I'm looking for good books to read. Suggestions?

[Mithrandir]

The Alchemist - may help you re think how you live life, may not
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Written from the dog's perspective. It will make you laugh, and cry.

I've read a few of Paolo Coehlo's books, but not The Alchemist.

[TranaGreg]

I ended up reading a Ken Follett book, Column of Fire - typical Follett fare, good time waster for up at the lake - I actually enjoyed the historical context on this one; and The Wealth of Humans by Ryan Avent, a half decent assessment of the impact of technology on the future of work, altho it (like so many others of these types) probably should have been a series of articles instead of a book - way too much filler as opposed to real content.

[Gregg]

Best books I've read in the last couple of years were:

Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34 by Bryan Burrough

This is next up for me. Thanks for the suggestion.

[madducks]

Just finished reading "Killer Show" by John Barrylick about the deadliest rock concert in U.S. history on February 20, 2003. Exactly 100 music fans lost their lives and more than 200 were injured when Great White set off pyrotechnics which caused a deadly fire at a small club called The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Barrylick was the lead attorney who investigated and prosecuted wrongful-death and personal injury cases from the fire. The criminal and civil cases that resulted from this tragedy were settled without trials, leaving many questions unanswered.

The book tells of the many mistakes, some honest and some not, by numerous parties that led up to this terrible tragedy. It covers in great detail the 90 seconds that club patrons and employees had to escape the fast spreading fire and how some just made it by a few seconds and how some were a few seconds too late. There's the miraculous story of the guy who was found alive under the pile of dead and burned bodies in the entryway with only a few minor burns on his leg. It's also an educational read for fire safety and the science behind fires and certain flammable materials. The stories of the victims and survivors are very sad, but interesting none the less. The incredible response by the hospitals and the medical personnel setting up and operating the triage across the street was truly inspiring. The investigation and prosecution of the responsible parties makes for a very compelling read.

[TranaGreg]

Just finished reading "Killer Show" by John Barrylick about the deadliest rock concert in U.S. history on February 20, 2003. Exactly 100 music fans lost their lives and more than 200 were injured when Great White set off pyrotechnics which caused a deadly fire at a small club called The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Barrylick was the lead attorney who investigated and prosecuted wrongful-death and personal injury cases from the fire. The criminal and civil cases that resulted from this tragedy were settled without trials, leaving many questions unanswered.

The book tells of the many mistakes, some honest and some not, by numerous parties that led up to this terrible tragedy. It covers in great detail the 90 seconds that club patrons and employees had to escape the fast spreading fire and how some just made it by a few seconds and how some were a few seconds too late. There's the miraculous story of the guy who was found alive under the pile of dead and burned bodies in the entryway with only a few minor burns on his leg. It's also an educational read for fire safety and the science behind fires and certain flammable materials. The stories of the victims and survivors are very sad, but interesting none the less. The incredible response by the hospitals and the medical personnel setting up and operating the triage across the street was truly inspiring. The investigation and prosecution of the responsible parties makes for a very compelling read.

Sounds interesting. Working in government I've heard more than once that the only times real change happens is when there's a dramatically new government with a different agenda, or as the result of inquiries into tragedies. Most major changes to building codes, fire safety codes, etc., are a direct result of horrible events like this one. It's a rough job but I have a ton of respect for the forensic investigators who have to go in & painstakingly recreate everything to understand exactly what happened, so that recommendations can be made to mitigate the chances of these specific things happening again. Thanks for the reco.

[madducks]

Sounds interesting. Working in government I've heard more than once that the only times real change happens is when there's a dramatically new government with a different agenda, or as the result of inquiries into tragedies. Most major changes to building codes, fire safety codes, etc., are a direct result of horrible events like this one. It's a rough job but I have a ton of respect for the forensic investigators who have to go in & painstakingly recreate everything to understand exactly what happened, so that recommendations can be made to mitigate the chances of these specific things happening again. Thanks for the reco.

Yes, it's sad that broken systems often don't get fixed until someone dies because of it. Rhode Island also made changes to the fire safety codes after The Station fire. But, this story also reeks of small town corruption with the overlooking of violations and illegally raising the occupancy limit from 253 to 317 to 404 (462 people were in the club when the fire started) despite no increase in the square footage of the club.

