What Are You Reading? Part Deux

[no bounce no play]

Finishing The Neanderthals Rediscovered. Great little book. Great update of recent discoveries and how they apply to our view of this species. Going through the different opinions and, which are to seldom seen, telling their story from the neanderthal perspective. Not as some species that had a doomed destiny awaiting them but as a species that for a long time outcompeted the Sapiens variety in Europe and Asia. Also liked that they told their story from the beginning in a chronological way. They evolved too, just like us they adapted during their long history. Takes up discussions through history, some have been answered while some is still ongoing. The interesting thing with research is that most answers to a question breeds three new questions. Thats what makes history and archaeology so alive and interesting.

I have a question

Spoiler

The documentary I watched attributed the Neanderthal's disappearance to the super volcano near Naples. Was the same theory expressed in the book?

 

[Kurben]

I have a question

Spoiler

The documentary I watched attributed the Neanderthal's disappearance to the super volcano near Naples. Was the same theory expressed in the book?

Spoiler: Answer to the question

No they are a bit more thorough than that hypothesis. I saw that one. Interesting theory but it has a flaw, its premise, the thing that makes it work is the small population of the neanderthals theory and that they were living in a relatively small area. But Neanderthal lived from Spain and Britain in the west to Siberia in the east. Also there is no proof that Neanderthals had a small population. Smaller than modern man. It of course had a great effect in Italy and france on both Neamderthals and cromagnon but i think they made the supervulcano explain too much. It may be a part of it but i doubt it is all.

The authors go through several hypothesis and weigh for and against but are honest enough to say that we simply dont know yet but they have an opinion. They state that a fault that many does is get so amoured with ones theory so that you choose your facts to fit the theory instead of forming the theory to fit the facts, If a theory explain 9 facts but not the 10,th it is the wrong theory. A theory that works must explain all the facts, not most of them. Very well written, easy to understand. If you're interested in Neanderthals i can recommend it.

 

[kingricefan]

Currently reading Rebecca. Might go for John Irving’s Last Night in Twisted River next, or maybe a reread of Robert McCammon’s Mine.

Reread Mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Doc Creed]

Reread Mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to read Mine, Swan Song, and the Matthew Corbett series. I'm going to keep checking the thrift stores and our used book store. Dan, you have the best luck of anyone at that.

 

[kingricefan]

I want to read Mine, Swan Song, and the Matthew Corbett series. I'm going to keep checking the thrift stores and our used book store. Dan, you have the best luck of anyone at that.

If you can make it past the first chapter of Mine then you're home free. It's very, very, very disturbing to say the least.

 

[Spideyman]

I want to read Mine, Swan Song, and the Matthew Corbett series. I'm going to keep checking the thrift stores and our used book store. Dan, you have the best luck of anyone at that.

Mine ebook amazon $1.99

 

[Doc Creed]

Mine ebook amazon $1.99

Thanks, Spidey.

 

[AchtungBaby]

I want to read Mine, Swan Song, and the Matthew Corbett series. I'm going to keep checking the thrift stores and our used book store. Dan, you have the best luck of anyone at that.

Mine is most excellent, and underrated. I haven’t gotten to the Matthew Corbett Series yet. Will probably start in January.

Doc, did you see Alabama Booksmith is hosting Robert McCammon for a The Listener release event on February 27? I assume he will sign books and read from the new novel. Here’s your second chance...

 

[Doc Creed]

Mine is most excellent, and underrated. I haven’t gotten to the Matthew Corbett Series yet. Will probably start in January.

Doc, did you see Alabama Booksmith is hosting Robert McCammon for a The Listener release event on February 27? I assume he will sign books and read from the new novel. Here’s your second chance...

No, I didn't. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[no bounce no play]

Spoiler: Answer to the question

No they are a bit more thorough than that hypothesis. I saw that one. Interesting theory but it has a flaw, its premise, the thing that makes it work is the small population of the neanderthals theory and that they were living in a relatively small area. But Neanderthal lived from Spain and Britain in the west to Siberia in the east. Also there is no proof that Neanderthals had a small population. Smaller than modern man. It of course had a great effect in Italy and france on both Neamderthals and cromagnon but i think they made the supervulcano explain too much. It may be a part of it but i doubt it is all.

