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Post by Wolfgang on May 2, 2019 19:01:30 GMT -5
Not trying to hijack this thread but reading Edgar Allan Poe's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" made me appreciate non-fiction that much more. I couldn't wait to get back to NF after struggling through that one. Short stories fine. His only novel - not so much. I don’t consider this a hijack. Anyway, I don’t mind hijacks because they don’t affect me. I have no anal fixation on having a smooth and continuously running discussion on the same topic. If it goes off on a tangent, so be it.
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Post by ironhammer on May 2, 2019 21:52:22 GMT -5
"The Miracle Season", the book by Kathy Bresnahan. Better than the movie, gives you a lot of background info and other context to frame the story.
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Post by ironhammer on May 3, 2019 2:22:29 GMT -5
Also, for those interested in business history, and specifically commerical aviation, I recommend "Skygods: The Fall of Pan Am", how the once iconic brand of Pan American Airways, as well-known to American consumers as Coca-Cola or IBM at it's peak, succumbed to bankruptcy and closure. Now many airlines have come and gone since deregulation, but Pan Am was different. It was a pioneer in the airline industry, setting standards in the industry for others to follow. But alas, mismanagement from the 70's onwards doomed it's fate.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2019 2:57:55 GMT -5
No sports books in a sports forum that's a bit odd.
But can I recommend: - The Sports Gene by David Epstein
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, could probably finish this in one or two sittings.
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, you're learning Chinese, well you'll learn why most Asians are good at math after reading this book. (I recommend his podcast also)
- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - The Art of War Sun Tzu - Book of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi - Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink - Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian - Quiet by Susan Cain
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Post by Wolfgang on May 4, 2019 11:39:59 GMT -5
Rising Tide
Fascinating read about the competition between Chicago and St. Louis in the mid- to late-1800s. The population of both cities were roughly equal with St. Louis slightly ahead. Chicago relied on the railroads for trade while St. Louis the Mississippi River. When the Civil War started, Most of the Mississippi River was unavailable and thus cutoff St. Louis from trade. Chicago, however, was booming as railroad across the north was more stable and reliable. Many Chicago businesses did really well. This didn’t sit well with St. Louis and so they realized they had to find a way to build bridges across the Mississippi River that could also support railroads.
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Post by Wolfgang on May 13, 2019 11:49:28 GMT -5
Rising Tide
On p. 122.
Great read about the trend to recruit immigrants from Europe and China to work the cotton fields in Mississippi (and other regions in the South). Apparently, they couldn't get the poor White folk to do that work. And when the immigrants arrive and do the work, they're exploited and subjected to poor living conditions. Plus, the locals start lynching them -- Italians and others from Europe! So, the Italians fight back. Eventually, they all move out. Don't blame them. Americans promise them the American Dream and when they get here, they're treated like crap. This was in the late 1800s.
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Post by Phaedrus on May 13, 2019 13:01:12 GMT -5
No sports books in a sports forum that's a bit odd. But can I recommend: - The Sports Gene by David Epstein - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, could probably finish this in one or two sittings. - Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, you're learning Chinese, well you'll learn why most Asians are good at math after reading this book. (I recommend his podcast also) - Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - The Art of War Sun Tzu - Book of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi - Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink - Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian - Quiet by Susan Cain I enjoyed Q. This was a real important book in my life as I fir the description of a functioning introvert and helped me figure out why I am always exhausted after a loud gathering. The Sports Gene was fantastic, Epstein has a new book coming out this month titled Range, talking about how generalists are more productive than specialists. Frankl's book was a gut punch. I dreaded reading it but it remains one of the books I recommend to anyone who has not read it. Very illuminating and powerful. I am not a fan of Gladwell, people are suprised when I say this because they figured that the ground he covers should be right up my alley. The topics are but I had read accounts of some of the original authors of the studies complaining that he bends and distorts thei research results in order to make his narrative more enticing. For example, the 10,000 hour rule. Anyways, they were not pleased with his spinning and erroneous conclusions. The Art of War is a standard for many military people because that is a required book for many officers. It is a little bit crptic at times, but worthy. Just more of a reference book.
