# What book are you currently reading?



## GouRonin

This is a question I have asked before elsewhere. Always neat to hear the answers.

Currently I am reading "Whoever Fights Monsters" by Ressler.


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## Baoquan

_The Babel Effect_  by David Hecht, _Effortless Combat Throws_ by Tim Cartmell, _The Two Towers_ -[again, before the movie comes out -  do i have to mention the author by name??], and whatever i find next to the garry.

yep, i always read many books at once.


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## bdparsons

_The Greatest Generation_  by Tom Brokaw

_Hapkido: Tradition, Philosophy & Technique_  by Mark Tedeschi

_The Secrets of Cabales Serrada Escrima_  by Mark V. Wiley


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## jfarnsworth

Kenpo 201. again
Lee Wedlake,


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## cdhall

I'm going to try to finish Harry Potter 2 now that my son is finished and then the Hobbit, Fellowship and Towers before the movie comes out and follow quickly with Return of the King.

I am also constantly referring to Infinite Insights for class material etc.  I look through them once a week or so, but I can't say I'm "reading" them cover to cover.  I tried that once and bogged down in book 3 somewhere.

I'm also doing a Bible study so I have assignments related to that and I need to be reading it daily.


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## GouRonin

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> *Kenpo 201.
> Lee Wedlake, *



I have 101 and have read it and liked it. How is 201? What's it consist of? Did you like it? can you compare it to 101? Thanx.


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## arnisador

I too am always reading many books at once. Currently they include:

"The Applicability of Mathematics As a Philosophical Problem" by Mark Steiner

"The Extended Phenotype" by Richard Dawkins

And I just finished this week:
"The Liar's Club" by Mary Karr


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## Baoquan

Arnisador - I see u are reading Dawkins - i can recommend Hecht's "The Babel Effect" - it is fiction, but hard-science based fiction bearing on the social effects of many meme's surrounding selfish gene theory (and other things).

Its a truly excellent book.

Cheers

Bao


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## arnisador

Thanks, I'll look it over at the bookstore. My wife reads a great deal of sci-fi and she may be interested too.


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## M F

The Silmarillion, by Tolkien of course.
I am going to read The Two Towers again, as well, before the movie comes out.


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## jfarnsworth

> _Originally posted by GouRonin _
> 
> *I have 101 and have read it and liked it. How is 201? What's it consist of? Did you like it? can you compare it to 101? Thanx. *




It's a good book to read. It goes over some history of the forms and gives examples of breakdowns of short/long 1 & 2. Pretty informative if this is what your looking for. Eventually I want to get out to start teaching on my own. I could use all the help I can get. :asian:  Kenpo101 gives a good base for 201. 201 Just goes a lot farther indepth.


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## Elfan

Hamlet - That famous english guy ;-)

The Republic - Plato

Yes both of those are for school.


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## arnisador

"Timequake", Kurt Vonnegut
"The Koran: A Very Short Introduction", Michael Cook
"Cherry: A Memoir", Marry Karr


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## warder

"when  I was a kid this was a free country":  by G. Gordon Liddy. easy read, and very interesting. also very right wing.


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## jaybacca72

HUSTLER CANADA BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
later
jay
oh and knifecraft it's an out of print book


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## Cthulhu

Just got done reading The Two Towers and Return of the King a week ago.  Haven't had a chance to swing by my library lately.

Cthulhu


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## tmanifold

How the mind works By steven plinker(or somthing like that). He is a professor of Psych at MIT. It goes into how we think, learn and process information. really good so far but it is kind of heavy reading.

Tony


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## arnisador

> _Originally posted by tmanifold _
> 
> *How the mind works By steven plinker *



I've read a few review of his "The Blank Slate" recently and am interested in reading more about Evolutionary Psychology in general. Sounds like a fascinating and useful thesis.


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## tshadowchaser

Currently Im reading:

Akido and the Dynamic Sphere  by A. Westerbrook and O. Ratti

Children of Hastur  by Marrion Zimmer Bradley

How to Argue and Win Every Time  By Gerry Spence

                            And
Relativity  by Albert Einstien    Authorised Translation by  Robert W. Lawson
Not that Im understanding much in this last one but maybe something will sink in

Shadow:asian:


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## Senfeng

*Recently Finished:*
_The Amber Spyglass _by Phillip Pullman

_Learn to Play Go vol. 1 _by Janice Kim and Jeong Soo-hyun


*Currently Reading:*
_The Deer and the Cauldron _by Louis Cha (Jing Yong)

_A Storm of Swords _by George R. R. Martin

_Jeet Kun Do - Bruce Lee's Commentaries on the Martial Way (vol. 3)  _edited by John Little

*Next on my list:*
_Modern Kung Fu Karate: Iron Poison Hand Training, Book 1_ by James Yimm Lee

_Game over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, & Enslaved Your Children_ by David Sheff


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## arnisador

The Joy of Work, Scott Adams
Everyday Ethics, Joshua Halberstam


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## Elfan

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

Just finished it.  Good fast read for an afternoon or two, and very good as well.


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## Cthulhu

A Haunted Air by F. Paul Wilson.

One of my favorite genre writers.  If you're a fan of the 'Repairman Jack' books, you won't be disappointed.

Cthulhu


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## Blindside

I am currently reading:

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula LeGuin
Life on the Mississippi - Mark Twain
Archeology of Weapons - Ewart Oakenshott

The next on my list is to reread the last Robert Jordan book, so I have a clue where the plots are when the new book comes out next month.  This series is sort of becoming a love-hate thing with me....

Lamont


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## TkdWarrior

currenty stuck with 8086 architechture n Unix...
gotta xam on 19th n 20th of dec 
-TkdWarrior-


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## arnisador

The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies, by Richard Hamblyn

Go to: The Story of the Math Majors, Bridge Players, Engineers, Chess Wizards, Scientists and Iconoclasts who were the Hero Programmers of the Software Revolution, by Steve Lohr

Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel, by Scott Adams


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## Elfan

The Princess Bride: S Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman


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## arnisador

I want to read that to my daughter! We have the DVD and we all enjoy the movie.


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## Little_Shoto

Moving Zen - C.W. Nichols ( I have one more chapter to go ...great book!)

Fellowship of the Rings (was cleaning out the basement this weekend and came across my old copy of it)


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## Elfan

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *I want to read that to my daughter! We have the DVD and we all enjoy the movie. *



Just finished it and I liked it a lot. Can't remember all of the movie but the book is a *tad* darker towards the end.


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## arnisador

> _Originally posted by Elfan _
> *Just finished it and I liked it a lot. Can't remember all of the movie but the book is a *tad* darker towards the end. *



Too much for an 8 year old?


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## Tony Starks

I just finished "Theory of the Leisure Class" by Thorstein Veblen, its a good book that was written in the 1900s and many of the economic theorys he wrote about still hold true to this day

 im gunna try to start reading " Hearts of Sorrow" cant remember who wrote it though


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## Cthulhu

Half-assed reading Tolkien's Silmarillion and slowly making my way through the Dreamweaver 3 Bible.  I know I'm getting a book on the FMA for Christmas, but I may try sneaking some peaks at it before then.

Also reading various technical documents and reviews on Pentium 4 processors and motherboards.  Whee.

Cthulhu


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## Elfan

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *Too much for an 8 year old? *



Nah its fine just wanted to mention that it doesn't have the happy fairy tale ending the movie gives it, or well it sorta does... Its kinda werid...


How do you like The Silmarillion Cthulhu?  

The first time I tried to read it I didn't get far and didn't like it.  The 2nd time I forced myself to finish it and thought it was okay.  After reading Beowulf and other "old stuf" in english class I went back and read it again thought it was amazing.


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## Cthulhu

Well, so far, the Silmarillion isn't exactly an easy first read.  Because of what it is, it doesn't flow like the trilogy.  I've mainly just read different chapters out of sequence.

Cthulhu


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## Elfan

I know what you mean about not being easy reading.  Even a 2nd time through the number of people with almost exactly the same name (all those Fs...) drove me nuts.


Geeky nitpick: The Lord of the Rings is not a trilogy.  It is one book, subdivided into 6 sections, custimariliy published in 3 volumes.


Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Obligatory comparison to that *other* book: 1984 is better.


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## Tony Starks

Brave New World is a great book !! i really enjoyed it, so much that it gave me a better high than soma ever did (just for those who have read the book  know what i am talking about)

Aldous also wrote another book that i have yet to read about expiremental drug use, not sure of the name, but, i know it was written in late 60's (possibly)


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## Posiview

Currently reading Darwin by Adrian Desmond and James Moore.

I've been after a good biography on Darwin for some time and found this excellent book.

