# Nonfiction Readers: What do you like?



## ClickNextPage (Oct 15, 2009)

I love a good travelogue, memoir, biography or history book. Good ones I've read recently include:

Travels in West Africa - Mary H. Kingsley (1895). A single woman in the Victorian Age undertakes a daring exploration at a time when it was scandalous for a woman to travel alone. Available free at Gutenberg.

The Blue Clay People - William Powers (2006). An international development worker's memoir of his time in Liberia during a lull in their civil war. I got it at Amazon.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - free at Amazon.

Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools - Victoria Twead (2009). A British couple retires and moves to a Spanish village. The story of their first five years.  

You?


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## pdallen (Aug 3, 2010)

Science, math books (especially the advanced stuff), some metaphysics (particularly shamanism), field guides and herbology, and radical theory and analysis.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Mostly travel (not memoirs, but actual books telling me about a country--useful things like bus rates, train rates, how to get here, sights to see).  Since Kindling, I've read a few good memoirs (Recollections by Jim Chambers and Snake Jazz by Dave Baldwin.)  Those aren't my usual fare, but I enjoyed them--led me to reading and kind of looking for things like Karen McQuestion's "Lies I told my Children" and...I've downloaded John Pearson's ... "Learn Me Good."  I like the anecdotal stories in these "essay" sorts of things.  Both Jim and Dave's books were kind of like that.  McQuestion's definitely was.  A light humor kind of thing.  

I also want to read, oh darn.  That author... Bill Bryson.  I think his books are kind of like that.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I mainly read about European royalty or anything that will help me gain insight into the lives of my ancestors.


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## Tracy Falbe (Jul 4, 2010)

I frequently read nonfiction. My interests vary, but I do like books that cover industries and economy. Examples are:

Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction by Terry Tamminen

Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben

Then I really like sociological topics like those explored in:

Conservatives Without Conscience by John Dean

I also read on many practical subjects. Right now I'm studying How to Store Your Garden Produce: The Key to Self Sufficiency by Piers Warren.

Since you mentioned biographies, you have me thinking I should try that too. There are so many fascinating people I could learn from.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

I love to read history, memoirs, and biographies. I recently read and loved:


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

In the non-fiction area, I read biographies, physics, astronomy, and books on music and musical instruments.


Mike


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Tracy Falbe said:


> I frequently read nonfiction. My interests vary, but I do like books that cover industries and economy. Examples are:
> 
> Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction by Terry Tamminen
> 
> ...


Hi, Tracy--my book club did the Bill McKibben book. Great for discussion. Since I blog for my local farmers market, it sounds like we have lots of non-fiction tastes in common. Here are some others I've enjoyed:

All the food books: _Fast Food Nation, Omnivore's Dilemma, Real Food, Farm City, The Unhealthy Truth_. The first three are rather similar, but Farm City was a funny memoir about a woman farming in the middle of a city (Oakland, CA), and The Unhealthy Truth has the processed-foods-cause-all-sorts-of-allergies-and-issues slant. Also _Little Heathens_ was a great memoir about growing up on an Iowa farm during the Depression. Talk about self-sufficiency!


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## ClickNextPage (Oct 15, 2009)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> I love to read history, memoirs, and biographies. I recently read and loved:


Just read the book blurb on Amazon, and it does sound good!


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## dimples (Jul 28, 2010)

I'm particularly interested in the true crime books when it comes to non fiction. Or books that focus on the criminal mind or the penitentiary system. But I like to read some biographies and memoirs as well.


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## jackwestjr_author (Aug 19, 2010)

Parallel narratives impress me.  Devil in the White City paints a historical picture of the development of the fairgrounds for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933.  Concomitantly, the author tells the tale of a serial killer who is praying on young suffragettes who are coming to the fair in a new climate of freedom for women to travel independently.  It was enthralling.

I do not love all of Krakauer's books, but Under the Banner of Heaven, also a parallel narrative, blew my mind.  In this book you learn more about the Mormon religion than most of the kids who come knocking on your door when they are on their mission, while at the same time sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation of a gruesome murder.


