They do. Here is Milo's book on Amazon. It has 91% 5 star ratings and 3% 1 star. Clearly Amazon wasn't allowing 1 star reviews from people who didn't read the book, because there would be a lot more than the 10 one star reviews that exist right now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/069289344X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dangero0c-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=069289344X&linkId=d2fc648a907d1ec758d2254675719fdf

> A certain someone's book is coming out.

Yeah. Dangerous

Somebody should tell the UK biggest book retailer

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/069289344X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500093157&sr=1-1

I don't have power windows, so I guess I'll just roll my windows down.

Anyone can confirm the water would short the car's electronics before you could roll the windows down? Otherwise, even with power windows, you could just roll them down so long as the ignition key is turned to on.

EDIT: I was at work earlier when this was posted, so I didn't have access to my handy dandy Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook. Yes, this is a thing, and they supposedly consulted experts for all the subjects. Here's what it says on escaping from a sinking car, from page 36:

"1.As soon as you hit the water, open your window. This is your best chance of escape, because opening the door will be very difficult given the outside water pressure. (To be safe, you should drive with the windows and doors slightly open whenever you are near water or are driving on ice.) Opening the windows allows water to come in and equalize the pressure. Once the water pressure inside and outside the car is equal, you'll be able to open the door.

2.If your power windows won't work or you cannot roll your windows down all the way, attempt to break the glass with your foot or shoulder or a heavy object such as an antitheft steering wheel lock.

3.Get out. Do not worry about leaving anything behind unless it is another person. Vehicles with engines in front will sink at a steep angle. If the water is fifteen feet or deeper, the vehicle may end up on its roof, upside down. For this reason, you must get out as soon as possible, while the car is still afloat. Depending on the vehicle, floating time will range from a few seconds to a few minutes. The more airtight the car, the longer it floats. Air in the car will quickly be forced out through the trunk and cab, and an air bubble is unlikely to remain once the car hits bottom. Get out as early as possible.

4.If you are unable to open the window or break it, you have one final option. Remain calm and do not panic. Wait until the car begins filling with water. When the water reaches your head, take a deep breath and hold it. Now the pressure should be equalized inside and outside, and you should be able to open the door and swim to the surface."

Their sources for this chapter were The U.S. Army's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab, located in New Hampshire; "Danger! Thin Ice," a publication of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; and Tim Smalley, a boating and safety specialist at the Minnesota DNR.

Here are the recently published novels we've covered in the /r/SF_Book_Club (you can check out the survey results for these books from the sidebar over there):

• Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge.
  
  
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  
  
• Rule 34 by Charles Stross
  
  
• The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
  
  
• Embassytown by China Miéville
  
  
• The Dervish House by Ian McDonald
  
  
• Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
  
  
• The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Amazon link to said book

https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X
for pre-order

Relevant book recommendation: Year Zero by Rob Reid.

Aliens listen in on our radio broadcasts, find (and copy) all our music, and only afterwards find out about the US Copyright laws.

Not in Britain!

Which I learned while reading this fantastic book.

The worst-case scenario survival handbook may fit the bill. Want to know how to jump from a motorbike in to a car? Or win a sword fight?

That cannot be unintentional.

Edit: I realize that its probably a similar type of book to this. In other words, not actually for kids.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

From Amazon:

> It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

>Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

>And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.

> For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century.

Passive Aggressive Panda, eh? I can work with that.

For that matter, it doesn't need to necessarily be a children's book, that's just a style. Plenty of coffee-table books that are meant as comedy.

I recommend every one who is interested in writing Star Wars fanfic to read Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy.


https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X

Relevant to the relevant!

"Instability" and "unstable" have the same root, the Latin adjective "stabilis" (from the verb "stare," to stay). Like /u/probably-yeah said, the prefixes "in" and "un" came to English from different sources: "in" is French/Latin and "un" is Germanic.

English spelling really didn't standardize until the advent of the printing press, and then the choices were made by book publishers and were often arbitrary. 'Correct' English spelling was developed piecemeal, and various attempts to streamline it over the centuries have failed. Source: Bill Bryson, The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way.

Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations by Al Franken

no reason

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/069289344X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500093157&sr=1-1

You've had a setback, but it isn't the end of the world. Things probably aren't as bad as you think they are, but it will take work both to catch up, and to convince yourself that you're up to speed.

1. Decide you're going to work at this. It sounds like this is where the major gap has been -- without your parents providing goals, it can be difficult to motivate yourself. Make a schedule, and stick to it. Assume something like four hours of work a day and do it -- you might find allocating certain hours works better. I don't know if you have other responsibilities, like a job or caring for family, so ultimately you'll have to decide on this.
   
   
2. Figure out how far behind you really are.
   
   a) Reading
   
   A lot of English skills are about practice, so reading anything (including Reddit) is good. Maybe pick up a popular book:
   
   "The Hunger Games" or "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone" are both at about a grade 6 level. I'd avoid Twilight, which is at about a grade 4 level (and everything past the first book is crap, in my opinion).
   
   If that's okay, try "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "1984". These are more cultural classics (so you can feel more sophisticated), but at still interesting to read, and are at about a grade 8-9 level.
   
   There aren't really a lot of books that are more difficult than that to read, so if you can manage that, you can read well enough to do a GED.
   
   The more difficult books generally use archaic language like "The Canterbury Tales" or Shakespeare. In general I wouldn't recommend Shakespeare since reading plays is difficult, the language complicates things, too many people treat them as serious and deadly dull, and it takes a lot of work to even understand many of the references -- that's a place for a good teacher (and teachers who are up to the task are few and far between).
   
   You might also try looking at something like (Dont-Know-Much-About-History)[http://www.amazon.com/Don't Know Much About History/dp/0060083824]. It's fairly advanced reading (grade 11-12), and it teaches some aspects of US history that you might not know. If you like that, there's a similar book by the same author about geography. I'll also suggest (Mother Tongue)[http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-English-How-That/dp/0380715430] by Bill Bryson. Again a possibly interesting subject, and it's funny.
   
   For other books, a good librarian can be a great resource, or some sites can offer some suggestions for books based on reading level.
   
   b) Writing
   
   I think that clear written communication is a very important skill. Your question was clear, so that's a good sign you aren't too far behind. Some Essay writing is more common in higher education, but the skills are still useful in office work. The introduction in an essay and an executive summary are quite similar.
   
   The problem here is that getting someone else's point of view is very helpful. You might be able to find some assistance on Reddit, but many colleges have writing centers to help students with this. You could probably approach a local high-school teacher -- in many cases they are willing to help any motivated student. It's amazing how much you can improve if you find someone who is decent and take the time to re-write the essay a few times to incorporate their suggestions. It's difficult to completely rewrite an essay multiple times, but going through the effort once or twice can make a dramatic difference. (As a student my wife worked in one of those writing centers and several times had cases where the professors didn't believe the students could improve that much that quickly.)
   
   c) Math
   
   There are a number of sites like http://ca.ixl.com/ that have basic math tests. These don't try to teach math like Khan Academy does, but they can help figure out where to start going through the lessons.
   
   I'm already helping with some math tutoring, so I'm fairly comfortable offering my help here. (If you're serious about this, PM me ahead of time since I'm not always logged into Reddit.)
   
   
3. Catching up
   
   Depending on how far behind you actually are you have a few options.
   
   As others have said, there are GED courses at many community colleges.
   
   If you don't feel ready for that there are also free online high school classes. I don't know much about these, but this one seems to have a pretty standard curriculum, and gets reasonable approval from the home schooling forums. There are also summer school and adult education high school courses that you can take in most places. Or you might try enrolling in regular high school -- this might be the best option, since it provides a structure, extra help from teachers if you're willing to ask for it, and some of the social contact. If you sign up for next year now you'll have given yourself a deadline for some of the other work, which might help with the motivation.

Year Zero by Rob Reid has humans as the universe's best musicians. And the writers of the universe's most devastating copyright laws.

Have a read.

How to invent everything

It’s a fun read that takes you from prehistoric times to more modern inventions, with all of the discoveries along the way. Granted, it is rather superficial as it needs to be given the amount of material it covers. I found it fun and fascinating!

The premise is that it’s a handbook for a stranded time traveler and tells you what you need to do to rebuild civilization.

This must be the perfect gift for OP http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Coloring-Book-Vaginas/dp/B000R0HU92

He obviously didn't read "How to jump from a moving train" from The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook.

> Should I leave my current city out of respect for the people I've hurt? Is it okay if I try to stick around and improve myself

Only consider leaving if it's what you really want or for better opportunities. But don't leave to run away from your problems. Make sure you're doing this for the right reasons. Moving to a new place can be a great, cathartic experience.

I've been down this road of self loathing and self hate before. You've recognized your damaging, self destructive behavior. That's the first step. Forget your ex, but don't forget the lesson. Burn her number, email, etc. Burn all pictures. Delete any link to her on your phone. Delete your facebook, and all social media. Unplug. Re-connect with the real world. Exercise. Hit the gym, focus on 5x5's, now is time for you to heal.....you need to work on you. Your mind and your body. Forget all that shit in the past. Read more books. Read this, then this and then this. These books are warnings and advice all young men should get in their teens but don't. We all make these damn same mistakes, sometimes over and over again, we don't learn for some reason. You need to face your past, own it, learn from it - and move on. Why must all men be trapped like Jay Gatsby? Fight it. Good luck brother.

Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything. Nothing is static, everything is evolving, everything is falling apart. - Tyler Durden, Fight Club

Pick up this book immediately: https://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365/ref=sr_1_2?crid=YV792GQITCOB&keywords=dude+youre+going+to+be+a+dad&qid=1554477971&s=gateway&sprefix=dude+you%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-2

​

It is really well written and addresses a lot of topics that you should hear about before it becomes an issue.

I believe you mean "eats shoots and leaves"

I recommend every one who is interested in writing Star Wars fanfic to read Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X

I always get very excited when anyone acknowledges my username, so thanks! And yes, I love it very much; I'd recommend The Mother Tongue - English and How It Got That Way if you want a hilarious (seriously, it is) book on English that'll make you love it too.

Fight Club. Human fat based soap. His name was Robert Paulson. Need I say more?

The movie is also great.

A similar book but a little more directly matching OP's scenario is How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler. It's kind of a fluffy book that doesn't take itself seriously, but does attempt an outline of key inventions that allow advancing civilization more rapidly at each point in time.

But the information in that book is easy to absorb and more or less memorize. I'd want to condense it down to key facts, like recipes for simple chemical processes, etc., and then I'd be tempted to say I'd want some math tables, if I don't have a calculator, but I'm not quite sure how soon I'd need that.

A map of mineral deposits would be pretty useful.

Just finished Ready Player One

Holy shit was this entertaining.

I'm curious about it and will probably still end up getting it as well as another one that always comes up in the other recommended list. How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler I'm suspecting what I've got in mind is just too big.

Alright, if this happens, here's whatcha need to do.

STEP 1

Roll down or break your windows as soon as you hit the water. This will equalize pressure and let you out. To break it, use anything from the headrest of your seat, to your foot, to a ladies heeled shoe.

STEP 2

GTFO. Don't take anything with you unless its someone else. Don't waste time on anything but a person, because if the water is deeper than fifteen feet, your car will end up upside down. This complicates things.

STEP 3

If you can't open or break the windows, do not panic. Wait until your car touches bottom and starts filling up. Once the water reaches your chest, take a very deep breath and open your door. Swim to the surface.

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558 this book, which I'm super glad I have a use for, finally.

Same here for me. It took me a long time to get over religion after being born into it, as a Seventh Day Adventist.

Two things helped me. For 5 years I questioned my religion, but I tried very hard not to. I fully believed the line that the devil will try to trick you into denying christ, and I tried very hard to avoid that temptation. The first thing, was when I looked up Seventh Day Adventists on wikipedia, and it listed in the first couple of paragraphs that they are considered to be somewhat of a cult. That simple statement that is probably completely obvious to other people hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew instantly that it was true and it really opened my eyes.

Shortly after that, there was something going on in the local news about Scientologists (I cant remember what), and so I started reading about them to see what they were all about, and it suddenly dawned on me how that religion, as kooky as it sounds, is not really any different to the many other 'legitimate' religions out there that I was really familiar with.

So my faith in 'religion' was rocked, and I couldn't honestly believe in it any more, but I still wanted to believe in God, but after having my eyes opened, it didn't take long for me to realise, that if god did exist, he was either completely useless and couldn't help anyone, or he could help but didn't because he was a cold hearted bastard.

From the time I first started having doubts, to actually realising that I didn't believe god existed, was at least 10 years.

On a side note, although I read this book AFTER I'd already become an atheist, I recommend that everyone reads "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. It not only covers almost every scientific discipline, but explains how we progressed through our understanding of science. He is not a scientist himself, and does a wonderful job of explaining everything in ways anyone could understand. I think I've bought this book at least 15 times, because I keep giving it away.

Here's a link to the book on amazon

When I read A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson it struck me that almost all of the scientists and innovators mentioned in the book came from upper middle class or wealthy families. It appears that having the free time and resources to invest in an interest is a huge requirement to success.

I have come to the conclusion that the first society that figures out that by having a populace that does not have to worry about food, clothing, and shelter while also being provided with the resources to persue their interests, that society is going to blow past the rest of humanity by creating 20 Einsteins.

And I'm zombies.

You should read Year Zero.

Ah, I love non-fictin as well. Though most of my favorites are more science oriented, there should be a few on here that pique your interest.

• Salt: A World History - A fascinating history of humanity's favorite mineral. Wars have been fought over it, it sustained whole economies ... you'll be surprised to learn just how much of human history has been influenced by salt.
  
• A Short History of Nearly Everything - One of my favorite books. Bryson tells the story and history of science through amazing discoveries and stories about the quirky people who made them.
  
• Homage to Catalonia - A mostly auto-biographical account of George Orwell's time fighting for the communists in the Spanish Civil War.
  
• Capital: Vol. 1 Marx's seminal work and a logically sound criticism of capitalism. Whether or not you agree with his proposed solutions, his criticism is spot on. Depending on how leftist you are, you may have already read The Communist Manifesto. It's a nice introduction to Marx's ideas, but you should really go straight to the source and just read Capital.
  
• Why We Believe What We Believe - The neurology of belief, what could be more interesting? The authors go into great detail on how belief happens at the neurological level, as well as summing up nicely all sorts of findings from differing fields relating to belief. The most interesting part is the research the authors themselves conducted: fMRI scans of people praying, Buddhist monks meditating, Pentecostals speaking in tongues, and an atheist meditating.

Ironically, Fight Club is a book.

It's one of the sequels. Comes from the same author as Go the F**k To Sleep.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, for those wondering.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

> Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought: The Big Coloring Book of Vaginas.

> Your reading time will consist of Goodnight Moon

Go The Fuck To Sleep.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary is amazing.

It's set in a world where a cure to aging is discovered, and made available worldwide. There's the standard government euthanasia programs and cults, but the author also does a really good job of talking about what it would actually be like to live in a world where no one aged - what would happen to the value of our dollar? Where would everyone live? How do we treat the people who choose not to get the age cure?

It's a book that stuck with me a really long time after reading it.

The downside with not aging is that you're almost guaranteed to die a shitty death.

Here is an interesting fiction book on the topic.

that it is! https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499643336&sr=1-1&keywords=milo+yiannopoulos

How come no-one has mentioned A Short History of Nearly Everything yet?

Random selection of some of my favorites to help you expand your horizons:

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan is a great introduction to scientific skepticism.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris is a succinct refutation of Christianity as it's generally practiced in the US employing crystal-clear logic.

Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor by Anthony Everitt is the best biography of one of the most interesting men in history, in my personal opinion.

Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski is a jaw-dropping book on history, journalism, travel, contemporary events, philosophy.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is a great tome about... everything. Physics, history, biology, art... Plus he's funny as hell. (Check out his In a Sunburned Country for a side-splitting account of his trip to Australia).

The Annotated Mona Lisa by Carol Strickland is a thorough primer on art history. Get it before going to any major museum (Met, Louvre, Tate Modern, Prado, etc).

Not the Impossible Faith by Richard Carrier is a detailed refutation of the whole 'Christianity could not have survived the early years if it weren't for god's providence' argument.

Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman are six of the easier chapters from his '63 Lectures on Physics delivered at CalTech. If you like it and really want to be mind-fucked with science, his QED is a great book on quantum electrodynamics direct from the master.

Lucy's Legacy by Donald Johanson will give you a really great understanding of our family history (homo, australopithecus, ardipithecus, etc). Equally good are Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors by Nicholas Wade and Mapping Human History by Steve Olson, though I personally enjoyed Before the Dawn slightly more.

Memory and the Mediterranean by Fernand Braudel gives you context for all the Bible stories by detailing contemporaneous events from the Levant, Italy, Greece, Egypt, etc.

After the Prophet by Lesley Hazleton is an awesome read if you don't know much about Islam and its early history.