I enjoy biographies and have read quit a few: JFK, Nixon (one very good one and one very bad one), Bruce, Lee, Hitler, Hess, Geoff Thompson (UK martial artist), Dahmer, Bundy, to name a few.

If anybody can reccommend any good ones, let me know.

Andy


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## Elfan

One Bruce Lee bio I enjoyed a lot was Unsettled Matters: The Life & Death of Bruce Lee  by Tom Bleecker. Be forwarned that it is not your usualy '"Bruce Lee was the most amazing person who ever lived and is a demi god and can do everythign and is responsible for 100% of martial arts popularity..."



I am now reading:
Angry White Pyjamas: A Scrawny Oxford Poet Takes Lessons from the Tokyo Riot Police by Robert Twigger


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## D_Brady

Elfan, Please give us a reveiw of the book when your finished.

Right now I'm rereading  Protecting the gift by Gavin debecker.


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## Doc

> _Originally posted by GouRonin _
> *This is a question I have asked before elsewhere. Always neat to hear the answers.
> 
> Currently I am reading "Whoever Fights Monsters" by Ressler.
> *



"The Ten Things You Can't Say In America" - Larry Elder


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## Elfan

> _Originally posted by D_Brady _
> *Elfan, Please give us a reveiw of the book when your finished.*



I'll be sure to, I have enjoyed it greatly so far.

So what are the 10 things you can't say in America?


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## Tony Starks

i listen to his radio program everyday and i have read his book at least 3 times. He is very well educated and knows what he is talking about, although i do not agree with some of his libretarian P.O.V. they are well argued.

        I highly recommend his book and btw i think he has another book out if not i think its coming out

                      -T.S.


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## Jill666

Currently going thru

"The Shambhala Guide to Kendo" as an introdution hopefully
"Expert ECG Interpretation" for my patients, and
"Pagan Babies" by Elmore Leonard for pleasure- very enjoyable


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## Jill666

My husband is a Learning Channel and Discovery Channel addict. He also reads biographies. Recently he finished Cicero's "On The Good Life" and Franklin's Autobio. He really got into both, telling me anecdotes etc.


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## Jill666

Was it Nietche (spelling error) who said whoever fights monsters must take care not to become one, or words to that effect? Does this title reflect that & what is it about? Curious.


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## arnisador

I'm currently reading his "Twilight of the Idols" and "The Anti-Christ" (single ed., trans. by R.J. Hollingdale).


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## Elfan

> _Originally posted by Jill666 _
> *Was it Nietche (spelling error) who said whoever fights monsters must take care not to become one, or words to that effect? Does this title reflect that & what is it about? Curious. *



"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."


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## eternalwhitebelt

The Count of Monte Cristo, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan.


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## arnisador

When You Ride Alone You Ride with Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism, by Bill Maher

Lao Tzu : Tao Teh Ching, trans. by John C.H. Wu

I've read two other version of the Tao Teh Ching but since I can't read it in the original, another one always helps!


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## arnisador

Around the World in 80 Days, Jules Verne

(Because it's free in e-Reader form! I have it on my PocketPC.)


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## Blindside

Hmmm, it has been a couple of months, so I can answer again:

I am currently reading To Sail Beyond the Sunset - Robert A Heinlein
I am perusing a translation of Hans Talhoffers Medieval Combat and a web-copy of George Silvers Paradoxes of Defense.  

Finished an immediately forgettable Lieutenant Colonel by Rick Shelley
Bought A Game of Thrones (George RR Martin) in hardback, so it was an excuse to read it again. J
Finished two of the old Wild Card shared universe books, pretty much just candy sci-fi.
Finished There Are No Secrets by Lowenthal, the biography of Cheng Man Ching.
Finished Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan, I regretted paying the 14 bucks for the book, and that was at a huge discount.  NOT WORTH THE EFFORT.

If it sounds like I read a lot, well, I do. J  Hey, you try living in Wyoming in the winter with no TV (the high tomorrow is supposed to be 0 degree F).  It is all kenpo and reading.  What a life!

Lamont


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## Cruentus

"Mirror Mirror on the wall, am I the most value of them all" by Posoteri (I know, gay title)

"Pathways to success" by ???

"product manuals" (not really a book, per say, but you should see how thick these things are)

"Life and Health Insurance" (Dearborn manual, I have to get my health and ins. license for my job)

"The Bible" by "God"p )

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church" by "The Pope"......rofl: )

"Handbook of Christian Apoligetics" (Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli)

"How the Bond Market Works" by Robert Zipf

"When Genius fails" by ??????

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

Sorry, I am at my office, so I don't have all of the authors names handy (and I was only kidding about the author of the Bible and the Catechism). I mostly read stuff involving the markets or philosephy/religion. Some of the stuff I listed I've read already (like the Bible, cover to cover). It depends on whats going on, too. Like right now I've been re-reading parts of the Catechism because my girlfriend is getting baptised and confirmed in the spring. I read on a below average day, about 5,000 words. Keep in mind that I read very fast, so I don't spend as much time as you think.

 

*Arnisador:* Got any good book suggestions on "Chaos Theory?" I'd like to touch up on the subject. Thx...


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## arnisador

> _Originally posted by PAUL _
> *Arnisador: Got any good book suggestions on "Chaos Theory?" I'd like to touch up on the subject. *



At the popular level, James Gleick's _Chaos: The Making of a New Science_, while slightly dated, is still the book--in fact I am teaching Fractals and Chaos next quarter and I am requiring that they read this book!

Were you think of something more technical though?

I am recommending that people look into Complex Adaptive Systems these days, which I think has even more potential than Chaos Theory...


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## Roland

"Golden Compass"
"Subtle Knife"
and I am currently reading the third one, "Amber Spyglass"

Great series if you like fantasy, a little sci-fi too.

Made me cry twice, and get really angry a few times too!


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## Elfan

The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan

Interesting book on Chinese Imigrants to America, mainly during the later half of the 20th century.  The structure (sort of like a bunch of connecting short stories) can be very confusing at times but it is nice for a change.


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## Cruentus

Thanks!  

When I get the chance, I'll check those out.


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## Cthulhu

Just re-read Carl Hiaasen's Basket Case.  His books should be required reading for all Floridians, or anyone interested in satirical writing about corruption.  Unfortunately, most people are only familiar with the movie _Striptease_, which was based off one of his not-so-stellar works (in my opinion).  

Come on...what's not to love about a book where a villian is a tall, pale, plastic surgery accident with a weedwhacker for a hand?!  

Cthulhu


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## arnisador

Dracula, Bram Stoker


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## Master of Blades

Currently between The Last Harry Potter book (AGAIN!) and The Filipino Fighting Arts by Mark Wiley......interesting read. 

By the way this qoute is wicked,

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you"


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## Elfan

Terrorism and War  - Howard Zinn

I have always enjoyed the works of Howard Zinn and this book is no exception.  It is in an interview format (the text of the book is based on several edited interviews since September 11th) which is both good and bad.  Its nice to get Zinn in a somewhat different format then his other writings but the interviewer doesn't ask very hard questions, which isn't so good.  For those of you who have read a lot of Zinn this book should be a welcome edition, its short and will only take a few hours to brease through.  However, if you have never read anything by him before I suggest you start elsewhere, such as his excelent People's History of the United States


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## Samurai

FEARLESS by Gavin DeBecker


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## Elfan

Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg.

Hmm it seems a lot of the amazon reviewers are actaully good for once so I wont go into too much detail.  Basically, if you are interested in what could make the ultimate insider, Marine, RAND analysit, DoD employee, State Department employee, publically opose a war and do everything he could to stop it then you will enjoy this book.  If you don't find history or politics even remotely interesting this is probably a book to shy away from.


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## Cthulhu

Just finished Orson Scott Card's Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon.

Currently rereading the first three Dune books.

Cthulhu


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## Jill666

Wake Up Screaming- HP Lovecraft stories  

and on tap- 

Choke by Chuck Palaniuk. I can hardly wait to read it, I'm drooling!
He's the author of Fight Club BTW. 

Red rum! Red rum!


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## Cthulhu

> _Originally posted by Jill666 _
> *Wake Up Screaming- HP Lovecraft stories
> 
> Red rum! Red rum! *



Exccccellent!  Another willing pawn for my evil schemes!

MWAH HA HA Ha haaaaaaaa!!!

 

Have you read any Lovecraft before?

Cthulhu


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## Jill666

Nope. But his name came up in a couple of conversations recently, then my training partner was reading some of his stuff, then I picked up a book that looked good and the blurb read "Lovecraft- inspired". 

You know how you hear a new word then suddenly everyone is using it? 

