Non-cycling books

[reohn2]

Just reading The Leeds And Liverpool Canal by Mike Clarke,a facinating read about how the waterway was built,the barges and why it was and still is so important.

[simonineaston]

There will come a period in which a small number of belief systems once more come to dominate.

An unsafe assumption. I'm surprised that you make it. Please see the following (non-cycling) books that put foward the case that our days our numbered - and that number is small.
The Future We Chose
The Revenge Of Gaia
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
This Is Not A Drill
However, these books don't make particularly pleasant reading, so if you want to enjoy yourself, give 'em a swerve & dwell instead on happy things. I myself like reading about the adventures of Asterix and his chums, in French, naturellement! but they don't fit on my Kindle

[Cyril Haearn]

Just reading The Leeds And Liverpool Canal by Mike Clarke,a facinating read about how the waterway was built,the barges and why it was and still is so important.

I thought the canals lost importance when railways were built
Why is it still so important?

[reohn2]

Just reading The Leeds And Liverpool Canal by Mike Clarke,a facinating read about how the waterway was built,the barges and why it was and still is so important.

I thought the canals lost importance when railways were built
Why is it still so important?

Wild life nownthe canals have cleaned up and are no longer the smelly polluted cesspits they were.
Pleasure cruising and a growning number of live-aboad boats too,people seeking an alternative lifestyle.Boat range from apparent wrecks to beautifully built amazing Dutcheque widebeam barges and all shades between.
I would be very tempted should Mrs R2 be as enthusiastic.

I've lived within a mile or two of the L&L all my life and have seen gradually clean up incredibly in the past 40 years.

[simonineaston]

If you can't find a whole bundle of great reads here, there is no hope for you...

[merseymouth]

Hi Reohn2, Should seek out Mike Clarke's book about restoring Juno, his elderly narrow boat?
Have known Mike for over 55 years, lived not too far away and he was into the vintage car scene. Cycled as well, but he won't want reminding of the time he hit the gravel up close and personal! Very serious gravel rash on both arms & hands, ouch.
I think that his pop was Director of Education in Liverpool. TTFN MM

[jimlews]

I'm about halfway through :

What it means to be HUMAN

By Joanna Bourke.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/ ... man-review

Highly recommended.

[simonineaston]

zen and art of motorcycle maintenance
I am two thirds through this book, sometimes I think its inspirational and then after reading some more I think its a total load of small round objects and lacks quality
Patrick

I don't know anyone in the whole world who has ever finished that book - apparently, not even the author claims to have done so...

[simonineaston]

I remember reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy (or rather, I don't remember... but that's more to do with my age, I guess) and I understand that a film version is about to be released - it did occur to me to have another go at reading it, as it's supposed to be a classic of the SF genre.
Another tip is for goodness sake steer clear of anything Ayn Rand wrote - unless you want to be bored witless!

[AMMoffat]

I'm not a climber but this account of the author's climbing exploits in the 1930s is a great read: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Always-Little- ... B012TEN9ZM

I'm also not a runner, but this is fascinating: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Run-Hidde ... 1861978774

And this one is just plain hilarious whilst being a great insight into a lost way of life: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Story-San-Mich ... B07MN3FLXL

[CyclingGuy]

I've just finished this one - it's a good read in the Dick Francis vein. - https://amzn.to/3iqrlZL

[simonineaston]

if you still have a Facebook ( or Pokémon Go...) etc account after reading this more fool you

I don't... I deleted my account (as in deleted, rather than suspended) my account about a year ago, after figuring that I either knew what they do with our data and simply don't mind, or else, got on and did something about it. it's a measure of how invideous this sort of thing has become, that not having an Facebook account is actually a minor inconvenience for me - a lot of the Bristol-based bands / brewaries / cafes that I follow (or not, as the case may be!) use Facebook as a matter-of-course, however...
Without wishing to steal Zuboffs' thunder, you can sum up the gist of her book readily, thus:
If the app you use is FREE, it's because you are the product...

[mercalia]

Twilight of Democracy: The Failure of Politics and the Parting of Friends

I hope my local library get this book in as an ebook so I can borrow it. It is a summary of the sorry state of affairs in Poland, the UK and the USA


https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/12/anne-applebaum-how-my-old-friends-paved-the-way-for-trump-and-brexit?

[Cyril Haearn]

Just got a book of short stories by Franz Kafka, could they be challenging, disturbing?

[Cyril Haearn]

Re-reading books that one read years ago