[johnnya24]

Just finished a very interesting book - "The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World" by Catherine Nixey

Spoilers: bunch of barbaric illiterate ignorant suicide cultists purges the ancient world of 90% of the knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome.

[nullnor]

i had like a heart attack for like fucking 6+ hours last night lol. mostly from smoking. i gotta tell you i'm pretty sore today. so far it's easy to quit cigarettes after that. had everything too. weakness in the arms, vomit, my whole thoracic cavity ached, pain on left chest like aorta being blasted. i ended up standing in one position for 5 hours which seemed to help. pretty concerned i might have to drive to the hospital and spend 10k. well... that sucked.

so i am finishing books i never finished. today's book is a good one. looks like no more getting stoned and smoking 4 packs a day of the nastiest cigarettes out there and playing video games all day.


came out in 2006, non-fiction. and a gay woman dresses like a man and joins things like an all male bowling league, and other things like that in order to try to understand so called male privilege. it's pretty hilarious because her view on things is entertaining.

[Gregg]

i had like a heart attack for like fucking 6+ hours last night lol. mostly from smoking. i gotta tell you i'm pretty sore today. so far it's easy to quit cigarettes after that. had everything too. weakness in the arms, vomit, my whole thoracic cavity ached, pain on left chest like aorta being blasted. i ended up standing in one position for 5 hours which seemed to help. pretty concerned i might have to drive to the hospital and spend 10k. well... that sucked.

so i am finishing books i never finished. today's book is a good one. looks like no more getting stoned and smoking 4 packs a day of the nastiest cigarettes out there and playing video games all day.


came out in 2006, non-fiction. and a gay woman dresses like a man and joins things like an all male bowling league, and other things like that in order to try to understand so called male privilege. it's pretty hilarious because her view on things is entertaining.

You need to go to the ER now!

My buddy recently had a stroke and waited until the next day. Everyone at the hospital told him he should NOT have waited. He made it worse and now he is facing a much longer and harder recovery. They took care of him without insurance.

[nullnor]

i have insurance. it's not good insurance. i've had warnings. it happened for 30 mins not to long ago but i fooled myself into thinking it was nerves or something. it was cigarettes constricting an already probably constricted vein. as long as i don't smoke and do the same shit again and take it slow i'll be ok. my pulse is normal, which means i'm not still having an attack. if im not 100% tomorrow (soreness isn't completely gone), i'll see. but im pretty sure the episode is over... i am kind of down on the healthcare industry and i really don't want to give them any money. it's ok. i'll be fine.

[Gregg]

i have insurance. it's not good insurance. i've had warnings. it happened for 30 mins not to long ago but i fooled myself into thinking it was nerves or something. it was cigarettes constricting an already probably constricted vein. as long as i don't smoke and do the same shit again and take it slow i'll be ok. my pulse is normal, which means i'm not still having an attack. if im not 100% tomorrow (soreness isn't completely gone), i'll see. but im pretty sure the episode is over... i am kind of down on the healthcare industry and i really don't want to give them any money. it's ok. i'll be fine.

You pay for insurance. You should use what you pay for.

It it is nerves they will tell you that.

My old boss passed a stress test, but still had a persistent back ache. His doctor went in to look around. 98% blocked. Had a bypass. Save his life. This is from a guy who was Elk hunting in the mountains without issue.

Have it checked out.

[TranaGreg]

You pay for insurance. You should use what you pay for.

It it is nerves they will tell you that.

My old boss passed a stress test, but still had a persistent back ache. His doctor went in to look around. 98% blocked. Had a bypass. Save his life. This is from a guy who was Elk hunting in the mountains without issue.

Have it checked out.

This.

[DMT]

Highly recommend Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

Like the title, it's very dense, but informative and fascinating.

[Fresno Bob]

"Children of Time" is the best Science Fiction I've read in ages

[revo]

I'm reading:

"Fear" by Bob Woodward, but took a break from it as there's only so much horrifying incompetence one can read about our president before getting nauseous; and,

"Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise & Crazier Demise of the USFL" by Jeff Pearlman. Yes, another book about that destructive, incompetent moron, but at least it involves one of my favorite things as a kid, the USFL.