The Swamp

Most of the ice has melted off my yard - Spring must be on the way.

This book got great reviews and has started off really well.

I'll have to check that out. I've heard some awesome stories about the numbers racket in Detroit area back in the day. Wonder if there's any overlap.

I just finished this book. A fun, fast read.

According to the library, I'll have the download of the Susan Orlean book in 17 weeks.

Looking forward to it.

Its good, but you really need to have read the first two of the trilogy "Power Of The Dog" and "The Cartel".

Only into the first chapter, but the man can write...and not just with proper grammar and punctuation.

The book "Black Klansman" is pretty boring.

A wild story, badly told - or more accurately, told with all the flair of a police report. Not surprising since it was written by a cop.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 5:13 am The book "Black Klansman" is pretty boring.

A wild story, badly told - or more accurately, told with all the flair of a police report. Not surprising since it was written by a cop.

I enjoyed the movie.

A_B wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 8:43 am

Pruitt wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 5:13 am The book "Black Klansman" is pretty boring.

A wild story, badly told - or more accurately, told with all the flair of a police report. Not surprising since it was written by a cop.

I enjoyed the movie.

Dying to see it.

The book is full of insane material, but it's oddly written.

[+] spoiler

The most shocking thing is the section on how pervasive the Klan's reach was in Colorado back in the 20s and 30s. The old Denver airport was named after a long term mayor who was a proud and open Klansman.

Over the next two weeks I have about 18 hours in a car. Give me some nonfiction suggestions. I have a hard time listening to fiction anymore. One Lon. Book or two medium is fine. Or just whatever. Toss them suggestions!

Salt: A World History by Kurlansky or anything read By Stephen Fry.

Sadly, nothing in here was surprising in the big picture. But the details of some of the shit that people believe is astonishing.

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:08 pm Salt: A World History by Kurlansky or anything read By Stephen Fry.

I've done Salt and Cod.

A_B wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 7:23 am

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:08 pm Salt: A World History by Kurlansky or anything read By Stephen Fry.

I've done Salt and Cod.

The first 2/3+ of a Basque History Of The World is great too. The last part gets into the separatist movement, and while interesting, isn't with the rest of the flavour of the book.

Some of the Jared Dimond books are pretty great on audio as well.

A_B wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:04 pm Over the next two weeks I have about 18 hours in a car. Give me some nonfiction suggestions. I have a hard time listening to fiction anymore. One Lon. Book or two medium is fine. Or just whatever. Toss them suggestions!

Anything by John McPhee.

I've listened to two Diamond books on audio (GG&S and The World Until Yesterday). I will see what other ones are out there. Thanks.

Sabo wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:25 am

A_B wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:04 pm Over the next two weeks I have about 18 hours in a car. Give me some nonfiction suggestions. I have a hard time listening to fiction anymore. One Lon. Book or two medium is fine. Or just whatever. Toss them suggestions!

Anything by John McPhee.

Does he have anything that focuses on birds?

George R. R. Martin called The Accursed Kings "the original game of thrones", citing Maurice Druon's novels as an inspiration for his own series A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones). These books were written in the 1950s and twice been turned into television mini-series' in France. Historical novels regarding actual events occurring among the royals in early 14th century France that ultimately led to the Hundred Years War. I've now finished the first four books in the series and am really enjoying them. In some ways, it's actually quite a bit like GoT (but it's essentially factual!) Trump would have fit right in with these people.

A_B wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:04 pm Over the next two weeks I have about 18 hours in a car. Give me some nonfiction suggestions. I have a hard time listening to fiction anymore. One Lon. Book or two medium is fine. Or just whatever. Toss them suggestions!

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Your attention will be held from the opening.
Or just download a couple Hardcore History episodes.

I've read that one, too!

Pruitt wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 6:03 am Sadly, nothing in here was surprising in the big picture. But the details of some of the shit that people believe is astonishing.

And to counteract the insanity, I'm currently listening to Annie Jacobsen's book about the history of Area 51. Incredibly detailed research of declassified documents and interviews with people who worked at Area 51. The author was on Rogan's podcast, and I found her so compelling I immediately put a hold on all her books. I've always heard Area 51 was a facility for building and testing new high tech and secret aircraft and weapons, but man, she gets down to the diary entries of the CIA and Air Force brass running the joint. I think the CIA and DoD and everyone involved must have loved all the conspiracy theories, because it distracted and created a smoke screen from what was really going on there, like building the U2 spy plane and Stealth planes.





Really excited to read Surprise, Kill, Vanish, The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators and Assassins. She had some absolute crazy stories, including going to Cuba with the guy led the CIA operation to kill Che Guevara to meet with Che's son and discuss it.




She also has a book about Operation Paperclip, the program where the US brought in all these Nazi scientists. Crazy that the Apollo program was run by a Nazi with a despicable record, but hey, if we didn't snatch him up, the Soviets would have.

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:18 pm Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Your attention will be held from the opening.

An absolutely incredible book.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 1:22 pm

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:18 pm Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Your attention will be held from the opening.

An absolutely incredible book.

My wife when she read it "how do you fucking base a religion on looking into a hat?"

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 1:51 pm

Pruitt wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 1:22 pm

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:18 pm Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Your attention will be held from the opening.

An absolutely incredible book.

My wife when she read it "how do you fucking base a religion on looking into a hat?"

The same way you do with a virgin mother-to-be?

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 1:51 pm

Pruitt wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 1:22 pm

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:18 pm Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Your attention will be held from the opening.

An absolutely incredible book.

My wife when she read it "how do you fucking base a religion on looking into a hat?"

Don't forget about the Magic Glasses! (aka "The Urim and Thummim")

Been listening to Doug Stanhope's memoir Digging up Mother. About 50% is about his mother, but he ties in a lot of other things going on his life at various times. Incredibly bizarre woman and story. If you remotely like Stanhope, this is a great listen. The audiobook has to be much better than the book, as he goes off on stories at times. He thinks he is dyslexic, and gets frustrated reading, and says, "fuck it, this is better as a story anyways." Then he mixes in some fantastic directors cuts, and expands, or has people involved in a story chime in. Hilarious, because he is such a drunk, some people tell him he is completely wrong. Or he talks about some waitress he banged 18 years ago, tells a horribly unflattering tale ending in, " and then I ejaculated in her asshole while her head was out the 9th story window of a Holiday Inn." Immediately followed by the waitress telling her version. He tracked down people he hadn't seen in 20 years, tells horrible stories of them being meth addicts, then these people somehow agree to talk on the book, further exposing their depravity. Amazing.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:53 pm

Surprised to find that the library had this.

Just put it on hold.