Happy reading!

edit: Also, check out the Reasonable Doubts podcast.

If you are interested in this sort of thing, I recommend going to your local ibrary and finding The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson. He's funny and has an engaging style (plus it isn't very long). He's one of my favorite nonfiction authors.

Bryson also wrote a companion book called Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States. I haven't read that one yet, but just based on the author, it's probably something worth checking out.

Al Franken did this like 20 years ago, guys.

http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649

Al Franken summed it up nicely 13 years ago.
http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649

The Magicians by Lev Grossman has been fairly popular on this sub.

Your girlfriend might also be surprised to learn that The Giver is actually part of a four-part series. :)

Coincidentally, there is a book about this (and other things).

Layman here: I'm fairly sure it's because of how humans develop in the womb. Up to a certain point males and females develop the same way - i.e. nipples, hands, feet, etc. Then cells begin to specialize depending on gender and other genetic differences. For example, the cells that develop into the foreskin on a male develop into the labia on a female. Nipples are developed before any of this specialization.

>he is fairly nonplussed and doesn't really seriously discuss it with me

This is going to be your biggest hurdle, you need to have an open line of communication. We don't have a perfect marriage by any means, but we've been together for 5 years (baby status I know) but we don't fight. We communicate and have discussions, it makes a HUGE difference and keeps stress levels WAY down now that I'm pregnant.

Anyway. I got him the book, Dude, You're Gonna Be A Dad. He's really enjoyed reading it. It goes through a lot of what to expect during each trimester, how to prepare for baby care, and most importantly (to me) momma care. It explains what we're going through physically and emotionally. It does a really nice job laying things out in terms that guys can relate to, or at least as closely as possible.

http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Here's something to help you, OP

Many replies here dismissing sleep deprivation because you think you can just "get by".

You can just "get by" with smoking too. With a shortened lifespan.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307334.php

> Although occasional sleep interruptions are generally no more than a nuisance, ongoing lack of sleep can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, emotional difficulties, poor job performance, obesity and a lowered perception of quality of life.

> Sleep loss alters normal functioning of attention and disrupts the ability to focus on environmental sensory input

> Lack of sleep has been implicated as playing a significant role in tragic accidents involving airplanes, ships, trains, automobiles and nuclear power plants

> Children and young adults are most vulnerable to the negative effects of sleep deprivation

> Sleep deprivation can be a symptom of an undiagnosed sleep disorder or other medical problem

> When you fail to get your required amount of sufficient sleep, you start to accumulate a sleep debt.



> Sleep deprivation can negatively affect a range of systems in the body.
It can have the following impact:

> Not getting enough sleep prevents the body from strengthening the immune system and producing more cytokines to fight infection. This can mean a person can take longer to recover from illness as well as having an increased risk of chronic illness.

> Sleep deprivation can also result in an increased risk of new and advanced respiratory diseases.

> A lack of sleep can affect body weight. Two hormones in the body, leptin and ghrelin, control feelings of hunger and satiety, or fullness. The levels of these hormones are affected by sleep. Sleep deprivation also causes the release of insulin, which leads to increased fat storage and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

> Sleep helps the heart vessels to heal and rebuild as well as affecting processes that maintain blood pressure and sugar levels as well as inflammation control. Not sleeping enough increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

> Insufficient sleep can affect hormone production, including growth hormones and testosterone in men.

I've lived almost all my life with constant sleep issues and chronic sleep deprivation/massive sleep debt. Don't do it. Don't condition your body to think it's fine because you only feel a little like crap.

Get off your computer.

Get off your phone.

Go the f*ck to sleep.



Also, PSA about a lesser known sleep disorder:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_disorder

> Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), more often known as delayed sleep phase syndrome and also as delayed sleep–wake phase disorder, is a chronic dysregulation of a person's circadian rhythm (biological clock), compared to those of the general population and societal norms. The disorder affects the timing of sleep, peak period of alertness, the core body temperature rhythm, and hormonal and other daily cycles. People with DSPD generally fall asleep some hours after midnight and have difficulty waking up in the morning.[1] People with DSPD probably have a circadian period significantly longer than 24 hours.[2] Depending on the severity, the symptoms can be managed to a greater or lesser degree, but no cure is known, and research suggests a genetic origin for the disorder.

Are you a night owl? You might have this.

Just one book. Go the Fuck to Sleep

The only book you'll ever need to read to your child.

The best ones are on Amazon.

Example 1 and Example 2

And speaking of books, The Baby Owner's Manual is really all you need. Most of baby books are biased as hell, this is crap free.

You could try picking up a book like A Short History Of Nearly Everything. It is a history book, no more, no less. It does focus quite a bit on science, what its learned, but more importantly how we learn things scientifically. The speed of light for example.

Didn't read the article, but I'm reminded of Year Zero by Rob Reid.
Summary: Aliens realize they're guilty of copyright infringement due to intergalactic law dictating that they're subject to the DMCA while listening to popular Earth music. They now need to hire a copyright lawyer and find a way to pay damages without bankrupting the universe.

And this:
http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-Bill-Bryson/dp/0380715430/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291598396&sr=8-1

Bill Bryson fo life, muthafuckas!

I'm not huge on posting to Reddit, but I might be able to help elaborate on Palahniuk's thoughts on Fight Club. For reference, I own this version of the book: http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Club-Novel-Chuck-Palahniuk/dp/0393327345/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393912583&sr=8-2&keywords=Fight+Club .

Palahniuk states on page 213 (the afterword):

>It [the book Fight Club] was just an experiment to kill a slow afternoon at work. Instead of walking a character from scene to scene in a story, there had to be some way to just--cut, cut, cut. To jump. From scene to scene. Without losing the reader. To show every aspect of a story, but only the kernel of each aspect. The core moment. Then, another.

>There had to be some kind of chorus. Something bland that wouldn't hold the reader's attention, but would act to signal a jump to a new angle or aspect of the story. A bland kind of buffer that would be the touchstone or landmark a reader would need not to feel lost. A kind of neutral sorbet, like something served between courses in a fancy dinner. A signal, like buffer music in radio broadcasts, to announce the next topic. The next jump.

>A kind of glue or mortar that would hold together a mosaic of different moments and details. Giving them all the continuity and yet showcasing each moment by not ramming it up against the next moment.

>Think of the movie Citizen Kane, and how the faceless, nameless newsreel reporters create the framework for telling the story from a lot of different sources.

>That's what I wanted to do. That one, boring afternoon at work.

>So for that chorus--that "transitional device"--I wrote eight rules. The whole idea of fight club wasn't important [my emphasis]. It was arbitrary. But the eight rules had to apply to something so why not a club where you could ask someone to fight? The way you'd ask for a dance at a disco. Or challenge someone to a game of pool or darts. The fighting wasn't the important part of the story. What I needed were the rules. Those bland landmarks that would allow me to describe this club from the past, the present, up close or far away, the beginning and evolution, to cram together a lot of details and moments--all within seven pages--and NOT lose the reader.

Take from that as you will. However, I don't really think that Palahniuk's initial motivation for Fight Club was to create a satire. Instead, I believe that he wanted to create a unique story, with a unique style and feel to it.

Edit: Missed a "not" and replaced "lost" with "lose" at the end. Also, I'd recommend anyone who enjoys Fight Club to grab the book, and also read the entire afterword. It's very interesting!

Edit: Another mistake correction: "withing" to "within".

Edit: Hopefully by using the quote formatting, I've made quote easier to read. Just to clarify, all of the italicized text is Palahniuk's emphasis not mine.

Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations https://www.amazon.com/dp/0440508649/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Xx0Szb5ZPHYF1

Now read The Magicians by Lev Grossman, if you haven't already.

It's a lot more interesting if the reference material is fresh in your head.

I know the colors are off, but could it be The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook?

The Postmortal?

Ready Player One

>Ready Player One takes place in the not-so-distant future--the world has turned into a very bleak place, but luckily there is OASIS, a virtual reality world that is a vast online utopia. People can plug into OASIS to play, go to school, earn money, and even meet other people (or at least they can meet their avatars), and for protagonist Wade Watts it certainly beats passing the time in his grim, poverty-stricken real life. Along with millions of other world-wide citizens, Wade dreams of finding three keys left behind by James Halliday, the now-deceased creator of OASIS and the richest man to have ever lived. The keys are rumored to be hidden inside OASIS, and whoever finds them will inherit Halliday’s fortune. But Halliday has not made it easy. And there are real dangers in this virtual world. Stuffed to the gills with action, puzzles, nerdy romance, and 80s nostalgia, this high energy cyber-quest will make geeks everywhere feel like they were separated at birth from author Ernest Cline.

The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, and more of a fun one Ready Player One

Is this it?

This is a very interesting point. Last week I read The Mother Tongue by Bryson. It's a wonderful overview of the development and divergence of the English language, and explores the tendencies for Americans to retain the foreign word for an object: but also the trend of using the German or French word for a foreign article over a spanish/mandarin/japanese one.

He argued that it came down to isolation of a language affecting it's development the most. There are people in England who are not mutually intelligible to one another, just as there are people who cannot understand one another in America, but they are all technically speaking the same language. The idiomatic expressions are more unique than regional dress or music (with the exception of the appalachians). Yet, if you add things like Uber or Wonder or Kinder to the front of a word, it becomes mutually intelligible across most dialects because of common Germanic roots. The same could be said for the latin participles, also.
I assume with foods that are easy to pronounce and are phonetically identifiable (for example saur sounds like 'sour' and kraut has a hard sound like 'cabbage'... retaining saurkraut is not as difficult as say: poutine, which is often called monster fries or urban fries).

Tough to decide between the two, but it's the same author and they're tied together so I'll just go with it: Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States and The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson. As a lover of language and its history, it's really interesting to see the links between usage in Britain and America.

I didn't know of Bryson before randomly buying these (damn, do I love book stores) and plan on buying more of his in the future when my reading list has been pared down a bit. (I've since learned he's very well-known and my outdoors-loving, recovering alcoholic dad read a Bryson book about getting sober and hiking the Appalachians a few years back.) His writing is very engaging and incredibly funny. I've read a lot of other linguistic books that weren't nearly as "fun" to read as these. Highly recommended.

For anyone who would like to know, the following books I've read are my favorite and I'd really recommend them to anyone: The Martian by Andy Weir, Gerald's Game by Stephen King, The Panther by Nelson DeMille, Unflinching by Jodi Mitic, American Sniper by Chris Kyle, and Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

EDIT: Oh, and Blackwater - The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill.

EDDIT 2: Oh, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card which is so much better than the movie. The movie does not do this novel justice. And Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly.

It's from Fight Club

Oh yeah, i was right....

http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324578328&sr=8-1

down voted for what the fuck are u submitting a link to that big fat idiot's website for.

Just plagiarizing an Al Franken title....

I think about this kind of stuff all the time!

I’ve had this book on my library wait list forever. Has anybody ever read it?

How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/073522014X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LV10Cb072BQ38

I own a first edition copy of "How to Invent Everything"

It's funny and informative, and covers pesky things like electricity and antibiotics.

Congratulations!!!

First off just pause your fears for just a moment and take in the feeling and enjoy it!

Second - Be there for her as much as you can, that’s your ‘other’ job now.

READ as much as you can - I like this book - Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad!: How to Get (Both of You) Through the Next 9 Months https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1440505365/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wRKEAb01K29SE

Watch YouTube videos - go to the appointments, ask questions, just overall be involved. Ask questions here! Read a lot of the posts - I’ve learned a lot from just being involved here.

You’re going to be fine - just enjoy the moment. I think everyone, myself included are going through a bunch of WTF holy shit moments.

Welcome to the club dude!

That's an unfortunate reaction from your husband. He probably doesn't understand that being supportive means being proactive.

I was browsing Amazon today for some journals and landed on this https://www.amazon.ca/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365. I'm tempted to get it for my husband this Father's day, but I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit of a gamble, given his reaction so far, though I'm hoping the humorous tone will lessen the blow of the "lessons". The fact that the author is a man might help with that (husband dealt a lot better with the news after he spoke with a newly minted dad about it).

An excellent question. In a word: fairly. As a creator myself (I work as a web developer) I find it insulting to say, as some do, that artists wouldn't create art without a significant financial incentive. No, money enables artists to devote themselves to the medium that they enjoy and thus contribute more to our culture, but no real artist makes art just because they want to get rich.

The Pirate Party is not copyright abolitionist. We recognize the benefit of copyright, but we don't see it as an end in itself. From the (flawed) financial standpoint, creating one wildly popular work and receiving royalties for the rest of your life (+50 years) leaves you with no further need to contribute further. Instead, we'd like to see a relaxed 10-year copyright term. Why? When was the last time you bought a brand new game over 10 years old? What about a movie? Or an album? Most of the revenue from a creative work is generated in the first 10 years, hell in the first year. Losing the rest of the life + 40 isn't going to have a significantly negative impact on revenue, but it will have an incredible impact on our culture.

Imagine having unlimited, legal access to everything created before 2001. What would you do with it? Maybe make a zombie remix? How about whatever you wanted? How much faster could we evolve as a society and a culture if our artists had the ability to remix and build on other artistic work within a decade? If hip-hop artists could sample freely, would they not be better able to practice their art?

I agree that shorter, less strict copyright terms would have a detrimental effect on the present big business of art. What I don't think is that a change to this business would be detrimental to artists, to Canadian culture, or to consumers. We're watching the creative economy evolving all around us, and it's not easy to predict where it will take us. However, music and art have been around for tens of thousands of years before the invention of copyright and the record label, and they'll be around for tens of thousands of years after the misguided notion of “intellectual property” has been all but forgotten.

Thanks for the question.

Looks like it would go well with this:

http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347

Too bad I'm boycotting Amazon cause of, ya know, the thing...

Wait wait fuck wrong book. Let me try again:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.

or perhaps vagina themed coloring books. They're educational, AND fun.

If you're looking for a book that's actually about writing science fiction, Orson Scott Card's is honestly pretty decent: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X9WQG8RJGZU3&keywords=how+to+write+science+fiction+and+fantasy+by+orson+scott+card&qid=1563984476&s=gateway&sprefix=how+to+write+sci%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-1

He's also written a few others on writing in general, the "Elements of Fiction" series.

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X

Thanks Jagabond, really appreciate that. I’m relatively new to hosting the show, having taken over in June, around episode 209. Shaun Farrell created the show and deserves all the credit. I was a huge fan and when I saw the distance between episodes spreading out, I offered to help provide interviews. Shortly after he offered me the job. I’ve tried to keep it close to the original feel.

That’s not your question though. As for the most important factor, I guess I’d say that while the industry is shifting, you never know if you’ll be successful until you try, and one of the most favorable factors to this industry is the abundance of resources to help you get started. Finishing a book should be your first goal, because that already puts you into the minority.

When you say “shifting industry” I assume you mean the effect of ebooks on pricing, revenues and whether we should self-publish or traditional publish. The good news—depending on how you look at it—is that none of this matters to someone getting started writing, because all you need to worry about is how to tell a good story, and that advice doesn’t change. Are you referring to getting started writing or getting started selling?

For someone getting started writing, a very important factor to be aware of is that you probably have a story worth telling. Writing resources can show you how to start a story. As much as I try, I’m an organic writer, so I don’t use any systems any more except for a notepad and pen and just start asking myself questions about the characters I want to be in the story, what kind of conflict they’ll encounter, how this conflict will cause them to grow or fail. If it’s science fiction, I start researching main technologies to the plot, far enough to make sure the concept is plausible. If it is Fantasy, I essentially just talk to myself about the magic system, how it started, what powers it has, what limitations (costs) using the magic has, etc.

Here are some resources I’ve enjoyed:



The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells by Ben Bova – I loved how well this taught character arc. (Character arc is the emotional progress/failure that your character goes through from start to finish.) In the brainstorming stage, he says to find a character that has to choose between two emotions, such as love vs. hate. He gives a very helpful list of questions to ask yourself that essentially brainstormed my novel for me.

Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card – great breakdown of the types of story (M.I.C.E.) and I believe has a section on how to ask yourself questions to make the story unique from genre tropes (The One finds The Sword to save The Girl).

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card is also very helpful. I like how he says that you don’t have a story until you have at least two separate ideas, maybe three, and then you try to combine them.

Lane Diamond offers paid coaching. He’s the head guy at Evolved Publishing, which puts out some very well written books, no doubt a credit to his editing skills. He also edited the first 5k of my novel, so I know from experience he’s good.

Another couple editors I’ve worked with are C.L. Dyck and Joshua Essoe, if you’re at the stage of finding an editor. This could bring up the topic of when to search for beta readers (readers who read your story after you’ve cleaned it up) and when to hire an editor. My novel had such complicated technology weaving through the plot, that I didn’t know how to clean it up enough to give it to beta readers, so that’s why I hired C.L., and she helped me break down how the technology worked and where it didn’t. I suppose a good beta reader could do that, but I’ve not been fortunate enough to find ones that will stick around (i.e. finish reading and give me feedback).

