You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

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Challenges: Monthly > November 2014 - Fact, not Fiction - Reporting Thread

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message 51: by Casceil (new)

Casceil | 2728 comments The fun fact I always remember about da Vinci is something my brother told me years ago when he was studying art history in college. Da Vinci's drawings of birds demonstrated that da Vinci "saw" how birds moved their wings as they flew, in a way that the rest of us did not "see" until stop-action photography came along.


message 52: by Almeta (new)

Almeta (menfrommarrs) | 11463 comments Casceil wrote: " Da Vinci's drawings of birds demonstrated that da Vinci "saw" how birds moved their wings as they flew, in a way that the rest of us did not "see" until stop-action photography came along. ..."

He did have unusual powers of observation!


message 53: by Janice, Moderator (new)

Janice (jamasc) | 59976 comments Almeta wrote: The Goddess and are are just not all that (view spoiler) close!☻ "

LOL! Apparently.


message 54: by Cherie (last edited Nov 21, 2014 02:05PM) (new)

Cherie (crobins0) | 21536 comments I read Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World Stuff Matters Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik .

3pts - Fun Fact shared!
“The type of milk added to chocolate varies widely throughout the world, and this is the main reason that milk chocolate tastes different from country to country. In the USA the milk used has some of its fat removed by enzymes, giving the chocolate a cheesy, almost rancid flavor. In the UK sugar is added to the liquid milk, and it is this solution, reduced to a concentrate, that is added to the chocolate, creating a milder caramel flavor. In Europe powdered milk is still used, giving the chocolate a fresh dairy flavor with a powdery texture. These different tastes do not travel well. Despite globalization, the preferred taste of milk chocolate, once acquired, remains surprisingly regional.” This was from one of the sections called Delicious and was all about Chocolate.

Topic = 5pts – A topic you haven't read about before.
4pts – Science, Technology, Engineering,Maths.
Cover (on the version you read) = 0 pts
Pages = 1 pt - 200 - 299 pages
Bonus Points (count once) = 0 pts
Total points = 13


message 55: by Thing Two (last edited Nov 22, 2014 10:33AM) (new)

Thing Two (thingtwo) I finally finished Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

28 points

3 pts - fun facts (I couldn't decide ...)

1) Of the modern world's 6,000 languages, 1,000 are confined to New Guinea.
2) Horses and rifles were originally unknown to Native Americans. They were brought by Europeans.
3) Pecans weren't domesticated until 1846.
4) The major killers of humanity throughout our recent history - smallpox, flu, tuberculosis, malaria, plague, and cholera - are infectious diseases that evolved from diseases of animals. (One could add Ebola here.)
5) Human mothers in the New Guinea highlands often nurse piglets.
6) The qwerty keyboard was designed in 1873 to force typists to type as slowly as possible so the keys wouldn't jam. It employs a whole series of perverse tricks, such as scattering the commonest letters over all keyboard rows, and concentrating them on the left side (where right handed people have to use their weaker hand).
7) Eastern United States the first to cultivate barley, sorrel, rhubarb, spinach, quinoa, Jerusalem artichokes, pattypan squash, summer squash, zucchini squash, and pumpkin.

Topic
5pts – A topic you haven't read about before.
4pts – Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths.
3pts – Human Culture, Language, History.

Pages
3 pts - 400 - 499 pages

Bonus Points (count once):
5pts – Mentions a horse race (for the Melbourne Cup). page 73
5pts – Mentions a referendum (in honour of St Andrew's Day, official national day of Scotland). page 63


message 56: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Hehe... topical. But Ebola has killed a very small group of people. Doesn't compare to those ones really at all. After dealing with the Hot Zone lady the other day, I've re-read whole heap of articles again

I like lots of facts! I really need to read that book.


message 57: by Tasha (new)

Tasha I read: Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore Young Stalin

3pts - Fun Fact shared!

1. Stalin was a poet! Apparantly, quite good.
2. When he was young, he studied to be a priest! He went to a seminary where he did eventually decide that it wasn't for him. He sang in the church choir and was reported to be very good.
3. He planned and helped execute many bank heists while young to help fund Lenin during his rise to power.

