NPR has released its Top 100 SF books list. Some damned good stuff on here! Also some things I tried to read and decided after a few pages were not worth continuing *coughswordofshananacough*. I felt the overwhelming need to go through and put the one's I've read in bold. It's a meme sorta thing - wanna do the same? Grab the list off NPR and go! Bung a link in the comments so we can all peruse.
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis
This they whittled down from a list of 237 finalists. As some of my favorite books are on that Finalist list, but didn't make the magic 100, I shall include them here:
Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman
The Baroque Cycle, by Neal Stephenson
Bridge Of Birds, by Barry Hughart
The Coldfire Trilogy, by C.S. Friedman
The Eyes Of The Dragon, by Stephen King
The Incarnations Of Immortality Series, by Piers Anthony
Memory And Dream, by Charles de Lint
The Sarantine Mosaic Series, by Guy Gavriel Kay
Song for the Basilisk, by Patricia McKillip
Tigana , by Guy Gavriel Kay
To Say Nothing Of The Dog, by Connie Willis
Wild Seed, by Octavia Butler
Some of those books really deserve more recognition than they got. But then, I'm pretty partial.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
13 August, 2011
07 March, 2011
Subterranean Homesick Blues, Here I Come!
I just got my package of books from Wayne Ranney. (Actually, I probably got them a week ago, but I've only just now checked the mail.) You know what this means, don't you?
Pain, that's what.
You see, Wayne's a wonderful writer, and he's got all of Arizona's delicious geology to go play in, and these books will be filled with all of the places I used to ramble through for the first three decades of my life. I shall love them. But you can expect the occasional sentimental post arising from them, because they'll remind me how much I miss ye olde home state (although not its government). We'll be taking some rambles through Arizona's spectacular landforms, guided by Wayne and a few others, in the months to come.
While you're waiting for me to get round to it, you can go visit Wayne's blog, where he has a spectacular post up on the Esplanade Platform:
Pain, that's what.
You see, Wayne's a wonderful writer, and he's got all of Arizona's delicious geology to go play in, and these books will be filled with all of the places I used to ramble through for the first three decades of my life. I shall love them. But you can expect the occasional sentimental post arising from them, because they'll remind me how much I miss ye olde home state (although not its government). We'll be taking some rambles through Arizona's spectacular landforms, guided by Wayne and a few others, in the months to come.
While you're waiting for me to get round to it, you can go visit Wayne's blog, where he has a spectacular post up on the Esplanade Platform:
And it's illustrated. Lavishly. So get thee to Wayne's place and enjoy.Far away from the main tourist areas in Grand Canyon lies a huge wilderness of stone and space. It is silent beyond belief and seldom visited. Within this huge expanse lies the Esplanade Platform, a stunning landscape feature that is found only in the central and western portions of the canyon. The Esplanade forms a broad terrace positioned about a fourth of the way down in the canyon, where the Hermit Formation overlies the Esplanade Sandstone. The Esplanade thus creates a canyon within a canyon. Geologists have long been intrigued by the presence of the Esplanade Platform in Grand Canyon and many theories have been proposed to explain its origin. Did the Colorado River carve it during a period of erosional quiescence, as some say? Or did it form in response to the canyon's variable stratigraphy? I explored these questions on a recent trip to the Esplanade. From February 10 to 16 I was privileged to backpack with two other friends here. This is our story.
18 November, 2010
Why I Won't Own a Kindle
No matter what my stepmother says about how awesome it is, a Kindle will not darken my door until certain issues are resolved. Namely (h/t):
There's much more at the link. Sticking with paper, thank you so very much, at least until giving money to an enterprise for a book means I get to keep the damned thing no matter what.
Having learned all this, I went along and had a closer look at the current Kindle License Agreement. There is some simply petrifying stuff on there. For starters, you don’t “own” Kindle books, you’re basically renting them.Unless otherwise specified, Digital Content is licensed, not sold, to you by the Content Provider.They can change the software on you whenever they like:Automatic Updates. In order to keep your Software up-to-date, Amazon may automatically provide your Kindle or Other Device with updates/upgrades to the Software.That is how a totalitarian state would go about confiscating books, if they wanted to. There is nothing in this agreement to stop Amazon from modifying the Kindle software to make it impossible for you to read any of your own files on the device. Such a step is not actually forbidden to them by this agreement; they are under no obligation to protect any data you might be storing on there. That’s not to say that there aren’t laws at least in some states that might allow you to sue for damages; I’m just saying, there isn’t any promise made by Amazon to protect your data or preserve its readability.They can also change the terms of the deal or simply shut down Kindle service entirely, anytime they like:Changes to Service. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service, in whole or in part, at any time.Or they might decide to shut your account down:Termination. Your rights under this Agreement will automatically terminate if you fail to comply with any term of this Agreement. In case of such termination, you must cease all use of the Software, and Amazon may immediately revoke your access to the Service or to Digital Content without refund of any fees. Amazon’s failure to insist upon or enforce your strict compliance with this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of any of its rights.Keep in mind these are your books that you bought or collected. Can you imagine a bookseller or publisher asserting rights over the contents of your bookshelves in your house? That’s basically what we’re talking about, here.
There's much more at the link. Sticking with paper, thank you so very much, at least until giving money to an enterprise for a book means I get to keep the damned thing no matter what.
Sometimes, To Read is To Write
When it's research, it counts, damn it. And I'm counting Written in Stone as research. It's got bits on equine evolution I've needed for years.
It's mine. My own. My precious Written in Stone. And I'm going to spend the next two nights reading it, damn it.
Good thing for you lot that I had a few posts ready to go, then, isn't it? ;-)
It's mine. My own. My precious Written in Stone. And I'm going to spend the next two nights reading it, damn it.
Good thing for you lot that I had a few posts ready to go, then, isn't it? ;-)
31 October, 2010
Give Someone a Good Scare
So, Neil Gaiman's started a new Halloween tradition I can definitely get behind: All Hallow's Read. Give someone a scary book today.
Look, I know it's already Halloween. That's no excuse. The bookstores are open. You've got five minutes. Just do it.
Now to think up something scary to give. Romance novel? Something from the self-help section? Glenn Beck's latest - ah, no, I want my friends to survive the fright, and preferably without projectile vomiting. But maybe a little something by .... Richard Simmons.
Mwa-ha ha!
Look, I know it's already Halloween. That's no excuse. The bookstores are open. You've got five minutes. Just do it.
Now to think up something scary to give. Romance novel? Something from the self-help section? Glenn Beck's latest - ah, no, I want my friends to survive the fright, and preferably without projectile vomiting. But maybe a little something by .... Richard Simmons.
Mwa-ha ha!
12 September, 2010
In Which I Tell You About That Time I Read the Koran
George has this habit of making me think. Last night, he voiced every thought I wish I had the eloquence to voice on the whole Koran-burning-pastor kerfluffle. If you haven't read it, go now and do so.
Sums it up rather wonderfully. And then, there's his promised response, Protesting Xenophobic Ignorance. Yes! That's how it's done! Counterpoint to useless drivel, beautifully-delivered, and without hyperventilation. Now, if only the religious folk would learn how to react so productively, we might have a dialogue going, and might even enjoy doing it - even when we point and laugh at each other. Far better than overheated threats of violence and/or howls of "Help! Help! I'm being repressed because these people don't agree with me!"
So, that, together with PZ's take, pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. Besides, if the First Amendment's to mean anything, some outrageous idiot has the perfect right to burn mass-produced copies of a book on their own property. Hell, Christians do it to Harry Potter all the time, and I sincerely hope they'll do me the same favor. Might I suggest marshmallows with that religious frenzy? Seems a waste of a good fire otherwise.
Anyway. Due to the fact I had to be at work for twelve fucking hours today, I missed the whole Koran-reading thing. That's not to say I haven't read many bits of the Koran, and actually appreciated several. I'll cannibalize anything for inspiration, thee knows. Back in the days when I had a desk, I used to have the self-same edition George was reading sitting by the computer. When I got blocked, I'd have a good flip through its pages until something caught my eye. And I thought I'd share some of those moments for Day-After-Read-a-Koran Day.
