Really, I want to know, I have finished my book, which is truely amazing as I'm always on here and am looking for my next venture! Any suggestions???
2006-08-25 09:35:04 · 78 answers · asked by Emma 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Neuromancer by William Gibson. Forget the Matrix, or anything that's trying to be cyber, punk or futuristic. Gibson did it all first. Years ago. And it's truly brilliant.
2006-08-25 09:37:57 · answer #1 · answered by skapunkplaything 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I knew some fucker would say the bible.
The Affluent Society by JK Galbraith. This is the story of how politicians stay in power by suggesting that every individual will be able to attain a better lifestyle at some time in the near future. Thus the undertaxed rich are not villified because the majority of people are seduced into the belief that they will soon become one. Written in 1950s very infuencial in its day still hugely relevant
Hidden Agendas by Greg Pallast
Corruption in high places e.g. UK gov selling BIOT as a US base. F*ck the residents
The curious incident of the dog in the night -
Sherlock Holmes meets autistic Adrian Mole character to resolve above case of dead dog deeds. Amazing
As you can see I'm not very good with authors like the bible freak.
I think books are like music there are books to make you think, others to make you smile.
Just William books cowboys an injuns
The Roaring Nineties - Joseph Stiglitz ( Nobel Prize Economics)
Malversation in high places e.g. World Bank, IMF
Fifty Facts That Will Change The Way You Think About the World - Various
2006-08-25 10:18:25 · answer #2 · answered by charlie r 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Passion of the Western Mind.
The Passion of the Western Mind is described as “The Brilliant Best Seller”. It certainly is brilliant.
If you have ever wondered how we got to where we are today; how it is possible that we could invent the things we have, how we know about the big bang and the Atomic Bomb this book will tell you. Without the Greek Philosopher's none of this would have been possible and at the end of the book a comparison between the Greek influenced West and the non-Greek influenced East demonstrates that the most significant scientific discoveries of the last 500 years have come from the West.
This book presents a stunning panorama of thought from the Classical period to the present day. It starts with the Greeks notably Thales and Democritus, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle et al and progresses from the Greek Empire to the Roman Empire. With the rise of Rome comes Christianity which through Austine and Aquinas incorporated the thoughts of Plato and Aristotle.
The narrative is poignant in its description of the interplay between Christian dogma and secular thought. Aquinas reasoned that the more people knew about nature; the more knowledge they had, the stronger their faith would be. He could not have known the reverse would be the case. The RC Church which was, to all intents and purposes, the Roman empire founded Universities which supported Aquinas' view. Dante described the Medieval view of the skies with the seven heavens and seven levels of hell. But emerging from the Medieval period the Vatican asked Copernicus to construct a more exact calender and he come to the conclusion that the universe was heliocentric. The Vatican initially approved of his view even though it challenged everything that was believed up 'till then. Then along came Luther and the reformation, the counter reformation, the Renaissance and the scientific revolution changed the World. I found the insights into the dogmatism of both sides of the church enlightening; no-one (either protestant or catholic) comes out in a particularly good light.
The 17th century was particularly seminal. Bacon the Lord Chancellor of England devised a method for objectively analyzing scientific data. Galileo and Kepler confirmed that the universe was heliocentric and Newton discovered gravity. Such paradigm shifts could not but extinguish many old myths. Then Descartes founded modern philosophy by questioning everything and concluding that he could know nothing except; Cogito ergo sum.
The 30 years war and wars of revolution further eroded the Church's moral authority and culminated in Nietzsche declaring that : God is dead. Knowledge seeped into every nook and cranny of human en devour: into politics with the rise of anarchy and communism and then liberalism and onward to contemplation of human behavior and the establishment of laws which protected the individual and excluded God.
Before the full development of Greek thought you were thought odd if you believed in God. After the development the majority of the academic world thinks you odd if you do believe in God. There seems to be a resonance with Genesis in this magnificent work. God told man not to eat of the tree of knowledge or be excluded from paradise. He ate of the tree and lost God. In the lead up to our present day the more faith man has in science the less faith he has in God. The parallel is apparent.
This book is an exceptional work which I commend to you. The story has not finished yet. Mankind may yet redeem itself I just hope it doesn't wait too long.
2006-08-25 09:42:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since school started on the 21 i have read My Own Worst Enemy, The Babysitter by R.L. Stine, and The Witch Of BlackBird Pond. I have to say the best books i ever read was The Babysitter and The Witcch of Black Bird Pond. Oh I have read all those books in an hour each.Dont forget
If I forget You Remember.
2006-08-25 11:06:04 · answer #4 · answered by Morgan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My choice for best ever novel keeps changing but two from Connie Willis are always right at the top of the list. Doomsday Book sees a young woman time traveller accidentally sent back to England in the week before the Black Death struck.
Also by Connie Willis, Passage is awesome. A novel about Near Death Experiences.
2006-08-25 09:47:45 · answer #5 · answered by robin_peel 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Certainly can't claim just one, but I can list some books that simply blew my mind and were riveting.
My Name is Asher Lev by Chiam Potok
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
The World According to Garp by Irving
A Wrinkle in Time
...and I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Harold and the Purple Crayon!
2006-08-25 12:14:22 · answer #6 · answered by wrathofkublakhan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gargantua & Pantagruel by Francois Rabelias
Our man in Havana, Stamboul Train,The Power and The Glory and Travel's with my Aunt by Graham Greene
and a Romanian playwriter Camil Petrescu with Hard Souls(Suflete tari)
2006-08-25 23:37:56 · answer #7 · answered by Jean-Michel de G. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely "Private Peaceful" by Michael Morpurgo. It's supposed to be an older childrens' book about World war 1, but I reckon EVERYONE should read it. It broke my heart.
Also "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence" by Robert M. Pirsig, "Adrift On the Oceans of Mercy" by Michael Booth, and anything by Bill Bryson for a bloody good laugh. Enjoy babe! Sue xx
2006-08-25 10:42:53 · answer #8 · answered by mousepotato66 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Regulators By: Stephen King ( Richard Bachman)
The Bad Place By: Dean Koonz
2006-08-29 07:23:57 · answer #9 · answered by shafermeyer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is a modern classic which reads as freshly today as when it was written.
And I defy anyone not to enjoy "Sleeping Arrangements" by Laura Shaine Cunningham, a memoir about a little New York girl raised by two eccentric uncles.
Reading other's suggestions, it appears there are two very different kinds of readers on the Yahoo "Answers" : literate and near-illiterate. Long live literacy!!!
Simon B
2006-08-25 19:03:30 · answer #10 · answered by simon2blues 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wide Sargasso Sea
by jean Rhys.
read it as part of Open Uni' course, atmosphere,mood,setting, not to many laughs !
A bloody good short read.
Moby Dick
by Herman Melville
Similar to above.
New out ....
The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova.
Great lat night read.
2006-08-25 10:01:45 · answer #11 · answered by Mr Bones 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