So I decided to go to the source. I can see where so much of modern horror came from. Also having loved the "Re-animator" as a teen... had no idea he wrote the story. 

Bwahahahah..


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## Cthulhu

The only problem I find with  reading a lot of Lovecraft's stuff, is that a lot of the collections of stories contain the same stories.  Pain in the neck when you're trying to find a different work from him to read.  

It also took me a while to get used to his style of writing, but not too long.

Cthulhu


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## Quick Sand

I just bought Karate-Do: My Way of Life by Funikoshi.

I started it on Saturday. It's interesting so far. I've heard the name many times and I've heard it's really good. Can't wait to actually have real time to read again.

Only 3 more days of class, only 3 more days of class, only 3 more days of class . . . . . .


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## arnisador

_Frankenstein_, Mary Shelley.


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## Rich Parsons

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *Just finished Orson Scott Card's Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon.
> 
> Currently rereading the first three Dune books.
> 
> Cthulhu *



Cthulhu, 

I read Enders Game, I like it, I thought the author though ended the book fast, after a lot of build up.

How is this book?


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## Cthulhu

Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon are very good.  This time, the central character is Bean, and the first book takes place in the same time frame as Ender's Game, only from Bean's perspective.  I think you'll like 'em.

Cthulhu


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## Rich Parsons

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon are very good.  This time, the central character is Bean, and the first book takes place in the same time frame as Ender's Game, only from Bean's perspective.  I think you'll like 'em.
> 
> Cthulhu *



Very Good I will lok them up 

BTW I am reading House Corrino from the Dune Saga.


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## Samurai

And There Was Light: Autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, Blind Hero of the French Resistance 
This is the story of a boy that wsa blinded at the age of 8 and became the leader of the French underground movement.


Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe by Gavin DeBecker.
A great book about protecting your family from harm.  We all believe that our martial arts training will protect us, but what about the ones you love?  This is a good book on that topic.

Traditional Bowyer's Bible Vol One I like archery and archery related books and stuff.
I have an Archery website at http://www.WoodlandArchery.com 

Thanks
Jeremy Bays


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## cali_tkdbruin

Here's what I'm working on: 

&#61623; A Pirate looks at 50 - Jimmy Buffett 
&#61623; Fire in the Valley - Paul Freiberger, Michael Swaine 
&#61623; Days of Obligation - Richard Rodriquez 
&#61623; Taekwondo Kyorugi: Olympic Style Sparring - Sang H. Kim, et al.

:asian:


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## Kroy

Living The Martial Way, by Forrest E. Morgan:asian:


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## Tigerkrim

Noticed some Ender's posts a way back, too tired to backtrack...way past the ole bedtime. I like the first installment. I reckon I'm a bit more physical... But to shoot that out of the water. What about the Illuminatus Triology? Good stuff, conspiracy, a bit raunchy in spaces, references to the Cthuluh (SP?) mythos I noticed earlier.
Anyway, sleepy... soothing glow from the CRT.


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## Cthulhu

Just got done with The Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell.  About to start Peter David's Knight Life.

Cthulhu


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## rachel

I just finished reading "zen in the martial arts" by Joe Hyams. Great book!


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## Kroy

> _Originally posted by rachel _
> *I just finished reading "zen in the martial arts" by Joe Hyams. Great book! *




That was a great book, I've read it a few times. You should try reading the book I mentioned earlier "Living The Martial Way" If you liked "zen" I think you will enjoy this as well.:asian: 

Kroy


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## Cryozombie

> _Originally posted by Kroy _
> *Living The Martial Way, by Forrest E. Morgan:asian: *



I loved this book.  My Ex Wife bought it for me one chirstmas I think I had it finished by the day after.  LOL!

I am currently reading "The Tao of Meow" By Waldo Jappussy


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## Blindside

I just finished The White Knife by Steve Perry, The California Voodoo Game (Barnes, Niven), and Between the Rivers by Turtledove.  I started the Children of Dune, but then left it in the seat pocket on the plane.   

I am reading Admiral Hornblower in the Carribean by CS Forester.

For martial arts, I am rereading Infinite Insights 5 (Ed Parker), rereading The Gift of Fear (Gavin de Becker) and a book I just got; The Art of Throwing by Marc Tedeschi.

Lamont


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## rachel

> _Originally posted by Kroy _
> *That was a great book, I've read it a few times. You should try reading the book I mentioned earlier "Living The Martial Way" If you liked "zen" I think you will enjoy this as well.:asian:
> 
> Kroy *


 I'm getting that  one next. Right now I'm reading a book my teacher reccommended called "The way and the power(secrets of Japanese strategy). I really like it so far. He says it's a very good book.The author is Fredrick J. Lovret if anyone wants to pick it up.


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## Kroy

> _Originally posted by rachel _
> *I'm getting that  one next. Right now I'm reading a book my teacher reccommended called "The way and the power(secrets of Japanese strategy). I really like it so far. He says it's a very good book.The author is Fredrick J. Lovret if anyone wants to pick it up. *



Think I might have to check that one out. Thanks  Let me know what you think of "Living The Martial Way" when you get to read it.


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## rachel

> _Originally posted by Kroy _
> *Think I might have to check that one out. Thanks  Let me know what you think of "Living The Martial Way" when you get to read it. *


 will do and thanks.


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## Kroy

> _Originally posted by rachel _
> *will do and thanks. *




:asian:


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## Elfan

Roots of Strategy: The 5 Greatest Military Classics of All Time by Wilhelm Defense Leeb (Editor), Thomas R.,Brig.Gen. Phillips (Editor)

Includes:

- The Art of War - Sun Tzu

- Military Institutions of the Romans - Vegetius

- My Reveries upon the Art of War - Marshal Murice de Saxe

- The Instructions of Frederick the Great to His Generals

-  Military Maxims of Napoleon

Working thru the art of war now.  Sun Tzu's insistance on finding unasalable positions reminds me a lot of the cycle of considerations from Kenpo. Which is very cool.


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## lost_tortoise

How have I missed this thread?!?

Don't have much time to read anymore, but I am currently reading:

PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems): A Guide to the Digital Revolution   edited by Keith Dreyer    ....give me a break, it's what I do for a living! 

A History of God  by Karen Armstrong  (incredible thealogian!)

A translation of the Tao Te Ching  (everyday for 18 years)

The Holy Bible (NIV version) ----bible study at my wife's church


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## Jill666

> _Originally posted by Elfan _
> *Roots of Strategy: The 5 Greatest Military Classics of All Time by Wilhelm Defense Leeb (Editor), Thomas R.,Brig.Gen. Phillips (Editor)
> 
> Includes:
> 
> - The Art of War - Sun Tzu
> 
> - Military Institutions of the Romans - Vegetius
> 
> - My Reveries upon the Art of War - Marshal Murice de Saxe
> 
> - The Instructions of Frederick the Great to His Generals
> 
> -  Military Maxims of Napoleon
> 
> Working thru the art of war now.  Sun Tzu's insistance on finding unasalable positions reminds me a lot of the cycle of considerations from Kenpo. Which is very cool. *



Which reminds me, I keep meaning to pick up Von Clausewicz's "On War", but never get to it. Anyone read this?


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## Blindside

QUOTE]Which reminds me, I keep meaning to pick up Von Clausewicz's "On War", but never get to it.[/QUOTE] 

Tough read, dense, and I probably need to read it at least once more to understand most of his points.  But the value in it lies that it is written as a much more understandable approach to war than its eastern counterparts.  Certainly, I would feel more comfortable rereading this again than trying to decipher what Sun Tzu was actually referring to.  

A tough but valuable read.

Lamont


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## Cthulhu

Just finished re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Currently reading Gavin De Becker's The Gift of Fear.

Waiting in the wings, I have Bernard Cornwell's Vagabond, and Makers of Modern Strategy: from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age edited by Peter Paret.

Gotta love the public library system.

Cthulhu


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## Kope

The Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You've Heard About Gun Control Is Wrong
 by John R., Jr. Lott.

I'm looking around for an idea on the next book since I just finished this.


----------



## Zujitsuka

I just devoured Pavel Tsatsouline's POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American, and Charles I. Staley's THE SCIENCE OF MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING.

Good stuff folks.  I highly recommend both books.


----------



## Randy Strausbaugh

Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand - Peikoff
The Sin Killer - McMurtry
The Secrets of Okinawan Karate - Arakaki
Liber Aleph vel  CXI - Crowley
Quantum Kenpo - Bachman
Light on Pranayama - Iyengar
Man's Search for Meaning - Frankl
Awaken Healing Light of the Tao - Chia

Depending on what mood I'm in.   

