Midwestern Urban Fiction: What are the great novels that exemplify or characterize (as opposed to "are set in") any of the industrialized cities of the U.S. Midwest (St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, the Twin Cities, etc.)?
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posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj
on Nov 3, 2010 -
25 answers
What is News? I'm looking for any books, blogs, essays, articles, etc. that relate to any intelligent definitions of news or how people believe the news in 50 years will work. I'm not interested in evaluations of bias, the demise of mainstream media, or inane ramblings about Web 2.0.
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posted by sshelato
on Nov 1, 2010 -
1 answer
My wife and I love to read books in bed, just before going to sleep. I usually use my iPhone 4 Kindle app. Lately, however, the biomechanics of semi sitting up in bed have been taking there toll on my already somewhat debilitated spine (mild degeneration). I would like to be able to lie flat and read by staring straight up (or at least give this a try). Unless you've tried it, you may not know that simply holding the device or book overhead with your arms simply doesn't work. Some kind of holder is needed. I am looking for anyone's suggestions on what might work, perhaps those who are, or know someone who is, quadriplegic, or otherwise disabled might have some good ideas.I'm not so much looking for something I could kludge together, but more interested in something that is already available; I'm not firm on this, however.
All suggestions are welcome, though!
posted by Rad_Boy
on Oct 27, 2010 -
13 answers
I'm interested in the intersection of corporations and government. I come from a legal background What area of study would you class this as, and what reading could you give me? Bonus points for UK-specific, but US and global are fine as well.
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posted by djgh
on Oct 26, 2010 -
2 answers
What books have helped you succeed and grow professionally? Although recommendations like
Getting Things Done or
How To Win Friends And Influence People would be great, I would also like to hear about fiction or non-business books that you have read that have positively impacted your career. I am familiar with this
thread about particular fields. I am more interested in books that have helped you generally in your career, regarding topics as diverse as work ethic, courage, communication, organization, leadership, relationships, work-life balance, etc. If the
Men's Style Manual has impacted your career, bring it on!
posted by jasondigitized
on Oct 22, 2010 -
28 answers
Your best recommendations for well-researched, well-argued books addressing issues of poverty, sentencing, crime and drug policy in the U.S. in the last ten years? Mass market or academic press are fine.
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posted by crush-onastick
on Oct 18, 2010 -
11 answers
'70s microfilm technology filter - what do (did) you call a gadget for testing or enhancing reading ability by having a student look through a viewer and read one line at a time?
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posted by randomkeystrike
on Oct 15, 2010 -
8 answers
What's the best / easiest way to process / format material I've downloaded or copied from the web to read on Apple's Books app? On a Kindle? If I format for the Kindle, would the material be synced on both devices if I use the Kindle iPhone app as my reader? I've been using Calibre to rip ePubs, but there has to be an easier way than what I'm doing, which takes forever.
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posted by Admiral Haddock
on Oct 12, 2010 -
15 answers
What are good resources for magazine/journal literacy, maps of the terrain of the periodical world?
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posted by RogerB
on Oct 7, 2010 -
3 answers
I'm in what's supposed to be an immersive German language program, but my Internets are in English. Help me fix that!
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posted by coppermoss
on Sep 29, 2010 -
12 answers
I need 144 (or maybe 36) different bad puns, "witty" sayings, and short jokes (plus accompanying pictures) about reading and books. Can you help me?
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posted by Mizu
on Sep 28, 2010 -
30 answers
What are some famous and/or culturally influential books that are not hard to dive into?
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posted by mtphoto
on Sep 24, 2010 -
51 answers
Teachers and other folks who work in the field of education: Where can I find out what’s currently popular/important in middle-school and high-school education? I’m looking for professional resources, trends, current education gurus—the kinds of things I’d find at Heinemann or at conventions like NCTE or IRA, but I’ve already been on the Heinemann site, and I can’t make it to conventions this year.
