Just Two Good Books – (With Comments Enclosed)

[Tigers2B1]

The two books I just finished - and strongly suggest- are The Pleasure of My Own Company by Steven Martin (yep, that Steve Martin)...

http://www.sweetstar.com/olga/0786869216

and Life of Pi by Yann Martel (yep that Yann Martel).



Life of Pi is, to understate, a unique story. Don’t get lost in the first third of the book ------- the last 2/3s are cool in the extreme.

The Pleasure of My Own Company adds dimension, with a touch of laughs, and a dash of insight. Hungry? Include the infamous “human condition” and sit down for a bibliophile’s fest. (OK – OK! As I typed I was hearing the New York Times’ book critic whispering in my ear -- :) )

POINT ---> I’d truly be interested in suggestions for other good books – Give it up!

 

[zoobyshoe]

A few months ago, I was highly engrossed in The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester. It's a true story. It may whet your appetite to hear wht's revealed in the first chapter:


The consolidators of the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary put out an appeal to the public for carefully collected examples of the usage of words from all periods of literature to include in the definitions.

After years of receiving tens of thousands of excellent contributions from a particular man by mail, the supervisor of the project invites the man to come visit the center of operations. The offer is declined with vague excuses. More invitations, more excuses. Finally the professor decides to travel to meet the mysterious contributor.

When he arrives at the address, he discovers to his amazement it is an institution for the criminally insane, and his contributor is an inmate there.

 

[zeronem]

A few months ago, I was highly engrossed in The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester. It's a true story. It may whet your appetite to hear wht's revealed in the first chapter:


The consolidators of the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary put out an appeal to the public for carefully collected examples of the usage of words from all periods of literature to include in the definitions.

After years of receiving tens of thousands of excellent contributions from a particular man by mail, the supervisor of the project invites the man to come visit the center of operations. The offer is declined with vague excuses. More invitations, more excuses. Finally the professor decides to travel to meet the mysterious contributor.

When he arrives at the address, he discovers to his amazement it is an institution for the criminally insane, and his contributor is an inmate there.

Wow, that looks good. I think I might check it out some time. I can already envision a movie of it in my head just from what you typed.

Stanley Kubrick once said, "anything that can be written can be filmed"

 

[Mk]

Life of Pi

Before I read about it, I thought it was about π

 

[Tigers2B1]

Before I read about it, I thought it was about π

yep - Mathematical Pi in mind -- but peach pie in spirit. Pi! What a great character – and can you even guess a better co-host than Richard Parker :) Excellent in scene, drama, imagery, just all around -- Berry. berry nice

 

[pace]

Talking about two. These days I read two books. Another introduction to Spinoza by Roger Scruton, and Jane Austen - Emma.

 

[Chrono]

yep - Mathematical Pi in mind -- but peach pie in spirit. Pi! What a great character – and can you even guess a better co-host than Richard Parker :) Excellent in scene, drama, imagery, just all around -- Berry. berry nice

A whole book about Pi?

 

[Moonbear]

Well, I just finished reading The DaVinci Code. It was a fun, light read (a good weekend book). It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but what I liked about it is that unlike a lot of mysteries where they only keep you in suspense by not telling you all the information the characters have so you can't possibly try to solve it with them, this one gave you each of the clues in their entirety as they were revealed to the characters. If you're up on your ancient history, mythology and symbolism, you can figure out the clues ahead of the characters, which makes it a little predictable, but to me that was more fun that not having all the information revealed and feeling cheated out of the chance to figure out the clues for myself. Of course, it also appeals to the feminist in me by constantly talking about the "sacred feminine."

 

[Tigers2B1]

A whole book about Pi?

Chrono my main character -- no, no, no. It ain't about THAT PI. Look --- If your classmates are calling you “Piss’in Patel” and guffawing at poor Richard Parker's friend --- Piscine, and at every other opportunity – well you just might take a nickname that commanded respect – here it was Pi --- one that commanded that respect among the geek set at least --- :) Hence - the book's title.

http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/life_of_pi/review/

…Yann Martel gives us the story of Piscine Molitor Patel, self-christened as Pi. He drives this name home by saying "Three! Point! One! Four!" to his new classmates after suffering the nickname of Pissing at a previous school. Never mind that his name comes from a swimming pool in France…

 

[Chrono]

Well, I just finished reading The DaVinci Code.

I'm currently reading Digital Fortress.

Tigers2B1, sorry about the misunderstanding.

 

[Grizzlycomet]

I'm reading Douglas Adams books nowadays. I finished The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series not too long ago, and just a few days ago I finished Last chance to see. The Guide series is an excellent series, any SF fans out there that hasn't read it, should read it right away! (or anyone who just wants a really, really, really, really, great funny book )
Last chance to see is a more serious book about endangered animals, what makes it truly great is that Adams still manages to make it very funny. I plan to read the two Dirk Gently books next, just waiting for my local library to get them back from those wicked people who obviously want to keep me from reading them.