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Earnie Shavers

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Have we done this in here before? I was thinking about starting this thread the other day, but have now been further inspired by the thread on the kids book. There's a lot of hysterical rubbish out there, so I thought we should get an 'FYM Recommended Reading' list started. Your favourite books on topics that are somehow relevent to topics we come across in here. Maybe it is opinionated, maybe it's just an excellent reference, maybe it is an inspirational fictional story.

I'll start with what I'm currently reading - The World Is Flat, by Thomas Friedman. It's not anything you don't know already, but it's a really well written and thought out summary of the globalized world as it is right now. How we got here, where we are at and where we will likely go. I haven't read any of his other books (eg The Lexus & The Olive Tree) but probably will, I like his style. I would recommend this to you whether you have an advanced economics degree or whether you know absolutely zero about what the word 'globalization' even really means.
 
This is a good idea for a thread but I just hope everyone promises not to sidetrack the thread with arguments about the books liberalism or conservatism or religious fervor or lack thereof.

I recommend The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey Sachs.


And Can We Be Good Without God by Robert Buckman.
 
Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. It's his biography, and is fascinating if you have an interest in either communism, China or ballet.
 
"Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town" by Paul Thereux.

Thereux is a travel writer, he's written some wonderful stuff and a really interesting book about China as well (called "Riding the Iron Rooster").

Dark Star Safari is, as the title suggests, a journey beginning in Cairo and ending in Cape Town, in which the author repeatedly reads Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It's interesting because he lived in Africa in the 60s (I believe in Uganda, but can't remember), and he returns some 40 years later and finds it a terribly dark and miserable place.

He is also extremely critical of the western charity and aid organizations, and this is brought up in the Bono: In Conversation book. I think it's an intersting read for people interested in the African situation because it gives you a different perspective and especially on the entire aid issue. He not only gives commentary but speaks to the Africans on the ground.

It's an illuminating, beautiful book.
 
the diary of anne frank, my favourite book

jeffrey stackhouse - out of poverty, for a unique and empowering look at grassroots development strategies in asia and africa
 
Globalization and Its Discontents by Joseph Stigletz-- a great beginners crash course on the IMF, World Bank, debt, trade, structural adjustment and so on--it breaks things down with out watering them down

Amy Chua's World on Fire is also excellent on in its discussion of some of the contradictions and dangers of US foreign policy when it comes to exporting free-market democracy (ie, does it really get us the prosperity and security we want?)

I've been flipping through Simone DeBouvier's The Second Sex, too and I love it :up:
 
Biko
biko,s.jpg

Author:
Donald Woods.

Black Like Me

Black_like_me200.jpg

Author:
John Howard Griffin

Embraced By The Light
ebtllrg.jpg

Author:
Betty Eadie
 
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I remember there was a "banned books" thread awhile ago. Can anyone with search capabilities point me to it. I think there were A LOT of good books in there.
 
The Discovery of Heaven - Harry Mulisch. It's huge, goes on interminably, and yet manages to remain interesting throughout. A story of chance, fate, and philosophy.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, a novel based on her own experience of growing up in Kerala. It's very well written and contains some glorious imagery.

Polly Samson's Lying In Bed. It's not the most accomplished book, but it does consist of some interesting short stories. I think Samson can write well; she adopts a multitude of perspectives to tell her tales.

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.

HItchikers Guide, obviously. Plus, Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole books are hilarious, if you want a giggle.

Ray Coleman's Lennon: The Definitive Biography. It's the least biased and most comprehensive of any of the Beatle lit published so far, in my opinion.

Finally, we can't forget that intellectually stimulating tome which forms tne basis of civilisation. Yep, you guessed it: My Pet Goat. Best read upside down... or so I'm told.

:wink:
 
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One of my all-time favourite books.

'Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret' by Judy Blume. As Margaret adjusts to adolesence, she converses with God. It's brilliantly touching, humourous, and heartwarming. I'm tempted to send this around to people. We should set up an interf book swap where books can be sent around to folk and passed on once they're read.
:hmm:
 
Sherry Darling said:
Globalization and Its Discontents by Joseph Stigletz-- a great beginners crash course on the IMF, World Bank, debt, trade, structural adjustment and so on--it breaks things down with out watering them down
Click to expand...

I also enjoyed Stiglitz's 'The Roaring Nineties' - very informative about the shortcomings of how the ups and downs of the booming economy were dealt with (largely incorrectly).
 
Angela Harlem said:
One of my all-time favourite books.

'Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret' by Judy Blume. As Margaret adjusts to adolesence, she converses with God. It's brilliantly touching, humourous, and heartwarming. I'm tempted to send this around to people. We should set up an interf book swap where books can be sent around to folk and passed on once they're read.
:hmm:
Click to expand...


