Comments on: Reading List

By: bookeboy

bookeboy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:30:19 +0000

Thank you for the return recommendation – I have it on my shelf and do intend to read it.

By: Damian

Damian — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:31:52 +0000

Hi Bookeboy and thanks for your comment. I've been meaning to watch Civilisation ever since seeing The Ascent of Man so thanks for the recommendation. Also, I had a look at the list of books you recommend on your site. I must admit I've only read a handful of them. Have you read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov? If not, judging by the books you mention, you might quite like it. I read it hot on the heels of Dostoyevsky's The Idiot and it's on my list of books for a second (and possibly, third) reading when I get off this non fiction phase.

By: bookeboy

bookeboy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:02:59 +0000

I was a bookseller for over ten years and for much of that time my faith in man (and myself) was battered by witnessing (and abetting) a majority of readers who either followed a path in reading which was largely defined not by worth but by prevailing fashions (often generated by interested authorities) or who followed their own inclination, which, on the main, does not lead outwards but, like the tethered animal, remains in orbit around a fixed entity, one which they will defensively describe as their own personal taste.

I am glad to say that often (and the word ‘often’ is used here to describe a passage of time unique to second-hand booksellers – let us round it off to once every six months) I was delighted to discover a reader who had broken free of such restricted habits of reading and had begun to read with some purpose.

These readers always seemed to reinvigorate my own interest in life and in reading. I found their enthusiasm highly contagious. And still do.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

P.S. I just finished watching The Ascent of Man – Marvellous. May I recommend Lord Clark’s series Civilisation?

By: ropata

ropata — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:02:30 +0000

Pretty impressive list, no wonder you’re exhausted! I loved Bryson’s “Short History” too. And I’ve read some of your list, the rest look quite fascinating.

For a completely different theme, how about Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”, and Exupery’s “The Little Prince” ? They make you think about your place in the world.

By: Reading in retirement « Open Parachute

Reading in retirement « Open Parachute — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:02:45 +0000

[...] encouraged to check out, and summarise, what I have been reading by the reading lists blogged by Damian and others. The number of books I have got through (in four years) shocked me – perhaps I’m a [...]

By: Damian

Damian — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:49:18 +0000

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll keep an eye out for it. I’d never heard of it before but it’s got some pretty good reviews. Cheers.

By: AskAnAtheist.org

AskAnAtheist.org — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:16:47 +0000

That’s a GREAT list! I feel I’ve done the religion thing to death too, though I remain on the look-out for any fresh viewpoints on the old topics. I’m still very fascinated by the history of religion though, including supporting topics like archaeology, textual criticism, anthropology, psychology, and the like. Like you, I’m still interested in physics (the lay version, without the hard math), space/time/origins, and evolution, so I read those topics from time to time too.

Since you’re still interested in evolution topics, you won’t want to miss this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trilobite-Eyewitness-Evolution-Richard-Fortey/dp/0006551386. Absolutely riveting! I really enjoyed Guns , Germs and Steel too which I see you are getting to shortly.