# Good Books Thread



## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

I started a similar thread a few years ago - this might be of interest to those looking for a good read over the summer months. Heck - there might even be a potential Father's Day gift among the options listed in the thread today and tomorrow! 

The idea here is for CMF 'ers to post good books that they are reading, read, or curious to learn more about. References to "e-books" and other electronic media. Our local library is a treasure trove of not just of books but a huge amount of information, how-to books, videos, DVD's (some very recent ones I might add - I can see why those video rental companies went out of business!). Apparently, it's possible to download "ebooks" from our local library via the internet! Haven't done this yet.

Presently, I'm reading/ going to read...

1. How the Scots invented the modern world (Arthur Herman) - great read so far
2. Contagious - How things Catch on (Jonah Berger)

For those of you who like to read books written by financiers and CEO's who "did time" - well how bout

3. Flight of the Eagle (Conrad Black) - see CBC transcript here. (say what I will about Black - the man is a very good author IMO).http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/05/22/conrad-blacks-next-chapter/

4. The Buy Side (written by a recovering hedge fund manager) Turney Duff
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...rades-and-illegal-substances/article12579862/


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## Emma (May 18, 2013)

Here's my recommended reads: Above All Things - Tanis Rideout (Everest attempts), Left Neglected - Lisa Genova (surviving a brain injury), Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay (Paris 1942) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Just finished When God was a Rabbit (what a family!). Currently reading The Soldier's Wife and next on my list The Painted Girls - Cathy Buchanan and Come Home - Lisa Scottoline. In between I am trying to get through a few of the recommended books on investing! I have a Kobo and download from my local library.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I just finished reading a novel -_ Swimming at Night_ by Lucy Clarke - and thoroughly enjoyed it. Just to give you an idea of the book, I'll quote from the synopsis on the back cover: "Katie's world is shattered by the news that her headstrong and bohemian younger sister, Mia has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff in Bali. The authorities say that Mia jumped - that her death was a suicide.

Although they'd hardly spoken to each other since Mia suddenly left on an around-the-world trip six months earlier, Katie refuses to accept that her sister would have taken her own life. Distraught that they never made peace, Katie leaves her orderly, sheltered life in London behind and embarks on a journey to find out the truth. With only the entries in Mia's travel journal as her guide, Katie retraces the last few months of her sister's life and - page by page, country by country - begins to uncover the mystery surrounding her death....

Weaving together the exotic settings and suspenseful twists of Alex Garland's _The Beach_ with a powerful tale of familial love in the spirit of Rosamund Lupton's _Sister_, _Swimming at Night_ is a fast-paced, accomplished, and gripping debut novel of secrets, loss, and forgiveness."

I'm just starting Lisa Scottaline's "Don't Go" but it's too soon to know whether I'll like that one or not.


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

Wonderful idea for a thread Dubmac. I'm sure we are going to hear lots of wonderful recommendations. Recently read: The Rise and the Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. Also Berlin Diary by the same author. The diary is okay but I recommend the former book.


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## Jim9guitars (May 5, 2012)

I recently read all 3 books from the "Hunger Games Trilogy" by Suzanne Collins, brilliant. I've also thoroughly enjoyed several of Michael Connellys Harry Bosch series of detective novels, not new releases but great reads.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

here's a book for Jon Snow, who's about to embark on an exciting stage of his life on the wild pacific west coast.

*The Golden Spruce* is a part reportage, part fiction docudrama about Grant Hadwin, a real-life forest engineer whose opposition to lumber giant macmillan bloedel (now weyerhauser) on Haida Gwaii drove him, in the end, to an act of radical destruction.

never have old growth forests in the pacific northwest been so magnificently portrayed as in this book. In the first hundred pages, communities of these noble trees - thriving, dying, growing from seedlings - appear like titans in mythology.

it's the only book i've ever seen where giant trees have a presence as real as, well, fathers & grandfathers! happy june 16th Father's Day to all the cmf fathers!


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

One (of many) I read, quite some time back, that people might enjoy: _The Informationist_ by Taylor Stevens

http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/2549/the-informationist


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## Islenska (May 4, 2011)

Humble-I will have to read The "Golden Spruce", we visited there (Queen Charlotttes) as my older brother was RCMP and had a good tour of the islands. It is a very unique area, we are rather spoilt in Canada , you can from one coast to another and never feel that you have seen it all

Currently reading "frozen in Time" a story of rescue in Greenland during WW2. ----Mitchell Zuckoff

and Happy Father's Day all around (this great country).........