Topic
5pts – A topic you haven't read about before. I've never read about Stalin the man, especially the young Stalin. I've read about things that Stalin did during history and fiction where he was featured but never about the man himself.
3pts – Human Culture, Language, History. His Georgian culture and history played a significant part in this story.
2pts – Biography

Pages
3 pts - 400 - 499 pages

Total Points: 16


message 58: by Thing Two (last edited Nov 22, 2014 10:45AM) (new)

Thing Two (thingtwo) Rusalka wrote: "Hehe... topical. But Ebola has killed a very small group of people. Doesn't compare to those ones really at all. After dealing with the Hot Zone lady the other day, I've re-read whole heap of arti..."

I included Ebola only in that it comes from animals. The closer we live with them, the more at risk we are of picking up their diseases. Germs change when they find a new hospitable host in our bodies. And, while I don't believe Ebola is a risk for most developed nations, until there is a vaccine readily available and those who have survived pass along their genes to new generations, the disease will continue to spread. It's a race between man and germ to see who wins.

It was a fascinating read, but there were too many details for my poor brain to absorb at one pass.

And who is this Hot Zone lady?


message 59: by Marie (UK) (last edited Nov 22, 2014 04:33PM) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 2296 comments Long Walk To Freedom: Film Tie In
Scoring

3pts - Fun Fact shared! - I am not sure this book is jam pack with fun facts but I did like the way Nelson Mandela "interviewed" all the Prison chiefs on their appointment

Topic
5pts – A topic you haven't read about before. - definitely the only book i have read focused on the fight against apartheid

3pts – Human Culture, Language, History. - probably can claim this too although cultured is not the way i would describe the white South Africans
2pts – Biography, Autobiography, Memoir. - definitely


Cover (on the version you read)

2 pts – Author's name is bigger than the title. Long Walk To Freedom Film Tie In by Nelson Mandela
.

Pages
5 pts - 600 - 1000 pages 784 pages

Bonus Points (count once):

5pts – Mentions a referendum (in honour of St Andrew's Day, official national day of Scotland).

total 25 points

In Cold Blood

Topic
5pts – A topic you haven't read about before.

Cover (on the version you read)
2 pts – Author's name is bigger than the title.

Pages
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages (336)


Total Points 9
I really enjoyed this book Truman Capote writes of the case of the 1959 murders of Herbet Clutter and his family. His prose is wonderful, especially in the description of events that lead up to the deaths. His portrayal of the murderers is not necessarily of 2 ruthless men, in fact the level of malaevolence in their depiction is quite low. He describes the effect the killings had on those who found the bodies in more detail than the perpetrators.



message 60: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Thing Two wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Hehe... topical. But Ebola has killed a very small group of people. Doesn't compare to those ones really at all. After dealing with the Hot Zone lady the other day, I've re-read wh..."

Ah I see. Point taken, I was just thinking humans. And that's not even taking into consideration the potential for the disease to mutate! Germs are fascinating in a terrifying way.

Oh I wrote a review on The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus and someone came in and asked questions. The first was rather innocuous but I looked on her own page and saw her own comments on the book. I had to make sure I had all my facts before (if) I engaged. It worked out alright, but means I've read a lot about Ebola again int he last week.


message 61: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Tasha wrote: "I read: Young Stalin by Simon Sebag MontefioreYoung Stalin

3pts - Fun Fact shared!

1. Stalin was a poet! Apparantly, quite good.
2. When he was young, he studied to be a priest! He went t..."


Wow. Bit of a change in direction for him later in life then!


message 62: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Marie wrote: "Long Walk To Freedom: Film Tie In
Scoring

3pts - Fun Fact shared! - I am not sure this book is jam pack with fun facts but I did like the way Nelson Mandela "interviewed" all the ..."


I think "fun" would be more appropriate. That is fascinating.


message 63: by Janice, Moderator (new)

Janice (jamasc) | 59976 comments This has been an informative challenge. I'm enjoying the collection of facts we have in this thread.


message 64: by Casceil (new)

Casceil | 2728 comments I finished To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design by Henry Petroski. I loved it, and gave it five stars.

Fun Fact (3 points): The design for the Crystal Palace, built in 1851 in London for the Great Exhibition, was based on an oversized waterlily. The boards used to fence off the construction site were later used inside, to create the wooden walkways. Narrow spaces were left between the boards, so that dirt and debris could easily be swept into the cracks. It was thought that regular sweeping would be required, but that turned out to be unnecessary, because the long skirts of the ladies' dresses took care of the sweeping. In the interest of safety, however, small boys were hired on a regular basis to clamber around the framework and pull out any scraps of paper that might become stuck between the boards.