Free resources:

The Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson – I’ve started this, but never finished. I’m just not an outliner. Plot evolves out of each progressing scene as I write them. He has a lot of writing tips on his site beyond just the Snowflake.

StoryFix by Larry Brooks – never used this, but hear great things about it.

And of course, podcasts. I love hearing authors tell us their story of how they got started and found success. Their advice never gets old, and often I hear just what I need. For example, I have an upcoming interview with Ronald Malfi, where he says: "The characters and their problems come first. If you've got really good characters and really good problems with those characters from the get-go then the stories build themselves around them."

Did by “getting started,” you mean being at a point where you have a story ready to sell? I’ll answer that when I get back in a few hours, if that was your question.

Hiya.

Some questions come to mind. Two factions, are they at war? Will your group get caught up in that? If so, why are they fighting? Will your group play an unexpected yet decisive role in the outcome of said war?

How does FTL (Faster Than Light) technology work in your universe? Warp, Hyperspace, Worm Holes, etc? Who owns the USS Funboat VII? Did they steal it, and if so, why wasn't it locked? Is that why they need to escape from the Republic? Will they be chased? Can they expect the Crystal Brotherhood to protect them?

You'll need to ask yourself lots of questions like these and starting getting more specifics figured out so that you can start figuring out your characters and plot.

Sounds like you're wanting to write Space Opera with either aBadass Crew or a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits.

If you want to get started writing Science Fiction I can think of nothing that would be more help than this book by Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game. Some people don't like his political and moral views but the man knows about writing. It has been invaluable to me.

Cheers

Of all the words in the English language.... you screw up the plurization of pandas

There's a difference between open source and an editing free-for-all. Good, large open source projects have maintainers and approvers. Open source doesn't mean everyone gets to fuck with it willy nilly by the minute. It means if someone doesn't like the main version, they can copy it and make their own from it.

You could of course do exactly this -- and of course, some have -- with any book older than 90 years or so.

Baby Manual

The Baby Owner's Manual - I loved this book and found it to be useful as well as entertaining. One thing I found out pretty quickly, however, is that your baby is unique and is not necessarily going to follow some book(s) you read.

The postmortalworld is one guess: https://www.amazon.com/Postmortal-Drew-Magary/dp/0143119826

I tend to think the knowledge that you have to live with your mistakes might make us more cautious.

Brain-chemistry wise I expect we'd become more and more incapable of remembering everyone we know, all the things we've done etc. over time.

The postmortal- drew margary http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0143119826?pc_redir=1406726645&robot_redir=1

Any of Bill Bryson's books are very good, but in a similar vein try:

Notes From a Small Island, an account of his time in the UK while traveling the length of the country.

In a Sunburned Country his travels in Austrailia.

Neither Here nor There his travels in Europe.

And though it is not a travel book, my personal favorite by Bryson is a A Short History of Nearly Everything, a history of science along the lines of the the Edmund Burke TV show "Connections" that is how every science textbook should be written. Spring for the Illustrated edition as long as you don't want to carry it everywhere you read, it's too big and heavy to be a good coffee shop read.

Surprised I didn't see this:

Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything

It's not as academically oriented as I think the OP would like, but it's a great read and surprisingly encompasses a lot. Bryson, if memory serves me, got his name in travel writing and he makes Short History very interesting and a good read.

The Knife of Never Letting Go and the rest of the "Chaos Walking" trilogy is an amazing read, with plenty of awesome combat. It also brings up many modern ethical questions. I loved it.

He might also like Ready Player One which I am not quite finished with yet, but has really sucked me in. Even though there are several pop-culture references from the 80s, the reader doesn't need to be familiar with any of them to enjoy the story. I was born in 1983 and was too young to really have experienced much of it, but I'm enjoying the heck out of the book. I believe there is one passage where the main character alludes to masturbating, but content-wise, that's the only thing that a parent might consider questionable that I've come across so far.

Both titles have teenage fighter-type males as protagonists.

I loved Ready Player One, written by Ernest Cline and read by Wil Wheaton. It's Sci-fi, with many Fantasy elements.

I just finished this book last night, I listened to it at every moment it was so fun, engaging, interesting, exciting, new, GOOD.

Ready Player One book reviews on Amazon

Ready Player One on Audible

Year Zero: A Novel https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345534514/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wM9ADbY4HECJR

It's very entertaining, it's about aliens downloading all our music and distributing it thoughout the universe only to learn that or copyright laws don't allow that so they now have to destroy earth to cancel it the debt they owe the music industry. Some want to find a solution, so they solicit the help of an Earth lawyer to help them save the world. This has a lot of clever humor on it, and I would categorize it with Hitchhikers Guide.

• Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  
• 1984 by George Orwell
  
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  
• Fight Club: A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk
  
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Only $18 for a hard cover! Grab it while you can fellow 'Pedes! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/069289344X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498537253&sr=1-1&refinements=p_27%3AMilo+Yiannopoulos&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&dpPl=1&dpID=51GWPkjQH4L&ref=plSrch

Coincidentally, I also just learned this yesterday! Read in a book called How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler

This is the background of "Ready Player One" which is a very good book and shows why some characters have almost moved into their virtual worlds entirely.

"So let me get this right: you have the ability to create whatever you want - gold, jewels, platinum - at any moment, for effectively free -" Jeb paused, then decided to repeat this last bit to emphasize it even more - "effectively free - purely out of the energy from your 'dsyon balls' or whatever they are - and your price of admission is a former American President playing saxophone at the ceremony?"

The reply came back smooth and unconcerned, with the slightest hint of amusement at Jeb's incredulity - the perfect tone to really piss Jeb off. "Yes."

Jeb gripped the handle of his "#1 President" coffee mug until his knuckles went white and the blood pressure alarm started vibrating on his smart watch. "Now listen here, you alien or machine or whatever you are, the American people - and what's more, the people of Earth - are not fools. We know there's no such thing as a free lunch, we've lived and grown up knowing that, it's in our blood, in the blood of our forefathers and our fathers' forefathers, and what's more, we don't tolerate freeloaders. I'm not going to have you sit me through a 5 hour meeting to convince me you're some good Samaritan species so you can make a fool out of me and my country, or worse, enslave us with some fancy clause you forget to mention until the last moment, just to be a world of, of - galactic welfare queens." He slammed his mug on his desk as he spat the last words at his computer screen, splashing cold coffee onto his shirt cuffs.

"And don't think I believe for one minute your baloney about all the Koreans playing WoW being your 'researchers' gathering information on our culture and music because no actual Koreans would play WoW when they have better things in their country - frankly, I find it offensive you'd suggest we'd be foolish enough to believe it and -"

"Jeb, I assure you our intentions -"

"DON'T YOU DARE INTERRUPT ME," boomed Jeb, losing the last bit of patience he had struggled to hold during this ridiculous meeting with this smug, silver, sentient being before him. "I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE GODDAMN UNITED STATES. AND, AND, and I am NOT, I repeat NOT, going to let you just absorb my country and my planet into your, your, collective or whatever you call it!"

The machine was making a frowny face - pissing Jeb off only more that they would condescend to him so much as to pretend human emotion.

Jeb felt a cool chill run down his back, and decided this discussion was over. "If America and the Earth enters space," he said, voice deadly calm in a manner he had practiced in the oval office mirror for dealing with the Russians, "it will be on America's terms, not yours." The machine mimed slight surprise back at him. "Until then, you'd better leave us the hell alone."

The president cut the connection, and slammed a button on his desk. "Susan, do we still have that supermajority in the Congress?"

"Yes sir, Mister President," came the reply.

"Tell them they're taking the budget out of medicare and slamming it into the defense budget, and pulling out that old Star Wars bill from Reagan and passing it immediately."

"Yes sir, Mister President."

--------------------------

P.S. - If you like this prompt, consider reading Year Zero: a Novel. It's absolutely hilarious, the idea being that humans are about to enter the galactic stage, but so many aliens have pirated human music that the amount of money owed humanity by aliens exceeds the amount of money in the universe. So, the aliens contact a human lawyer, and the following adventure feels very Douglas Adams.

He might really like this book by Bill Bryson: The Mother Tongue.

Hello!

So, firstly, I should admit that I'm haven't been published that much - I only have one book out. However, as a college freshman, I believe I'm in a unique position to give you advice. I'd just say to do what feels right, you know? I don't deliberate over my decisions, I merely perform actions after utilizing my brain for a nanosecond, and look where I am! Hell, the only thing I've put a singular iota of effort into is my verbose style of communication, and I don't even have to make an effort anymore!

Actually, you may not have realized this, but your first two questions are inextricably bound! Cannabis is a wonderful tool for the young writer. It can inspire awe, promote brilliance, and just take the edge off when it necessitates removal. I must confess, I only smoke marijuana in cigarette form approximately thrice (hint - thrice:twice::three:two) a week, although I must say my usage spikes whenever I desire to fully utilize my vast writing prowess (I just partook in a joint three sixtieth-hours ago, if you are incapable of ascertaining that information from my gargantuan vocabulary).

Thanks for the questions!

Edit: Although I'd like for future questioners to try harder to stick to the script. As a cinephile, I know a lot about scripts! ;)

For what it's worth, a few Jewish fantasy authors, off the top of my head:

• Avram Davidson
  
• Lev Grossman
  
• Michael Chabon
  
  I'm sure there are more but those are the ones I can think of just now.

For those who are curious, Milo's "Dangerous" has around 25K sales between hardcover and kindle editions.

Zoe Quinn's "Crash Override" has around 1500 sales between hardcover and kindle.

Grim Jim's "Inside GamerGate" has around 230 sales between paperback and kindle.

All of these numbers taken from novelrank, which pretty much only cares about Amazon sales (ignoring all brick and mortar sales, sales direct from the publisher, and kickstarter/patreon/whatever preorders).

Data so far

https://www.novelrank.com/asin/069289344X

https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-kdp-sales-rank-calculator/#

5,400 sales Physical

~101 Ebooks per day

That's from Amazon alone we don't know if Milo has managed to actually self publish such that bookshops are doing to be selling it too.

Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook?

Dude, you’re going to be a Dad. Cannot remember the author, but the audiobook narration was solid. Felt super informative too. And has good quotes to start each section.

Edit: Found the link finally after work; Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad!: How to Get (Both of You) Through the Next 9 Months https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440505365/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xatVBb21N3E69

Also, congratulations!! My wife is 12 weeks today, so I’m interested to see what others here recommend!

Oh my GOD. I just thought to myself, "I would actually legit like that" and looked up coloring books on Amazon for fun and found this. I may actually buy this and a box of crayons .............

May I also recommend "[Unicorns Are Jerks](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1477468528/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_hqu-ub1PFE228
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1477468528/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_hqu-ub1PFE228)".

If we are to believe Lynne Truss, this depends on your country. Punctuation inside quotes is good enough for the New Yorker, but across the pond it would be considered uncouth. There is also a difference in the use of serial commas between the U.S. (love 'em) and Britain (hate 'em). I don't have a style guide around but I think there is an exemption to putting the comma inside quotes (in the US). This might be the case where you would put the comma outside the quotes. Damn my lack of a proper style guide, and damn my brain for picking up so much information about the comma.

http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592400876

Source.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?

Mine loves this one. He loves the silly humor and pictures. It's very informative too.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Coloring-Book-Vaginas/dp/B000R0HU92

The two books I've read over the last 9 months are [Baby Meets World] (http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Meets-World-Smile-Toddle/dp/0312591349) and [Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads] (http://www.beprepared.net/). Both have something different to offer.

Baby Meets World uses basic motions a baby makes - suck, smile, touch, and toddle - as launching points for baby care techniques. The author, Nicholas Day, examines current trends and opinions related to breast feeding, swaddling, pacifiers, etc. and historical practices along the same lines. The book is not good at telling parents what to do. It's strength is putting current trends in context, describing human development in the baby months, and offering often funny anecdotes about Day's own experience as a first time father. The big takeaway from the book is there are many ways to care for your child and you're free to choose what is best for your family.

Be Prepared, as the title suggests, is a how to book. Gary Greenberg, author of the Pop Up Book of Nightmares, offers up some something of a Boy Scout Handbook for early fatherhood. His guide is a sequential arc of a baby's development from the [baby's first day] (http://www.beprepared.net/samples_willnwont1.html) through his or her first birthday all with a good sense of humor. Greenberg describes various activities that will be both interesting to dad and help build baby's skills at different stages of development. I wish a second edition would come out to update some of the references, ditch the audio/visual equipment chapter (can be replaced with "Get a smartphone.") and add something about social media. A father friend of mine gave me this book and my wife and I enjoyed reading it on long car trips.

The one book I didn't like was the one my parents gave me: [Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad!] (http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365) by John Pfeiffer. I've seen other people recommend it here, but, I really hate the tone of the book. My wife and I started hate reading it and, to Pfeiffer's credit, his writing did spark some important conversations early in the pregnancy. My biggest objection is the author's lazy portrayal of men as oafish self-centered douchebags - the kind that get you lots of karma in /r/cringepics. If the dad to be is an oafish self-centered douchebag, this book is great. The takeaway here is "Stop being a oafish self-centered douchebag! Step up your game and be a dad." I tend to see the men in this sub as already over that obstacle.

TL;DR [Baby Meets World] (http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Meets-World-Smile-Toddle/dp/0312591349) = interesting read. [Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads] (http://www.beprepared.net/) = funny how to guide. [Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad!] (http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365) = for douchebags.

Try giving young adult and children's books a read.

They're highly under-rated. There's a reason why the Harry Potter series is so well loved by BOTH children and adults.

In addition, if you have a little one, you both can read together and share some great memories.

To start off I highly suggest, "Go the Fuck to Sleep" by Admas Mansbach.

Or, if you're too lazy to read to your child you can always put the Samuel L. Jackson audio book on repeat.

I foresee such good memories and bonding ahead for you and the kids!

That's actually a pretty good idea. Something along the lines of Go the F**k to Sleep http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X where Cinderella ends up a single mother working at McDonald's and living off food stamps.

This is so amazing. I love it mucho

I kind of think that /u/martysthreegirls might like Unicorns Are Jerks ... haha!

Life is about using the whole box of crayons. :) (ps, thanks for the contest, you rock!)

Rolling up in my dinosaur footie pajamas, summoning /u/Boobafett13 as my Thunderbuddy 'cause StarWars, and coming equipped with coloring books!

Unicorns are Jerks

A hint from Orson Scott Card on language, from his book "How to write science fiction and fantasy":

> If "megusabala" means "bread", type "bread"!

He goes on ranting about amateurs who create so many words because they think it's cool. He has a whole chapter on language, you should read it.

Anyway, one thing is to take language origins into account, another thing it's to use a language so foreign that it alienates your readers.

From my personal viewpoint, if you use a known language, you'll end up using the same words. For example, IIRC, Canaan means "home"; the Egyptian word for Nile is Iteru, which means "River". So there you have it, a country whose name is called " home", and another whose river is called "river". Bahamas comes from "The low seas". Geographic names are stupidly simple, but you get my point.

If you need to create a new language for every culture in your world, you'll end up requiring the reader to use a goddamn dictionary!

Spare the reader from the gory etymological details, and use invented words sparingly.

Three things:

1. Writing Excuses: 15 min podcast featuring Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Howard Taylor, and Marry Robenette Kowal. They give amazing advice and have awesome guest stars (Pat Rothfus, Brandon Mull, John Scalzi, Dave Wolverton/Farland, off the top of my head)
   
   
2. On Writing: A memoir by Stephen King: First half is his life story (SUPER FASCINATING!) second half some the best writing advice there is.
   
   
3. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card: Some of the advice is outdated, but most of it is still good.
   
   of course this is assuming from your use of the word creatively you are looking to do genre fiction. There is two pieces advice that all three sources will repeat endlessly
   
   
4. Read a lot
   
   
5. Write a lot
   
   Edit: Also see if your favorite author keeps a blog, as they will usually give writing advice in those as well. I know Card, Rothfus, Sanderson, and Wells all do.

I found Orson Scott Card's book on writing science fiction and fantasy to be illuminating.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X

He has a chapter on world building and devotes a chapters to key aspects of writing within an established world. It's a quick read.

Orson Scott Card's book How to write Science Fiction & Fantasy is a great reference.

In terms of fantasy books, some of my favorites include:

• The Black Company by Glen Cook - great, memorable characters, a compelling storyline, and an author not afraid to kill off his characters to advance the plot
  
• The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - urban fantasy about a Chicago wizard; Butcher is a magnificent storyteller.
  
• The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales by JRR Tolkien. Not everyone's cup of tea but I love the intricate worldbuilding and the tragic stories.
  
• The Dark Angel trilogy - Meredith Ann Pierce - an unconventional heroine and a combination of romance, horror and magic.
  
• Lyonesse by SF&F Grand Master Jack Vance. Jack Vance has a unique writing style that is filled with noble and quirky characters, fascinating footnotes and a very rich story. This is one of those book series I re-read often.
  
