The Book of Tea ~ Kakuzo Okakura

Feeling inspired by some amazing green tea I picked up earlier today up in Arlington Heights.

I'm into scrimshaw, and as a result the all those parts about the ship, whaling etc.
I found really interesting. I've reread Moby Dick a few times, If you liked it read
"In the Heart of the Ocean" which is the basis for Moby Dick (and there are connections
to Melville).

Marty

Its "In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick. Saying its the "basis for moby dick" isn't exactly right, its a historical account of the whaleship Essex, which set said from Nantucket (the love of my life) and was stove in by a whale, like Moby Dick, in the middle of the pacific. It also details the horrendous trip home for the sailors who were stranded in the wreck. Good book.

scott

It has been a long time since I have read a book the whole way through. Maybe 5 years or so, but considering I am only 21 it seems like forever. I just started reading "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". Has anyone else read this? I also have a copy of "Critique of Pure Reason", but I have a feeling it will take me a very long time to complete.

Its "In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick. Saying its the "basis for moby dick" isn't exactly right, its a historical account of the whaleship Essex, which set said from Nantucket (the love of my life) and was stove in by a whale, like Moby Dick, in the middle of the pacific. It also details the horrendous trip home for the sailors who were stranded in the wreck. Good book.

scott
Well I was close. . . :D
horrible trip home? not if you're into cannibalism which is really the point
of the entire book, that and the physiology/psychology of starvation.
Basis for Moby Dick? please explain the connection between Herman Melville
and the Essex, and how shortly after learning of it Melville writes Moby Dick.
Sure it was "fictionalized" do you think back then that starvation and cannibalism
would have sold?

Lived in Scituate, Nantucket is nice but I prefer Mystic Conn for connections
to whaling and their scrimshaw collection.

Off to ride the serotta. . . . (when I get off work)
Marty

I just finished "The Haj" by Leon Uris. I've read just about all of his books and have never been disappointed. "The Haj" gave me quite a bit of insight into why the Mid-East is in some, mind you, some of the mess they're in. Very interesting. Now I'm back to Ruth Rendell. Intense, psychological thrillers. Next, oh, probably some science fiction. I don't know yet.

Finally finished Dogs and Demons by Alex Kerr. HIGHLY recommended if you have any interest in modern Japan. I'll probably read The Book of Tea by Okakura again on the way back to MO on Thursday. Other than that, I'll just keep working on my stack of unread Japanese sociology and anthropology books.

I just got a copy of Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson which
is sort of a follow up to The Last Dive by Bernie Chowdury
about the discovery of U-869, and the divers that died while
trying to ID the wreck (last dive is specifically about the father son
team who died, and circumstances that lead to their deaths).

Currently wading through Cryptonomicon.

Marty

IM reading FMH the girl next door, this is a great read because there's lots of pictures.

Finished "Harmony In My Head" (Steve Diggle's Rock & Roll Odyssey, as titled) and I'm moving on to "Just A Couple of Days" by Tony Vigorito

Nine Stories ~ J.D. Salinger

Who's Looking Out For You? by Bill O'Reilly
The Lake House by James Patterson
Four Blind Mice by James Patterson
"Normal" Is A Setting On A Clothes Dryer by Valorie King (fun little book for the ladies)
Tons of magazines are waiting to be read on the dining room table.

Just finished Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides about an hours ago. Found it captivating and intriguing. Not that I want to go out and f**k a hermaphrodite, but the whole life presented was eye opening.

Now on to finishing Wild Sheep Chase by Murakami.

I just read Neuromancer in one day cos it was so good. Am now onto another William Gibson, Idoru, which is very good also.

LeConkie,

Read Virtual Light then read All tomorrow's parties (which wraps up Idoru and the
others), Gibson is an awesome writer.
Obviously he influenced me, hence the username!

Marty

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. Amazing Toltec wisdom.

Almost done with Murakami's Wild Sheep Chase. He's never a bad read if you like meditative narratives with a philsophical bend and a Japanese aesthetic sensibility. He's always a little subtly humorous, too.

Also been reading a little Bukowski which I picked up at City Lights in SF while on my trip West.

The Sea and Poison - Shusaku Endo

Chuck Palahnik: Lullaby
T.Boyle: A Friend of the Earth
Kneale: English Passengers

Currently in the middle of "What they don't teach you at Harvard Business School" by Mark H. McCormack. He founded International Management Group (sports management stuff) and writes about his experiences. A good read about the small things in business which you would otherwise usually learn while on the job and with continued experience. He also mentions a lot of examples to illustrate his points.

I just got done reading the "Alchemist". Nice quick read.

Next in line is "The one minute manager" by K. Blanchard & S. johnson.

The Bible.

Itala Calvino: Invisible Cities

current list:
Snow Crash Stephenson
All Tomorrows Parties Gibson (still haven't gotten around to this one).
Monkey Wu Ch'eng-en

The encyclopedia of Diving
Diving and the Law


thats about it for this week.

