BOOKS THREAD

Does anyone have suggestions for reads about fringe science? Yes, I'm talking about some of the crazy stuff we've seen on the TV show - pre-cog, human longetivity, mind control, telepathy, etc.

How about Nazi science? I'm thinking more along the lines of Mengele and his effed up experiments.

Thanks.

 

Game Change was better than I thought it would be. Mark Halperin was a ridiculous shill for W during his administration; now it appears he might just be a shill for whomever's in power (Obama comes off looking the best, by far.)

Anyway, breezy read, good info. It's not often these days you get to see writers use words like "it's jake" or "it was copacetic" with a straight face though. 23 Skiddoo!!!

 

Review:
http://www.nobeliefs.com/Ramachandran.htm

A few quotes from the book:

(Whoa.)

 

This is probably one of the most positive book reviews I've ever read. This book is now next on my list after I finish Krakauer's book on Pat Tillman.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/books/03book.html?ref=books

 

Ok, that just went on the list.

 

It's not as dense as the subject matter would appear. Pecked away at that when I was laid up after a surgery.

It will blow your mind.

They have little puzzles and things in there to demonstrate what the guy is driving at, to show you exactly how your brain is reacting optically to an illustration.

 

Just finished "The End of Baseball," by Peter Schilling.

Here's my review of it:

This novel brings to life one of the most compelling "what-ifs" in baseball lore: the idea that maverick owner Bill Veeck would bust open baseball's color barrier by stocking a World War II-era team in Philadelphia with stars from the Negro Leagues. While the story, contrary to popular opinion, was never true (read the full debunking here: http://www.sabr.org/cmsFiles/Files/Bill_Veeck_and_the_1943_sale_of_the_Phillies.pdf), it remains alive in our imaginations. Peter Schilling Jr. makes the idea believable with his account of the fictional 1944 Philadelphia A's, complete with real-life characters such as Oscar Charleston, Buck Leonard and Cool Papa Bell. While certain elements of the plot may be a bit far-fetched, the best part of this book is the author's depictions of these players' legendary personalities. Josh Gibson's struggles with drugs and inner demons are as tragic in Schilling's fiction as they were in reality. Roy Campanella's boyish charm, Satchel Paige's colorful cockiness, Martin Dihigo, the versatile "Maestro" -- they're all here, and the author captured them magically. A quick, breezy read and highly recommended.

4 out of 5 stars.

 

Just finished "Our Boys" by Joe Drape about a season with the Smith Center High School football team in western Kansas the year the team set the state's winning streak record. I got a big kick out of it because while I'm not from the western part of the state, that's still my world. Really, if you're from a small town anywhere I'd think you'd enjoy it.

 

A fun read that came out a few years ago: "Led Zeppelin Crashed Here" by Chris Epting. I enjoyed it.

He takes a cross-country trip to various rock landmarks, recounts why they're "important" and notes what is there today.

Some interesting trivia, and an easy read because they're short entries with plenty of pics.

Plus, the Keith Moon 21st birthday story can't be told enough!

 

Read that too, great stuff, very entertaining.

 

I recently finished "Gretzky's Tears" by Stephen Brunt. Not bad, except for some glaring errors that perhaps shouldn't really detract from the work, per se, but they're incredibly annoying and they lead me to question other things that are being said.

An example is Brunt's reference to Glen Gretzky as Wayne's youngest brother, when Brent is actually the youngest. Not exactly a hidden trivia nugget either, if you know anything about the Gretzky family.

I guess that's still not as bad as Ed Willes' book a couple of years ago about the 1987 Canada Cup, in which he insisted that Gretzky hails from Brampton, Ontario (he's actually from Brantford). Some piss-poor fact checking in that project. And this was a book in which the author, unlike Brunt, actually interviewed The Great One.

Which brings me back to Brunt. It's a bit strange that he's writing these books about the gods of hockey - his previous one was about Bobby Orr - but he can't manage to actually interview said gods; Gretzky wouldn't talk with him, and neither would Orr. If a nobody like me could land Paul Newman for my book, I can't help but think that the lead sports columnist with Canada's National Newspaper, as it bills itself, really isn't trying very hard.

 

Gretzky just wishes he was from Brampton.

Seriously, how was that Canada Cup book JJ? Saw it in the remainder pile at the mall the other day, thought it would be worth a shot for $5.

Fair point about Brunt not interviewing Gretzky. He's never been shy with the media, unlike Orr who has been pretty private with some areas of his life. I see Bobby a lot during the season and he's always gracious and happy to chat for a minute (never fails to introduce himself, like I don't know who he is). I have met his son Darren but couldn't tell you if Bobby's still married and if he is I wouldn't recognize his wife if she was standing next to him.