Recomended Reading

“The O'Reilly Factor, and the No Spin Zone, both by bill O'Reilly.

I have read the No spin zon (his second book) and I'm in the middle of the Factor. I have found O'Reilly to be a libral conservitive, or a conservitive libral, he presents the facts and lets you decide. Both books I am enjoying because he offers information that you can't get from your basic 10pm news.

Sitting on the "to-be-read" pile is Bias a CBS insider tells how the media distorts the media, and Shakedown exposing the real jessi jackson. I'll let you know how they are in a few weeks.”

“I like to read for pleasure, and don't find politics terribly pleasurable! Cool you found something that interests you to read about though.

I'd highly recommend "Into the Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, but know many of you have already read it. If you haven't... for shame!”

“Ice Tea, the question with O'Reilly is whether he gives you ALL the facts you need to decide. Based on his TV show, I don't think so. And it isn't always facts alone, but tone and phrasing and emphasis that can influence the "decision" you make from considering those facts. Be careful Tea. When someone says there is "no spin," that is the biggest spin of all.”

“** The O'Reilly Factor, and the
No Spin Zone **

Hmmmm, I get the feeling I'm reading the wrong kind of books.

"Make Him Scream" by Dr. Sheryl Brown, is one of my favorites.”

“Is that a sex guide? :p”

“What?

Are you dead?

Yes!”

“Recommended reading . . . this could get very long. Just read . . . almost anything is worth it. You will learn far more in the library then you will ever learn in a traditional classroom.”

“Walk Across America
-Peter Jenkins-”

“"Bias" is next on my list. Read "Bureau and the Mole". I keep picking up Bernard Lewis' "History of the Middle East: The Past 2000 years" but can't get into it yet.

Want another pertinent nonfiction? Try "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power" by Daniel Yergin. Taking on renewed significance with threats of oil embargoes and blackmail.

"Riverhorse" still meandering through the middle of all that I read. After that "Seldom Disappointed" by Tony Hillerman, an autobio work will become the meanderer.”

“Boring Pathman.

But ... some of Hillerman's stuff is ok.”

“Boring? So get Donaldson to write another in the "Gap" or "Woman in the Mirror" series.

If it gets too boring I have Clancy's "Shadow Warriers".

Or maybe I should quit reading and compile my grandfathers sixty years of letter and photos. (Knew Faisal as a prince, instrumental in developing the Saudi oil fields).

Right now I have first grade soccer.”

“Having first grade soccer could be just as interesting to compile. Sometimes the mundane, day to day stuff that people write about launches them to fame.”

“For all of you football fans read this book:
"When Pride Still Mattered, A Life of Vince Lombardi"
Excellent book about Lombardi.”

“I have read as many of the Hillerman books as I could find. I really liked some of them. I have a picture book of his where he matches pictures of the Southwest to passages of his books, so those of us who don't get to New Mexico and Arizona very often, can better enjoy the scenery that his books describe. I love to read about the details of American Indian life that he describes. You get a better idea of how different the various tribal cultures are from each other. Those of us who don't live in dry climates also get a little lesson in how we should conserve water; something that we don't often think about. It is cool how he weaves these little everyday things into his mysteries, so that only a person who knew the reservations and desert life could solve the mysteries.”

“It is very true that O'Reilly trys to perswade your desision, but all and all I want a more conservitave mindset. I live in one of the most libral states, I go to public school, so I need some positive republican reinforcement. I can't learn about the stuff that O'reilly talks about in the class room because teachers are too afraid of getting sew for teaching lib/conservitive politics so they avoid it all together.”

“Hey Tea, did you see the O'Reilly special The Corruption of the American Child? It is worth seeing if/when they replay it.”

“Tea, go back a ways and find Barry Goldwater's "Conscience of a Conservative." I read it when I was 15 and found it very enlightening, though the chapter on war was disturbing and didn't sway me from protesting against our Viet Nam adventure. The rest was very useful for rounding out the ideological picture in American politics.”

“Personally, I like Emerson Thoreau.”

“I've mentioned it on other threads but Endurance: Shackelton's Incredible Voyage is one oustanding read. You won't be disappointed.”

“That's Emerson AND Thoreau.”

“Emerson's long essay "Nature" is definitely a "must read." Tea seemed to be interested in politically oriented reading suggestions to balance his notion of a liberal environment closing in on him. And Emerson and Thoreau certainly have political implications, some more obvious than others.”

