What books are you asking for this Holiday season?

I just put Screwed, the Undeclared War on the Middle Class by Thom Hartmann. I thought about asking for Take This Job and Ship It by Sen. Byron Dorgon, but the 2 books are basically about the same thing. I just got done reading Hostile Takeover by David Sirota.

What books are you wanting this holiday season?

fiasco
just finished State of Denial, so that's off my list now... also just bought the Kitty Kelly book for $6.99- couldn't help myself!

Elizabeth Edwards' book

Incredible isn't it?.... the lack of planning, the short-sightedness, the petty power plays.... It should be mandatory reading for anyone who still supports the invasion.

I read Kitty's book over the summer! Lots of juicy stuff in it! LOL

you CAN'T put it down.

(or at least I couldn't.)

Good read, so informative, so well done.


Yay! glad to know that kitty's book is going to be fun juicy reading! I could use some schadenfreudish pleasure right now...

I got to see bob woodward give a speach at the local university here. I REALLY want to get his book, it is in my top 5 books to get this summer.

I'm getting John Edwards' book to give as a gift.

Conservatives without Conscience, Keith's book and Screwed for gifts. Don't know what I am getting but in case any friends or family are reading this I want knitting books and will borrow the books I am giving you!!!:)

I just finished Dorgan's book, picked up Hartmann's book at the library today, & am 3rd on the list at the library for Sirota's book. ;)

BTW, I was at the library today - usually I go on a weekday morning - & the place was hoppin'! We have a great library that has lot's of liberal titles & if they don't have it you can request it & they almost always buy it, or at the very least, get it from another library. I love our librarians!

Oh, there's a lovely little http://www.amazon.com/Alices-Adventures-Wonderland-Pop-up-Adaptation/dp/0689847432">Alice in Wonderland pop-up book that I'd like to own.

Take this Job and Ship It by Byron Dorgon are the two I am asking for. I usually get gift cards for Barnes and Noble also so I am sure I can find a few others. I only purchase books that I want to keep (usually non-fiction). Any fiction books I get from the library.

About the current revolution in Chiapas.

I am buying for myself and for friends who are fellow scientists/mathematicians and who know that life arises from bound states of atoms, not quantum field theory calculations even when combined with the pointless tautology of the Anthropic Principle, and who tire of folks who use scientific materialism arguments to advance atheism in articles pretending to be articles on science - which means for every friend I have with a decent science/math background I am buying a cutting edge physics book - FANTASTIC REALITIES - 49 Mind Journeys and A Trip to Stockholm by Frank Wilczek (MIT).


For my atheist friends who need reinforcement of their belief system I like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins assisted Brian Flemming "non-fiction" DVD The God Who Wasn't There (2005) - I've already laid out why the various statements in the DVD are Bull (IMO but then all such discussion is only opinion) but I need to get them up to speed on their side of the idea so as to have a fun discussion!

For those on my side of the discussion on religion, I may be buying Why Bad Things Happen To Good People: (The Christian's Promised Land)- A 2 Peter 1:5 Study (Paperback)by Mark D. Bristow


A mention should be made of The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next by Lee Smolin (Hardcover - Sep 19, 2006) where Lee notes that there is zero physical evidence of 11 dimensions, branes, parallel universes and indeed anything that string theory folk propose based on their following their mathematics. This book sounds like it might be fun - besides which my neighbor Peter W. Shor of Wellesley, MA wrote the following review - which has got me even more interested in the book.

"The part of the book I found most interesting was the part which tells how the string theorists were scammed by Nature (or Mathematics). Of course, Smolin doesn't put it exactly like this, but imagine the following conversation.

String theorists: We've got the Standard Model, and it works great, but it doesn't include gravity, and it doesn't explain lots of other stuff, like why all the elementary particles have the masses they do. We need a new, broader theory.

Nature: Here's a great new theory I can sell you. It combines quantum field theory and gravity, and there's only one adjustable parameter in it, so all you have to do is find the right value of that parameter, and the Standard Model will pop right out.

String theorists: We'll take it.

String theorists (some time later): Wait a minute, Nature, our new theory won't fit into our driveway. String theory has ten dimensions, and our driveway only has four.

Nature: I can sell you a Calabi-Yau manifold. These are really neat gadgets, and they'll fold up string theory into four dimensions, no problem.

String theorists: We'll take one of those as well, please.

Nature: Happy to help.

String theorists (some time later): Wait a minute, Nature, there's too many different ways to fold our Calabi-Yao manifold up. And it keeps trying to come unfolded. And string theory is only compatible with a negative cosmological constant, and we own a positive one.

Nature: No problem. Just let me tie this Calabi-Yao manifold up with some strings and branes, and maybe a little duct tape, and you'll be all set.

String theorists: But our beautiful new theory is so ugly now!

Nature: Ah! But the Anthropic Principle says that all the best theories are ugly.

String theorists: It does?

Nature: It does. And once you make it the fashion to be ugly, you'll ensure that other theories will never beat you in beauty contests.

String theorists: Hooray! Hooray! Look at our beautiful new theory."

neither of which are in our library. Should be coming this week. One's a gift but I'll read it later!

Books I might get include:

Hubris
Armed Madhouse - Greg Palast
Take this Job and Ship it - Dorgon
Doesnt William Pitt have a book coming out soon? ;)

and i am sure i misspelled michael...sorry

NEW YORK ROCKER: MY LIFE IN THE BLANK GENERATION with Blondie, Iggy Pop, and Others 1974-1981
by Gary Valentine

He was around before and during early Blondie and he'll give experiences of the New York glam scene, Patti Smith, Iggy, Lou Reed, Warhol, the LA punk scene, and a lot of interesting people. Plus his version of getting kicked out of Blondie in the 70's and the 90's, which after what happened at the Hall of Fame I want to know more.

He was also a good songwriter. "Presence, Dear" is about connecting with someone so well you can finish their sentences or just look at them and know what they're thinking. He added occult experiences into that and made an out of this world love song.

Was it destiny
I don't know yet
Was it just by chance?
Could this be kismet?
Something in my consciuosness told me you'd appear
Now I'm always touched by your presence,dear

When we play at cards you use an extra sense(it's really not cheating)
You can read my hand I've got no defense
When you send your messages
whispered loud and clear
I am always touched by your presence, dear

Floating past the evidence of possibility
We could navigate together psychic frequencies
Coming into contact with outer entities
We could entertain each one with our theosophies

Stay awake at night and catch your REMs
When your talkin' with your super friends
Levitating lovers in the secret stratosphere
I am still in touch with your presence, dear