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2019 14:11:45 GMT -5
No sports books in a sports forum that's a bit odd. But can I recommend: - The Sports Gene by David Epstein - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, could probably finish this in one or two sittings. - Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, you're learning Chinese, well you'll learn why most Asians are good at math after reading this book. (I recommend his podcast also) - Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - The Art of War Sun Tzu - Book of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi - Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink - Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian - Quiet by Susan Cain I enjoyed Q. This was a real important book in my life as I fir the description of a functioning introvert and helped me figure out why I am always exhausted after a loud gathering. The Sports Gene was fantastic, Epstein has a new book coming out this month titled Range, talking about how generalists are more productive than specialists. Frankl's book was a gut punch. I dreaded reading it but it remains one of the books I recommend to anyone who has not read it. Very illuminating and powerful. I am not a fan of Gladwell, people are suprised when I say this because they figured that the ground he covers should be right up my alley. The topics are but I had read accounts of some of the original authors of the studies complaining that he bends and distorts thei research results in order to make his narrative more enticing. For example, the 10,000 hour rule. Anyways, they were not pleased with his spinning and erroneous conclusions. The Art of War is a standard for many military people because that is a required book for many officers. It is a little bit crptic at times, but worthy. Just more of a reference book. On Gladwell, I read both books a decade ago and suggested them based on topics that he covers. I wasn't sold on the 10,000 hour rule then, and I'm still not sold on it now. As you mention he does make it sound enticing and I've heard other researches (years later) say the same with him spinning it off. I haven't read any of his work after Outliers. I tried reading The Tipping Point but could not get into it.
Frankl's book was a tough read. I know people who could not finish it. I forced myself to finish it, the book isn't long but could only handle it in small pieces.
Epstein's new book sounds interesting. I just finished the book 'The Startup Nation' by Dan Senor, which he mentions Israeli's special military unit 8200, who were known to be 'generalists'. There's also been an argument lately on being a specialist compared to a generalist. The Book Zero to One by Peter Thiel, goes heavy on becoming a specialist/monopoly from what I remember. Now reminds of a quote "Specialization is for insects".
There are books that covers the Art of War, Robert Greene's books such as 48 Laws of Power and 33 Strategies of War covers both The Art of War and Book of 5 Rings.
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Post by Phaedrus on May 13, 2019 19:02:56 GMT -5
I enjoyed Q. This was a real important book in my life as I fir the description of a functioning introvert and helped me figure out why I am always exhausted after a loud gathering. The Sports Gene was fantastic, Epstein has a new book coming out this month titled Range, talking about how generalists are more productive than specialists. Frankl's book was a gut punch. I dreaded reading it but it remains one of the books I recommend to anyone who has not read it. Very illuminating and powerful. I am not a fan of Gladwell, people are suprised when I say this because they figured that the ground he covers should be right up my alley. The topics are but I had read accounts of some of the original authors of the studies complaining that he bends and distorts thei research results in order to make his narrative more enticing. For example, the 10,000 hour rule. Anyways, they were not pleased with his spinning and erroneous conclusions. The Art of War is a standard for many military people because that is a required book for many officers. It is a little bit crptic at times, but worthy. Just more of a reference book. On Gladwell, I read both books a decade ago and suggested them based on topics that he covers. I wasn't sold on the 10,000 hour rule then, and I'm still not sold on it now. As you mention he does make it sound enticing and I've heard other researches (years later) say the same with him spinning it off. I haven't read any of his work after Outliers. I tried reading The Tipping Point but could not get into it.
Frankl's book was a tough read. I know people who could not finish it. I forced myself to finish it, the book isn't long but could only handle it in small pieces.
Epstein's new book sounds interesting. I just finished the book 'The Startup Nation' by Dan Senor, which he mentions Israeli's special military unit 8200, who were known to be 'generalists'. There's also been an argument lately on being a specialist compared to a generalist. The Book Zero to One by Peter Thiel, goes heavy on becoming a specialist/monopoly from what I remember. Now reminds of a quote "Specialization is for insects".
There are books that covers the Art of War, Robert Greene's books such as 48 Laws of Power and 33 Strategies of War covers both The Art of War and Book of 5 Rings.
I am in the middle of The Polymath by Waqas Ahmed which argues for the polymath. www.amazon.com/Polymath-Unlocking-Power-Human-Versatility/dp/1119508487And On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis. It uses Isaiah Berlin's essay on the difference between the Fox (generalist) and the hedgehog (specialist) in history. Mainly in terms of military strategy. www.amazon.com/Grand-Strategy-John-Lewis-Gaddis-ebook/dp/B073QZX7YX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=on+grand+strategies&qid=1557792020&s=books&sr=1-1I plan on making Epstein's book my third in the trio.
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Post by mikegarrison on May 13, 2019 19:20:08 GMT -5
The Art of War is a standard for many military people because that is a required book for many officers. It is a little bit crptic at times, but worthy. Just more of a reference book. If you ever read James Clavell's Noble House, you probably also read Art Of War. It is so frequently referenced in there that it's almost a required companion. What do you do on "desperate ground"? What is a "doomed spy"? (You fight. A spy that has been fed false information and is expected to be captured by the enemy.)
