Good Books??

[Drogba]

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That is one of my favorite books. Along with Kokoro by Natsume Soseki

I'll have to check it out. I barely read literature anymore. I mostly read social science works in my free time these days. I actually find well written ethnographies pretty engaging, almost on the level of a literary work. I don't think that makes me a loser?

 

[SilverMoon]

And does anyone else get bogged down by Russian novels? They're just too lengthy!

They're long, but so worth the read. I loved Brothers Karamazov and I just finished reading Anna Karenina a little while ago. I'm not sure which I like more, but I think that reading them (with the proper interpretation), they're really insightful.

 

[TexanGirl]

"Dostoevsky is the only psychologist from whom I have anything to learn"
-Friedrich Nietzsche

I didn't know people read FD for recreation

Good point, he does have a knack for creating complex characters! Notes from the Underground, particularly, was thought-provoking and fascinating to me. I like the fact he takes literary risks, by portraying characters that would typically just seem ugly and unscrupulous; but through a stroke of genius, he's able to allow us to find a shred of dignity and humanity in these beings. Now, that's amazing.

 

[Drogba]

Good point, he does have a knack for creating complex characters! Notes from the Underground, particularly, was thought-provoking and fascinating to me. I like the fact he takes literary risks, by portraying characters that would typically just seem ugly and unscrupulous; but through a stroke of genius, he's able to allow us to find a shred of dignity and humanity in these beings. Now, that's amazing.

and by extension even see ourselves in them to a degree. That is if we are not too afraid to look.

 

[qtpai]

and by extension even see ourselves in them to a degree. That is if we are not too afraid to look.

I agree wholeheartedly. I recommend Crime and Punishment to anyone, especially in solitude. I think that is one of Dostoevsky's greatest feats in C&P: to make you feel feverish and panicky just like his Raskolnikov. I think someone can only understand C&P if they're aware of their own narcissism and its occasional extremes. I think that's the very point of Dostoevsky. It's about us, not some abstract characters that we just so happen to identify with--the identification with them is central to his work.

 

[nycNerd]

I just finished reading Another Day in the Frontal Lobe by Katrina Firlik.

I highly recommend it to anyone, interested in medicine or not.

 

[gujuDoc]

I just finished reading Another Day in the Frontal Lobe by Katrina Firlik.

I highly recommend it to anyone, interested in medicine or not.

I read that book this past summer break! Definitely a good read. She's witty, smart, and funny. she also puts medicine in plane terms rather then using a lot of jargon which I like. She seems like a down to earth woman.

 

[gujuDoc]

How reassuring, I thought it only happened to me. I'm sure Gabriel Garcia Marquez is an exquisite writer, but somehow I just can't get engrossed in his books. Okay okay, to be fair, I only gave him like 2 minutes...so it is partially my fault.

Drogba, which did you find to be more engrossing: Love in the Time of Cholera or 100 Years of Solitude? Maybe I'll actually get somewhere this time.

And does anyone else get bogged down by Russian novels? They're just too lengthy!

Not to mention too dense!

That said, the oe good russian novel that I recommend to all people especially those going into medicine that is not lengthy nor dense and an easy read is Leo Tolstoy's death of ivan illych.

The death of Ivan illych was a good book, they even have the whole novel free online but I rather read the paper copy which was easier to sit down with then staring at the computer.

 

[gujuDoc]

I loved the first 80% of One-Hundred Years of Solitude. The last bit, though, just dragged on unbearably. I think it was simply a matter of the characters I was most emotionally invested in no longer being part of the story. I simply didn't care about the ones introduced near the end - they weren't nearly as interesting.

if you like Magic of the Real books another heartbreaking but good book is Isabelle Allende's book: The House of Spirits.

 

[pink scrubs]

Also, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is an intriguing contemporary read. Plus, you get to experience people always saying, "Oh! That's the dog book! I want to read/loved that book!"

I'm one of those people! I loved that book. 🙂

 

[gujuDoc]

I'm one of those people! I loved that book. 🙂

My brother has that book. I started reading it but never finished it because i got lazy.

 

[Begaster]

For non-fiction fans, I'd really recommend:

The World is Flat - The Bible on globalization.
Ghost Wars - Tracks America and Afghanistan from the onset of the USSR invasion to 9/11.
Charlie Wilson's War - The man who, along with Gust Avrakotos, basically gave the USSR their own Vietnam.