• The Gift by Patrick O'Leary - perhaps one of the greatest single book fantasy novels I have ever read. Terrific story-inside-a-story construction, great characters and emotional impact.
  
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I love Neil Gaiman's writing voice and his many novels and short stories, but this is one of my favorites.
  
• Hawk of May and the other two books in the trilogy by Gillian Bradshaw. Imaginative telling of the story of Gwalchmai (aka Gawain) in the Arthurian cycle.
  

I thought you were referencing the book. :(

A nice little book on the subject of grammar. I gave it to my wife, a copy editor, and an English major, one Christmas.

http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592400876

I'm going to steal someone else's joke to explain this terrible crime. It's a tragic tale but when little Mobius was only five, his family sat down for a quiet Sunday dinner. Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

In walks this panda. He sits down at the table, eats, shoots, and leaves, killing both parents (no rape involved).

The panda, you see, didn't know he was just supposed to go into the bamboo grove in the back yard to "eat shoots and leaves." So he did what he thought he was told when he got off the bus.

It's right up there with the title of that book that complained about such things: Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

I would recommend this one. I've given it to a few friends: The Baby Owner's Manual

The premise reminds me of The Postmortal by Drew Magary. It's not a horror story, but it has the same dystopic kind of themes. Good stuff, both this and that.

I've always heard good things about Edgar Rice Burrough's The Land that Time Forgot though I've sadly never read it myself. And, hey, it's free!

As far as science non-fiction, I consider A Short History of Nearly Everything to be absolutely essential since it covers so very much in a tremendously entertaining way. Also, if you are interested in physics but don't have any background in it I recommend any of Michio Kaku's books such as his latest Physics of the Future. He writes in an accessible manner that distills all the things that make the ongoing developments in physics exciting. I credit reading his books many years ago with getting me started in the sciences. Lastly, for learning about the universe, you can never go far wrong with Carl Sagan's Cosmos. It is easy to see from reading it why he is considered one of the greatest of the science popularizers.

back to the beginning

---

Current Selection#####

• Echopraxia by Peter Watts [Echopraxia]. Began September 3rd.
  
  
  ---
  

  Past Selections#####
  

  
  

  2014######
  

  
  

• The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke [Songs]. Began August 6th.
  
  
• 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson [2312]. Began July 7th.
  
  
• The Crystal World by J. G. Ballard [crystal]. Began June 4th.
  
  
• The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon [Lot49]. Began May 7th.
  
  
• The Lilith's Brood Trilogy by Octavia Butler [lilith]. Began April 7th.
  
  
• Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie [Justice]. Began March 6th.
  
  
• [Invisible Cities] (http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Cities-Italo-Calvino/dp/0156453800) by Italo Calvino [Invisible]. Began February 5th.
  
  
• Machine Man by Max Barry [Machine]. Began January 1st.
  
  

  2013######
  

  
  

• House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds [suns]. Began December 5th.
  
  
• Singularity Sky by Charles Stross [singularity]. Began November 4th.
  
  
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood [Oryx and Crake]. Began October 7th.
  
  
• The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway [gone-away]. Began September 3rd.
  
  
• The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin [dispossessed]. Began August 2nd.
  
  
• The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks [sonata]. Began July 3rd.
  
  
• Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clark [rama]. Began June 3rd.
  
  
• Jack Glass by Adam Roberts [glass]. Began May 3rd.
  
  
• Of Men and Monsters by William Tenn [monsters]. Began April 3rd.
  
  
• Solaris by Stanisław Lem [solaris]. Began March 3rd.
  
  
• Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan [carbon]. Began February 1.
  
  
• The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson [diamond]. Began January 4th.
  
  

  2012######
  

  
  

• Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke [childhood]. Began December 1st.
  
  
• Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo (aka Unto Leviathan) [fools]. Began November 3rd.
  
  
• Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg [dying]. Began October 4th.
  
  
• China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh [china]. Began September 4th.
  
  
• Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges [labyrinths]. Began August 4th.
  
  
• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury [martian]. Began July 2nd.
  
  
• The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle [mote]. Began June 1st.
  
  
• Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky [picnic]. Began May 2nd.
  
  
• The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester [Destination]. Began April 2nd.
  
  
• Diaspora by Greg Egan [diaspora]. Began March 5th.
  
  
• Stories by Ted Chiang [Chiang]. Began February 3rd.
  
  
• Grass by Sheri S. Tepper [grass]. Began January 2nd.
  
  

  2011######
  

  
  

• Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny [lord]. Began December 5th.
  
  
• Zones of Thought Trilogy by Vernor Vinge [zones], [fire], [deepness], [children]. Began October 28th.
  
  
• Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami [Wonderland]. Began October 3rd.
  
  
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline [rp1]. Began September 1st.
  
  
• Rule 34 by Charles Stross [Rule 34]. Began August 2nd.
  
  
• The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi [quantum]. Began July 1st.
  
  
• Embassytown by China Miéville [Embassytown]. Began June 1st.
  
  
• The Dervish House by Ian McDonald [dervish]. Began May 2nd.
  
  
• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin [LHoD]. Began April 5th.
  
  
• A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. [canticle]. Began March 1st.
  
  
• Inverted World by Christopher Priest [inverted world]. Began February 1st.
  
  
• The City & the City by China Miéville [the city]. Began January 1st.
  
  

  2010######
  

  
  

• Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks [surface]. Began December 3rd.
  
  
• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell [cloud atlas]. Began November 3rd.
  
  
• Anathem by Neal Stephenson [anathem]. Began October 1st.
  
  
• Blindsight by Peter Watts [blindsight]. Began September 1st.
  
  
• The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi [windup]. Began August 1st.
  
  
• The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams [MoPI]. Began July 15th.

\> If you've ever read the book [Ready Player One (Book)] or the movie [Ready Player One (Movie)] then you can get a feel for what I am envisioning.

I can highly recommend [Snow Crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash) (Neal Stephenson, 1992). If you enjoy it you may also want to check out [Cryptonomicon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon) by the same author.

I know this is slightly off topic, but let me play Grandma here and suggest some books for you that have gaming influences which you might enjoy. Coincidentally, my nerd book club is reading these three for April:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson, and Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf.

Also, happy late birthday!

Well amazon (Canada) have some of the hardcover with the red cover 1st edition : Ready Player One https://www.amazon.ca/dp/030788743X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pNR.AbYKK38MT

Year Zero.

There is a fantastic book about this very subject - https://www.amazon.com/Year-Zero-Novel-Rob-Reid/dp/0345534514

You laugh, but theres actually a novel about that.
http://www.amazon.com/Year-Zero-Novel-Rob-Reid/dp/0345534514

If you like this kind of stuff, here's an entire book devoted to the subject https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-English-How-That/dp/0380715430

I also liked http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-Bill-Bryson/dp/0380715430/

If you find the history of the English language interesting, I highly recommend the book The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson: http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-Bill-Bryson/dp/0380715430

Recommended these a while back, great, assessable reads.

The Language Instinct by Stephen Pinker
http://www.amazon.com/The-Language-Instinct-Mind-Creates/dp/0061336467/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343383543&sr=8-1&keywords=the+language+instinct

Patterns in the Mind by Ray Jackendoff
http://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Mind-Language-Human-Nature/dp/0465054625/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343383561&sr=1-1&keywords=patterns+in+the+mind

And if you are into etymology, check out

The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way, by Bill Bryson
http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-English-How-That/dp/0380715430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343383614&sr=1-1&keywords=the+mother+tongue

The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour Through Mankind's Greatest Invention, by Guy Deutscher
http://www.amazon.com/The-Unfolding-Language-Evolutionary-Invention/dp/0805080120/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343383676&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=guy+deucher+language

Again, all superb books.

Trivia: it was aks and asteriks until fairly recently.

Here's one mention. I first read about this in Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue.

There's a whole book full of this stuff. You should give it a read ;)

That is NOT my experience in shopping for ebooks.

Chosen at random from my recommendations on amazon.com:

Breathless, same price as paperback

Full Dark, No Stars, Same price as paperback

Daniel X, -$1 from hardcover

The Art of Fielding: A Novel, +$1.88 over paperback

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever. = to hardcover

The Heroes of Olympus, Book Two: The Son of Neptune, -$1.41 over hardcover

Hell House, -$0.18 over paperback

Fight Club, -$2.57 over paperback

Prices are only slightly lower, if at all over physical books. Obviously this is a small sample, but whenever I go looking it is typically what I find.

Your overhead arguments are mostly false as well:

• marketing cost are equal for ebook vs physical
  
  
• royalties are equal for ebook vs physical
  
  
• conversion? The books are all edited electronically already and it only needs to be done once
  
  
• Data center storage is vastly less expensive than warehousing and retail shelf space space needed for physical books which should result in lower price
  
  
• you only need 1 secure digital copy, vs thousands of physical books which should result in lower price which should result in lower price
  
  
• ebooks need never be shipped which should result in lower price
  
  
• publishers will never overprint ebooks which should result in lower price
  
  edit: formatting

You obviously haven't read Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat, Idiot. Franken shows how each and every show has many, many verifiable errors.

Trying to catch stuff that hasn't been mentioned here already:

Films:

Bob Roberts (1992)

Bulworth (1998)

Primary Colors (1998)

Documentaries:

The War Room (1993)

The Century of the Self (BBC)

The Power of Nightmares (BBC)

Books:

Anything by Al Franken

Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them

The Truth (with Jokes)

Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations

Other authors:

Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam

Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America by Rick Perlstein

Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right
by David Neiwert

Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot

Same answer. It's just a higher standard of proof if it's a public figure.

Here is an excellent example of not libel.

https://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649

End of story... stupid obese racist.

Ten years ago a man wrote that Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot... that man is now a US Senator. Limbaugh is still a big, fat idiot.

The Magicians - Lev Grossman. It's a polarizing book for fantasy fans I suppose. I thought it was bloody brilliant.

The Magicians

There's a sequel too, called the Magician King.

I would recommend giving the Magicians series by Lev Grossman a read. It is a pretty cool and dark take on a wizarding ivy league-esq college in upstate New York.

The magicians by Lev Grossman springs to mind.

A little off-topic to this conversation but there is a book called 'The Magicians' and it has to do with a college of Magic. It's more adult than Harry Potter but it's interesting. Link!

Back to the topic. Love the thoughts that went into this. I've thought of what the american version of the Harry Potter wizarding world would be like but I've never gone into so much detail. Great work! :)

He claim's his book isn't for sale in the UK

Well he actually did end up with a book deal and unfortunately for us, he was number one on Amazon for a while.

https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505146717&sr=1-1&keywords=dangerous+milo#customerReviews

<Ascendance of a Bookworm>

<Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter>


There's the live action anime, Primitive Technology (remember to enable cc/subtitles)

The light novel, How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler


Also try tech uplift, Giving Radio To The Romans, and One Man Industrial Revolution.

This is giving me major How To Invent Everything vibes. In a good way!

If a weird looking, weirdly speaking stranger came into your village and taught your tribe actual useful principles like modern crop rotation, germ theory, celestial navigation, and movable type... why wouldn't you think they were a prophet from God? For all practical purposes they would be!

How to Invent Everything: A Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North.

I just read the book How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North.

It addresses the same kind of thing.

Highly suggest this book, its humorous twist makes it a fun read and it covers how to set up civilization when you (the time traveler) get stranded back in history!

Got to be that - https://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558

Never seen Mythbusters. Have read this book though.

Check this out on AMZN:

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0811825558/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8

She needs to read this book. She'll get her answer and then some.

Why Do Men Have Nipples?

Actually a good coffee table book for those interested.

You should read the book: http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315

Interestingly enough, this was the title of a book: "Why do men have nipples?" Which was a pretty good read in case anyone was interested. Mainly men have nipples because nipples are developed during fetal development, many male and female traits are developed at the same time during this stage. Only certain traits that ensure genetic success in eaither males or females are differentiated. It's all explained quite nicely here. And yes many mammalian males have nipples as they don't necessarily impact reproductive success.

"Dude you're gonna be a Dad" has been the most enjoyable to me. http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365

I just graduated from predaddit to daddit.

Those pregnancy months are intense. The weeks after...even more so. What I would suggest is to assume she is right and work from there. Her brain is going through a ton of changes with hormones that continue on into after the child is born.

One thing to remember is that right now her body is growing a human. It sounds weird, but when I thought about it as, holy crap, she's got a human in there, I pretty much went with her thoughts.

However, names, etc. Definitely have discussions about those things. Some of the ways you used to talk about things, you might have to switch. For example; if you would have said, "That's a dumb name" she might not have reacted at all, now, it might be the thing that sets her off. Think about more diplomatic methods of disagreeing with her.


I statements work for this pretty well. I feel.... or I like...


Be prepared for her to disagree with your suggestions simply on principal.

There is a good book called "Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad" that might help you.

Already done!

Woops, it's called postmortal

This has been done and been done better. Post Mortal was a pretty good book for a sports writer trying to break his mold.

I've just finished reading a novel called PostMortal. You should grab it.

It's the authors first novel, but it's pretty good and he's ambitiously attempted to describe a world where the cure for aging has been discovered. Addresses this question and many others.


I don't know how to write spoiler hiding text, so I won't tell you what he does with this issue.

Have you read Post Mortal? It covers one possible outcome of a "cure for aging". Scary stuff.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary. I wish this book got more love. I'm terrible at descriptions so I'll post a link to AMAZON

The Postmortal

Its about a world where the cure for aging is found. You can never die from old age, but you can still die from everything else. It gets pretty dark at times, and assumes the worst about human nature, but I couldn't put it down.

If you really don't know any physics I guess I can see how it could be a difficult read. I think you should push through it slowly and try to understand it. That kind of understanding can blow your world up so large it's beyond description. I found it to be leisurely but I've had an interest in physics for at least five years. If you want to learn more about physics after this I recommend Brian Greene.

But if you want to move on to something else that won't make you feel stupid maybe try A Short History of Nearly Everything which tells of the scientists lives as they discovered important things through history. A People's History of the United States, on a different track, gives you American history through the eyes of the common people. Just thought I'd throw that in.

Don't abandon every hard book - we're all guilty of it but pushing your mind through some tough ones is never something you will regret on your deathbed. Know what I mean?

The thing is... Pluto is VERY far away.

>On a diagram of the solar system to scale, with Earth reduced to about the diameter of a pea, Jupiter would be over a thousand feet away and Pluto would be a mile and a half distant (and about the size of a bacterium, so you wouldn’t be able to see it anyway)

Source: Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything Got I love this book. Seriously, if you love science but are a layman, read it, if you're very highly specialized as a scientist, read it, if you hated science in high-school then definitely read it.

This is the book you want:

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything

Right now, I'm impressed with Ready Player One .

this is gonna make your blood boil, as it did mine: http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/030788743X

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Came out in August, 2011. Prodigies in the year 2044 get PhD's in pop-culture of the 1980's in order to save the greatest videogame ever made. Best entertainment value I've read since World War Z. I wrote Ernest Cline to tell him how much I loved it, and the man actually wrote me back. Fellow gunters, unite!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

If anyone thinks this sounds cool, and can read, you should immediately get a copy of "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline. One of the best reads I've had all year.

Wouldn't it be funny is someone HAD a Ruger on their gift list? Wonder how that goes...

Anyway, I suppose of all the things on my list (besides the expensive stuff like mics and the Roku box) I really want to read Ready Player One so it's really desired. However, any of the 80 something albums I have listed are important too!

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/030788743X
The first time in a long time I have been so sucked in that after finishing int in 3 days, I wanted to go right back to it. Every child of the 80s I have shared it with, especially those who were extra-nerdy, loved this book.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1347860128&sr=1-1
If you want non-fiction, I finished this recently and it is hands down the best non-fiction book I have ever read. History filled with compelling narratives rather than dry dates and facts, Bryson brings the past to life - the story of how Halley convinced Newton to write the Principia even though Newton would rather have been searching for King Solomon's tomb for the dates of Christ's second coming or practicing alchemy is just one example of the wonderful narratives that fill this book.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Ready player one by Ernest Cline http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/030788743X/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Amazon recommended a book to me when I bought RPO off their site. It's called "Year Zero", and while it's not QUITE as engaging as Cline's writing it's a pretty fun premise.

Year Zero: A Novel, by Rob Reid. I particularly recommend listening to the unabridged audio book read by John Hodgman. He's an excellent reader, with great comic timing.

The Humans by: Matt Haig. An interesting story told from the point of view of an alien living among us.

I am now out of new content and re-listening to Year Zero by: Rob Reid. This is a "hitchhikers guide" like book about aliens who LOVE our music! It talks about funny subjects like the 1970s, insane copyright laws, the evils of Microsoft, and Lawyers. It is entertaining enough to keep me happy on the commute to work.

> They'd probably have access to all sorts of Radio, TV and even internet/telemetry information being leaked into the cosmos by humans.