5pts – A topic you haven't read about before.
4pts – Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths.
3pts – Human Culture, Language, History.
1 point 244 pages

Total = 18 points


message 65: by Tejas Janet (new)

Tejas Janet (tejasjanet) | 3513 comments Casceil wrote: "I finished To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design...
It was thought that regular sweeping would be required, but that turned out to be unnecessary, because the long skirts of the ladies' dresses took care of the sweeping."


Oh my, can you imagine all the rigmarole involved in dressing for ladies of that time period? much less the cleaning and care of such complicated clothing? (I'm thinking no wonder they required maids to help them dress. And I suppose other maids or hired service for cleaning and mending.)

I like the detail about re-using the boards from fencing off the construction site to make the walkways inside. Wonder what they did with the boards after the Exhibition. Bon fire? or pallets? other projects?


message 66: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Janice wrote: "This has been an informative challenge. I'm enjoying the collection of facts we have in this thread."

Yay! Mission accomplished!


message 67: by Sarah (new)

Sarah | 18550 comments Rusalka wrote: "Janice wrote: "This has been an informative challenge. I'm enjoying the collection of facts we have in this thread."

Yay! Mission accomplished!"


Me too. I can feel myself getting cleverer with each book and fact reported! ;-)


message 68: by Lori Z (last edited Nov 24, 2014 06:26PM) (new)

Lori Z | 2089 comments I read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.

Fact:
I didn't know 2 other girls were shot when Malala was attacked. Thankfully, they were both okay.
I would also like to share a quote from the book that I loved. It was in a speech Malala gave to the UN on July 12, 2013..."let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world."

3pts. - fact I learned from the book.
5pts. - a topic you haven't read about before.
2pts. - biography, autobiography, memoir
1pt. - 200-299 pages

Total 11 points


message 69: by Lilisa (new)

Lilisa | 2770 comments Lori Z wrote: "I read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.

In my opinion, there were not any fun facts in this book. I would like to share a quote from th..."


Lori - It was a pretty sobering book, wasn't it? It won the 2013 Goodreads Choice Award in the Memoir-Autobiography category.


message 70: by Lori Z (new)

Lori Z | 2089 comments Lilisa wrote: "Lori Z wrote: "I read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.

In my opinion, there were not any fun facts in this book. I would like to share ..."


It was very sobering, Lilisa, but an incredible story of this young lady's amazing courage.


message 71: by Rusalka, Moderator (last edited Nov 24, 2014 02:17AM) (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments IMPORTANT

Seems to be lost in translation here so spelling this out a bit more.

I want a fact out of the book for your three points. It doesn't have to be "fun" or "happy". If you learnt anything true and interesting in your book, share it and get 3 points.

That's a fun fact, I used the term playing on primary school style. Sorry for any confusion. Please feel free to go back and edit your posts if you need. Of course, if you didn't learn anything in your book, then you don't have to take the 3 points. I was wondering why a few of you guys didn't take the default points.


message 72: by Lisa (last edited Nov 24, 2014 04:13PM) (new)

Lisa (lisathebooklover) | 9244 comments I read The Twelve Caesars The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius by Suetonius (translated by Robert Graves)

Fun facts - 3 points:

- Julius Caesar was once captured and held by pirates for 40 days. After his ransom was paid and he was set free, he raised a fleet and went after them. He then had them crucified.

- Caligula was actually the nickname of the emperor Gaius. It means 'Little Boots'. He got the nickname as a child when his father Germanicus, a respected general/commander in the Roman army, had a mini uniform made for him.

- Caligula suffered from numerous health problems. He had epilepsy as a child and is believed to have suffered from mental illness as an adult which some people believe may have contributed to his increasingly cruel and debauched behaviour. He also suffered from insomnia.

- As a form of entertainment, Nero staged a naval battle on an artificial lake of salt water that he had built.

- The Colosseum in Rome was started during the reign of Vespasian. It was dedicated by his son Titus and completed during the reign of Domitian.

TOPIC:
Human Culture, Language, History - 3 points
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir - 2 points
Related To A Hobby You Do (I do short online courses occasionally for fun and this book was recommended during a course I did recently about Roman history) - 1 point

COVER: 0 points

PAGES:
300-399 pages (363 pages) - 2 points

BONUS POINTS:
Mentions a horse race (for the Melbourne Cup) - 5 points.

TOTAL - 16 points.

