- Joined
- Apr 20, 2018
- Messages
- 10,257
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- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- Political Leaning
- Undisclosed
Red --> You're welcome.
Blue:
Thank you.
"A bit" -- as in whatever I can unearth in five minutes or less, preferably two (LOL) -- is about all the research I'm willing to devote to responding to other members' posts here. What sometimes -- usually re: economics. other science, legal and history matters -- takes a little bit longer is finding references that, as per DP's implied preference, are accessible for free on the web.
That said, I appreciate the kindness you've shown in sharing that you've noticed I bother to some extent "trust but verify" the presumptions I have in my mind before airing them in the public sphere.
Tan:
I'm sorry, I don't quite know to what book (book series) or what context you have in mind. On the bestseller lists to which I linked, I see no J.K. Rowling text listed at #1. Has she assumed a nom de plume?
Perhaps you have in mind that one of her books is an all-time best seller? To be sure some of the Potter-series texts are on the all-time bestseller list for fiction books; however, they haven't outsold Dickens (Tale of Two Cities), Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) or Cervantes (Don Quixote)...those three are going to be quite hard to best given that each of them is often a required text for countless high school English classes.
- Best-Selling Books of All-Time
- 30 Best Selling Books of All-Time per the NYT and Guardian
- Best Selling Books of All Time
- The top 100 bestselling books of all time (based on UK sales)
Pink:
Would I read any of which list's books?
I've read the Dickens, Cervantes and Tolkien books noted above, as well as the entire "Potter" series.
Of the non-fiction books on the NYT bestsellers list to which I linked, I aim to read:
- Educated A Memoir
- If you read Hillbilly Elegy and enjoyed it, you'll find this one appealing too.
- Of this book I'm told that it's affirming of notions I hold dear while simultaneously contradictory of their primacy. I will soon enough find out how and why.
- Fear
- These Truths A History of the United States
- My interest in this book is to see how Dr. Lepore's presentation complements, differs from and is similar to Zinn's "A People's History," which strikes me as a "must read" for every American. "These Truths" has the potential to eclipse Zinn's work if it includes enough of the perspective he offers as well as the traditional one along with new ones that are often overlooked.
From what I've been told about her book, it seems she does a fine job of disabusing her readers of much of the (implied/inferred) fictions common to the learning of America's history, so Zinn-eclipsing or not, it's likely well worth reading for anyone who's not taken a couple or three non-survey collegiate history classes. (Eg., history of science and technology, American economic history, African American history, history of women in America, history of education in America, history of pre-Colonial America, American history 1500 to 1800, American military history, history of the "American Dream," 20th century America, etc.)
- My interest in this book is to see how Dr. Lepore's presentation complements, differs from and is similar to Zinn's "A People's History," which strikes me as a "must read" for every American. "These Truths" has the potential to eclipse Zinn's work if it includes enough of the perspective he offers as well as the traditional one along with new ones that are often overlooked.
From a fiction standpoint, I'm all about suspense and action thrillers, especially spy novels and some allegorical science fiction aimed at adults. The thing with me and fiction is that I read so much of it in high school and college that short of spy novels, which weren't required reading in school, I read little of it.
Truth be told, however, I still find myself reading the academic journals that have become so familiar to me. I'm sure that'll pass in good time now that I've retired.
