Anyone else have a book addiction?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around participants sharing their experiences and preferences regarding book reading and collecting, particularly in the context of STEM literature and other genres. It includes reflections on personal libraries, favorite authors, and the challenges of managing book collections.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a strong passion for reading and collecting books across various subjects, highlighting favorites like The Feynman Lectures and Griffith's E&M.
  • Another participant shares a history of reading preferences, transitioning from classic science fiction to contemporary thrillers, noting a favorite STEM book from the 1960s.
  • A participant critiques the film adaptation of a book series, emphasizing a disconnect between the character portrayal and the original material.
  • One participant mentions a shift away from textbooks due to the accessibility of information online, while still enjoying classic fantasy series.
  • Another participant humorously reflects on the disparity between a beloved book and its film adaptation.
  • Several participants discuss their struggles with book addiction, with one planning to reduce their collection significantly and another mentioning recent donations of books.
  • A participant notes a particular fondness for a specific mechanics textbook and a growing interest in the history of science as they age.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a common appreciation for reading and collecting books, but there are varying opinions on the value of textbooks versus other reading materials. The discussion includes both agreement on the challenges of managing book collections and differing preferences in genres and authors.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express nostalgia for earlier reading habits and preferences, while others indicate a shift in focus as they age. There is no consensus on the best approach to managing book collections or the value of textbooks in the current digital age.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in book collecting, personal libraries, and the intersection of literature with STEM subjects may find this discussion engaging.

Mondayman
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I read every opportunity I get, and I'm usually studying from multiple textbooks at once. As a result I have a large collection of books spanning multiple subjects. Adding books to this collection is an (expensive) addiction for me.

My favorites are The Feynman Lectures, my WW1 personal memoir collection, and the war diaries for the Leibstandarte and Das Reich Divisions in WW2. For Whom the Bell Tolls and Storm of Steel are the best books I've ever read.

So far Griffith's E&M is my favorite textbook. All of Paul Nahin's books are great as well.

I'm sure many of you here on PF are big readers and have sizable collections of texts and books. Who else takes pride in their personal library? What are your favorites?
 
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I read voraciously from an early age to maybe 60 or so, then tapered off quite a bit. My first love in adult reading was the early Sci Fic greats, Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury etc etc, then I added a lot of great literature, Shakespeare etc. and in mid-life I switched over to popcorn novels, Grisham, Ludlum, Turow, and lots of others. Lately I've been into even more trashy crap like Robert Parker, Brad Thor, Lee Child, etc.

I think my favorite STEM book was an edition from the early 1960's of The Thomas book on Calculus.
 
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phinds said:
Lee Child,
Tom Cruise is NOT Jack Reacher, uh-uh, nope, no way. Obviously the movies aren't even a "little bit" true to character.
 
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For me textbooks were only used as references. With the internet, when I can check something up with a quick search, I don't use them anymore.

BUT I recently just reread the Wheel of Time and the original Dune series :oldbiggrin:
 
I enjoyed Starship Troopers by Heinlein. The movie was so bad it was funny, however.
 
My addiction is so bad that I'm going to unload ~50% of my physics collection and try to not purchase any more. If I do, it'll be for work purposes and minimal at that.
 
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I feel the same way. My wife and I have donated four boxes in the last few months and we are still over flowing. I don't want to get rid of any of the good stuff.
 
I can relate to that. There's a great bookstore near my place and it's so hard not to stop by whenever I'm out. I just can't stop buying books!
 
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Same here. My favourite is Landau - Mechanics. Although of late I find myself reading books on the history of science more than I did in the past. 65 now - doing long math calculations or following a complex proof is less appealing.

Thanks
Bill
 

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