Rusalka, there are lots of references to chariot racing in this book and these chariots were pulled by groups of horses. A racecourse was built specifically for these races and betting took place. Does this count as horse racing for the bonus points? It's not horse racing as we know it today but it appears to be the ancient Roman equivalent.


message 73: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments sounds pretty damn close. I will count it"


message 74: by Lisa (new)

Lisa (lisathebooklover) | 9244 comments Yay! Thanks Rusalka!


message 75: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie Oops I think I was one of them! I will go back and edit :-)


message 76: by KimeyDiann (new)

KimeyDiann | 2174 comments Janice wrote: "This has been an informative challenge. I'm enjoying the collection of facts we have in this thread."

Me too!


message 77: by Paula (last edited Nov 25, 2014 07:58AM) (new)

Paula | 2 comments Hi! I read Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Martin E.P. Seligman.

Fun facts: 3 pts.
-A young person who is genetically predisposed to suffer depression, can avoid this risk by developing the capacities of optimism and hope.
-As we may know, negatives emotions (like fear or rage) are our first line of defense against exterior threats. They're absolutely necessary and the evolution selected them to help us surviving. But positive emotions also do their job: they expand our intelectual, fisical and social resources and they increase the reserves which help us when we have to face a threat or may be an opportunity. With positive emotions we become more creative and our mind is open to new experiences.
-We tend to think that if we don't express anger or our bad feelings, they would go out in the form of an illness or some kind of disease, like a heart attack or even cancer. But this theory is wrong: concentrating on the offense and on the expression of our anger will cause more cardiovascular diseases and even more anger.
-Marriage (being with a stable partner) is product of natural selection, not culture.

Topic: The book is about Positive Psychology. Psychology is a Science, so 4 pts.

No points for cover.

Pages: 336. 300-399. 2 pts

No Bonus points.

TOTAL: 9 points.


message 78: by Lynn (last edited Nov 25, 2014 05:40AM) (new)

Lynn | 2974 comments Garlic And Sapphires the secret life of a food critic by Ruth Reichl

3pts - Fun Fact shared!
- In the 90's (whether you can now I have no idea!) as long as you already have a credit card, you can get numerous cards with different ID with ease and no information provided.
"Quote: After Dad died my Mom had no credit so she asked if I would add her ot my charge accounts. I t was so easy - they didn't ask for any information - and one day it occurred to me that if I could get supplementary cards in Mom's name, I could porobably get them in other names as well. I made one up and that was that, two days ater I had my first fake credit card"
I was pretty gobsmacked at this fact.

- If you buy more than you will use of Arborio or carnaroli rice, keep it in the refrigerator. Apparently it goes bad faster than you think.

- Quote: Soba noodles are made of buckwheat, which has no gluten. That means that getting the to hold together is an act of will. They say it takes a year to learn to mix the dough, another year to learn to roll it, a thired to learn the correct cut.

- Proscuitto that a lot of people have come accross and eaten has a waxy quality and over-salted. Proscuitto, real proscuitto from Parma, is sweet and soft.
(this fact I knew but it is one of the food facts that you can find me ranting about quite a lot when people tell me they think proscuitto is overated).

Topic
5pts – A topic you haven't read about before.
2pts – Biography, Autobiography, Memoir.
1pt – Related to a hobby you do. Explain/share.
Despite my love of food and having worked in the catering industry since I was 16 I have no interest in cooking so never really read any books about food. For a different challenge I needed to look for a book where the main character did a job that I would love to do, hence why I found this book because I would love to be a restaurant critic in another life.
I eat out as much as I can and document every restaurant I visit with photographs and notes and a star rating on an excel document, I am a little bit obsessed!

Cover (on the version you read)
4 pts – Cover is mostly orange.

Pages
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages


Bonus Points (count once): 0pts

Total: 17 points


message 79: by Thing Two (new)

Thing Two (thingtwo) Lynn wrote: "Garlic And Sapphires the secret life of a food critic by Ruth Reichl

3pts - Fun Fact shared!
- In the 90's (whether you can now I have no idea!) as long as you already have a credit card, you..."


I hear you about the prosciutto complaining. In my husband's Spanish family, they leave off the "o" and serve the good stuff on holidays. Yum!


message 80: by jaxnsmom (new)

jaxnsmom | 8341 comments Peggy wrote: "Wow! I'm the first to finish! I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which I didn't even have on my TBR before the challenge started, but I had heard about it, and for some rea..."