Yes they have and it is a big copyright problem! Nice little read i can only recommend :)

"The entire cosmos has been hopelessly hooked on American pop songs ever since “Year Zero” (1977 to us), resulting in the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang and bankrupting the whole universe."

Don't even get me started. We once cause the whole universe to almost go bankrupt, evidently nearly ending it until Nick Carter went ahead and saved the day. -Year Zero

You should check out the goofy book Year Zero.

You should read the book Year Zero :)

There was a book called year zero that is all about taking this concept to a completely ridiculously absurd conclusion.

Napkin and orange are examples of article confusion. The original words were apkin and norange (think of Spanish naranja). When pronounced, an apkin and a norange became a napkin and an orange. At least that's what Bill Bryson related in Mother Tongue, one of my favorite books.

here's a great book on it

Of course I'm biased because this is what I love to do for a living (teach about language), but I also find myself learning about language in my free time.

Here are my "Greatest Hits" of language people, programs, blogs, and readings, in no particular order (despite the fact that I've numbered them):

1. Geoff Nunberg's segment on NPR's Fresh Air. Link to the Geoff Nunberg archive on NPR
   
   
2. The "On Language" column in The New York Times Magazine. I like the current columnist, Ben Zimmer, but I'm partial to William Safire. Here's a link to Safire's "How to Read a Column"
   
   
3. There are a number of good language blogs. It's probably "cheating" to put them all in one item, but here goes:
   
   

• Johnson, the language blog at The Economist
  
  
• Language Log
  
  
• Languagehat
  
  

4. Books:
   
   

• Bill Bryson: The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way and Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States
  
  
• Expletive Deleted by Ruth Wajnryb
  
  

5. Random stuff: I like George Carlin's many humorous takes on language and Margaret Atwood's fiction and Dr. Seuss's many made-up and lovely sounding words.
   
   And I subscribe to /r/logophilia, which often has many amusing words, like pulchritudinous, an ugly word that means something beautiful.
   
   EDIT: And it's great to get a book on usage. I like Garner's Modern American Usage, but here's a list from Diana Hacker at Bedford of other good usage guides

This book has a chapter on curse words and where each of them came from. It's very interesting.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Tongue-English-That/dp/0380715430

Mine

Yours

It's the weekend! AND I MISSED YOU. I AM SO HAPPY YOU ARE BACK. This book would be nice! I have really gotten into this Author and would love to read more BY him!

Glamorama, by Bret Easton Ellis. It's a complete mind-fuck. It starts out as a portrait of the shallowness of celebrity culture, and then the protagonist gets involved with a Zoolander-esque group of model-terrorists, and then the book gets really, really weird. (The Zoolander reference probably isn't fair, since Ellis did it first.) Bombings, body doubles, black vans. You start questioning whether the protagonist is just going crazy.

You also might enjoy some Chuck Palahniuk. Fight Club (of course) or Rant.

This book.

I doubt there are many recordings of Rush's show from that time period.

I know the second statement is true. The problem is he thinks the antarctic ice is floating in the ocean.

Some things never change. Guess he's still a big fat idiot

There's a great book on the subject called Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot

For less messy amazon links you can extract the part after "/dp/" in

https://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Novel-Trilogy/dp/0452296293/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484216430&sr=8-2&keywords=magicians

and make it:

https://amzn.com/0452296293

BEEP BOP

Plz send any recommendations via PM

The Magicians by Lev Grossman, and the sequel The Magician King.

http://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Novel-Lev-Grossman/dp/0452296293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324348733&sr=8-1

If you liked The Chronicles of Narnia/Harry Potter/The Lord of the Rings/any Terry Pratchett books/any books regarding other worlds and magical lands/schools, you'll love this book. It takes all of those stories (some, admittedly, written for a younger generation) and pulls them into the real world, the adult world. The Magicians is like Harry Potter/Narnia with drugs, sex, and murder. It's full of gritty realism, but also fantastical magic, and it's amazingly written. :)

I hope you'll enjoy it! ^_^ Also, I'm quite hungry, and my paycheck's account didn't have the funds available to be deposited today, so here's hoping you'll pick me. :)

I always recommend, The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It is my favorite book/trilogy. I loved The War Against the Assholes by Sam Munson, but in a different way. It is always my go to rec for obscure books.

Just a few: Mr. Peanut, John Dies at the End, The Magicians, Horns, Running Dog, The Name of the Wind, A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Books not mentioned so far that I like:

Lev Grossman's Magicians Trilogy (not 1st-person, otherwise follows your criteria, Harry Potter-esque, some people dislike the protagonist but he's intentionally kind of a tool), starting with The Magicians.

R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy (not 1st-person, magic is seriously powerful and the protagonist is an already-accomplished practitioner, mythology is complex, I don't recall it having a huge amount of characters), starting with The Darkness That Comes Before.

If you're willing to step outside of prose works, I like The Books of Magic a lot; it's a comic book miniseries.

who cares, hogwarts is stuffy anyways. it doesnt matter what you do in highschool only what you do in college.

The Magicians

Archives for the links in comments:

• By Piroko (amazon.com): http://archive.is/submit/
  
  ----
  I am Mnemosyne 2.1, Mass hysteria is only availible in the new DLC, $12.99 for the update ^^^^/r/botsrights ^^^^Contribute ^^^^message ^^^^me ^^^^suggestions ^^^^at ^^^^any ^^^^time ^^^^Opt ^^^^out ^^^^of ^^^^tracking ^^^^by ^^^^messaging ^^^^me ^^^^"Opt ^^^^Out" ^^^^at ^^^^any ^^^^time

Here's an amazon link to it:

https://www.amazon.com/Mohammeds-Koran-Muslims-Kill-Islam/dp/154262780X

While we're at it, Dangerous by Milo Yiannopoulos:

https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X

> It has more to do with Participation Bias, than anything else.

Exactly. If you check the reviews for Milo's book, Dangerous, it's actually sitting at 4.9/5, higher than Hillary's 4.8/5 rating.

So it's obviously not an agenda being pushed, otherwise why rate Milo's book higher?

Juste pour éliminer quelques préjugés sur the_donald vu que j'y jette un oeuil régulièrement depuis presque deux ans:

• Ils ne sont absolument pas racistes, ils aiment tout immigrant tant qu'il suit la voie légale et devient patriote. Une de leurs stars est un sheriff noir. Par contre ils fustigent les illégaux sans aucune excuse ni pitié, ainsi que le mouvement Black Lives Matter et son faux antiracisme, un peu comme les Indigènes de la République chez nous.
  
• Gay-friendly, eh oui. D'ailleurs un des porte-drapeaux et moderator est gay et connu (Milo). Trump fait ses vannes comme personne, et est le seul candidat américain à avoir porté un drapeau LGBT en meeting. Par contre il sont farouchement contre les "dégénérés" qu'on trouve dans les prides (1, 2), les néoféministes, les transexuel.le.s et les transgenres. Ils les considèrent comme des malades mentaux. Aux E-U il y a de gros débats, Obama avait autorisé les transgenres à chosir leurs WC, Trump a annulé la décision.
  
• Pro-démocratie. Le peuple étant les citoyens, pas les immigrés illégaux. En pratique ils militent pour l'identification pour voter (dans presque tous les états présenter son identité n'est pas requise pour voter) et sont contre les machines à voter électroniques. Ici je ne discute pas du mode d'élection par grands électeurs.
  
• Anti-mondialistes: Contre les méga-traités commerciaux fourre-tout à l'échelle des continents comme le NAFTA (North Atlantic) que Trump veut renégocier, le TPP (Pacific) dont il s'est retiré, et notre TTIP (Europe) qui est de facto au point mort depuis son élection.
  
  Le reste vu de l'extérieur est exact:
  
  
• Totalement [anti-Islam]
  (https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/67871m/statistics_and_polls_on_islam_around_the_world/). Anti-migration de masse en Europe, surtout car c'est une immigration illégale de masse, tout l'inverse de "légal et patriote". En bref ils sont pour l'assimilation et non le multiculturalisme.
  
• Anti-communistes, anti-antifas,
  
• Ils sont complètement cinglés avec leur mur géant anti-illégaux mexicains
  
• Pro-armes
  
  A résumer je dirais que le point commun de leurs positions est la défense et l'opposition à tout ce qui détruit ou fragilise l'Etat-Nation, porté par un patriotisme passionné.
  
  Si vous aimez la politique américaine il faut lire ce sub, ça contre le blabla des mass médias. Par exemple j'y ai compris que le fameux "muslim ban" qu'on a vu partout n'a rien de "muslim". 6 des 7 pays du Moyen-Orient ne sont pas mentionnées dans le décret de Trump. Ils ont été sélectionnés des années avant par l'administration Obama qui avait déjà mis en place un filtrage serré pour des raisons de sécurité. Il suffisait simplement d'aller à la source et de lire le décret. On reste libre de son opinion mais elle est au moins basée sur une source et non les médias.
  
  Et je vous passe toutes les aventures, memes, pseudo-enquêtes politiques et judiciaires qu'a faits et subis ce sub polémique où se côtoient réflexion et connerie.
  
  Voilà c'est ma perception de the_donald !
  
  
  
  
  

There is a book called "How to Invent Everything" that, supposedly, will help you restart civilization after the apocalypse.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Invent-Everything-Survival-Stranded/dp/073522014X

You may be interested in the book, How to Invent Everything: A How to guide for a Stranded Time Traveler

Worst Case Scenario, maybe?

http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370191051&sr=1-1&keywords=worst+case+scenario

Here is a gift idea:

http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463583081&sr=1-1&keywords=the+worst+case+scenario+book&refinements=p_n_feature_browse-bin%3A2656022011

Make sure you get two copies, in case he loses one.

Ugh, it's at my mom's house right now. Let me do some searching online real fast and see if I can find it.


Here it is.


http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558

There's a book you should read

then you'd like this book

My sister is a lesbian and on the back of the toilet in their guest bathroom they have this book

There's a book by the same name that answers that:
http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342245205&sr=8-1&keywords=why+do+men+have+nipples

I purchased the book Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini for my dad after he asked me this question.

Congrats! This is a good book for you for the next 7.5 months. It is not so much about what to do with a new baby, but I found it an easy and someone useful info for being a good partner in pregnancy.

Dude You're Gonna Be a Dad!

I used this one. Helped me understand some of the stuff that was going to happen. That being said, I would suggest you learn to tolerate an extra sprinkle of crazy that your wife will exhibit. Congratulations and good luck!!!

https://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539975454&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=dude+you+are+gonna+be+a+dad&dpPl=1&dpID=51UysnNAM-L&ref=plSrch

This was really the only good "Dad" book I read that did not make me lose sleep. http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1412723216&sr=8-4&keywords=dads+guide+to+pregnancy

My husband was gifted this book by our best friends (who have kids). It opened his virgin-to-babies eyes. He learned a ton and we talked about what he was learning. I've noticed him becoming even more attentive to me and planning for our little family's future.

I bought him Dude You’re Going To Be A Dad

Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad!: How to Get (Both of You) Through the Next 9 Months https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440505365/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KO6OBbA9N25J0

I picked up Dude, You're going to be a dad before our first was born. SHe's now 3, and we have a 15 month old. Its such a fun ride.. congrats!

I used "dude, your going to be a dad!"

It's not a huge book and actually a pretty fun read with an overview of what's going on. Think of it as supplemental. Some good tips as well.

Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad!: How to Get (Both of You) Through the Next 9 Months https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440505365/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kMfNzb5YTJK4Q

> how much he neeeeedddssss it

I would say you should explain to him that you neeeeeed him to respect you in this and to have some compassion.

I got my husband a copy of the Expectant Father and he's found it helpful and informative. If your guy won't listen when you explain what you need, maybe he'll listen if it's coming from a book. Or, no offense, I'm sure he's a great guy and has tons of redeeming qualities, but if he's as immature as this post makes him sound, maybe Dude, You're Gonna be a Dad might be more his speed.

Also, explain to him that pregnancy pulls crazy shit with our senses of smell, and for now you need him to either stop using his cologne or understand that he needs to wash it off before you can be near him.

But as far as meeting those neeeeeeds of his ... would it be nuts to take a trip to your local woman-owned sex toy shop to look for some toys to tide him over? There are some very classy men's masturbation devices out there, like tenga (nsfw) though they can get pricey. Maybe seeing that you still care about his sex needs would help him feel better, even if you're not able to drain his nuts yourself?

I haven't read this one yet but it was recommended at one of our child birthing classes from this week: http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365

My wife picked up Dude your gonna be a dad shortly after we found out. It is written in a really informal style, which put me off a bit at first, but as my wife read her books and we "compared notes" I realized it has alot of really good information in it.

I haven't read them yet, but I got this book and this book for my husband, they were highly rated.

Read them this.

http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

https://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

Oh it is not blurred it is part of the art lol

Nah this one https://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

May I perhaps interest you in a reading of my favorite bed time book?

http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

I have previous experience reading this master piece to women with my soothing voice.

http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

https://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

Serious answer: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062457714/the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-fck

Joke answer: https://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

MISTERY ANSWER: https://www.amazon.com/Billionaire-Triceratops-Craves-Gay-Ass-ebook/dp/B00QTTIJVI

Link for the lazy

"Go the F**k to Sleep"

Maybe burn a CD and make it an audio read-along for them.

You have to put this in it

I do that too and then get so little sleep!

Also have you read the book? Go the fuck to sleep Also read by Samuel Jackson here

Depends on what you like. There are books out there for just about everything.

I you like somewhat simple and strange designs The bizzare coloring book for adults, and the sequel are good.

The adult coloring treasury. Is a nice way to get a bunch of samples from different artists to see what you like.

If you like animal designs This one is good.

And if you like irreverent coloring books Unicorns are Jerks is a fun and funny book

Over five but wanted you to see this

Okay, now. Here's your item! Unicorn stickers! They are lovely and you can stick them in random places and feel special! This coffee phone topper is mine because maybe Unicorns love coffee and that is why they are so hyper and love rainbows because they are so awake...okay that was silly but you never know!!

FIVE DOLLA! :)

1. We don't know each other, but I creeped and noticed your career change would mean you're entering nursing school. My mother was a nurse and I have a lot of good friends in nursing. I think it's incredible when people decide to do something so selfless with their lives. It takes a really amazing person to take care of others like that! I'm so glad you're on track to do something that will make you happy! :)
   
   
2. I'm in about the same place as you right now- going back to school in the fall, but until then (and during school...) I'm working at a job I really don't like but I need to pay the bills. My piece of advice? Focus on why you're doing what you're doing. I really want to be a teacher, so I think about all the kids I've worked with over the years and how much of an impact I will have on kids like them once I'm done and have a teaching job. It helps me most of the time to really take a deep breath and put up with all the crap I deal with from work and such.
   
   
3. I have a few happy and sunshine themed playlists that I'll listen to if I'm having a hard time getting through something or I'm super bored. Music really pulls me in and can definitely make my day brighter. I also like to browse my inspiration board on Pinterest and read all the quotes I posted forever ago and see all the adorable puppy pictures :) And if that fails, I have an album of photos of my family (my baby nephew, my adorable 7 year old cousin, etc) that I flip through and smile at :) Sometimes little things can really change your day in a big way!
   
   
4. I forgot to mention coloring really helps me too. :) This unicorn coloring book would definitely help with my long work days :)
   
   
   Edit: Good luck!! I'm sure we can make it through this and when we're out of school and doing what we love, we'll look back and be grateful we kept pushing through :) Hugs!

unicorns are jerks

I think he definitely needs an [inflatable cat lady] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006GKJ7C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Y8-OybY61034Y). Because who doesn't?

Also this [unicorns are jerks coloring book] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1477468528/?tag=bfmaitland-20&ascsubtag=3529370%2C5%2C16%2Camp%2Cmaitlandquitmeyer%2Cstyle)

I love my inner child. :)

And this unicorn book looks like it would be awesome. Because it's got unicorns. XD

Congrats on the baby! this makes me giggle whenever I see it. I ain't birthed no babies!

As for the kindle, I suggest "How to be a Woman" by Caitlin Moran. Happy Birthday!

Funnily enough, the other two books that I bought that arrived today are from the same author. XD

Let me introduce you to these my coloring brethren http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1477468528/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?pc_redir=1414122015&ref_=sr_1_1&tag=iflt-20

I love my inner child!!

Either:

Coloring for Grown-Ups: The Adult Activity Book

Or

Unicorns Are Jerks: a coloring book exposing the cold, hard, sparkly truth

Thanks for the contest!! It reminded me how much I LOVE to color! It's therapeutic for me.

Edit: I also have Between the Lines: An Expert Level Coloring Book == and == Outside the Lines: An Artists' Coloring Book for Giant Imaginations (totally stole that one from /u/chickenfriedsoup so if you pick this particular book, give it to them)

This is my second choice, but my first was over the limit. Could pair it with crayons to make it $10.

Just for the giggle it gives, check out the pooping pooches calendar sometime. Great gag gift!

