What 'cha readin'?

shitmouse · Post by **shitmouse** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:45 am

have any good reads to tell about?

i recently read "Red Dog" -(can't remember the author's name).
great quick read about a dog and his journeys in austrailia.

i recently bought:

"Atomic Home" - A Guided Tour of the merican Dream. -(whitney matheson)
--(great read, and vintage illustrations. nice tongue in cheek comments by the author. informative snips about the movement. how suburbs got started, the inventions of the day, etc.)

"Salt" - A World History. -(by mark kurlansky)
-(amazing factual history based around salt and how it has influenced societys, cultures. economicsetc. great book!)

-b

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:30 am

I just finished "Stiff" by Mary Roach- about the history of the use of cadavers for medical research, crash testing, etc.....sometimes freaky, sometimes creepy, ALWAYS hilarious. And the author returns her mail!
Before that it was "The Botany of Desire", about pot, tulips, apples and potatoes.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 10:50 am

I read Botany of Desire (Micheal Pollen, I believe) and it's really good. It's also a book on gardening or on his gardening and our food supply (firmly in support of biodiversity) and it finally explains (to me at least) what it was that Johnny Appleseed was sharing with everyone. (Note, he's not the wholesome fellow your little golden books made him out to be!) I've wanted to read Pollen's article on beef production and the cow he owned since I heard him on 'Fresh Air"--he's definately got some interesting ideas and observations.

Am scrounging the money together to buy "Evolution's Rainbow." I'm not sure that it's going to knock my socks off, but I wan't to see what her take on sexual identity and Darwinism is, as most everyone seems to plug in the most basic, lazy values on gender into evolutionary theory (ie "man hunt and have many mates; women like to keep house and stay faithful"). I've been speculating on my own on that, it will be interesting to see what someone else has found.

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 11:02 am

The Religion of the Ancient Celts, JA MacCulloch.

A II Z

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 11:03 am

Before Botany of Desire I read The Strange Case of the Dog in the Nighttime. Just read that a movie's in the offing. Really interesting read!

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 11:18 am

perdido street station

cowboyangel · Post by **cowboyangel** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 1:50 pm

Elvis' favorite little book...it's called "the Impersonal Life"

DancingTofu · Post by **DancingTofu** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:53 am

I finished reading House of Leaves a short while ago, by Mark Z. Danielewski. That is a freaky book. It's enough to make you scared of the dark, but not for any of the usual reasons. Very, very good though.

I'm reading Always Coming Home right now, by Ursula K. Leguin. It's pretty cool, a collection of stories and poems and archeologist-like reports of a tribal culture in the far-future of northern California. Quite interesting.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:49 am

" How to Make Explosives at Home Using Ordinary Household Chemicals"

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:54 am

"GURPS WWII: A World Ablaze, Its Destiny In The Balance" by Gene Seabolt, published by Steve Jackson Games.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 2:26 pm

"Salt" - A World History. -(by mark kurlansky)
-(amazing factual history based around salt and how it has influenced societys, cultures. economicsetc. great book!)

Hey Shitmouse, I'm reading that as well. Great book. Very cool and informative about how a very basic substance has influenced history, cultures and civilizations.

shitmouse · Post by **shitmouse** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:37 pm

Hey Shitmouse, I'm reading that as well. Great book. Very cool and informative about how a very basic substance has influenced history, cultures and civilizations.[/quote]

yeah badger,
all *that*, about salt. pretty amazing.
-b

PurpleKoosh · Post by **PurpleKoosh** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 4:43 pm

Just picked up Zulu Heart by Steven Barnes, the sequel to Lion's Blood. I highly recommend both the books and Insh'Allah, Heather Alexander's companion CD.

I'm also reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's Witchlight (which I didn't realize was the second in a series; it was given to my husband by a coworker who was moving out of the area - must get the others).

Karma · Post by **Karma** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 6:05 pm

Just finished "Lamb. The Gospels according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal"
by Christopher Moore.

Hands down one of the funniest books I've picked up in a long time.
The premise is based on the fact that everything written about Jesus has to do with either his birth, or 30 years later when he started his ministries.
Nothing is really known about the in between years.
Moore does a fictional take on what he might have done and where he might've travelled and tells the story thru a character named Biff, Jesus' best friend growing up.

Sounds weird, but it's a great read !!

poeticphoto · Post by **poeticphoto** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 9:15 pm

I'm currently reading House of Leaves as well, DancingTofu. Good so far.
I've almost read all of Chuck Palahnuik's novels... great writer. (Wrote Fight Club) Spectacular uniqness (sp?) with his style. Probably not as informative as anything people have been mentioning here, but definitely interesting and consuming.

samtzu · Post by **samtzu** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:57 am

Quicksilver and The Confusion by Neal Stephenson. Great reads, great entertainment. Jack Shaftoe is like Mel Gibson on acid... the perfect anti-hero.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:16 am

Starting up Life of Pi by Yann Martel and Jacqueline Kaiser

Interlibrary loans just got in My Life In the Bush of Ghosts and The Palm-Wine Drunkard by Nigerian writer Amos Tutuola

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:43 am

I'm in the middle of Roughing It by Mark Twain. That guy is hilarious! Part of his comedic genius is his gift for sarcastic understatement. I totally love Mark Twain!

