Do You Read?

[Zam-Zam]

I'm not talking about blogs or tweets or bumper sticker...I'm talking about books. Real books, not fluff.

I'm just curious as to how many people actually still read books, and how often.

Any readers here?

 

[PNWest]

I'm not talking about blogs or tweets or bumper sticker...I'm talking about books. Real books, not fluff.

I'm just curious as to how many people actually still read books, and how often.

Any readers here?

Tons. I do non-fiction and post a weekly mini-review every week on the nonfictionbooks subreddit "what books are you reading this week" thread.

 

[Zam-Zam]

Tons. I do non-fiction and post a weekly mini-review every week on the nonfictionbooks subreddit "what books are you reading this week" thread.

I applaud you for that.

My fear is that serious reading is a dying pastime, but it's good to know that there are still at least a few practitioners.

 

[RickWA]

I'm not talking about blogs or tweets or bumper sticker...I'm talking about books. Real books, not fluff.

I'm just curious as to how many people actually still read books, and how often.

Any readers here?

Ravenously. Primarily non-fiction…and especially a lot of technical pieces. In addition to providing learning…reading elevates one’s own capacity to articulate and write. There are many benefits.

 

[Zam-Zam]

Ravenously. Primarily non-fiction…and especially a lot of technical pieces. In addition to providing learning…reading elevates one’s own capacity to articulate and write. There are many benefits.

Bully! You have crystalized my thoughts with precision.

Another benefit - Especially as we age, exercise is important. This includes exercising the brain, and reading worthwhile material will accomplish that.

 

[RickWA]

Bully! You have crystalized my thoughts with precision.

Another benefit - Especially as we age, exercise is important. This includes exercising the brain, and reading worthwhile material will accomplish that.

Amen to that! Although my wife ruthlessly mocks me for reading technical manuals on Caribbean beaches.

 

[Zam-Zam]

Amen to that! Although my wife ruthlessly mocks me for reading technical manuals on Caribbean beaches.

I read on vacation as well, although my preferences are more likely to be history, philosophy or literature. I gave up tech manuals some time ago...

 

[PNWest]

It's a shame that not so many people read these days. Back in the day MrsPNWest & I spent many a Saturday hitting up every used book store in Houston looking for treasures. Great times. Now almost all of those store are long, long gone. Sad.

 

[Zam-Zam]

It's a shame that not so many people read these days. Back in the day MrsPNWest & I spent many a Saturday hitting up every used book store in Houston looking for treasures. Great times. Now almost all of those store are long, long gone. Sad.

We still make regular trips to the library in our little town, and I have amassed, over the years, a pretty receptible little library of my own. I am never at a loss for something to read.

I believe that those who do not read are missing out, but to each his/her own.

I would say, however, that it does become evident, right here in this forum, that many do not read anything of value. You can see it on both sides of the aisle without much effort.

And that is a shame.

 

[as seen on tv]

I'm not talking about blogs or tweets or bumper sticker...I'm talking about books. Real books, not fluff.

I'm just curious as to how many people actually still read books, and how often.

Any readers here?

I am currently reading "sex at dawn" by Christopher Ryan. It is a nonfiction historical overview of mating since the evolution of Cuomo sapiens. The author's heories are poorly supported and reasoned. It was highly recommended by NPR.

The last good book I read was "the ancestors tale". Also nonfiction. I majored in Lit and cultural anthropology was an undergrad.

 

[RickWA]

I am currently reading "sex at dawn" by Christopher Ryan. It is a nonfiction historical overview of mating since the evolution of Cuomo sapiens. The author's heories are poorly supported and reasoned. It was highly recommended by NPR.

The last good book I read was "the ancestors tale". Also nonfiction. I majored in Lit and cultural anthropology was an undergrad.

I think it’s hilarious that this forum still auto-corrects any use of the term h’omo to the Cuomo family name. Classic stuff!

 

[bdtex]

I'm not talking about blogs or tweets or bumper sticker...I'm talking about books. Real books, not fluff.

I'm just curious as to how many people actually still read books, and how often.

Any readers here?

I read Civil War history books. My reading really fell off during Covid. Before that it was 10-20 books a year. I have been struggling to get back into double figures since then.