Marty

White Noise - Don Dellilo

I'm in the middle of Dean Koontz's (sp?) "Watchers." When that one's done, I'll hunt down some Harlen Coban (sp?). Might try to find the Kirsty MacColl bio, too.

In the words of "Tim nice but Dim" (Harry Enfield for all those who probably wont get this...) - Whats that book with all the lists of ppl and numbers in it? Shop Keeper - Eh the phone book? Tim - Ahhh!! Yah. Bl**dy good read that one yah!

Anyway on a more serious note.... I've just finished reading The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. Was very interesting, some good history in it. Not sure how accurate it is but a good thriller/adventure.

Also almost finished Steven Hawkings - A Brief History of Time. One for the brain :eek:

Just finished Tom Robbins' Villa Incognito. Liked it so much I'm presently re-reading his Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates.

Elias Canetti--Auto-da-Fé

American Political Thought
By Kenneth Dolbeare

Patricia Cornwell's BLOW FLY

Been reading Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. It's like fairytales for grown ups but with a philosophical (epitemologica, really) perspective.

Finished Invisible Cities and loved it. Great philosophical fairy tales.

Started Iceland by Jim Krusoe. It's weird, Kafkaesque even; lightly funny; interesting; ponderous; and so far, quit interesting. A sort of melancholy comedy of oddness.

Just finished Tom Robbins' Villa Incognito. Liked it so much I'm presently re-reading his Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates.

If you haven't read it, don't forget to read Jitterbug Perfume.

Douglas Adams 'The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
Robert A. Heinlein's 'Stranger in a Strange Land'

One Dimensional Man: Herbert Marcuse.

Still working on Iceland but recently picked up the new Russell Banks and it, as per the usual, looks really, really good.

Stephen E. Ambrose- Band Of Brothers

Just finished Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Now I am reading Fast Food Nation, and The Common Law by Oliver W. Holmes

Just finished Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Now I am reading Fast Food Nation, and The Common Law by Oliver W. Holmes

And I recently finished reading a book you wrote Henry- The air-conditioned nightmare.

Thought you were dead. Glad your back.

Just finished reading "Barry Lyndon" tonight. Watching the movie lead to to reading the book, upon which I was astounded to find that this is a true story and Redmond Barry actually lived. Who knew? Good book, better film.

Last: Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code"
Now: Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal"
Next: Jim Butcher's "Death Masks"

Just finishing up: "Krakatoa" by Simon Winchester
Currently: "Freedom from Fear. Amercians during the great depression 1929-1945" by David Kennedy
Finished recently:
"Lies and lying liars"
"Eats, shoots leaves"
"Fat Land"
"Fast Food Nation"

Just finished Tom Robbins' Villa Incognito. Liked it so much I'm presently re-reading his Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates.


I just finished Villa Incognito today. Tom Robbins is definetly becoming one of my favorite authors quite qwickly.

If you haven't read it, don't forget to read Jitterbug Perfume.

Also one of my favorites by Robbins.

Just a slight spin on the traditional question. Feel free to add a bit about your impression so far, as well.

For me: The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald). Very interesting, but I can't say I connect with the characters. Not to say they aren't believable, but they are different from people I'm used to.

Next up: David Copperfield. I love Dickens and I'm really not sure why.

I've read Gatsby and liked it very much. I don't see how most people could truly relate with the characters. First, it took place so long ago, Second, people don't seem to live like that anymore.
I did love the story and I don't know why.

Laurie R. King's The Moor.
Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine Last Chance To See.
And Nikolai Golgol's Dead Souls.
The 1st is about Sherlock Holmes returning to Dartmoor with his wife and partner Mary Russel Holmes, to investigate the return of the Hounds . . .
Last Chance To See is Adams commentary about endangered animals, Customs in Africa, and How a Monkey could cause enlightenment.
Dead Souls- some crazy ******* would like to buy your dead peasants!

Right now I'm really grooving on a collection of short fiction by Vladimir Nabokov.

Right now I'm really grooving on a collection of short fiction by Vladimir Nabokov.

Nice suggestion, Mother Teresa.

I just started Stone Junction by Matt Judge. Interesting characters and unusual premise.

Also been looking at short stories by Russell Banks.

I just read "The Da Vinci Code" in one sitting. Made for one productive day at work. Innaresting read.

At the moment I'm reading Going Postal -Terry Pratchett.
I highly recommend it to anybody
just like all other books in the Discworld series.

gave up on something called "Wild Animus" its bad. really bad. struggled with it for a month & can't do it anymore. Quickly burned through a Joel Rosenberg fantasy, "Not exactly the prisoner of Zelda". Now beginning "Sailing a Wine Dark Sea" - history of the Greeks contributions to western culture, part of the 'hinges of history' series.