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

CanadianCapitalist said:


> Wonderful idea for a thread Dubmac. I'm sure we are going to hear lots of wonderful recommendations. Recently read: The Rise and the Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. Also Berlin Diary by the same author. The diary is okay but I recommend the former book.


Hey CC - thanks for this - if you are a WWII buff, Consider book by Anthony Beevor - The Fall of Berlin (a terrifying account of Russian revenge in 1945), and DDay. Both are excellent. 

Also recommend books by Canadian Mark Zuelkhe. He wrote one called "Juno", followed by "Holding Juno" then "Breakout from Juno" - All excellent accounts of Canadians in Normandy. He has others as well on Sicily, Italian and Holland campaigns.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

humble_pie said:


> here's a book for Jon Snow, who's about to embark on an exciting stage of his life on the wild pacific west coast.
> 
> *The Golden Spruce* is a part reportage, part fiction docudrama about Grant Hadwin, a real-life forest engineer whose opposition to lumber giant macmillan bloedel (now weyerhauser) on Haida Gwaii drove him, in the end, to an act of radical destruction.
> 
> ...


I will have to check that one out Humble... I am a lover of great trees... In fact on my gulf island property there is a California Redwood with a trunk diameter of over 7 metres around. You definitely feel something stir in your soul when you stand beneath a giant life form such as this.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

CanadianCapitalist said:


> Recently read: The Rise and the Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. Also Berlin Diary by the same author. The diary is okay but I recommend the former book.


Did it convince you that the German character was as much to blame as the totalitarian leadership?

Reading Genghis Kahn (Jack Weatherford) as I hang out with hundreds of Mongolian soldiers. Reading a lot these days in between bits of Options for the Strategic Investor.. gonna need more books before I put much of a dent in that one

I've held out from buying any e-reader but it would save a lot of space.


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## none (Jan 15, 2013)

m3s said:


> Did it convince you that the German character was as much to blame as the totalitarian leadership?
> 
> Reading Genghis Kahn (Jack Weatherford) as I hang out with hundreds of Mongolian soldiers. Reading a lot these days in between bits of Options for the Strategic Investor.. gonna need more books before I put much of a dent in that one
> 
> I've held out from buying any e-reader but it would save a lot of space.


Although a slight tangent Dan Carlin did some great Kahn podcasts:
http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

none said:


> Although a slight tangent Dan Carlin did some great Kahn podcasts


I don't really have the bandwidth for podcasts.. but if you're interested in Kahn you should definitely read the book... He actually retraced Kahn's steps for the first time since the fall of the Soviets. They forbid researching anything before so it became such a mythical story.. the history is far more than glorified war. Highly recommended


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

I just finished Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong-Bates. It's set in small town Ontario during the 70's, its a story through the eyes of a young girl and her mother who moves from China to Ontario to meet her father who has purchased a restaurant in a small Ontario town. If you like stories without any huge dramatic events, but a great all over story, this is a nice (and short, around 150 pages I believe) book for summer reading.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Addy said:


> I just finished Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong-Bates.


addy i'm going to read this, i know i'll like it!

another novel that might be somewhat in the same genre is Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony. It's about his family migrating gradually, in stages, from china to vancouver. It's principally about his unforgettable grandmother.

i liked this book so much that i rushed to read the other 2, which he wrote later. Jade Peony was Choy's first novel. It had begun as a short story. He was coached, encouraged & mentored into expanding the story into a novel by luminaries no less than Jake Zilber, a co-founder of UBC's creative writing department, & Carol Shields herself, when she taught at UBC for one term.

alas, the 2 later books were slight deteriorations. The Jade Peony remains Choy's first, best novel.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

Thanks humble, I'll be reserving The Jade Peony at our local library asap!


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

There are not to many books that I agree on everything the author says. A book only takes a few hours to read, compare that to the mental content of ones mind which takes a life time to build. Since A is A, i.e., A thing is what it is & can not be something differnt @ the same time & in the same respect.

Either

(1) I have a junk heap of invalid theories with in my mental content 

(2) all these books I have read were written by those that failed to understand that which they were thinking

(3) The author & I are putting differnt meaning into the empty containers that meaning we put into called words ?

(4) some of the above.

(5) all of the above


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## LondonHomes (Dec 29, 2010)

I found "rich dad, poor dad" to be an interesting read .... very short book about investing. It is a bit odd but it does make you think.


