BOOKS THREAD

Just read "Wilt, 1962" Found it to be a little boring, but with some interesting nuggets.

 

Someone earlier mentioned Erik Larson, and I'll give kudos to Devil in the White City... fantastic read about the world's fair and the serial killer...

Other favorites:
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut... proof that you can pack power in less than 300 pages
In Cold Blood... I agree with an earlier post. BEST EVER
Wicked... not necessarily a chick book. Just an interesting take on the ol' Witch

 

I praised this in another thread. This is not a "you have to be a chick or 'Judy Garland fan' to appreciate it" book. Simply an amazing work, the most imaginative, original book I think I've ever read.

 

A book I just read which was phenomenol was called "Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle" by David Tripp. Its a true story about how right before the depression, FDR recalled all the personally owned gold in the US.  The year was 1933 and the 1933 double eagle (a $20 piece, the eagle was worth $10) was the very last gold piece coined by the mint.  The 1933 double eagles were never released to the public and they were all melted down into bricks of gold.  Somehow a few of these coins made it into collectors hands and the book is the story of the investigation into how the coins got out and the Secret Service agents that were assigned to get them back into the government's custody.  It was an awesome book, sorry no sports involved though.

 

i am about two-thirds of the way through jon krakauer's 'under the banner of heaven,' and it is a great read.

and baseballhottie, no need to apologize for not recommending a sports book. we have a wide range of interests here.

 

baseballhottie? quite the handle.

anyway, just finished scar tissue -- autobiography of anthony kiedis (red hot chili peppers lead singer). very honest about his drug use, how he hurt people, etc. hated the ending -- which came across as rushed -- but a good read and good insight into one of my favourite bands.

by the way, this is the best thread here.

 

Under the Banner of Heaven is outstanding. My favorite Krakauer book is Into the Wild.

 

I just finished Disneywar by James Stewart, an inside look at Disney under Michael Eisner. Great, great stuff full of lots of juicy inside stuff and when it's over you get the impression that Eisner isn't capable of managing a Dairy Queen....

 

Just finished Phillip Roth's "Plot Against America." Great read about political power in a time of war. Roth creates a world that has Charles Lindberg winning the 1940 election over FDR. Good stuff.

 

Has anyone read anything about Warran Spahn? The guy was one of the greatest lefties ever and he won a Purple Heart at the Battle of the Bulge, but I haven't seen anything written about him.

 

This is bar none the best book written about journalism in the early republic. Also awarded in the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication book contest.