What I'm Reading - August 5, 2008

Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn (writers live interesting lives)
Hating Women: America's Hostile Campaign Against the Fairer Sex by Shmuley Boteach (this book was so offensive and stupid I can't even link to it)

The Elephant in the Greek and Roman World (Aspects of Greek and Roman life) by H. H. Scullard (awesome. I am desperately trying to find a copy of this cheaply. I had one lined up but it fell through. I can't believe I should have to pay $100 for a book about elephants just because the publisher is stupid. if anyone can find one, we'll work something out)

The Cluetrain Manifesto by Christopher Locke, others. (bought it to have a copy and flipped through. regardless of the hype, the authors are genuinely bad writers)
Buying In: The Secret Dialog Between What We Buy and Who We Are by Rob Walker (dismissed a lot of marketing/web 2.0 bullshit)
The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism by J Michael Bailey (this book is really good and honest. attacks the foundations of modern social sciences. there was a great article about in the New York Times about it. )

Where Wild Things Are the Perks of Power (NYT) (I've read Belozerskaya's book which is pretty good. Still I don't think there has been a book that really captures the fascination and joy the subject inherently has. It's something I have been trying to wrap my head around lately. Ideas?)

Why Communities Run on Love/Passion/Personality and Not Organization or Math
This is really cool and creepy

Posted by ryanholiday at 11:21 AM

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Comments

Flynn's book was incredible.

Although we're getting a movie, I wish D-Rex had been able to get the discussion going on the RMMB book club.

Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill is a terrible book. It's a great topic and the author did a lot of work, but the repetitive, hippie fucker cannot write.

Posted by: Tree Frog at August 5, 2008 10:22 AM

What happened with the Scullard book?

Posted by: Ilan Bouchard at August 5, 2008 10:32 AM

I just finished Mark Penn's 'Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes,' and really enjoyed it -- though much of the data he presents shouldn't really surprise anyone who has been tuned in to news, politics, business, and general societal developments for the past few years.

Regarding 'Where Wild Things Are the Perks of Power,' what, besides a hectic schedule, is keeping you from writing the very book you want to read? This is not the first time you have mentioned an interest in that subject, and you appear to have a great deal of research experience...

By the way, I appreciate the articles you share with your readers. I'm not at the point where I can finance (or make time for) such a book habit, but the on-line selections make for great, short reads.

Posted by: Glenn at August 5, 2008 05:21 PM

Don't toy with me Glenn

Posted by: Ryan Holiday at August 5, 2008 06:25 PM

That Tyson link is amazing - thanks a lot!

Posted by: Andrew McMillen at August 6, 2008 03:35 AM

Finishing up two books on Michael Jordan, aka The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith and Playing for Keeps by David Halberstam. The former provided an indepth insider look into the first Bulls team that won it all, the other provides a history of the phenomenon of Michael Jordan and how it reshaped the NBA and corporate America.

In either case, I highly recommend both of them. Lots of strategy and power plays occurred in that franchise, mostly involving Phil Jackson and MJ.

Posted by: Avinash at August 7, 2008 11:35 PM