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

I liked Devil in the White City but I thought that the only thing the stories had in common was the location and time. 
The nonfiction I read most are 
History esp American and Western European
True Crime (lately I've been reading about serial killers - Devil in the White City is to blame for that)
Social Sciences
Psychology

I've been reading a lot of books about the holocaust lately. This one was really good


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

Good biography always, certain periods in history such as the US Civil War, Europe from 1938 to 1945 and the Pacif War, the McCarthy blacklist period, the sixties, the Viet Nam war. I also read some philosophy, comparative religion and eastern thought.


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## woodNUFC (Aug 12, 2010)

For me it is nearly all early-American history. I'm particularly interested in the intellectual history of the US Constitution -- tracing the ideas that make up the document.

Other than that, I love Dave McCullough's books. I find his style easy to emerse myself into.

I've downloaded a sample of Simon Winchester's 'The Professor and the Madman' 'http://www.amazon.com/Professor-Madman-ebook/dp/B000FCKM7E/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2 and found it to be very entertaining. I will have to purchase the book, but that will have to wait until after I finish my MA Thesis.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I must say that I don't read much non-fiction.  But the last book I read was Dave Cullen's "Columbine," which was superb.  I have "Devil in the White City" and "Death by Black Hole" on my Kindle.  I hope to get to them soon!


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I read a lot of nonfiction. I like popular science, "narrative nonfiction" like The Orchid Thief or Devil in the White City, social history, food writing, travel narratives, and also the type of book where someone chooses an interesting or odd topic and just explores it in depth ... like an expanded New Yorker article. Some of my favorites are M.F.K. Fisher, Pico Iyer, Tony Horwtiz, Jon Krakauer, Barbara Tuchman.

Some fairly recent reads I liked:

Will Storr vs. the Supernatural
Confederates in the Attic
Bombay: Maximum City
The Year of Living Biblically
Under the Banner of Heaven
Mayflower
The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll
Complications


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

I've liked almost anything by Jon Krakauer.
I loved Rick Bass's 'Winter; Notes from Montana' (he also writes great short stories.)
Tim Cahill writes great humorous travel/adventure essays. (He's written for Outside Magazine, and many of his pieces are collected in books w/ such titles as 'Pecked to Death by Ducks' and 'A Jaguar Ripped my Flesh')
Love Bill Bryson's books.
I enjoyed 'Devil in the White City', too, but couldn't really get into that authors other book (can't really remember the name - but it opens on the Titanic.)


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

I love just about anything historical.  I've never met a Twentieth Century American history book I didn't want to read.  Same for biographies.  The only 'historical' stuff I put back down are the ones where an author is distorting history  -- either for dramatic affect or to push an agenda.  Accuracy and remaining true to the facts is key for me.  The drama is usually built-in.

Oh yeah, Krakauer-type books too.  And everything that McCullough or Ambrose wrote.


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## blackdog (Aug 20, 2010)

These are my favorite non-ficiton books:

History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
Persian Fire by Tom Holland
The Thirty Years War by C.V. Wedgwood
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Battle – The Story of the Bulge by John Toland
Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson
The God Delusion and The Greatest Show on Earth both by Richard Dawkins
Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor

Dave McCullough's Path Between the Seas will be my first order for my K3.


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

blackdog said:


> These are my favorite non-ficiton books:
> 
> The Thirty Years War by C.V. Wedgwood
> Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor


Have you read Geoffrey Parker's _Thirty Years War_? It would be interesting to compare/contrast the two. The Wedgwood has probably spent close to a decade on my TBR list, and I just can't quite start reading it. No idea why - I've heard nothing but good things about it.

I have started reading Beevor's _D-Day_, though. Not far enough into it to have an opinion yet.

Most non-fiction I read is military history, or the history of people and times defined by conflict. Favorite authors include the aforementioned Parker, Adrian Goldsworthy, Robert Massie, Barbara Tuchman, and David Glantz. I tend towards under-exposed conflicts, though I do read my share of WWI and WWII books. Particularly interesting periods are the Great Northern War, War of the Spanish Succession, and Dutch Revolt.