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## Islenska (May 4, 2011)

Dubmac---have read many Mark Z. books and enjoyed them all, have always felt Canada was not given the attention it deserved in WW2 esp vs our neighbours contribution.
The days of soldiers in the front line, battle to battle, is beyond belief. Want to bone up more on the Calais situation ,,,,my youngest son and I are going to tour Normandy soon-just haven't set a date.
A lady from Holland I worked with was 16 at the start of the war..............now she could tell some stories ( and not about GICs


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

Islenska said:


> Dubmac---have read many Mark Z. books and enjoyed them all, have always felt Canada was not given the attention it deserved in WW2 esp vs our neighbours contribution.
> The days of soldiers in the front line, battle to battle, is beyond belief. Want to bone up more on the Calais situation ,,,,my youngest son and I are going to tour Normandy soon-just haven't set a date.
> A lady from Holland I worked with was 16 at the start of the war..............now she could tell some stories ( and not about GICs


Islenska - 

Good to hear. I also recommend 3 Day Road by Joseph Boyden (a Cdn author) - a brilliant novel that weaves the horrors of WWI and the role of aboriginal (Cree-Ojobwa) volunteers - Elijah and Xavier. This book is part of the grade 12 curriculum in BC. 

Islenska - I too am heading to Normandy in the few weeks to follow the path of a relative who landed on DDay.

I recommend that you have a look at a web site, canadaatwar.ca http://www.canadaatwar.ca/index.php
You can connect with many knowledgeable people - some provide maps, and some remarkable information, travel details etc. http://www.canadaatwar.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=2295 . There is also a books http://www.canadaatwar.ca/film-books/ s section and a films/documentaries section. This is a great resource IMO.
Good way to prepare and plan for these kinds of trips!.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

I'm still working on the EIGHT with WEIGHT recommended list - http://canadianmoneyforum.com/showt...-with-Weight-A-Reading-List-for-New-Investors. These are great books but require serious readings and are hardly any fun ... :numbness:


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

dubmac said:


> if you are a WWII buff, Consider book by Anthony Beevor - The Fall of Berlin (a terrifying account of Russian revenge in 1945), and DDay. Both are excellent.


Can't really call myself a buff. The only other book on WWII I've ever read is WWII Behind Closed Doors which I read after watching the PBS show. Thanks for these recommendations, I've put in some requests at our local library.


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## Belguy (May 24, 2010)

I thought that some of you may be interested in subscribing to the Globe and Mail's Rob Carrick's 'Personal Finance Reader' which is sent to me weekly for free.

http://webmail1.mail.aol.com/37996-111/aol-6/en-ca/Suite.aspx


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## Jim9guitars (May 5, 2012)

I just finished reading "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window ", by Jonas Jonasson. It's hilarious, 5 out of 5.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World
http://www.amazon.ca/Sex-Citadel-Intimate-Changing-World/dp/0385666438

*By: Shereen El Feki* - 'born in Great Britain to a Welsh mother and an Egyptian father. She grew up in Canada, visiting her grandmother in Cairo on a regular basis. After graduating from the University of Toronto and obtaining a PhD degree in immunology at the University of Cambridge, she joined The Economist as Healthcare Correspondent in 1998. After the 2001 WTC terror attacks, she learned Arabic and started to research the Middle East, in particular, the issues of emancipation and women's sexuality, spending much of her time in Egypt. In 2005, she left the Economist, and from 2006 to 2008, she hosted weekly shows, People & Power and The Pulse, on Al Jazeera International. From 2010 to 2012, she was vice chairwoman of the United Nations’ Global Commission on H.I.V. and the Law.'

A very accomplished/brave woman.
http://ww3.tvo.org/video/193145/shereen-el-feki-sex-arab-world


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Toronto.gal said:


> Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World


Random thoughts/memories after watching the video:

- When I was in Riyadh, a 'company wife' in Saudi took a position in a Riyadh hospital......she was told emphatically that there were absolutely no STDs in Saudi.....she found out that (of course) there were...they were all filed under 'Dermatology'.

- Rather than moving forward, the pics on this link http://frontpagemag.com/2010/jamie-glazov/how-the-veil-conquered-cairo-university/ indicate that Egypt has been, and probably still is, moving 'backwards' rather than 'forwards'.

- Nasser, (circa 1966 AFAIK, perhaps earlier) talking about the MB and their demands re women.......the crowd's laughter is indicative of their position. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX4RK8bj2W0


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Anyone read Dan Brown's new book Inferno? I just listened to the audiobook on a long holiday drive.
Light reading, but definitely highlights human population growth issues.