I read this a while back and also loved it. The controversy over cell ownership was quite big for awhile, especially the ethics of others making money while you got nothing. I remember looking up pictures of the cells with different dyes, and they are quite beautiful.

Another interesting fact about Henrietta (not in the book ☺ ). He's younger than she was, but my dad grew up within 20 miles of where Henrietta grew up. Their schools played each other, and Dad spent time at the tobacco market too (big tobacco farming area then).


message 81: by jaxnsmom (new)

jaxnsmom | 8341 comments Kerri wrote: "I read Where is Daniel? for this challenge. The sadly true story of Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted and murdered, and his parents never ending battle to find their son and seek ju..."

I had never heard of this case, but it's horrible how often this happens. Here in the US, the case of Adam Walsh was probably known to everyone over a certain age - it happened in 1981.


message 82: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie I remember hearing about the Adam Walsh case many years later (I was just a baby at the time). I think shortly after, John Walsh started America's Most Wanted. It is sad the things that happen in our world :(


message 83: by jaxnsmom (new)

jaxnsmom | 8341 comments Stephanie wrote: "I remember hearing about the Adam Walsh case many years later (I was just a baby at the time). I think shortly after, John Walsh started America's Most Wanted. It is sad the things that happen in o..."

He got very involved in programs and promotions to help find missing children, and was asked to host AMW.


message 84: by Travis (new)

Travis (travistousant) | 6011 comments The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren The Demonologist The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren by Gerald Brittle
5 pts never read topic
2 pts I consider it biographical
1 pt 264 pages
3 pts fun facts. Take them as they are these are highly respected in their field although demonologists. paranormal investigators is quite a skeptical line of work. Over 3000 documented cases these 2 are or were the go to people for these things.

Demons or non human ghosts however you want to call them are similar to vampires that they need permission to enter. They cannot possess a person or building without being granted permission into our world. Once in our world they can possess what they want but to get in they need permission. 40% of the time an Ouija board is the permission. Most of the time it is accidental with people playing with one not respecting it as a real thing.

Ed has an occult museum because any summoning or possessed object he reclaims cannot be destroyed. He says this is an eye for an eye situation if someone had say a summoning mirror and he destroyed it something bad would happen to him. So he had a super possessed with evil spirits museum next to his house.



11 points


message 85: by Kerri (new)

Kerri jaxnsmom wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "I remember hearing about the Adam Walsh case many years later (I was just a baby at the time). I think shortly after, John Walsh started America's Most Wanted. It is sad the thing..."

I'd never heard of Adam Walsh till now, but Ive just read up on his case, so terrible these awful crimes against children. I can't help but be amazed at the parents that make something positive out of their personal tragedy. setting up foundations and programs to help other victims and educate the public.


message 86: by Elsbeth (last edited Nov 27, 2014 11:44AM) (new)

Elsbeth (elsbethgm) | 1152 comments I just finished a very impressive book, a memoir: Shattered by the Wars But Sustained by Love by Hi-Dong Chai Shattered by the Wars: But Sustained by Love by Hi-Dong Chai. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

'fun' facts:
*At the Cairo Conference in 1943 Korea became (like Germany after the war) a divided country - divided by the U.S.A., Russia and England. The northern half of Korea, above the 38th parallel line would be under the Russian supervision, and the southern half would be under U.S. supervision.
*June 24, 1950, the North Korean army, with the full support of Russia, broke through the 38th parallel line that divided the North from the South. While the Northern army was rapidly advancing southward, the government informed the public by way of the radio:
"Our gallant army is pushing back the onslaught of the northern invaders back to the 38th parallel line. SEOUL IS SAFE. There is no reason for the residents of the city to be concerned...".
It repeated the message day after day - until: the day before Seoul was in the enemy's hands, the radio turned silent.!!
*In Korean, a sentence sequence is subject, object and verb instead of subject, verb and object as in English. I apple ate instead of I ate an apple . The words a, an and the did not exist in Korean language. The apple in English was that apple in Korean.

My points:
Fun facts: 3
Topic: 2 (memoir) + 3 (history, language) + 1 (related to a hobby of mine = I studied anthropology, and since there hardly is any work in that, it still is an interest of mine; cultures and ways of life from all over the world)
Cover: 0
Pages: 1 (258 pages)
No bonus points
Total: 10 points


message 87: by jaxnsmom (new)

jaxnsmom | 8341 comments Grrrrrr...I've tried to report my book three times now, and watched my post disappear right before my eyes. Once again, I read The Rules of the Tunnel A Brief Period of Madness by Ned Zeman The Rules of the Tunnel: A Brief Period of Madness. I finally decided to rate the book 3 stars as an average of the good and bad. I found the parts about other people to be more interesting - I came away feeling I knew them better than the author.