Trying to avoid life's potholes, 
Randy Strausbaugh


----------



## arnisador

> _Originally posted by Randy Strausbaugh _
> *Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand - Peikoff
> *



I'm watching _The Fountainhead_ now.

I'm reading H.G. Wells, _The War of the Worlds_, and just finished Jules Verne, _The Underground City_.


----------



## Randy Strausbaugh

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *I'm watching The Fountainhead now.
> 
> I've not seen the movie, but the book is excellent.
> 
> Trying to avoid life's potholes,
> Randy Strausbaugh*


----------



## Jill666

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *I'm watching The Fountainhead now. *



I haven't seen the movie- is that an old film with Gary Cooper or someone like that? I remember thinking he would be way too polished to play Roark, and thought I'd hate the movie, so I didn't see it.

Brilliant book though.


----------



## arnisador

I've read _Anthem_ and _Atlas Shrugged_ but nothing else of hers. The movie was, as one might expect, a bit heavy-handed and preachy.


----------



## Touch Of Death

I'm reading "House Harkonen" a Dune prequal by Brian Herbert


----------



## clapping_tiger

I am still trying to get through "on Killing" by lt. Col. Dave Grossman. It has good info, but very boring. At work I am reading "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin DeBecker. That will be about it until I can find a good Sci-Fi (Preferably Star Wars) book this summer.


----------



## Cthulhu

Just finished Herbert's Heretics of Dune and F. Paul Wilson's Hosts.

I need to get me some new martial arts-related books to read, but I can't really find anything new on the market that looks particularly interesting.

Time to hit the used book stores.

Cthulhu


----------



## Touch Of Death

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *Just finished Herbert's Heretics of Dune and F. Paul Wilson's Hosts.
> *



   Cthulhu,
read the "Chapter House" for god sake, you've come this far!


----------



## Cthulhu

Planning on it!  I need to make another library run.

Are the 'prequel' books worth reading?  The Butlerian Jihad book looks interesting, but I guess it'd help to read all the 'House' books first.

Cthulhu


----------



## Touch Of Death

They are, beleive it or not, better. The truth is they are written for a broader audience. I have yet to buy a spice girls album.(ha ha)


----------



## arnisador

Tarzan of the Apes--by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Wizard of Oz--L. Frank Baum (at the insistence of my daughter, who is a big fan)


----------



## arnisador

Haven't even finished those and my son asks that I add the first Harry Potter book since I'm reading something for his sister! Actually I'm enjoying the Harry Potter, I must admit. My son is a big fan and is anxiously awaiting the new book--which comes out while we're in Montreal.


----------



## Cthulhu

Read all the Harry Potter books after seeing the first movie.  Pleasantly surprised.

Just got done reading Dune: House Atreides and currently reading Dune: House Harkonnen.  Chapterhouse: Dune is next.

Yes, it's Dune-palooza at my house.

Cthulhu


----------



## Rich Parsons

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *Read all the Harry Potter books after seeing the first movie.  Pleasantly surprised.
> 
> Just got done reading Dune: House Atreides and currently reading Dune: House Harkonnen.  Chapterhouse: Dune is next.
> 
> Yes, it's Dune-palooza at my house.
> 
> Cthulhu *



Chapterhouse Dune, I would like your opinion after you read it 

 I have


----------



## Master of Blades

I'm looking forward to the New Harry Potter book called Order of the Pheonix or something which is out on 21st of June here.....Should be really cool


----------



## Zepp

Just bought _Shadow Puppets_ by Orson Scott Card.  Haven't started reading this one yet though.  Any fellow Ender fans out there?


----------



## Cthulhu

Enders series of books are very good.  However, I liked Ender's Game and the Shadow books best.  The Enders sequels are still good, however.

I'm eager to pick up Shadow Puppets myself.

Gonna crack open Chapterhouse: Dune tonight.

Cthulhu


----------



## Aikikitty

I've read the first 3 Harry Potter books at least 18 times each (literally) and then I listened to them on tape about 4 times each.  I've read the 4th book twice (and then just recently listened to it).  I love J.K. Rowlings style of writing.  I can't wait for The Order of the Phoenix!!!!

I just started reading Watership Down.  I've never read it before.

Robyn :asian:


----------



## krys

I currently read "Closer than brother: manhood in the filipino military academy", explains a lot on Edsa Uno and gives somes hints on the movers and shakers of Edsa Dos (People power in the Philippines.....)




mabuhay ang filipino Silat at Arnis.


----------



## arnisador

I'm on the 4th Harry Potter book now (everyone else is on or has finished number 5) and also Colin Wilson's "The Space Vampires (a.k.a. Lifeforce)".


----------



## Bob Hubbard

Just finished Mark McCormacks "Never Wrestle with a Pig" and will be starting on his "Getting Results for Dummies" book tomorow.  Also, "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden, and Dan Andersons "Defanging the Snake" Paper version.

:asian:


----------



## Cthulhu

Finished the 5th Harry Potter book.  Very good, but I had to interrupt my reading of the Dune: House Corrino book.  Finishing that now.

Cthulhu


----------



## Blindside

Just finished Manifold Time by Stephen Baxter, Valor's Choice by Tanya Huff, and When the Devil Dances by John Ringo.  I reread Archeology of Weapons by Ewart Oakenshott.

I just started a compilation of stories that won the Campbell Award, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and March to the Stars by John Ringo.  Oh, started reading through articles in the SPADA compilation on western swordplay.

Lamont


----------



## KenpoGirl

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *Finished the 5th Harry Potter book.  Very good, but I had to interrupt my reading of the Dune: House Corrino book.  Finishing that now.
> 
> Cthulhu *



You finished it???   

It only came out on the 21st, didn't it have 500 plus pages?

Well holy speed reader Batman!!!  I'm impressed!!!!


----------



## Bob Hubbard

> _Originally posted by KenpoGirl _
> *You finished it???
> 
> It only came out on the 21st, didn't it have 500 plus pages?
> 
> Well holy speed reader Batman!!!  I'm impressed!!!! *



Actually, 870 pages.  I know people who waited in line overnight, bought it, and read it non-stop til they were done.


----------



## KenpoGirl

The phrase ...... "Get A Life" ...... comes to mind.  

I haven't read any of them, guess I better get started.


----------



## Cthulhu

> _Originally posted by KenpoGirl _
> *You finished it???
> 
> It only came out on the 21st, didn't it have 500 plus pages?
> 
> Well holy speed reader Batman!!!  I'm impressed!!!! *



Hell, my wife finished it the day it came out.  Took me another day.  

Cthulhu


----------



## Aikikitty

> _Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz _
> *Actually, 870 pages.  I know people who waited in line overnight, bought it, and read it non-stop til they were done.
> *



I did that with 4th Harry Potter and read it in less than 2 days.  I didn't have time to do that this time though (finished the 5th yesterday morning).  I loved "The Order of the Phoenix"!!!!!!!!!   Wonderful!!!  Definitly worth the 3 year wait!  I hadn't even started Aikido yet when the 4th book arrived.  I wonder how long it'll be before the next book comes out and what I'll be doing in my life (Aikido-related) then.  



> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *Hell, my wife finished it the day it came out.  Took me another day.
> Cthulhu *


 :erg:  I AM impressed!!!

Robyn :asian:


----------



## Cthulhu

It sucks that it took so long for the 5th book to come out, but at least it didn't seem rushed like the 4th book.  I'm willing to wait that amount of time if the next book comes out as good.  Supposedly, it isn't going to be as long as the 5th.

Cthulhu


----------



## arnisador

Finally started HP5. Also working on "Pragmatism: A Reader" by Louis Menand (ed.).


----------



## Ma_Kuiwu

Anyone besides me see a problem with the movies they are making?

If there are 7 years at Hogwarts, and it is taking 2-3 years to make movies for each of the books... never mind that it is taking 3 years to write the sequels... This Harry Potter actor is going to be like 29 by the time the series is completed.

A 29 year old playing a 17 year old?
I guess Jason Priestly did it.
 

The Book I am currently re-reading is ANthony Yu's translation of Xi You Ji Monkey's "Journey to the West".


----------



## progressivetactics

Sang Kyu Shim.
The making of a martial artist.
Good book. I am re-reading it, again.  He did a good job on this, I was quite suprised!!


----------



## OULobo

The Dunwich Horror (re-read) by HP Love. . .ugh. . .you guys know
The Many Colored Land by Julian May
The Walls of Jolo
The Fighting Ghurkas
American Phycho
Stormbringer by Micheal Moorcock

A little horror, a little history, a little culture, a little fantasy and of course, a little maddness.


----------



## arnisador

Finally getting a chance to study:
"Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique" by Renzo and Royler Gracie et al


----------



## theletch1

The art of war.  Sun Tzu.  For the fourth or fifth time.