I also read select productivity/business books. _Rework _and _Getting Things Done_ are among my favorites.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

History, especially WWII, extraespecially The Manhattan Project (oh I so want Richard Rhode's The Making of the Atomic Bomb and Dark Sun on Kindle), politics, true crime (I also loved Devil in the White City, Thunderstruck, not so much). David McCullough's John Adams and 1776 were very enjoyable for me.


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## blackdog (Aug 20, 2010)

Basilius said:


> Have you read Geoffrey Parker's _Thirty Years War_? It would be interesting to compare/contrast the two. The Wedgwood has probably spent close to a decade on my TBR list, and I just can't quite start reading it. No idea why - I've heard nothing but good things about it.
> 
> I have started reading Beevor's _D-Day_, though. Not far enough into it to have an opinion yet.


I've also read Wedgwood's "William the Silent". I love her style, just beautiful prose, very elegant. Not like a guy like Donald Kagan who's almost, I don't know, businesslike?

No, I haven't read Parkers "Thirty Years War". I'm not too keen on reading more than one portrayal of the same event. The same reason I didn't read Anthony Beevor's "D-Day" because I already read and enjoyed Cornelius Ryan's "The Longest Day".


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

For my work, I read a lot of prescriptive nonfiction in the animal behavior/veterinary or medical/research field. So for relaxation I tend to choose escapist fiction, especially thrillers, and really like fiction that includes accurate research from the medical/research arena.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

I love biographies and autobiographies. One of my favorites is Moss Hart's Act One. Love all things Algonquin Round Table and old Hollywood. In addition to bios, I'm also a fan of histories. There are quite a few listed so far that look like something I'd enjoy.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I just realized that for all I said above about not reading non-fiction I'd forgotten that there are two others on my Kindle waiting to be read:











and











The first is about the earliest Italian mafia in the US (well, if there was such a thing as "the mafia." Which we all know there isn't.)

The second is about a right-wing mafia that calls itself "the family." Pretty scary stuff all around.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

I might get 1776 by David McCullough.  I haven't read anything by him at all (ironically) but the 18th century is really my favorite.  Have to check that out.

Dawn


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Another excellent read, though it's pretty old now and probably everyone here who enjoys non-fiction has read it is:


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Tom Wolfe: Electric Kool-Aid, etc.
Esquire Magazine (some of it).


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## BooksGalore (Aug 5, 2010)

A Distant Warrior is now on my list.  I also recommend David McCullough - will have to check out Ambrose since I love American history.
Did anyone see the thread where someone recommended Priceless by Wittman?  It's about an FBI agent and his experiences recovering 
art.  It will be my first kindle read.  For European history, I recommend The Wives of Henry 8 by Antonia Fraser.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> I might get 1776 by David McCullough. I haven't read anything by him at all (ironically) but the 18th century is really my favorite. Have to check that out.


I would recommend John Adams over 1776, although both were good, John Adams has more of a storytelling element to it, while 1776 has more descriptions of individual battles.

All depends on what you like, really.


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## BooksGalore (Aug 5, 2010)

I agree with Stormhawk about John Adams over 1776.  I couldn't put John Adams down until a finished it, while 1776 is going through slowly for me.  Battles aren't a huge interest to me so that's part of it.  Just give me the gloss over on the fights.


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

I have not yet read John Adams, though it is on the list, but did enjoy 1776.  I actually like the descriptions of the encampments and the battles.  I enjoy McCullough's work.  He does good research and writes in an accessible way.
The 1st book I read on my K was Washington's Spies, The Story of America's First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose.  If you are interested in the Revolution and espionage, it's a pretty good book


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## Five String (Jun 6, 2010)

I'm glad books about the American Revolution has made an appearance here. For readers of 1776, try Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fisher. Same subject matter, a good bit more detailed. Also, The Winter Soldiers by Richard Ketchum. 

