1. Starving Jesus; Craig Gross & J.R. Mahon
Already 5 chapters in, and I am enjoying it so far. Picked up based on a recommendation. I liked 'Velvet Elvis' and 'Blue Like Jazz' so I figured I'd enjoy this. Less post-modern Christianity and more pro-active and practical. Just a tad on the preachy side, and more amateurish than the other two, but the heart of the authors' is in a good place and that comes through. I already have some take-aways, and will probably finish it before my plane lands tomorrow.
2. The Long Tail; Revised and Updated; Chris Anderson - "The future of commerce and culture isn’t in hits, the high-volume head of a traditional demand curve, but in what used to be regarded as misses -- the endlessly long tail of that same curve."
Read most of the first edition, but didn't own it. Anderson's latest book, 'Free' comes out next week, so I want to finish this before then.
3. Free: The Past and Future of a Radical Price; Anderson - "The growing online economy is built upon three cornerstones: processing power, hard drive storage, and bandwidth. The costs of all these elements are trending toward zero at an incredible rate...In a world where prices always seem to go up, the cost of anything built on these three technologies will always go down. And keep going down, until they are as close to zero as possible."
I am salivating. Most of you probably just fell asleep. I am a nerd.
4. Outliers: The Story of Success; Gladwell
I know, I know. How can I be a Gladwell fan and still have not read this when it's been out for 6 months? A) It's been a bit crazy this year. B) I feel like I read half of the book already through his New Yorker columns. C) I had other books I had promised myself I would finish. This was the prize.
5. Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas; Klosterman
Again, one of my fav authors, but honestly I was 'Klostermaned-out' after my epic obsession in 2006. I needed a break. After I randomly re-read the first chapter of 'Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs' because someone said it perfectly described my view of women, I remembered how much I loved and missed Chuck, especially since he left Spin. I'm back baby!
6. Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Change; Jonah Goldberg - "Offers a startling new perspective on the theories and practices that define fascist politics. Replacing conveniently manufactured myths with surprising and enlightening research, Jonah Goldberg reminds us that the original fascists were really on the left, and that liberals from Woodrow Wilson to FDR to Hillary Clinton have advocated policies and principles remarkably similar to those of Hitler's National Socialism and Mussolini's Fascism."
I read so many liberals, I have to mix it up a bit. Honestly, I saw this when I was picking up my other books, and it looked interesting. A NYTBS, and since "Fascist" is the typical retort when calling someone a commie or socialist, I figured it was worth a read.
7. Downtown Owl; Klosterman
I don't typically read fiction, but since Chuck and I are back together, I figured I'd give his novel a try.
8. Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto; Mark R. Levin
Typical Conservative stuff here. Another NYTBS, and something I have wanted to read since it came out in March. A candidate to get bumped if something else comes along, but I'll get to it eventually.
9. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference; Gladwell
Don't freak out. Of course I have read this. I just loaned it out and never got it back. I wanted my Gladwell collection to be complete, and I have been doing more re-reads lately, so if anything else gets tedious, I can go here for a break.
10. The Book of Basketball; Bill Simmons
You all know I love Bill. His newest book doesn't come out 'til October, and I hope to be done with this list before then, but I have pre-ordered it and it gives me an even 10.
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I would give anything to read more... er, at all.
ReplyDeleteWhen do you find the time??
The key is reading about 'what' you like, or reading 'who' you like...then you would rather read than something else.
ReplyDeleteGetting started is the hardest part. That is what weekends at the pool or beach are for. Then I just carry the book around and pound it out.
Don't stress about finishing either. I regularly read 2 or 3 books at a time. Take a break if you get bored and read something else, or read something you've already read.
It should be fun.
Definitely rolling with "Outliers" first...can't believe I haven't read it. Gonna go get it upon hitting the final destination on Mon/Tues.
ReplyDelete