Much of the story actually takes place in the general region around northwest Nevada. He rambles on at length about the mining boom days in late 1800's Nevada, among other things. It's actually helping me to get even more psyched about being out on the playa!

MusicVixen · Post by **MusicVixen** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:46 am

Cunt:A Declaration Of Independence By Inga Muscio

"Striving to remove the negative connotations from a word usually used as a scathing insult, Muscio traces the history of the term "cunt" and asserts that it was once a term of respect before the patriarchy turned it into a profane, misogynistic epithet. This transformation, she insists, occurred as part of a conspiracy to make women feel a sense of self-loathing and uncleanness; only by reconnecting with love for their genitalia can women achieve personal and political power."

chickenfish · Post by **chickenfish** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:08 pm

"American Dynasty" about the bushy boys... very interesting read about the eveolution of the bush family rise to political power

chickenfish · Post by **chickenfish** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:10 pm

Isotopia-
do you know the album "my life in the bush of ghosts" by brian eno and david byrne? Great album that was apparently influenced by the book.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:50 pm

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonsales.
I'm about 2/3 of the way through. Very good, and I think ti would be especially interesting to Burners. Sort of a further explination of what's printed on the back of ticket issued at your birth.

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:53 pm

MusicVixen wrote:Cunt:A Declaration Of Independence By Inga Muscio

"Striving to remove the negative connotations from a word usually used as a scathing insult, Muscio traces the history of the term "cunt" and asserts that it was once a term of respect before the patriarchy turned it into a profane, misogynistic epithet. This transformation, she insists, occurred as part of a conspiracy to make women feel a sense of self-loathing and uncleanness; only by reconnecting with love for their genitalia can women achieve personal and political power."

So, if I run into you on the playa and say, "Hey Cunt! How are ya? God, you are such a fucking cunt!" You're going to be really happy and thank me, right?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:56 pm

I actually left a copy of that book and one of the "Give a gift/Take a gift" stations on the Playa last year.

I didn't finish it. I just wanted to slap that girl after a while. "Stop bragging about your relationship with your oh-so-special genitals, lady!"

It was a dissapointment.

MusicVixen · Post by **MusicVixen** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:17 pm

RingO'Fire wrote:
MusicVixen wrote:Cunt:A Declaration Of Independence By Inga Muscio

"Striving to remove the negative connotations from a word usually used as a scathing insult, Muscio traces the history of the term "cunt" and asserts that it was once a term of respect before the patriarchy turned it into a profane, misogynistic epithet. This transformation, she insists, occurred as part of a conspiracy to make women feel a sense of self-loathing and uncleanness; only by reconnecting with love for their genitalia can women achieve personal and political power."
So, if I run into you on the playa and say, "Hey Cunt! How are ya? God, you are such a fucking cunt!" You're going to be really happy and thank me, right?

You got it ROF!!

MusicVixen · Post by **MusicVixen** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:19 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:I actually left a copy of that book and one of the "Give a gift/Take a gift" stations on the Playa last year.

I didn't finish it. I just wanted to slap that girl after a while. "Stop bragging about your relationship with your oh-so-special genitals, lady!"

It was a dissapointment.

I'm finding it to be a very interesting read.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:31 pm

I did get half way through. But after reading so much of the really amazing sex radical stuff coming (mostly) out of San Francisco in the past few years, she just seemed so Lesbian-Separatist-of-the-1970s. Now the Clitoral Truth, or even Women, an Intemate Geography. . . Fine books indeed.

Musico was just so convinced that her experience was the truth for everyone. Plus she insulted my favorite birth control method in a completely unnessesary manner when I've never been pregnant and I sleep with men, so she really had no moral authority to be up on that high horse, in my view.

It got a lot of press and I lot of people were very impressed. I just wasn't one of them.

MusicVixen · Post by **MusicVixen** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 4:38 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:I did get half way through. But after reading so much of the really amazing sex radical stuff coming (mostly) out of San Francisco in the past few years, she just seemed so Lesbian-Separatist-of-the-1970s. Now the Clitoral Truth, or even Women, an Intemate Geography. . . Fine books indeed.

Musico was just so convinced that her experience was the truth for everyone. Plus she insulted my favorite birth control method in a completely unnessesary manner when I've never been pregnant and I sleep with men, so she really had no moral authority to be up on that high horse, in my view.

It got a lot of press and I lot of people were very impressed. I just wasn't one of them.

ah...I just started reading it..maybe i just might read those others.. thanks for your input

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 5:54 pm

Isotopia-
do you know the album "my life in the bush of ghosts" by brian eno and david byrne?

Yes. Oh, yes.

America Is Waiting...

chickenfish · Post by **chickenfish** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 4:04 pm

I love that record- but wait, thats another thread. I just started reading Rhythm Science by Paul D Miller, AKA DJ Spooky. Love it! Reminds me of a nice mix between Hakim Bey and William Burroughs, with a dose of Ram-El-Zee. Intelligent thoughts on the post modern art of sampling and deejaying. A must read for any artists working in these genres.

What 'cha readin'?

What 'cha readin'?

here's a headtrip for you...

Reading "Cunt"

what a bunch of Bushit!

I just do

Re: Cunt Reading

Re: Cunt Reading