What book are you reading these days?

[shakti5385]

The Success Of Robert

[hairball]

What ISBN?

[mendhak]

The Horse and his Boy - C.S. Lewis

[shakti5385]

What ISBN?

Mendhak Know

[Valleysboy1978]

The Horse and his Boy - C.S. Lewis

After you've finished the Narnia Chronicles check these out:

Magician - Raymond. E. Feist
The Belgariad (5 books in total) - David Eddings
The Rigante (4 books in total) - David Gemmell

Actually, most books by David Gemmell are worth checking out

[mendhak]

After you've finished the Narnia Chronicles check these out:

Magician - Raymond. E. Feist
The Belgariad (5 books in total) - David Eddings
The Rigante (4 books in total) - David Gemmell

Actually, most books by David Gemmell are worth checking out

Are these fantasy series books similar to Chronicles of Narnia?

[Valleysboy1978]

No, they are far better

[davebat]

After you've finished the Narnia Chronicles check these out:


Actually, most books by David Gemmell are worth checking out

Of all his books hes only written about 2 or 3 real stinkers

[disruptivehair]

History? Well I remember having the choice of History or Geography at GCSE level so that would be at about 14. Nothing wrong with that. Besides I was really annoyed that the only history that was taught was the British Monarchy and WW2. I would have much preferred to learn ancient history such as egyptology

When I was in school in Texas...from 1980 to 1993...we took a course called 'social studies' starting in the fourth grade (age 9-10) lasting through to sixth grade (age 11-12). Social studies taught US history, US government, citizenship, and world history. In seventh grade we took a year of Texas history, and in eighth-ninth grade we had the two-year US history course. Tenth grade was US government and macro/microeconomics, and eleventh grade was world history, from the ancient world all the way to the modern world...basically everything outside of America. This included geography. By twelfth grade most students did not take a history course, and the only one offered at my school beyond world history was European history, so that's what I took. I also took art history.

I simply can't believe that they don't REQUIRE British pupils to study the history of their own country. God knows they boast about the length and breadth of it enough...at least to me...so you'd think they'd be more anxious to teach it. Apparently not!

[FishGuy]

Last of the Amazons (Paperback)
by Steven Pressfield (Author)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Amazons...e=UTF8&s=books

[FunkyDexter]

I simply can't believe that they don't REQUIRE British pupils to study the history of their own country

I think it's still obligatory up to 14 and we do tend to concentrate on our own (though whether that's a good thing is debatable). The trouble is that history is such a HUGE subject that teaching it to 16 wouldn't really make a great deal of difference. I don't think schools will ever be able to properly teach History but might just be able to teach a love of it - after that it's down to the individual.

The Big Book of DIY has so far enabled me to tile my kitchen and bathroom (wall and floors - slate in the kitchen ), fit my own kitchen and do the skirting in the newly plastered bedroom. I'm starting to get brave and I might have a go at that leaky gutter soon instead of forking out for a roofer.

[FishGuy]

British schools taught British history in my day. We had to learn all about the Roman invasions and what the Romans brought to us. Then about the Battle of Hastings and the Normans follow the monarchy timeline up to present day including stuff like the Spanish Armarda, Anne Bowlynne, Catholics v Church and the fight between Monarchy and Parlament, the Plague, First and Second world wars.

All sorts. Infact History lessons at my schools only really covered English History. The term "Require" was definately ther because we had no choice and it was part of the curriculum.

However times have changed since then and perhaps they don't anymore. Shame because I love history.

[disruptivehair]

British schools taught British history in my day. We had to learn all about the Roman invasions and what the Romans brought to us. Then about the Battle of Hastings and the Normans follow the monarchy timeline up to present day including stuff like the Spanish Armarda, Anne Bowlynne, Catholics v Church and the fight between Monarchy and Parlament, the Plague, First and Second world wars.

All sorts. Infact History lessons at my schools only really covered English History. The term "Require" was definately ther because we had no choice and it was part of the curriculum.

However times have changed since then and perhaps they don't anymore. Shame because I love history.

It does seem that my older colleagues know more about their own history than I do about my own, and the younger ones (under 25) often don't know anything about anything. I think this is pretty strong evidence for a loosening of standards! It also seems that the older ones can spell and do arithmetic and the younger ones can't. Then again, some of the younger ones we get left school at 16 with few GCSEs and the ones they had were in Mickey Mouse subjects...so it's probably not a wholly representative sample.