Wanna know how an atheist finds inspiration in religious literature? Then read on. There's even some religious conflict!
Sums it up rather wonderfully. And then, there's his promised response, Protesting Xenophobic Ignorance. Yes! That's how it's done! Counterpoint to useless drivel, beautifully-delivered, and without hyperventilation. Now, if only the religious folk would learn how to react so productively, we might have a dialogue going, and might even enjoy doing it - even when we point and laugh at each other. Far better than overheated threats of violence and/or howls of "Help! Help! I'm being repressed because these people don't agree with me!"
So, that, together with PZ's take, pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. Besides, if the First Amendment's to mean anything, some outrageous idiot has the perfect right to burn mass-produced copies of a book on their own property. Hell, Christians do it to Harry Potter all the time, and I sincerely hope they'll do me the same favor. Might I suggest marshmallows with that religious frenzy? Seems a waste of a good fire otherwise.
Anyway. Due to the fact I had to be at work for twelve fucking hours today, I missed the whole Koran-reading thing. That's not to say I haven't read many bits of the Koran, and actually appreciated several. I'll cannibalize anything for inspiration, thee knows. Back in the days when I had a desk, I used to have the self-same edition George was reading sitting by the computer. When I got blocked, I'd have a good flip through its pages until something caught my eye. And I thought I'd share some of those moments for Day-After-Read-a-Koran Day.
Wanna know how an atheist finds inspiration in religious literature? Then read on. There's even some religious conflict!
10 September, 2010
The Poetry and Prose of Ellen Morris Bishop
One of my favorite science writers is Ellen Morris Bishop. She wrote In Search of Ancient Oregon, which I've lavished much-deserved praise on here and cannot recommend highly enough. If I could personally grab each of you by the lapels, give you a good shake, and scream "Buy this book!" in your faces, I'd do it. You'll also need a copy of Hiking Oregon's Geology, dog owners need Best Hikes with Dogs: Oregon, and she's got a Field Guide to Pacific Northwest Geology on the way.
She doesn't update her blog often, alas - in fact, last I'd checked, there'd been no activity since 2008. Silly me, I assumed that was that. But I dropped by there the other night on the off chance that maybe, possibly, things might have changed, and there are two new posts! Well, posts from summer 2010, anyway. New enough, damn it!
I wish I'd known about "Energy and Entropy" when the BP oil spill was still leading the news, but better late than never, especially when a scientist takes on the laws of thermodynamics to explain why we need to get serious about green energy. Here's a taste:
Now, my darlings, go pester Ellen. The geoblogosphere needz moar Ellen! Only, of course, not so much that it slows down the delivery of her books to our shelves.
She doesn't update her blog often, alas - in fact, last I'd checked, there'd been no activity since 2008. Silly me, I assumed that was that. But I dropped by there the other night on the off chance that maybe, possibly, things might have changed, and there are two new posts! Well, posts from summer 2010, anyway. New enough, damn it!
I wish I'd known about "Energy and Entropy" when the BP oil spill was still leading the news, but better late than never, especially when a scientist takes on the laws of thermodynamics to explain why we need to get serious about green energy. Here's a taste:
Once you're done with that, there's a poem for ye. It's one of those poems that makes a person pause and consider. And if by some bizarre circumstance I ever end up dying as a soldier, I want it read at my grave.We can re-order things now by plugging the well. Period. And we can continue the rest of the system pretty much as-is. Not a lot of energy. Not much change. But also, according to thermodynamics, it will take a minimal amount of energy dysfunction to once again slip into chaos. If we continue offshore drilling without re-ordering our processes and priorities, if we invest minimal political and physical energy in fixing the system, then we will live with chaos on our doorstep. That's not my opinion. It's thermodynamics.
Or we can truly change the system. Energize a whole new order to energy and our use of it. It is in these convective overturns of an existing system where new orders are established and, for a time, entropy is driven back. This is an opportune moment to demonstrate mastery of the Second Law.
Now, my darlings, go pester Ellen. The geoblogosphere needz moar Ellen! Only, of course, not so much that it slows down the delivery of her books to our shelves.
07 September, 2010
Save Yourselves from the Evil Garden Gnomes
How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack is now available (h/t). Arm yourselves with the definitive guide to defeating the little buggers. Get them before they get you!
Do not wait for the paperback. By then, it may be too late!
Do not wait for the paperback. By then, it may be too late!
22 August, 2010
Ogods, Decisions - Geologists in the Audience, Halp!
It's that time again - got me bonus, must stimulate the economy. I already have me music picked out, but ye olde book list is gargantuan. So what do I do? Make it bigger!
Need moar geology. So all you geologists and geology-enthusiasts in the audience, this is your chance to influence the composition of my science shelves. What shall I get? What tomes on geology can I not do without?
And if you know of good books on the geology of the Mediterranean, now is the time to mention them. For some reason, those are hard to track down on Amazon.
Non-geologist? No problem! Put in your recommendations for books you think I should own. I'm not looking exclusively for geology, thee knows.
Extra bonus points to the readers who puzzle out this picture.
Need moar geology. So all you geologists and geology-enthusiasts in the audience, this is your chance to influence the composition of my science shelves. What shall I get? What tomes on geology can I not do without?
And if you know of good books on the geology of the Mediterranean, now is the time to mention them. For some reason, those are hard to track down on Amazon.
Non-geologist? No problem! Put in your recommendations for books you think I should own. I'm not looking exclusively for geology, thee knows.
Extra bonus points to the readers who puzzle out this picture.
Plastic is for Grocery Bags
Our own George W. has a thought-provoking post up pitting paper against plastic - in books. Now seems like as good a time as any to take a stand I'll possibly end up backing away from someday.
My stepmother, who recently sold me out for one o' them new-fangled handheld-computers-that-can-sometimes-make-phone-calls contraptions, has also been extolling the virtues of her Kindle. I think she's trying to drag me kicking and screaming into the electronics age. I've dug in my heels. Yes, I swore I would never ever download music, and didn't so much break that vow as blow it to smithereens. But books are a different matter. It's going to take a hell of a lot of persuasion to wean me off of good old-fashioned dead-tree books.
I have my reasons. For one thing, when I purchase a book, I like it to stay purchased. There's no guarantee of that on a Kindle.
You can't dog-ear pages on an e-book reader. And no, electronically bookmarking bits isn't the same.
You can't tell which bits you've read over and over by letting a book fall open on a reader.
Unless you've got the money for dozens of Kindles, you can't sit in the middle of a pile of books while doing research.
Kindles don't insulate your walls.
It's harder for visitors to browse your shelves when your library's on a Kindle.
Books are all one size on a reader, rather than a variety of shapes and sizes.
You can't trade in your used books.
If the power goes out and your batteries are low, you can still read a paper book by candlelight.
And there are plenty of other reasons, all coming down to the fact that I like having actual, physical, individual, substantive texts around me.
Now, there are things that work better electronically. George is right: technical manuals and encyclopedias are perfect candidates for electronic media. So are things like phone books, reference books, anything that depends on being up-to-the-minute and is obsolete nearly as soon as you get a copy. Since I got plugged into the magic of the intertoobz, haven't needed those books of facts, atlases, or other things like that. This leaves me more cold hard cash for the kind of books that keep for years, that deserve a life of their own and an individual place on my shelves.
Paper, please!
My stepmother, who recently sold me out for one o' them new-fangled handheld-computers-that-can-sometimes-make-phone-calls contraptions, has also been extolling the virtues of her Kindle. I think she's trying to drag me kicking and screaming into the electronics age. I've dug in my heels. Yes, I swore I would never ever download music, and didn't so much break that vow as blow it to smithereens. But books are a different matter. It's going to take a hell of a lot of persuasion to wean me off of good old-fashioned dead-tree books.
I have my reasons. For one thing, when I purchase a book, I like it to stay purchased. There's no guarantee of that on a Kindle.
You can't dog-ear pages on an e-book reader. And no, electronically bookmarking bits isn't the same.
