Grand unified books thread

[CountDeMoney]

But I've never been able to think of Steve Jobs without thinking "douchebag." This dates back to the 80s for me, when I read in a magazine that Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs were doing a job for Atari. Wozniak did 100% of the work, Steve was just the middle man. Job told Woz the job paid something like $500, in truth it paid $5000 and Jobs pocketed $4750 and gave Woz $250 as his share of the $500 Woz thought the job paid.

I probably have the numbers wrong since I'm going from memory, but the general gist is 100% true.

Yeah, that's the gist.  The whole back story on the completely arbitrary and unfair division of shares when Apple first went public takes the definition of "douchebag" to an entirely new level.  And when he was asked why some guys like Wozniak and others got virtually absolutely nothing, he was like, "Meh".

[Razgovory]

I read this Stalingrad, D-Day, and Spanish Civil War ones.  The Stalingrad one kind of bothered me.  Especially the descriptions of the Typhus epidemic and the lice.  Ugh.  I've avoided the Berlin one.

[Admiral Yi]

The parts of Stalingrad that got to me the most were the German POW camp and shitting on a shovel.

[Ed Anger]

I read this Stalingrad, D-Day, and Spanish Civil War ones.  The Stalingrad one kind of bothered me.  Especially the descriptions of the Typhus epidemic and the lice.  Ugh.  I've avoided the Berlin one.

I tried reading the Spanish Civil war one and just couldn't get through. The theme: Everybody is a dick.

I already knew that.

[Ed Anger]

Finished the supposed last book in the Dread Empire series by Glen Cook, A Path to coldness of heart (Awful title).

For supposedly a book to finish the series, [spoiler]NOTHING GETS RESOLVED. The Star Rider survives, the Dread Empire survives and there is sorta a good ending for everybody. Bleh.[/spoiler]

Rather disappointing. Sorta dreading(tee hee) any new Black Company novels now.

[jimmy olsen]

I read Heir to the Empire to get me in a Star Wars mood for The Old Republic (the MMO). I liked the book. It was a fun, galaxy-spanning space opera. I won't, however, be picking up the next book in the series. The problem? The films. Characters from the films are sacrosanct, and cannot really grow or be challenged (much less killed). Luke, Leia, Han, etc. are all altruistic saints; there can be no grey areas. As a result, there's no suspense as to the eventual outcome; however brilliant Thrawn may be, he will be overcome through charity and good works. As a kid, this was fine. As an adult, it means I identify much more with the bad guys, who, as mere flawed mortals, must use the mundane traits of logic, courage, and dedication to do battle with our magical ubermensch heroes. When you start to empathize more with the faceless stormtroopers than with the Jedi Knight who slaughters them, I think it's safe to say you've moved beyond the Star Wars universe. Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.

Eh, [spoiler]Chewabaca [/spoiler]gets killed when the galaxy gets invaded by extragalactic biotech sadists and Han becomes a bitter and cynical. Also bad stuff happens to the young generation which effects the old.

[Zoupa]

Just finished The Neon Rain, from James Lee Burke.

Dave Robicheaux is one cool cat

Any of you guys read the rest of his stories?

[11B4V]

Finished the supposed last book in the Dread Empire series by Glen Cook, A Path to coldness of heart (Awful title).

For supposedly a book to finish the series, [spoiler]NOTHING GETS RESOLVED. The Star Rider survives, the Dread Empire survives and there is sorta a good ending for everybody. Bleh.[/spoiler]

Rather disappointing. Sorta dreading(tee hee) any new Black Company novels now.

I remember I read Annals of the Black Company (The Black Company; Shadows Linger; The White Rose) and maybe another output of similar format waaaaaaay back when '86 or '87 . Embarassingly way back when.

They were great BTW.

[Admiral Yi]

Currently reading A Sacred Hunger, a novel about Liverpool merchants in the slave trade.  Co-winner of the Booker Prize.

S'ok.

[Josephus]

I just read a fantastic novel by an Australian Elliot Perlman called The Street Sweeper. Hard to explain what it's about. It's a Holocaust novel but it's also a novel about American civil rights. It's a love story. It's a story about heroism and kindness and the way that all of us are connected to each other.

[CountDeMoney]

I read this Stalingrad, D-Day, and Spanish Civil War ones.  The Stalingrad one kind of bothered me.  Especially the descriptions of the Typhus epidemic and the lice.  Ugh.  I've avoided the Berlin one.

I tried reading the Spanish Civil war one and just couldn't get through. The theme: Everybody is a dick.

I already knew that.

I read a great book on the Spanish Blue Division some time back, Franco's volunteers for the Eastern Front.  Man, talk about volunteering for a trip to Hell.
As unit actions go, they acquitted themselves a hell of a lot better than some other foreign detachments, but still.  A lot of brave, forgotten men.

[Gups]

Finished Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey, won the Booker a couple of years before Yi's one. It has followed me around, unread, from house for more than 20 years. It was worth the wait - set mainly in Australia in the min 19th century, follows the lives of  two unlikely compulsive gamblers. Very good.

Not read any trash for a while so indulging myself with some Space Opera by Peter Hamilton. Writing is lolbad but enjoying the plot. 9% in according to kindle.

[CountDeMoney]

Whenever I want to turn off my brain, I pick up some WH40K stuff.  Talk about checking out intellectually.

[The Brain]

Whenever I want to turn off my brain, I pick up some WH40K stuff.  Talk about checking out intellectually.

Like fiction and shit?

[CountDeMoney]

Whenever I want to turn off my brain, I pick up some WH40K stuff.  Talk about checking out intellectually.

Like fiction and shit?

Both the fiction and the RPG rulebooks and companions.  As far as the fiction goes, I started with the Horus Heresy series.