And anything by Ray Kurzweil.

 

[Ruchi925]

i just read through this entire thread and it made me really happy to know other people read just as much as i do! too bad classes get in the way..

I would def second in the fantasy genre..

Ender's Game
Lord of the Rings (although to be honest, i skip the chapters in the 3rd book about Frodo, and whenever Tolkien starts droning about some mundane thing, I just move to the next page, but the overall plot is pretty awesome)
Golden Compass & The Subtle Knife
The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind (I've only read the first four, waiting to borrow the other books from the roommate, but DO NOT read book 4, Temple of the Winds. Easily the worst of the four, i was really disappointed)
I like the vampire series by Anne Rice too, Interview with the Vampire, the Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Dead

You can see i am a fan of fantasyish books

As for more 'normal' books, id def add

The Cider House Rules by John Irving -it deals with abortion which makes for interesting ethical dilemmas in it
The World According to Garp & A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving also, they're awesome awesome books that make me laugh and cry out loud
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan for some really interesting Indian historical fiction (deals with the father of the man who built the Taj Mahal)
The Devil and the White City by Erik Larson - I just finished this book while flying home yesterday, awesome book about the World's Fair in Chicago and a serial murderer who preyed on people during it
Life of Pi - a funny, sweet, and heartbreaking book.
White Oleander by Janet Fitch - about a girl whose mother murders her ex-bf and goes to jail, leaving the girl to be tossed around in foster care. not a depressing book though, veryyy beautifully written in my opinion.
The Brother's Karamazov. Really great book, although I def would not have appreciated it as much had I not taken an intro class on it, I can see how some people would find it dense.

No one has mentioned Dr. Paul Farmer!!! Read a biography of him by Tracy Kidder called Mountains Beyond Mountains, its amazing and truly inspiring, he is one of my heroes. Read it especially if you are interested in infectious diseases or public health. Dr. Farmer's also written a couple books himself like Infections and Inequalities (really interesting) and Pathologies of Power (haven't read it myself). If you are pre-med, you should def read his biography at the least.

haha i think this is post #3 for me.. quite long, sorry! 😀

 

[qtpai]

An entertaining read for someone interested in philosophy is Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols. Not difficult to read, at least superficially, and really fun. It has become fashionable to denounce it as "not real philosophy," especially among those in the hardcore analytic vein, but it's still a fabulous read and insightful; his style is nothing short of brilliant.

I'm currently reading Pathologies of the West, by Roland Littlewood, and almost finished. A great work in psychiatric anthropology and psychology, though a little dense.

 

[LizzyM]

The Cider House Rules by John Irving -it deals with abortion which makes for interesting ethical dilemmas in it

Irving's grandfather was a OB-GYN in Boston; I wonder how much he influenced Cider House Rules.

 

[taponthecloud]

No one has mentioned Dr. Paul Farmer!!! Read a biography of him by Tracy Kidder called Mountains Beyond Mountains, its amazing and truly inspiring, he is one of my heroes. Read it especially if you are interested in infectious diseases or public health. Dr. Farmer's also written a couple books himself like Infections and Inequalities (really interesting) and Pathologies of Power (haven't read it myself). If you are pre-med, you should def read his biography at the least.

haha i think this is post #3 for me.. quite long, sorry! 😀

Everyone and his/her mom has read Mountains Beyond Mountains... (it's a great book of course). However, I recommend AIDS and Accusation-- in my opinion Farmer's best work.

 

[childrendoctor]

I'm particular fond of Jane Austen.

Is that what you're looking for 😉?

I agree! Jane Austen is awesome! 👍

I'm currently reading Emma. So far, it's not too bad.
Can't wait to finish it though! 🙂

 

[gujuDoc]

Everyone and his/her mom has read Mountains Beyond Mountains... (it's a great book of course). However, I recommend AIDS and Accusation-- in my opinion Farmer's best work.

that's probably ecause its on the highschool reading list at many places. B&N where I go in Tampa has a section for summer reading for different highschools and I saw it on the highschool reading sections for at least one or two highschools this past summer. I wouldn't be surprised if its that way in a lot of other places.

I met Dr. Farmer last spring at USF COM. He was a guest speaker and signing his books. He was also speaking the next day at a public health conference down town. He's an amazing speaker in real life and very funny and humble.

