what are we reading?!

[jsoto3]

recommending two books in another post (http://pub50.ezboard.com/fthedallasmetropolisfrm2.showMessageRange?topicID= 124.topic&start=21&stop=23), I figured it would be interesting if we all shared what we are currently reading and/or our favorite books, fictional and non-fictional . . . . .

[GarrettCarey]

I have just finished reading "Comeback Cities: A Blueprint for Urban Neighborhood Revival" by Paul S. Grogan and Tony Proscio. This book was an excellent read! It covers the revitalization efforts of inner city ghettos with examples such as the South Bronx, Boston, Houston, Cleveland, etc. Specific topics include public housing, public schools, grassroots organizations, STRONG mayors, and Community Development Corporations. I highly recommend this book to those who are intereseted in these types of urban issues.

[jsoto3]

"A Thousand Years of Non-Linear History" by Manuel de Landa (SWERVE, 1997) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0942299329/qid=1024756753/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-5774748-1633542)

I just started, but it is proving to be extremely fascinating . . . .

"Forcefully challenges habituated understandings of 'history', 'urban' and 'economics'." -- Christopher Hight, AA Files

[Columbus Civil]

I'm almost halfway through "The Geography of Nowhere" by James Howard Kunstler.

[gc]

I have just started reading Dallas: The Making of a Modern City by Patricia Evridge Hill. It primarily focuses on the agendas and activities of political groups from 1880-1920 and then on business and city building in Dallas between 1920 and 1940. I have just started reading it, but seems promising that it will provide some good historical insight into the growth, business, politics, media, and institutions that have transformed the city that we all love. In fact, I already recommend it!

[jsoto3]

I read most of that book a couple of years ago. Very interesting, but it got a bit tedious and i got bored. I will have to give it a second chance.

[TexasStar]

Rare Earth - Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe
By Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee

Fascinating read. But, a little disconcerting to a Star Trek lover.
:)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0387987010/002-5975980-0204860?vi=glance

[mikedsjr]

Since you can check out "Comeback Cities: A Blueprint for Urban Neighborhood Revival" at the Fort Worth public library, I assume you can do the same in Dallas.

[gc]

I would imagine so.....I was a dummy and bought it!

[gc]

Okay, well I have just finished reading Dallas: The Making of a Modern City by Patricia Evridge Hill. At times, it is very detailed and dry, but overall an interesting read. I will restate that it covers such things as population growth, racial and social equality, business, business, politics, politics, media, and few other shaping institutions in Dallas. I also found it interesting to see characters of Woodall Rogers, R.L. Thornton, the Cabell family, Dealey, and others throughout the book. Most of us only know those names as freeways, buildings, or plazas. It also gave me a better sense of history as to why things are (or are not) in Dallas. I recommend it.

[gc]

I have begun reading Dallas Public and Private - Aspects of an American City by Warren Leslie. This book was published a year after the JFK assasination and was at the time a highly controversial piece of material. It was an attempt to describe Dallas and why it was the perfect place for such an event. Thus far, I have read the forward and the first chapter.....excellence. I have so many questions.

[freewaytincan]

Originally posted by Columbus Civil
I'm almost halfway through "The Geography of Nowhere" by James Howard Kunstler.

Working on that one myself. I liked Suburban Nation, and I consider it a fine example of something anyone could read, and understandable enough for a newbie to the ideas of it.

I also read Big D by Howard Payne, which I found to be fascinating. Can't think of anything now, being in Huntsville at my brother's house doesn't help...

[CTroyMathis]

Well, currently I'm re-reading Desmond Morris' "Human Zoo." Oh, such lovely light reading...heh!

[downtownbum]

just finished kinky "the kinkstah" freidman's new novel "kill two birds and get stoned." pure gold.

[CTroyMathis]

Kinky is always an entertaining read... :) Well, I got handed a book this morning from a guy that just came back from New Zealand (where he picked it up.) It's called Jennifer Government. I haven't started it yet, because I've been busy looking at this books related site...http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi.

[gc]

Originally posted by GCarey
I have begun reading Dallas Public and Private - Aspects of an American City by Warren Leslie. This book was published a year after the JFK assasination and was at the time a highly controversial piece of material. It was an attempt to describe Dallas and why it was the perfect place for such an event. Thus far, I have read the forward and the first chapter.....excellence. I have so many questions.

Just finished this book. Quite interesting and highly recommended.

[gc]

I just started reading "Leadership" by Rudolph W. Giuliani. So far so good!

[JBB]

I've got a copy of Leadership and I haven't done more than read the first few chapters and scan the rest for a paper I wrote for school. I'm not a huge fan of that type of non-fiction, so I've never been able to will myself to read it cover to cover. I'm fascinated by what Giuliani accomplished after 9/11, so I'd love to hear what you think after you finish.

[gc]

Alright, I finished Leadership just before Christmas. I enjoy this type of book, so I thought it was great. It contains some good lessons learned that can be applied with any type of work....not to mention at the city leadership level.

