Book Reviews

[LadiesMan217]

I am not a big reader but I bought some books the other day to hopefully get myself into reading because we all know the knowledge is power. So if anyone wants to recommend a book or review a book they read then please do so by all means. I would love to know of some good books out there that I should get my hands on whether it be Science, Fiction, Science-Fiction, Historical, Classic Literature, or even a Self-help type book like Rich Dad, Poor Dad which I read a while ago for example. I would love to know good books from every genre.

[LadiesMan217]

The two books I bought the other day were Ender's Game and Atlas Shrugged. If anyone can tell me what they thought of these books without giving away any spoilers, or which one they think I should read first I would appreciate it.

[Netopalis]

Of those two, I've only read Ender's Game, but I absolutely loved it.

Books that I would recommend:
Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
1984, by George Orwell
Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis (This book is C.S. Lewis' attempt to explain the base beliefs of Christians according to the Bible. Even if you're not a Christian, it is still a rather interesting read, due to the style of argumentation that Lewis uses. Also, it tends to show a side of Christianity that most non-Christians rarely see.)
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Harry Potter (Yes, it's a children's book, but it's very well written and will entertain people of all ages...)
Sherlock Holmes (Any of them)
And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie (Older editions of this book may bear the title "Ten Little Indians".)
Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie


That's just a starting list, I'm sure that I'll think of more later...

[LadiesMan217]

Oh yeah, Mere Christianity is a book I was supposed to read in high but like all books I was supposed to read, I didn't. But C.S. Lewis is a genius and I have that one at home so I will definitely get to that one eventually. I am very skeptical of Hitchhiker's Guide though because I saw the movie and it was so stupid but the others look like winners to me. Thanks for the list. I was kind of hoping that people could also give a little background for the books that they recommend because a title only tells me so much.

[Netopalis]

The book for Hitchhiker's guide is *so* much better than the movie, it's not even funny. As for a bit of background on each of the books...

Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
- Consider the fall of the Roman Empire in a sci-fi setting..
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
- A brilliant sci-fi comedy..
1984, by George Orwell
- A disturbing look at a possible future in which the government monitors the every move of its citizens
Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis (This book is C.S. Lewis' attempt to explain the base beliefs of Christians according to the Bible. Even if you're not a Christian, it is still a rather interesting read, due to the style of argumentation that Lewis uses. Also, it tends to show a side of Christianity that most non-Christians rarely see.)

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
- One attorney's fight against the racist views of a small southern town, as told through the voice of his 7 year old daughter.

Harry Potter (Yes, it's a children's book, but it's very well written and will entertain people of all ages...)
- Do I really need to explain this one?

Sherlock Holmes (Any of them)
- The classic set of detective stories, featuring a multitude of memorable personalities.

And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie (Older editions of this book may bear the title "Ten Little Indians".)
- Ten strangers find themselves invited to a party on a island, but their guest is nowhere to be found. Soon after, they mysteriously are found dead, one by one.

Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
- Another excellent detective story, a murder is committed on a train that is trapped in a snow drift, and the only 10 possible suspects all had alibis. Both this and And Then There Were None are known for their fantastic twist ending.

[Netopalis]

Oh, sorry, I forgot to add something...

Generally speaking, the book that a movie is based on will almost ALWAYS be better than the movie itself. There are a few exceptions, but I always say to read the book and skip the movie...

[LadiesMan217]

Thanks for the background. Most of the books I had heard of but some I hadn't and they all sound very intriguing and will have to pick them up.

[sdbest]

Quote by: LadiesMan217 The two books I bought the other day were Ender's Game and Atlas Shrugged. If anyone can tell me what they thought of these books without giving away any spoilers, or which one they think I should read first I would appreciate it.

In my opinion,Ender's Game and the all the other Orson Scott Cards books about Ender are quite wonderful. I've read them all. Atlas Shrugged is dreck as are the rest Ayn Rand's novels--which I've also read.

Regards
S.

[LadiesMan217]

In my opinion,Ender's Game and the all the other Orson Scott Cards books about Ender are quite wonderful. I've read them all. Atlas Shrugged is dreck as are the rest Ayn Rand's novels--which I've also read.

I have heard good things about Ender's Game. Is Atlas Shrugged really bad or did you just not like it because you did not agree with the politics of it because the only thing I know about is that is has something to do with the most productive members of society leaving because they are sick of supporting everyone else or something along those lines which sounds kind of interesting to me.

[sdbest]

Quote by: LadiesMan217 I have heard good things about Ender's Game. Is Atlas Shrugged really bad or did you just not like it because you did not agree with the politics of it because the only thing I know about is that is has something to do with the most productive members of society leaving because they are sick of supporting everyone else or something along those lines which sounds kind of interesting to me.

Atlas Shrugged is a bad novel, in my view, from a literary and writing standpoint. That I think the philosophy is silly is beside the point. The literary problem is a consequence of Rand using the novel to express her philosophy. As a consequence, the characters become forced stereotypes or philosophical functionaries. The story itself while convoluted is also forced and contrived, in order to make a point.

There's one speech for example by John Galt which in my edition runs over 50 pages. A 50 page piece of dialog! It's no wonder that AS was Rand's last piece of fiction.

By all means, read AS if you want to delve into Randian views, but don't expect good writing or story telling. Notwithstanding my views of AS, it was and remains very popular.