3 points - Facts:
Photographer Bruno Zehnder was so obsessed with penguins he began to think he was becoming one. While in Antarctica trying to get the perfect picture of a chick hatching, a storm turned blizzard came up. When finally convinced to return to base, he ended up going the wrong way and was found the next day, frozen to death. Zehnder was bipolar.

Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard were fatally mauled by grizzly bears in Alaska. Treadwell felt a kinship with grizzlies, and for fifteen years he was able to spend time around them, even touching them. Then, he and his girlfriend decided to spend the summer camping in an area that was a feeding ground for the grizzlies before hibernation. Treadwell was also bipolar.

ECT – get the image of Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest out of your head. Yes, electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure, but they’re not as high voltage, and you’re under anesthesia. The most common side effect is short term memory loss, usually lasting a month or two. More than two hundred thousand people get ECT every year!

Topic
5pts – A topic you haven't read about before. I haven’t read about a bipolar person and their experience before. I really haven’t read that much about depression in a long while – the info would be too depressing -ha ha.
4pts – Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths. There is talk of the science of the brain, and about ECT.
3pts – Human Culture, Language, History. Oh yeah, what’s “normal” and what’s too far out there, attitudes towards mental health issues and treatments
2pts – Biography, Autobiography, Memoir.
1pt – Related to a hobby you do. Explain/share. Well, depression isn’t a hobby, so I guess I don’t get points for this one.

Pages
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages

Bonus Points (count once):
5pts – Mentions a horse race (for the Melbourne Cup). Editors are compared to horses, but there is no racing 

Total points: 19


message 88: by Janice, Moderator (new)

Janice (jamasc) | 59976 comments very interesting facts, j'mom. They do warn against feeding the Bears. It's blizzarding so a little black humour is warranted.


message 89: by Janice, Moderator (new)

Janice (jamasc) | 59976 comments very interesting facts, j'mom. They do warn against feeding the Bears. It's blizzarding so a little black humour is warranted.


message 90: by Sue Q (new)

Sue Q | 334 comments When I heard "non-fiction" for some reason I went into a panic state. And a confused state. I couldn't figure out what "counts" as non-fiction?

So I read 2 books... the first was You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You - but I figured that couldn't "count" because only a few chapters applied to me and I didn't actually DO any of the things they recommended (I still dress like a bum - but I found it informative!)... but because I didn't read every page, I even have a hard time "claiming" it on GR. Is that weird?!?

So then I read 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life - which I'm hoping will count for this challenge - since it's a non-fiction book and I read every page of it and I found it interesting as well! Yes, I am a weirdo.

2 pts - autobiography
2 pts - 314 pages

fun fact about 29 gifts: - I copied a few quotes from the book to remember and apply to my own life:

"When you give from a place of service, honesty, and fullness, you are left feeling revitalized. When you give from a place of responsibility and obligation, you negate the gift and nothing changes. You may in fact be left feeling resentful and drained."

"A closed hand cannot receive."

Also - I learned that it's OKAY to take credit for gifts - and that if the meaning behind the giving is sincere, it's actually normal to have positive feedback from it - and that's FINE. I had always been taught to gift randomly and secretly - but from the stories in the book, learned that giving from the heart with meaning - usually in person - is actually more fulfilling to both parties.

Thanks Rusalka for the challenge!


message 91: by Poongothai (last edited Dec 01, 2014 03:16AM) (new)

Poongothai (poongsa) | 483 comments I finished How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber


3 pts : Fun Fact

Children need to have their feelings accepted and respected.
1. You can listen quietly and attentively.
2. You can acknowledge their feelings with a word. “Oh . . . Mmm . . . I see . . ."
3. You can give the feeling a name."That sounds frustrating!”
4. You can give the child his wishes in fantasy.“I wish I could make the banana ripe for you right now!

