THE LIBRARY
Well of course it's not a real library - that was just to get you to click it! I've listed here the books that I'm reading
currently, what I'm planning to read next and also some recommendations.
CURRENT READING
| Canon EOS 50D - Digital Field Guide by Charlotte K Lowrie.
A useful guide about how to use your Canon 50D DSLR. The Canon User Guide tells you the basic how and what but this book tells
you about the why. It's an essential read if you want to make the most of your DSLR. |
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| Wildwood - A Journey Through Trees by Roger Deakin.
I'm not usually a reader of books like this but it is a good read if you like trees and nature.
Some of Deakin's descriptions make it almost possible to smell the smoke, the tree sap and the damp mist. It also has some
humour and describes well his love of nature and living with trees.
You might need to keep a dictionary
handy for the occasional word! |
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| Confronting Collapse by Michael Ruppert.
The book starts with a rational, logical and believable analysis of the current situation regarding peak oil. It's so believable that
I found myself seriously considering cancelling my pension payments, resigning from my job and moving to a quiet rural location where
I could live in a sustainable way in readinesss for the peak oil disaster that will unfold. However, about a third of the way through the book Ruppert's
arguments lose all credibility with a dramatic change to a paranoid, sarcastic and generally unbalanced attitude. I even wondered whether someone
else might have written this section. He manages to recover somewhat for the last third but his credibility remains tainted.
The only other comment is that the book is based on US data
rather than world.
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| Beyond Oil by Kenneth Deffeyes.
A very readable book on the formation, discovery, extraction and sources of coal, oil and gas. Deffeyes also explains Hubbert's peak oil
calculations.
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WHAT I'M READING NEXT
RECOMMENDED READING
| No Place To Hide by Robert O'Harrow.
This is a chilling book by award-winning "Washington Post" reporter Robert O'Harrow. He uncovers the frightening new alliance
between government and business: data collection. For years private companies have gathered all kinds of information about
consumers and sold it for profit. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, they have sold it to the government. In return, they have
received vastly expanded resources and freedom from legal restraint. Eve96ry aspect of our lives is now recorded and tracked. |
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| Taking Chances by John Haigh. An
essential guide if you want a good introduction to the theory of probability but without
any heavy maths. The theory behind many tricks and TV and card games is explained in a simple
and very readable style - you can open the book anywhere and find something of interest.
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| Secret Underground Cities is all about
the extraordinary underground factories, storage depots and treasure houses that were
constructed at great expense and secrecy during the Second World War and afterwards. Photographs
and plans of various sites are included.
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| Locomotive Boiler Explosions
was one of ten books rated as "I couldn't pick it up" by You magazine in November 1992, but I disagree!
It provides an interesting look at how and why locomotive boilers exploded - which they seemed to do with
remarkable frequency in the early days. It's only through accidents and the subsequent investigations that
the essential lessons were learnt to provide us with today's safer engineering.
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| The New Hacker's Dictionary
is a reference for all
ancient and modern computer terms, phrases and acronyms. The great thing about this book is the unexpected
humour and irreverent attitude.
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