----------



## Ma_Kuiwu

Read furhter.
Dig Deeper.
Sunzi is Revisited Confucian, neo-Confucian and Daoism.
Read the Analects and Zhuangzi.

Then note how Confucian ideals of individuals roles and responsability compare with the Daoist concepts of balance...

Sunzi isnt really "new" information its just the first time it was really presented well as a military format. Some philosophers argue that the Dao De Jing is a military text as well.

Look into other areas, you will get so much more out of your reading


----------



## arnisador

_Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America_ by Barbara Ehrenreich

_The Da Vinci Code_, Dan Brown (very good so far!)


----------



## arnisador

_The Marvelous Land of Oz_, L. Frank Baum (at my daughter's insistence!)

_Mastering JuJitsu_, Renzo Gracie and John Danaher


----------



## Cthulhu

Finally finished _Dune: The Butlerian Jihad_.  Lookin' for something else to read.

Cthulhu


----------



## Blindside

> Finally finished Dune: The Butlerian Jihad. Lookin' for something else to read.



Are you looking for anything in particular?


----------



## Cthulhu

Couple of books I'm waiting for...George R.R. Martin's next installment of his 'Song of Ice and Fire' series.  Bernard Cornwell's next book in his Grail quest trilogy.

Probably will pick up _Masters of Doom_ when my library gets it in.

Cthulhu


----------



## KatGurl

I'm currently reading Harry Potter the Order of the Phoenix. I read when I can't sleep at night :shrug:


----------



## Michael Billings

I am also reading the latest HP.  I re-read the 1st 4 books last month, so I could be "current" and enjoy the current release.


----------



## Kirk

> _Originally posted by Michael Billings _
> *I am also reading the latest HP.  I re-read the 1st 4 books last month, so I could be "current" and enjoy the current release. *



Oh it's goooooooooooooooood!!!!  Lil slow to start, but gets there!


Currently reading "Spontaneity In Kenpo" by Sascha Williams ...

*These Two Are On Their Way:*

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right 
(Al Franken)

The Masters Speak (Jose M. Fraguas )


----------



## Ender

> _Originally posted by Zepp _
> *Just bought Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card.  Haven't started reading this one yet though.  Any fellow Ender fans out there? *




you might say that..*L


----------



## Blindside

> Couple of books I'm waiting for...George R.R. Martin's next installment of his 'Song of Ice and Fire' series. Bernard Cornwell's next book in his Grail quest trilogy.



Have you read The Hedge Knight, a short story set in the SOIF world?  It was released in one of the Legends compendiums, a while back.  Just something to whet your appetite.  

Lamont


----------



## arnisador

_What Evolution is_, Ernst Mayr


----------



## Cthulhu

Oooh, I didn't know _Shadow Puppets_ was out!  Definitely need to look for that!

Blindside:  I think I did read "The Hedge Knight" when it was first published.  Martin needs to get on the ball and friggin' write.

Cthulhu


----------



## cdhall

William Goldman's "Good Parts Version" of the Princess Bride which is, as I was told, better than the movie.  Impossible as that may seem.

Harry Potter 3 and the Lord of the Rings will be next to bring me current prior to the film releases.  I hope.

And the Bible of course.


----------



## clapping_tiger

I can't say "reading" because I didn't put it down and read it cover to cover this Sunday.  Star Wars "Shatterpoint".

It's times like these that make me realize that my wife is right. I am a geek. When it comes to Star Wars stuff, I just can't get enough


Shatterpoint


----------



## rachel

I was at the library and found a new book. I love it so far. It's called "sensei" by John Donahue.It's a thriller.Someone is killing the great martial artists of America.In every case the modus operandi is the same and the only clue available is a cryptic message scrawled on the wall bearing the signature "Ronin"-the Japanese word   for a masterless samurai.Check it out. I'm on page 63 and I can't put it down.


----------



## arnisador

I merged in a separate post.

This has turned out to be a popular thread. For clarity I'm going to start three new threads for martial arts books, fiction, books and nonfiction books, so people can refer to the martial arts thread especially for suggestions.

-Arnisador
-MT Admin-


----------



## Fiendlover

Beowulf.  the newest translated one.  its so kick ***


----------



## Topeng

This is an old thread but:

Arnis - Reflections on the History and Development of the Filipino Martial Arts


----------



## Link

Fit to Fight: by Jason Ferruggia
Stretching Anatomy: by Arnold G. Nelson & Jouko Kokkonen
Men's Health Best, Sports injuries Handbook: N/A
Nutrition for Dummies: Carol Ann Rinzler
Coaching Kids for Dummies: Rick Wolff
Teaching Martial Arts: Sang H. Kim Ph. D.


----------



## theletch1

Guadalcanal by Richard B. Frank.


----------



## bluekey88

_Captain's Fury_ by Jim Butcher


----------



## chrispillertkd

_The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression_ by Amity Shlaes.

_The Irrational Atheist_ by Vox Day.

_The Minds Journey into God_ by St. Bonaventure.

Pax,

Chris


----------



## jadelee

_Needful Things - Stephen King._ Just adore this author! He is best in the field of horror!


----------



## blindsage

God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

From Secularism to Jihad: Sayyid Qutb and the Foundations of Radical Islamism by Adnon A. Musallam

and wading my way through
The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith


----------



## blindsage

jadelee said:


> _Needful Things - Stephen King._ Just adore this author! He is best in the field of horror!


If you like your stuff really weird and creepy you should check out your favorite horror writer's favorite horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft.


----------



## xJOHNx

F. Nietzsche - Thus Spoke Zarathustra
F. Nietzsche - Antichrist


----------



## Tensei85

10 Dharma realms are not beyond a single thought: Hsuan Hua


----------



## tshadowchaser

The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry

I pick up one of Mr. Berry's books at work one night and am hooked on his writing.


----------



## Bill Mattocks

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson


----------



## SensibleManiac

On the Warrior's Path, Second Edition: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology

This is definitely one of the best martial arts books I've ever read, so much so that I'm currently reading it again for the 5th time.


----------



## Omar B

Bill Mattocks said:


> Pattern Recognition by William Gibson



Yes!


----------



## Ken Morgan

Bernard Cornwell, The Burning Land.


----------



## theletch1

Right now I'm reading 3:
The Dhammapada - translated by Eknath Easwaran
Eagles over the Trenches - James McConnell/William B. Perry
Miracle at Belleau Wood - Alan Axelrod


----------



## xJOHNx

the unbearable lightness of being - Milan Kundera

alot of stuff to think about. Love, life, regrets.


----------



## LoneRider

_Sniper One _by SGT Dan Mills, Princess of Wales Regiment, Royal Army UK
_Lone Survivor _by HM1 (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell,  USN


----------



## crushing

The Brewmaster's Table by Garrett Oliver


----------



## Xue Sheng

Arts of Strength Arts of Serenity
Martial Arts Trainingn for Mental. Physical, And Spiritual Health
By Nicklaus Suino


----------



## OnlyAnEgg

The Felix and Gotrek Omnibus III


----------



## grydth

Just finished Red Inferno: 1945, an alternate history about the Russians attacking us as the Nazis collapse. Not bad.


----------



## Sukerkin

"The Gathering Storm" - Book 12 of the Wheel of Time.  Stylistically very good, given that it was written by Brandon Sanderson from Robert Jordon's notes.


----------



## Bob Hubbard

Currently reading:
"People are Idiots and I can prove it" - Larry Winget
"7 Habbit of Highly Effective People" - Stephen R. Covey
"Knights of the Dinner Table" Sept 09-Feb10
"Dreamweaver CS4 on Demand"


----------



## Blindside

Sukerkin said:


> "The Gathering Storm" - Book 12 of the Wheel of Time.  Stylistically very good, given that it was written by Brandon Sanderson from Robert Jordon's notes.



So was there actually progress on the plot(s)?   Much braid tugging?


----------



## MBuzzy

Wizard's First Rule - the first book of the Sword of Truth series.  GREAT BOOK!


----------



## Ken Morgan

Sukerkin said:


> "The Gathering Storm" - Book 12 of the Wheel of Time. Stylistically very good, given that it was written by Brandon Sanderson from Robert Jordon's notes.


 
I stopped reading the series after book 10, I just couldn't keep going with it.


----------



## Ken Morgan

MBuzzy said:


> Wizard's First Rule - the first book of the Sword of Truth series. GREAT BOOK!


  Great series, read them all in a matter of weeks!


----------



## Ken Morgan

Rereading for the third time William L. Shirer's book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.