“Watership Down..reading it for the 2nd time...Just finished Catcher and the Rye...”

“Tom Robbins' "Jitterbug Perfume." And for a good, hard laugh Dave Barry's "Big Trouble." I read it while getting over the flu and almost puked I laughed so hard. It's a movie now too, but I find the book is always better.”

“Recently read Jerry Linenger's "Off The Planet". Once you get past the first few chapters where Jerry is telling everyone how much he loves himself, it's not too bad. Linenger was the US astronaut who was aboard Mir when they had the fire. Quite a tale of a stubborn individual determined to do his best in an impossible situation.”

“The Late Spike Milligan's "Adolf Hitler, My part in his downfall."
This guy was doing Monty Python when Monty Python were all still in short pants.”

“The Classics! Spike Milligan's Puckoon is a favorite of mine.

On a sad note, I feel I must relay what I heard Bill O'Reilly say to Brian Lamb some months ago:

"On 'The Factor,' we deal mostly in emotion; we don't have time to let our audience think."

Hopefully the book doesn't follow the format of the show too closely.”

“Anyone read "The Monkey Wrench Gang" by Edward Abbey?”

“Didn't read the "Monkeywrench Gang" but enjoyed "Desert Solitaire" immensely.”

“"The Monkey Wrench Gang" is one of the few books I remember reading in college. Great read!”

“Just thought of another one, invaluable to backpackers:

Undaunted Courage, by Stephen Ambrose

You'll never complain about your gear again, no matter how crappy it is after reading this book. Lewis and Clark would have killed to have your gear.”

“That sounds like a good book!

I am going to have to check that out.

8)”

“That is an awesome book. Lewis and Clark were the luckiest dogs EVER!!!!”

“Don't forget that Lewis committed suicide.”

“"Don't forget that Lewis committed suicide."
pekka
10:53:01 PM
04/14/02

They are not sure how he died. If I remember correctly there was talk of removing him from his grave to determine exactly what did happen.

"He stopped for a night at an inn in Tennessee an was found fatally wounded the next day. It has never has been determined whether he committed suicide or was murdered."”

“Lewis was known to have depressive tendencies. He considered the Lewis and Clark expedition to be a failure. And he was pretty much a failure as the Governor of whatever territory St. Louis was the capital of at the time. He was unsuited for that type of position.
So I feel that there is actually a good chance he killed himself.”

“bitpusher, you are right about Lewis and Clark. They didn't do "ultra-light" packing. They did "ultra-heavy" packing. That was an eye-opening book.
I think it was pretty obvious that Lewis killed himself.”

“Skyblue, Jitterbug was good. Have you read, "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues"? That's a funny read as well. Then there's always, "Breakfast of Champions". Vonnegut is wonderful.

T, you may want to try reading "Free to Choose."”

“"Vonnegut is wonderful."
- arclite
11:54:30 AM
04/15/02

Wow! We agree on something. I like Tom Robbins too.”

“"Walk Across America
-Peter Jenkins-"
walkindude
09:17:11 AM
04/13/02

That's a good book Walkindude. I read it years ago. I have also read "The Walk West". The continuation of Walk Across America. I think he has some other books. I read another one by him, "Along the Edge of America". It is also pretty good. In that one he is older and divorced, buys a boat and goes from Florida to Texas.
Something interesting about the first book. Peter walked on the AT during the winter and got sick. He spent a few days in a shelter in the GSMNP. My brother took his one and only backpacking trip and missed seeing him at the shelter by just a few days.”

“Undaunted Courage was a great book.
Those guys were nuts. It is understandable that Lewis had a hard time readjusting to "civilized" life after the adventure he had.”

“"Wow! We agree on something. I like Tom Robbins too."

Violin


Golly, violin, I never would have taken you for a sarcastic, sardonic, ironic sort of fellow.”

“Arclite, Cowgirls was what hooked me on Robbins. I also liked Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. In large part because of the title.

While Lewis and Clark certainly paid the price for their adventures I would still give anything to see America (or what would eventually become America) as they did. No RVs, no Mickey Mouse ears, no Golden Arches, just half a continent of unspeakably beautiful wilderness.”

“NO DOUBT!!!!!!!!!

To much crap in America today not enough wild areas!

8|”

“Received my copies of Mawson's Will and The Endurance yesterday. I quickly skimmed The Endurance looking at the photos, but started reading Mawson's Will first. So far, it's fascinating.”