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## Jim9guitars (May 5, 2012)

Hawkdog said:


> Anyone read Dan Brown's new book Inferno? I just listened to the audiobook on a long holiday drive.
> Light reading, but definitely highlights human population growth issues.


I got tired of him stopping to explain in great detail the history and architecture of every historic building he encountered(and there were so many). That and some issues with the plot, plus the almost "Dora the Explorer" thing where everytime he got a new clue he would exclaim "now I have to go to blah blah and look at blah blah". I really liked some of his other books but this one seems to have a weaker plot and too much filler. It was the audio book version, I listen to lots of them on the road(I'm a trucker).


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

ya it definitely seemed like he was struggling to keep it all together.

If you like audiobooks, you can now get Jack Whyte's Camulod series on Audiobook. The skystone is the first book in the series, 6 in total i think.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Will be reading *'The View from Castle Rock.'*

So Canadian Alice Munro, 'master of the contemporary short story', is the recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature!!

*'Munro is the first Canadian winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the 13th woman to have won the award in its history.'
*
http://www.nobelprize.org/

Congrats to all the winners this week; amazing brains changing our world!


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Will be reading 'I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban'

If only tomorrow the Nobel Peace Prize could be given to the young [child] courageous survivor of terrorism, Malala Yousafzai, for all that she's done/is doing to promote education for girls, in places where it is forbidden for many. She isn't/wasn't the only 14 year old to have been terrorized in her region [she says so herself], but although the world has paid attention to few others before her, it's better late than never. 

*'On the 9th of October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead; they shot my friends, too. The thought was that the bullet would silenced us, but they failed, and out of that silence came thousands of voices. Weakness, fear, and hopelessness died, but strength, power, and courage was born....One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution.' 
*
http://webtv.un.org/watch/malala-yousafzai-addresses-united-nations-youth-assembly/2542094251001/
http://www.amazon.ca/Am-Malala-Stood-Education-Taliban/dp/0316322407

Amazing girl!


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

Toronto.gal said:


> Will be reading 'I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban'
> Amazing girl!


+1

looks like a good choice.
I am looking to read Chris Hadfield's new book (Cdn astronaut) - can pre-roder here
http://www.chrishadfield.ca/


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks dubmac, but I have such a long list of books yet to read, that I can wait.

Imagine how thrilled the students of U of W must be! 
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/10/08/...d-lands-professor-post-at-ontario-university/


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

dubmac said:


> l am looking to read Chris Hadfield's new book


Interesting interview from yesterday, with some powerful messages.
http://ww3.tvo.org/video/196577/chris-hadfield-space-oddity


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

My favorite book "The emperors new clothes" It is my investment bible
2nd favorite book "The little engine that could"


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Just finished reading the buy side, pretty quick read. Pretty amazing story of going from zero to hero to zero.

Here is a link to a good blog that recommends books.

http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/reading/



dubmac said:


> I started a similar thread a few years ago - this might be of interest to those looking for a good read over the summer months. Heck - there might even be a potential Father's Day gift among the options listed in the thread today and tomorrow!
> 
> The idea here is for CMF 'ers to post good books that they are reading, read, or curious to learn more about. References to "e-books" and other electronic media. Our local library is a treasure trove of not just of books but a huge amount of information, how-to books, videos, DVD's (some very recent ones I might add - I can see why those video rental companies went out of business!). Apparently, it's possible to download "ebooks" from our local library via the internet! Haven't done this yet.
> 
> ...


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## Echo (Apr 1, 2011)

Just finished reading, The Third Rail, a new book about confronting our pension failures. It includes examples from Holland, New Brunswick, and Rhode Island, as places which have adopted pension reform to fix their broken pension programs.

The book publisher sent me two copies, so I'm giving one away on my blog - http://www.boomerandecho.com/weekend-reading-third-rail-edition/

Just leave a comment if you'd like a chance to win a copy.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

if you missed, she was on the CBC current, good interview.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Audio/ID/2411239212/




Toronto.gal said:


> Will be reading 'I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban'
> 
> If only tomorrow the Nobel Peace Prize could be given to the young [child] courageous survivor of terrorism, Malala Yousafzai, for all that she's done/is doing to promote education for girls, in places where it is forbidden for many. She isn't/wasn't the only 14 year old to have been terrorized in her region [she says so herself], but although the world has paid attention to few others before her, it's better late than never.
> 
> ...


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Just finished reading
"Choose yourself" James Atucher"
anyone else read it? thoughts?