I respected that a lot.

 

[taponthecloud]

that's probably ecause its on the highschool reading list at many places. B&N where I go in Tampa has a section for summer reading for different highschools and I saw it on the highschool reading sections for at least one or two highschools this past summer. I wouldn't be surprised if its that way in a lot of other places.

I met Dr. Farmer last spring at USF COM. He was a guest speaker and signing his books. He was also speaking the next day at a public health conference down town. He's an amazing speaker in real life and very funny and humble.

I respected that a lot.

He also tells the same jokes over and over...(but they're funny)

 

[Dodo23]

Wow Picklesali and Dodo, it seems like we MSTPers tend to like the same books! I read Anne of Green Gables 23423098 times as a kid, (and I still love it).

I love P+P, but I have to say that my favorite Jane Austen book is Emma.

I need to reread Emma and Mansfield Park some time before med school starts; I've only read MP once and it's been so long since I last reread Emma! (I read it about 3 times in high school and loved it, but I don't think I got all the nuance and subtlety of it back then.)

And yeah, we MSTPers need to get some kind of reading group together next summer, especially if we end up at the same program. Solitude and I want to read War and Peace next summer, and I think Ziggy wants to join in.

 

[gujuDoc]

He also tells the same jokes over and over...(but they're funny)

yeah! The funniest was the way he was seeing how the ASL translator would sign what he was saying. It was cute.

 

[pinkpanther88]

Well,

is my all-time favorite.

I 3rd this as my favorite... and agree that the english translation just isn't the same.

Books that I've read over the Break-
Dear John- A predictable, typical Sparks book. I liked The Notebook and Walk to Remember better... but worth a read if you like the sappy romance

Playing For Pizzas- Different than typical Grisham... light and a quick read. humorous, good for football fans

Skipping Christmas- better than the movie Christmas with the Kranks that was based of it

Life of Pi- one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The main character is very insightful at times. A few boring chapters, but overall a good read.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time- that dog book, everyone keeps talking about. I really liked this after working with 2 autistic boys.

Books to read- Me Talk Pretty One Day, The Things They Carried

 

[Maxprime]

If it hasn't been mentioned yet,

My Life Decoded by Craig Venter

 

[taponthecloud]

gujuDoc, I think you would like this link..http://www.brighamandwomens.org/socialmedicine/news.aspx

It's the Brigham and Women's dept. of social medicine website with videos of lectures and speeches that Paul and Jim (and others) have given since 2001.

 

[Candlestick Man]

I've said it many times, but here i go anyways . . .

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

It's not an intellectual, think hard book, but it has a good message, is funny, and you won't want to put it down.

It also happens to be my favorite book. 👍

I Loved this book growing up. If it is your favorite you probably already know, but I didn't until I ran into it by chance - there is a sequal to this book, "Tandia"

No Dune fans out there? My favorite book. "The Quiet American" is another, or anything by G.Greene, or Hemingway, or Steinbeck, or...

 

[Drogba]

gujuDoc, I think you would like this link..http://www.brighamandwomens.org/socialmedicine/news.aspx

It's the Brigham and Women's dept. of social medicine website with videos of lectures and speeches that Paul and Jim (and others) have given since 2001.

Awesome link. Farmer is a great writer and speaker. He also seems to be an excellent doctor

 

[novastorm]

Anything by Vince Flynn for Assassin/Political thrillers. Tom Clancy's Without Remorse is a great book. Robert Jordan's wheel of time series is great for fantasy, very long reads, cost me some points in organic chemistry. Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern are short and I absolutely love them (Scifi). Tom Clancy's Net Force is for the more nerdy of us, not written by Tom himself but are very enjoyable (Techno-Thriller). The Vortex by Larry Bond, good very long military, war, "techno-thriller". I'm really picky about what I read too....

Outside the realm of "series" books.

The Three People You Meet in Heaven, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Ivanhoe come to mind.

 

[jace's mom]

The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett

A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar

And my all-time, hands-down favorite book that's always worth a second (or third, or fiftieth) read: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

 

[jace's mom]

Has anyone read Peter F. Hamilton's Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained? I have both, but I'm not sure I want to read them unless it's worth it. Almost 1000 pages each! 😱 Reviews, anyone?