You can't tell which bits you've read over and over by letting a book fall open on a reader.
Unless you've got the money for dozens of Kindles, you can't sit in the middle of a pile of books while doing research.
Kindles don't insulate your walls.
It's harder for visitors to browse your shelves when your library's on a Kindle.
Books are all one size on a reader, rather than a variety of shapes and sizes.
You can't trade in your used books.
If the power goes out and your batteries are low, you can still read a paper book by candlelight.
And there are plenty of other reasons, all coming down to the fact that I like having actual, physical, individual, substantive texts around me.
Now, there are things that work better electronically. George is right: technical manuals and encyclopedias are perfect candidates for electronic media. So are things like phone books, reference books, anything that depends on being up-to-the-minute and is obsolete nearly as soon as you get a copy. Since I got plugged into the magic of the intertoobz, haven't needed those books of facts, atlases, or other things like that. This leaves me more cold hard cash for the kind of books that keep for years, that deserve a life of their own and an individual place on my shelves.
Paper, please!
15 August, 2010
I Require a Sugar Daddy
That's the only conclusion I can come to. So many books, so little time and money. The problem has become acute, because I just discovered a whole slew of books I didn't know existed but desperately need to own.
It all began when Ron posted a comment telling me about the Roadside Geology of Mount Rainier National Park and Vicinity. Why, yes, a little bit of drool did dribble down my chin. Yes, I did shout "ZOMG I love you, Ron, thankyouthankyouthankyou!"
I tend to shout that a lot when I'm reading comments from you lot, actually. Even when you all do make me reconsider the advisability of marriage.
I've discovered the book is downloadable via the Washington State Department of Natural Resources for free, which is wonderful, but right now my computer is telling me just how unimpressed it is with the idea of downloading a 300mb+ file. Not to mention, this machine's a little bulky for whipping out of a messenger bag. So I may have no choice but to order the damned thing. Pas de problem, as we used to say in French class - except while I was searching for a place where I could order that book, I came across this site full of recommended Northwest geology guidebooks.
I am so very, very fucked.
Well, actually, it's not as bad as all that. I've already read quite a few of the books on that page. Just under half, in fact. However, the site's also full of field trips. Lots and lots of geology field trips.
MOMMY.
It's going to take time, money, and freedom from the day job to do all of this stuff. As I have yet to become independently wealthy from ye olde writing, there's nothing for it but to find some indulgent rich gentleman. Or lady. I'm not picky. The poor sod will just have to put up with a homicidal cat and my quirks, not to mention being roundly ignored unless spry enough to accompany me on these trips. Where, actually, they'll probably be roundly ignored because I'll be too busy drooling over rocks. And if they're under the mistaken impression that they'll have me all to themselves in the winter, well, that's the writing season, wherein I become a hermit whilst I frantically scribble on ye olde magnum opus. Not to mention, there's all that reading to catch up on.
But if you're rich and looking for a good wife who won't get underfoot as long as you shower her with books on geology and money for field trips, or if you wish to revive the classical concept of patronage, I am now accepting applications.
It all began when Ron posted a comment telling me about the Roadside Geology of Mount Rainier National Park and Vicinity. Why, yes, a little bit of drool did dribble down my chin. Yes, I did shout "ZOMG I love you, Ron, thankyouthankyouthankyou!"
I tend to shout that a lot when I'm reading comments from you lot, actually. Even when you all do make me reconsider the advisability of marriage.
I've discovered the book is downloadable via the Washington State Department of Natural Resources for free, which is wonderful, but right now my computer is telling me just how unimpressed it is with the idea of downloading a 300mb+ file. Not to mention, this machine's a little bulky for whipping out of a messenger bag. So I may have no choice but to order the damned thing. Pas de problem, as we used to say in French class - except while I was searching for a place where I could order that book, I came across this site full of recommended Northwest geology guidebooks.
I am so very, very fucked.
Well, actually, it's not as bad as all that. I've already read quite a few of the books on that page. Just under half, in fact. However, the site's also full of field trips. Lots and lots of geology field trips.
MOMMY.
It's going to take time, money, and freedom from the day job to do all of this stuff. As I have yet to become independently wealthy from ye olde writing, there's nothing for it but to find some indulgent rich gentleman. Or lady. I'm not picky. The poor sod will just have to put up with a homicidal cat and my quirks, not to mention being roundly ignored unless spry enough to accompany me on these trips. Where, actually, they'll probably be roundly ignored because I'll be too busy drooling over rocks. And if they're under the mistaken impression that they'll have me all to themselves in the winter, well, that's the writing season, wherein I become a hermit whilst I frantically scribble on ye olde magnum opus. Not to mention, there's all that reading to catch up on.
But if you're rich and looking for a good wife who won't get underfoot as long as you shower her with books on geology and money for field trips, or if you wish to revive the classical concept of patronage, I am now accepting applications.
Palinisms and a Very Good Point
Lockwood takes note of the new book of Palinisms soon to be published, and makes a damned good point:
I don't know what's worse: that, or the fact they find her babble comprehensible. Maybe it's like scripture or Nostradamus: nonsensical enough that people can read into it whatever they want to hear. And perhaps that explains why she gets paid so much money for her inane shit.
Yeah, me too. To tell the truth, I have utterly no interest in reading a book of Palin quotes, even to poke fun at her. At least with Bush and his Bushisms, you could sorta see where he'd intended to go, and where he'd taken the wrong turn at Albuquerque, and that made his verbal blunders all the funnier. With Palin, it's just painful. It's like trying to make fun of a retarded person who's on drugs and is suffering from recent head trauma. It's just sad. The only thing funny is that she believes she's qualified to be POTUS, and even that hilarity is tempered by horror, because there are people dumb enough to vote for her.However, I think that simply listing all these strange quotes (and they are strange) for the LOLs misses the point. First, it gets old pretty quick. Second, it overlooks, even obscures, the strange phenomenon of Palin: here is a person who apparently cannot tack together an intelligible sentence in the English language without a prompt, and even then it's iffy. Yet people are paying her hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions, for her writing and speeches. What does that say about the media, and what does it say about us? That is the book I'd like to read.
I don't know what's worse: that, or the fact they find her babble comprehensible. Maybe it's like scripture or Nostradamus: nonsensical enough that people can read into it whatever they want to hear. And perhaps that explains why she gets paid so much money for her inane shit.
09 August, 2010
Bookstore Kittehs!
We haven't had enough of the cute and furry round here lately. Happily, thanks to Brian Switek and Brian Romans, that sad situation is remedied:
When they aren't trashing the occasional pricey manuscript with their teeth and claws, cats - in all their blissful sloth - serve as wonderfully calming (if sometimes haughty) hosts: Have a seat, take it easy, get lost in a book. A bookstore cat is a shop's mascot and keeper, equally adept at charming customers and, when the lights go out, chasing away rodents.
12 May, 2010
ZOMG! I Finally Got to Order Brian's Book! SQUEE!!!
Look! Look at it! Look at how beautiful it is! It's Brian's book! And it's available for pre-order on Amazon!
I've waited years for this. Years, I tell you. And now I've only got to wait until November, and it will show up on my doorstep! I can take it from the box and cradle it in my hands and hold it and squeeze it and pet it and love it and I will name it...
Ahem. Sorry. Got carried away there.
I just can't wait to read it and review it and give it the five stars I'm already convinced it'll deserve, because if it's even half the quality of Laelaps, it'll be worth every star. Brian's a brilliant writer. He knows his shit. And he's worked his heart out making sure he gives his readers the very best book possible.
You know what this calls for: a champagne fountain!
Now, go pre-order your copy and prepare a toast to the author!
03 May, 2010
Tomes 2010: A Lengthy Update
It's been long enough since I've updated this list that you've probably forgotten all about my little project, which is to keep a list of the books I've read in 2010. Got a bit sidetracked by the Muse cracking the whip, but I have, indeed, still been reading. So allow me to sum up.
