random books

[pigfarmer]

Not academic or particularly enriching but clever and entertaining. Multiverse 'what if' stuff

For the Civil War junkies - and I know we have at least a couple here on AE :

The series later devolves into 'war porn' and I lost interest but the idea was cool and the first book or two decently engaging. Something like the 20th Maine and a companion New York light artillery regiment board a transport and wind up .... elsewhere.

I really liked Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series and have found these to still the withdrawal shakes until the next installment comes out next summer. TA contributes a Destroyermen related short story to the second book.

 

[Standingstones]

Fellow Pennsylvanian Lon Strickler writes of alien experiences and follows up with what he believes is truly going on.

 

[coubob]

http://avalonlibrary.net/Nikola_Tesla/Books/Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion.pdf

 

[nivek]

Monsters and Strange Creatures of Alaska – Reviewed

Available right now is the new book from David Weatherly (the author of many previous books, including Black Eyed Children and Strange Intruders). Its title:Monsters of the Last Frontier: Cryptids & Legends of Alaska. David has given himself the daunting job of writing stand-alone books on the strange creatures of each and every U.S. state! And, I have to say he is doing a very good job. Previous books in this series cover Arizona and Nevada. As for the Alaska-based book, well, if you are a big fan of Cryptozoology, you won’t want to miss this book that runs to 228 pages. It has a cool cover from ace-artist Sam Shearon, and an excellent foreword from Ken Gerhard (of The Essential Guide to Bigfoot and Encounters With Flying Humanoids, among others). This is a book that addresses some of the more well-known mysterious beasts that have been seen in Alaska – and also a wealth of far lesser known creatures. I’ll begin with my favorite chapter. Its title: “Living Mammoths.” This is a subject that I am particularly interested in, and that I have written about on several occasions.

David begins with a good, solid background on the history of the mammoth. And then we get into reports of mammoths living up to fairly recent times. As David notes: “Tales from the 1800s claimed the animals were so well preserved that the meat was sliced off and fed to sled dog teams. But beyond the frozen specimens, there were accounts from native Alaskans about the massive creatures roaming the vast tundra alive and well. In 1891, David says: “…native residents of the Yukon Territory reported seeing mammoths in the upper Stikine River area. The Copper River people of Interior Alaska described encounters with ‘huge, woolly beasts with horns like the trunks of birch trees,’ and said that in the winter, ‘puffs of steam issued from their nostrils like the escape pipe of a steamboat.'” To be sure, that would have been an amazing sight!

Now, let’s take a look what David has to say in the section of the book titled “A Watery Land.” As you can imagine, this is very much focused on the likes of Alaskan lake monsters. Cousins to Nessie, we might say. Lake Iliamna has a longstanding history of having monsters of the deep in its midst. Interestingly, reports of this particularly violent creature date back centuries, as David shows: “First Nations people in the region have long told tales of Lake Iliamna’s strange beast, a massive creature that would attack men. Small boats and kayaks were said to be especially vulnerable to the thing that dwelled in the water’s depths.” As for what the monsters might be, we have these words from David: “Locally, the monster has become known as ‘Illie,’ though opinions vary as to what the creature actually is. Some think it’s just a giant fish, others believe it’s something more unusual, a survivor from a prehistoric age, or a still-undiscovered aquatic species.” David also talks about huge fish having been seen in other Alaskan lakes. Some may have been sturgeon – that can grow to impressive sizes. Maybe, sharks may be the culprits, as intriguing as it sounds.

The legendary Thunderbirds of Native American lore are covered to a very good degree. David discusses the relationship between the Thunderbirds and the Alaskan First Nations. There are stories of these huge flying monsterscarrying away reindeer. Even unlucky people. If you thought that accounts of the Thunderbirds are long gone, that’s far from being the case: David shares with us some fascinating cases from the 1970s. I’ll share one case with you: “According to Alaska Magazine, there were reports of giant birds from towns near Kotzebue Sound in 1970 and 1972. The giants reportedly lived on nearby mountains. Mrs. Evelyn Barr of Noorvik, reported spotting a bird that looked bigger than a Twin Otter airplane. The Otter Floatplane De Haviland has a wingspan of 58 feet (17.7m). Mrs. Barr and her husband thought it was hunting caribou.”