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posted by TEA
on Sep 20, 2010 -
6 answers
I've just started reading
2666...in Spanish. I'm proficient at reading Spanish, but I'm missing a lot of vocabulary, so the process is taking forever. How can I make it go faster?
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posted by invitapriore
on Sep 18, 2010 -
5 answers
I miss the Common Reader catalog. Have you missed it too, and do you know where to find a list of what was in the inventory?
posted by msamye
on Sep 16, 2010 -
4 answers
I want to read pdfs on my iphone, but unless the pdf was created with larger than normal text, it's generally too small to read. They don't use the available space efficiently and there is often large margins that could have been used to enlarge the font.
Here are some
shots of what I'm talking about. I've read that epub is the format I am looking for but haven't been able to find my pdfs as epubs (the books I get are mostly textbooks or from small authors that sell their books on their own sites (like Smashing Magazine), not through e\retailers who may have multiple formats), and converting via online services or desktop apps like Calibre have not been successful, especially for large documents...
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posted by dozo
on Sep 14, 2010 -
5 answers
My almost-8-year-old daughter is a strong reader at the word/sentence level, tested to have reading comprehension of a 12-year-old and with great recall of material she's read, but I can't get her into chapter books. Fundamentally, I think she's intimidated by all that unbroken text, and her attention falters. So what are some kids' books that require chapter-book levels of reading & comprehension but have illustrations on essentially every page?
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posted by blueshammer
on Sep 14, 2010 -
51 answers
Help me identify this book from my childhood, please. It's set in a fictional (?) city with a canal system.
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posted by joyeuxamelie
on Sep 13, 2010 -
2 answers
I envy people who can read in cars, buses and subway trains without getting nauseous. Why is it that some people can do this, while others can't? How can I be more like them?
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posted by iamkimiam
on Aug 15, 2010 -
23 answers
How should I prepare myself to read
The Recognitions by William Gaddis? Should I just dive right in? Any tips or advice that will help me get through all 956 pages?
posted by Houyhnhnm
on Aug 11, 2010 -
6 answers
I don't read much anymore, and I don't like it. I used to read a lot (roughly a book a week), but my reading for pleasure has dropped at least 75% in the last dozen years. What have I replaced it with? Video games (large and small) and the internet; both of which give me fizzy short-term satisfaction, but with far less long term. Help me get my respectable hobby back.
posted by rtimmel
on Aug 3, 2010 -
42 answers
I'm trying to make a list of epics that kill most people in college Lit - the really great ones that for many people are impossible to get through, but can be so worthwhile if they do. Here's a rough list so far:
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posted by soulbarn
on Jul 28, 2010 -
65 answers
Yet another reading recommendation request. Fellow literature nerds, help me out here. Specific requirements inside.
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posted by Lobster Garden
on Jul 26, 2010 -
45 answers
I previously asked a question
here asking for book recommendations for a Murakami fan, and got an incredibly rich response. Thanks, hive mind! There's just one problem: I ran that list into the ground, and I need some fresh reading. Fortunately, I can now provide much more guidance towards recommendations!
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posted by DoubleMark
on Jul 25, 2010 -
29 answers
Another request for book recommendations. My snowflakeness? After years of not having a huge reading appetite, I think I understand that I really dig
postmodern writing.
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posted by fontophilic
on Jul 22, 2010 -
42 answers
If, like me, you bookmark or clip huge numbers of interesting articles "to read later", what are your systems or processes for actually getting around to reading them? How do you manage your "to read" pile?
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posted by game warden to the events rhino
on Jul 18, 2010 -
30 answers
My wife has stopped reading for pleasure. I'm a writer. This is really starting to bother me.
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 15, 2010 -
91 answers
Just read John Burdett's
Godfather of Kathmandu and want more, more, more. So much detail inside.
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posted by griphus
on Jul 14, 2010 -
4 answers
What are some interesting pop-psychology or pop-sociology books that I could read this summer?
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posted by kylej
on Jul 6, 2010 -
21 answers