Regards
S.

[Captain Cardio]

I'd recommend the following; I think I'd be doing the books I recommend a disservice if I tried to use my own words to sum them up, so I've stolen little summaries/synopsis from elsewhere.

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a pretty good, fast read.

The plot is an allegory in which the pigs in a farm play the role of the Bolshevik revolutionaries and overthrow and oust the human owners of the farm, setting it up as a commune in which, at first, all animals are equal.


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The End of Poverty - Economic Possibilities for our Time by Jeffrey Sachs

A comprehensive look at the causes of global poverty, and the realistic action that can be taken to half extreme poverty by 2015 and end it by 2025.

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How are We to Live? - Ethics in an Age of Self Interest by Peter Singer

Hard to summarize, I'd quickly check out this wikipedia link if you wanted to know a little about it.
How Are We to Live? - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Pig that Wants to be Eaten - and 99 other Thought Experiements by Julian Baggini

To stimulate philosophical thinking, Julian Baggini's The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten proposes no fewer than 100 problems, ranging from Zeno's Paradox and Plato's Cave to cinematic conundrums like Groundhog Day and Minority Report.

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I agree with Netopalis about 1984 by George Orwell and the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

You can find 1984 online if you follow the below link.
Nineteen Eighty Four - Part 1 - Chapter 1 - Book by George Orwell - Charles' George Orwell Links

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God's Debris - A Thought Experiment by Scott Adams:
You can read it from your browser if you follow the below link.
G o d ’ s D e b r i s - Scott Adams

"It's a controversial book that presents a philosophically strange view of the universe. According to Adams, it splits readers between "the best book they've ever read" and "an insult to literature and a disservice to humanity"." - Plutor

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The Outsider by Albert Camus is good. (More specifically the Gilbert translation of L’Étranger.)

Meursault is a young man who works as a clerk in Algiers. He lives in the usual manner of a French-Algerian, middle-class bachelor, cooking his evening meal for himself in his small flat, sleeping with his girl at the weekends, bathing, going to the pictures. But he has a glaring fault in the eyes of society-- he seems to lack the basic emotions and reactions (including hypocrisy) that are required of him. He observes the facts of life, death, and sex from the outside. Even when he is involved in a personal tragedy which results in a frightening and unjust trial, he considers his own feelings and the actions of others with a calm and almost ironic truthfulness.

[ZNFYRH]

I'll have to check my bookshelf at home.

Avoid any of the hardcore mainstream sci-fi or fantasy, like Forgotten Realms or Asimov. Those authors are so immersed in their own legacies that their writing isn't friendly to new readers to their work.

[Netopalis]

Znfyrh - I actually just finished reading the first book of Asimov's foundation series, and I found it quite easy to get into. (Hence my recommendation) Perhaps this would be true of his short stories, but I had absolutely no trouble....

[ZNFYRH]

Because it was the first book of the series.

I realized I didn't quite clarify that if you want to get into the more mainstream writers of a genre it's best to start with their earlier work.

[Netopalis]

Oh, no, it was one of his later books...just the first of a set of four. He didn't actually do that many series - instead, he did mostly short story compilations.

[ZNFYRH]

I'm familiar with Asimov.

The point was just that you should avoid any long series of books unless you read the early ones.

Don't jump into Ranma, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, etc.

Ender's Game is the first of two series of books that are excellent.

I would recommend, if you're up for it, the Dune books.

The problem with the Dune books is that for older fans it's like Star Wars; the newer prequels are are cool because you see the roots of things with which you are familiar, whereas if you read the books in chronological order you might miss the significance of certain events in the prequels.

[LadiesMan217]

I'm familiar with Asimov. The point was just that you should avoid any long series of books unless you read the early ones. Don't jump into Ranma, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, etc. Ender's Game is the first of two series of books that are excellent. I would recommend, if you're up for it, the Dune books. The problem with the Dune books is that for older fans it's like Star Wars; the newer prequels are are cool because you see the roots of things with which you are familiar, whereas if you read the books in chronological order you might miss the significance of certain events in the prequels.

My grandfather was a big fan of Dune. Which one would you recommend starting with so as to get the most enjoyment out of the series?

[ZNFYRH]

Start with Dune, then work your way through the original six.

I'm home now, so I'm reading the titles right off my shelf.
They are:

Dune
Dune: Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse: Dune

Then read the prequels:

House Atreides
House Harkonnen
House Corrino

Then read the pre-prequels:

The Butlerian Jihad
The Machine Crusade
The Battle of Corrin

Then finish up with the final two sequels that pick up where Chapterhouse: Dune leave off:

Hunters of Dune
Sandworms of Dune

No shit... 14 books total in the series, and if you read them in that order, I think you'll get max enjoyment.

Though reading the 6 prequels and then reading Chapterhouse: Dune will is best, as it sets you up nicely for Hunters of Dune.

[megadeth425]

I reccomend some of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. It's psychological, science fiction-based horror with more emphasis on themes like insanity. Most of his works are short stories, so they're fairly light reads. I reccomend Call of Cthulhu or At The Mountains of Madness. They're really just a collection of loosely-based novellas, so you can pick up any book in the series and not be missing much.

[ZNFYRH]

Lovecraft is awesome.