Richard Ketchum is good on the Revolution generally, with Saratoga and Decisive Day as well.

Also, David Hackett Fisher's Paul Revere's Ride.

Studs Terkel's oral histories of various periods are good, too. He had one about the Depression that was really iluminating, and another one called The Good War about World War II.

Nice idea for a thread.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

stormhawk said:


> I would recommend John Adams over 1776, although both were good, John Adams has more of a storytelling element to it, while 1776 has more descriptions of individual battles.
> 
> All depends on what you like, really.


Thanks for the info. I'll look into both of them.
Dawn


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## arshield (Nov 17, 2008)

I liked John Adams, in general I am a fan of McCullough but did not read 1776.  I like reading economics, sociology and theology.  Enough (about hunger in Africa) was fairly good but the parts I liked were economics and political theory behind the hunger.  In general I am about 2/3 non-fiction, 1/3 fiction.  But I have been closer to half and half the last couple months.  I have not read a lot of biography on Kindle.  I am a bit burned out on biography.  I tend to read in waves.  Four or five books on a similar topic then go on to the next topic.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Aside from my bookcase full of knitting books (those don't count)-  I love  David McCullough (I have John Adams on my Kindle),  Doris Kearns Goodwin  (Team of Rivals),  true crime (aka Anne Rule).


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

I read a ton of books about relationships and psychology. I especially like Daniel Goleman and John Gottman's books. I also read books about abnormal psychology. _The Sociopath Next Door_ is really good--and frightening.

When I'm doing research for a story, I read a lot of history: Rome, Greece, Egyptian.

I also enjoy memoirs and biographies.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

jackwestjr_author said:


> Parallel narratives impress me. Devil in the White City paints a historical picture of the development of the fairgrounds for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. Concomitantly, the author tells the tale of a serial killer who is praying on young suffragettes who are coming to the fair in a new climate of freedom for women to travel independently. It was enthralling.
> 
> I do not love all of Krakauer's books, but Under the Banner of Heaven, also a parallel narrative, blew my mind. In this book you learn more about the Mormon religion than most of the kids who come knocking on your door when they are on their mission, while at the same time sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation of a gruesome murder.


Right after Katrina - I also read another book by Erik Larson - the author of Devil in the White City ... called Isaac's Storm about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Very interesting!


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## ecaggiani (Sep 7, 2010)

Band biographies, programmer reference books, and of course, my dad's travel memoir (see my sig) 

Oh, and books on usability (Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think" for example) since that's what I do for a living.


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

I got the sample for The Sociopath Next Door, it looks good.  I like Ann Rule and Kathryn Casey for True Crime.  I thought Casey's A Descent Into Hell was quite good.


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

imallbs said:


> I got the sample for The Sociopath Next Door, it looks good. I like Ann Rule and Kathryn Casey for True Crime. I though Casey's A Descent Into Hell was quite good.


Another classic: Whoever Fights Monsters--written by Robert Ressler, one of the first FBI profilers. Awesome book.


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## modhatter (Jul 31, 2010)

I really liked Thom Hartman's book, SCREWED, The undeclared war against the middle class. He is a smart guy and knows his politics.


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

modhatter said:


> I really liked Thom Hartman's book, SCREWED, The undeclared war against the middle class. He is a smart guy and knows his politics.


Along the same lines
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich was a good book about the working class. I don't think I would pay 9.99 for it though. It's cheaper for the paperback and even cheaper for a used paperback.


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## Music &amp; Mayhem (Jun 15, 2010)

bordercollielady said:


> Right after Katrina - I also read another book by Erik Larson - the author of Devil in the White City ... called Isaac's Storm about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Very interesting!


