Reply to: Books that have made an impact on you

[doodab]

Tender is the Night.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
1984.

Quite a few maths & science books. I had a one called the timetables of science when I was a kid, that was great.

[MyUserName]

Also: We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Road and Birdsong. Dark books that linger in your thoughts afterwards.

Absolutely fecking chilling if you have kids!!!

[Troll]

Carlos Arana Castaneda
The Teachings of Don Juan

Man that was some serious tulip

[Clare@InTouch]

The dune series: bizarrely it has had more impact on what water I waste than any environmental campaign.

Excellent books. I read Dune whilst sunbathing in the dunes of Gran Canaria, added to the atmosphere!

Also: We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Road and Birdsong. Dark books that linger in your thoughts afterwards.

[Halo Jones]

The dune series: bizarrely it has had more impact on what water I waste than any environmental campaign.

[sasguru]

They were indeed simplistic, that was the whole point.

Yes. I believe Stroud was a genius expositor - he made Maffs easy for generations of students.
The debt the country owes someone like him is incalculable.

[Project Monkey]

Aye. Got copies of those somewhere, although if I look at them now after having a done a proof-based maffs course, they do seem a bit simplistic.

They were indeed simplistic, that was the whole point.

[sasguru]

Suprised no one has mentioned the Labour parties manifesto, the greatest work of fiction of all time...

Hmmm yes that may make a big impact and not in a good way.

[RedSauce]

One inactive but paying client now.

I read a book a week and have done since I was knee high and reading speed is very high.
Helps if you don't rot your mind with TV.
Own hundreds of books literally, both physical and electronic.

WSS, a book a week is what i aim for. I cannot think of shortlist of books I have read that have made an impact on me as so many have. I read everything from theological and spiritual teachings to popular fiction, but have picked one from a few different genres:

Tao Te Ching

IQ84

The Known World


Pragmatic Programmer

Code Complete

[amcdonald]

Suprised no one has mentioned the Labour parties manifesto, the greatest work of fiction of all time...

[Antman]

Why the West Has Won
Guns, germs and Steel
Collapse
Snowcrash
The Exorcist (book is awesome, although the film is very good)

It was a long time ago but I found "Guns, Germs and Steel" tedious. It's an interesting story but it read like an academic tome.

[sasguru]

Wow you have all this time to read countless books?

Two clients to work for and a young family too...almost seems like you are alone and unemployed sometimes....

One inactive but paying client now.

I read a book a week and have done since I was knee high and reading speed is very high.
Helps if you don't rot your mind with TV.
Own hundreds of books literally, both physical and electronic.

[DimPrawn]

Does make me chuckle too. All of the time in the world to post all day, but not at night, all these clients and hard work, and now a library the size of Denver to boot. I mean, some simply wouldn't believe it all...

The best works of fiction sas owns, is his CV, and his multitude of qualifications

At night he's providing his real services to clients in London.

[Old Hack]

Does make me chuckle too. All of the time in the world to post all day, but not at night, all these clients and hard work, and now a library the size of Denver to boot. I mean, some simply wouldn't believe it all...

The best works of fiction sas owns, is his CV, and his multitude of qualifications

[Mich the Tester]

[*]Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman![/LIST]

And probably reading Asimov's robot stories as a child are subconsciously a big part of my interest in science and technology.

Yes, good one - had me chuckling. Got it somewhere in my collection, I think.

Will print and read in bed

http://www.chem.fsu.edu/chemlab/isc3...eyn_surely.pdf