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They are good, if a tad anachronistic.

Best wishes,
Bob

Anathem, by Neil Stephenson. A fiction about maths and physics, as far as I can make out. Way cool. And it fits in with another book I've been working through, or at least the parts I can...

Having read and enjoyed some of Dan Simmons science fiction, I decided to give Song of Kali a go. Although I've finished it, I'm not sure what I make of it yet.

Best wishes,
Bob

Having recently reseen David Lynch's film Dune[1], I 've been rereading Frank Herbert's Dune series. Lots of psycho-babble, and pseudo-philosophy, but just enough of worth to keep one's attention. ...

I didn't know about it until you mentioned it here. I have it now, and am reading it on my extremely high tech, rowing machine entertainment system, which I have in my college rooms.
...

I think it just is "habeas corpus ad subjiciendum", rendered into common place English. What makes it witty is using the translation, given we know the result of the trial.

Best wishes,
Bob

I just finished Hilary Mantel's Bring up the Bodies[1]. A great read, and some truly exquisite writing. I've had a lot of time for her books since first reading A Place of Greater Safety.

[1]...

Bushido, the Soul of Japan, by Nitobe Inazō. Codswallop, actually. But interesting codswallop.

Best wishes,
Bob

My wife has had James' Wings of the Doves as one of her holiday books for, must be, the last 10 years. ;)

I have managed Gravity's Rainbow. It is weird, but interesting.

Best wishes,
Bob

I can't say I've actually read it (yet?), but I've decided to have another go at Proust's In Search of Lost Time (À la recherche du temps perdu). This will be my 4th or 5th attempt. :)

Best...

Would you mind adding a few words to as to why you find it interesting? I'd like to shape up a bit on, well, contemporary philosophy and science but not sure what to get :?

Cheers...

It is just about that time of year again. So, I've been reading Emergence: contemporary readings in philosophy and science.

Interesting, although not a thrill-a-minute type book.

Best...

I've just read four Iain Banks books, Use of Weapons (1990), Excession (1996), The Algebraist (2004), and Surface Detail (2010). They were enjoyable. A bit formulaic, perhaps. But, enjoyable.
...

I've about halfway through The Pilgrim's Progress and am enjoying it more than I expected.

Even in "old fashioned" literature/art there is linking; it isn't a new invention from the web at all. ...

I just finished the John Buchan omnibus of the Richard Hannay novels: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915); Greenmantle (1916); Mr Standfast (1919); The Three Hostages (1924)
The Courts of the Morning...

I just finished Marryat's The King's Own. A wonderful, wonderful book. In it you get a precurser to Henty. The story is the same as the Henty ones, except for the ending. And, the writing is...

Mr Midshipman Easy, Frederick Marryat, 1836. Excellent! Marryat is not too keen on philosophy, however.




Best wishes,
Bob

PS I sent this quotation off to my wife, also a philosopher,...

I was looking through out of copyright books from Project Gutenburg and I stumbled upon the author G. A. Henty, who wrote boys adventure stories, set in actual historical contexts, usually war or...

Cheers I'll take a look; being born in 1982 the first thing I remember to do with space exploration was the Challenger disaster followed by years of boring missions. It's only recently that I've...

I think he finished up in Glasgow, but considered Aberdeen home. Good man, Prof. Reid. I suspect he got more things right than wrong.

Best wishes,
Bob

I finished this some time ago, but still can't decide whether it is very good or very bad. I am firmly of the opinion that is one of those two, however.

Best wishes,
Bob

I'm currently reading Roberto Bolaño's 2666. I haven't decided whether I like it yet, only being at p 266 of 898. So far, really interesting, but really weird.

Best wishes,
Bob

I enjoyed that as well.

Best wishes,
Bob

They cut across the texts, and follow my interests. So, for example, there is a bit on rights to which I make reference, and it is the beginning of a slice. (It is about 47 years old. I bought it...

That can be quite useful. I have a book[1] I've used for teaching for many years. There are some passages I like to quote from it when discussing things. I don't need to mark the pages any more,...