BOOKS THREAD

Finishing up the revised and expanded edition of Dan Ariely's "Predictably Irrational." Can't recommend this book enough. Fascinating insights into how we make decisions ... how we all have an inner "Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde," which he illustrates in one section by asking college kids in a cold state and an aroused state things like "would you have sex with a 60 y.o. woman," and "would you consider sex with an animal." Every chapter covers something different (the stuff on placebos and how the higher a medicine/energy drink is priced, the more people claim it helps them is great. At the end of each chapter, Ariely helps you understand how to be a little less irrational.

After I finish off "Predictably," I plan to move on to Connelly's "The Scarecrow" next per Moddy's recommendation. I have only read one Grisham book - "The Last Juror" and I think I liked it because of the plot revolving around the small-town newspaper. This will be my first endeavor into Connelly.

 

Glen David Gold's Sunnyside, the second novel from the guy who broke out with
Carter Beats The Devil.

It's not Carter Beats The Devil, but it'll do.

Will also note that it's patently obvious that Gold is a huge Richard Condon fan,
which in my mind is another reason to be fond of the guy's work.

 

Agreed on Dirty White Boys. One of my favorites. I know I'm quite late, but I am about a dozen chapters into the 47th Samurai. Good stuff. I was fascinated by Japanese culture and martial arts when I was younger and I've always been a fan of the Swagger series, so it's a nice combo.
Then it's on to Connelly's latest. Looking forward to that one, too.

 

Just finished Tearing Down The Wall of Sound by Mick Brown, a great look at the life of Phil Spector. Covers all the bases from the creation of all his hit records and his work with the Beatles, John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and the Ramones to an in-depth look at the death of Lana Clarkson. Spector comes off as a complete lunatic. He makes Axl Rose look sane.

 

I liked Carter Beats the Devil a lot. I'll have to look for this one.

 

Just started some light summer reading - The Great Influenza of 1918 by John M. Barry. Very interesting so far.

 

He also did a very good, if slightly overreaching, book on the 1927 Mississippi River flood in Louisiana.

 

Reading The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi. This has to be one of the craziest tales I've ever heard about. I'm not even halfway through. It's the story of a serial killer who killed 14 young people in horrific ways around Florence over the span of two decades. Police arrested numerous people at different times and accused them of being the Monster. Complete bungling (and some of the police were also involved, I believe, with the Amanda Knox case, which sheds quite a bit of doubt on whether she might have also been railroaded).

Eventually - though I haven't gotten to this point - Preston, who moved to Florence with his family, is charged with obstruction and Spezi himself - the top Italian journalist covering the story - is charged with being the Monster (he wasn't). It would be too crazy to be fiction.

 

Just finished Chuck Klosterman's, "Downtown Owl."

Enjoyed it very much.

 

Two weeks ago, I read "Twelve Days of Terror: A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks" by Richard Fernicola.

Terrific factual story of the events that inspired "JAWS."

 

I liked Carter Beats the Devil a lot. I'll have to look for this one.
[/quote]


Be warned . . . the Hollywood storyline is infinitely superior to the WWI story line . . .
found myself skipping clumps of pages, near the finish . . .

 

Be warned . . . the Hollywood storyline is infinitely superior to the WWI story line . . .
found myself skipping clumps of pages, near the finish . . .
[/quote]

On the other hand, I do like WWI stuff generally, so it may work better for me. Hope it does. I'll still probably wait for the paperback.

And the NJ shark book mentioned above is a good read....I forget now, but the shark went maybe 10 miles up a river and killed a kid, or something astounding like that.