Friday, September 21, 2007

New Reading List

I've been on sort of a tear lately, the new list is in the sidebar. Here is what I am retiring.

  • Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
  • - I don't read much on astrophysics, but this was entertaining and engrossing. The title essay in particular is enlightening as to what would actually happen if one was unlucky enough to be sucked in.

  • The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket
  • - I like raw fish, and now I know how you break down a giant yellowtail. Alternately fascinating and disgusting, this book follows a group of would be sushi-chefs through their training. Oddly, the concept of Zen, a school of Buddhism, is only mentioned in the title and has seemingly nothing to do with sushi. Still worthwhile.

  • Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic
  • - People are buying lots of stuff, etc. It was OK.

  • When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, for Better And/Or Worse
  • - I didn't get around to it, but a great title. I'll check it out again when I am feeling more grammatically-oriented.

  • Dishwasher: One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States
  • - What a book! I won't spoil whether or not he did it, but there is a lot of dishwashing described in this book. The interactions you have as a itinerant professional dishwasher are fodder for countless page-turning anecdotes.

    2 comments:

    Jeremy said...

    I'll have to let you borrow the book "The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory" by Brian Greene - the first book on physics that captivated me to the point where I read the entire book in one sitting.

    I wish I could find more time to read, but I guess there is plenty of time in retirement.

    Jonathan said...

    I have heard of that, I'd like to read it.

    Sometimes I stay up late just to get some reading done. I think I can sleep in later than you though, your commute is much longer.