The authors go through several hypothesis and weigh for and against but are honest enough to say that we simply dont know yet but they have an opinion. They state that a fault that many does is get so amoured with ones theory so that you choose your facts to fit the theory instead of forming the theory to fit the facts, If a theory explain 9 facts but not the 10,th it is the wrong theory. A theory that works must explain all the facts, not most of them. Very well written, easy to understand. If you're interested in Neanderthals i can recommend it.

Very cool! Thank you for the info, the book sounds fascinating I've been interested in archeology ever since I was a little kid and visited the Chicago Field Museum.

 

[kingricefan]

I started Man Up! Tales Of My Delusional Self-Confidence by Ross Mathews. He's very funny! He lived in Mount Vernon, Washington which is not too far north of Seattle, so I feel like he's a lucky man to have come from a small town and become a famous person.

 

[fljoe0]

Last week I finished Strange Weather - loved it! My two favorites are Loaded and Aloft and those two stories are very different from each other. Loaded is intensely dark and Aloft is almost whimsical.

Now, I'm diving into my recent grab bag purchases from Cemetery Dance and Dark Regions. I just finished The Booking by Ramsey Campbell. I enjoyed it. It felt like it could have been written 100 years ago despite the electronic devices in the story.

Now I'm on to The Thicket by Joe Lansdale. I read the first chapter last night and I think I'm going to love this one.

 

[AchtungBaby]

About 400 pages into Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour. I don’t want to put it down.

 

[Doc Creed]

About 400 pages into Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour. I don’t want to put it down.

Spoiler

That's basically my favorite part. Michael's backstory and how he meets Rowan. San Francisco and New Orleans pop off the page. I like the similarities between Michael and Johnny Smith from The Dead Zone. One of the scariest scenes I've ever read is coming up (don't think you've got to it, yet) and I can't mention it until you are finished.

I only discuss the portion you've read.

 

[Shiney]

Finished Bracken MacLeod's 13 Views of The Suicide Woods

Currently reading Red Ant House by Ann Cummins.

 

[Kurben]

Starting Child of Time by Isaac Asimov & Robert Silverberg. Based in portion on Asimovs short story The Ugly Little Boy about a Neanderthalboy brought back to modern time for the scientists to study. Written by two of the giants in SF so it shouldn't be a flop. The short story was good. Got it for 20 cents in a second hand store. 5 for a dollar.

 

[GNTLGNT]

Last week I finished Strange Weather - loved it! My two favorites are Loaded and Aloft and those two stories are very different from each other. Loaded is intensely dark and Aloft is almost whimsical.

Now, I'm diving into my recent grab bag purchases from Cemetery Dance and Dark Regions. I just finished The Booking by Ramsey Campbell. I enjoyed it. It felt like it could have been written 100 years ago despite the electronic devices in the story.

Now I'm on to The Thicket by Joe Lansdale. I read the first chapter last night and I think I'm going to love this one.

....SW was a hell of a collection of reads....enjoyed them all, which I'm finding is true of his shorter works.......

 

[Grant87]

I finished Sleeping Beauties yesterday. I hate to say anything negative about any of SK's works, but this one just didn't do it for me. I'll make a more detailed post in the appropriate forum when I get a chance, but I felt SB was much too long, and I just didn't find myself caring about any of the characters. I'm giving it a 5/10, and it's in the bottom 5 of King books that I've read to this point.

Starting Christine tonight.

 

[kingricefan]

I started Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton last night. It's supposedly a book he had written years ago and that his wife found when she was going through his papers. It does read like one of his very early 'John Lange' books. Those are some of the best thrillers I've read, even though they're way outdated as they were written in the early 70's. Still good reads.

 

[kingricefan]

I started Man Up! Tales Of My Delusional Self-Confidence by Ross Mathews. He's very funny! He lived in Mount Vernon, Washington which is not too far north of Seattle, so I feel like he's a lucky man to have come from a small town and become a famous person.

This book is hilarious! Had me laughing many times.