----------



## Omar B

MBuzzy said:


> Wizard's First Rule - the first book of the Sword of Truth series.  GREAT BOOK!



My favorite series!  But as you can see from my signature both Terry Goodkind and I are objectivists.


----------



## Sukerkin

Blindside said:


> So was there actually progress on the plot(s)?   Much braid tugging?



:lol:  No braid tugging these days.  Nynaeve grew out of that .  As to plots progressing, well, yesss, ... ish .

I just have too many decades invested in reading this series to give up now - I *will* make it to the end dammit!


----------



## Sukerkin

Ken Morgan said:


> I stopped reading the series after book 10, I just couldn't keep going with it.




{grins in sympathy}  See my last comment in my previous post 

Oh and I came across this recently.  It's a sort of video-wishlist of actors and actresses that a couple of fans think match their views of the main characters in the Wheel of Time.  Some are spot on I have to say .


----------



## xJOHNx

OnlyAnEgg said:


> The Felix and Gotrek Omnibus III


Those are awesome. Gotrek is one vicious dwarf!

reading: the name of the rose - umberto eco.
Heavy stuff.


----------



## grydth

Ken Morgan said:


> Rereading for the third time William L. Shirer's book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.



Same author - "The Collapse of the Third Republic" about France in 1940 is also superb.


----------



## grydth

Bob Hubbard said:


> Currently reading:
> "People are Idiots and I can prove it" - Larry Winget
> "7 Habbit of Highly Effective People" - Stephen R. Covey
> "Knights of the Dinner Table" Sept 09-Feb10
> "Dreamweaver CS4 on Demand"



One hopes that the 7 habits do _not_ include, "Only reading and focusing on 1 book at a time."  

Wait - - - is that 7 Habits or 7 Hobbits?


----------



## Big Don

Hunting the Jackal: A Special Forces and CIA Soldier's Fifty Years on the Frontlines of the War Against Terrorism By Billy Waugh
A Korean War vet on the front lines (and behind them) in Afghanistan?! This guy is BAD *** personified.


----------



## Sukerkin

"The Making of Modern Britain" by Andrew Marr.  Very well written; informative historically without being overly 'dusty'.

Here's a synopsis (not penned by me):

*In "The Making of Modern Britain", Andrew Marr paints a fascinating portrait of life in Britain during the first half of the twentieth century as the country recovered from the grand wreckage of the British Empire. Between the death of Queen Victoria and the end of the Second World War, the nation was shaken by war and peace. The two wars were the worst we had ever known and the episodes of peace among the most turbulent and surprising. As the political forum moved from Edwardian smoking rooms to an increasingly democratic Westminster, the people of Britain experimented with extreme ideas as they struggled to answer the question 'How should we live?' Socialism? Fascism? Feminism? Meanwhile, the Suffragette movement was taking shape as the popularity of the music hall soared. It was also a time that witnessed the birth of the media as we know it today and the beginnings of the welfare state. Beyond trenches, flappers and Spitfires, this is a story of strange cults and economic madness, of revolutionaries and heroic inventors, sexual experiments and raucous stage heroines.From organic food to drugs, nightclubs and celebrities to package holidays, crooked bankers to sleazy politicians, the echoes of today's Britain can be heard throughout.*


----------



## Ken Morgan

Sukerkin said:


> "The Making of Modern Britain" by Andrew Marr. Very well written; informative historically without being overly 'dusty'.
> 
> Here's a synopsis (not penned by me):
> 
> *In "The Making of Modern Britain", Andrew Marr paints a fascinating portrait of life in Britain during the first half of the twentieth century as the country recovered from the grand wreckage of the British Empire. Between the death of Queen Victoria and the end of the Second World War, the nation was shaken by war and peace. The two wars were the worst we had ever known and the episodes of peace among the most turbulent and surprising. As the political forum moved from Edwardian smoking rooms to an increasingly democratic Westminster, the people of Britain experimented with extreme ideas as they struggled to answer the question 'How should we live?' Socialism? Fascism? Feminism? Meanwhile, the Suffragette movement was taking shape as the popularity of the music hall soared. It was also a time that witnessed the birth of the media as we know it today and the beginnings of the welfare state. Beyond trenches, flappers and Spitfires, this is a story of strange cults and economic madness, of revolutionaries and heroic inventors, sexual experiments and raucous stage heroines.From organic food to drugs, nightclubs and celebrities to package holidays, crooked bankers to sleazy politicians, the echoes of today's Britain can be heard throughout.*


 
This is all in ONE book???


----------



## Sukerkin

Aye. I would heartily recommend it as a starting point for someone beginning an in-depth study of British C20th history. It cannot be anything other than skimming the surface of certain selected subjects but it puts me in mind of the "Connections" series (done by Raymond Burke in the 70's) in the way that it links events together.


----------



## Xue Sheng

Taoism 
The Enduring Tradition
Russell Kirkland


----------



## crushing

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey


----------



## Flying Crane

_Dawn of the Dreadfuls_, by Steve Hockensmith.  Prelude to Seth Grahame-Smith's _Pride and Prejudice and Zombies_.


----------



## takadadojokeith

Currently reading Barbara Stoller Miller's translation of the Bhagavad Gita


----------



## harlan

Stephen King's 'On Writing.'


----------



## Omar B

Iron Man 2 novelization - Alexander Irvine from a script by Justin Theroux

I'm usually a big fan of novelizations since when I go to a blockbuster I usually like getting the story out of the way ahead of time and just stare at the awesome visuals (from a drunken or otherwise altered state).  What Irvine has done though is pretty awful.  It's quite apparent upon reading that his knowledge of Iron Man and the universe extends only to the first movie and the script of the second one.  The characters have almost no background, they are rarely ever described physically.  The suits themselves are never even described further than saying Mark 2, 3, 4 or 5, he just assumes the reader should know. 

His descriptions of things are completely wrong, like calling something an "MMA elbow strike" as if MMA were a style not a sport.  I do karate, that's a style, we have elbow strikes, Muay Thai is also a style that has elbow strikes, describing something as MMA elbow strike shows a lack of knowledge of MMA as a sport that is comprised of many disciplines and as such has many ways of of doing elbow strikes.  Sorry, the martial artist in me always gets his dander up when people talk about martial arts while obviously know nothing.

My sister took the book and is reading it too, because like me she also studied Literature in college and will read just about anything.  The main weakness of Irvine's work is that if you go in having no knowledge of Iron Man before reading, you'll leave the book in just about the same state.  Descriptions, characterizations, setting hardly exist.  I work in publishing and the number one rule is to treat your audience as if they are seeing the subject matter for the first time, describe, richly describe.

If you want to read an Iron Man type story written well I suggest Dale Brown's Act Of War and it's sequel, Edge Of Battle.


----------



## Blindside

Sukerkin said:


> :lol: No braid tugging these days. Nynaeve grew out of that . As to plots progressing, well, yesss, ... ish .
> 
> I just have too many decades invested in reading this series to give up now - I *will* make it to the end dammit!


 
I looked back onto the first couple of pages of this thread.  In 2003 I put a post on there about Book 10 as "not worth it" or somesuch.  

Not that things have improved much as I'm not so patiently waiting for George RR Martin's next book.  I am convinced that he too will die before this series is complete.  Arggh.


----------



## Omar B

I'm also waiting on GRRM, but he's more concerned with the TV series than with finishing his own story now.  But I guess once the show starts running he'll have to, because they'll need an ending!  http://winter-is-coming.net/


----------



## Blindside

I am finishing up "Fault Line" by Barry Eisler.  Not even close to his "Rain" series, but still better than many other thrillers.  

One of my students gave me "the Cleric Quintet" by Salvatore.  I haven't read him in probably a decade, though I remember some of his early work as being pretty good back in my gaming days.  I liked the first book, thought the second was interesting, after that it was all downhill.  The last book didn't need to be written.

I started reading "On Combat" by Grossman.  Fantastic book.


----------



## dancingalone

You guys reading Robert Jordan or George RR Martin should check out Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay.  It's slated to be published in the US in early May, but I got a hold of a publisher's proof.  Thumbs up from me.  

I like most of his books.  If you like well-written literature with some fantasy elements, you'll like his writing.  His best books seem to be the stand alone single novels like Tigana or Lions of Al-Rassan or A Song for Arbonne.


----------



## Omar B

I've made a note.


----------



## Sukerkin

Not so much a book I am reading as a TV series I am re-watching (on DVD) for about the fifth time.

Watching "Stargate" again and got to a certain episode (again!) which seems to catch me by surprise every time.  

It's a two-parter called "Heroes" and as well as catching me by surprise each time I watch the series it also reduces me to floods of tears every time .

