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Just finishing up Austerity - The History of a Dangerous Idea by Mark Blyth. I am an Economics teacher so have really enjoyed this - well written and most of it is easily understandable. Will make you furious at what the Tories have put the UK through since the financial crisis. Mark Blyth is head of Political Science at Brown University but was born in Dundee - if this sort of stuff interests you at all then check him out on You Tube - very interesting speaker.

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50 minutes ago, Saigon Raider said:

Just finishing up Austerity - The History of a Dangerous Idea by Mark Blyth. I am an Economics teacher so have really enjoyed this - well written and most of it is easily understandable. Will make you furious at what the Tories have put the UK through since the financial crisis. Mark Blyth is head of Political Science at Brown University but was born in Dundee - if this sort of stuff interests you at all then check him out on You Tube - very interesting speaker.

I found Mark Blyth on You Tube a while back, he was pretty vocal on Trump, and watched a lot of his videos.  His political and sociological angle I found very convincing although it has to be said I know virtually nothing about economics. 

Might well pick this up and I need to read a sort of  general Introduction to Economics, if I can find one that's not too dull!  Any suggestions?

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On 9/4/2017 at 16:08, TheLip69 said:

Normally take a couple of escapist thrillers on hols to while away the time. However picked up Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada, brilliant. Started it on the plane and was quite disappointed when we came in to land and I had to close the book. Set in Berlin in 1940 it's about a couple who start to got back at the Nazis when their only son is killed in the war. The various characters, good and evil, were perfectly drawn and I was gripped throughout. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Read this a couple of years ago, in fact I might have mentioned it in this thread. 

It's a great book - one of the few on my Good Reads page with the full five stars - although I found it pretty emotionally draining to a degree that might not have been actually very enjoyable.  It's not exactly a fun read for those with sunny dispositions.

BTW There's someone on P&B who goes by the name of Emil Borkhausen, a character from the book, which I've always found strange since the character is a weak, sniveling, amoral Nazi informant. 

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Onto the third book in Stephen King’s detective trilogy (retired policeman called Bill Hodges). All entertaining and without spoiling it too much, the first book is straight crime novel but by the third he can’t resist a bit of Carrie style horror. 

 

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2 hours ago, Saigon Raider said:

Just finishing up Austerity - The History of a Dangerous Idea by Mark Blyth. I am an Economics teacher so have really enjoyed this - well written and most of it is easily understandable. Will make you furious at what the Tories have put the UK through since the financial crisis. Mark Blyth is head of Political Science at Brown University but was born in Dundee - if this sort of stuff interests you at all then check him out on You Tube - very interesting speaker.

I read The Establishment (Owen Jones) earlier this summer. It's shocking what goes on in the finance/political circles in Britain to keep the rich very rich but keep the rest of us piss poor.

Gonna check out Mark Blyth pronto.

Cheers.

 

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4 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

I found Mark Blyth on You Tube a while back, he was pretty vocal on Trump, and watched a lot of his videos.  His political and sociological angle I found very convincing although it has to be said I know virtually nothing about economics. 

Might well pick this up and I need to read a sort of  general Introduction to Economics, if I can find one that's not too dull!  Any suggestions?

A couple of nice starters are Ha Joon Chang (he has a few) or some of the Freakanomics or Undercover Economist books.

Maybe have a look at this Goodreads list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/70721.Best_Economics_Books_List_For_Beginners

I really like Behavioural Economics so there a couple of books by Dan Ariely (Predictably Irrational and The Honest Truth About DIshonesty) which are amazing.

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On 11/2/2017 at 09:19, Ross. said:

Read that not too long ago and it was OK but nothing like as good as the other stuff I have read from him. Actually in the middle of reading The Secret Scripture, which I am really enjoying. The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty and The Temporary Gentleman were also very good.

Finished this morning on the way into work. Immensely enjoyable.

Bought the last of the Laidlaw trilogy in Glasgow Airport yesterday. Will start on that tomorrow.

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Read "his bloody project" in one go on holiday. Outstanding.  What a book!! 

Anything written by the Godfather of Tartan Noir (McIlvanney). The Laidlaw trilogy is crime writing at the highest level. I don't often go back to books, but I go back to these every so often. Docherty is a masterpiece, as is "The Kiln." His book of short stories , "walking wounded," offers an incisive view into working class Scottish life. I sat in a pub in Dalmellington recently and it reminded me of the gritty reality he was so adept at writing about. I wish he could have written more. His use of the English language could be breathtaking at times.  One of the great Scottish writers. 

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2 hours ago, Bighairycoo said:

Read "his bloody project" in one go on holiday. Outstanding.  What a book!! 

Anything written by the Godfather of Tartan Noir (McIlvanney). The Laidlaw trilogy is crime writing at the highest level. I don't often go back to books, but I go back to these every so often. Docherty is a masterpiece, as is "The Kiln." His book of short stories , "walking wounded," offers an incisive view into working class Scottish life. I sat in a pub in Dalmellington recently and it reminded me of the gritty reality he was so adept at writing about. I wish he could have written more. His use of the English language could be breathtaking at times.  One of the great Scottish writers. 

Really enjoyed His Bloody Project as well, an immersive read.

Would also recommend To Be Continued by James Robertson - a bit of a mad book that involves a talking frog, I thought it was great.

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A couple of nice starters are Ha Joon Chang (he has a few) or some of the Freakanomics or Undercover Economist books.
Maybe have a look at this Goodreads list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/70721.Best_Economics_Books_List_For_Beginners
I really like Behavioural Economics so there a couple of books by Dan Ariely (Predictably Irrational and The Honest Truth About DIshonesty) which are amazing.

For a more general grounding in what’s more commonly thought of as Economics then he’s probably better off getting a First year textbook like Economics by Begg, Dornbusch & Fischer

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman is well worth reading if you’re interested in behavioural Economics.

https://books.google.com/books/about/Thinking_Fast_and_Slow.html?id=ZuKTvERuPG8C

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Just finished the audiobook of The Pigeon Tunnel, John Le Carré’s autobiography. Not usually into (auto)biographies but this was pretty interesting. And he reads it himself, which I always like.

Currently have Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor on the go, as I want to learn a bit more about the US Deep South.

After that, it’s The Tailor of Panama. Le Carré is my favourite author right now.

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Recent reads:

 

The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

1984 by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Beyond Good And Evil - by Friedrich Nietzsche

The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche

Twilight Of The Idols by Friedrich Nietzsche

Nausea by John Paul Satre

Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard

 

I am currently reading Either/Or by Kierkegaard.

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Recent reads:
 
The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
1984 by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Beyond Good And Evil - by Friedrich Nietzsche
The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche
Twilight Of The Idols by Friedrich Nietzsche
Nausea by John Paul Satre
Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard
 
I am currently reading Either/Or by Kierkegaard.

Any favorite from the Nietzsche books?
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3 minutes ago, ayrshire_nomad said:


Any favorite from the Nietzsche books?

They were all very interesting reads, and I still have a few books of his still to read. I would reccommend them definitely. He makea alot of good points and I quite enjoy his sense of humour and his tendency to poke fun at other philosophers.

 Twilight Of The Idols was probably my favourite of the three.

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