Anyways, I am now on to another book.


Men of Steel : The Story of the Family That Built the World Trade Center by Richard Firstman (Author), Karl III Koch (Author). It is a little slow to start but interesting nonetheless.

[Columbus Civil]

Just finished White Teeth by Zadie Smith, which I highly recommend.

Right now, I'm about halfway through Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

[freewaytincan]

I'm currently reading Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke and Gentry Lee.

[tamtagon]

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

[urban_bearkat]

I read Dallas Public and Private a few years ago, I thought it was a pretty good book.

As far as reading right now, plowing through The Complete Works of Francis Schaffer Vol I. Great book. Great thinker. Francis Schaffer was a Christian writer who really focused on philosophy and the importance of the arts....I've read one tirade where he rips on modern churches for being so bland and insulated from the world...more or less equating them with McDonalds and the suburban movement. Great stuff.

[aceplace]

Cities in Civilization, by Peter Hall, and Ring of Fire, by various authors. It is based upon a series of books written by Eric Flint.

Ring of Fire is about a contemporary West Virginia town bizzarely being transported into Germany during the Thirty Years War, about 1633, and its struggle for survival in a very hostile world. Conflicts of technology and political thought...

Cities in Civilization is an enormous compendium of the urban history of several major world cities. He explains that Los Angeles was suburban and sprawled as far back as 1910.

[gc]

Just started another book.

A Prayer for the City by Buzz Bissinger (Same gentleman who wrote Friday Night Lights).

It is about Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell and his efforts to save the city. So far, it seems that Dallas and Philadephiahave/ had more in common than I thought.

[freewaytincan]

I'm almost finished with Rama II. After that, it'll be The Garden of Rama and concludes with Rama Revealed. Probably some Tom Clancy after that.

[gc]

Just started another book.

A Prayer for the City by Buzz Bissinger (Same gentleman who wrote Friday Night Lights).

It is about Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell and his efforts to save the city. So far, it seems that Dallas and Philadephiahave/ had more in common than I thought.

Also reading Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut. Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorites.

[freewaytincan]

Just got through with The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado, and now I've just gotten into Big Plans by...someone. I can't remember.

[aceplace]

A murder mystery called "The Boy Who Followed Ripley", by the late Patricia Highsmith.

Ripley, living in luxury in a French mansion, but hiding well his status as a psychopathic killer, meets a young man who has murdered his father and flees to France.Ripley identifies with the boy and agrees to help him...

[gc]

Well, this thread has been dead for a while.

I am currently reading Fates Worse Than Death, An Autobiographical Collage by Kurt Vonnegut (my favorite author)

What are you reading?

[freewaytincan]

I'm with Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It's heavy stuff, but it's good for me.

[drumguy8800]

Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy and The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I'm a very light reader.. It takes a lot for me to get into a book, but once I get into it, I can't put it down.

[F4shionablecHa0s]

Animal Farm by Orwell.

Just finished Pet Semetary by Stephen King. That one was better than I thought it would be.

[bloodandpopcorn]

I'm re-reading Conrad's Heart of Darkness for what must be the tenth time. I'm not normally a very big reader, though.

[JSteffen]

OMG, I love Animal Farm... EVERYONE should read it...

[freewaytincan]

OMG, I love Animal Farm... EVERYONE should read it...

I concur.

[Columbus Civil]

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

[gc]

Recently finished reading The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.

Both great books and very thought provoking.

[drumguy8800]

Last week I finished The Catcher in The Rye and Charm School, I'm still reading Rainbow Six, and I've started The Gemini Contenders.

[CDALLEN2005]

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

[downtownbum]

i just finished reading "goodbye to a river" by john graves about a solo canoe trip down the brazos in the late 50s. full of philosophic musings and history of the region. not about anything to do with urbanity but it is about our region. and i am slowly working on churchills "history of the english speaking peoples," about halfway through vol. 1 of 4

[freewaytincan]

Started Mere Christianity not so long ago.

[Columbus Civil]

Started Mere Christianity not so long ago.

I just finished the first book of C.S. Lewis's space trilogy.

Started on Graham Greene's "Brighton Rock" last night.

[Agnus Dei]

Started on Graham Greene's "Brighton Rock" last night.
That reminded me of Donnie Darko:
-"Do you even know who Graham Greene is?"
-"I think we've all seen Bonanza."

Anyhoo, I just started Chuck Palahniuk's Choke . Should be a fun read.

[mikedsjr]

The field guide of geology by David Lambert.

Just to learn a few things.

[texman]

Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Charles Dickens - A Tale of Two Cities

[St-T]

Crighton's "State of Fear"

[F4shionablecHa0s]

Crighton's "State of Fear"
Oh, I'm about halfway through that.

Excellent read so far, although it sounds like something the Bush administration would put out.

[CTroyMathis]

I just re-read Anthem (Rand) for the first time since college days.

[mikedsjr]

Unspeakable (facing up to evil in an age of genocide and terror) by Os Guiness