CP LITERATURE DRAFT - (Rapid Fire Free For All Round)

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by driveway

I'm fairly certain that it's been established - or is pretty close to being established - that the Pyramids were not constructed by slaves, but rather by the population of Egypt itself.

Link to a story about the research which led to this conclusion:
http://harvardmagazine.com/2003/07/w...-pyramids.html

I threw the line about slaves in there just for fun, it was not in the book I posted about.

de Camp surmises a permanent staff of 4000 skilled workers built the pyuramid, with forced labour and peasant conscription to help out when the seasons (flooding) allowed.

So, no not slaves, but forced labour.

[octothorp]

When my pick comes up, please AK me. I won't have time to make a pick for a day or two.

[Circa89]

Am I up then? Sadora has his name in Red on the spreadsheet. Does that mean he has been Ak'd?
If Octothorp has volunteered a self imposed AK'ing I guess I'm due, but I am not certain if Sadora is indeed ak'd.

Thanks

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Circa89

Am I up then? Sadora has his name in Red on the spreadsheet. Does that mean he has been Ak'd?
If Octothorp has volunteered a self imposed AK'ing I guess I'm due, but I am not certain if Sadora is indeed ak'd.

Thanks

Yeah, he is in red until he catches up with his picks; this will be the third round he has missed.

[Circa89]

Ok then, with my apologies to Sadora if I jumped ahead.
In the Category of Sci - Fi I would like to select

Neuromancer
William Gibson
Ace Books 1984



This book is the winner of the trifecta, the triple crown, the holy trinity of sci-fi awards if you will, taking home the Hugo, The Dick and the Nebula.
This was William Gibsons first novel and the first in the Sprawl trilogy. I did not select the whole trilogy because I have not read the other two, but fine novels I'm sure.

Gibson helped popularize and introduce the concepts of AI (arficial Intelligence) and VR (virtual Reality) to the masses. He touches on Eugenics ( not a new theme) but with a different twist in his take on genetic engineering in the computer age.
He really explored the human brain - computer interface theme that is all very "Matrixy". The book was incredibly cutting edge considering it was written in 1984 when I was plugging away on a Commodore 64 or some Texas Instrument model over at my rich neighbours. As an example he broaches such topics as Multi-nationals and globalization about 20 years before it was "cool" to wear black and hold up a placard at a G-8 summit.

Oh, this is the book that coined the phrase Cyberspace and I believe cyberpunk but I may be off on the Cyberpunk one.

I don't like giving plot summaries, but you should read this book if you like the genre.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Very nice pick--one that wasn't on my list but should have been, if that makes any sense.

[octothorp]

Question about picking series: what constitutes a series within the nonfiction genre (or a series strictly limited to the fiction category in this draft)? If an author does three books that each explore a different facet of one particular area of study and whose ideas are all linked together, forming a comprehensive picture of that subject, and these books are frequently referred to as a trilogy, does that count as a series?

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Question about picking series: what constitutes a series within the nonfiction genre (or a series strictly limited to the fiction category in this draft)? If an author does three books that each explore a different facet of one particular area of study and whose ideas are all linked together, forming a comprehensive picture of that subject, and these books are frequently referred to as a trilogy, does that count as a series?

I would say yes. So, for instance, you could take the entirety of Taylor Branch's three-part biography of Martin Luther King, if you wanted to. Is that what you mean?

[octothorp]

Thanks, IFF; I'd say the difference is that a bio at least has a central character, which mine doesn't. I guess I'll throw this out there then and people can let me know if they object: In the non-fiction science category, I'm taking the Edward Tufte information design trilogy:
The Quantitative Display of Statistical Information
Envision Information
Visual Explanations

Between these three works, Tufte uses fantastic examples from real life, from his own work, and from historical examples, of how to visually display information. The books are incredibly elegant in their design and well written, and together they form a sort of bible for information designers. His principles have been applied to everything from wayfinding signage to stock market displays to web development, and he brings considerable heft as an intellectual to the books as well, in his role as a professor of statistics, information design, and political economy at Harvard. The first book focuses primarily on graphs and tables, the second book builds on the first but brings the element of complex, three-dimensional data, as well as looking more in-depth into layout and presentation, while the third book focuses moreso on using the display of data to form narratives.

His work should be required reading not only for anyone who designs software interfaces or transit timetables, but also for anyone who spends a lot of time developing powerpoint presentations or business charts.

And these books are so gorgeous to look at that I was almost tempted to pick them in the coffee table book category, but they probably fit better here.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I think that's a great pick, and definitely works within the rules as we laid them out.

More to the point, it's not a book I was hoping to pick, so I have no reason to object.

[Eastern Girl]

For my science pick, I will take Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, by John Douglas.

If you are into true crime books, behavioural and/or forensic science and the like, you'll appreciate this one. Douglas is the first criminal profiler in the FBI's history. He interviewed a number of the worlds most notorious and violent killers to understand their motivations, so he could put together profiles to help catch other criminals. In this book, he outlines several famous cases he worked on during his time with the FBI, what's involved with the science of profiling killers, etc. It's a pretty fascinating book, also, quite creepy looking into the minds of some of the most violent and terrifying people out there.

[FanIn80]

For my Science pick...

Agile Web Development with Rails!



Probably not the most exciting book on the planet, but Rails (and the whole Ruby language) has breathed new life (for me) into a tired, mundane task.