Just starting
"The most powerful idea in the world" William Rosen.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Hawkdog said:


> if you missed, she was on the CBC current, good interview.
> 
> http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Audio/ID/2411239212/


I had missed it, so thank you Hawkdog. I'll watch it later in the week.

Going to read W. Rosen's book as well.

“There may be no way to put the genie of sustained invention back in the bottle, but we can put the genie to work.”


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

For Michael Lewis fans, a new book called _Flash Boys_ about to hit the stands in March.
Apparently it is about HFTs, dark pools, and related matters.

Can't wait.


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## none (Jan 15, 2013)

Signal and the noise by Nate silver was OK.

Surprisingly I found some of his model criticisms unfounded. He implied that most modellers don't do model validation and tend to over-fit models without considering that this may be a problem. All that is untrue, at least in the circles I ride in.

Still, interesting book. I learned a lot about weather forecasting which was interesting. It would explain the 'rain bias' from the weather network that I perceive out here at least.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

m3s said:


> Did it convince you that the German character was as much to blame as the totalitarian leadership?


I'll have to check it out when I get a chance .... Milgram (plus those polled) were sure few would comply the authority figure in the experiment at the highest shock level. The different groups polled figured few would do it versus the test results of 65%. The results spawned years of variations of experiments, some in different parts of the world with similar results.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment


Cheers


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Just finished ...

http://www.amazon.ca/Kisses-Katie-Story-Relentless-Redemption/dp/1451612095

and 

http://mcgilltribune.com/the-dieppe-code/

and

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Ghosts-Medak-Pocket-Canadas/dp/0679312943


Cheers


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

HaroldCrump said:


> For Michael Lewis fans, a new book called _Flash Boys_ about to hit the stands in March.
> Apparently it is about HFTs, dark pools, and related matters.
> 
> Can't wait.


Just picked it up when I was kiling some time at Chapters and read the intro tonight. It looks great. 

Will have to plan for a return trip to Chapters to get into it more.


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins.

John Perkins "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" Extended Interview


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## Islenska (May 4, 2011)

Just returned from a trip to Cuba, picked up Che Guevera's Bolivian diary-----have to conclude these "Revolutionaries" were total losers, destroying the Cuban economy and wrecking lives with their non bending faith.
Plus putting North America in danger re: The Cuban missile crisis.
Any way you cut it, communism does not cut it!


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

Islenska said:


> Any way you cut it, communism does not cut it!


Neither does capitalism. So what is the solution?


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Tightwad said:


> Neither does capitalism. So what is the solution?


Anarchy...with a strong central government? :biggrin:


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

Any Hunter S. Thompson fans here? I just finished The Rum Diary (reading one HST book is on my bucket list). I'm neutral, it wasn't terrible but not great either. I would give it a 6/10. Debating to give another of his books a go, are there any better ones out there?


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

_Grift Sense._ Not an investing book.....rather, it's in the crime/mystery genre.......but the author, James Swain, a resident of Florida, is (apparently) "Considered one of the best card handlers in the world"...so I wondered if Marina knows/has heard of him.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Next on my reading list:


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Just finished three very good ones (I usually have 2 or 3 different ones going at one time)

-League of Denial -NFL's Concussion Crisis (this issue is now coming to the NHL via US based class action litigation)

-Vatican Exposed-Money, Murder, and the Mafia

-Lawrence in Arabia


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Tightwad said:


> Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins.
> 
> John Perkins "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" Extended Interview


that was good book, i listened to the audiobook awhile back.

just picked up this one:
http://www.amazon.ca/The-Death-Money-Collapse-International/dp/1591846706


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

On my reading list [4 a 2nd time]

*The Grand Chessboard* - by: Zbigniew Brzezinski
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/artic...d-american-primacy-and-its-geostrategic-imper


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Just added to my reading list:

*The Truth About Trudeau* - by: Bob Plamondon


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> Will be reading 'I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban'.
> 
> If only tomorrow the Nobel Peace Prize could be given to the young courageous survivor of terrorism, Malala Yousafzai, for all that she's done/is doing to promote education for girls, in places where it is forbidden for many.
> Amazing girl!


I read her book last year, and so very pleased that Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, together with child rights activist Mr. Kailash Satyarthi [even when it was a year late IMO].

Richly deserved for those genuinely advocating education & peace.

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2014/press.html

Don't borrow the book from library, buy it & share it!


