CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

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CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Pwns »

Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football
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Good read overall. Has too much off-topic rambling and a lot of it kind if reads like Hodge's biography. Doesn't let the NFL off the hook for looking the other way at the problem, but at worst it casts serious doubt on the connections on the media narrative of CTE and football and at best obliterates that narrative. The lack of transparency and dishonesty surrounding the infamous Boston University study in particular was surprising There is quite literally nothing scientific about how we learned what we think we've learned about CTE, dementia, concussions, and football.

Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man
Spoiler: show
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Was forced to read this one in high school and have read it again. It's a shame that high schools and colleges teach this as being a "racism bad, feel bad for being white" book. What gets missed in this is how the "racially progressive" people in the book basically reduce the main character to being a part of a monolith instead of an individual and sometimes even infantilize him. This book might be more relevant today than when it was written in 1945. It should be obvious that figurative invisibility the title refers to doesn't mean a lack of sympathy or respect, but it's not to people who want to make this book into something that it it's not.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by ALPHAGRIZ1 »

CTE is made up bullshit by the left to keep blacks poor.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Ivytalk »

ALPHAGRIZ1 wrote:CTE is made up bullshit by the left to keep blacks poor.
Interesting, Alfie. What was the last book you read?
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by ALPHAGRIZ1 »

Its not my book.... ReallyImage

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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by houndawg »

Pwns wrote:Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football
Spoiler: show
Image
Good read overall. Has too much off-topic rambling and a lot of it kind if reads like Hodge's biography. Doesn't let the NFL off the hook for looking the other way at the problem, but at worst it casts serious doubt on the connections on the media narrative of CTE and football and at best obliterates that narrative. The lack of transparency and dishonesty surrounding the infamous Boston University study in particular was surprising There is quite literally nothing scientific about how we learned what we think we've learned about CTE, dementia, concussions, and football.

Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man
Spoiler: show
Image
Was forced to read this one in high school and have read it again. It's a shame that high schools and colleges teach this as being a "racism bad, feel bad for being white" book. What gets missed in this is how the "racially progressive" people in the book basically reduce the main character to being a part of a monolith instead of an individual and sometimes even infantilize him. This book might be more relevant today than when it was written in 1945. It should be obvious that figurative invisibility the title refers to doesn't mean a lack of sympathy or respect, but it's not to people who want to make this book into something that it it's not.
I don't know about the studies but I do have a friend that played eight years in the NFL - concussions are a serious problem for real.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by GannonFan »

houndawg wrote:
Pwns wrote:Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football
Spoiler: show
Image
Good read overall. Has too much off-topic rambling and a lot of it kind if reads like Hodge's biography. Doesn't let the NFL off the hook for looking the other way at the problem, but at worst it casts serious doubt on the connections on the media narrative of CTE and football and at best obliterates that narrative. The lack of transparency and dishonesty surrounding the infamous Boston University study in particular was surprising There is quite literally nothing scientific about how we learned what we think we've learned about CTE, dementia, concussions, and football.

Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man
Spoiler: show
Image
Was forced to read this one in high school and have read it again. It's a shame that high schools and colleges teach this as being a "racism bad, feel bad for being white" book. What gets missed in this is how the "racially progressive" people in the book basically reduce the main character to being a part of a monolith instead of an individual and sometimes even infantilize him. This book might be more relevant today than when it was written in 1945. It should be obvious that figurative invisibility the title refers to doesn't mean a lack of sympathy or respect, but it's not to people who want to make this book into something that it it's not.
I don't know about the studies but I do have a friend that played eight years in the NFL - concussions are a serious problem for real.
Indeed. Friend from high school played football through college, ended up having a stroke at age 30 (no family history). Got his bell rung plenty of times playing ball. It's a real thing.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by ∞∞∞ »

Reading "Sapiens" right now by Yuval Noah Harari.

Next on the list is the oldie, "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller Jr.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by houndawg »

∞∞∞ wrote:Reading "Sapiens" right now by Yuval Noah Harari.

Next on the list is the oldie, "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller Jr.
Arguably the best SF novel ever written. I'm a huge Neal Stephenson fan but Canticle is a high-water mark for the ages
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by 93henfan »

GannonFan wrote:
houndawg wrote:
I don't know about the studies but I do have a friend that played eight years in the NFL - concussions are a serious problem for real.
Indeed. Friend from high school played football through college, ended up having a stroke at age 30 (no family history). Got his bell rung plenty of times playing ball. It's a real thing.
Just look at the people who played college ball on this board. Fucking lunatics.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by andy7171 »

93henfan wrote:
GannonFan wrote:
Indeed. Friend from high school played football through college, ended up having a stroke at age 30 (no family history). Got his bell rung plenty of times playing ball. It's a real thing.
Just look at the people who played college ball on this board. Fucking lunatics.
CTE is BS. I know of no one...HEY!!!!!
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by ASUG8 »

