technical stuff in this book when it comes to NASA and space and being an Astronaut. Pretty fascinating. Would recommend

    Should NOT be a spoiler but if un-trusting, look away. Weir was interviewed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who tactfully had Weir admit that the premise of the catastrophe that set in motion all that followed, the Martian winds, is made up. Don't exist. A McGuffin of sorts. I believe they agreed that the rest is pretty good science.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin

  • HumbleYourselfHumbleYourself Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:
    All works by Terry Pratchett are worthy reads...if you can't enjoy Discworld...you have are incapable of joy.

    I fell asleep reading the brief description at Amazon, to each their own. Horton Holds The Whos ?

    @FirePlugDawg said:

    @Lazendaddy said:
    Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Weir is a genius with all the technical stuff in this book when it comes to NASA and space and being an Astronaut. Pretty fascinating. Would recommend

    Should NOT be a spoiler but if un-trusting, look away. Weir was interviewed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who tactfully had Weir admit that the premise of the catastrophe that set in motion all that followed, the Martian winds, is made up. Don't exist. A McGuffin of sorts. I believe they agreed that the rest is pretty good science.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin

    Hmm..interesting..never would have guessed that mars didn't have wind/dust storms.

  • FirePlugDawgFirePlugDawg Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @HumbleYourself said:

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:
    All works by Terry Pratchett are worthy reads...if you can't enjoy Discworld...you have are incapable of joy.

    I fell asleep reading the brief description at Amazon, to each their own. Horton Holds The Whos ?

    @FirePlugDawg said:

    @Lazendaddy said:
    Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Weir is a genius with all the technical stuff in this book when it comes to NASA and space and being an Astronaut. Pretty fascinating. Would recommend

    Should NOT be a spoiler but if un-trusting, look away. Weir was interviewed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who tactfully had Weir admit that the premise of the catastrophe that set in motion all that followed, the Martian winds, is made up. Don't exist. A McGuffin of sorts. I believe they agreed that the rest is pretty good science.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin

    Hmm..interesting..never would have guessed that mars didn't have wind/dust storms.

    OT But if Mars had wind, it would likely have rain, and therefore would likely have life. There are many things that make Earth habitable for life. Ocean deep water currents are one more. We're special.

  • Bulldawg90Bulldawg90 Posts: 549 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited January 2019

    @scooterdawg said:
    If you like Fantasy I recommend the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Not the typical medieval fantasy as it’s set in a future universe where lots of planets are colonized, but also not just a Star Trek/Star Wars rip-off or soap opera set in space and most of the action isn’t in space.

    I totally agree with your recommendation of this series. I’m halfway through the third installment. You could liken it to the Hunger Games as too I guess. I didn’t read those. I always thought “ I’d never read something like that.” But I got the first book (Red Rising) for $4.99 and just kept going.

    I read that Brown is working towards making it into TV series.

    Have you read past the initial trilogy?

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @HumbleYourself said:

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:
    All works by Terry Pratchett are worthy reads...if you can't enjoy Discworld...you are incapable of joy.

    I fell asleep reading the brief description at Amazon, to each their own. Horton Holds The Whos ?

    Sounds about right....capable of joy was the prerequisite.

    I think most adults find joy in things other than children's books.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @finesse92 said:
    "Laws of Human Nature" by Robert Greene has been a pretty good read

    On Human Nature by E.O. Wilson is an all time great, but it's not a self help book, it's a serious academic study of the primal roots of human nature and our resulting behaviors.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited January 2019

    @HumbleYourself said:

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:
    All works by Terry Pratchett are worthy reads...if you can't enjoy Discworld...you have are incapable of joy.

    I fell asleep reading the brief description at Amazon, to each their own. Horton Holds The Whos ?

    @FirePlugDawg said:

    @Lazendaddy said:
    Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Weir is a genius with all the technical stuff in this book when it comes to NASA and space and being an Astronaut. Pretty fascinating. Would recommend

    Should NOT be a spoiler but if un-trusting, look away. Weir was interviewed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who tactfully had Weir admit that the premise of the catastrophe that set in motion all that followed, the Martian winds, is made up. Don't exist. A McGuffin of sorts. I believe they agreed that the rest is pretty good science.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin

    Hmm..interesting..never would have guessed that mars didn't have wind/dust storms.

    Mars has enormous dust storms.
    I'm not sure what DeGrasse Tyson was suggesting, but some Martian dust storms circle the planet and last for weeks.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @FirePlugDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:
    All works by Terry Pratchett are worthy reads...if you can't enjoy Discworld...you have are incapable of joy.

    I fell asleep reading the brief description at Amazon, to each their own. Horton Holds The Whos ?

    @FirePlugDawg said:

    @Lazendaddy said:
    Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Weir is a genius with all the technical stuff in this book when it comes to NASA and space and being an Astronaut. Pretty fascinating. Would recommend

    Should NOT be a spoiler but if un-trusting, look away. Weir was interviewed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who tactfully had Weir admit that the premise of the catastrophe that set in motion all that followed, the Martian winds, is made up. Don't exist. A McGuffin of sorts. I believe they agreed that the rest is pretty good science.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin

    Hmm..interesting..never would have guessed that mars didn't have wind/dust storms.

