Recommend a Book

cremeegg said:
A collection of schoolboy essays gathered into a book.
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That is a reasonable observation I would agree. But I do think the book offers a concise and accessible introduction into geopolitical affairs around the globe. For instance, I only ever had a cursory knowledge of Chinese/India affairs and this book has shed more light on potential disputes that may arise in the future that I never knew could potentially arise.
On the other hand, I consider myself to have reasonable knowledge of East-West affairs between NATO, Russia etc. After 4 years of Russia-gate FB election paranoia in the US, its refreshing to pull back from that nonsense and be reminded of what is actually occurring in such matters.
 
WolfeTone said:
Looking forward to reading The Deficit Myth
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Interesting book, if not sufficiently convincing me of Modern Monetary Theory.
Nevertheless, it demonstrably exposes the fake fear and lack of understanding politicians have with regard the national debt when resisting calls for increases in expenditure.
 
The mistake economists keep making is to assume that politicians will act like economists.
 
Purple said:
The mistake economists keep making is to assume that politicians will act like economists.
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I can't help but recall the definition of an economist as someone who spends half their career developing a theory and then the other half explaining why it doesn't work.

I'm enjoying "Meetings with remarkable Manuscripts, 12 journeys into the Medieval World" by Christopher de Hammel. it could have done with a bit of an edit as some of it is a bit too much detail but it's still a facinating read.
 
Has anyone read The girl who lived twice by David Lagercrantz. It’s the sixth book in the Stieg Larssson , the girl with the Dragon Tattoo series ? I have read the other five which are very good .
 
Mindf*ck: inside Cambridge Analytica's plot to break the world

Phenomenal & scary. Well worth a read
 
The Murder of Mr Moonlight by newspaper journalist Catherine Fegan. Nothing to read at home and while walking past Easons I noticed a table set up beyond which there was no entry due to Covid. I asked the helpful Easons employee for something easy to read and she produced Catherine Fegan's book. Selling at half price it was great value. It told the story of Bobby Ryan (Mr Moonlight, truck driver for a quarry in Co Tippearary and part time disc jockey and general nice guy) and Patrick Quirke (Fulltime Farmer, Investor, Agricultural Advisor and found guilty of the murder of Mr Moonlight), Imelda Quirke (wife of Patrick), Mary Lowry (sister in law of Imelda Quirke and intimate with Mr Quirke and Mr Ryan and of similar appearance to Imelda). Brilliantly written and with the pace of an express train and summaries of evidence from the longest running murder trial in Ireland. There was little hard evidence against Patrick Quirke but an amount of circumstantial evidence which led to the guilty verdict. The book is an excellent read and you can draw your own conclusions from the story and its characters. There are some unanswered questions which I think should have been given more coverage. Perhaps they are for another day?
 
I'm trying to keep up with magazines, when I have an hour I can sit down and read one - New Scientist, National Geographic, Decanter etc
I have a history book on world war 2 that I can pick up a chapter read it in an hour, and then it's ok if it is weeks before I read the next one.
 
Toby's Room - by Pat Barker. Takes place between 1912 and 1917 covering the life of individual artist-painters known to each other from college to military service in Ypres during WW1. The subject character is Missing Presumed Dead. The reader is transported through London and rural England during the course of the book. Taboo subjects are covered and if you have any animosity towards any taboo subject even in Ireland you could do worse than read Toby's Room. Description of life in the trenches and the horrific work of stretcher bearers is written as if it were first-hand experience. Preparation for war, enlisting and life as an officer and conscript/volunteer are described with no punches pulled. It is not an anti war book, but you would have to be a cold person devoid of emotions to fail to get to grips of what was written.

Pat Barker is up there with Graham Greene and our own Liam Clancy as a thumping good builder of stories. This is the first of her books I've read and I'll read more as soon as our bookshops reopen after Covid.
 
Sandworm by Andy Greenberg
10/10 for me. I found it a fascinating read. Anyone with even a passing interest in all things Cyber hacking/war should enjoy it. Great & detailed insight into the more famous hackings by the US/Isreal (Stuxnet attack on Iran's nuclear enrichment program) and Russia's attacks on Georgia, Estonia, the Seoul Olympics and (repeated) attacks on Ukraine. WannaCry and nopetya covered in detail. I found it very difficult to put down.
 
I'm reading https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkening-Age-Christian-Destruction-Classical/dp/0544800885 (The Darkening Age) by Catherine Nixey.
She's the daughter of a former Nun and former monk. The book is about the spread of Christianity through the Latin world and the resulting destruction of that world. So far it's an excellent read.
 
Burning Heresies - Kevin Myers.
Outstanding memoir from the cancelled controversialist.
In terms of his writing ability alone there are few hacks working in the Irish media who come close.
 
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