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Post by ironhammer on May 13, 2019 22:30:15 GMT -5
- The Art of War Sun Tzu - Book of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi These two books, and especially the Art of War, have become common in the West, although whether these books really are fully grasped by those who used it are still...debatable. The Art of War first gained wider attention during the Vietnam War, when unanticipated setbacks, challenges and eventual defeat suffered by the US triggered a realization that Americans needed to understand Asian strategies in combat better. And since Vietnam, like Korea and Japan, was historically heavily influenced by Chinese culture, arts and philosophy, it was nature to turn to the Art of War as a guide for those in the West who wanted to understand the mindset of East Asians better. There is a scholarly debate about whether even Sun Tzu exists or actually wrote the Art of War, but there is also support that he did. He lived roughly between 544–496 BC, either in the latter stages of the Spring and Autumn period or Warring States period, when China was divided into a group of mutually anatagonistic states, not unlike Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire, when the continent was split into separate states which were not always on good terms. In the case of China, these states all aimed to out-do one another militarily and diplomatically, hoping to eventually conquer one another. Sun presented himself to King Helu of Wu and under Sun's guidance, Wu was able to defeat the larger neigbouring state of Chu. In the aftermath, Sun wrote down his strategies for success. Now there are many strategies that Sun advises, he has little interest in traditional military virtues like "honor" or "bravery" but to acheive victory with the minimal cost. He tells you how to employ spies to gain intelligence, how to use geography to your benefit, how to employ psychological warfare to weaken the spirit of the enemy, how to ensure you retain support from your troops, how you must know the enemy to win. But the most important thing of all, is to aim for victory without actually spilling blood on the battlefield, to defeat the enemy without firing a shot, so-to-speak. The book has gained wider application not just in the core military field, but also in business and sports. Although it is questionable whether those who claims they have use the book as a guide to their success really understood it. The book in it's true form is layered with specific Chinese philosophy and cultural context, which may be lost in translation.
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Post by volleylearner on May 13, 2019 22:56:16 GMT -5
I am not a fan of Gladwell, people are suprised when I say this because they figured that the ground he covers should be right up my alley. The topics are but I had read accounts of some of the original authors of the studies complaining that he bends and distorts thei research results in order to make his narrative more enticing. For example, the 10,000 hour rule. Anyways, they were not pleased with his spinning and erroneous conclusions. On Gladwell, I read both books a decade ago and suggested them based on topics that he covers. I wasn't sold on the 10,000 hour rule then, and I'm still not sold on it now. As you mention he does make it sound enticing and I've heard other researches (years later) say the same with him spinning it off. I haven't read any of his work after Outliers. I tried reading The Tipping Point but could not get into it. I really enjoyed The Tipping Point and Outliers. Blink and What the Dog Saw were ok but not as good. I found Gladwell's observational tidbits (e.g., examples of arbitrary timing correlating with opportunity) more interesting than the questionable conclusions (e.g., 10,000 hours). His books are like going to a talk where the first 3/4 is really interesting but the last 1/4 is dubious. I can enjoy the interesting part while still ignoring the bogus claims at the end. As one born in the 50s and a computer scientist Outliers also had a bit of a personal connection.
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Post by ironhammer on May 13, 2019 22:58:34 GMT -5
On Gladwell, I read both books a decade ago and suggested them based on topics that he covers. I wasn't sold on the 10,000 hour rule then, and I'm still not sold on it now. As you mention he does make it sound enticing and I've heard other researches (years later) say the same with him spinning it off. I haven't read any of his work after Outliers. I tried reading The Tipping Point but could not get into it. I really enjoyed The Tipping Point and Outliers. Blink and What the Dog Saw were ok but not as good. I found Gladwell's observational tidbits (e.g., examples of arbitrary timing correlating with opportunity) more interesting than the questionable conclusions (e.g., 10,000 hours). His books are like going to a talk where the first 3/4 is really interesting b ut the last 1/4 is dubious. I can enjoy the interesting part while still ignoring the bogus claims at the end. As one born in the 50s and a computer scientist Outliers also had a bit of a personal connection.Yeah that last part really ruined my enjoyment of the book. It was going well...until that part. A shame, because the rest of the book had such promise.
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Post by VBCOACH on May 14, 2019 0:49:41 GMT -5
Just finishing up an oldie that I never got around to until now: Malcolm X Speaks. Very powerful.
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Post by ironhammer on May 14, 2019 8:07:09 GMT -5
Good morning, a book I really recommend is "Great Soul of Siberia: Passion, Obsession, and One Man's Quest for the World's Most Elusive Tiger", a story about Sooyong Park, a Korean man's obsessive tracking and recording of the endangered Siberian Tiger. Sometimes, biology and science books can be rather dry and dull to read, but this one is different. Not only does it explain the science of the elusive tigers, but it is also in a way an adventure story about Park himself, who would spend many months alone in the wilderness inside a tiny hut in hopes to capture footage of the tigers. There is a certain, how should I say...poetic feel to the prose, it draws you in with its vivid descriptions of the forest, the frigid cold, the beauty and majesty of the tigers. A great read worth your time: www.amazon.com/Great-Soul-Siberia-Passion-Obsession/dp/1771641134
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