# Did you get any good books for Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804 "2009-12-28T15:54:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/21 "2009-12-29T00:37:05Z")
[Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language](http://www.amazon.com/Origins-Specious-Misconceptions-English-Language/dp/1400066603/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262046677&sr=1-1) _by Patricia T. O’Conner_ and _Stewart Kellerman_. So far a very good read. [Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age](http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Self-Destruction-Spectacular-Industry-Digital/dp/B002BWQ4SC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262046878&sr=1-1) by _Steve Knopper_. I haven’t read it yet, but from listening to an interview with the author it seems like it will be a good read. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/22 "2009-12-29T00:46:15Z")
My one and only gift (I asked to not get any) was Andre Agassi’s autobiography _Open_. I loved it. One of the most interesting sports bios I have read. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/23 "2009-12-29T00:49:28Z")
**_The Conquest of New Spain_, by Bernal Diaz del Castillo**. From Amazon: “Vivid, powerful and absorbing, this is a first-person account of one of the most startling military episodes in history: the overthrow of Montezuma’s doomed Aztec Empire by the ruthless Hernan Cortes and his band of adventurers. Bernal Diaz del Castillo, himself a soldier under Cortes, presents a fascinatingly detailed description of the Spanish landing in Mexico in 1520 and their amazement at the city, the exploitation of the natives for gold and other treasures, the expulsion and flight of the Spaniards, their regrouping and eventual capture of the Aztec capital.” And all five seasons of _The Wire_. Which is only $89 on Amazon, if that tickles your fancy. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/24 "2009-12-29T01:00:44Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > And all five seasons of _The Wire_. Which is only $89 on Amazon, if that tickles your fancy. Are you watching for the first time? If so, I envy you. Not to mention the bargain. There’s a _Wire_ book too. Not quite a companion book but sorta. It’s worth getting. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/25 "2009-12-29T01:09:57Z")
I got The Complete Far Side Collection. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/26 "2009-12-29T01:11:00Z")
I got Richard Dawkins’s _The Greatest Show on Earth_. And lots of chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/27 "2009-12-29T02:59:59Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Are you watching for the first time? If so, I envy you. Not to mention the bargain. There’s a _Wire_ book too. Not quite a companion book but sorta. It’s worth getting. We are watching for the second time. I figure if we’re going to go around telling people it’s the best show in TV history, we should have watched it at least twice. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/28 "2009-12-29T03:23:49Z")
_Breathless_ by Dean Koontz and _Pirate Latitudes_ by Michael Crichton. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/29 "2009-12-29T03:46:48Z")
I got a [Mad Bathroom Attendant](http://www.amazon.com/Bathroom-Companion-Usual-Gang-Idiots/dp/1401200559), which will prove useful. Wife got Nabakov’s [Pale Fire,](http://www.amazon.com/Pale-Fire-Everymans-Library-Cloth/dp/0679410775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262058011&sr=1-1) which she has compared to “The X-Files” episode, 'Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space.’" All I know is that a daughter started it and asked, “Is this preface real?” “Maybe.” “Is this forward real?” “Maybe.” “Is ANYTHING real?” “Maybe.” ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/30 "2009-12-29T04:48:53Z")
I spent this Christmas with my college buddy’s family in Vegas and ended up participating in this holiday gift exchange present-stealing thing. I ended up with a Barnes & Noble giftcard with which I purchased The Screwtape Letters: C.S. Lewis Roots: Alex Haley Topper: Thorne Smith The Innocents Abroad: Mark Twain All in all a good haul. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/31 "2009-12-29T08:17:15Z")
Thanks to **Eutychus** in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11867758) thread, [The Completely Mad Don Martin: 1956–1988](http://www.daedalusbooks.com/Products/Detail.asp?ProductID=78417&Media=Book&SubCategoryID=&ReturnUrl=%2FProducts%2FSearch%2FHomeQuickSearchResult.asp%3FSearch%3Ddon%2Bmartin%26Media%3D%26image1.x%3D10%26image1.y%3D9). It’s still on sale at Daedalus Books — regularly $150, it’s being sold for $29.98! SPROING! ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/32 "2009-12-29T08:52:55Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > I spent this Christmas with my college buddy’s family in Vegas and ended up participating in this holiday gift exchange present-stealing thing. I ended up with a Barnes & Noble giftcard with which I purchased > > The Screwtape Letters: C.S. Lewis > Roots: Alex Haley > Topper: Thorne Smith > The Innocents Abroad: Mark Twain > > All in all a good haul. I love Thorne Smith books! ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/33 "2009-12-29T10:28:42Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > _Pirate Latitudes_ by Michael Crichton. This one. Hope it’s good! ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/34 "2009-12-29T10:43:26Z")
I got _Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth_, a graphic novel detailing the quest for a solid foundations of mathematics through the viewpoint of one of its most ardent pursuers, Bertrand Russell. It may seem a bit abstract, but there’s a lot of essential humanity in it; I thoroughly enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/35 "2009-12-29T17:10:09Z")
Pratchett’s _Nation_ and _Unseen Academicals_. Finished the latter, halfway through former, but my new Wii is competing for my attention. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/36 "2009-12-29T17:49:12Z")
I got: [Buda’s Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb](http://www.amazon.com/Budas-Wagon-Brief-History-Bomb/dp/1844671321) My In-Laws give weird gifts. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/37 "2009-12-29T18:16:08Z")
My wife got me Alton Brown’s _Gear For Your Kitchen_. I was going to guess that, but wasn’t sure enough. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/38 "2009-12-29T18:19:06Z")
I got _Open_, by Andre Agassi (autobiography) and _The Men Who Stare At Goats_ by Jon Ronson. I haven’t seen the movie (Men-Goats) yet, so I’m looking forward to reading the book … if that makes sense. Also, I’d just bought myself \*Pygmy \*by Chuck Palahniuk just before the holidays, so I’m flush. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/39 "2009-12-29T20:12:58Z")
I got _Shutter Island_ for myself. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804/40 "2009-12-29T20:35:08Z")
C.G. Jung’s posthumous (masterpiece?) The Red Book. One of the coolest books I own, just paging through it. I haven’t had time to absorb anything out of it yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-any-good-books-for-christmas/522804.md?page=3)