[Bobblehead]

In the American Lit category, Dune by Frank Herbert

Set in the far future amidst a sprawling feudal interstellar empire where planetary fiefdoms are controlled by noble Houses that owe an allegiance to the Imperial House Corrino, Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides (heir apparent to Duke Leto Atreides and scion of House Atreides) as he and his family accept control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the spice melange, the most important and valuable substance in the universe. The story explores the complex and multilayered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as forces of the Empire confront each other for control of Arrakis and its spice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(novel)
http://www.amazon.ca/Dune-Frank-Herb...2491318&sr=8-1

I'm actually shocked this was available so far along. I was looking in my bookcase and kicking myself for not picking it for Sci-Fi earlier, but then again, Ender's Game is of similar quality.

Note: If there is disagreement that this can fit in this category, I will (hesitantly move it)

[RatherDashing]

With our 7th round pick in the draft, RatherDashings "24 CCs of Heart" select in the Non-fiction - Philosophy / Religion Category, The Year of Living Biblically, by A.J. Jacobs.



The Year of Living Biblically centers around Jacobs, a self-proclaimed agnostic Jew, as he spends a year trying to find some religious meaning in his life by following biblical teachings as literally as possible.

I have never read the bible, nor have I ever had much interest in it, but I found this book to be really interesting. It does show a lot of the bizarre or out of the ordinary rules of the bible, but Jacobs makes an honest attempt to understand the purpose and to find some benefit behind every rule that he finds.

Anyways, sorry for taking so long to get my pick up, I'll try to be a little quicker when my next shot comes...

[JerzeeGirl]

Originally Posted by RatherDashing

With our 7th round pick in the draft, RatherDashings "24 CCs of Heart" select in the Non-fiction - Philosophy / Religion Category, The Year of Living Biblically, by A.J. Jacobs.



The Year of Living Biblically centers around Jacobs, a self-proclaimed agnostic Jew, as he spends a year trying to find some religious meaning in his life by following biblical teachings as literally as possible.

Nice pick! I just got this from Amazon and am finding it an interesting read to start.

[driveway]

Up late, A&W churning away in my gut, Team Discovery Channel is proud to select, in the Category of Memoir/Biography



Midnight Hockey: All About the Beer, the Boys, and the Real Canadian Game.
By Bill Gaston.

I actually have the pleasure of knowing this author personally and he fully deserves to be ranked with authors like Timothy Findlay and Mordechai Richler in the Canadian cannon. This is his first work of Non-Fiction and it contains all the brilliance, humour and pathos his fiction books have.

Midnight Hockey explains why hockey is the most perfect and beautiful sport on earth, while only being superficially about hockey.

It is about life, growing up, getting old and doing something you love.

Praise for the Book:

“Midnight Hockey is a lovely book, which is to say bawdy, beautifully written, fresh, coarse, hilarious, smart, vulgar, joyful and as rank with the realities of putrid hockey bags, diminishing motor skills and impending death as . . . well, let’s just say it’s a lot like the hockey most of us play, those of us who are willing and able past the age of 35. Sidney Crosby wouldn’t get most of it, but I think his dad would.” —The Globe and Mail

"Bill Gaston's book stinks like hockey, as all great hockey books should."
—Dave Bidini, author of Best Game You Can Name, and Tropic of Hockey

Praise for the Author:

Bill Gaston ought to be a household name by now. Long-time fans of his previous works already know the truth: Gaston is quite possibly one of our nation's most unsung, highly skilled writers." The Globe and Mail

His compassionate and vibrant grasp of the human comedy, his philosophical breadth and technical skill, remind me of the best work of Guy Vanderhaege and David Malouf

If you haven't read any of Gaston's work yet, you should. He's been nominated for both the Giller and GG award and is almost certainly the best Canadian author you haven't heard of.

[JerzeeGirl]

Originally Posted by driveway

Up late, A&W churning away in my gut, Team Discovery Channel is proud to select, in the Category of Memoir/Biography



Midnight Hockey: All About the Beer, the Boys, and the Real Canadian Game.
By Bill Gaston.

Awesome pick - excellent book......probably one of the best hockey books I've read to date.

I was thinking I might be able to sneak it into a Wild Card slot but now my plans have been foiled....darn you driveway!!!! A pox upon your house!!!!

[habernac]

agreed, great book. Getting older myself, a lot of it is so true. 3 years ago, I finally got on a decent team where hanging out with the players is as much fun as playing the game. That is not always easy to do.

[rogermexico]

For this round, in the Historical/Political section, I pick Salt by Mark Kurlansky.



For a while now there's been a booming industry in publishing of micro-macro histories. Picking a specific thing and telling the detailed history of it, and in doing so, going through the history of just about everything else. Of all the books like this I've read, about food, Scottish people, the number 0, and god knows what else, Salt is the best and Kurlansky the best at doing it.

So you and I all need a certain amount of sodium in our diet. However, the daily intake available for your average hunting/gathering omnivore way back when wasn't sufficient. So people just to survive had to find external sources of salt to supplement their diet.

On the way, they figured out how to preserve food, developed trading systems, made a lot of really great sauces, and more or less developed the world as we know it. This is a super cool book full of the kind of facts that will drive people nuts when you trot them out at parties.

A close second from Kurlansky for me was his Basque History of the World, which is almost as great. But start with Salt I'd say.

[Bobblehead]

I think you missed round 7 as well, roger; so we need another pick.