Certainly, one of the most fascinating of all the accounts is that concerning the Otter Men, as they are known. Or, the Land Otter Men and the Kushtaka. Although some believe the Otter Men to be Bigfoot creatures, Native Alaskan tribes vehemently deny this. Interestingly, they seem to not be just flesh-and-blood animals of the type we understand. Rather, they are said to have supernatural abilities. These six-to-eight-feet-tall creatures resemble otters but, as their height shows, they are not normal otters. There’s also the claim that they walk and run on two legs, rather than four. They seem to have shape-shifting qualities, and are said to cause “storms, avalanches, disease and famine.”

Of course, Bigfoot features prominently in Monsters of the Last Frontier. As do mysterious large cats that have no business being in Alaska, marauding, huge canine animals, and strange “wild men” that seem to be primitive humans, rather than Bigfoot and that are seen wearing ragged clothes. There’s much more to David’s new book and I definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in the mysterious creatures of Alaska. Excellent and entertaining reading!

.

 

[pigfarmer]

This has my attention. Not heavy reading, just a little mental bubble gum.



It reminds me a little of Heinlein. There are parts you just have to breeze through. Interesting idea though. Always like the 'go back and fix it' time travel stories although when you really start to think abut that you realize that the best thing to fix would be to not invent time travel in the first place.

 

[pigfarmer]

This has my attention. Not heavy reading, just a little mental bubble gum.



It reminds me a little of Heinlein. There are parts you just have to breeze through. Interesting idea though. Always like the 'go back and fix it' time travel stories although when you really start to think abut that you realize that the best thing to fix would be to not invent time travel in the first place.

Got into book 2 and am forced to take this back. Good idea, the man can write reasonably well but the overwhelming majority of both books so far has been super rich time travelers buying stuff and benefiting from it later. Thought maybe it was going somewhere and I guess not. Boredom switched to annoyance which switched me to a different book.

Next contestant please.

 

[nivek]

I started re-reading The Holographic Universe again, it's been many years ago I read that one...

 

[Standingstones]

I began reading this book with my stay in the hospital. I thought I knew about the history of remote viewing but I knew very little. I am nearly finished with the book and it is worth reading for anyone interested in the subject.

 

[nivek]

“Sinister Swamps” – A New Book Reviewed
By Nick Redfern

Sinister Swamps: Monsters and Mysteries from the Mire is the new book from creature-seeker Lyle Blackburn. As those who have read Lyle’s previous books will know, he predominantly focuses his research on the Bigfoot enigma and various other mysterious, similar, hair-covered creatures. His books include The Beast of Boggy Creek, Beyond Boggy Creek, Momo, Lizard Man and Monstro Bizarro. And, when Lyle isn’t chasing monsters, he has his band, Ghoultown, to keep him busy. All of which brings me to Lyle’s latest release, the aforementioned Sinister Swamps. This is an excellent addition to Lyle’s previous books. And there’s something else, too. Sinister Swamps is notable because to a certain degree Lyle doesn’t just focus on the field of Cryptozoology. In other words, you get much more to learn and think about. And all of a weird nature – of course! If there is one thing you can say about swamps it’s that they’re creepy. There’s just something strange about them. And, Lyle clearly recognizes this: not only does he share his accounts with his readers; he also gives us a good, solid description of all the many and various U.S. swamps that he and his research partner, Cindy Lee, investigate. With that said, let’s take a look at the cases under the microscope.