First, ye olde science tomes:
The Mountains of Saint Francis
This is the best book on geology I've ever read. Ever. Oh, others have been wonderful, informative, and well-written, but there's something about this one that just filled me to the brim. Maybe it's the shock - I thought of Walter Alvarez in connection with dinosaurs and killer meteorites, not the mountains of Italy. Maybe it's the fact he brings a totality of place and time to the subject, allowing you to experience more than just the rocks of Italy. Maybe it's the fact he introduced me to some fascinating fathers of geology, people I'd never known: Nicolaus Steno, who began his career in the 1600s by dissecting bodies and ended it by discovering Earth's anatomy; Ambrogio Soldani, an abbot who pioneered micropaleontology all the way back in the 1700s. Maybe it's the rocks, who become characters in their own right, and with whom one can become very close friends indeed.
I don't know. There's just something about this book - it's bloody poetic is what it is, gorgeously written, easy to understand while not being dumbed-down, full of passion and wonder and delight. Walter Alvarez adores geology, and his love glows from every page. I wish everyone would read this book. Anyone who's ever been even mildly interested in how mountains came to be, what rocks tell us, and how we know what they're saying, would benefit. Anyone who wants to fall in love with science, whether it be for the first or five hundreth time, will find this book is a perfect matchmaker. And anyone who's ever loved Italy will love it even more after this.
The only thing it's missing is color plates. Otherwise, it's perfect in all its particulars, and I'm grateful indeed to Walter for writing it. More, please!
The Seven Hills of Rome: A Geological Tour of the Eternal City
If you haven't got enough of Italian geology, here's an excellent source. And it's got walking tours! This book is perfect for both armchair and actual tourists who want to know how Rome was really built, and would like to discover some earth history among the ruins. This book is a must-have if you're a geology buff bound for Rome - there's a little something for everyone in your tour group, so you can keep the non-geology buffs distracted with wonderful old buildings and such like while you get on with enjoying the rocks. Art, architecture, history and science, all rolled into one easy-to-read volume!
Now. Who's going with me?
Devil in the Mountain
Simply astounding. That's what this book is. The Andes are fascinating mountains and Simon Lamb absolutely does them justice. You'll find out how puzzling features like the Altiplano came to be, for instance. And it provides a fascinating look into field research: the difficulties of getting it done in politically unstable areas of the world, the extremes in weather, the hazards of altitude sickness, camping in the freezing cold, dealing with horribly limited resources.... Simon puts you there. This book is a must for anyone who wants to live the geologist's life, or wants to know more about it, as well as learn how the Andes came to be.
Longitude
A fun, intriguing, and very brief book that makes one realize how fortunate we are to live in an age of clocks. We don't often think of clocks in connection to map coordinates, do we? And we don't think how bloody difficult it is to calculate a thing like longitude, which is nothing like latitude when you get right down to it. Dava describes the problems confronting sailors before the discovery of an efficient means to determine longitude in vivid detail. She weaves tales of suffering sailors, confounded captains, broke backers, and myriad others who would have been much better off knowing where exactly they were. And then she puts us in the middle of the wars between astronomers and clockmakers as they fought for a very rich prize, paints the travails of Britain's stratified society, and brings to life some of the most remarkable time pieces ever made.
The Science of Crystals
Can I tell you what a relief it is to read about the actual science behind crystals, rather than all the New Age ooo-they're-majick!!1!!1! crap? Alas, no image of the book (hence this nifty NASA photo), and it's thoroughly out of print, but I was able to pick it up in a used bookstore, and got a crash-course in the history of crystallography, how crystals are formed, and the nifty uses for them. One doesn't often think of the pharmaceutical industry when contemplating crystals, but they're of some use there.
Without crystals, our modern world wouldn't work. So it's a good thing to get to know them a bit better. Besides, they're just interesting.
The Selfish Gene
Yes, I've finally got round to becoming a true Dawkins fan. And I can see why The Selfish Gene has excited so many people for so long. We're not really used to thinking of the gene as the basis for natural selection - we know genes have a hand (they should - they made 'em), but we tend to emphasize the organism or the species, when it makes more sense to think of genes as the fundamental unit. And viewing natural selection through that lens resolves some rather thorny problems with altruism and social insects.
Some folks report they found it a depressing read. I find it reassuring. So what if genes are basically selfish little buggers? In their quest for immortality, they learned to get on with others, and so, perhaps, shall we.
River Out of Eden
This is an interesting metaphor: genes as rivers, flowing, diverging, contained within their banks. This is a handy little volume, brief but concise, which seems like an excellent introduction for folks who don't know much about evolution. It's short enough to avoid intimidating those who equate large science books with dense, technical pain; it starts with a Biblical metaphor useful for suckering in those who haven't yet shaken off their God delusion (there's even a chapter titled "God's Utility Function!"), and it explains everything wonderfully clearly. For those of us who are already familiar with the subject, it's a good refresher, gives us some additional tools for thinking about evolution, and has a wonderful chapter at the back speculating on the commonalities we should expect to see between us and life on other worlds. Like all of Dawkins's books, well worth the time spent.
Our Choice
This has been my bathroom reading for the past month or so. I figured that's the best place to contemplate the ways in which we're flushing our planet down the shitter. What's wonderful about this book (aside from the utterly gorgeous photos) is that there are so many simple, sensible, low-cost and/or profitable ways to solve the climate crisis. What's infuriating is that so many people are too stupid or greedy to implement them. Happily, the bathroom makes a great chamber for screaming in rage - wonderful resonance in there.
This book should be required reading for absolutely everyone in the world - while we still have one.
We're not done yet, my darlings. Let's move on to the fiction!
Blackout
Don't read this book. Buy it, but don't - I repeat, don't - read it until the last half of it, All Clear, comes out in October. I'd forgotten that this, like Lord of the Rings, is a book that doesn't end so much as stop because it's not the whole book. Fuck you, publishers! Argh.
But it's a damned good read so far. If any of you are familiar with Connie Willis's time travel stories, you know she handles them right. This isn't a happy one - it's frightening, dazing and confusing, and people get hurt. We're talking about historians trapped in London during the Blitz, after all. And it stops on a rather desperate note, which is why I'm saying, don't even touch it until you have both books in hand.
To Say Nothing of the Dog
After an experience like Blackout, of course, there's nothing one can do but turn to this time-traveling tour-de-force. It's one of the funniest books I've ever read, and one of the most impressive. It's written in the first person, yet Connie Willis manages to tell you something the narrator doesn't know without resorting to cheap tricks. You know someone's a hell of a great writer when they can do that.
You'll never look at Victorian England, time travel, love or seances in the same way ever again after this book. You'll also probably find yourself wanting to read Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, which this book pays homage to, and that's something everyone should do before they die. And, of course, you'll have to read P.G Wodehouse as well.
Bellwether
This is a science fiction book about fads. Indeed, fads. And it's about chaos, and scientific discovery, and love, and really idiotic management trends, and sheep, and a great many other things besides.
And I have to say, Connie puts forth a pretty damned good explanation for how fads happen.
I don't know any writer outside of Terry Pratchett who can pull together so many disparate bits into madcap comedy and make it work so well. Which is why I read Bellwether once more. Once you start, you can't stop.
Inside Job
For anyone who's ever wanted to see it stuck to psychics, this is your book. For anyone who's ever loved H. L. Mencken, this is your book. For anyone who loves skepticism, this is your book.
And, of course, this being Connie Willis, there's plenty of twists, turns, and a bit o' romance.
I don't want to say too much about it - might give things away - but let's just say she gets channelers, editors of skeptical mags, and former Hollywood actresses-turned-mythbusters just right. And while things take a turn for the supernatural here and there, I think you'll still end up satisfied.