To engage a child’s cooperation
1. Describe what you see, or describe the problem. "There’s a wet towel on the bed.”
2. Give information. “The towel is getting my blanket wet."
3. Say it with a word."The towel!”
4. Describe what you feel."I don’t like sleeping in a wet bed!"
5. Write a note. (above towel rack) : Please put me back so I can dry. Thanks! Your Towel

Instead of punishment
1. Express your feelings strongly—without attacking character. “I’m furious that my new saw was left outside to rust in the rain!
2. State your expectations. "I expect my tools to be returned after they’ve been borrowed."
3. Show the child how to make amends. “What this saw needs now is a little steel wool and a lot of elbow grease.”
4. Offer a choice. "ou can borrow my tools and return them or you can give up the privilege of using them. You decide."
5. Take action. "Child: “Why is the toolbox locked?” Father: “You tell me why."
6. Problem-solve “What can we work out so that you can use my tools when you need them, and so that I’ll be sure they’re there when I need them?"

Praise and self-esteem
Instead of evaluating “good” . . . “great!” . . . “fantastic!”), describe.

1. Describe what you see. "“I see a clean floor, a smooth bed, and books neatly lined up on the shelf"
2. Describe what you feel. "It’s a pleasure to walk into this room!”
3. Sum up the child’s praiseworthy behavior with a word. " You sorted out your Legos, cars, and farm animals, and put them in separate boxes. That’s what I call organization!”


The examples mentioned above are taken from the book



5pts – A topic that I haven't read about before.

Cover (Some of the title words are in blue)
3 pts – The Title is in blue.

Pages : 304
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages

Bonus Points (count once): none

Total points : 13


message 92: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Poongothai wrote: "I finished How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber


No Fun Fact

5pts – A topic that I haven't read about before.

Cover (Some of the title words are in ..."


You can't tell us anything you learnt from the book? Your points are there for the taking!


message 93: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Elsbeth wrote: "I just finished a very impressive book, a memoir: Shattered by the Wars But Sustained by Love by Hi-Dong ChaiShattered by the Wars: But Sustained by Love by [author:Hi-Dong Ch..."

Sounds fascinating! That radio thing would have been interesting to notice at the time.


message 94: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments jaxnsmom wrote: "Grrrrrr...I've tried to report my book three times now, and watched my post disappear right before my eyes. Once again, I read [bookcover:The Rules of the Tunnel: A Brief Period of Madness|1041193..."

I like the guy who played with penguins. I do like penguins, even though they are grumpy bastards.

And yes, it's always good to know about ECT. Hollywood has a lot to answer for. Mind you, I would much prefer it now than 60s ago.


message 95: by Rusalka, Moderator (new)

Rusalka (rusalkii) | 19213 comments Sue Q wrote: "When I heard "non-fiction" for some reason I went into a panic state. And a confused state. I couldn't figure out what "counts" as non-fiction?

So I read 2 books... the first was [book:You Are..."


No worries at all Sue. And yup, go with the book you read all the way through, like you did ;)


message 96: by Elsbeth (new)

Elsbeth (elsbethgm) | 1152 comments Poongothai wrote: "I finished How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber


No Fun Fact

5pts – A topic that I haven't read about before.

Cover (Some of the title words are in ..."


This sure sounds like an interesting book! Maybe you can learn me/us something? (I have 2 kids, so I'm really curious!)


message 97: by Pragya (new)

Pragya  (reviewingshelf) | 4039 comments I love Penguins!


message 98: by Terra (new)

Terra (moonsbeamed) | 12 comments I read Green River Running Red: the Green River Killer by Anne Rule

Never read this topic before
It is a biography and true crime
Over 700 pages ( I listened to it while sick)
Anne's name is in red and larger than the title.

Sad fact....killed 90+teens/young girls, most were prostitutes. Even killed pregnant girls :(
Took 20 years before catching him.


message 99: by Terra (new)

Terra (moonsbeamed) | 12 comments Oh 17 points


message 100: by Lanelle (last edited Dec 10, 2014 03:08AM) (new)

Lanelle | 4031 comments Last Sunday I read The First 100 Temples. The art work is gorgeous, and the history behind each of the Mormon temples is fascinating.

Fun fact - "...they used the town cannon to pound footings deep into the ground. Using a system of pulleys fastened to a team of horses, the cannon, which was filled with lead, was lifted about thirty feet in the air and then dropped onto the stone fittings...This historic cannon had previously been used by Napoleon in his siege of Moscow...From there it was somehow taken to Siberia and then to Alaska, finally landing at Fort Ross, California...members of the Mormon Battalion took the cannon to Utah..."

fun fact: 3 points
topic: History - 3 points
pages: 292 pages - 1 points
total points: 7


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