Job Discussion Forums

zeke0606 · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 3:07 pm Post subject: What are we reading?

I am interested in knowing the literature - good and bad - that we as teachers are reading.
I really don't want anyone being critical of what others are reading - be they Superman Comics or Plato - just the last five or so books that you have read.

If you must, then tell us about the title!

I've been reading the following:
Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas - The Second Messiah
Chuck Barris - Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Ken Follett - A Place Called Freedom
Haruki Murakami - Sputnik Sweetheart
Boris Akunin - Special Assignments
Anne Rice - Servant of the Bones

I finally got a copy of the United States Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation. Living in Russia, it is not always easy to get such things! However, there is an interesting disclaimer on the title page in this small text. I will copy it verbatim.

"This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today. Parents might wish to discuss with their children how views on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and interpersonal relations have changed since this book was written before allowing them to read this classic work."

This book has a (c) and 2008! I fail to understand what part of these historical documents should cause such a problem??? Or is this just being hyper PC????

Zeke

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

That IS very interesting - it is simply mind-boggling when people begin to reject the principles and philosophy upon which the country was founded - on which they themselves stand and depend - something like sawing off the branch on which you sit. Now that we are free of the prejudice of holding values like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness we can proceed to criticize what our ancestors built...

On literature, I read some great words today by Hilaire Belloc:

lostdegaine · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 35

I seem to be alternating between irrationality and classics.

A New England Nun and Other Stories - Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
The Black Swan - Nassim Taleb
Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
Time Must Have A Stop - Aldous Huxley
Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely
Nudge - Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein

After reading an article on BBC News about the books banned most frequently in the US, I really want to get hold of a copy of And Tango Makes Three.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8284509.stm

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 4:26 pm Post subject:

Ulysses. (at this forever. Worth it, but not a light, quick read.)

The Man from Saint Petersburg, Ken Follett. (A light, fun read.)

Uncovering Grammar, Scott Thornbury.

How Languages Are Learned, Lightbown and Spada. (I'm a grad student. Wink

)

Something by David SIngleton, which I should remember better than I do. Time to get reading again...

Best,
Justin

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 4:28 pm Post subject:

Mr. P · Joined: 25 Sep 2009 Posts: 32

I'm reading "The Count of Monte Cristo" at this time.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:51 pm Post subject:

Currently reading "The Infinities" John Banville

Recent reads:

The Demon Haunted World, Carl Sagan

Darwin, A life in Science, John Gribbin

The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, Sebastian Barry

The Butcher Boy, Patrick McCabe

Millenium, Tom Holland

Amongst Women, John McGahern

Cold War, Jermey Isaacs

Heck, I read a lot. Just as well, living in the Russian climate would be hell otherwise.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:18 pm Post subject:

fluffyhamster · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject:

I'm reading letters at the moment. I'm hoping to build up to whole words soon! Very Happy

johnslat · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:25 pm Post subject:

Currently reading:

Netherlands by Joseph O'Neill

Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson

The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics by Leonard Susskind

Recently read

Blue Heaven. By C. J. Box

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Known World by Edward P. Jones

Regards,
John

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I finished Within the Fettlerlock, about King Richard. Hard read, thicker than my Bible. It was good, but kept having to turn to the front to look at the chartacters, kind of like Shakespeare. Though I thoroughly enjoyed it. NIce to read a hard book every once in a while and take a break from the fluff.

Also read Angela�s AShes. Can't say I liked it. heard that it was sad and depressing, but I guess after living in Peru for five years, poverty doesn't faze me.

Also wanted to say this. If you've got enough foreigners in your area, try to arrange a book swap. We do a monthly one and it's a great way to get new free material

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

i usually read political/history/military history/some fiction books. most of what i read are books that many people on here probably have little interest in or have never heard of.

In the past few months I've read:

1. My Years as Prime Minister - Jean Chretien.
2. Brian Mulroney - Memoirs (currently reading).
3. Afghanistan - A Russian Soldier's Story - Vladislav Tamarov

don't spend as much time reading as i should.... also have a bunch of other books on the shelf waiting to be read - the booty from a trip back home this past summer.

i noted the book "How Languages are Learned" above and found a .pdf copy of it online. Will read that at some point too.

khmerhit · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:30 am Post subject:

CJ Box is highly rated but I couldnt get far into the one that made his name, forget what you call it now. I try every now and again to get into this genre but for some reason, it rarely sticks. I tried the highly acclaimed G Pelecanos but was turned off. However, Ken Bruen, who taught english for 25 years on several continents, is the bees knees, as they say. If he ever does a memoir,....watchout..I have also been reading Utopia, poems of Cambodia, which came out last week, and which you can get on Amazon. Its pretty good if i do say so myself!!

Great thread!!

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