And no, I wasn't done with Connie Willis just yet. I also dipped into my favorite short story collections. I had to re-read "Spice Pogram" in Impossible Things, didn't I? Screwball romantic comedies featuring aliens, linguists, strippers, wanna-be child stars, and possible Spielbergs can't go wrong. This collection also contains "Ado," which shows what can go horribly wrong when extreme political correctness and Shakespeare collide; "Even the Queen," which is what happens when people ask Connie Willis to write about women's issues; and "At the Rialto," which is one of the best romances ever written about quantum physics. I moved on to Miracle and Other Christmas Stories, the title story of which is a hilarious take on Christmas spirit (and spirits). It also seemed necessary to go back to beginnings, so I picked up Fire Watch, which is the short story collection that made me realize that women could write extremely good science fiction. Not to mention very funny science fiction - "Blued Moon" plays with the idea that there's something in the old superstition that coinky-dinks happen more during blue moons. The title story is an excellent introduction to her time-traveling world. And my absolute favorite story by her ever is "Sidon in the Mirror," which haunts me to this day, and makes the soles of my feet feel occasionally tender.
At last, I had to put Connie Willis aside and move on to other things. Few authors are a worthy follow-up to her, but here's one:
The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox
I have a quarrel with publishers, who decided to keep the first and third books in this trilogy in print, but not the second. Buggers. Luckily, there's this handy edition, which is still available used, and worth every penny of the $50 I spent on it (although the thing's available for $25 now that I own it, of course). If you've ever wondered what Sherlock Holmes would be like if he were an elderly Chinese Taoist, this is the book that will answer that question.
In turns hysterically funny, lyrically beautiful, and in many places remarkably historically accurate, replete with Chinese folk and fairytales, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, lots of sex, lots of intrigue, lots of paeans to Holmes and Watson, and gorgeously written through and through, this is without doubt one of the best fantasy series ever written. I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me - and I desperately wish Barry Hughart was like Terry Pratchett, churning out book after book until I could fill an entire bookcase. One thing I know: I'll never read anything quite like this ever again. I only wish I could.
So there we are. All up-to-date. More will be coming soon, doubtless - I just began The Making of the Fittest by Sean Carroll, and so far it's phenomenal. I've just picked up two local books, Natural Grace by William Dietrich (and who can fail to love a book that begins "You animal, you"?), and The Street-Smart Naturalist by David B. Williams. There's my wish-list to contend with, and my to-be-read shelves aren't yet empty, so I expect the Tomes 2010 list will be bulging even more very soon.
Let's just hope they made the floors of my apartment strong enough to hold them all...
First, ye olde science tomes:
This is the best book on geology I've ever read. Ever. Oh, others have been wonderful, informative, and well-written, but there's something about this one that just filled me to the brim. Maybe it's the shock - I thought of Walter Alvarez in connection with dinosaurs and killer meteorites, not the mountains of Italy. Maybe it's the fact he brings a totality of place and time to the subject, allowing you to experience more than just the rocks of Italy. Maybe it's the fact he introduced me to some fascinating fathers of geology, people I'd never known: Nicolaus Steno, who began his career in the 1600s by dissecting bodies and ended it by discovering Earth's anatomy; Ambrogio Soldani, an abbot who pioneered micropaleontology all the way back in the 1700s. Maybe it's the rocks, who become characters in their own right, and with whom one can become very close friends indeed.
I don't know. There's just something about this book - it's bloody poetic is what it is, gorgeously written, easy to understand while not being dumbed-down, full of passion and wonder and delight. Walter Alvarez adores geology, and his love glows from every page. I wish everyone would read this book. Anyone who's ever been even mildly interested in how mountains came to be, what rocks tell us, and how we know what they're saying, would benefit. Anyone who wants to fall in love with science, whether it be for the first or five hundreth time, will find this book is a perfect matchmaker. And anyone who's ever loved Italy will love it even more after this.
The only thing it's missing is color plates. Otherwise, it's perfect in all its particulars, and I'm grateful indeed to Walter for writing it. More, please!
The Seven Hills of Rome: A Geological Tour of the Eternal City
If you haven't got enough of Italian geology, here's an excellent source. And it's got walking tours! This book is perfect for both armchair and actual tourists who want to know how Rome was really built, and would like to discover some earth history among the ruins. This book is a must-have if you're a geology buff bound for Rome - there's a little something for everyone in your tour group, so you can keep the non-geology buffs distracted with wonderful old buildings and such like while you get on with enjoying the rocks. Art, architecture, history and science, all rolled into one easy-to-read volume!
Now. Who's going with me?
Devil in the Mountain
Simply astounding. That's what this book is. The Andes are fascinating mountains and Simon Lamb absolutely does them justice. You'll find out how puzzling features like the Altiplano came to be, for instance. And it provides a fascinating look into field research: the difficulties of getting it done in politically unstable areas of the world, the extremes in weather, the hazards of altitude sickness, camping in the freezing cold, dealing with horribly limited resources.... Simon puts you there. This book is a must for anyone who wants to live the geologist's life, or wants to know more about it, as well as learn how the Andes came to be.
Longitude
A fun, intriguing, and very brief book that makes one realize how fortunate we are to live in an age of clocks. We don't often think of clocks in connection to map coordinates, do we? And we don't think how bloody difficult it is to calculate a thing like longitude, which is nothing like latitude when you get right down to it. Dava describes the problems confronting sailors before the discovery of an efficient means to determine longitude in vivid detail. She weaves tales of suffering sailors, confounded captains, broke backers, and myriad others who would have been much better off knowing where exactly they were. And then she puts us in the middle of the wars between astronomers and clockmakers as they fought for a very rich prize, paints the travails of Britain's stratified society, and brings to life some of the most remarkable time pieces ever made.
The Science of Crystals
Can I tell you what a relief it is to read about the actual science behind crystals, rather than all the New Age ooo-they're-majick!!1!!1! crap? Alas, no image of the book (hence this nifty NASA photo), and it's thoroughly out of print, but I was able to pick it up in a used bookstore, and got a crash-course in the history of crystallography, how crystals are formed, and the nifty uses for them. One doesn't often think of the pharmaceutical industry when contemplating crystals, but they're of some use there.
Without crystals, our modern world wouldn't work. So it's a good thing to get to know them a bit better. Besides, they're just interesting.
The Selfish Gene
Yes, I've finally got round to becoming a true Dawkins fan. And I can see why The Selfish Gene has excited so many people for so long. We're not really used to thinking of the gene as the basis for natural selection - we know genes have a hand (they should - they made 'em), but we tend to emphasize the organism or the species, when it makes more sense to think of genes as the fundamental unit. And viewing natural selection through that lens resolves some rather thorny problems with altruism and social insects.
Some folks report they found it a depressing read. I find it reassuring. So what if genes are basically selfish little buggers? In their quest for immortality, they learned to get on with others, and so, perhaps, shall we.
River Out of Eden
This is an interesting metaphor: genes as rivers, flowing, diverging, contained within their banks. This is a handy little volume, brief but concise, which seems like an excellent introduction for folks who don't know much about evolution. It's short enough to avoid intimidating those who equate large science books with dense, technical pain; it starts with a Biblical metaphor useful for suckering in those who haven't yet shaken off their God delusion (there's even a chapter titled "God's Utility Function!"), and it explains everything wonderfully clearly. For those of us who are already familiar with the subject, it's a good refresher, gives us some additional tools for thinking about evolution, and has a wonderful chapter at the back speculating on the commonalities we should expect to see between us and life on other worlds. Like all of Dawkins's books, well worth the time spent.
Our Choice
This has been my bathroom reading for the past month or so. I figured that's the best place to contemplate the ways in which we're flushing our planet down the shitter. What's wonderful about this book (aside from the utterly gorgeous photos) is that there are so many simple, sensible, low-cost and/or profitable ways to solve the climate crisis. What's infuriating is that so many people are too stupid or greedy to implement them. Happily, the bathroom makes a great chamber for screaming in rage - wonderful resonance in there.
This book should be required reading for absolutely everyone in the world - while we still have one.
We're not done yet, my darlings. Let's move on to the fiction!
Blackout
Don't read this book. Buy it, but don't - I repeat, don't - read it until the last half of it, All Clear, comes out in October. I'd forgotten that this, like Lord of the Rings, is a book that doesn't end so much as stop because it's not the whole book. Fuck you, publishers! Argh.