 

[Colorforms]

I'm not talking about blogs or tweets or bumper sticker...I'm talking about books. Real books, not fluff.

I'm just curious as to how many people actually still read books, and how often.

Any readers here?

I read almost entirely fiction. I read to get away from reality.

 

[EatTheRich]

I'm not talking about blogs or tweets or bumper sticker...I'm talking about books. Real books, not fluff.

I'm just curious as to how many people actually still read books, and how often.

Any readers here?

I don’t read as much as I used to (on my phone a lot) but I still average 4-5 books per month. Mostly nonfiction these days. I just finished one of several books I’ve read on the Spanish Civil War, also just getting started on another book about the English civil war, and also started a book by a liberal Armenian-American investigative journalist who infiltrated the American far right (posing as an Italian-American with fascist sympathies) right before and during WWII.

 

[EatTheRich]

I read Civil War history books. My reading really fell off during Covid. Before that it was 10-20 books a year. I have been struggling to get back into double figures since then.

I have read a few American Civil War books but I am more interested in Reconstruction.

 

[bdtex]

I have read a few American Civil War books but I am more interested in Reconstruction.

My primary interest is military history. I have no interest in slavery, secession or Reconstruction.

 

[EatTheRich]

My primary interest is military history. I have no interest in slavery, secession or Reconstruction.

You’re probably already familiar but I got about halfway through Hattaway’s “How the North won” before setting it down and not resuming it yet. He seems to make a case for Halleck’s skill as the U.S.‘s strongest general, and makes a strong case for McClellan’s leadership too. If I recall correctly he argues that Joseph Johnston was the strongest southern general, which I think is a widely held view. I had always formed the impression that Lee was a very skilled commander, but Hattaway does not hold him in very high regard.

A lot of the military history of the war that I’ve read comes from Marx and Engels, who took an approach based on their view that the political aims shape the military strategy. They of course favored the U.S. side, but were extremely critical of McClellan and (perhaps too uncritically) favorable to Grant and (to a lesser extent) Sherman.

If you like military history one book which I particularly liked was “Be Your Own Napoleon” by William Seymour. The author describes the situation of a given commander in a given battle (Napoleon at Waterloo) for example, gives a range of options for the reader as commander, and then describes how the actual commander handled it and how that worked out, as well as his opinion about alternative courses. One of the enduring impressions I got from that book was that Thomas Gage (British commander during the American Revolution) was an exceptionally poor strategist.

 

[Zam-Zam]

I read Civil War history books. My reading really fell off during Covid. Before that it was 10-20 books a year. I have been struggling to get back into double figures since then.

I've read some Bruce Catton & Shelby Foote, but that was some time ago. Jean Edward Smith wrote a book on Grant that I found very interesting, and I've probably read about a dozen or so books on Lincoln. "Team of Rivals" is likely my favorite on his administration.

 

[sandztorm]

I don't read that much.... as a PE, my eyes hurt after reading P&IDs and technical narratives all day. I keep oviler twist, david copperfeild, and the innocence abroad in my night stand... I have read them so many times, I can just pick up, open up, and read a chapter or two every sleepless night.

 

[bdtex]

You’re probably already familiar but I got about halfway through Hattaway’s “How the North won” before setting it down and not resuming it yet. He seems to make a case for Halleck’s skill as the U.S.‘s strongest general, and makes a strong case for McClellan’s leadership too. If I recall correctly he argues that Joseph Johnston was the strongest southern general, which I think is a widely held view. I had always formed the impression that Lee was a very skilled commander, but Hattaway does not hold him in very high regard.

A lot of the military history of the war that I’ve read comes from Marx and Engels, who took an approach based on their view that the political aims shape the military strategy. They of course favored the U.S. side, but were extremely critical of McClellan and (perhaps too uncritically) favorable to Grant and (to a lesser extent) Sherman.

If you like military history one book which I particularly liked was “Be Your Own Napoleon” by William Seymour. The author describes the situation of a given commander in a given battle (Napoleon at Waterloo) for example, gives a range of options for the reader as commander, and then describes how the actual commander handled it and how that worked out, as well as his opinion about alternative courses. One of the enduring impressions I got from that book was that Thomas Gage (British commander during the American Revolution) was an exceptionally poor strategist.

My focus is a little narrower, particularly specific battles and campaigns.