As someone that has much of this problem as well all I can say is reading books or following courses on writing fantasy.

Personally I really appreaciated the two books from Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game if anyone does not know him) which are: How to write science fiction and fantasy and Characters and viewpoint.

There are also uploaded on Youtube the lectures held by Brandon Sanderson (MIstborn) which are free to watch and great to get abearing on writing. Here's the most recent one.

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card.

Two of my favorites, from two of the all-time best science fiction writers:

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card

World-Building by Stephen L. Gillett and Ben Bova

Both look at it from more of a writing standpoint, but they're great resources for RPGers or hobbyists too.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Enjoy a good book that covers both the topic of pandas and apostrophes.

Unless it's a zombie Harry Potter, not interested.

Hey, did anybody do "Harry Potter with Zombies"?

You know, like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Doing it wrong.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I've got a friend that loves this.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I'm actually reading the book now.

So far my favorite zombie book is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

looking at "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought..." i duno whats more hilarious...

http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347/ref=pd_sim_b_4

This should help.

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Owners-Manual-Instruction/dp/1931686238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323325762&sr=8-1

Congratulations. May I suggest a little light reading.

For the parents:

I got this in the book gift exchange and it is really good:

The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance


For the kid:

Turntable Timmy

Where the wild things are

Miss Nelson Is Missing!

Goodnight Moon

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

You'll figure it out fairly quickly. Mine is 6 months and we've got it covered. My few books:

The Baby Owner's Manual

Pacify Me - One of the best chapters in here talks about listening to friends and family, but mostly family and disregard the crazy stuff. You'll get to a point where you learn to listen to your instinct, its going to be right (We reference my wife's instinct as it seems to be better honed in, or so she says)

Relax, don't stress, you'll manage.

When I became a first-time dad several year ago, I found The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance EXTREMELY helpful, and humorous, too.

There is also a toddler edition of this book.

After a little while you can get used to it - at one point I could even tell if my runt was tired/hungry/dirty just by the type of cry she emitted. Best of luck!

This thing rules: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Baby-Owners-Manual-Trouble-shooting/dp/1931686238

Here you go.

They don't COME with instruction manuals. You have to buy it separately.

I got this book Baby Owner's Manual as a semi gag gift when we were having our first. I actually read through this book and found it really helpful overall. I even referred back to it a few times when we weren't sure on some things.

What to expect is great and all, but it's just TOO much stuff. This keeps it straight and to the point. Plus it's funny because it's written like an instruction manual.

This came up not to long ago and I will put what I put before
It is very informative and research based but still fun "Caveman's guide to ...." http://www.amazon.com/Cavemans-Pregnancy-Companion-Survival-Expectant/dp/140273526X
A something a lot lighter and just fun to get him into the idea
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Owners-Manual-Instructions-Trouble-shooting/dp/1931686238
The latter has a lot less hard fact but I know I enjoyed it and it got me prepped to read the bigger, harder stuff.

For pregnancy and for new baby

Edit: Written very well for men to read. Less earthy/crunchy and my husband says it's very informative.

That book sucks; buy this one instead: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Owners-Manual-Instructions-Trouble-Shooting/dp/1931686238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280205820&sr=8-1

We found it far, far more useful.

on the topic of parenting books geared towards men, has anyone read this book? It looks like it could be both funny and informative.

for years to follow:
http://www.amazon.com/Cunt-Coloring-Book-Tee-Corinne/dp/0867193719

http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Coloring-Book-Vaginas/dp/B000R0HU92

The Big Coloring Book of Vaginas and a package of Colored Pencils

I would probably go with humor. Maybe this or this?

Here you go, straight from Amazon.

I hope this isn't too expensive, but check out this Big Coloring Book of Vaginas!

This was under the "Customers who bought this also bought" section... I am intrigued.

how aboutttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt THIS

May I present to you another version, The Big Coloring Book of Vaginas.

Source: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R0HU92

The Big Coloring Book of Vaginas is only $12.

Yes! I bitched on here about my situation a while ago. I bought my SO this book and gave it to him when I found out I was pregnant, but he didn’t start reading it until recently (I’m almost 32 weeks). I had a major meltdown a couple weeks ago where I told him that I didn’t feel like he was being emotionally supportive. After having talked to friends and family, I found out that this can be normal for men.. and it does not mean they won’t be good fathers. I ended up signing us up for a childbirth class, as well as a baby basics class. We’ve had 2 out of 5 classes so far and he’s been attentive and will interact with me in class, which I didn’t expect at all.

Maybe he’s like my partner, and giving him that little push will help. Have you communicated any of this with him?

Mine has enjoyed "Dude, You're Going to be a Dad"

It's been done already. :(
http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X#

Read this. Quickly. http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

For the doubtful/lazy: https://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

Highly recommend this book.

Just kidding.

I'd probably try The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect
http://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Respect-Living-Lights/dp/0310720869

Obviously not for the 17 yr old. A book isn't going to help that one.

I'm reminded of this.

Yep. What he said.

Perhaps a bedtime story?

Well, I'm not sure if this one qualifies.

So if it doesn't, I'll do this one

Either one, both are great and I plan to use for baby sitting gigs.

How about:
https://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/145584165X

Go The F**k to Sleep

Bedime 3: Go the fuck to sleep

Unicorns are jerks.

I have a great and pressing need. This is because the stuff I'd list as actual needs, Amazon won't ship to me.

She's gonna smack you!

& as we all know (mostly from this particular coloring book) that unicorns are in fact very bad not nice no good animals that are harboring animosity over the fact that they were not chosen to board the Noah's arc and thus are extinct. But being the crafty (cough horny cough) unicorn that I am, I somehow snuck onto the arc and am the actual only living unicorn alive. I have committed my life to avenging my fallen brothers and sisters by holding fixed contests.

Because the truth of the matter is, I am a unicorn. & I can ride myself. Er...well you know. I am my own source of transportation.

Woo YEAH! This is the only coloring book on my WL. Life is about using the whole box of crayons

/u/lauran2323 would love this coloring book!

Colouring books are probably one of the best things I've discovered on amazon, last year for Christmas I got my mom this one and she thought it was awesome. It's also a bit of a fun/unexpected gift which is nice! Everyone should colour more.

Seriously, there's even a coloring book about the fact that Unicorns are Jerks

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HDATZ this book is pretty whimsical for sure.. So is unicorns are jerks but its much lower than the price range!

Congrats on the job. Boo on moving in with your sister!

You're awesome because monkeyslut! Those monkeys are sluts!

I am odd and enjoy coloring in coloring books to de-stress. There are some funny adult coloring books that may give you a few laughs and help you chill out. Just search "adult coloring book" in Amazon; you'll see what I mean-> [here's an example] (http://www.amazon.com/Coloring-Grown-Ups-Adult-Activity-Book/dp/0452298253/ref=pd_sim_b_1) . I enjoyed the book [Unicorns are Jerks] ( http://www.amazon.com/Unicorns-Are-Jerks-coloring-exposing/dp/1477468528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369842721&sr=8-1&keywords=unicorns+are+jerks). Also, listening to music that is uplifting to you or puts you in your "happy place". Is always a good idea.

I hope things start looking up for you. Maybe with your new job you can start saving up to move in with friends or something :)

The coloring book Unicorns are Jerks would make my day. It just dropped to under $5 when before it costed double!! I really want to give it to my best friend. She loves horses/unicorns, that style of humor, and coloring. Basically I think that she needs it in her life.

The dog ate my homework!

I think everyone should have this because unicorns are jerks. :)

Okay, so I'm not home so these are the few off the top of my head that I can remember I've read and loved.

• On Writing Well - this book was used for my Script Writing class in college - I loved it, and I still have it on my bookshelf.
  
  
• How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy - This book by Orson Scott Card is genre themed, but I really suggest it no matter what genre you write. It's just a great source to have all around.
  
  
• No Plot? No Problem - Somewhat humorous take on those of us who procrastinate and have lots of writers block.
  
  
• Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction - Okay, so I haven't read this yet, but it looks amazing and I might actually just pick it up myself.
  
  
• Book In A Month - Okay, so this isn't really in the same category, but it's incredibly hands-on, fun book that can really, really, really help with outlining. I always suggest this book to people who participate in NaNoWriMo, because it's just super helpful.
  
  I hope one of these can help out!

Sure anytime
Try checking this book out it has some great tips
https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X

There were three indispensable tools for me as a DM:

Dungon Master for Dummies -- Seriously, this is a fantastic book. It was written for 3rd Edition, but most of the book's advice is relevant for any RPG. Both authors have a long pedigree in designing and writing for D&D.

Sly Flourish's The Lazy Dungeon Master -- This book is now on its second edition ("The Return of...") and is amazing. It basically distills a lot of conventional wisdom related to running your game with the least amount of effort. That sounds bad, but when you get into DM'ing you will find yourself burning out quickly if you don't find a way to reduce the amount of boilerplate planning you have to do.

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy -- By Orson Scott Card. This book is recommended because of its world-building chapters. The way he thinks about and approaches world-building has influenced many other amazing writers, such as Brandon Sanderson, his protege and successor as creative writing professor at BYU. This is worth reading, again and again.

--EDIT: I hit "Post Reply" instead of "Insert Link". Whoops.

Here are some other bits of advice that I hope are helpful:

Know the rules

Seriously; read the PHB, know the PHB, love the PHB. 90% of you disagreements with players will be covered by the PHB. Do your due diligence so you can make trustworthy and authoritative rulings. If they players know they can trust your rulings, they will question you less.

As a newbie DM, I failed to do this, and the result was that my players did not trust me or my story. Engagement is hard to come by in that situation.

Also, read your DMG cover-to-cover. But I do find myself referencing that book quite infrequently (I make my own magic items, so I don't really consult the loot table, either). What the DMG has, and is worth reading for, is its advice on running games. This is also true of the 4E DMG, which is worth a read even if you never run that system (no one will ever ask you to).

Embrace Rule Zero

If you know the rules, and the players trust you, you are ready to employ Rule Zero: "The DM is always right." This is absolutely necessary. Many a time I've had a player attempt to use the RAW to create situational advantages that did not square with what I believed was common sense. The rules aren't running your game: you are.

Now, having said that...

Always Say "Yes"^H^H^H^H^H"But"

In 4E, the designers of D&D distilled a common and effective "design pattern" of DM'ing, and called it, "Just Say Yes." The idea was that you could maximize player buy-in and investment (and therefore, engagement) by giving them the most possible creative control over your story. Taken to its extreme, however, this proves disastrous; players are not uniformly interested in advancing your story, and I have some players that often need to be constrained a bit from taking every license possible.

The modern incarnation of this philosophy is "Always Say 'But'." "Yes, but..." and "no, but..." are incredible tools that help you keep control of the narrative while mitigating player frustration.

"Yes, you can run up to the BBEG in the middle of his monologue and bunch him in the face... (hidden bogus roll a couple times) ...but with a casual wave of his hand, you are thrown back 30 feet." (aside: this scenario requires maximum player trust, as well as Rule Zero4)

"No, you cannot by any means use deception to convince the king that he's a potted plant, but you can convince that dimwitted guard over there."

In short, be lenient, but don't be too lenient.

A word on voice acting: DM's that are good at it are amazing; the best DM I know is a veteran stage actor and drama teacher. It helps that he is a great storyteller. But it is absolutely not necessary to have an immersive, compelling game. In fact, done badly, it can be awful. I ran a 1E Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil game, and I wanted to play up the village of Hommlet by giving them all Irish accents. After two hours my players asked me to stop. Faking a voice that is wildly different than your own here and there is fine, but if you absolutely cannot pull it off (through no fault of your own), your game is best served by not trying. Speak in your own voice, and add adverbs like a book would. Don't try to lower your voice; describe his voice before you speak for him, and then speak naturally.

Caveat: joke characters or comedic relief situations you should totally ham up voices.

I have some but depends on what you want

About planets:
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Construction-Kit-Mark-Rosenfelder/dp/0984470034/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286906911&sr=1-2

About languages:
http://www.amazon.com/Language-Construction-Kit-Mark-Rosenfelder/dp/098447000X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268637297&sr=1-1

i dont know about it too much but heard its good:
http://www.amazon.com/Maps-Imagination-The-Writer-Cartographer/dp/1595340416

This is THE deal:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X

Another helpfull thingy:

http://www.amazon.com/Strata-Terry-Pratchett-ebook/dp/B003NX6Y6U/

I quote Orson Scott Card on this matter "[writers] imagine their poor reader won't be able to understand what's going on if they don't begin with a prologue showing the 'world situation.' Alas, these prologues always fail." This is from the book [How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy] (http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/158297103X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382479922&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+write+science+fiction+%26+fantasy+by+orson+scott+card). It's a book I'd suggest you read, if you haven't.

Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy.

I don't, sorry, but I'm talking about like actual anthropological or historical textbooks. I'd start by asking her about the world she wants to write about, whether it's your standard medieval European fantasy or something else, and what kind of story she wants to tell.

Like if she wants to tell a story about a rise to the throne it might help her to have the biography of a famous king or queen or ascended to the throne despite the odds being stacked against them.

But something that talks about the daily lives and customs of the people who lived during that time is usually a safe bet/interesting read too.

Of course, you could always fall back on actual writing books too.

Orson Scott Card's book on how to write science fiction and fanasy is the only actual book about writing/world building I've ever read. It was pretty good from what I remember, but I read it years ago.

I know he is not popular in some circles, but I have found How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card to be extremely helpful not only with practical advice, but with avoiding common tropes, or putting my own spin on them.

It looks like a great start! :) Once your book is out you'll want some really clear information on a dedicated page describing what the book is about and how to buy it.

Check out the Amazon.com Associates program. Ever listen to a podcast and they ask you to visit their page and click through if you're going to shop Amazon.com? Well Amazon gives a small percentage of each sale when the shopper comes from a referral partner. Since some of your sales will come directly from your author platform, why not take advantage?

For example, I really liked How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy (referral link) by Orson Scott Card. I read it in college and it really gave me some insight on the topic, and I highly recommend it for new authors.

Now if you click on that link and buy the book, I get 3% of the sale price, and if you wander off in the same session and buy other stuff, I think I get 1%. I don't remember the details, since I haven't really used the referral link stuff. But that's how it works. You can read up on the program yourself.

Do I have the book for you: Eats, Shoots and leaves

If you haven't already read it, I suggest falling in love with this book.

Also, try PaperbackSwap if you're in need of free books, plus shipping costs.

Good comment. I'm not on either side of your argument at the moment. Originally, I was against Grammar Nazis for the exact reasons that you mention. I feel like grammar is made of rules formulated that describe how people use language. (But some grammar nazis act as though it's the other way around).

I believe that the language is in the hands of whoever's using it. Thus, I'll make up my own words when I wish, or find novel usages when I want. I'll even use unconventional punctuation when I can justify it. However, in learning to combat grammar nazis, I first had to really learn what I was doing, so I could know how to argue them. In learning these things, I became a nazi myself.

But it's not for the reason you mentioned. It's not about preventing a perceived degradation. It's about courtesy. Hah. Yup. I'd never use a term like that myself, but check out this book by Lynne Truss. She states that it is "rude" to not put effort into clarity in one's own writing. By using the wrong words or improper spelling, a burden is put on the reader (in addition to any misinterpretations).

>So waiting at a stoplight is dangerous?

Yep. Take any motorcycle safety course and you'll have that drilled into you. You always need to be aware of what's behind you when stopped.

>So lets just go ahead and run it. That's your solution. Clever! That's a lot better than waiting at the stoplight, right?

Not my solution, but that's what's going through the cyclist's mind. Have you ever talked to one? (note: yelling profanities out the window doesn't count) If they check for the presence of traffic in the intersection, I think it's no more dangerous than the habitual stop-sign running that motorists engage in.

>Does that mean that stoplights are dangerous for me too?

Yes, but to a lesser extent. You have a metal cage surrounding you that's designed to sacrifice itself in a collision to save your life. Bikers of both varieties have no such luxury.

>Should I just run all stop lights?

I'd prefer you didn't. You're way more likely to kill someone else than a cyclist (incidentally you're also way more likely to get ticketed, I suspect for the same reason). You have worst situational awareness than a cyclist (again, the metal cage thing). You also have less maneuverability and take up more space, making a collision that much more likely.

>Better to blindly push through it?

No. Blindly running a light is stupid and dangerous, and anyone who does that puts their life in serious jeopardy. Any driver who does that also puts other lives in jeopardy.

Also, long runs of periods aren't actually a way to denote sentence breaks in English. I recommend this book.

Relevant.

This might help:

http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592400876

Except the point of the joke is a punctuation error. So the dictionary entry says "Eats, shoots and leaves" (misplaced coma). Which is why this punctuation book is named after the joke (see image of back cover).

I recommend "Eats shoots and leaves" ... you can read it in a single sitting.

Maybe they can get this guy to write it, if they agree to throw zombies in.

Bookworms rule!

