tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135643188634165782.post5911135334504596698..comments2023-11-03T04:18:47.077-07:00Comments on Brick and rope: In defense of 2008JShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04389094051972795199noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135643188634165782.post-24366941342301140932009-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:002009-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:00I think I agree with your sentiments that you shou...I think I agree with your sentiments that you should be SUPER selective with the books you read, although for me I definately have a bias in applying that doctrine more towards fiction.<BR/><BR/>I've read numerous mind-numbingly dull non-fiction books, but rarely do I mind this fact, as I at least gain new perspective, learn new examples, or find different ways to build new strawmen. With fiction books, however, I can't tell you how many times I become really angry when reading some garbage "literature," as that was time lost when I could be reading the books I already pretend to have read (I still haven't read any Hemmingway).<BR/><BR/>Thus, when new works of fiction go out, I tend to stick to the tried and true authors first. This year, I found Roth's Indignation, and Robinson's Housekeeping to be exceptional books, but I only read two other recent works of fiction all year (also by mainstream authors Rushdie and Keillor). <BR/><BR/>With non-fiction books, however, I'll at least skim through loads of books, and I feel much more confident talking about my favorite ones of '08. My absolute favorite has to be Jane Mayer's The Dark Side, which affected me much more than any book has in a long time. In Defense Of Food was also a fantastic read. If I wasn't intimidated by word counts, I would also love to read Chasing the Flame: One Man's Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power, but I doubt that I will ever get to it.<BR/><BR/>An absolute dissapointment was Jeff Sach's Common Wealth, which read more like a combination of 50 position papers than an actual book.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16048155795251688541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135643188634165782.post-64089173301608570742009-01-11T15:21:00.000-08:002009-01-11T15:21:00.000-08:00" If there is a more clear-sighted global affairs ..." If there is a more clear-sighted global affairs journalist than Fareed Zakaria, I haven't come across him. "<BR/><BR/>BTW are you presuming foreign affairs journos are primarily male? Might get into trouble with the Mrs.lost-in-translationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17531367904715718376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135643188634165782.post-52839493626002078062009-01-11T15:15:00.000-08:002009-01-11T15:15:00.000-08:00Joy...waiting for take on India After Gandhi. I th...Joy...waiting for take on India After Gandhi. I thought you mentioned it was on your waiting list. Not read it yet? or does it not make the cut according to you? I quite enjoyed reading itlost-in-translationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17531367904715718376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135643188634165782.post-20804232126524253232009-01-07T08:55:00.000-08:002009-01-07T08:55:00.000-08:00strangely enough, I haven't read the book yet. It...strangely enough, I haven't read the book yet. It has been on my bookshelf for a while ... but it is forbiddingly thick. Will probably take it up next.JShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04389094051972795199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135643188634165782.post-36202099290010779172009-01-06T02:25:00.000-08:002009-01-06T02:25:00.000-08:00JS,Very nice blog. All you book readers seriously...JS,<BR/><BR/>Very nice blog. All you book readers seriously challenge my (last 5 year) habit of devoting all my reading exclusively to current affairs articles. Maybe I should change it this year! So how come the Buffett-Snowball didn't make it into your list of top books for the year?<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/>Bharathsearching4selfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12114902646078841666noreply@blogger.com