# Any Nonfiction Readers Here?



## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

Anyone here reading any great nonfiction books?  My main interest is in personal and spiritual growth (currently reading DT books by Deepak Chopra, Gay Hendricks, and Jerry Hirschfield).  But I'm also interested in lots of other subjects (e.g. history, writing, quantum physics, whatever) and would love to hear about what other people are reading when it comes to nonfiction and maybe get a discussion going about some of them.


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## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

I rarely buy non-fiction, but if I see it cheap, I will. Now that I have a Kindle, I grab many of the free ones when they come up. One of the few I did buy was Guns, Germs and Steel (as a dtb) a few years ago. It was really interesting, so when Genes, Germs and Civilization came up free a few months back, I snagged it. I haven't read all of it, but what I did read was also interesting.

I have a few more that I've sampled that I'd like to buy. Decision Points by George W. Bush, is high on the list. I read the whole sample and found it fascinating.  The Journey of Man is another I'd like to buy. I saw a documentary about it a few years ago, and so I'd love to get more indepth with the book.


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## Darcia (Jul 16, 2010)

I read a lot of nonfiction, though not a lot of the personal growth sort. I'm a big fan of sociology/culture books, such as Evil Genes by Barbara Oakley, There's A Riot Going On by Peter Doggett and Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser. 

I also enjoy books that explore religion (as opposed to religious books). For Christmas, I received America's Four Gods: What We Say About God & What That Says About Us by Paul Froese & Christopher Bader. I'm looking forward to reading it!

If you like dogs, one of my favorite recent reads was A Small Furry Prayer by Steven Kotler. I truly loved this book! And, aside from the dogs being a large part of the story, a lot of this book touches on personal/spiritual growth.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I read a lot of nonfiction -- recently it's been Napoleon and the Hundred Days, Girls Like Us (bios of Joni Mitchel, Carly Simon, and Carole King), and Lies, Damned Lies, and Science. My favorites are travel, food, and "narrative nonfiction" -- you know, that odd, chatty genre where you learn a lot about some quirky topic. 

A Voyage Long and Strange, Tony Horwitz' book about the earliest European encounters with America, is on my "to buy" list.

If you're interested in spirituality, Salvation on Sand Mountain is one of the most intriguing books I've ever read. It's not on Kindle yet, though.


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## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

Thanks, everyone.  I'm so glad to know there are other nonfiction readers here.  I love to read nonfiction when I'm drinking my morning coffee.  In fact, I may be addicted to doing that because when I have to do something else while I have my coffee, I feel like I started the day off on the wrong foot.  And when I miss two days in a row. . .


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

As you can tell, I love history so I'm frequently reading historical non-fiction.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

About 40% of my reading is nonfiction - mostly history/biography, science, but a little bit of everything actually.


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

I occasionally read non-fiction (and enjoy listening to it in audiobook format on my commute to work!) One of my recent favorite reads is *Devil in the White City*. Also, pretty much anything by Jon Krakauer has been enjoyable and highly readable.


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## DavidRM (Sep 21, 2010)

I would guess about 1/3 of what I read is nonfiction. Though none for the last 4-6 weeks. Before that, I read:
* The Devil's Broker: Seeking Gold, God, and Glory in Fourteenth Century Italy by Frances Stonor Saunders
* Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed.

I really enjoyed Bounce.

-David


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## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

Thalia, is this the "Salvation on Sand Mountain" you were talking about? I try not to read books that have snakes in them. My ex was a herpetologist and kept snakes. Nothing against him--he's a really nice guy, just too different than me. But now I have a tendency to have bad dreams about snakes. And not just ordinary snakes. They're usually more exotic ones like black mambas and green tree pythons.



> Salvation on Sand Mountain is a story of snake handling and strychnine drinking, of faith healing and speaking in tongues. It is also the story of one man's search for his roots--and, in the end, of his spiritual renewal. Writer Dennis Covington came to this ecstatic form of Christianity as a reporter covering a sensational murder case; Glen Summerford, pastor of the Church of Jesus with Signs Following, had been accused of attempting to kill his wife with rattlesnakes. There, in a courtroom filled with journalists and gawking spectators, Covington felt the pull of a spirituality that was to dominate his life for the next several years. Attending Summerford's church out of curiosity, he soon forged close friendships with some of the worshippers, began attending snake-handling services throughout the South, and eventually took up snakes himself.