 

[MsJLewis]

One about medicine that I received as a gift for Christmas is:

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

so far its pretty interesting.. about cultural competency and medicine more or less.

Non-medicine reading, one of my favorites is Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey.

 

[Jolie South]

I Loved this book growing up. If it is your favorite you probably already know, but I didn't until I ran into it by chance - there is a sequal to this book, "Tandia"

already read it. I liked it too, but prefer the original.

 

[novastorm]

I always liked A Separate Peace when I was younger..Oh and The Perks of Being a Wallflower is always a fun read...

 

[Beau Geste]

bump

 

[Myuu]

Yeah, I did notice your sig. 👍



Notes from the Underground is one of my faves. I didn't get bogged down by it at all. I've been trying to read the Brothers Karamazov though for about 2 years now (I stop intermittently and pick it up again) and I just don't seem to be making progress. I don't know why. I do find it interesting, and I do like Dostoyevsky, but the length is unbearable. I like to be able to finish novels in a few short sittings, but it's impossible with this book. Once I pause for a break (these breaks can last anywhere from an hour to several months), I have to reread what I previously read because there's just an overwhelming amount of detail about the characters and the plot and it's hard to keep track of that. Gee, this is supposed to be recreational reading and it already sounds stressful, doesn't it?

Quick heads up: it takes 600 pages of pontificating before one of them finally... err... does something climatic. Dostoevsky is awesome under 650 pages or so. Beyond that, one can only take so much cyclic philosophy. The Idiot (avoid the Magarshack translation as if it were not only the plague but also on fire) might be a better read. I liked it, anyway. Then again, I liked The Brothers Karamazov, too, aside from the obvious length-to-pontification ratio issues.

 

[Rabid Manitee]

There's been a lot of good books suggested here, I liked Another Day in the Frontal Lobe and also Hot Lights Cold Steel, my reading is all over the board as are my recomendations.

The Surgeons--> It's about the heart transplant specialists at Columbia
Without Remorse--> Ive read a lot of Tom Clancy but this is pure entertainment with a man ruthlessly seeking revenge
Rainbow Six--> One of My favorite Clancy novels
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman!--> Autobiography of Richard Feyman, one of the men who worked on the Nuclear Bomb; great read, very funny and easy to follow.

Stephen Colbert's Book= Awesome
I second Freakanomics as an interesting read
48 Laws of Power
Alphabet of Manliness-->Greatest. Book. Ever. So Manly it needs to be shaved
I hope they serve beer in hell--> Collection of stories from http://tuckermax.com
Shooter:The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper--> Great book, easy read, Bang Bang

What's Science Ever done for Us:What the Simpsons can teach us about Physics, Robots, Life and the Universe--> The name says it all

Lastly, In order to offset you Dawkins Heathens (joking, don't get pissed off) I see your God Delusion and raise you The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence For Belief--> Definately had the most impact on my life and thinking so far.

Sorry For the Length.

Stephen King's IT 346834562 Billion Times better than the movie; Clown who eats kids, what more can you want?

 

[brimley]

The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker
Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett

 

[Jolie South]

Quick heads up: it takes 600 pages of pontificating before one of them finally... err... does something climatic. Dostoevsky is awesome under 650 pages or so. Beyond that, one can only take so much cyclic philosophy. The Idiot (avoid the Magarshack translation as if it were not only the plague but also on fire) might be a better read. I liked it, anyway. Then again, I liked The Brothers Karamazov, too, aside from the obvious length-to-pontification ratio issues.

yea, i never made it all the way to the end. The first few asides were interesting but after that it gets a bit tedious and you just want to know if smerdyakov did it or what.

 

[HumidBeing]

Has anyone read I Am a Strange Loop?

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

I just finished "Five Chimneys" its a women survivors experiences in Auschwitz-Birkenau- VERY DEEP!!! Right up there with Night in terms of holocaust reading (which I have done a lot of since my research revolves around it)...

Also- I am enjoying "Where the Broken Heart Still Beats" which is about Cynthia Ann Parker (a white women who was kidnapped by Indians- grew up with them and then kidnapped back by white soldiers)... the book is fictional though but still better than reading Organic Chemistry!

 

[166035]

x

 

[PanicAttack]

Richard Dawkins - The Selfish Gene

👍

Also....
medical: The House of God

Other:
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Lolita by Nabokov