But it's a damned good read so far. If any of you are familiar with Connie Willis's time travel stories, you know she handles them right. This isn't a happy one - it's frightening, dazing and confusing, and people get hurt. We're talking about historians trapped in London during the Blitz, after all. And it stops on a rather desperate note, which is why I'm saying, don't even touch it until you have both books in hand.
To Say Nothing of the Dog
After an experience like Blackout, of course, there's nothing one can do but turn to this time-traveling tour-de-force. It's one of the funniest books I've ever read, and one of the most impressive. It's written in the first person, yet Connie Willis manages to tell you something the narrator doesn't know without resorting to cheap tricks. You know someone's a hell of a great writer when they can do that.
You'll never look at Victorian England, time travel, love or seances in the same way ever again after this book. You'll also probably find yourself wanting to read Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, which this book pays homage to, and that's something everyone should do before they die. And, of course, you'll have to read P.G Wodehouse as well.
Bellwether
This is a science fiction book about fads. Indeed, fads. And it's about chaos, and scientific discovery, and love, and really idiotic management trends, and sheep, and a great many other things besides.
And I have to say, Connie puts forth a pretty damned good explanation for how fads happen.
I don't know any writer outside of Terry Pratchett who can pull together so many disparate bits into madcap comedy and make it work so well. Which is why I read Bellwether once more. Once you start, you can't stop.
Inside Job
For anyone who's ever wanted to see it stuck to psychics, this is your book. For anyone who's ever loved H. L. Mencken, this is your book. For anyone who loves skepticism, this is your book.
And, of course, this being Connie Willis, there's plenty of twists, turns, and a bit o' romance.
I don't want to say too much about it - might give things away - but let's just say she gets channelers, editors of skeptical mags, and former Hollywood actresses-turned-mythbusters just right. And while things take a turn for the supernatural here and there, I think you'll still end up satisfied.
And no, I wasn't done with Connie Willis just yet. I also dipped into my favorite short story collections. I had to re-read "Spice Pogram" in Impossible Things, didn't I? Screwball romantic comedies featuring aliens, linguists, strippers, wanna-be child stars, and possible Spielbergs can't go wrong. This collection also contains "Ado," which shows what can go horribly wrong when extreme political correctness and Shakespeare collide; "Even the Queen," which is what happens when people ask Connie Willis to write about women's issues; and "At the Rialto," which is one of the best romances ever written about quantum physics. I moved on to Miracle and Other Christmas Stories, the title story of which is a hilarious take on Christmas spirit (and spirits). It also seemed necessary to go back to beginnings, so I picked up Fire Watch, which is the short story collection that made me realize that women could write extremely good science fiction. Not to mention very funny science fiction - "Blued Moon" plays with the idea that there's something in the old superstition that coinky-dinks happen more during blue moons. The title story is an excellent introduction to her time-traveling world. And my absolute favorite story by her ever is "Sidon in the Mirror," which haunts me to this day, and makes the soles of my feet feel occasionally tender.
At last, I had to put Connie Willis aside and move on to other things. Few authors are a worthy follow-up to her, but here's one:
The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox
I have a quarrel with publishers, who decided to keep the first and third books in this trilogy in print, but not the second. Buggers. Luckily, there's this handy edition, which is still available used, and worth every penny of the $50 I spent on it (although the thing's available for $25 now that I own it, of course). If you've ever wondered what Sherlock Holmes would be like if he were an elderly Chinese Taoist, this is the book that will answer that question.
In turns hysterically funny, lyrically beautiful, and in many places remarkably historically accurate, replete with Chinese folk and fairytales, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, lots of sex, lots of intrigue, lots of paeans to Holmes and Watson, and gorgeously written through and through, this is without doubt one of the best fantasy series ever written. I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me - and I desperately wish Barry Hughart was like Terry Pratchett, churning out book after book until I could fill an entire bookcase. One thing I know: I'll never read anything quite like this ever again. I only wish I could.
So there we are. All up-to-date. More will be coming soon, doubtless - I just began The Making of the Fittest by Sean Carroll, and so far it's phenomenal. I've just picked up two local books, Natural Grace by William Dietrich (and who can fail to love a book that begins "You animal, you"?), and The Street-Smart Naturalist by David B. Williams. There's my wish-list to contend with, and my to-be-read shelves aren't yet empty, so I expect the Tomes 2010 list will be bulging even more very soon.
Let's just hope they made the floors of my apartment strong enough to hold them all...
02 May, 2010
"Let's Just Look at a Few Books," She Said
"We'll just see if Amazon has anything interesting," she said. "Won't be but the work of a moment," she said. "All we're doing is checking out the first few pages of the geology search results," she said.
I hate it when I lie to myself.
I'm deep in the brown and sticky now, my darlings. My science book wish list is splitting at the seams, and we're only on Result 649 of 10,551 results. And that's filtered by the books available for Prime shipping. Argh.
Here's the one I'm most excited about just now: Origins: The Evolution of Continents, Oceans and Life. Doesn't that just look delish? I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I cried - yes, cried - when I flipped through the preview.
I'd planned to chuck a portion of my upcoming bonus into savings. Alas, that sensible idea is looking distinctly unlikely just now.
As if that's not bad enough, this burgeoning book list o' mine doesn't include the tomes I'd developed an interest in whilst perusing one of the most evil threads on the intertoobz: Jerry Coyne's damned Spring Reading list. Argh.
(On a completely different note, I just saw a badger or opossum or some such creature snuffling its way across our lawn. This is why I smoke - I end up going outside and seeing fascinating things I've never seen before. Nor heard. Those things are very loud indeed as they sniff out tidbits.)
Anyway. We have now worked our way deeper into trouble by finding Trees: Their Natural History. It's $50. It's also got one of the snarkiest opening lines in science tome history: "Everyone knows what a tree is: a large woody thing that provides shade." I'm smitten. And I'm also busy researching the evolution of all things woody that provide shade, so on the list it goes, and I shall probably not be able to resist owning it. Honestly, I'm fascinated by the whole evolution-of-trees thing lately. I'd just meant to get a few factoids on leaves, but the more I read, the more interested I got, and the more I realized the vast majority of my books on biology are rather animal-centric.
And of course when you get one, you may as well get another, even though they're close cousins. Right down to the snark: "A tree is a big plant with a stick up the middle." But The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter looks as though it shall provide far more than just a slightly-differently-worded take on the whole tree evolution schtick (and no, I couldn't help myself just then). Its introduction discusses some famous trees, and there's a very intimate, friendly feel there - this is an author who knows and loves his trees. In a way, it reminds me of a book I'll be reviewing here tomorrow, Walter Alvarez's The Mountains of St. Francis, which is another book written by an author who deeply, passionately, and unashamedly loves his subject. Books like that make you realize that science can be just as emotionally compelling as any story, if not more so.
I think some of my friends get very annoyed by the fact I spend so much time with my nose down in research. I don't, they say, need to know so much to write the damned story. Perhaps that's true. Perhaps I could write very good stories without knowing quite a lot. But they miss the point: it's the journey that's the reward. It's not that I must do the research, it's that I want to. I might use the merest fraction of what I've learned in the actual story, it may take me far longer to write than it would have otherwise, but the story will be richer for my knowing this stuff, and most importantly, I'm richer for knowing it.
This world, this universe, is utterly remarkable. The more I delve, the more astounding and enthralling it becomes. Mere myth, lovely as myth is, can't compare, although it provides useful metaphors: Odin gave his eye for knowledge. I think, therefore, I can spare a few hundred bucks.
Come to think of it, trees were of some importance to Norse myth as well. Yggsdrasil, anyone?
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll just be off to put myself to bed with an improving book or few.
I hate it when I lie to myself.
I'm deep in the brown and sticky now, my darlings. My science book wish list is splitting at the seams, and we're only on Result 649 of 10,551 results. And that's filtered by the books available for Prime shipping. Argh.
Here's the one I'm most excited about just now: Origins: The Evolution of Continents, Oceans and Life. Doesn't that just look delish? I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I cried - yes, cried - when I flipped through the preview.