I've read both books and they are excellent. Larson does an excellent job of making people come alive on the page. I read Isaac's Storm for a discussion group in New Orleans [where I was then living] after Katrina. The parallels were amazing, though Galveston got less warning because weather predictions were much less sophisticated then. I would also highly recommend The Devil in the White City. A great mix of disparate subjects: architecture, city politics, new inventions like the Ferris Wheel, and, of course, a very intelligent and diabolical serial killer.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Music & Mayhem said:


> I've read both books and they are excellent. Larson does an excellent job of making people come alive on the page. I read Isaac's Storm for a discussion group in New Orleans [where I was then living] after Katrina. The parallels were amazing, though Galveston got less warning because weather predictions were much less sophisticated then. I would also highly recommend The Devil in the White City. A great mix of disparate subjects: architecture, city politics, new inventions like the Ferris Wheel, and, of course, a very intelligent and diabolical serial killer.


I have the second book too.. but its in paper back. I still have problems deserting my Kindle. I think I need to buy it again for the Kindle.


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## Dan (Jul 30, 2010)

Nonfiction wise I'm into reading autobiographies by rock musicians or any stories surrounding certain bands.  For instance right now I'm hooked into reading Ozzy Osbourne's "I Am Ozzy" from there I'll move onto Keith Richards upcoming book "Life".    Also into any sports related non-fiction books as well.


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## DaveCullen (Sep 13, 2010)

DYB said:


> I must say that I don't read much non-fiction. But the last book I read was Dave Cullen's "Columbine," which was superb. I have "Devil in the White City" and "Death by Black Hole" on my Kindle. I hope to get to them soon!


Thanks. I'll be very curious to hear what you think of "Devil in the White City," because it really influenced my writing of Columbine.

I wanted to juggle ten storylines, and not sure I could pull it off. But I read his book, where he alternated two, and the way he did it convinced me I could make a go of it. He showed me a lot of things: like if you want the reader to come back to a storyline, you better make it captivating, and to know just how much to give them, and where to cut to the next story, so they are satisfied, but still hungry for more.

He really has it down.


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## toj (Aug 2, 2010)

I really loved the writing style of 'Columbine'. It kept me interested without feeling like it was going for the sensationalism of other books. I have 'The Devil in the White City' but haven't read it yet. I bought it because I liked the writing.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

DaveCullen said:


> Thanks. I'll be very curious to hear what you think of "Devil in the White City," because it really influenced my writing of Columbine.
> 
> ...
> 
> He really has it down.


It didn't work as well for Thunderstruck.

I'm hoping to find time to read Columbine this year, Dave. I didn't realize you were participating here on Kindleboards.


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## DaveCullen (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks, Toj. I decided early on in the writing that the events were so loud, I needed to keep my voice quiet. Everything else was already shouting.

That's probably a good thing to learn for all my books. I guess we'll see.

Storm, I didn't read Thunderstruck. Is that Larsen? Actually, I haven't read anything by him since. I've been meaning to.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Just googled your books  Dave..  I  didn't realize that Columbine was about the Littleton CO school shootings.  I  live North of Denver and was here during that time.  I  will definitely download your book.l


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

DaveCullen said:


> Storm, I didn't read Thunderstruck. Is that Larsen? Actually, I haven't read anything by him since. I've been meaning to.


Yes, it is by Erik Larson. It juxtaposes the development of wireless radio communications with the Crippen murder in London.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

imallbs said:



> Along the same lines
> Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich was a good book about the working class. I don't think I would pay 9.99 for it though. It's cheaper for the paperback and even cheaper for a used paperback.


Have to say I was not a fan of Nickel and Dimed. I read it for a cultural anthropology class. At the time I was working as a security guard making slightly more than minimum wage and the book made me laugh. I don't think she really understood what it was like to live poor at all. At one point she dips into her real checking account because she's just plain miserable being poor lol. Yeah, if only I could have done that when I was poor. Anyhow, she struck me as a woman of the upper middle class who really knew nothing about the working class at all.

Dawn


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## DaveCullen (Sep 13, 2010)

stormhawk said:


> Yes, it is by Erik Larson. It juxtaposes the development of wireless radio communications with the Crippen murder in London.


Interesting. So he used the same approach again. That seems like one time too many.


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