    OT But if Mars had wind, it would likely have rain, and therefore would likely have life. There are many things that make Earth habitable for life. Ocean deep water currents are one more. We're special.

    I'm not sure where this is coming from, but Mars has such huge dust storms they can be seen from Earth with telescopes.

  • HumbleYourselfHumbleYourself Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:
    All works by Terry Pratchett are worthy reads...if you can't enjoy Discworld...you are incapable of joy.

    I fell asleep reading the brief description at Amazon, to each their own. Horton Holds The Whos ?

    Sounds about right....capable of joy was the prerequisite.

    I think most adults find joy in things other than children's books.

    Most adults stay silent when comfronted with things about which they know nothing....there are exceptions to all things it seems.

  • HumbleYourselfHumbleYourself Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @WCDawg said:

    @finesse92 said:
    "Laws of Human Nature" by Robert Greene has been a pretty good read

    On Human Nature by E.O. Wilson is an all time great, but it's not a self help book, it's a serious academic study of the primal roots of human nature and our resulting behaviors.

    E.O. Wilson is a profound thinker. Consilience is the work I found to be the most impactful for me. Unfortunately as a Bama alumni, his credibility is immediately suspect.

  • HumbleYourselfHumbleYourself Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @HumbleYourself said:

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:

    @WCDawg said:

    @HumbleYourself said:
    All works by Terry Pratchett are worthy reads...if you can't enjoy Discworld...you are incapable of joy.

    I fell asleep reading the brief description at Amazon, to each their own. Horton Holds The Whos ?

    Sounds about right....capable of joy was the prerequisite.

    I think most adults find joy in things other than children's books.

    Most adults stay silent when comfronted with things about which they know nothing....there are exceptions to all things it seems.

    Also, Prachett is excellent fantasy satire...while he writes some children's books (which my son loves) you are missing out if you write him off without giving it a chance.

  • scooterdawgscooterdawg Posts: 3,066 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @Bulldawg90 said:

    @scooterdawg said:
    If you like Fantasy I recommend the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Not the typical medieval fantasy as it’s set in a future universe where lots of planets are colonized, but also not just a Star Trek/Star Wars rip-off or soap opera set in space and most of the action isn’t in space.

    I totally agree with your recommendation of this series. I’m halfway through the third installment. You could liken it to the Hunger Games as too I guess. I didn’t read those. I always thought “ I’d never read something like that.” But I got the first book (Red Rising) for $4.99 and just kept going.

    I read that Brown is working towards making it into TV series.

    Have you read past the initial trilogy?

    I'm actually about to start the 4th one, Iron Gold. It had been a few years since I read the 1st three and I didn't realize he was going to keep on past the trilogy until I stumbled on it.

  • kelly_bkelly_b Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited January 2019

    Just re-read Martin Amis' "Money" (Good), Reading "Damned to Fame" (Knowles' bio of Samuel Beckett) and Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. For French practice, "L'étranger" by Camus. Really easy read either in French or in English. In the former the entire thing is either in present or passé composé. On the lighter side, I hate the trendy resurgence of Lovecraft, but I'm reading a buncha different stories by kids who try their best to recreate his cosmic horror and fail. I'd rather read Leonard or Philip K. Dick for pop fiction. The former because he's a great story-teller, the latter because he da man.

  • FirePlugDawgFirePlugDawg Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @FirePlugDawg said:

    @Lazendaddy said:
    Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Weir is a genius with all the technical stuff in this book when it comes to NASA and space and being an Astronaut. Pretty fascinating. Would recommend

    Should NOT be a spoiler but if un-trusting, look away. Weir was interviewed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who tactfully had Weir admit that the premise of the catastrophe that set in motion all that followed, the Martian winds, is made up. Don't exist. A McGuffin of sorts. I believe they agreed that the rest is pretty good science.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin

    Follow-up: At 19:35 of the below link, Neil Tyson explains that the wind PRESSURE would be far too low to 'blow over' the space craft. The gist is the same as is my follow-on comment regarding winds-rain-life +/-

    https://soundcloud.com/startalk/surviving-on-mars-with-andy-weir

  • finesse92finesse92 Posts: 190 ✭✭✭ Junior

    @WCDawg said:

    @finesse92 said:
    "Laws of Human Nature" by Robert Greene has been a pretty good read

    On Human Nature by E.O. Wilson is an all time great, but it's not a self help book, it's a serious academic study of the primal roots of human nature and our resulting behaviors.

    Sounds like something I could get into as well though. I love anything psychological but also I've always been a believer that we're far more beastly or animalistic in nature than I think a lot of people are willing to admit, even in a modern day "civilized" society.

    Also just started reading this book called "Sum: 40 Tales from the Afterlives" by David Eagleman. This one is actually extremely captivating throughout and delves into the afterlife obviously, but in 40 different possible hypothetical depictions where each one is described in a way that comes off as completely factual. It's been kinda mind-blowing at some points honestly.

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