What should I read on the plane?
By Cathy Resmer for Seven Days • June 8th, 2007
It’s a long haul from Burlington, Vermont to Portland, so I’ve got some time.
Any recommendations?
In particular, I’m looking for good or must-read books about new media and journalism, but I’d also like to find a new novel to take my mind off the wired world of work.
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vanessa:
June 8, 2007 at 7:27 am
I’m reading “Generation What? Dispatches from the Quarter-Life Crisis.” It’s a short book of essays by young writers, some of whom have or currently write for alts like Westword and Boulder Weekly, among others. The quality of the essays vary but the great thing about collections is that you can skip around, or just skip.
I also recommend Garcia Marquez’s latest if you haven’t read it already. It’s quick. You’ll definitely wrap it up during the trip. In fact, it might just be too short for a long haul.
juliag:
June 8, 2007 at 8:56 am
I’m reading Don DeLillo’s newest, Falling Man, which is somewhat cheerless (being, you know, about 9.11), but also engrossing. In between I’m reading Hitchens rant against religion, which is extremely cheering.
jwhiten:
June 8, 2007 at 9:02 am
I just read “Generation What?” — might be too speedy of a read for a long coast-to-coast plane trip. And I second the notion that the quality varies — widely. The alt-weekly writers hold their own though…
As for novels, can’t really be of much help there, and anything I could recommend on new media/technology/discourse would be from the academic/luddite/skeptic point of view (a la Jacques Ellul’s “The Technological Society,” Neil Postman’s “Technopoly”). Got some good suggestions for general journo books though, if you’re interested.
But this got me thinking…what the hell am *I* going to read on my long flight? (not to hijack your original question, here, cathy? hope i’m not in breach of netiquette or what-have-you) Got a stack of unread books; need to pick one. Anyone recognize one they’d recommend? (Planet of Slums, The Great Bridge, With God on Their Side, The Race Beat, Dear People: Remembering Jonestown, Summer of ‘49)
Anyone? Bueller?
cresmer:
June 8, 2007 at 9:49 am
The Jonestown one sounds interesting. Might remind you not to drink the Kool-Aid while we’re in Portland. However you want to interpret that.
I had a gift card to Borders and bought “The Myths of Innovation” the other day. So far it’s kind of mediocre. Maybe it’ll get better.
Also bringing Chris Anderson’s “The Long Tail.” I haven’t been able to get through the 2nd half yet.
Jon, are you familiar with Stephen Johnson’s writing? I read his “Ghost Map” a few months ago, and it was fantastic. He also wrote a great book called “Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities and Software.” Very interesting. His more famous one is “Everything Bad is Good For You.” I haven’t read that one yet.
“Falling Man” looks good.
bz:
June 9, 2007 at 5:25 pm
i’m about 1/8 into Michael Pollan’s new book Omnivore’s Dilemma…excellent writing thus far.
jwhiten:
June 10, 2007 at 9:56 am
Cathy,
I’ve definitely heard Stephen Johnson’s stuff — particularly “Everything Bad…” referenced quite a bit, but haven’t read anything by him. What’s “Ghost Map” all about?
Cathy Resmer:
June 10, 2007 at 2:19 pm
“Ghost Map” is a thrilling account of the 1854 London cholera outbreak. But it’s really a book about innovation. Johnson basically explains how Dr. John Snow figured out that cholera is a waterborn disease.
It’s like a brainier version of “The Hot Zone” (Richard Preston’s 1994 book about ebola). Except Johnson does a much better job of explaining how this outbreak and its aftermath is relevant to our lives.
juliag:
June 11, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Speaking of Richard Preston, his new book (The Wild Trees) about Redwoods and the people who climb them looks pretty good, but I’m only about a chapter in. Definitely less gross than the hot zone.
cresmer:
June 11, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Didn’t know he had a new book out.
I once went to a student group dinner with him when he came to speak at my college on his book tour. Halfway through the meal, he whipped out a microscope slide with an ebola culture on it. He said it was sterile, but it was still freaky. He told us there were enough virus particles on the slide to “wipe out Boston.”