Thread: What's your favorite book?

Originally Posted by DOMS

I'm adding this to my reading list.

not into the Irish mob thing. I cant associate with it. I am the second generation of strong Italian families (sounds like a beginning of a book). I am thoroughly influenced by my Italian heritage. Old World values and the like.

One of my all time favorites: Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

I received it as a gift when I finished graduate school. It sort of sums up life in a simple...almost childlike zen way.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

not into the Irish mob thing. I cant associate with it. I am the second generation of strong Italian families (sounds like a beginning of a book). I am thoroughly influenced by my Italian heritage. Old World values and the like.

I'm Italian myself. Whitey Bulger's right hand man was Stephen "Machine Gun" Flemmi. Italian and Irish organized crime is extremely similar and have enormous involvement with one another. Italians and Irish were allies in NY as well as Boston & Chicago in most popular years, dating back to prohibition. I've heard this book is awesome.

Originally Posted by Goodfella9783

You'd love:

Underboss by Peter Maas (autobiography of Sammy "the bull" Gravano)

Mob Over Miami by Michele McPhee (autobiography of Chri Paciello, NY OC asscoiate and Miami night life Icon)

Both highly recommended

One of the books I listed, Valaci Papers, is by Peter Maas. It's a vivid recount of Joe Valaci when he squealed on the mafia, and a detailed history of his 30 odd years in the mafia.

Originally Posted by goandykid

One of the books I listed, Valaci Papers, is by Peter Maas. It's a vivid recount of Joe Valaci when he squealed on the mafia, and a detailed history of his 30 odd years in the mafia.

I've heard that's a good one too. Did you like it? There's a movie too I think. Right now I'm working on the Luciano Story. Another OG.

I loved Valaci Papers, Luciano sounds familiar. Did he squeal too? I think Valaci was trashing him in his book.

The movie is old but also great, I love it almsot as much as the godfather.

Originally Posted by goandykid

I loved Valaci Papers, Luciano sounds familiar. Did he squeal too? I think Valaci was trashing him in his book.

The movie is old but also great, I love it almsot as much as the godfather.

No he's considered the originator of the Mafia in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Luciano

The way I remember, (in a nutshell) Valaci was working for someone who had respect for everyone, he was killed and some db took voer that eld to the fall of their whole fmaily. Genovese, maybe?

Originally Posted by lioness

Don Miguel Ruiz's - The Four Agreements

"For many, The Four Agreements is a life-changing book, whose ideas come from the ancient Toltec wisdom of the native people of Southern Mexico. The Toltec were 'people of knowledge' - scientists and artists who created a society to explore and conserve the traditional spiritual knowledge and practices of their ancestors.

The Toltec viewed science and spirit as part of the same entity, believing that all energy - material or ethereal - is derived from and governed by the universe.

The simple ideas of The Four Agreements provide an inspirational code for life. Here is how Don Miguel Ruiz summarises 'The Four Agreements':

agreement 1
Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

agreement 2
Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

agreement 3
Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

agreement 4
Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick..."

I smell chick book.

Anyone ever read the "House of Leaves"? My friend read it and he said it was some crazy shit and i plan on reading it soon but just wondering if any of you have.

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

Anyone ever read the "House of Leaves"? My friend read it and he said it was some crazy shit and i plan on reading it soon but just wondering if any of you have.

I've been meaning to get into that stuff, Cybertext as well, but I keep getting wrapped up in older literature, I need to immerse myself in some new stuff maybe The Policeman's Beard Is Half Constructed a book of computer generated poetry

I liked Richard Preston's The Hot Zone which was a book about the Ebola virus in which the movie Outbreak was based upon. I liked Mario Puzo's Godfather as well but most likely only because I am a huge fan of the first two movies. There was a lot in the book that wasn't in the movies (a lot more Johnny Fontane for example, but I'm glad they cut this stuff out).

I really enjoyed my Moral Theory and Ethics textbook when I took a philosophy course several years ago, but I cannot remember the authors (it was mainly a collection of writings by different philosophers such as Emmanuel Kant) as well as the Dictionary.

Clive Barker pwns you.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

I smell chick book.

Harry Potter

Without Remorse, Tom Clancy

Imma sucka for science fiction. I like to have my imagination stretched. John Varley had a series of called Titan, Wizard, and Demon about humans coming in contact with a living planet.

When I was a kid I read all the Judy Blume books. God, I have read a lot.

Originally Posted by lioness

The Indian in the Cupboard. Hands down.

The Fudge series by Judy Blume was always great...remember Peter Farley?

Goosebumps were pretty popular too

Originally Posted by Goodfella9783

Goosebumps were pretty popular too

Yeah I remember Goosebumps and Fear Street. Also the Boxcar Children were popular but I never read them, only said I did to get through those 3rd and 4th grade book reports, then made shit up because there were so many books in the series there was no way any teacher could have read them all.

My favorites some current, some not:

On The Road, Jack Kerouac
Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace Gore Vidal
Profit Over People Noam Chomsky
No One Here Gets Out Alive Danny Sugerman
The Accidental Theorist Paul Krugman
Reading Nietzsche Robert Solomon
The Anarchist Cookbook
Letters and Opinions Albert Einstein
Comparative Religion Harry Tiebout
Juggs: Floppers Edition (boxed set) various contributors

Originally Posted by Doublebase

The Indian in the Cupboard. Hands down.

Someone hasn't read a book since third grade.....

For the BookWorms

Thomas Harris, I love reading about Hannibal Lecter........I read Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon and Hannibal......I didn't even know he just released Hannibal Rising which details Hannibals childhood into early adulthood. I just find the character of Lecter intriguing......not the serial killer, but the doctor and scholar.


Even though the movies are awesome, his books are even more so as most books to movies are, I recommend if you liked the movies to read his books you'll learn a lot, especially Hannibal and once I get Hannibal Rising I'll give you guys an update....

Books are great things. I did not have access to them while growing up, too expensive and I didnt have a good library around. But now things are better and I read from 20 to 30 books a year. I know it is not a lot but that is how much I can handle and not get too stressed with it.

There is something new to my reading habits too, I can stop reading in the middle of a book if I dont like it. Before, I read everything, hoping it would get better.

Enders Game as well