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

For Skiers

The best books & DVDs for learning to to ski the most efficiently & ski with the same movements as very best expert skiers on the mountain are from Harold Harp. Expert skier1, expert skier 2 books & DVDs & the essentials video series. It costs a lot less money to use the books & DVDs to learn to ski then to take lessons. The books & DVDs are more productive then the high price lessons.


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

Just finished "The Rosie Project" - very good read - light, quite funny, and a good story. Written by an Australian (I think).
currently reading "Sapiens" - a non-fiction book about the history of our species. Seeks to explain why are are what we are as a species. Quite informative.http://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ef-history-humankind-yuval-noah-harari-review
Hope you are all enjoying the wild weather in much of Canada. Sometimes, a good book, a hot chocolate, and a warm fire are the best elixers to treat winter at it's worst!
Happy reading in 2015!


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

I finally finished reading this:










This is an _*excellent*_ book - one of the best I have read in a while.
I was expecting a dry, esoteric, tome on the financial crisis (they are already enough books on that subject).
But this was a refreshing, somewhat light-hearted, insider view into the world of central banking.

The first part is the history of central banking, going back to the early 17th century.
Then it zooms through some of the major central banking related events of the 19th and 20th centuries, including the Weimar Hyperinflation, Asian Currency crisis of the 1990s, etc.
The rest of the book focuses on the events leading up the financial crisis, followed by the Euro sovereign debt crisis, Grexit, etc.

In some ways, the book feels like a fast paced novel - like a Jack Higgins or Frederick Forsyth spy thriller.
Once I got into the Eurozone crisis section, the pages flew by.

Highly recommended.

I have now started this:










So far, not too impressed.
Book seems to be heavily influenced by the early days of the Obama administration.
It is oozing praise on Obamanomics, repeatedly quoting rhetoric from the _Audacity of Hope_ speech, and mostly focused on views of hard-left policy advocates.

It pays lip service to some of the reforms of Reagan-Thatcher era, only to dump on them right after.
Will see how it goes...only 1/4th of the through of the book so far.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks for the reviews Harold!


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## Jon_Baker (Oct 1, 2014)

*tea, earl gray, hot*

I am currently on the first book of Game of Thrones series.


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

I'm recovering at home from a surgery & have time on my hands. 
I plan on going to the local library/Chapters to get some reading material - both fiction and non-fiction - to help manage time and interests.
This thread is 2 yrs old, & I have reviewed and wrote down several titles from here, but I am curious if anyone has any new contributions to make beforehand.
If not, then let this thread settle back into the background of the discussion - no harm done.
Currently I am reading "The North water" -a chilling book (a little like "Heart of Darkness" - Conrad)


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## Pluto (Sep 12, 2013)

^
You might try The Neon Rain, Heaven's prisioners, Black Cherry blues.


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## Koogie (Dec 15, 2014)

Pluto said:


> ^
> You might try The Neon Rain, Heaven's prisioners, Black Cherry blues.


I really loved James Lee Burke when he started out (I'd add In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead) but holy crap did he turn formulaic quick.
His newer books were unreadable (to me). How many childhood friends who later became mobsters can one guy have ? :emmersed:


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## Nelley (Aug 14, 2016)

dubmac said:


> I'm recovering at home from a surgery & have time on my hands.
> I plan on going to the local library/Chapters to get some reading material - both fiction and non-fiction - to help manage time and interests.
> This thread is 2 yrs old, & I have reviewed and wrote down several titles from here, but I am curious if anyone has any new contributions to make beforehand.
> If not, then let this thread settle back into the background of the discussion - no harm done.
> Currently I am reading "The North water" -a chilling book (a little like "Heart of Darkness" - Conrad)


Peter Swanson is fantastic-he has written 3 books so far and they are all great-the latest is HER EVERY FEAR.


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## Pluto (Sep 12, 2013)

Koogie said:


> I really loved James Lee Burke when he started out (I'd add In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead) but holy crap did he turn formulaic quick.
> His newer books were unreadable (to me). How many childhood friends who later became mobsters can one guy have ? :emmersed:


Yes, it became a bit repetitive. I have a few unread Dave Robicheau titles on the shelf for that reason. But the first three were quite memorable. 

Another title by a different author is "The Last Good Kiss". Fine entertainment in this genre.


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

Reading "American Sniper". Pretty good, very different from the movie. Surprisingly funny in places:

"Officially American soldiers were not permitted to touch alcohol. And officially we didn't."


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

just wading thru Keith Richards "Life".
Man! If half the stuff he writes about is true... or if he took half the drugs he says he took...he's one lucky Stone to still be alive!! I luv'im tho' !!


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