book suggestions for long flights

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Jeff Tirey
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book suggestions for long flights

Post by Jeff Tirey »

Okay, as some of you know I'm heading to Sydney next week for a little family fun in the sun down under style.

The flight is long. I would like to read a book about history. Something that I can read a chapter here and a chapter there.

I'm endlessly impressed with this board's collective educational insights so I'm looking for some book recommendations.

Since I'm asking, here's one of my own. If you're interested in learning about the history of the American medical industry try Paul Starr's Social Transformation of American Medicine. It won a Pulitzer Prize for best non fiction and it explains so many things about why our complicated medical system is the way it is today. It's not stuffy and you don't need to be a doctor to understand things. You can also pick it up at any chapter and read what time periods are of interest to you.

thanks,

jeff
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klewlis
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Post by klewlis »

One of my favourite books of all time is "The Professor and the Madman" (Simon Winchester), which describes in lurid detail the development of the OED. I think it would make a fantastic travel book.
info here


I'm currently reading "Caesar against the Celts" (Ramon Jimenez), which is also very good but the chapters are a little longer so they may not be as nice for picking up and putting down frequently.
info here

There is a canadian history book called "A Brief History of Canada" (Roger Riendeau) which may serve your purposes as well. I enjoy that one a lot (tho I've never actually finished it...).
info here

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Post by Episcopus »

You lucky :oops:

I recommend "Jesus" by A.N. Wilson. Truly enlightening.

Fundamentally however Jeff please do move your legs frequently. :!:

Emma_85
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Post by Emma_85 »

I can recommend Ackroyd's Biography of London.

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Re: book suggestions for long flights

Post by mariek »


Want to learn more about American physicist (and nobel prize winner) Richard Feynman? "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" -- this is hilarious. Contains short anecdotes about his life. Easy read.

Are you interested in tales about the Japanese samourai Musashi? "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa.

Are you interested in Marie Antoinette? "Marie Antoinette: The Journey" by Antonia Fraser.

Are you interested in American history? "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by James W. Loewen.

I'll bet you can pick these up from Amazon. Make sure you use the Textkit redirect... ;)

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Post by tdominus »

Jeff, let me welcome you in advance to Australia. Lately the weather has been very clear and by our standards fairly hot.

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Post by mariek »


Oh my! That's right... you guys are in summer right now. I hope Jeff remembers to pack his sunscreen and hat!! :!:

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Post by Episcopus »

And why is it, despite their being originally British, that many Australian women are so fair?

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Lex
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Post by Lex »

Episcopus wrote:And why is it, despite their being originally British, that many Australian women are so fair?
<tongue in cheek>

My theory is the appeal of "bad boys"; since Australia was originally a prison colony, and therefore had an extremely high concentration of bad boys, it also attracted all the incredibly hot but mentally unstable women who are inevitably attracted to bad boys. That original influx of hot female genes, plus the occasional admixture of Oriental, Malay or Hindu genetic material to make the really hot "exotic hybrids", is what causes so many Australian women to be hot today.

</tongue in cheek>

:wink:
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Post by benissimus »

Image
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

tdominus
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Post by tdominus »

mariek wrote:
Oh my! That's right... you guys are in summer right now. I hope Jeff remembers to pack his sunscreen and hat!! :!:
:) Australia's not so hot as some people expect! A lot of the time people come here from, say, Italy and are surprised that it's colder than their homeland.

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Post by Episcopus »

Interesting Lex. Yes and I do love the few exotic ones there. Particularly those from more southern far eastern places (islands especially). I don't really understand why any sane person might be sincerely racist: for variety is a great blessing. Marrying within a certain race should stop, then eventually everyone would be mixed and racism might perish.
Il est dommage que toutes les femmes chaudes ne veulent pas d'homme intelligent, pourtant ceux-la qui ont été en prison. Mais c'est la vie.

Anyway that was a response to Lex, back on topic!

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Jeff Tirey
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Post by Jeff Tirey »

tdominus wrote:Jeff, let me welcome you in advance to Australia. Lately the weather has been very clear and by our standards fairly hot.
thank you. So it that Sydney Bridge Climb worth it?

http://www.bridgeclimb.com/

Jeff
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