I LOVE that book! :heart:


That's a great idea, Anna. :hmm:
 
Lately I've read for my intro to politics class:

Antigone
The Apology
Crito
The Politics

:crack: Too much Greek philosophy...it goes way over my head.

Antigone is an interesting play though...I read it in 10th grade too.
 
the communist manifesto - marx/engels
pedagogy of the oppressed - paulo freire
the age of reason - thomas paine
war is a force that gives us meaning - chris hedges
the sorrows of empire - chalmers johnson
animal farm - george orwell
the quiet american - graham greene
 
Not to name drop, but I just met Chris Hedges over the summer. Great guy. Haven't read the book yet, though. :reject:

And to name drop further, I heard British journalist Robert Fisk read last week from his forthcoming book The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East and it was incredible. I think it releases in November. I was moved to tears at times. He is brilliant.
 
Se7en said:

the sorrows of empire - chalmers johnson
Click to expand...

Now I'm going to be really annoying but I heard him read from this a couple of years ago (attending readings is part of my job). Amazing. Your whole list is impressive. :up:
 
Bono's Shades, "A Citizen's Guide" is possibly the most screamingly funny book I have ever read. Not always PC, but VERY funny.

Hm. Let's see....


1)'Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond (the sequel is good too)

2)"Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health" by Laurie Garrett

3)The Collected Works of CS Lewis (can't make up my mind, sorry:)

4) "Democracy In America" by De Tocquville

5) History of the Pelponnesian War

6) The Decline and fall of The Roman Empire

7)The Decline and Fall of the Third Reich

8) America in the Age Of Genocide (forgot author)

9) From Beirut to Jerusalem/The Lexus and the Olive Tree-- by Thomas Friedman (yes, he's more than a screaming editorialist)

10) The Fatal Shore --The Epic of Australia's Founding (forgot author, sorry). This has become a classic since it was first published in 1987.Possibly the best nonfiction "novel" you will ever read. Will haunt you for life.

That's for starters. I'm listing my fave nonfiction books at the moment.

oh...honorable mention: 11)"God's Politics: Why The Right Gets It Wrong And The Left Doesn't Get it"

Fiction:

1) The Lord of the Rings (yes, I was a Tolkien fan long before the films came out).
it's like a secular Bible--, one of the greatest stories ever told. Those of you who still haven't read the books, don't know what you're mssing.

2)Black Elk speaks

3)Hawaii/The Source by James Michener. His 2 best novels. I always say to people that the best introduction to Israel, short of going there, is reading The Source. 45 yrs after publication, he still takes us places intellectually most journalists don't explore in articles.

4)Shogun. Yes, still one of my top 5 faves, like LOTR, I read it again and again every yr. Parts of it still move me to tears. If I said anymore I'd give it away. What can you say about a book that was made into a classic TV miniseries and even a Broadway play?

5) Speaking of Broadway plays..Les Miz, the book, may be 1500 pgs long but it's worth it. Every single page. This goes for Hugo's other classic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, much shorter of course but another tearjerker.

that's all for now...I can't bear to type too much, I am crying too hard. I need your hugs right now, folks. You guys know me, I post on here for months, and I don't like to talk aobut my personal life online, but today I had to finally open up and talk about a situation I am going through. It's reaching a crisis point. HelloAngel moved it to the ZooConfessionals Forum "("I Need Yoru Prayers Now, Please") and I'd appreciate it if you all looked at it.

I am just so scared right now, so very scared...I'm shaking, I'm so scared...

6)
 
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Angela Harlem said:
One of my all-time favourite books.

'Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret' by Judy Blume. As Margaret adjusts to adolesence, she converses with God. It's brilliantly touching, humourous, and heartwarming. I'm tempted to send this around to people. We should set up an interf book swap where books can be sent around to folk and passed on once they're read.
:hmm:
Click to expand...
Funny you should say that... I read it when I was 10, and lent it to loads of my friends, who liked it too. We even went so far as to form a group, called 'The Pre-teen Sensations. You'll never guess where we got THAT idea. :cute: :shh:
 
i would have just added this to my original post but the edit feature locks.

a people's history of the united states - howard zinn

i haven't finished it yet but so far it has been an excellent read.

oh...and to kill a mockingbird - harper lee.
 
Discipline and Punish by Michael Foucault

Education and Peace Dr. Maria Montessori :bow:

A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft

A few on my "to read" list

Eichman in Jersalem by Hannah Arendt
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

Mrs S-- :up: to Thoreau
 
I read so many good books in college (I was a Soc major) but I can't remember most of them :der:

Another one I do remember is Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions by Gloria Steinem
 
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