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

Have you tried Ekhart Tolle's "A New Earth"?

And for spirituality, you could try "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Parmahansa Yogananda.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

Lee -- yep, that's the book. If you have bad associations with snakes, it will have you hiding under your chair! Very, very, very snakey.


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## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

lacymarankevinmichael said:


> Have you tried Ekhart Tolle's "A New Earth"?
> 
> And for spirituality, you could try "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Parmahansa Yogananda.


I did read Tolle's "A New Earth" a while ago. And one of the books I'm currently reading is his "The Power of Now." The thing about his books is they can be read on two different levels--there's one level where you understand what he's saying intellectually, and then there's another level where you stop to reflect on it and see if it resonates with your own experience. The way he writes is almost misleading because it seems so basic. And anyone who has read a lot of spiritual books may feel like they have "heard it all before." But knowledge of something and the experience of something are two very different things. I read through "A New Earth" quite quickly, but I'm trying to stop and reflect on what he's saying in "The Power of Now."

Have you read "Autobiography of a Yogi?" I've downloaded it but haven't read it yet.



Thalia the Muse said:


> Lee -- yep, that's the book. If you have bad associations with snakes, it will have you hiding under your chair! Very, very, very snakey.


I now know more about snakes than I ever, ever wanted to know.  Once when we were camping, the people next to us had a problem with a snake in the middle of their campsite. My ex had gone off somewhere, so I went over to help them out. Not only was I able to identify it as nonvenomous (it was a bull snake), but I knew how to move it away from their campsite using the stick that the man was poking it with. (The stick had a broken branch part on it that worked just like a snake hook.)


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## Tracy Falbe (Jul 4, 2010)

I often read nonfiction. Our interests don't quite overlap but maybe you'll be interested in Feng Shui for the Soul by Denise Shinn. (I don't know if it's on Kindle. I read the hardcover.) The book meanders through a lot of subjects but is definitely good for soul searching and setting up your personal environments to support your likes and needs.

My review is at my blog here http://www.herladyshipsquest.com/2010/09/book-review-feng-shui-for-soul-by.html

In the historical category, I recently read Empire of the Summer Moon about Comanches in Texas. Very thorough research and beautifully written.

I've been thinking of picking up something by Deepak Chopra. He's always impressed me when I see him in interviews.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

Poor bull snake, getting poked while it's minding its own business! I'm sure it appreciated your expertise -- even if you would have been happier not being an expert.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I read mostly non-fiction. One of the best I've read in the past couple years is "Crashing Through" by Robert Kurson.

http://robertkurson.com/crashingthrough/home.html

_Excellent_ book about a young boy who lost his sight in a chemical accident and got it back as an adult through an operation that works for a limited number of people.

(I am currently reading "Pillars of the Earth". Hit the 50% mark today! I am a slower reader unlike most here. I'm enjoying so not giving up.)


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Not a lot but there are some in my  TBR  list:  Team of  Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin,  John Adams  by  McCullough.  And  I  recently read  Decision  Points by ex-Pres Bush.


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

Lee Sinclair said:


> I did read Tolle's "A New Earth" a while ago. And one of the books I'm currently reading is his "The Power of Now." The thing about his books is they can be read on two different levels--there's one level where you understand what he's saying intellectually, and then there's another level where you stop to reflect on it and see if it resonates with your own experience. The way he writes is almost misleading because it seems so basic. And anyone who has read a lot of spiritual books may feel like they have "heard it all before." But knowledge of something and the experience of something are two very different things. I read through "A New Earth" quite quickly, but I'm trying to stop and reflect on what he's saying in "The Power of Now."
> 
> Have you read "Autobiography of a Yogi?" I've downloaded it but haven't read it yet.
> 
> I now know more about snakes than I ever, ever wanted to know.  Once when we were camping, the people next to us had a problem with a snake in the middle of their campsite. My ex had gone off somewhere, so I went over to help them out. Not only was I able to identify it as nonvenomous (it was a bull snake), but I knew how to move it away from their campsite using the stick that the man was poking it with. (The stick had a broken branch part on it that worked just like a snake hook.)


