Let's use this thread for a casual discussion of what non-fiction book or topic we should read next. In other words this discussion is a preliminary step in the process of selecting a non-fiction book. You don't have to suggest a specific book. Just tell us of the topic that you think we ought to consider discussing. We can find books on that topic in due time.
Right now (Apr., May & June 2016) we're discussing slavery in the US with Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery.
Is there another topic that intrigues you?
You're always welcome to skip the "topic" idea and throw at us some specific book suggestions too.
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What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
- Chris OConnor
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- Dexter
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
Don't know if others are interested, but I'm reading a book called "America's War for the Greater Middle East"
http://www.amazon.com/Americas-War-Grea ... B0174PRIY4
http://www.amazon.com/Americas-War-Grea ... B0174PRIY4
- Chris OConnor
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
This looks like a great suggestion, Dexter. Clearly the US needs to rethink our approach to the Middle East.
- Robert Tulip
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
Books › Engineering & Transportation › Engineering
Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World
by Bill Nye (Author), Corey S. Powell (Editor)
4.6 out of 5 stars
74 customer reviews
http://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Harne ... 1250007143
Just as World War II called an earlier generation to greatness, so the climate crisis is calling today's rising youth to action: to create a better future.
In UNSTOPPABLE, Bill Nye crystallizes and expands the message for which he is best known and beloved. That message is that with a combination of optimism and scientific curiosity, all obstacles become opportunities, and the possibilities of our world become limitless. With a scientist's thirst for knowledge and an engineer's vision of what can be, Bill Nye sees today's environmental issues not as insurmountable, depressing problems but as chances for our society to rise to the challenge and create a cleaner, healthier, smarter world. We need not accept that transportation consumes half our energy, and that two-thirds of the energy you put into your car is immediately thrown away out the tailpipe. We need not accept that dangerous emissions are the price we must pay for a vibrant economy and a comfortable life. Above all, we need not accept that we will leave our children a planet that is dirty, overheated, and depleted of resources. As Bill shares his vision, he debunks some of the most persistent myths and misunderstandings about global warming. When you are done reading, you'll be enlightened and empowered. Chances are, you'll be smiling, too, ready to join Bill and change the world.
In Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World, the New York Times bestselling author of Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation and former host of "Bill Nye the Science Guy" issues a new challenge to today's generation: to make a cleaner, more efficient, and happier world.
Praise for UNDENIABLE:
"With his charming, breezy, narrative style, Bill empowers the reader to see the natural world as it is, not as some would wish it to be. He does it right. And, as I expected, he does it best." -Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ph.D, host of COSMOS
"Bill Nye, 'the Science Guy,' has become a veritable cultural icon....[T]he title of his new book on evolution...[is] 'Undeniable,' because, yes, there are many Americans who still deny what Darwin and other scientists long ago proved." -Frank Bruni, The New York Times
"With a jaunty bow tie and boyish enthusiasm, Bill Nye the Science Guy has spent decades decoding scientific topics, from germs to volcanoes, for television audiences....In his new book, Nye delights in how [evolution] helps to unlock the mysteries of everything from bumblebees to human origins to our place in the universe." -National Geographic
"When it comes to Bill Nye, 'Science Guy' doesn't even begin to cover it. When he's not being summoned to act as a voice of reason for news outlets or leading meetings as CEO of the Planetary Society, he is living the life of a best-selling author....His recently published book, 'Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation,' enlightens readers while using a conversational, educational tone. After all, it's his ability to break down even the most complicated topics into bite-size pieces that made him such a hit on his '90s children's show 'Bill Nye, the Science Guy.'" -The Boston Globe
"Mr. Nye writes briskly and accessibly...[and] makes an eloquent case for evolution."-The Wall Street Journal
"Because [Bill Nye is] a scientist, he has no doubts that the 'deniers' of evolution are flat wrong. And because he's a performer, his book is fun to read and easy to absorb." -The Washington Post
"Ignite your inner scientist when Nye, known for delivering geeky intel with clarity and charm, takes on one of society's most hotly debated topics (yes, still)." -Time Out New York
Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
I am author of Book on Business Proposal Management. This is book for Beginners, an attempt to minimise steep learning curve for beginners.
Social Book Launch
https://promotions.notionpress.com/busi ... management
FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/A-beginners-gu ... page_panel
Twitter https://twitter.com/BPMAuthor
(Consolidated 3 posts into 1. LanDroid)
Social Book Launch
https://promotions.notionpress.com/busi ... management
FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/A-beginners-gu ... page_panel
Twitter https://twitter.com/BPMAuthor
(Consolidated 3 posts into 1. LanDroid)
- LanDroid
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
I would read the book Dexter recommended. I've read The Limits of Power by the same author.
Two more suggestions:
The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program by Jeremy Scahill and staff of The Intercept
Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield by Jeremy Scahill
Two more suggestions:
The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program by Jeremy Scahill and staff of The Intercept
Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield by Jeremy Scahill
- LevV
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
A great choice, Robert, relevant, positive and there should be plenty of material to debate.Robert Tulip wrote:Books › Engineering & Transportation › Engineering
Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World
by Bill Nye (Author), Corey S. Powell (Editor)
4.6 out of 5 stars
74 customer reviews
http://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Harne ... 1250007143
- Dexter
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
It's a good book, I'm slowly making my way through it, although I'm not sure how well it works for discussion. It is definitely opinionated as to US foreign policy failures, but at the same time it's also a fairly straightforward narrative history.LanDroid wrote:I would read the book Dexter recommended. I've read The Limits of Power by the same author.
- Chris OConnor
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
Does anyone feel we have enough in this thread to move forward with selecting a book?
- Chris OConnor
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Re: What non-fiction book or topic would you like to discuss next?
Here's a best selling new release that seems right up our alley...
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
By Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm
We have a strong instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding--"tribes." This tribal connection has been largely lost in modern society, but regaining it may be the key to our psychological survival.
Decades before the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin lamented that English settlers were constantly fleeing over to the Indians-but Indians almost never did the same. Tribal society has been exerting an almost gravitational pull on Westerners for hundreds of years, and the reason lies deep in our evolutionary past as a communal species. The most recent example of that attraction is combat veterans who come home to find themselves missing the incredibly intimate bonds of platoon life. The loss of closeness that comes at the end of deployment may explain the high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by military veterans today.
Combining history, psychology, and anthropology, TRIBE explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning. It explains the irony that-for many veterans as well as civilians-war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. TRIBE explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today's divided world.
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
By Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm
We have a strong instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding--"tribes." This tribal connection has been largely lost in modern society, but regaining it may be the key to our psychological survival.
Decades before the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin lamented that English settlers were constantly fleeing over to the Indians-but Indians almost never did the same. Tribal society has been exerting an almost gravitational pull on Westerners for hundreds of years, and the reason lies deep in our evolutionary past as a communal species. The most recent example of that attraction is combat veterans who come home to find themselves missing the incredibly intimate bonds of platoon life. The loss of closeness that comes at the end of deployment may explain the high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by military veterans today.
Combining history, psychology, and anthropology, TRIBE explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning. It explains the irony that-for many veterans as well as civilians-war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. TRIBE explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today's divided world.
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