I don't read much fiction, but John Fowles' "The Magus" was un-down-puttable. Nonfiction books people should read include "The Mountain of Names: A History of the Human Family" by Alex Shoumatoff, "Coming of Age in the Milky Way" by Timothy Ferris and "The Black Hole of Calcutta" by Noel Barber for those interested in the titular hole. Most significant recent disappointment was "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by liberal historian James Loewen. I thought it would fill me with rage against our corporate-controlled history, but it's too short and goes too far in depth in the few examples it has room to give, and by the later half of it I was imagining how I would point out how the textbooks weren't so bad after all. He seems to attack them from all directions, and he spends the last page of every 20-page chapter mentioning the exceptions to everything he's been denouncing. I think I learned in 11th grade that it's better to state your opponent's point first and then take it apart, instead of allowing for it after you state your opinions. Pleasure reading would be either "Black Sheep" by Christopher Simon Sykes (about ridiculous and/or horrifying British royals throughout history), and Gavin Lyall's circa-1960 spy-type thing "Midnight Plus One". Has anyone ever heard of Gavin Lyall? The book has about five pages of effusive reviews before it gets started, indicating that he was pretty popular back in his day, but underrated now. The book is really well written, too. Michael davies sphericalwindow_at_...
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