I'm actually part of Self Realization Fellowship, and that's one of the guidebooks they go by and quote. Inspirational stuff.


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## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

Tracy Falbe said:


> I've been thinking of picking up something by Deepak Chopra. He's always impressed me when I see him in interviews.


I'm not sure if it's been released as a Kindle book, but I read his "Book of Secrets" from the library and liked it so much that I bought a copy for my own personal collection. I'm planning on rereading it, maybe next year. Some of his books I have a little trouble relating to because he's so much more enlightened than I am. Probably more than I will ever be.



Thalia the Muse said:


> Poor bull snake, getting poked while it's minding its own business! I'm sure it appreciated your expertise -- even if you would have been happier not being an expert.


Yeah, I was actually rescuing the snake from them, rather than them from the snake, but I didn't tell them that.


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## Glen Krisch (Dec 21, 2010)

I tend to like the nonfiction I read more than fiction for some reason, even though I read more fiction.  I've been reading a lot of essays lately: Orwell & Huxley for research.  E O Wilson, KMO (the podcaster), Michael Pollan, Booklife by Jeff Van der Meer.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I read a lot of American history. Currently reading *Colonel Roosevelt* by Edmund Morris. I'd already read the two earlier books he wrote about Roosevelt. Price came down after it started selling a lot and that's when I bought it for 9.99.

Also reading Robert Reich's *Aftershock*.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Most of my reading is non-fiction.  I love counter-culture, history, biographies, 40s and 70s eras, non-eurocentric stuff, etc.  Not much into the self-help/improvement stuff.  Religious theology and history are also great reads.


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## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

I read non-fiction all the time with History being my favorite subsection. I always hated sitting through History classes in school because they made it sooo boring. I was about 18 when my Aunt gave me a really good history book she had read and after that history finally came alive for me.

I'm currently reading:










and


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## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

I just wanted to add that I'm really enjoying all your posts.  It's interesting to find out what nonfiction other people are reading, even when it doesn't coincide with my own interests.
Lee


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## willentrekin (Dec 6, 2010)

Do memoirs count?  I've been reading a lot of chefs' books lately.  Anthony Bourdain, Bill Buford, Gordon Ramsay.


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## arshield (Nov 17, 2008)

About 2/3s of my reading is non-fiction.  A lot of Christian theology, but also history, biography, economic and behavioral science stuff.  

I am a fan of Mary Roach and her random writing.  I used to read a lot more long biography (David McCullough style) but I have been reading shorter stuff recently.


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

I do a lot of research for writing fiction, so I read a lot of non-fiction.  If you are interested in speculative history at all, Graham Hancock's books are great.  Particularly "The Sign and the Seal."  Also, the is a web site called Sacred Books.com that has beendigitizing thousands of fascination public domain material for years.  World religions, mths and legends of every culture.  Very cool site, a treasure, really.  I noticed recently that they've been putting some of their files on amazon.


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## SpearsII (Jan 16, 2010)

My school term is just about to start so I am gearing up to read a lot more nonfiction. I am reading mostly economic and political topics right now. I hope to finish the _ Worldly Philosophers_ before school starts. I also need to keep cracking at _The Wealth of Nations_. Fun stuff.


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## Steve Silkin (Sep 15, 2010)

i read 'the oil and the glory' by steve levine last year; great history of the adventurers who tried to get to the oil and gas fields on the caspian sea and build pipelines for export.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

Since I've read a few historical fiction novels, I've gotten interested in history and have been reading that. It's nice cause you can pick it up and put it down. 

I also like adventure books, like shackletons incredible voyage and big game hunting in africa. I have a journal of the plague year by defoe as well.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but I do pick up the occasional science book (especially physics subjects as I try to comprehend things like the quantum theory) and some military history (mainly WWII, but not exclusively), as well as the miscellaneous whatever that catches my attention. The favorite NF books of the last year or two that come to mind are _Under the Wire_ by William Ash (the man who was the main inspiration for the Steve McQueen character in "The Great Escape") and _American on Purpose_ by Craig Ferguson. Not quite as good but worth reading were _Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality_ by Alistair Rae and _Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure_ by Matthew Algeo.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I did a list of my top ten reads of 2010 for another thread, and was flabbergasted to find that many of the ten were nonfiction, including:

The First Air War 1914-1918, by Lee Kennett
Harpo Speaks, by Harpo Marx
Roving Mars, by Steve Squyres
Six Frigates, by Ian Toll
Stolen Masterpiece Tracker, by Thomas McShane
The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in WWII, by John McManus
Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, by Atul Gawande


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

Don't forget old Billy Bryson.  He's always great for a good chuckle.  Not to mention Parliament of Whores by PJ O'rourke.


