What are you reading - Page 2

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #21 18-01-2009, 12:26 PM

Just finished "God is not Great"
Reading "Field guide to meteors and meteorites"
Next is "The brain that changes itself"
Followed by "Of Pandas and People"

Dog Star (Phil) · #22 18-01-2009, 12:36 PM

Loving ALL the replies!

A good way to get some great reading advice and as I suspected, the reading range of members is fascinating, broad and informative.
Many thanks to all those who have responded so positively.

Keep 'em coming!
Cheers, Phil.

JimmyH155 · #23 18-01-2009, 12:41 PM

I have 4 on the go. This horrible hot weather encourages reading doesn't it?
The International Book of trees, by Hugh Johnston
The Fellowship of the Ring, by guess who. fourth time reading
Blue Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson (when I am on the train)
Where to retire in Australia, by Jill and Owen Weeks

taminga16 (Greg) · #24 18-01-2009, 01:19 PM

Reading back over some of the earlier threads and seeing Clayton's has. reminded me that there is an unfinished copy of The Shipping News by E.Annie Proulx on my wrecked motorcycle, I must retrieve it before the it is lost.

Greg.

rogerg (Roger) · #25 18-01-2009, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Try "Real Astronomy with Small Telescopes. Step by step activities for discovery" by Michael K Gainer.

Thank you

Ric · #26 18-01-2009, 09:33 PM

That Hawkwind forum sounds interesting, I must check it out.

In the reading department I have 2 on the go as well.

"Galaxies and How to Observe Them" by Wolfgang Steinicke & Richard Jakiel.

"Setting up a Small Observatory" by David Arditti.

Both are very interesting reads.

Dog Star (Phil) · #27 18-01-2009, 09:47 PM

G'day Ric.
Forgot you are an old (relatively speaking) Hawker.

Link here
http://hawkwindforum.freeforums.org/index.php

Ric · #28 18-01-2009, 09:57 PM

Ta Phil, just had a quick look around and it looks great.

Cheers

Clarry (Clayton) · #29 18-01-2009, 10:11 PM

Looking over the responses so far, I realize that I've read a fair few of the current books.
Mansfield Park, Hitchhikers, Knights Dawn Trilogy, LoTR (7 times). God is not Great, yep that too. OneofOne, can I suggest you try The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. And yes Kevnool, I've read thread too.
Now I need to concentrate on the mentioned books that I haven't read. Always good to get suggestions for future reading.

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #30 19-01-2009, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clarry

Looking over the responses so far, I realize that I've read a fair few of the current books.
Mansfield Park, Hitchhikers, Knights Dawn Trilogy, LoTR (7 times). God is not Great, yep that too. OneofOne, can I suggest you try The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. And yes Kevnool, I've read thread too.
Now I need to concentrate on the mentioned books that I haven't read. Always good to get suggestions for future reading.

I read the God Delusion a year or so ago and have "The Dawkins Delusion" in an order from Amazon on its way now, I try to get a view from both sides of the fence.

astroron (Ron) · #31 19-01-2009, 09:28 AM

THE ARP ATLAS OF PECULIAR GALAXIES( A Chronicle and Observers Guide)
The story and info in this book is brilliant.

Liz · #32 19-01-2009, 10:55 AM

Have about 10 books on bedside table

Presently reading-
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Memory Cathedral by Jack Dann
Paul of Dune by Herbert/Anderson
ah .... and Lonely Planet Italy

sheeny (Al) · #33 19-01-2009, 11:08 AM

I am currently reading "the Last Continent" by Terry Pratchett. One of the few Discworld books I didn't have (but Lyn did her homework and made a list to get the missing ones for Xmas!

I thoroughly enjoy Pratchett's books. Not as painfully funny as Douglas Adams, but he uses the Discworld to poke fun at ours!

Al.

okiscopey (Mike) · #34 19-01-2009, 06:50 PM

Current book (among others) is:

The Brain That Changes Itself
stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science
Norman Doidge, M.D.
ISBN 9781921215827

A New York Times bestseller [etc.]

'Only a few decades ago, scientists considered the brain to be fixed or ‘hardwired’ and considered most forms of brain damage, therefore, to be incurable. Dr. Doidge, an eminent psychiatrist and researcher, was struck by how his patients’ own transformations belied this and set out to explore the new science of neuroplasticity by interviewing both scientific pioneers in neuroscience, and patients who have benefited from neuro-rehabilitation. Here he describes in fascinating personal narratives how the brain, far from being fixed, has remarkable powers of changing its own structure and compensating for even the most challenging neurological conditions. Doidge’s book is a remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain.' (Oliver Sacks)

'A woman who perpetually feels like she’s falling, a man addicted to hard-core astrophotography [oops, sorry, changed the original word], an amputee with excruciating pain in his phantom elbow; all cured thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself. Doidge provides a history of the research in this growing field, highlighting scientists at the edge of groundbreaking discoveries and telling fascinating stories of people who have benefited. One researcher restores a woman’s sense of balance by placing electrodes on her tongue to create a novel neural pathway; a man undergoes physical therapy that reorganizes his brain and allows him to return to work after suffering an incapacitating stroke. Doidge even calls psychoanalysis ‘neuroplastic therapy — understanding a painful memory, for example, involves disconnecting and reconnecting neuronal groups.' (Psychology Today)

leinad (Dan) · #35 19-01-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okiscopey

Current book (among others) is:

The Brain That Changes Itself
stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science

In cased you missed it okiscopey, heres the ABC radiocast where I first found out about the book..
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/allinthemin...08/2359328.htm

theodog (Jeff) · #36 19-01-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroron

THE ARP ATLAS OF PECULIAR GALAXIES( A Chronicle and Observers Guide)
The story and info in this book is brilliant.

Plenty of observation opportunities there.

I am currently working through, WALES Epic Views of a Small Country, Jan Morris. While listening to Celtic Woman.

Buddman (Adam) · #37 20-01-2009, 01:01 PM

Just fininshed re-reading Dune by Frank Herbert. Read it so long ago that I had forgotten what it was all about.

Now reading Einstein's Heroes by Robyn Arianhod, mainly about Isaac Newton Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell and the role of Maths in science.

okiscopey (Mike) · #38 20-01-2009, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leinad

... heres the ABC radiocast ...

Thanks Leinad, listened to the podcast this morning ... fascinating stuff!

Dog Star (Phil) · #39 22-01-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacezebra

Hi all

Currently reading "The Elegant Universe" Brian Greene. "The Dobsonian Telescope" Kriege/Berry. "Digital Macro Photography" Ross Hoddinott (Crissy Prezzie).

Cheers Petra d.

Saw a copy of "The Elegant Universe" in a 2nd hand book store today, so I swooped on it.

Have a copy of the tv series on dvd but it's pretty dumbed-down compared to the book so far.
Also found a copy of "Man and His Symbols" by C.G. Jung in the same store. Haven't read it since I was in my 20's, when it had a profound effect on me. Expecting nothing less now that I'm in my 50's.
Am also keeping my eye out for "The Brain That Changes Itself."
Seems that an awful lot of people are reading this.

GeoffW1 (Geoff) · #40 22-01-2009, 10:12 PM

Hi,

Saga of Seven Suns, Kevin J Anderson, a space opera which posits beings living in the lower layers of gas giants, others inhabiting the interior of suns, telepathic trees, and intelligent water.

Cheers