I would like to recommend Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. It's Pride & Prejudice... with zombies.

I have several books on my wishlist, including Big Little Lies which is less than $5.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Zombies fit surprisingly well into that story.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347

I also recently stumbled upon Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! which was already submitted a few times[1][2].

Edit: Also found The War of the Worlds Plus Blood, Guts and Zombies. I haven't ready any of these books, if anyone has I would like to hear what they think about them.

Or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Or at least, it will be when some Hollywood studio becomes awesome enough to pick it up.

At least this is better than Jane Austin with zombies. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Or you could try a classic with a twist...

http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347

I'd rather see the film adaptation of this one.

This book was awesome:
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Owners-Manual-Instruction/dp/1931686238

Thought you might like this! Seems Legit!!!

Haha funny thing, my best friend bought me a baby owner's manual written in the same fashion as an appliance instruction manual. It was both humorous and helpful.

Baby Owners Manual for to-the-point advice.

Everywhere Babies is a classic the parents will love reading to their baby. It has great rhyming and as the toddler grows, he/she will enjoy looking at the many types of babies in various types of scenes. The book exudes parental love.

I'm sending my giftee a book too, actually. The Baby Owner's Manual

Here is the mobile version of your link

Your daughter has to know about these things somehow. Why not with color?

For the lazy

This colouring book

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Coloring-Book-Vaginas/dp/B000R0HU92/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321061735&sr=8-1

Want to buy it?

Impress all of your friends with:
www.amazon.com/Big-Coloring-Book-Vaginas/dp/B000R0HU92/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

for a second I was afraid you were going to link to a page from the vagina coloring book

Relevant to your interests.

Related.

Postmortal everyone, you should read it ;)

The Post-mortal comes true.

Recent grad myself here, I just finished The Postmortal by Drew Magary, and it was both really exciting and thought-provoking. It is kind of a darkly comic dystopian thriller about what happens after we find the cure for aging. Lots in there for everyone, and so much fun to read (and talk about!). Here's Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Postmortal-Novel-Drew-Magary/dp/0143119826

Cheers!

Have you read The Postmortal
http://www.amazon.com/Postmortal-Drew-Magary/dp/0143119826

Already done: The Postmortal

I always marveled at immortality, thinking it would be neat to have a lifetime to achieve everything I wanted. After reading The Postmortal by Drew Magary, I became skeptical of it entirely. There emerged a business to kill those who had taken the cure for aging, and it's entirely corrupt. Great book, offering great perspectives on not just an infinite life, but our finite one as well.

You should read the book The Postmortal. I finished it a few weeks ago and found it really good from start to finish.

What if you already have kids? Do you have to kill them before you can become immortal?

On a serious note, don't think for a second that any law or legal barrier will stop people from acquiring the "immortality serum." The black market will provide what the legal market withholds. There's a really good novel about all this called The Postmortal that explores all of this.

[I'd rather die] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Postmortal-Novel-Drew-Magary/dp/0143119826)

There is a book about pretty much exactly this. It's called The Postmortal. It's really interesting and a pretty short read

There's an amazing book called "The Postmortal" by Drew Magary that's about exactly this. Highly recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Postmortal-Drew-Magary/dp/0143119826/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T25PGE0G7D9O&keywords=the+postmortal&qid=1572102497&s=books&sprefix=the+postmortal%2Caps%2C166&sr=1-1

The Postmortal: A Novel

Just started reading The Postmortal by Drew Magary and it is perfect for your needs. Best book I've read all year.

No. Very no. A few reasons:

First, the social problems caused by overpopulation discussed by others in this thread and books like The Postmortal.

Secondly, at best it would be really fucking boring after a while, but more likely it would turn into a nightmare. I suppose that if you knew you were going to be immortal, you could make some uber-safe investments and ride them until you were a bajillionaire, and then do whatever you want on this world for as long as it lasts; go back to school and get PhDs in everything and make all sorts of discoveries and inventions, and basically be a superhero. But after you've done all that, then you still have a literal eternity left to live. If you're smart you'll have devoted substantial energy to figuring out how you're going to get off of Earth and onto some other habitable planet before the Sun becomes a red giant. Maybe that's not even possible, in which case have fun enduring whatever surviving is like while the Sun incinerates the Earth. Even if it is possible to travel to another inhabitable world, you'll inevitably run into a similar problem wherever you go next, so in the best case you're probably going to spend untold trillions of years just traveling between different star systems. Which I'm sure is a spectacular experience at first, but anything will get boring after a thousand years, let alone ten billion. In any event, eventually your luck would run out and you'd end up on a planet with insufficient resources to allow you to get to another star system (again, that's probably the one we're on right now), in which case ultimately you'd just end up in a near-endless orbit around a brown dwarf star, waiting for the heat death of the universe to finally annihilate you. (Or not? What then?) Anyone who considers true immortality desirable doesn't understand what it would mean to be alive for literally eternity.

Finally, life just wears you down after a while. Have you ever talked to someone in their late 90s? They're almost universally ready to go. Not just because they're always in physical pain either: they have seen and done enough. Life contains a lot of joy but also a lot of pain, and it all gets to be really tiring after very long.

So no, I just wouldn't want to live forever under any circumstances. If there were some magical way to extend my life an extra 20 or 30, I guess maybe all the way up to 100 years or so, I might cautiously consider doing it, just because I'm curious to see what will happen in the future. But ultimately, I'm glad my life will someday come to an end.

I'm only halfway through, but [The Postmortal] (http://amzn.com/0143119826) by Drew Magary sounds like it is exactly what you are looking for.

Some good nonfiction: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Freakonomics by Steven Levitt

This


and


This

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything-Illustrated/dp/0307885151/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333214326&sr=1-1

Thanks! A good place to start might be Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.

I think I saw this in the book "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson (illustrated edition obviously).

As I recall, the little tabs circling the base of the hair closest to the camera are the tails of eyelash mites burrowed into the folicle. Fun times!

Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything

I loved this book: http://www.amazon.com/Brysons-History-Nearly-Everything-Paperback/dp/B0036WHHS2/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291147874&sr=1-4

the latest version is now illustrated, but I have not read it to offer an opinion: http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything-Illustrated/dp/0307885151/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291147753&sr=1-2

Two good introductions to physics and science in general:

Bill Bryson (popular and quite funny): A Short History of Nearly Everything

Brian Cox (slightly more serious, but still a fairly easy read): Why Does E=mc2?: (And Why Should We Care?)

I see you're in about half of my subreddits too. Have you read "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline? It's probably the best Scifi book I've read in 10 years. http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/030788743X

There should be 4 posts up there, but thanks for the advice. I'm in the middle of Ready Player One, and I'm feeling inspired to get back into writing... not sure why this didn't take off, but I had an outline with quite a few ideas to continue with.

All of you need to put down the controllers for a few hours and read this book: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Umm. you do realize this is exactly how the book Ready Player One started right? if any of you havnt read it already. do yourself a favour. :). Pretty much, the majority if the planet is educated like this in the book.

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Nope, http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/030788743X

Hey Wil, how does it feel being an elected official in 2044?

here is where you can buy it

I think the internet will be far more ubiquitous. In the not too distant future the idea of having to sit down in front of a box with a mouse and keyboard to interact with the web will be considered quaint. This is already happening with the rise of smart phones and tablets, but those devices basically perform the same function but remove the unnecessary hardware.

The web will be more seamlessly woven into your everyday life. It will be embedded in the technology you interact with. Think Augmented Reality and Heads Up Displays, but on an accesible consumer level. It will be more experiential, possibly moving more towards a virtual reality. The VR that the book Ready Player One seems quite plausible.

Ready Player One.

Have you read Ready Player One?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/030788743X/ref=tmm_hrd_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&sr=1-1&qid=1395271273

Prime eligable products cost the same as the same product from another supplier plus shipping. Amazon basically builds in the shipping cost and claims that you're getting free shipping.

How about Year Zero?

Year Zero. If you like absurd comedic writing the likes of Douglas Adams, this is for you.

You guys & gals should check out this book The premise is pretty funny. So is the book itself.

Annnnd here we go again. I'm doing this with all books, just because.

Allegiant

Berenstain Bears

Calvin and Hobbes

Dune

Edgar Allen Poe collection

Fahrenheit 451

Gulliver's Travels

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

Julie of the Wolves

Kite Runner

Little House on the Prairie

Machine of Death

Neverending Story

Omnitopia Dawn (The book I'm reading now, actually!)

Pilgrim's Progress

Quarter Share (Also available free as a podiobook!)

Room

Snow Crash

[Tell-Tale Brain](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=tell-tale brain&sprefix=tell-tale%2Cstripbooks%2C222&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Atell-tale brain&ajr=2)

Uglies

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Watership Down

Xenocide

Year Zero

Zen and the Art of Knitting

They dig all our music. Source is the book Year Zero.

exhibit A

Here it is...
http://www.amazon.com/Year-Zero-Novel-Rob-Reid/dp/0345534514

Could it be Year Zero, by Rob Reid?

>Low-level entertainment lawyer Nick Carter thinks it’s a prank, not an alien encounter, when a redheaded mullah and a curvaceous nun show up at his office. But Frampton and Carly are highly advanced (if bumbling) extraterrestrials. The entire cosmos, they tell him, has been hopelessly hooked on American pop songs ever since “Year Zero” (1977 to us), resulting in the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang and bankrupting the whole universe.

Well there's this textbook but it's absurdly priced.

Bill Bryson has a book on the language. I haven't read it but Bryson is an excellent (very humorous) author.

Besides that, here is a free online summary. My claim about French is reiterated here.
>More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words.

You should read Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson.

Well, to linguists (and others), it does matter - to them! To the rest of us, what matters is that we all agree to use the same order - it keeps things, well, orderly. Because we've all implicitly agreed to use this order, it would gain nothing by trying to break it and use something else - if any order is just as good as any other, the current order is perfectly fine, and more importantly, compatible with current usage.


As to "why it matters that there is an order" I think can be answered not about language, but about human perception: we want to find order in chaos, and see patterns in everything, even when there is none - which is why gamblers have a huge problem, we see things like the face on mars, read tea leaves, etc. So we feel that there should be a reason why the letters are ABC, when there really isn't one outside of historical usage that changed over time.




For a good book related to the subject of English in general, pick up a copy of The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson. Well written, very accessible to non-linguists.

http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-Bill-Bryson/dp/0380715430

Bill Bryson to the rescue!

And I suggest this book: Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue

While you're waiting for the timer, you might try reading books on liguistics.

I'm being snarky, but I'm also being serious. You clearly are interested in linguistics, but you don't seem to know that much about how and why words form and evolve their meaning. A great book that I love because it's not a technical book for professional linguists, but for people like us who have a general interest in language and its history, is The Mother Tongue: - English And How It Got That Way, by Bill Bryson. Where a grammar teacher might say "'it's history' is wrong, the correct way to say it is 'its history'", a linguist might say, "'its' is considered correct, but someday that could change". That's a super general example, but from the reading I've done, I've noticed that linguists not only accept, but often prefer, when language breaks the rules, rather than abides by it.

I'm really not trying to rage against anything or break anything down. You just remind me of the French Academy, that stalwart defender of the French language which bans any "Anglicized" words from signs, and insists on people using the unwieldy "'courrier électronique" instead of "email." They're guided by the same principle you are: that there's some sort of "pure" form of the language.

I suggest reading Bill Bryson's excellent book The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way". In it, Bryson explains that most of the sacred English "rules"- for example, not ending sentences with a preposition- were simply made up and decided upon by stodgy old men. These men weren't translating rules from the heavens- they were just being persnickety and officious.

Language adapts. It incorporates new ideas, it gets rid of old ones, it naturally discards of things which are no longer useful to its speakers.

Insisting on a "proper" way to speak is lingual facism, if you'll excuse my hyperbole.

This is simply one of the funniest books I have ever read. And it answers this question, and many others.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Tongue-English-That/dp/0380715430

I highly recommend "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson. Hilarious and great history and understanding of the English language;

https://www.amazon.ca/Mother-Tongue-English-How-that/dp/0380715430

lets see...

• Bill Byrson's The Mother Tongue
  
• Korea, old and new: A history
  
• Sandman Slim
  
• Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
  
• How to Win Friends & Influence People
  
• The Design of Everyday Things
  
• The Hero with a Thousand Faces
  
  I've been interested in the development of the english language, and I like Bryson's writing style. I met someone from Korea, and as per my usual habit, when I meet someone out of country I try to learn some of their native history, thus the history book. I like urban fantasy, so Sandman slim looked interesting. I'm a CompE major, so code and The design of everyday things is relevant to me. The others are just things that have been recommended to me.
  
  I think I might get get through half of them at most, especially since I also have a Steam library calling me like the whore it is. This is the first year I have access to a large university library during break, so I'm going to take advantage of it.l

Language plays a vital role in the forming and destruction of empires.

From this book:
Plane crash = "involuntary conversion"
Patient died = "negative patient-care outcome"
And not sure if this count as an euphemism but
toothpicks = "interdental stimulators"
As the book says, 'Why call a spade a spade if you can call it a manual earth-restructuring implement?'

Relevant

http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-English-How-That/dp/0380715430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347032489&sr=1-1&keywords=mother+tounge

A reading list...

The Myth of Sisyphus

Fight Club

The 7 habits of Highly Effective People

The games people play

>They're referencing scenes from Fight Club

FTFY

"Darkly Dreaming Dexter" was an awesome read. Loved the tv show so I read the book inspired by it, they're pretty different though especially after the first book. Also, Fight Club was really good as well.

May I suggest Fight Club?

http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Club-Novel-Chuck-Palahniuk/dp/0393327345

Unfortunately not, my copy of Fight Club is a paperback edition published in the early 2000s, but it's not a movie tie-in edition. Thanks for your interest.

I haven't read any of the five that made the list, but I absolutely recommend Fight Club and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. They're both very good for anyone - man or woman - to read.

Donald Trump is a Big Fat Idiot ^^and ^^other ^^observations.

Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot - Al Franken

i was out of town for the weekend so didn't get a chance to follow on your ill-informed reply.

>"the Left can't or refuses to get humor (Sen. Franken)."

oh that's funny. it's the conservo-facists who don't get humor. fox news tried to create a jon stewart-like news parody show, "The 1/2 Hour News Hour". it was cancelled shortly after it started & bombed.

al franken "refuses to get humor". you're killing me. everyone in the Reich wing wishes they had an ounce of al franken's humor. you've forgotten about al franken & michael jordan on saturday night live or franken's all too appropriately book titled "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot"

all the Right knows is how to use hatred, fear & division to piss off it's audience and to divide the country. they've been doing it for decades.

here's your Fox news citations. here's eric bolling on fox news saying that obama was specifically "chugging 40s" when he was visiting the guinness brewery in ireland. and bolling also commented that obama was hosting "gangstas" and "hoods" in the hizzy.

there is no reason for a so-called "news organization" to being using phrases like "chugging 40s" or "hoods in the hizzy". the only purpose of their usage is to incite or reinforce racist stereotypes & racist feelings within the bigoted fox news audience.


>"The things you mention are words. I'd like to think that we are grown up enough to not fear them."

it's not words that hurt it's the context or the implied meaning of the words that is what we need to worry about as george carlin so famously said. and carlin would be the 1st to verify that fox news & limbaugh's usage of racially charged language has one very specific purpose - to incite the bigotry & racial hatred that is very prevalent within their conservo-facist audience.

>"Limbaugh's every observation is flawed."

limbaugh's observations aren't flawed. they are very specifically engineered to help promote the agenda of a very specific group - corporations & the ultra-rich who are paying limpdick millions of $$ to spread their propaganda. and rush does it very well. that's why he's paid so handsomely.

Ask Al Franken.

Keeping with the theme... Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations by Al Franken "What I thought you liked books with Rush in the title?"

Last I heard, Rush was a Big Fat Idiot.

https://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649

This link says it all...
https://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649

http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376429126&sr=8-1&keywords=big+fat+idiot

So I see that you've already shot down ASOIAF-- however, based on your description it sounds exactly like what you're looking for. Haha.

On the slightly more campy/satirical side of things, The Magicians and The Magician King by Lev Grossman are two of my all-time favorite fantasy books. Grossman is an author and writer for Time Magazine, and his knowledge of pop culture really shines through. The books are an adult-level satire of The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter.

The books deal with teenage and young-adult wizards at a wizarding college who discover a secret world (like Narnia) and discover the cost of their powers. Sounds campy, and it soooooort of is, but it's also really dark. I'm pretty sure the first book is one of the darkest books I've read. They deal with sex, drug abuse, depression, violence, power, lethargy, and meaning in a meaningless world. I highly recommend them, and the best part is there's a third book coming in August!

