What are we all reading now?

[FogBat]

On 6/12/2021 at 12:08 PM, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Programming Python and Linux System Administration.  In IT, I don't seem to have time to read for pleasure.

This forum counts. 😉

[Doohicksie]

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard

It's okay.  I can put up with so-so writing style when reading history, as long as it's well-researched.

[Doohicksie]

On 6/11/2021 at 9:21 AM, Thorny said:

I'm repeatedly reading Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

I'm also reading a book about OCD and repetition. 

On 6/11/2021 at 3:37 PM, darksabre said:

I've got a whole stack of in-progress tomes at the moment, but today I'm reading the third installation of William Manchester's biography of Winston Churchill, The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm. 

I think I read the first two volumes of  the trilogy but never found the third one.  I probably need to get it.

[Doohicksie]

When I'm done with SPQR I might read Moby Dick again.  Everyone says I'm nuts but I think it's one of the finest works of literature ever.  There are chapters that are several words long, and passages that are some of the most elegant prose I've ever read.  Told in the voice of Ishmael, in the form, really, of his journal.  When at sea, there are periods of downtime and periods of crazy activity.  You get the sense of that in the writing.

[FogBat]

On 6/15/2021 at 12:18 AM, Doohickie said:

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard

It's okay.  I can put up with so-so writing style when reading history, as long as it's well-researched.

I've never been able to figure out what SPQR means.

As for well-researched books, a few years ago, I read Alexis in America: A Russian Grand Duke's Tour, 1871-1872 by Lee A. Farrow. She is a professor of Russian history at Auburn University at Montgomery, and took at least 10 years to research material for the book. Fun fact: he had a stopover in BFLO during his tour.

[bob_sauve28]

On 6/15/2021 at 12:18 AM, Doohickie said:

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard

It's okay.  I can put up with so-so writing style when reading history, as long as it's well-researched.

Where are you in that long history? Has Hannibal Invaded Italy yet? 

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, Crosschecking said:

I've never been able to figure out what SPQR means.

As for well-researched books, a few years ago, I read Alexis in America: A Russian Grand Duke's Tour, 1871-1872 by Lee A. Farrow. She is a professor of Russian history at Auburn University at Montgomery, and took at least 10 years to research material for the book. Fun fact: he had a stopover in BFLO during his tour.

SPQR simply stands for "the Senate and People Of Rome" in Latin.  They still use the acronym on public works in the City of Rome.

56 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Where are you in that long history? Has Hannibal Invaded Italy yet? 

Nope.  Not quite halfway through the book.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The Measure of All Things.

All this talk of the metric system sent me to our personal library to find the above.

It's the story of 2 French scientists that set out during the French Revolution (1792) on a 7 year quest to measure a metre and set the world to a standard (metric) measurement.  Seems that there is a slight error in their calculations that still holds true.

By the way, you in USA are slowly converting to the metric system, but most of you will nto notice.  You are the only major country that does not use it, so for economic reasons you have no other choice.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

The Measure of All Things.

All this talk of the metric system sent me to our personal library to find the above.

It's the story of 2 French scientists that set out during the French Revolution (1792) on a 7 year quest to measure a metre and set the world to a standard (metric) measurement.  Seems that there is a slight error in their calculations that still holds true.

By the way, you in USA are slowly converting to the metric system, but most of you will nto notice.  You are the only major country that does not use it, so for economic reasons you have no other choice.

The metric system is pretty widely used in manufacturing in the US.  Product of a global economy. Its the day to day use that people are resistant to.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

3 minutes ago, Weave said:

The metric system is pretty widely used in manufacturing in the US.  Product of a global economy. Its the day to day use that people are resistant to.

Yup.  That was outlined in the forward to the book I am now reading.

Not only do you not like using the metric system for day to day life, you have your own 'imperial' system that was different than the one we used to use, which was based on the old English Imperial system, which is not that surprising when you think about it.  Your gallon is pretty much exactly 4 litres, which is a bit less than our old imperial gallon.

About the only place that the old system is still used in Canada is in contruction measurements for materials and lengths / widths.  A 2 x 4 is still called that and it is sold by the foot not metre.

Edited July 3, 2021 by New Scotland (NS)

[French Collection]

49 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Yup.  That was outlined in the forward to the book I am now reading.

Not only do you not like using the metric system for day to day life, you have your own 'imperial' system that was different than the one we used to use, which was based on the old English Imperial system, which is not that surprising when you think about it.  Your gallon is pretty much exactly 4 litres, which is a bit less than our old imperial gallon.

About the only place that the old system is still used in Canada is in contruction measurements for materials and lengths / widths.  A 2 x 4 is still called that and it is sold by the foot not metre.

Half of my schooling was with the imperial system and then the metric system was introduced. I understand and use both but need to convert some numbers. I prefer pounds for weight, gallons for liquids and inches/feet for construction. Long distance has me use kilometres and I prefer Celsius for temperature. 
 

I work in the electrical distribution industry and we still measure our towers and poles in feet yet our conductor lengths are in meters. Kinda screwy if you think about it.

Canada didn’t go all in for the metric system because our largest trading partner didn’t join.

[Eleven]

On 6/15/2021 at 12:18 AM, Doohickie said:

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard

It's okay.  I can put up with so-so writing style when reading history, as long as it's well-researched.

I had the same reaction to that book.

[Kong]

John McGraw by Charles Alexander.

[Doohicksie]

34 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I had the same reaction to that book.

I almost feel that if she had re-written the first few chapters after the rest of the book was written, and resisted the urge to say "and we'll discuss this more later", it would have been an easier read.

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

I almost feel that if she had re-written the first few chapters after the rest of the book was written, and resisted the urge to say "and we'll discuss this more later", it would have been an easier read.

Yeah--her editor should have asked her to do that.  It's probably tough for academics like Beard to write "down" for the rest of us.

[PerreaultForever]

[Doohicksie]

Just now, Eleven said:

Yeah--her editor should have asked her to do that.  It's probably tough for academics like Beard to write "down" for the rest of us.

It sounded like a spoken lecture put down on paper.  Without gestures and inflection it was hard to follow... too choppy.  Then again, I'll never have anything that grand published so I should probably stop criticizing now.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Still making my way through ... A Brief History of Time.  Great book, but very heavy. If you know what I mean?  I am about half way through and it's getting tough.

[PromoTheRobot]

7 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Still making my way through ... A Brief History of Time.  Great book, but very heavy. If you know what I mean?  I am about half way through and it's getting tough.

I'm tackling "Helgoland" by Carlo Rovelli. About the relational nature of reality at the quantum level.

[Andrew Amerk]

“BLACK ICE” by Val James. 
 

I tried to add a photo, but this site was being racist about it. 

[bob_sauve28]

17 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Still making my way through ... A Brief History of Time.  Great book, but very heavy. If you know what I mean?  I am about half way through and it's getting tough.

I couldn’t get through that. Liked it, but it’s heavy! 

[Eleven]

8 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

“BLACK ICE” by Val James. 
 

I tried to add a photo, but this site was being racist about it. 

It's ok; the cover photo has him in a Leaves sweater.

[FogBat]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I couldn’t get through that. Liked it, but it’s heavy! 

Sounds like a John Owen book when it comes to Puritan theology.

[bob_sauve28]

3 minutes ago, Crosschecking said:

Sounds like a John Owen book when it comes to Puritan theology.

And who cares since it’s all preordained anyway, lol. 

 

Thats a little predestination humor, lol 

[Norcal]

A Concise History of Kentucky...in anticipation of a cross country move in 2023. Already counting the days.