I'm working my way through the Jack Reacher series. I'm on book 10 of 24 but I'm banging out a book a month and they're all 400 pagers. I read all the Vince Flynn and Brad Thor books and moved to Lee Childs and his Reacher series. I read a few chapters at lunch most days.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by andy7171 »

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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Ibanez »

ASUG8 wrote:I'm working my way through the Jack Reacher series. I'm on book 10 of 24 but I'm banging out a book a month and they're all 400 pagers. I read all the Vince Flynn and Brad Thor books and moved to Lee Childs and his Reacher series. I read a few chapters at lunch most days.
I've gone through the series, minus the last 3. :thumb:

I like the Mitch Rapp series - though I listened to it on Audible. That guy is a badass.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by UNI88 »

Ibanez wrote:
ASUG8 wrote:I'm working my way through the Jack Reacher series. I'm on book 10 of 24 but I'm banging out a book a month and they're all 400 pagers. I read all the Vince Flynn and Brad Thor books and moved to Lee Childs and his Reacher series. I read a few chapters at lunch most days.
I've gone through the series, minus the last 3. :thumb:

I like the Mitch Rapp series - though I listened to it on Audible. That guy is a badass.


I like those books but my favorites are probably the Daniel Silva( Gabriel Alon) books. I would also recommend taking a look at Steve Berry (Cotton Malone) and Brad Taylor (Pike Logan).

I just finished The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch. Short read and a little disjointed but I found it extremely interesting.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Chizzang »

I've been enjoying this hilarious book... "Quillifer"

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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Ivytalk »

UNI88 wrote:
Ibanez wrote: I've gone through the series, minus the last 3. :thumb:

I like the Mitch Rapp series - though I listened to it on Audible. That guy is a badass.


I like those books but my favorites are probably the Daniel Silva( Gabriel Alon) books. I would also recommend taking a look at Steve Berry (Cotton Malone) and Brad Taylor (Pike Logan).

I just finished The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch. Short read and a little disjointed but I found it extremely interesting.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Ivytalk »

Now reading If Not Us, Who? Biography of National Review publisher William Rusher that is really a history of the American conservative movement. Reading about the halcyon days of the Goldwater campaign now. :thumb:
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Winterborn »

Currently reading Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution 1787-1788 by Pauline Maier. Draws a clear timeline of what it took for each State at the time to ratify the new Constitution and the debates from both sides that took place. Lot of the same arguments that are going on today were happening back then and it has been interesting to read how they worked through those difficulties.

https://www.amazon.com/Ratification-Peo ... 0684868555

Also started reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis as it dovetails very nicely into the above book and gives a pretty good background and view of each of the major players in the early years of the United States and in the development of the Constitution.

https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Brother ... 339&sr=1-2

The main item that surprised me was Patrick Henry is more of an asshole than I thought and that Hamilton had some serious power ambitions.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

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Ivytalk wrote:Now reading If Not Us, Who? Biography of National Review publisher William Rusher that is really a history of the American conservative movement. Reading about the halcyon days of the Goldwater campaign now. :thumb:
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

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Winterborn wrote:Currently reading Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution 1787-1788 by Pauline Maier. Draws a clear timeline of what it took for each State at the time to ratify the new Constitution and the debates from both sides that took place. Lot of the same arguments that are going on today were happening back then and it has been interesting to read how they worked through those difficulties.

https://www.amazon.com/Ratification-Peo ... 0684868555

Also started reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis as it dovetails very nicely into the above book and gives a pretty good background and view of each of the major players in the early years of the United States and in the development of the Constitution.

https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Brother ... 339&sr=1-2

The main item that surprised me was Patrick Henry is more of an asshole than I thought and that Hamilton had some serious power ambitions.
I thought that was common knowledge about Hamilton, until that silly musical whitewashed him

Not surprising he’s the darling of the know-nothing left these days, though
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Winterborn »

CID1990 wrote:
Winterborn wrote:Currently reading Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution 1787-1788 by Pauline Maier. Draws a clear timeline of what it took for each State at the time to ratify the new Constitution and the debates from both sides that took place. Lot of the same arguments that are going on today were happening back then and it has been interesting to read how they worked through those difficulties.

https://www.amazon.com/Ratification-Peo ... 0684868555

Also started reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis as it dovetails very nicely into the above book and gives a pretty good background and view of each of the major players in the early years of the United States and in the development of the Constitution.

https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Brother ... 339&sr=1-2

The main item that surprised me was Patrick Henry is more of an asshole than I thought and that Hamilton had some serious power ambitions.
I thought that was common knowledge about Hamilton, until that silly musical whitewashed him

Not surprising he’s the darling of the know-nothing left these days, though
Prior to starting those two books I knew he had high ambitions, just wasn't aware of how high and to what extent. Also the lengths that he was apparently willing to consider.

