What are you currently reading?

[Ed I]

Montana 1948 Larry Watson

Fly Fishing Montana's Missouri River Trapper Badovinac

Spring Creeks Mike Lawson

Tying Small Flies Ed Engle

[M2d]

Current:
Toilers of the Sea-Victor Hugo
Frumious Bandersnatch-Ed McBain

Just finished:
Another Lousy Day in Paradise-John Gierach
Confessions of a Fly Fishing Addict-Nick Lyons

[scotnt73]

HPFAP for the 3rd time(basically i just read a section that interests me each night for abour 20 minutes before i goto sleep)

im also reading the book that tells about the the whole history of the Lord of the Rings world. i wont try to spell it since i dont have it in front of me.

[bigpooch]

Poker books:

Middle Limit Holdem Poker by Ciaffone and Brier
Real Poker II by Cooke
Winning Concepts in Draw and Lowball by Malmuth


Other books:

The Genesis of Justice by Alan M. Dershowitz
Riemann's Zeta Function by H.M. Edwards


and hopefully, my opponent's cards! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[superleeds]

The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

[David Steele]

The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker, excellent book for anybody interested in any subject.

D.

[Utah]

The Elegant Universe - By Brian Greene

Its a book on superstring theory

[Wake up CALL]

K & W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or AttentionDefecit Disorder, 7th Edition by Imy F. Wax and MaryBeth Kravets

I am attempting to better understand The Taxman and his posting techniques.

Next on my agenda is:



How College Affects Students : Findings and Insights from Twenty Years of Research by Ernest T. Pascarella and Patrick T. Terenzini

Between these two reads I may get a handle on the problems facing The Taxman and why he does not understand the difference between facts and opinions. I just do not want to give up on the kid no matter how frustrating he can be at times. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Zeno]

One the recommedation of a friend I am reading

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (just started and like it so far).

Also

Random Walk Down WallStreet by Burton G. Malkiel

And the very scandalous Satyrica by Petronius.

Rereading portions of Classics of Free Thought, edited by Paul Blanshard.

-Zeno

[andyfox]

[elwoodblues]

Many of the replies make me laugh. Not that I doubt what people are reading, but nobody said "The newest John Grisham" or other "popular" books. Instead we have string theory and fly fishing. This would be an interesting group to go drinking with.

As for my list, right now I'm not reading anything as I just moved and the warden won't let me have any free time. However, on my list to read within the next few months are:

The Da Vinci Code (everyone I know who has read it has said that I would love it, so this one will probably come first)

Lies and the Lying Liars...

Memorial Day (by Vince Flynn --- I would highly recommend Flynn to people who like Tom Clancy. Flynn has a pretty good series going here: easy reads, mindless fun)

The Final Prophecy (book in a series of star wars books that I started reading a while back and, though I don't much care for how the story is playing out I feel like I have to finish the stupid series...)

James Patterson books Four Blind Mice and Big Bad Wolf (again, I feel invested in the Alex Cross books even though I find them pretty stupid...so help me God if there is another "surprise" ending where "surprise" the real killer is a crooked cop I will stop reading anything written by this guy)

Plenty o' Poker books

Where is Baby's Belly Button (I have a 16 month old so this one will actually come well before any of the others)

~elwood

[ThaSaltCracka]

in the process of reading "The Virtues of Abe Lincoln"
"App. of Mathematics, 8th ed." (for school) def. not for fun /images/graemlins/frown.gif
finished O'Reilly's second book,
have a huge list to read because all I got for christmas was books /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[dogsballs]

[ArchAngel71857]

Positively Fifth Street by James McManus

HPFAP second time

Too much for school

A Detailed and Intricate Study into Behavior Aspects of Children with Attention Deficet Dis- HEY LET'S GO RIDE BIKES!

-AA

[RcrdBoy]

[ QUOTE ]
Positively Fifth Street by James McManus



[/ QUOTE ]

Man, I loved this book.

-Mike

[RcrdBoy]

in the last three months have finished or started the following:

Out of Left Field - How the Mariners made baseball fly in Seattle

The Crulest Miles. Story of the Diphtheria outbreak in Nome, AK.

George Jones - I lived to tell it all

In the little world - Story of Dwarves, love and trouble

-Mike

[M2d]

Hey, I listed a McBain book, so there's some mush out there.

[M2d]

my take on the subject (not the book) is that you either can or can't. I can't. period. I recently, at the San Mateo ISE, watched a friend of mine (and professional tier) tie a #32 parachute adams. When he told me he'd tie a 32 for me, I thought he'd do a seredipity or some other simple pattern. Parachute dry? you've got to be kidding me. After he was done, I asked for a #32 General Practitioner. he said he'd work on it and get back to me at next year's ISE. We'll see about that.

[Six_of_One]

[ QUOTE ]
One the recommedation of a friend I am reading

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (just started and like it so far).