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## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

One I recently got (but haven't read yet) is My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Bolte Taylor, about a brain scientist who went through a stroke, so she got to experience brain trauma personally. I find that kind of thing fascinating.

I also loved_ Devil in the White City_.

A friend recently recommended _Predictably Irrational_, but Dan Ariely, which talks about how irrational human behavior is.


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## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

This is the book that my Aunt gave me that got me started on non-fiction and history.










The premise sounds dull (a book about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary) but the book was actually really fascinating.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

David McCullough's *John Adams *is the book that sparked my interest in American history. I read it in 2000.


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## CaroleC (Apr 19, 2010)

About 85% of the books that I read on my Kindle are non-fiction. I think it is fun to select non-fiction books on as wide a variety of subjects as I possibly can - - for example, if I am reading a book on investing, the next one might be on physics, politics, philosophy, history, true crime, and so on. I never read two non-fiction books on the same topic consecutively.

A favorite subject is the JFK assassination. I also like humor, like Dave Barry.

Right now I am reading The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich (the book about Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook).


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

I read quite a lot of non-fiction, but much of it is _about_ fiction: literary criticism, author biographies etc.

Other than that I read some popular science and philosophy, with a smattering of politics, history etc.

James


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## jenny1983 (Sep 14, 2010)

CaroleC said:


> A favorite subject is the JFK assassination.


I would like to read a book on the JFK assassination. Which do you consider to be the most thorough account? (available on Kindle of course)


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

jenny1983 said:


> I would like to read a book on the JFK assassination. Which do you consider to be the most thorough account? (available on Kindle of course)


How about the Warren Commission Report?


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## jenny1983 (Sep 14, 2010)

NogDog said:


> How about the Warren Commission Report?


LOL. I would prefer something a little more readable


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I can't recommend a book, but the Nova episode examining all the theories is outstanding (as Nova tends to be).


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## Kiki325 (Dec 30, 2010)

I recently read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safron Foer. I love his fiction and picked this up just based on that. It covers some of the same territory as the movie, Food, Inc., but it's more personal, and for me, compelling.


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

My hubby likes the Michael Pollen books about food like "Omnivore's Dilemma."  Maybe that's why we go to the farmers market so much.


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## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

I'm just catching up with all the new posts.  What a great variety of interests there are here.

Carole, I tend to read several books on the same subject before I move on the something completely different because there are usually a number of questions that will be left unanswered or there will be some mention of another book that intrigues me.  I almost always browse through any bibliography or list of recommended reading at the end of nonfiction books.
Lee


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## mattposner (Oct 28, 2010)

For me, the finest nonfiction articles are to be found in the New Yorker, which is how I keep up with the intellectual and political and sometimes artistic trends. The best nonfiction I read this year is by a New Yorker writer: Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers explains how people succeed and fail in a mind-blowingly new way. I also recommend neurologist Oliver Sacks, especially his earlier books, such as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat  and Awakenings. His most recent, Musicophilia, is okay, too.

I don't think I've seen any nonfiction writers here on Kindleboards. Interested to know if there are any.

Best wishes,

Matt


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## CaroleC (Apr 19, 2010)

CaroleC said:


> About 85% of the books that I read on my Kindle are non-fiction. I think it is fun to select non-fiction books on as wide a variety of subjects as I possibly can - - for example, if I am reading a book on investing, the next one might be on physics, politics, philosophy, history, true crime, and so on. I never read two non-fiction books on the same topic consecutively.
> 
> A favorite subject is the JFK assassination. I also like humor, like Dave Barry.
> 
> Right now I am reading The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich (the book about Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook).





jenny1983 said:


> I would like to read a book on the JFK assassination. Which do you consider to be the most thorough account? (available on Kindle of course)


I don't think any one book covers all viewpoints. If you want the one with the most facts and figures, there's Twyman's lengthy 1997 book "Bloody Treason", but frankly I find that one to be pretty long and tedious (though quite thorough in a sense, I suppose). If you don't want to read the Warren Commission Report, you probably wouldn't want to read this book. I haven't been able to finish it, despite my interest in the subject, and I wouldn't recommend it.

