What book to read?

[DirtyHippieUTE]

Originally Posted by Robin

on sale right now for fifty bucks.

Great Lectures = $50

or

Bus Ride = $1
Library Card = $0.00
1000s of years of free quality literature = Priceless

These days I can't buy a stick of gum w/o a hall pass from the Mrs. I'm all about the public library this summer.

[Robin]

Originally Posted by DirtyHippieUTE

Great Lectures = $50

or

Bus Ride = $1
Library Card = $0.00
1000s of years of free quality literature = Priceless

These days I can't buy a stick of gum w/o a hall pass from the Mrs. I'm all about the public library this summer.

Then see if they have these lectures on tape or CD at your local library. You could also get them via interlibrary loan. The Teaching Company's university lectures are widely considered (according to my Yale philosopher pal) to be the best product of this sort on the market. Many libraries have them, but they are usually pretty popular.

Worth the wait. Get on your library's waiting list and toss them into the mix of your summer brain stimulation. You won't regret it. And as for the $50, that is a bargain when you consider the cost of a single credit hour at BYU, or the cost of books and materials for a single class, or even the cost of auditing a class for no credit at a local community college, these lectures are by far the least expensive way to get a college-level education in a particular field.

Hope your library has them!

R.F.

[il Padrino Ute]

Summertime reading = mindless fun.

I'd suggest the complete Calvin and Hobbs collection.

[Robin]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

Summertime reading = mindless fun.

I'd suggest the complete Calvin and Hobbs collection.

Well I 2nd the Calvin and Hobbes collection, but I don't know what library is going to offer it... pick up some of the other anthologies. The complete collection is a beast of a book.

Since you aren't interested in buying any of the Great Lectures, you should check out their free downloads section:

http://www.teach12.com/ttc/Davincicode.asp

They are piggybacking on the Davinci code stuff right now, but I think the subject might interest some people here.

Sorry to sound like a spokesperson for the company, but free is a good price, and the lectures are awesome.

R.F.

[bigpiney]

Since you are going to be an evil lawyer, you should read Bleak House by Charles Dickens. He will tell you how evil you are going to be. You can't go wrong with Dickens, though I don't think he is a big fan of lawyers. His storylines and characters are wonderfull.

My favorite Dickens is probably David Copperfield, you could also try that.

[UteStar]

I guess it depends on what mood someone is in. One of the great books that I read in High School and still think it is a difficult to read (in terms of the cruelty and sadness) is Harriet Beecher Stowes' book, 'Uncle Toms Cabin.' Its long but worth it.

As has been suggested, 'The Cather in the Rye' and 'Catch 22' are both fabulous.

If you just want mindless fiction fun, there are several spy/mystery writers that I truly enjoy: Harlan Coben, David Baldacci, Dennis Lehane, David Rosenfelt and Stephen Frey among them.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by bigpiney

Since you are going to be an evil lawyer, you should read Bleak House by Charles Dickens. He will tell you how evil you are going to be. You can't go wrong with Dickens, though I don't think he is a big fan of lawyers. His storylines and characters are wonderfull.

My favorite Dickens is probably David Copperfield, you could also try that.

I have avoided this thread becasue it is hard to choose. I can echo some of the comments here, however. Any Dickens is good; Copperfield is especially good. Les Miserables is one of the great books ever, IMO, and should be read in the unabridged version. The Brothers Karamazov is also a great work, as is Anna Karenina. If you are tlaking classical literature (which I think is what you asked for, as opposed to simply good books) you must include at least one great Russian Pyschological novel such as these.