[/ QUOTE ]

Fantastic book...I don't read westerns, but I loved this one. Great miniseries, too.

[Ulysses]

Anyone finished reading this yet? Rising Up and Rising Down (http://store.mcsweeneys.net/index.cfm/fuseaction/catalog.detail/object_id/C6895831-C8BE-4BB0-AEA6-1B4022A23AFB/RisingUpandbrRisingDown.cfm)

[Ed I]

I've only tied down to #22 and simple at that, thread body with a thorax of peacock or a bead. Simple and works for midges. I wear Mag Eyes when I tie. I was out today and didn't do so well with the small stuff. Previous 2 times were just fine. I do have trouble seeing small flies on the water, frustrating.

[bdypdx]

Dennis Lehane novels. He's screenwriting for HBO's "The Wire" in the next season.

[Taxman]

I am currently reading Big Deal because I never got around to it until now. Enjoying it so far. I just finished What do You Care What Other People Think? by Richard Feynman, which is a GREAT book.

[Zeno]

#32?! This is not a practical fly is it? I never learned to tie flies. I still get some from my dad, brothers, or just usually buy them. Most common flies are reasonably cheap from catalog outfits. My two brothers are pretty good at fly making - I just never took it up.

-Zeno

[M2d]

I think, at this point, it's a bragging thing among pros. The practical purpose is, of course, midges and their larvae. rather than palmer some hackle up a #22 and call it a "midge cluster", they now go down to #32 and fish them as individual midges.
Charlie, the tier, said that he's fished them and caught fish on them, but, as you'd suspect, his tippet is so small (I think he said 10x (is there such a thing?)), that you can't hold fish of any size that takes it. His best length to fly size ratio is 22" on a size 26 (8x).

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
One the recommedation of a friend I am reading

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (just started and like it so far).

[/ QUOTE ]

IMO Lonesome Dove is the "Great American Novel". After you finish it watch the mini-series on DVD or VHS.

~ Rick

[Rick Nebiolo]

Read "Cold Mountain" just before catching the movie. The movie was very good, but the book was great.

Read "Master and Commander" by Patrick O'Brian after seeing the movie. Now I want to read the series but wonder if I'll have time.

Meanwhile, am well into "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley. Good read so far, but I love books about my parent's generation.

I hope to start "A Heart So White" by Javier Marias soon. A door guy at this martini bar we go to recommended it and he seemed really smart so I'll take his word. Might be too esoteric for me in which case I'll send it to John Cole.

I started the McManus poker book but put it aside when IMO it bogged down in the Sylvia Plath stuff. Perhaps it's because I'm pokered out lately.

The best reading is in the magazine "Atlantic Monthly". It's got to be the best magazine in the world (other than Card Player of course).

~ Rick

[bernie]

great book on a different take on the roots of christianity. shows even more just how screwed up religion is. amazes me how people follow the idiots in the vatican.

fills the time between reading the 'articles' in Playboy.

b

[Ed I]

Stu Apte has held a number of world records for big fish over his lifetime. He can land a trout quicker on light tippet than anyone I know. He understands how to diorient the fish because he knows exactly how much pressure he can put on the light tippet because of his saltwater expierence. Stu once landed a 24 inch rainbow on the Henry"s Fork using a size 24 dry fly weth 6x tippet.

I believe the top authority on leader construction is George Harvey, who taught the first fly-fishing course in the United States in 1934. In the mid 80s he wrote an article for Fly Fisherman on proper leader construction. George feels anglers kill trout because they use tippet that is to small to land them in a reasonable amount of time. He believes that if the leader is constructed propererly, you can make a proper drag-free presentation without using 6x, 7x, or 8x.

Yhe above is from "Spring Creeks" by Mike Lawson.

I might hace a chance to fish with Stu Apte this summer . i'd like to watch him cast.

[ThaSaltCracka]

I forgot one other book that I finished not to long ago, Amarillo Slims autobiography. Very entertaining book, too bad he's a child molestor.

[MMMMMM]

The New Testament 1611 version King James

More Keats, more Shelley, more Longfellow, more Dickinson, more Burns, more Tennyson. A little more Frost, Browning and Wordsworth.

[Mano]

Just finished the Siren's of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut - great read.

Currently reading an Aasimov short story compilation (The Complete Aasimov), The Psychology of Poker by Schoonmaker and Topics in Algebra by I.N. Herstein.

[Taxman]

Wow, I love poetry, but I think I'd go crazy if that was all I ever read /images/graemlins/tongue.gif. You should make that a lot more Frost, he is deffinately one of the greatest poets, in my opinion.