Musicals are not something I would consider good source material. :thumb:
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Ibanez »

CID1990 wrote:
Winterborn wrote:Currently reading Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution 1787-1788 by Pauline Maier. Draws a clear timeline of what it took for each State at the time to ratify the new Constitution and the debates from both sides that took place. Lot of the same arguments that are going on today were happening back then and it has been interesting to read how they worked through those difficulties.

https://www.amazon.com/Ratification-Peo ... 0684868555

Also started reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis as it dovetails very nicely into the above book and gives a pretty good background and view of each of the major players in the early years of the United States and in the development of the Constitution.

https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Brother ... 339&sr=1-2

The main item that surprised me was Patrick Henry is more of an asshole than I thought and that Hamilton had some serious power ambitions.
I thought that was common knowledge about Hamilton, until that silly musical whitewashed him

Not surprising he’s the darling of the know-nothing left these days, though
The musical is based off of Ron Chernow's biography (and Ron consulted on the development of the play.) Don't get me wrong, I think the musical is great. But you definitely get a sense that he's an impulsive sometime irrational person.

The play does gloss over things like Hamilton being a Tory before switching sides, or that Hamilton had been in about 10 duels before his last one (at that him and Burr had at least 1 honor dispute before the fatal one).

That and the rivalry/animosity,feud between Hamilton - Burr began way before the election of 1800 and that it wasn't until Hamilton had a hand in denying Burr' the NY governorship that the tension escalated to the point of a duel, not after the election of 1800 as implied in the show.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by GannonFan »

CID1990 wrote:
Winterborn wrote:Currently reading Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution 1787-1788 by Pauline Maier. Draws a clear timeline of what it took for each State at the time to ratify the new Constitution and the debates from both sides that took place. Lot of the same arguments that are going on today were happening back then and it has been interesting to read how they worked through those difficulties.

https://www.amazon.com/Ratification-Peo ... 0684868555

Also started reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis as it dovetails very nicely into the above book and gives a pretty good background and view of each of the major players in the early years of the United States and in the development of the Constitution.

https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Brother ... 339&sr=1-2

The main item that surprised me was Patrick Henry is more of an asshole than I thought and that Hamilton had some serious power ambitions.
I thought that was common knowledge about Hamilton, until that silly musical whitewashed him

Not surprising he’s the darling of the know-nothing left these days, though
Well, consider that the know-nothing left unfairly despised him and toasted his downfall and death for about the past 200 years with those annual J&J dinners, despite benefitting greatly from and even using a lot of the systems he implemented, I wouldn't begrudge him getting a little too much credit from that political segment now.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by GannonFan »

Ibanez wrote:
CID1990 wrote:
I thought that was common knowledge about Hamilton, until that silly musical whitewashed him

Not surprising he’s the darling of the know-nothing left these days, though
The musical is based off of Ron Chernow's biography (and Ron consulted on the development of the play.) Don't get me wrong, I think the musical is great. But you definitely get a sense that he's an impulsive sometime irrational person.

The play does gloss over things like Hamilton being a Tory before switching sides, or that Hamilton had been in about 10 duels before his last one (at that him and Burr had at least 1 honor dispute before the fatal one).

That and the rivalry/animosity,feud between Hamilton - Burr began way before the election of 1800 and that it wasn't until Hamilton had a hand in denying Burr' the NY governorship that the tension escalated to the point of a duel, not after the election of 1800 as implied in the show.
I thought Chernow, and even the musical, did a good job of showing him to be destructively impulsive. Chernow certainly laid that out in the book (and no one ever really sugarcoats Hamilton's ambitions during the Quasi War) and the musical puts his failings in clear display during the "Hurricane" song as well as the "Adams Administration".

As for being a Tory before becoming a Patriot, that's a bit harsh - heck, half of the Continental Congress could be labeled as Tories turned Patriots by the same token - the decision to go for Independence was never a neat and tidy one, nor quick. People "evolved" back then even before politicians like Obama "evolved" a couple of centuries later. They just didn't have a term for it yet, with Darwin being many years down the road.
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Re: CS.com Book Club: Spring 2019

Post by Silenoz »

houndawg wrote:
∞∞∞ wrote:Reading "Sapiens" right now by Yuval Noah Harari.

Next on the list is the oldie, "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller Jr.
Arguably the best SF novel ever written. I'm a huge Neal Stephenson fan but Canticle is a high-water mark for the ages
Reading Snow Crash right now

Also just finished Masters of Doom, which incidentally mentioned SC 4-5 times
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