If you like conspiracy theories (which really any in depth study of this subject involves to some extent, whether you subscribe to the lone gunman explanation or not, if you want to look at all viewpoints), Jim Marrs has a book on it called Crossfire so this is probably the one that I would recommend. Jim Marrs knows how to write, in my opinion, and that really helps. I don't feel that Marrs or any other author can present what happened, because we don't know. But the book is fascinating and presents a lot of interesting ideas. I doubt anybody believes all of them and some believe none of them.

The next book on the JFK assassination that I'd like to read (but haven't yet) is Oswald and the CIA  by John Newman. I also want to read A Deeper Darker Truth  by Donald T. Phillips, and LBJ: The Mastermind of JFK's Assassination by Philip F. Nelson.

I most recently read JFK and Sam, by Sam Giancana's daughter Antoinette Giancana, and I thought it was fascinating and yet utterly full of baloney, still an enjoyable reading experience that told me more about Sam Giancana as a person and father than anything else. I don't think she knew as much about JFK as she hints she did.

My recommendation is to do a search on "JFK assassination" and download a few samples. Read what interests you. You won't find the entire truth in any of them, but you may find yourself coming a little closer to some resolution in your own mind. At least, I feel that I have to some extent, and I think that is all that we can hope for. The JFK assassination was such a shock to many in my generation (I was 14 that year).


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## chris.truscott (Dec 3, 2010)

Prior to getting Kindle in August, I read almost exclusively non-fiction. Now fiction is almost all I read, other than part of the preview of Decision Points when I was messing around w/ the demo Nook at B&N a couple weeks ago.


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## CaroleC (Apr 19, 2010)

Lee Sinclair said:


> I'm just catching up with all the new posts. What a great variety of interests there are here.
> 
> Carole, I tend to read several books on the same subject before I move on the something completely different because there are usually a number of questions that will be left unanswered or there will be some mention of another book that intrigues me. I almost always browse through any bibliography or list of recommended reading at the end of nonfiction books.
> Lee


Lee, that is so interesting to me! I can see why you enjoy reading several books on the same subjects before you move on. I guess I just like to savor the idea of pursuing a subject. I love the feeling of anticipation in the back of my mind, while I move on to another topic. So we are more similar than it might first seem, in this respect.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

I read a combo of fiction and non-fiction. With non-fiction, I generally read biographies of historical figures in American history, the occasional political book, and the occasional autobiographies of famous celebrities.


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## jenny1983 (Sep 14, 2010)

CaroleC said:


> If you like conspiracy theories (which really any in depth study of this subject involves to some extent, whether you subscribe to the lone gunman explanation or not, if you want to look at all viewpoints), Jim Marrs has a book on it called Crossfire so this is probably the one that I would recommend. Jim Marrs knows how to write, in my opinion, and that really helps. I don't feel that Marrs or any other author can present what happened, because we don't know. But the book is fascinating and presents a lot of interesting ideas. I doubt anybody believes all of them and some believe none of them.


Thanks much for the recommendation! It was rather daunting culling through all the books written on the subject, but this one appears to be just what I was looking for


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

Does anyone read Chuck Klosterman?  I miss his monthly columns in Esquire.  But he does update sporadically on twitter @cklosterman


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## Lee Sinclair (Dec 19, 2010)

CaroleC said:


> Lee, that is so interesting to me! I can see why you enjoy reading several books on the same subjects before you move on. I guess I just like to savor the idea of pursuing a subject. I love the feeling of anticipation in the back of my mind, while I move on to another topic. So we are more similar than it might first seem, in this respect.


Sometimes I'm just looking for a second book on the same subject that is more readable for non-experts. When you get into areas like quantum physics or the way the brain functions, it has to be both well-written and relatively basic for the information to be at all understandable. Pages and pages of scientific notations, formulas, mathematical proofs, etc. may be impressive and helpful for professionals, but it's going to have limited value to me.


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