# Books you've read because of the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025 "2003-12-04T21:14:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/41 "2003-12-05T17:16:24Z")
I was sent **Master and Commander** in a book swap by Yersinia. Last summer twickster sent me **Why Elephants have big ears** & **Grooming Gossip and the Evolution of Language** neither one of which I had ever seen but enjoyed a great deal. I am currently halfway through **Lullaby** by Chuck Palahniuck. He is one weird dude! ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/42 "2003-12-05T18:57:55Z")
A few come to mind - the ubiquitous GG&S, _The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay_, _A Prayer for Owen Meany_ … Here’s a sampling of my SDMB-inspired To Read list: Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder Longitude: The Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel Food in History - Reay Tannahill Moo – Jane Smiley (academic satire) The age of spiritual machines : when computers exceed human intelligence – Kurzweil, Ray The secret life of dust : from the cosmos to the kitchen counter, the big consequences of little things – Holmes, Hannah I Want That! How we all became shoppers by Thomas Hine. The policy – Bentley Little (“a monstrous supernatural entity posing as an insurance company”) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/43 "2003-12-05T19:36:07Z")
Zelazny’s Amber Chronicles. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/44 "2003-12-05T19:41:54Z")
I read Eve’s work because of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/45 "2003-12-05T19:43:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elfkin477 \* > I also read **Good Omens** because people said it was really funny. And it was. When it wasn’t deadly boring. Funny, the only boring part of **Good Omens** I can recall was the inside back cover… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/46 "2003-12-05T20:02:55Z")
I just started to read **Bad Astronomy** , and am really enjoying it. After that I have a book of American Indian legends and myths, but then I’m going to read **The Elegant Universe**. Wouldn’t know about the first or the third ones without SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/47 "2003-12-05T21:17:12Z")
Almost all of my recommendations come from the SDMB; I have already read about 25% of the stuff in this thread. Another 25% is in my “to read” piles. So I’ll mention one I found here that I don’t think has been brought up yet, _A Simple Plan_ by Scott Smith. I don’t remember who recommended it but I enjoyed the hell out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/48 "2003-12-05T21:45:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HolyCow \* > \*\*The series is called **A Song Of Ice And Fire**. I love this series! I am dying, waiting for **A Feast For Crows** to come out. \*\* You know what’s sad? I actually took the book down, opened the front cover to read the title of the series, and then wrote down what I originally thought it was. :smack: BTW, the first book is (reading off cover) **A Game of Thrones**. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/49 "2003-12-06T00:08:04Z")
Good Omens Guns, Germs & Steel The Years of Rice & Salt The Straight Dope series and probably 50% of my wish list is made up of stuff I’ve heard about from here. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/50 "2003-12-06T00:15:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AuntiePam \* > \*\*Ancient Lights by Davis Grubb – I think Ike recommended it, but I don’t remember for sure. > > There have been others but that one stands out. \*\* Nope, that was me. But I can now count my life complete that I’ve gotten one other person to read it. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/51 "2003-12-06T00:55:57Z")
Count me in as another reader of _Guns, Germs, and Steel_ thanks to the Dope. I can’t remember if it was here or at Fathom that someone recommended Diamond’s other book _The Third Chimpanzee_, but it was probably a Doper. I liked that even better. I’d lend you my copy, but **Eonwe** has it right now, I think. Maybe **Good Omens** , too, I can’t remember who recommended it to me now. I have read a whole lot of the books mentioned in this thread, but I think it’s a coincidence. I think at least a couple books mentioned are from my recommendations! That’s pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/52 "2003-12-06T01:40:38Z")
Guns, Germs & Steel and Terry Jones’ book about the Crusades. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/53 "2003-12-06T01:57:47Z")
Long ago, someone whose opinion I respect (but who I cannot remember now) recommended the police novels by **Dan Mahoney** which I have now read and enjoyed (mostly). Based upon SDMB opinions I also asked for and received for Christmas last year the first three Lemony Snicket books, but have not been able to get into them. Maybe I just don’t have the right frame of mind or am expecting something different. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/54 "2003-12-06T02:47:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Funny, the only boring part of **Good Omens** I can recall was the inside back cover… 😉 \*\* Perhaps you read an abridged version. Or oh, maybe a version that Pratchett wrote himself. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/55 "2003-12-06T03:34:31Z")
Several Dopers said that **Perfume** was the creepiest book they had read. Now I know why. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/56 "2003-12-06T17:07:02Z")
Almost forgot, I’d heard of **Goedel, Escher, Bach** long before coming here, but never sat down to read it until a number of Dopers listed it as an ‘essential book’. Glad I took their advice. ---
**Author:** ![toque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9e8a1a/32.png) [@toque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toque)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/57 "2003-12-06T17:56:14Z")
**The Florence King Reader** , which I love. Shout out to **Fionne**. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/58 "2003-12-06T20:30:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\*Nope, that was me. But I can now count my life complete that I’ve gotten one other person to read it. \*\* Sorry, Euty – and not just me, I’ve enticed others as well. Not quite a landslide yet, but at least a trickle. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/59 "2003-12-06T22:47:46Z")
Another one for **A Confederacy of Dunces**. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/60 "2003-12-08T00:45:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\*Nope, that was me. But I can now count my life complete that I’ve gotten one other person to read it. \*\* You can make that two, assuming I ever track down a copy for myself. The SDMB has turned me onto _A Prayer for Owen Meaney_ (a book so good I’ll even forgive the SDMB for recommending Spider Robinson). Also, _Invisible Cities_ (Italo Calvino), _Good Omens_, _Notable American Women_ (Ben Marcus), _A Confederacy of Dunces_, and _Red Harvest_ (Dashiel Hammet). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025.md?page=4)