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beeswing
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Books! Books!
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Jun 29 04:49 UTC 1998 |
This is the item where Grexers reccommend books. Books you once read, or are
reading now. Books that changed your life, made you look at the world in a
different light, or look at yourself differently. Books that earned a special
place in your heart. Books that seem to keep you alive.
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| 53 responses total. |
beeswing
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response 1 of 53:
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Jun 29 04:51 UTC 1998 |
I am currently reading _The Manticore_ by Robertson Davies. Can't comment much
on it yet but so far it seems neat.
I highly reccommend John Barth's _The End of the Road_ . Just read it.
You will not be the same person afterward.
I was in a bookstore today and felt swamped... I had no idea what to pick.
That's why I started the item.
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omni
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response 2 of 53:
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Jun 29 06:04 UTC 1998 |
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy.
I hated to see it end. I cannot exactly put it into words, but it is a must
read. I am better for reading it, and it has made me want to read more of
Conroy's books.
Colin Powell: An American Life
This one is about Gen. Powell's life and eventual involvement in the Gulf
War as the Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It gives interesting views into
the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Reagan, Bush and Clinton White House.
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jep
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response 3 of 53:
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Jun 29 15:01 UTC 1998 |
I'm currently reading "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore, at the
recommendation of the new president/CEO of ArborText. It's a business
marketing book which explains how high-tech companies need to appeal to
mainstream users to "cross the chasm" between being a start-up and
being an established, profitable company.
It has many technical examples, which are dated (the book was written in
the early 1990's). Windows 3.0 was a hot new product. Lotus 1-2-3 was
still the dominant spreadsheet. Oracle had just beaten out dbase III.
Most public schools still used Apple II computers.
I don't know if the marketing information makes any sense. I don't know
anything about marketing. I guess it's always good to learn about
something new.
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rcurl
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response 4 of 53:
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Jun 29 17:53 UTC 1998 |
Try reading in the books conference, bees, for lots more book suggestions,
many categorized by fiction/fnon-fiction, subject matter, etc. But new
"books" activity here is always welcome so, for those that don't read
agora, I will link this item to books.
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rcurl
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response 5 of 53:
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Jun 29 17:56 UTC 1998 |
Item 37 in summer 1998 agora has been linked to books item 71. The title,
"Books! Books!" is a bit non-descriptive for the books cf. If you are
reading this in agora, come visit books and do a browse.
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hhsrat
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response 6 of 53:
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Jun 29 18:41 UTC 1998 |
Any John Grisham book is pretty good.
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danr
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response 7 of 53:
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Jun 29 21:44 UTC 1998 |
I'm currently reading _Keys to the City_ by Joel Kostman. They are a
series of short stories based loosely on his experiences as a New York
City locksmith. I got it from the library. If you like short stories,
you'll like this book.
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beeswing
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response 8 of 53:
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Jun 29 22:49 UTC 1998 |
I was unaware of a books conf, but it makes sense that there would be one on
Grex. My bad!
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gerund
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response 9 of 53:
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Jun 30 02:45 UTC 1998 |
I'm meandering through a couple of Ayn Rand novels... again.
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rcurl
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response 10 of 53:
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Jun 30 04:07 UTC 1998 |
No bad! It's one of the ways the existence of cfs get notice.
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gerund
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response 11 of 53:
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Jun 30 07:56 UTC 1998 |
Oh, btw, those novels would be _We The Living_ and _The Fountainhead_.
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atticus
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response 12 of 53:
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Jun 30 14:34 UTC 1998 |
I have finished "Lucky You" by Carl Hiaasen. It was sort of
disappointing compared to his other novels.
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beeswing
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response 13 of 53:
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Jul 1 04:22 UTC 1998 |
A lot of people seem to be fans of Tama Janowitz. Why? I have not read any of
her books. Which one would be a good starter?
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tpryan
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response 14 of 53:
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Jul 1 22:11 UTC 1998 |
Anybody read up "A Pirate Looks at Fifty" - Jimmy Buffet's new
book? What do you think?
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beeswing
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response 15 of 53:
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Jul 5 04:33 UTC 1998 |
It may be hard to find, as I have heard it is out of print. But, _The Shrine at
Altamira_ by John L'Hereux is pretty cool and an engaging read. Be forewarned,
though: You will learn more about prison life than you will ever care to know
in 2 million years, although that is only a small segment of the story.
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omni
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response 16 of 53:
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Jul 5 05:49 UTC 1998 |
What was the name again?
I found "Cell 2455 Death Row" by Caryl Chessman to be a very enlightening
book about the ins and outs of death penalty law, and pre-Miranda justice.
It also shows the wisdom of acting as your own lawyer, and why Mark Twain was
right when he said "He who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client".
I'm not going to defend Chessman. He was a criminal, but I don't think he
deserved to die. I think that the state should have been satisfied with life
imprisonment with parole. And I think he should have served at least 2/3s of
the sentence.
I don't think the state proved the kidnap case, and I am really certain that
the LAPD framed him as being the "Red Light Bandit". What I think the LAPD
was is lazy and inefficient.
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hematite
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response 17 of 53:
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Jul 6 03:25 UTC 1998 |
Anyone read "The Count de Bragelonne"(or something like that spelling) by
Alexandre Dumas? I'm debating whether or not to read it, I've already read
the musketeer books and can't decide on this one..Help, anyone?
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tsty
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response 18 of 53:
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Jul 6 09:37 UTC 1998 |
highly recommend _where wizards stay up late_ by hafner & lyon.
oh, yes ... *those* wizards!
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void
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response 19 of 53:
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Jul 8 07:40 UTC 1998 |
recently i re-read _switch bitch_ and _my uncle oswald_ by roald
dahl. currently i'm working on rosemary sutcliff's _sword at sunset_.
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bmoran
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response 20 of 53:
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Jul 8 19:17 UTC 1998 |
My Uncle Oswald is on the shelf over my desk. Great story by a great
writer. Yes, the Chocolate Factory author wrote a few 'adult' books as
well.
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void
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response 21 of 53:
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Jul 9 05:16 UTC 1998 |
you'd probably like _switch bitch_ and _kiss kiss_ too, then,
bmoran. last time i was at barnes & noble i spotted a horror anthology
edited by dahl which looked very intriguing.
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tendo
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response 22 of 53:
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Jul 9 18:13 UTC 1998 |
I sujest Wiz Biz. I liked it, you will too.
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davel
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response 23 of 53:
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Jul 10 12:50 UTC 1998 |
I'm currently reading Dick Francis's first novel, _Dead_Cert_, from around
1962. I'd never read anything of his until my mother gave us, for Christmas,
a bunch of miscellaneous mysteries. Most of them were awful, but Dick
Francis's _Longshot_ was among them, & is **very** good indeed. Grace found
this (actually, 3 bound together, but I'm a slow reader these days) at the
library. It also is very good. Apparently his mysteries are all built around
(or set in) the world of horse racing. For me, this is no attraction, the
reverse if anything; but his writing is compelling. Highly recommended.
(This, his first, has a couple of plot elements I'd quibble with, but England
around 1960 is not my own turf, so I may be wrong. However, in general it's
as well written as the other book.)
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senna
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response 24 of 53:
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Jul 10 22:37 UTC 1998 |
I'm rather happy for the fact that Dick Francis has managed to work past one
of the more notable sports gaffs in the annals with a successful writing
career. Granted, it wasn't his fault (Devon Loch, the horse he was riding,
was the culprit) but still.
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