[mendhak]

Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis

[Valleysboy1978]

It does seem that my older colleagues know more about their own history than I do about my own, and the younger ones (under 25) often don't know anything about anything. I think this is pretty strong evidence for a loosening of standards! It also seems that the older ones can spell and do arithmetic and the younger ones can't. Then again, some of the younger ones we get left school at 16 with few GCSEs and the ones they had were in Mickey Mouse subjects...so it's probably not a wholly representative sample.

Very true. Standards have been slipping for a long time because they concentrate more on results now, so the teachers only teach students how to pass the exam.

I can understand they can't teach everything about British/European history because it is far too much (well over 3 thousand years) but I would have liked to learn history of other nations too e.g. U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, China, India, Africa etc...

[penagate]

There's not much to Australian history. First, a bunch of British convicts took out a bunch of Aborigines, then some Asian folk dug up some gold; a couple hundred years, a few new detention centres, immigration policies, and a lost prime minister later, and we're here.

[disruptivehair]

There's not much to Australian history. First, a bunch of British convicts took out a bunch of Aborigines, then some Asian folk dug up some gold; a couple hundred years, a few new detention centres, immigration policies, and a lost prime minister later, and we're here.

That was weird...the PM went for a swim on the beach and was never seen again. What's weirder is most of us have no idea it happened! I only found out about it by reading that Bill Bryson book about Australia, 'Down Under'.

[Valleysboy1978]

missing prime minister?

[penagate]

Harold Holt.

[mendhak]

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

[kxcntry99]

The Bourne Ultimatum -- great story so far

[mendhak]

The Silver Chair last week and now on The Last Battle in the Narnia series.

Almost done.

[hairball]

A Series of Unfortunate Events Book 13

[oceanebelle]

A Series of Unfortunate Events Book 13

I remembered you mentioning ASOUE Bk 12, that was.... ages ago.

[hairball]

SUE I was busy for months... and I just got book 13 when my father came back.

DECEPTION POINT... the end.

[mendhak]

After several recommendations and careful deliberation on my part, I went for "A Short history of Tractors in Ukrainian"

[BodwadUK]

I went for the second book "A short history of Trailers in Ukrainian", great follow on

[disruptivehair]

After several recommendations and careful deliberation on my part, I went for "A Short history of Tractors in Ukrainian"

Is that any good?

[Valleysboy1978]

Currently reading: The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings.
Not bad.
I have to say though, David Eddings' earlier work (Belgariad and Mallorean) were exceptional but since his wife Leigh started to interfere they have deteriorated. Don't really read any more of his books now

[abhijit]

I started "Surely you are joking Mr Feynman". It is full of anecdotes.

[Valleysboy1978]

Now started: White Wolf by David Gemmell

[mendhak]

Is that any good?

It's good if you're looking for some light reading, the plot isn't too intense.

[mendhak]

The Wheel of Time Book 1 - Eye of the World (Finished last week on vacation)
The Wheel of Time Book 2 - The Great Hunt

[DomoCobra]

I am reading
The wheel of time book 6 - Lord of Chaos
It gets much more addicting and better as you read each book and there are some very good twists

[mendhak]

I am reading
The wheel of time book 6 - Lord of Chaos
It gets much more addicting and better as you read each book and there are some very good twists

That's very good to know. Book 2 started off a little slow, by 'reintroducing' some characters, but it got much better as I went on.

[DomoCobra]

The sad thing is the last book in the series Book 12 wont be released till 2009
and that is even if the author, Robert Jordon does does not pass away as he has an incurable fatal disease of the heart before completeting it

[oceanebelle]

A for Andromeda

[mendhak]

The sad thing is the last book in the series Book 12 wont be released till 2009
and that is even if the author, Robert Jordon does does not pass away as he has an incurable fatal disease of the heart before completeting it

He did mention that his wife will be finishing it in case he dies. Which is OK considering that she helped him with a lot of the writing in the first 11 books. And he's said it'll definitely be the last book even if it's 2000 pages long.

[Revalk]

I'm currently on the 3rd book, Xenocide, in the Ender's Game series, by Orson Scott Card. It's Sci-Fi, which I don't normally read a whole lot, but it's very good.

[Revalk]

And yeah, I've read the whole Robert Jordan series up to this point. Probably my favourite series.