It's the story where Dr. Janet Frasier gets killed and it seems I have no stiff-upper-lip or dignified English reserve where she is concerned ...


----------



## Blindside

Sukerkin said:


> Not so much a book I am reading as a TV series I am re-watching (on DVD) for about the fifth time.
> 
> Watching "Stargate" again and got to a certain episode (again!) which seems to catch me by surprise every time.
> 
> It's a two-parter called "Heroes" and as well as catching me by surprise each time I watch the series it also reduces me to floods of tears every time .
> 
> It's the story where Dr. Janet Frasier gets killed and it seems I have no stiff-upper-lip or dignified English reserve where she is concerned ...



I managed to watch all of the Stargate series on Hulu over the past 6 months or so.  Most of it is good, and doesn't take itself too seriously, and yet here and there is a standout show where they really do it well, and "Heroes" was definitely one of them.  That last scene just got me.


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## Omar B

Stargate's awesome.  I love military Sci-fi and they come a lot closer to the mark than Star Trek does on many counts.  I really like the later seasons too with Ben Browder and Claudia Black (gorgeous).


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## Bruno@MT

dancingalone said:


> You guys reading Robert Jordan or George RR Martin should check out Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay.



Martin and Kay are indeed 2 superstars imo.

I have read Jordan up to the 9th book I think. Then I decided to not read any of his work until the series is complete. If that ever happens in my lifetime of course. It certainly didn't happen in _his _lifetime.

Imo the series is fin up until the 4th or 5th volume. From then on he introduces so many additional plots and sub plots, not to mention hundreds of additional characters, none of which contribute anything to the main story line. It's his own damn fault for letting the whole thing unravel so much.

His books also have the problem that you need to re-read the previous ones in order to be able to follow the plot, and given the long times between books, this was problematic. The last straw was the last book I read, in which hundreds of pages were wasted on minor plot lines, and then a major event like the cleansing of the taint was compressed to a handful of pages. At that point I decided to completely ignore the series until such time as the final chapter has been written and published.


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## Bruno@MT

Currently reading 'Whirlwind' by Joseph R Garber.
Garber was one of the best writers in the spy / thriller genre imo.
Sadly he died in 2005.


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## Xue Sheng

Ayurvedic Healing 
A comprehensive Guide
By Dr David Frawley


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## Big Don

Xue Sheng said:


> Ayurvedic Healing
> A comprehensive Guide
> By Dr David Frawley


Had to look up the word Ayurvedic... Interesting!


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## bushidomartialarts

"Beat the Reaper" by Josh Bazell.

It has kenpo. It has sharks. It has a guy using kenpo on sharks.

Vulgar, violent and horrible in more ways than I can count. I recommend it highly.

First line: "So it's five AM, I'm on my way to work when I stop to watch a pigeon fight a rat in the snow when some &$^#head tries to rob me. Naturally he has a gun."


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## girlbug2

Day By Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne. It's zombie fiction. Pretty good so far.


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## Big Don

The Quiet Game by Greg Iles, It was in the back seat of the Tahoe, on the way to my Black Belt test, I picked it up to calm my nerves


----------



## Bumblebee

girlbug2 said:


> Day By Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne. It's zombie fiction. Pretty good so far.



I have this book, but I got distracted and stopped reading it.

Right now, I'm re-learning Schaum's Outline for Intermediate Algebra.  Yay! Going back to school!


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## Big Don

Still reading Greg Iles, now I'm up to Black Cross (WWII fiction)


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## Cryozombie

I'm currently Re-reading the "Wild Cards" series, Edited by George RR Martin.



> The series relates an alternate history of the earth after World War II. In 1946 an alien virus that rewrites human DNA is accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It kills 90% of those who come into contact with it (referred to as 'drawing the Black Queen'). However, 9% mutate into deformed creatures (known as 'Jokers') and the remaining 1% gain superpowers (known as 'Aces'). There is also a class known as 'deuces' - Aces who have acquired useless or ridiculous powers, such as the ability to levitate up to two feet, or to grow body hair at will. The airborne virus eventually spreads all over the world, affecting tens of thousands.
> The Wild Cards universe is distinguished from most superhero comic book fiction by several thematic elements. Early on the authors decided to pursue a more realistic, or naturalistic approach to storytelling. Few of the Ace characters in Wild Cards have secret identities, or are traditional crime-fighting superheroes in the mold of Spider-Man or Batman. Wild Cards remained set within a recognizably real world with recognizably real people and pop culture and, because of the historical setting of many of the stories, had characters who aged realistically during the course of the series. The majority of Wild Card victims live in the run-down ghetto of Jokertown, while the fortunate Aces become glamorous celebrities. In addition, Wild Cards took a more graphic approach to violence, and particularly to sex, than most superhero stories do.


----------



## Bruno@MT

Currently reading 'Inferno' by Dante Alighieri. It is written in old English so it took me a couple of pages to catch on to the rythm so that it became readable. But once I locked in to that, the tale kinda drew me in as I follow Dante on his journey through Hell.


----------



## knuckleheader

When I get done reading this, I'm gonna lend it to tellner


----------



## Big Don

Mortal Fear by Greg Iles


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## SensibleManiac

Greg Isles is awesome! Be sure to check out Footprints Of God.


----------



## Big Don

SensibleManiac said:


> Greg Isles is awesome! Be sure to check out Footprints Of God.


I'll get to it, I try to read in the order the books were written.


----------



## tellner

Catherine Valente's _The Orphan's Tale_ and _Cities of Coin and Spice_
Deboran Blum's _The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York_
Nixon and McCaw's _The Compleat Distiller_
Tony Kohlenberg's _Snort_
Hamza Yusuf's _The Purification of the Heart_
Otto Bettman's _The Good Old Days - They Were Terrible_

Valente's books are intricate, poetic stories-within-a-story like the Thousand Nights and a Night.

_The Poisoner's Handbook_ is a fascinating if gruesome look at how forensic medicine became a science including Prohibition-poisoned liquor, leaded gasoline, arsenic-laden medicines and why cyanide is a lousy way to kill someone

_The Compleat Distiller_ is the bible for anyone who is interested in distilling. I'm applying for an experimental license to make fuel alcohol.

_Snort_ is about the go-to Intrusion Detection/Intrusion Prevention System

Yusuf's book is a deceptively simple and very deep book by a mystic who hasn't forgotten how to talk to the rest of us

_The Good Old Days_ is a historical piece about the little things we forget about the Golden Age of the 19th and early 20th centuries.


----------



## Gaius Julius Caesar

Fiction- Sharpe's Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell.

Non Fiction-  Mutiny on the Bounty. And a book of war correspondences compiled by John Keegan, the name escapes me at the moment.


----------



## Xue Sheng

Rereading

The Secret Power Within, Zen solutions for real problems by Chuck Norris

Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams


----------



## CoryKS

Hey, *Keith Vargo*, I finally picked up a copy of Philosophy of Fighting.  Pretty interesting so far.  

Also reading The Ruins by Scott Smith.  so far just meh.


----------



## Big Don

Rush Limbaugh An Army of One by Zev Chafets. Well written, interesting.


----------



## knuckleheader

Coupla weeks ago read "No Angel" by Jay Dobyns. 

An undercover ATF agent who infiltrated the Hells Angels. Pretty interesting. I like to read a lot of outlaw motorcycle gang stuff.

Now I'm reading "Why We Suck" by Dr. Denis Leary. A funny Liberals 
perspective on todays(or two years ago) pop culture.
I like this wise cracking know it all. He's funny thou still politically too Liberal. For 4 $'s, the price was right.


----------



## WhiteBeltNoStripe

Unleash The Warrior Within

Richard J. Wachowicz


----------



## girlbug2

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

It's a collection of humorous essays on all kinds of life experiences, from describing his cheap parents to the trials of being an American in Paris. Sedaris is brilliant and I'm starting his When You Are Engulfed in Flames next.


----------



## LoneRider

_Kill Bin Laden_ by Dalton Fury.

It's the memoirs of the top ranking Delta Force commander at the 2002 Battle of Tora Bora and subsequent tours in Afghanistan.


----------



## Cryozombie

I just finished "The Mystic Art of Erasing all Signs of Death" by Charlie Huston.  Excellent read.  Of course, I havn't read anything by him I disliked.  His "Joe Pitt Casebooks" series was good, and the "Shotgun Rule" is a favorite of mine.