Lyle begins with Hockomock Swamp, Massachusetts. What makes this particular swamp notable is the fact that – as our author reveals – multiple strange beasts have been encountered in Hockomock. Take, for example, the 2016 encounter of a local police-officer who encountered, on a foggy night, a huge, dog-like animal. Except it was no normal dog, that was for sure. It was very much hyena-like, but way bigger. “Huge” would be a good word to use. Officer Hadley suggested that had the creature stood upright, it would have been around seven-feet in height. We learn of other such reports in Hockomock. And of Bigfoot, strange bear-like animals, and massive birds – one of which was described by the witness as looking “prehistoric.” Most fascinating – and sinister – are the tales and legends of the Pukwudgie, a race of goblin-like beings that call Hockomock their home. Like the “little people” of the U.K. the Puckwudgie could be friendly, helpful, mischievous and downright dangerous. Moving on, there’s the matter of the Great Dismal, one of the biggest swamps in the United States. A distinctly appropriate name for a mysterious – and mystery-filled – swamp, it covers around 750 miles. Lyle investigates stories told by the Algonquian tribes, who had traditions of a “great fire bird.” To some degree, it comes across not unlike the legendary Thunderbird. Tales of ghosts, the Devil himself, and a beast that became known (in 1902) as the “Dismal Swamp Monster” can be found. Bigfoot/Skunk Ape-type creatures are spoken about in the Great Dismal, too. There’s also the spectral woman of the Lake Drummond Hotel.

Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp is addressed deeply by Lyle. That’s not surprising, as in 1963 a large, hair-covered hominid was seen – something that was prominently highlighted in 1978 in an episode of the popular TV show, In Search of… The massive swamp continued to be a location for sightings of such beasts – and it still is. Mysterious cats – popularly known in the field of Cryptozoology as “Alien Big Cats” – have also been seen in the swamp and its surroundings. Now, let’s move onto the Okefenokee Swamp. As Lyle notes: “On the whole, the Okefenokee is part of the Southeastern Conifer Forests ecoregion. Specifically, it’s classified as a southern coastal plain nonriverine basin swamp and is the largest black water swamp in North America.” The “Man Mountain” is the area’s equivalent of Bigfoot. Tales of lost villages are told. As are reports of mysterious, floating balls of light known as “spook lights.” Most fascinating of all – for me, at least – is the connection to Flight 19. If you don’t know the story, it goes like this: on December 5, 1945 five U.S. Navy torpedo planes vanished, never to be seen again. And that goes for the crews, too. Theories for the mystery include (a) kidnappings by aliens and (b) portals into different times or dimensions. Lyle, however, provides a fascinating body of data that suggests Flight 19 may have come down in the Okefenokee Swamp and swallowed up. This is a very intriguing portion of the book and one not to be missed.

Add to that the ghosts and monsters of Texas’ Ottine Swamp, the Altamaha and its mysterious water-based beasts, and the Everglades (which have also been suggested as the last, fatal site of Flight 19 – as Lyle also shows) and their famous mysterious Skunk Ape. And it doesn’t end there. We also learn about Florida’s Tate’s Hell, what Lyle calls the Caddo Triangle, Hannah’s Creek Swamp in North Carolina, and more. Plus, there’s a wealth of photos, maps, extensive endnotes and a good index. So, what you have is a great, extensive study of the United States’ mysterious swamps and the strange and sinister things that lurk within them.

.

 

[Kchoo]

Just finished reading H.P. Loveland, 'At the Mountains of Madness'

At the Mountains of Madness is a science fiction-horror novella by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in February/March 1931

Pretty good... although a tad wordy in its depictions of scenery. Might be a good thing, but He can write in three paragraphs what I would describe in one.

 

[nivek]

Sundials - Their theory and construction
By Albert E. Waugh

Recommended to me by @spacecase0 so I bought a used copy on Amazon for 6 dollars and started reading through it last night...Very interesting stuff, going to build a portable sundial to take to the mountains with me when camping...

 

[wwkirk]

Is the Exodus story described in the Bible true history, a myth, or something in between? Richard Elliott Friedman (someone I worked for briefly as a teaching assistant once upon a time), famous for Who Wrote the Bible? (1987), has tackled this question in a 2017 book, The Exodus. It is fairly trim: 304 pages; under 6 hours as an audiobook. Although he is an acclaimed academic, his style is very accessible, even conversational.