I'd planned to chuck a portion of my upcoming bonus into savings. Alas, that sensible idea is looking distinctly unlikely just now.
As if that's not bad enough, this burgeoning book list o' mine doesn't include the tomes I'd developed an interest in whilst perusing one of the most evil threads on the intertoobz: Jerry Coyne's damned Spring Reading list. Argh.
(On a completely different note, I just saw a badger or opossum or some such creature snuffling its way across our lawn. This is why I smoke - I end up going outside and seeing fascinating things I've never seen before. Nor heard. Those things are very loud indeed as they sniff out tidbits.)
Anyway. We have now worked our way deeper into trouble by finding Trees: Their Natural History. It's $50. It's also got one of the snarkiest opening lines in science tome history: "Everyone knows what a tree is: a large woody thing that provides shade." I'm smitten. And I'm also busy researching the evolution of all things woody that provide shade, so on the list it goes, and I shall probably not be able to resist owning it. Honestly, I'm fascinated by the whole evolution-of-trees thing lately. I'd just meant to get a few factoids on leaves, but the more I read, the more interested I got, and the more I realized the vast majority of my books on biology are rather animal-centric.
And of course when you get one, you may as well get another, even though they're close cousins. Right down to the snark: "A tree is a big plant with a stick up the middle." But The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter looks as though it shall provide far more than just a slightly-differently-worded take on the whole tree evolution schtick (and no, I couldn't help myself just then). Its introduction discusses some famous trees, and there's a very intimate, friendly feel there - this is an author who knows and loves his trees. In a way, it reminds me of a book I'll be reviewing here tomorrow, Walter Alvarez's The Mountains of St. Francis, which is another book written by an author who deeply, passionately, and unashamedly loves his subject. Books like that make you realize that science can be just as emotionally compelling as any story, if not more so.
I think some of my friends get very annoyed by the fact I spend so much time with my nose down in research. I don't, they say, need to know so much to write the damned story. Perhaps that's true. Perhaps I could write very good stories without knowing quite a lot. But they miss the point: it's the journey that's the reward. It's not that I must do the research, it's that I want to. I might use the merest fraction of what I've learned in the actual story, it may take me far longer to write than it would have otherwise, but the story will be richer for my knowing this stuff, and most importantly, I'm richer for knowing it.
This world, this universe, is utterly remarkable. The more I delve, the more astounding and enthralling it becomes. Mere myth, lovely as myth is, can't compare, although it provides useful metaphors: Odin gave his eye for knowledge. I think, therefore, I can spare a few hundred bucks.
Come to think of it, trees were of some importance to Norse myth as well. Yggsdrasil, anyone?
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll just be off to put myself to bed with an improving book or few.
10 January, 2010
Tomes 2010: The First Books o' 2010
I'd like to draw your attention to the sidebar for a moment, where (in addition to my half-assed attempt to update the blogroll - if you're missing, let me know), you'll find a new section entitled Tomes 2010, right there above said blogroll. It's part of my New Year's resolutions: I've decided that I'm going to keep a list of books I've finished this year. It threatens to become longer than the blogroll at some point.
I've already completed two. And I shall now inflict them upon you.
Roadside Geology of the Northern Rockies
This has been my bathroom reading for the past month or so. Roadside Geology books are perfect for el baño. Hey, if you're gonna spend a year and a half of your life there, you might as well learn something, right?
This book has the usual interesting bits of geology you can see close to the roadways, and covers Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, not to mention billions of years. It's informative, entertaining, and educational. But my favorite part has to be this:
In Search of Ancient Oregon: A Geological and Natural History
I'm not going to quote from this book, because all of it is quotable. Dr. Ellen Morris Bishop, author and photographer, is a wonderful writer who brings Oregon's geology to brilliant life. It's rare to find a PhD scientist who's also a talented writer who's also a brilliant photographer, but Dr. Bishop is all three. You hear words like "expertly written" and "lavishly illustrated" tossed about for books that don't strictly deserve it. This one most decidedly does.
If you've ever been even the slightest bit interested in geology, you owe it to yourself to get this book. If you like landscape photography but don't give two shits about how the pretty rocks came to be there, you owe it to yourself to get this book. If you're interested in the flora and fauna of long-vanished worlds, you owe it to yourself to get this book. If you want to know some awesome places to visit in Oregon, you owe it to yourself to get this book.
I hope she heads for Washington State next. I really, really want a book this spectacular for my own stomping grounds.
So far, we're off to a wonderful start. Now we're on to The Seven Hills of Rome, and for bathroom reading we've got The Physics of the Buffyverse. I'm also nibbling round the edges of Greek Architecture and Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings. So you can expect Tomes 2010 to fill up rather rapidly.
I've already completed two. And I shall now inflict them upon you.
This has been my bathroom reading for the past month or so. Roadside Geology books are perfect for el baño. Hey, if you're gonna spend a year and a half of your life there, you might as well learn something, right?
This book has the usual interesting bits of geology you can see close to the roadways, and covers Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, not to mention billions of years. It's informative, entertaining, and educational. But my favorite part has to be this:
Love that dry, scientific sense of humor!Basin, one of the small towns between Butte and Helena, was once a very active mining community where mills and smelters treated the ores dug from the surrounding mine. Most of the mining was for silver and gold, now priced too low to make the ore bodies in this area commercially mineable. Apparently there are some radioactive minerals in the district because several of the old properties have become "health mines." A small fee is charged for the privilege of sitting in an old mine opening and basking in the radiation. Exactly how this can be healthful eludes the authors of this book.
I'm not going to quote from this book, because all of it is quotable. Dr. Ellen Morris Bishop, author and photographer, is a wonderful writer who brings Oregon's geology to brilliant life. It's rare to find a PhD scientist who's also a talented writer who's also a brilliant photographer, but Dr. Bishop is all three. You hear words like "expertly written" and "lavishly illustrated" tossed about for books that don't strictly deserve it. This one most decidedly does.
If you've ever been even the slightest bit interested in geology, you owe it to yourself to get this book. If you like landscape photography but don't give two shits about how the pretty rocks came to be there, you owe it to yourself to get this book. If you're interested in the flora and fauna of long-vanished worlds, you owe it to yourself to get this book. If you want to know some awesome places to visit in Oregon, you owe it to yourself to get this book.
I hope she heads for Washington State next. I really, really want a book this spectacular for my own stomping grounds.
So far, we're off to a wonderful start. Now we're on to The Seven Hills of Rome, and for bathroom reading we've got The Physics of the Buffyverse. I'm also nibbling round the edges of Greek Architecture and Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings. So you can expect Tomes 2010 to fill up rather rapidly.
Already Want More Books
So, Wayne Ranney dropped by the cantina a bit ago and mentioned he had two new books out. "Wanna take a look?" he asks.
Do I wanna? Is the Space Pope reptilian? Is my cat homicidal? Do I own Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau and Carving Grand Canyon?
Why, yes. Yes to all.
Alas, Amazon knows nothing of two new books by Wayne Ranney. But that's okay, because I have his blog bookmarked, which leads me to his website, which shows me these two mystery books. There's the Easy Field Guide to Arizona Landforms and Defining the Colorado Plateau: a Geologic Perspective. I see another book order in my future...
So, Wayne, if you're reading this: keep a copy of each set aside for me. And, oh, dear, if you've got spare copies of The Verde Valley: A Geological History, Canyon Country, and Sedona Through Time, you'd best stick those in the pile as well. As soon as ye olde budget's recovered from Christmas, I shall be needing them.
And here I thought I had enough books to last me a month or so. Ha, I say, ha.
Do I wanna? Is the Space Pope reptilian? Is my cat homicidal? Do I own Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau and Carving Grand Canyon?
Why, yes. Yes to all.
Alas, Amazon knows nothing of two new books by Wayne Ranney. But that's okay, because I have his blog bookmarked, which leads me to his website, which shows me these two mystery books. There's the Easy Field Guide to Arizona Landforms and Defining the Colorado Plateau: a Geologic Perspective. I see another book order in my future...