[ThaSaltCracka]

the only poet worth reading or listening to is 2pac

[scotnt73]

[ QUOTE ]
the only poet worth reading or listening to is 2pac

[/ QUOTE ]

lol

[M2d]

I think, when proclaiming biggest fish on smallest tippet records, people should also state the year that it was accomplished. my record is a 22" brown on a #20 black AP nymph on 6X (2 lb test at the time), but it was back in '91. Now, with advances in technology, I've seen 6x as strong as 3.5 lb test. quite an advantage.

Go fish with Stu. i saw Lefty cast at the ISE and am still amazed. those guys are legends for a reason. Wish I could have seen Lee Wulff cast.

[Ed I]

I saw Lefty cast at a show in the 80's. He made it look effortless. I still strugle to get 60 ft and have no shot at a full line. If memory serves Lefty could pick the full line and put it back out with one backcast.

Yes leaders have improved. I just started to use 6x a bit a few months ago, till then I never went below 5x. I don't like to overplay fish. It makes me sick to watch guys play fish to exhaustion.

I'm not a fan of line class records.

[Roy Munson]

"American Dynasty:Aristocracy, Fortune and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush" by Kevin Phillips


"Kingdom of Fear:Loathsome Secrets of a Star Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century" by Hunter S. Thompson

[M2d]

I try to use as heavy a tippet as possible, but the stream I fished a lot back then (Putah), was a heavy traffic water. The fish were extremely line shy, and they would snub anything less than 6x. Plus, since the insects there were so small (#18-#22 nymphs), a heavier leader would be like attaching it to a steel rod.

[Gamblor]

shows even more just how screwed up religion is.

You're just as bigoted as the worst religious fundamentalist bigots.

You want to talk specific religions, then go ahead. To smear all religion is just as bad as saying all non-whites are monkeys.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
You want to talk specific religions, then go ahead. To smear all religion is just as bad as saying all non-whites are monkeys.

[/ QUOTE ]

actually it's quite different. pick any well known organized religion and there is a major problem with it.

if you read the whole thing, you'd know i was referring to christianity based religions since that's where the book goes. but ill include all the majors and most minors with it. since most of the greater world problems are because of religious crap.

am i against organized religion? for me, personally, you bet i am. especially when it gets crammed down my throat at all times. they've proven through their long track record that building a solid foundation of spirituality is the last thing on their agenda.

however, if someone gets helped by joining a cult and it makes them a better person, more power to 'em. just dont preach or try to recruit me.

im a recovered catholic and proud of it.

b

[Taxman]

I agree that I don't think organized religion is right for me, but let's not go too far in pointing out problems with all religion. Various churches have been the cause of some terrible things, but they also have been the impetus behind some great things. There is good to go with the bad. For many people, organized religion is the best way for them to practice and explore their faith. There are many problems that need to be addressed in nearly all religions, but I don't think they should be unilaterally dismissed.

[bernie]

you know i mentioned that if it helps someone, more power to em. anything that helps one become a better person without the expense of someone else is fine.(not sure if i said that right, but you get the idea)

what the church has done bad far outweighs what theyve done good, imo. it's far from equal. look how theyve handled recent events. it's frickin' pathetic. even when proven and shown how bad they are, people still flock to them turning a blind eye to what theyve done, and are doing.

that's what i have a problem with. the idea that it is easily dismissed or waved away. like it shouldnt matter.

i think it should be gone far in pointing out the problems with organized religions. why hide it?

b

[Taxman]

Hi bernie, by the way. You may or may not remember me, but I was ThatGuy on poki poker some time ago and we played to gether a few times. I also played under the name Taxis.

As for the problems with organized religion, there's no reason to hide them. What you're referring to I think is located higher in the church hierarchies or in seperate extremist groups. Any individual congregation is most likely not evil. There are multiple levels of course from the child molesting priest (still a tiny minority) to the organized coverups of those priests (more troubling than the priest themselves I think) to the extremist members of the Muslim Jihads (seperate groups with seperate beliefs from most Muslims despite the claims of some posters here). I think any and all problems should be thoroughly explored, but the people who just want to go to church and worship shouldn't be the target (I understand you agree with this). I see your point and I think that Gamblor overreacted with his response, but I can understand where he was coming from as well when he responded to your comment on "how screwed up religion is." Mostly, I'm just being a pain in the ass, so feel free to ignore me.

[Rushmore]

The Moon and Sixpence--Maugham
The Gates of Janus--Ian Brady
Koba the Dread--Martin Amis

All three great reading so far.

[scrub]

Also reading Random Walk Down Wall Street. Getting a kick out of it.

Passage to India for class.

What do you Montana fly-fishing guys think of Thomas McGuane? I loved Nothing But Blue Skies . Didn't like the other stuff quite as much.

I would imagine mentioning the Norman Mclean novellas is redundant...

scrub

[Ed I]

I've been meaning to read"The Longest Silence: A life in Fishing. To date all I've read by McGuane is the forwaed to Mike Lawson's book Spring Creeks.