Friedman's answer, in the briefest possible formulation, is Yes, but not how you think. I actually recommending reading or listening to the book if you are interested in the topic. In case you don't want to, or in case you like being spoiled, the following blogger has summarized Friedman's conclusions in concise detail.

Friedman, "The Exodus" (reviewed by Gary McCary) - Dawning of a Brighter Day

Spoiler: Friedman's Conclusions

And so Friedman draws these conclusions: (1) there was an exodus event, but only of Levites; (2) the Levites were of Egyptian origin, and were perhaps a small group of laborers, perhaps even slaves; (3) the Levites did not spend 40 years in the desert and they were not large in number; (4) these Levites ended up in Midian, a place where the Shasu lived (who called their god Yahu), and possibly adopted that god as their own and later called him Yahweh; (5) the Levites eventually ended up in Canaanite lands, and joined with the resident “Israelites,” who worshiped the god El. The Levites, in a compromise move, eventually merged El with Yahweh, and for this compromise, they accepted tithes from the people; (6) this merger of peoples resulted in the beginning stages of what would eventually be known as “monotheism.”

 

[Kchoo]

Just finished reading Michael Chrichton's 'Sphere'

I liked it better than the movie.

 

[wwkirk]

Reading (actually listening to) John Toland's biography of Hitler.

It brings forward the extent to which Hitler was enabled, supported, and financed early on by the German military, who assumed they could control him. They literally ordered him to join and help build the predecessor of the Nazi party which, at the time, was going nowhere.

It was illegal for members of the new army to join political parties but “to please Ludendorff, whose wishes were still respected in the army, I ordered Hitler to join the Workers’ Party and help foster its growth. He was allowed at first the equivalent of twenty gold marks in the current inflation money weekly for this purpose.”

 

[pigfarmer]

Haven't opened this one since I was a kid. Been sitting there on the same shelf for years and I decided to .... carefully ... crack open that fragile old paperback. Just reading a paperback brings me back - don't really do that anymore.

Good book - you can see the genesis of the Borg in there, maybe Terminator too. As I remember this became a series that devolved but it's a quick easy read and enjoyable

 

[Standingstones]

The year was 1966. Our family was visiting my aunt’s house. My closest cousin produced this book he said he was reading. One look at the cover and I was hooked. It was the “Fellowship of the Ring” by J.R.R. Tolkien. I had no idea what this book was all about but I had to get it. I wasn’t disappointed. I have lost count of how many times I have read these three novels. Art by Barbara Remington.

 

[wwkirk]

I just purchased (ordered online) two books by P.D. Ouspensky. They are The Fourth Way and In Search of the Miraculous. I have read portions of each already, but intend to read them cover to cover this time.

Btw, Better World Books is a good place to find bargains for physical books. It is easiest when you know exactly the title you are seeking. Alternatively, you can enter your search terms and then scroll through the pages. The search results cannot be ordered in any serious way, but I guess it's the virtual counterpart of roaming through a used books store.

 

[pigfarmer]

Short story. Fred Saberhagen's Berserker series involves sentient doomsday machines created for a conflict that predates Man. Their builders are long extinct but the machine continue on. They exist to terminate all Life in any form it's found. Sound familiar?

This is probably my favorite. Quick read, found it online for free. Was just easier to read as a pdf so here you go

 

[nivek]

I just purchased (ordered online) two books by P.D. Ouspensky. They are The Fourth Way and In Search of the Miraculous. I have read portions of each already, but intend to read them cover to cover this time.

Btw, Better World Books is a good place to find bargains for physical books. It is easiest when you know exactly the title you are seeking. Alternatively, you can enter your search terms and then scroll through the pages. The search results cannot be ordered in any serious way, but I guess it's the virtual counterpart of roaming through a used books store.

Those are good books containing many hidden tools of knowledge, especially the latter mentioned book, In Search of the Miraculous...

...

 

[nivek]