So, Wayne, if you're reading this: keep a copy of each set aside for me. And, oh, dear, if you've got spare copies of The Verde Valley: A Geological History, Canyon Country, and Sedona Through Time, you'd best stick those in the pile as well. As soon as ye olde budget's recovered from Christmas, I shall be needing them.
And here I thought I had enough books to last me a month or so. Ha, I say, ha.
05 January, 2010
Books and Box
Mah books are heer! And I'm not the only one who's excited about that fact:
The cat spent a considerable amount of time establishing ownership over mah books while I caught up on my political reading for the day. For a while, there, it looked like I wouldn't get them back. But then she discovered Teh Box:
Apparently, the box meets her requirements, because she spent all afternoon in it. What is it with cats and boxes? I've never understood the fascination.
Anyway, the books meet my requirements, and as I read them I shall report back to you on the glories contained therein. That is, I will after I've finished the - lessee - five books I'm currently in the midst of reading.
(I do believe I'm a book addict. There are subtle signs: reading several at once; two shelving units full of unread books and the burning desire for more; the near-ecstasy I feel simply turning pages, reading a few words here, a caption there, and running my fingers over the pages; sometimes merely holding one in my lap just because I love the feel of having a book close... If there's a twelve-step program for this, don't tell me, because this is a habit I don't intend to kick.)
Two things I can tell you already: if you don't own Richard Fortey's book Fossils: The History of Life, you should get a copy. If you do own Fossils, but only the 1982 edition, you should get a copy of this revised and updated edition. It is gorgeous. Even if all you do is look at the pictures, it's worth the purchase price.
And the second thing is, Mountain Geomorphology isn't as scary as I thought. It's full of easy-to-read diagrams, the text seems laid out very nicely, and they very kindly print the chapter name at the upper-right side of the odd-numbered pages so that you can easily find a section by flipping through - very handy if you need to refer back to a previous section or consult one further on. It also covers a hell of a lot more of the world than I thought, so I'm super-excited about it. They discuss mountains from all over the world, and the scientists who wrote the various sections are from prestigious universities from everywhere, not just one or two Western countries. That's a nice change! I've merely glanced through the text, but it doesn't seem too difficult to wade through as long as you've brushed up on your geology terms.
So: Woot!
Let's make this an official open thread, my darlings. What are you reading or plan to read that's currently got you excited?
The cat spent a considerable amount of time establishing ownership over mah books while I caught up on my political reading for the day. For a while, there, it looked like I wouldn't get them back. But then she discovered Teh Box:
Apparently, the box meets her requirements, because she spent all afternoon in it. What is it with cats and boxes? I've never understood the fascination.
Anyway, the books meet my requirements, and as I read them I shall report back to you on the glories contained therein. That is, I will after I've finished the - lessee - five books I'm currently in the midst of reading.
(I do believe I'm a book addict. There are subtle signs: reading several at once; two shelving units full of unread books and the burning desire for more; the near-ecstasy I feel simply turning pages, reading a few words here, a caption there, and running my fingers over the pages; sometimes merely holding one in my lap just because I love the feel of having a book close... If there's a twelve-step program for this, don't tell me, because this is a habit I don't intend to kick.)
Two things I can tell you already: if you don't own Richard Fortey's book Fossils: The History of Life, you should get a copy. If you do own Fossils, but only the 1982 edition, you should get a copy of this revised and updated edition. It is gorgeous. Even if all you do is look at the pictures, it's worth the purchase price.
And the second thing is, Mountain Geomorphology isn't as scary as I thought. It's full of easy-to-read diagrams, the text seems laid out very nicely, and they very kindly print the chapter name at the upper-right side of the odd-numbered pages so that you can easily find a section by flipping through - very handy if you need to refer back to a previous section or consult one further on. It also covers a hell of a lot more of the world than I thought, so I'm super-excited about it. They discuss mountains from all over the world, and the scientists who wrote the various sections are from prestigious universities from everywhere, not just one or two Western countries. That's a nice change! I've merely glanced through the text, but it doesn't seem too difficult to wade through as long as you've brushed up on your geology terms.
So: Woot!
Let's make this an official open thread, my darlings. What are you reading or plan to read that's currently got you excited?
04 January, 2010
Book Sorting Day Is a Very Dangerous Day
Don't ask me why, but somehow yesterday I had this brilliant thought: "Hey, I'll just take an hour or so and weed out the books I don't need anymore."
Five hours later, I finally finished.
Somehow, glancing through the shelves for surplus-to-requirements books turned into a full-scale rearranging session. Well, there were gaps, now, weren't there? And the science section has rather drastically overgrown its original home, while the mythology section is shrinking (yep, my books are arranged into categories - blame the fact I used to work in a bookstore). And due to space constraints, several books that should have been shelved together had ended up scattered through the house any-old-how. So I tore everything down and built it back up.
I learned a few things.
One: my living room floor vanishes quite quickly when the contents of a few shelves are stacked all over it.
Two: I have an entire bloody two-shelf bookcase full of books I haven't yet read, and this is before my gargantuan Amazon order's arrived.
Three: parting with particular books, no matter how old or useless they seem, is a wrenching and terrible thing, even when I know I'll never need them again.
Four: I still feel I don't have enough books. There's these gaps in my categories, you see.
Some people might tell me to get a Kindle and be done with it. But there's just something about paper books that can't be replaced by some fancy little machine. I can't imagine falling asleep with a Kindle over my face. Really can't imagine taking a bath with one. And it doesn't have the glorious anticipation of twiddling the page between your fingers as you read, knowing that in a moment you're going to turn it and come across something really brilliant, so you're making sure you're ready to flip that page over as soon as you've finished the current one.
No, I'm stuck with the shelves o' books, I'm afraid. Which means that someday, I shall have to rearrange the furniture, because there's only so many books I can part with, and only so many that will fit in the closet, before more shelf space is required.
You know you're a bibliophile when you select apartments based upon the available wall space against which you can place books.
So, yes. Although the labor was exhausting, it's left me with a warm, fizzy feeling of contentment. And a blank bank of shelves right beside my bed, just waiting for those tomes arriving at my door later today. Which was rather the point of the whole exercise.
And the cat shall have a new box to play with. Everyone shall be happy.
Five hours later, I finally finished.
Somehow, glancing through the shelves for surplus-to-requirements books turned into a full-scale rearranging session. Well, there were gaps, now, weren't there? And the science section has rather drastically overgrown its original home, while the mythology section is shrinking (yep, my books are arranged into categories - blame the fact I used to work in a bookstore). And due to space constraints, several books that should have been shelved together had ended up scattered through the house any-old-how. So I tore everything down and built it back up.
I learned a few things.
One: my living room floor vanishes quite quickly when the contents of a few shelves are stacked all over it.
Two: I have an entire bloody two-shelf bookcase full of books I haven't yet read, and this is before my gargantuan Amazon order's arrived.
Three: parting with particular books, no matter how old or useless they seem, is a wrenching and terrible thing, even when I know I'll never need them again.
Four: I still feel I don't have enough books. There's these gaps in my categories, you see.
Some people might tell me to get a Kindle and be done with it. But there's just something about paper books that can't be replaced by some fancy little machine. I can't imagine falling asleep with a Kindle over my face. Really can't imagine taking a bath with one. And it doesn't have the glorious anticipation of twiddling the page between your fingers as you read, knowing that in a moment you're going to turn it and come across something really brilliant, so you're making sure you're ready to flip that page over as soon as you've finished the current one.
No, I'm stuck with the shelves o' books, I'm afraid. Which means that someday, I shall have to rearrange the furniture, because there's only so many books I can part with, and only so many that will fit in the closet, before more shelf space is required.
You know you're a bibliophile when you select apartments based upon the available wall space against which you can place books.
So, yes. Although the labor was exhausting, it's left me with a warm, fizzy feeling of contentment. And a blank bank of shelves right beside my bed, just waiting for those tomes arriving at my door later today. Which was rather the point of the whole exercise.
And the cat shall have a new box to play with. Everyone shall be happy.
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