MobileRead March 2010 Mobile Read Book Club Vote

[pilotbob]

Help up choose a book as the March 2010 eBook for the Mobile Read Book Club. The poll will be open for 7 days. We will start the discussion thread for this book on March 21st. Select from the following books.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers? by Mary Roach
"Uproariously funny" doesn't seem a likely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach, a Salon and Reader's Digest columnist, has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty. From her opening lines ("The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back"), it is clear that she's taking a unique approach to issues surrounding death.

The Omnivore's Delimma by Michael Pollan
In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan writes about how our food is grown -- what it is, in fact, that we are eating. The book is really three in one: The first section discusses industrial farming; the second, organic food, both as big business and on a relatively small farm; and the third, what it is like to hunt and gather food for oneself. And each section culminates in a meal -- a cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's; roast chicken, vegetables and a salad from Whole Foods; and grilled chicken, corn and a chocolate soufflé (made with fresh eggs) from a sustainable farm; and, finally, mushrooms and pork, foraged from the wild.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
It is a really fascinating book about a woman whose cells became the first 'immortal line' in medical research and 50 years after her death, are still being used and have led to many medical discoveries. Her family did not find out this was even going on until years after her death. It's a very interesting story.

Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things by Richard Wiseman.
An award-winning psychologist exposes the truth behind life's little oddities and absurdities in this quirky and practical guide to life.
For over twenty years, psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman has examined the quirky science of everyday life. In Quirkology, he navigates the backwaters of human behavior, discovering the tell-tale signs that give away a liar, the secret science behind speed-dating and personal ads, and what a person's sense of humor reveals about the innermost workings of their mind-- all along paying tribute to others who have carried out similarly weird and wonderful work. Wiseman's research has involved secretly observing people as they go about their daily business, conducting unusual experiments in art exhibitions and music concerts, and even staging fake séances in allegedly haunted buildings. With thousands of research subjects from all over the world, including enamored couples, unwitting pedestrians, and guileless dinner guests, Wiseman presents a fun, clever, and unexpected picture of the human mind.

American Notes by Charles Dickens
It's a short travelogue of Dickens' travels through America in the year 1842, and contains some wonderful descriptions of a world that no longer exists, and, in addition, is extremely funny in parts, such as Dickens' description of the then-prevalent habit of chewing tobacco and spitting.

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Consistently lauded for its lively, readable prose, this revised and updated edition of A People's History of the United States turns traditional textbook history on its head. Howard Zinn infuses the often-submerged voices of blacks, women, American Indians, war resisters, and poor laborers of all nationalities into this thorough narrative that spans American history from Christopher Columbus's arrival to an afterword on the Clinton presidency...

A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
"First published in 1946, History of Western Philosophy went on to become the best-selling philosophy book of the twentieth century. A dazzlingly ambitious project, it remains unchallenged to this day as the ultimate introduction to Western philosophy. Providing a sophisticated overview of the ideas that have perplexed people from time immemorial, Russell's History of Western Philosophy offered a cogent précis of its subject. Of course this cannot be the only reason it ended up the best selling philosophy book of the twentieth century. Russell's book was 'long on wit, intelligence and curmudgeonly scepticism', as the New York Times noted, and it is this, coupled with the sheer brilliance of its scholarship, that has made Russell's History of Western Philosophy one of the most important philosophical works of all time."

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing.

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
This book examines what would happen to the planet if human beings disappeared. It looks at a wide variety of specific questions ranging from why and when bridges would fall down to what would happen to cockroaches. I just checked and it's available for both Kindle ($9.99) and SONY ($10.50).

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

The Stranger Beside Me by Anne Rule
Ann Rule was a writer working on the biggest story of her life, tracking down a brutal mass-murderer. Little did she know that Ted Bundy, her close friend, was the savage slayer she was hunting.

The Greek Myths by Robert Graves
The title says it all.

[pilotbob]

OK, let the voting and campaigning begin.

BOb

[lilac_jive]

Zippee! I'm voting for Stiff, since I just bought it. I've already read Devil in the White City, which was fantastic.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
(Is this available as an eBook?)

Would it be possible to remove the parenthetical query?

The answer is Yes, but it might cast doubt in the minds of the electorate and put them off voting for it.

Ta very much.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Would it be possible to remove the parenthetical query?

Done.

BOb

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Done.

BOb

[kennyc]

Thanks Bob! And may the best book win!

[MelC]

Great month. There are four new books that I would definitely read if they were picked. One that I have already read and would be more than willing to reread and one that I have already read and would be happy to discuss. Can't decide which way I want it to go since I just tied up most of February with GWTW and while it was more than worth it I'm falling behind on my to read list. Still in the spirit of the club I have cast my vote for one I haven't read before.

[Sparrow]

Oooh, it's too close to call - looks like we might have a tie this month!

[pilotbob]

OK, this one is a hard choice for me. It is among Stiff, Quirkology, Devil in White City, and Stranger Beside Me.

and... I think I will read American Notes no matter what... strange that I won't vote for it.

Hmm...... decisions....

BOb

[pilotbob]

I have to say that the last Non-fiction we read, The Professor and the Mad Man was the biggest surprise good read for me during last years club reads.

So, I hope to find another gem this year, I don't any non-fiction that aren't programming/development type books.

BOb

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I have to say that the last Non-fiction we read, The Professor and the Mad Man was the biggest surprise good read for me during last years club reads.

So, I hope to find another gem this year, I don't any non-fiction that aren't programming/development type books.

BOb

Don't forget who nominated that
If you liked that, you'll also love Devil in the White City.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Don't forget who nominated that

Who?


BOb

[seagull]

I voted for Stiff, most of the other ones are not available to me and I've already read On the Origin of Species.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Who?


BOb

Well, me silly