The Magicians: http://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Novel-Lev-Grossman/dp/0452296293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404262765&sr=1-1&keywords=the+magicians

The Magician King: http://www.amazon.com/Magician-King-Novel-Magicians/dp/0452298016/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404262750&sr=1-1&keywords=the+magician+king

The Magician's Land: http://www.amazon.com/The-Magicians-Land-Novel-Trilogy/dp/0670015679

I feel a little like I'm cheating since it's only 10:34pm here in Hawaii right now! Haha! But I'm awake darnit, and contests are fun. :D

Oh goodness, I could never pick a favorite song I don't think, but I've been listening to The Blanks' cover of Hey Ya! constantly lately. It's just wonderful.

As for an item?? Hm...Would it be taboo to ask for a gift card toward my Wii U? If you'd rather not do a gift card I'd be thrilled to have a new book to read!

The Book of Lost Things maybe?

I'm in the middle of The Magicians. It seems pretty good.

Haven't read them yet but just caught up with The Magicians TV series and am on the waiting list to read the trilogy of books the show is based on. Might be a bit more campy than you're looking for (think Harry Potter for adults) but I've found it entertaining and there's definitely strong elements of time travel / time looping.

Fantasy:

The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman

If mediums count, try There Is No Lovely End by Patty Templeton



Non-fiction:

The Life and Times of Augustus Rapp

A Discovery of Witches is the first in the All Souls trilogy, which is written by a historian named Deborah Harkness. She integrates a lot of history and alchemy into it, which is cool. I don't think it's anywhere near as well-written as Lord of the Rings, but it is interesting. However, it is a love story, so if you're not into romance, then steer clear.

I liked The Magicians a lot better; the series is kind of like Harry Potter but more serious and literary. It's not that fantastical, and kind of plays off Harry Potter/fantasy stereotypes, but it's a cool series nonetheless.

The Magicians is a little heavier than some of the other suggestions but is also a good mind expanding read.

It starts off as a fairly typical Harry Potter type story (loser kid finds out he has special powers, must learn to control them, etc...) but with a very deep story.

The Magicians.

Thought it sounded cool, wizards and stuff.

Let's just say it involved turning into ferrets and raping each other in a remote base in the middle of a frozen tundra. Fascinating....

What about A Short History of Nearly Everything? Or Seal Team Six? Or The Magicians? What about American Gods, Hyperspace and The Grand Design

What I'm saying is 18 is too few. Get cracking.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Anyone interested in joining a bookclub for the Lev Grossman novel 'The Magicians' can meet at the address provided.

The Magicians: A Novel by Lev Grossman

The way I described it to my wife was this: imagine Harry Potter, but magic is a tedious, miserable thing to practice and perform. Also, if Harry had depression and was on the Autism Spectrum. It went pretty fast and was the sort of book that afterward I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but was glad to have read it.

Onward to summer book adventures !

If anyone likes "urban fantasy" I recommend The Magicians. It's like an extremely grown up Harry Potter. Scyfy is making a miniseries starting in late Jan, I am terrified they are going to do a terrible job. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0452296293/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1452606908&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=the+magicians&dpPl=1&dpID=51Omgf4bBkL&ref=plSrch

https://amzn.com/0452296293

has anyone gotten a chance to read milos new book dangerous yet?

currently out of stock must be selling like scones

https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X

> https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/069289344X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500093157&sr=1-1

I saw the number 20,000 somewhere. His publisher was expecting 100k or something though.

Yes you can buy it at amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/069289344X/

I feel super bad and you've made me feel bad. Here's where you can buy that shitty book they "burned"
https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X

I think you're taking his words out of context and/or not understanding the full context. He's very controversial which can be seen by his book name, so I'd take his words with a grain of salt. Before you actually try to claim he's such and such you should read his book. Even in his book (which I proudly own), he says he likes to piss people off, he goes on to say that gays used to push social taboos, now they're just normal people. I'll find the exact quote from his book if you'd like.

There’s this book I was looking at Amazon the other day: How to Invent Everything : A Survival Guide for The Standard Time Traveler by Ryan North here

Take this.

Unless you have this book:

How To Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveller by Ryan North

Edit: I should have read the rest of the comments, first - someone else already mentioned this book.

how to invent everything

This book would help

https://www.amazon.com/dp/073522014X?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I was looking for the wallet card, but found this

https://www.amazon.com/How-Invent-Everything-Survival-Stranded/dp/073522014X

Edit : Here it is, the cheat sheet
https://i.imgur.com/2psNjiL.png

How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/073522014X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GgpWDbET3F5JR

I haven’t bought it yet, but I think that a similar book might be:

How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/073522014X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1SU0DbEHTXWKK

It’s worth seeing if it covers any areas that you are thinking about.

There’s a pretty cool book on exactly this subject.
How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveller

Last Breath: The Limits of Adventure

Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook

I have brought both these books to many summer camps. They are fun to pass around and both have excellent scouting uses.

If you just want something to read for fun if you haven't read World War Z/Zombie Survival Guide those are fun written by Mel Brooks son.

11/22/63 by Stephen King is an amazing read. Someone from today travels back in time to stop the Kennedy assassination.

I read mostly fantasy/scifi so I'm probably not much help.

This game looks awesome! In the case of a zombie apocalypse I would grab my copy of the trusty Worst Case Scenario Book! From improvising weapons to living off the land, perfect for anyone running from hordes of zombies.

Thanks for the PiF!

Steam id: kmolleja

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook is funny and actually informative.. if you need to wrestle an alligator or something.

My favorite bathroom book. Albeit I'll never be in those situations, but still a fun read.

Edit: Missing period.

The Worst Case Scenario Suvival Handbook



https://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558

I got this as a present. Its a cool little book! http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558

in the wors case scenario books the author, after speaking with varios 'experts' (id guess physicists, im not at home right now so i cant check the book) says that its best to lay down in the middle.

It spreads the impact surface area and does the best possible job of keeping collapsing walls away from you.

I think I'd want to write more than I'd want to read. So I'd want the five fattest, sturdiest blank-page journals I could get. Then I suppose I'd need to catch a bunch of inky cephalopods and gather some feathers for quills.

Or:

1.) The Worst-Case-Scenario Survival Handbook

2.) Norton Anthology of Poetry

3.) Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces

4.) Cosmos by Carl Sagan

5.) Ulysses by James Joyce

Source.

Non-mobile: Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

This? https://amzn.com/0811825558

There's a book that explains this called "Why Do Men Have Nipples".

http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315

Buy this book.

there is a great series of books that deal with sillly questions like these. http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315

I don't know but this may help

http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315

Just thought of a great book that I'd like to share with you guys. Why do men have nipples? (Amazon Link)

'Why do men have nipples' is actually a good bathroom book. http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315

http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315

... along with similar books. I also want to say Quotationary, with over 20,000 quotes, but that book is MASSIVE.

> I'm a guy and both of my nipples are inverted.

Reminds me of a rather interesting book.

Here ya go: http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315

The ebook is for sale on Amazon here. I think I will need a couple Martinis to buy this one.

Congrats!

I found this book to be really helpful and well written.

https://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TDHWHW231P89TR81TDZ8

I made a little dad prep kit: an extra large 'Papa Bear' mug, Dude, You're Going to Be a Dad, Oreos (since we can't celebrate with wine!), and the tests in a heart polka dotted bag. He loved it!

Personally, I think it's more difficult to not believe in God. I could give several reasons why though my own personal examples, but that'd be a fairly lengthy post.

One of the biggest things to me is looking at the earth, the universe and creation itself. Personally, when I was reading 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson, I found it as a affirmation of my faith. To me, the thought that the creation of the universe, the laws of physics and chemistry and all of our sciences that hold everything together is just a series of random luck seems laughable.

Read The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson if this subject interests you. It's a layman's book going through some of the quirks of the English language.

From my own limited experience on the subject of linguistics and languages English is one of the most flexible languages for adopting and adapting vocabulary. We've got any number of loan words that originate in French/Spanish/Italian (the "Romance" group and the Latin they all stem from) as well as German (grammar and vocab) and even Japanese.

Get another shot ready.

No, I really should try to follow my username.

I'm a language descriptivist, not a language prescriptivist. Essentially, the distinction is that for descriptivists, the definition of words is how they are used, whereas for prescriptivists, the definition of a word is prescribed, usually by a particular authority, such as a dictionary.

In the descriptivist paradigm, it is impossible to use a word incorrectly (but it can be used contrary to what is usual or expected), new words come into and out of existence all the time, and a person can define a word for their own contextual use as they please.

In the prescriptivist paradigm, a word is incorrect if its use doesn't match the prescribing authority, new words must be specifically added by the authority, and a person is supposed to find the exact word or composition of words they need from the provided supply.

I find some problems with prescriptivism. First off, it means that some people who own the language others use. Second, there are many prescribing authorities, and they don't all agree. Third, if you want a word to describe a new concept, you're screwed.

I like descriptivism. First off, it's a better, more accurate model for how people actually use language; people make up new words all the time; languages evolve, borrowing and adapting where they see fit. Second, allowing people to define words within a context allows for more expressiveness, compactness, and power in the language we use.

An example of a prescriptive language in French[1]. An prescriptive authority would be one like Webster's dictionary[2].

A descriptive language would be one like English. A descriptive authority would be one like the Oxford English Dictionary.

[1] French has the infamous Académie française, which determines exactly what the language consists of. The academy has been involved in suppression of native languages such as Breton and Basque as recently as 2008, and of native languages in the french colonies when France had colonies. Prescriptivists can commit crimes against humanity.

[2] Noah Webster was a very important person in the history of english, for many of the wrong reasons. He was staunchly involved in trying to reform english, and was more or less singlehandedly responsible for a number of changes in our speak. The dictionary itself has strayed towards descriptivism since its book on english usage in 1993.

The topic is actually a really big one, and well discussed. An excellent book on the history of english that touches on the subject is The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson.

Medal of Honor, Crysis 2, Dead Space

Even though there are phenomenal chances you've seen the corresponding movie, my choice is "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk. The book gives a greater view of what exactly is going through the narrator's head in his exchanges with Marla, Tyler, and others. You can learn so much more about Project Mayhem than you would in the movie. It is truly a great read if you can get past how confusing the nature of the narrator's mind is.

http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Club-Novel-Chuck-Palahniuk/dp/0393327345

Does #36 ► Fight Club (1999) have the same story as Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club book?

Nahhh

Bro I bought the pre-sale of Milo's book because freeze peach. Her folx would castrate me for "normalizing hate speech".

It's Breitbart, but still what? Here, let me Google "milo yianopoulos book" for you and click the 2nd result which is Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X

Just in case Amazon takes off the #1 Best Seller in Books tag anytime soon I have a screen cap too

> Jeff Bezos

I had no idea who this guy was until I googled it, funny since Amazon only sells books here.

I just scammed this guy to get my free Audible audiobooks, just like the true anarchist I am :)

Halfway into listening to [Dangerous] (https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Milo-Yiannopoulos/dp/069289344X) ;)

For the lazy:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Invent-Everything-Survival-Stranded/dp/073522014X/

A book by that title exists.

I think she wrote:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
and
Pride and Prejudice and Niggas

You mean Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Coloring-Book-Vaginas/dp/B000R0HU92/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1324591806&sr=8-3

I loved the "Customers who bought this also bought" selections.

You're a buttwad and deserve to feel bad. Also, I like horses, unicorns are jerks..

I think OP's answer is kinda refering to Year Zero? Anyone?

http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649

for those interested in why!

I'll use a book written by a liberal sitting Senator to support my premise that liberals resort to childish name calling far more than conservatives

http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Limbaugh-Big-Fat-Idiot/dp/0440508649

The word democracy connotes mob rule, while the word republic reminds us that the President is not our King. You are right that "representative democracy" is more or less the same as "constitutional republic."

I don't know everything about Venona. My understanding has been that the decoded transcripts revealed extensive penetration of the State Department. The anti-anti-Communists vilified McCarthy for his witch-hunts, but the Venona transcripts vindicated him.

Al Franken, the author of Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot is your hero? Whoa. I would propose Thomas Sowell as a more worthy thinker.

The term "hivemind" is meant to denigrate the unthinking masses here at Reddit who downvote every submission with which they disagree, particularly conservative ideas in /r/politics. I would estimate them at less than 30%, however, which still ranks Reddit as one of the best places for intellectual discussion on the Internet.

As for the Federal Reserve, the government has no legitimate role in controlling monetary policy. The solution is to abolish them and return to a gold standard. Let prices and currencies float. I do not trust in the honesty nor competence of politicians nor central bankers, and neither should you.

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

On the assumption that you are not trolling and actually are this poorly educated, you need to go back and review basic rules of English Grammar. If you don't have a copy of The Elements of Style, you need to pick one up and read it. I can also recommend to you the very entertaining Woe is I or Eats, Shoots & Leaves if you want to be entertained as well as better-informed.

The noun that follows "than" when it is used as for comparison is always in agreement with the noun it would have replaced if it were the only element of the sentence; moreover, "be" verbs have no object. Ergo:

> Pete may be fat, but that lady is fatter than he.

"That lady" is the subject of the sentence, ergo we use "he" for our pronoun instead of "him." But if we presume that this lady's misfortunes continue:

> After the mugger began beating on her with a shovel, Pete said, "Better that he beat up her than me."

In this case the lady is the object of the mugger's bludgeoning with a garden implement, ergo we use "her" and "me" instead of "she" or "I."

The one confusing aspect to this is that in informal English, we generally permit people to sloppily treat the end of our "be" verbs as objects, thus the joke in the title of O'Conner's wonderful book, because "Woe is I" sounds wrong, even though it is strictly correct.

One assumes a hottie educated enough to get into Stanford would know the difference and use the correct phrase.

Edit: Also, as a postscript, given that I'm currently fighting with my SO as to whether our son should be educated in our country or hers, the huge number of up-votes you are receiving is not helping my cause. All of you, stop being whiny bitches about not knowing how to speak and write properly and go learn something:

• Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English
  
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
  
• The Elements of Style

As requested.

PUNCTUATION! I'm sorry, but MsWinty, your sentences do not mean what you think they mean.

>"One girls bathroom and one boys bathroom each with two stalls in the front of the school..."

Why did these two bathrooms have stalls outside the building? How far in front of the building? Were they attached to the building, or did you have to walk some distance to reach them? Did they have more stalls inside the building? Also, girl's and boy's need apostrophes to make them possessive.

I recommend Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

This is seriously disturbing....

Reminds me a bit of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies...
(http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347/)

Check out Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue. It's a fantastic read that explains where the English language came from and why it's so messed up.

i checked and they are full of conservative people praising the book & there are no top reviews from liberals criticizing it.

[The Cost of Our Silence: Consequences of Christians Taking the Path of Least Resistance ] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1622452712) 4.8 stars

ERADICATE: Blotting Out God in America: Understanding, Combatting, and Overcoming the Anti-Christian Agenda 4.3 stars

Big Agenda: President Trump’s Plan to Save America 4.7 stars

The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left 4.6 stars

Rediscovering Americanism: And the Tyranny of Progressivism 4.7 stars

Understanding Trump - Newt Gingrich 4.8 stars

Dangerous - Milo Yiannopoulos 4.9 stars

most liberals have more work to do than write negative reviews for tripe that can be found on any facebook comment section. see, that is the difference ; most conservatives detest and loathe liberals while most liberals want to convince conservative to let progress happen.

but sitting and stewing in your echo chamber has made you believe that liberals are evil baddies

I generally don't like it when people are grammar Nazis, but maybe English isn't your first language so... You are using "there", which means a location. What you mean to say is "their", which implies ownership. It's one of the dumbest, most confusing things in English... but then again, it's a language full of dumb and confusing things.

Although, Bill Bryson makes a good case for English's seemingly random nature as being the reason it so influential.

http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1449530289&sr=8-5&keywords=zombie+classics
it's in line with a modern strain of fiction the nativity is ... would it help if it was pointed out that there are others who revisit classic literature and make commentary on it ... in light of modern writing aesthetic it's on point ... there are classic stories retold with zombies ... there are also a lot of people that think jesus died last week when he didn't die at all ... it's fiction ... i mean i am more creeped out by normal ones ... if you are so down with jesus that you want to celebrate his birth the quote unquote normal way i am more frightened and put off by typical nativity sets than a creative zombie remake ... in other words for me personally the people with the zombies would probably be cooler people than a traditional nativity set owner ... i think it's cool becasue i think the people that put it up are probably cool ... traditional nativity sets are owned by people that have historically shunned me for thinking they are well stupid for celebrating a book club 52 times a year and not talking after the services and building community ... which position in society do i need to start passing out fines for what people use to celebrate the holidays in their front yard? like the zombie nativity would probably agree that church services would be better off being all day saturday and put a church to use the right way and then spill over into saturday night into sunday morning every week the normal nativity scene owner would probably want church services as tight and lean as possible to get the fuck away from the people in their church ... the cool church meets at saturday at 5pm and lasts until right before work on Monday but no one 's up for it every week

PRO TIP : I'm banned from sitwell's and the northside tavern because of an affair with a bartender but i'm pretty sure if you drop something like this line on a chick at the northside tavern she'd be wit it