> The fact is, whether it&#8217;s a dog hit by a train or an old lady who had a heart attack on the can, someone has to clean up the nasty mess. And that someone is Webster Fillmore Goodhue, who just may be the least likely person in Los Angeles County to hold down such a gig. With his teaching career derailed by tragedy, Web hasn&#8217;t done much for the last year except some heavy slacking. But when his only friend in the world lets him know that his freeloading days are over, and he tires of taking cash from his spaced-out mom and refuses to take any more from his embittered father, Web joins Clean Team&#8211;and soon finds himself sponging a Malibu suicide&#8217;s brains from a bathroom mirror, and flirting with the man&#8217;s bereaved and beautiful daughter.
> 
> Then things get weird.


----------



## Big Don

Outwitting Squirrels 101 cunning stratagems to reduce the egregious misapporpriation of seed from our bird feeder by squirrels by Bill Adler Jr
I read an excerpt somewhere and HAD to read the book.


----------



## CoryKS

girlbug2 said:


> Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.
> 
> It's a collection of humorous essays on all kinds of life experiences, from describing his cheap parents to the trials of being an American in Paris. Sedaris is brilliant and I'm starting his When You Are Engulfed in Flames next.


 
If you haven't read/listened to this, here ya go.  It's a classic.
SantaLand Diaries Pt I
SantaLand Diaries Pt 2


I'm reading Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Vol I by Ed Parker.


----------



## TinTin_57

I'm currently reading 'Search for truth - Harry Price'


----------



## Xue Sheng

The Way of Energy by Master Lam Kam Chuen


----------



## Blindside

Kildar by John Ringo - seems to be escapist American soldier gets the girl(s), kills all the bad guys, and becomes a prince.  Its pretty much popcorn reading.

The Motion of the Ocean by Janna Cawrse Esaray - this was written by someone I knew in high school, mostly a combination of the adventure of sailing around the Pacific for your honeymoon, thoughts on relationship building, and personal development.  Made me think about taking care of my own marriage relationship, good stuff.

Warrior Mindset by Dr. Michael Aken - Much of the early chapters seem repetitive if you have read On Combat (Grossman) or others in the field.  Hopefully it will improve as the books goes on.


----------



## Xue Sheng

Chinese Health Qigong Wu Qin Xi


----------



## baron

Reading:
 Karate-Do My Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi.
The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo.


----------



## Touch Of Death

Just picked up Ground Zero, by F. Paul Wilson. The end is nigh!.:dalek:
Sean


----------



## Peace & Harmony

im currently reading Under The Dome by Stephen King


----------



## Xue Sheng

Time for Outrage: Indignez-vous! by Stéphane Hessel 

Rather short but interesting book. I agree with some and in some cases it gave me a rather interesting perspective that I simply would not have being American


----------



## Xue Sheng

Bruce Lee's Fighting Method: The Complete Edition by Bruce Lee


----------



## Mauthos

The Complete Chronicles of Conan (Robert E Howard) & Red Country (Joe Abercrombie).


----------



## Blindside

Training at the Speed of Life by Kenneth Murray - just starting but so far I am very impressed about the detail of how to get training methods to best provide real life results.

Day by Day Armageddon: Broken Hourglass.  So far it isn't as good as the first two books, which is disappointing, the first two were very good examples of zombie fiction, mostly it is a change of the writing perspective.


----------



## crushing

Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett


----------



## Xue Sheng

Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan by Cheng Manching


----------



## Tames D

Xue Sheng said:


> Bruce Lee's Fighting Method: The Complete Edition by Bruce Lee



I've been reading that book also.


----------



## Tames D

Just started reading 'No Easy Day' by Mark Owen, Navy Seal.
Also, just got 'The Mustard Seed Way' by Katrina Mayer in the mail today from Amazon.


----------



## Xue Sheng

Tames D said:


> I've been reading that book also.



It is an interesting read


----------



## Big Don

Just finished rereading the last two of W.E.B. Griffin's Presidential Agent series in preparation for the new one which comes out the end of the year. Just starting Tom Clancy's last book


----------



## dancingalone

Just finished Daughter of the Sword and Year of the Demon by Steve Bein.  Detective/samurai fiction interlaced with a cool female protagonist.  The author is a martial artist himself who lived in Japan for a time.  Recommended.


----------



## crushing

I just finished Christopher Hitchens' Love, Poverty, and War: Journeys and Essays and started reading my Christmas gift from a good friend, An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist, Richard Dawkins memoir.

The Hitchens' essays were mostly fascinating.  Some of them were reviews of books I hadn't read and weren't that interesting.  But, the historical and biographical essays were really good and some quite intriguing.  I'm going to search out more works by Hitchens.


----------



## Xue Sheng

Nei Jia Quan, Second Edition: Internal Martial Arts by Jess O'Brien


----------



## jks9199

On one hand, *Gettysburg: The Last Invasion* (Allen C. Guelzo).  On the other, *Fledgling* (Sharon Lee & Steve Miller).  And on another hand, *Arresting Communication* by Jim Glennon.


----------



## Brian King

Hey jks9199, Let me know what you think of Arresting Communication once you have finished, would ya?

Regards
Brian King


----------



## jks9199

Actually a re-read.  It's good.  Written well, without a lot of psychological/scholarly gobbledyspeak.  Lots of practical information and tools that you can walk away with -- and some fun stories. 

I've met Jim Glennon.  He's a good guy -- and the book reads a lot like him teaching a class.


----------



## HammockRider

I'm reading *The Way West*, a Pulitzer prize winning novel about settlers on the Oregon Trail written by A.B. Guthrie Jr. It's a good'un!


----------



## crushing

crushing said:


> I just finished Christopher Hitchens' Love, Poverty, and War: Journeys and Essays and started reading my Christmas gift from a good friend, An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist, Richard Dawkins memoir.
> 
> The Hitchens' essays were mostly fascinating.  Some of them were reviews of books I hadn't read and weren't that interesting.  But, the historical and biographical essays were really good and some quite intriguing.  I'm going to search out more works by Hitchens.



From the library I checked out Arguably from Hitchens.  I'm just a few essays in and have found some duplication from Love, Poverty, and War.


----------



## wingchun100

GO PRO by Eric Worre


----------



## arnisador

Just finished Whitehead, Separation of College and State, and started John Keegan, The Price of Admiralty.


----------



## Xue Sheng

A Study of Taijiquan by Sun Lutang


----------



## Buka

"Live Fast, Die Young - the Life and Times of Harry Greb" by S.L. Compton.

Greb was a boxer from the roaring twenties. Widely considered one of the ten best of all time. It's an in depth, crammed full  600+ page book. But the printing could be larger and the sentences are spaced too close. But a great read (so far) for those interested in that era of boxing.


----------



## Xue Sheng

Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the Founder of Judo by Jigoro Kano


----------



## jezr74

Listening to rather than reading, I have a daily 1.5 hour drive to work each way.

Star Force Series by B.V Larson. (8 Book Series)


----------



## crushing

I checked out a couple more books by Hitchens.  I finished Mortality, which was a short but sobering read about him dealing with esophageal cancer and now I'm on to his memoir, Hitch-22.


----------



## crushing

Just started Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi.  Wondering if I should have read Lolita first.  Oh well.  Maybe I'll read it later.


----------



## Xue Sheng

What Makes You Not a Buddhist by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse


----------



## wingchun100

Now I am reading THE FIGHTER'S BODY, suggested to me by our own Xue Sheng. After that it is on to THE FAT LOSS BIBLE and then finally BLEEDING EDGE by Thomas Pynchon.

Actually, I have WAY more than that sitting here on my desk at work to go through. People joke that I am starting a library. I have all but one of Thomas Pynchon's books, and I want to read them from beginning to end again. But I also have several books that I have NEVER read to go through first.

FLINT, Louis L-Amour
ZIG ZIGLAR'S SECRETS OF CLOSING THE SALE
COMPLETE WORKS OF OSCAR WILDE
SIL-LUM KUNG FU
WHAT IS AIKIDO
WHITE CRANE GUNG-FU
THE RUSSIA HOUSE, John Le Carre

I picked up those three martial arts books at a garage sale or something like that. Those are meant to be quick, fun reads in between the heavier stuff.


----------



## donnaTKD

anything by kathy reichs, tess gerritson, pj tracey, karin slaughter --- you get the drift they're all murder mystery thrillers and all of them are a darn good read --- all are also un-put-down-able 

donna


----------



## crushing

I just finished Thomas Jefferson: Author of America by Christopher Hitchens.  It's a very short biography hitting on key moments, decisions, and contradictions of Jefferson's life.


----------



## crushing

Finally finished The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean.  I was reading chapters of it between reading other books.  Now I'm on to Salman Rushdie's Joseph Anton: A Memoir.


----------



## Xue Sheng

Ukulele For Dummies


----------



## wingchun100

BRUCE LEE'S FIGHTING METHOD: Skill in Techniques


----------

