[Book Reviews] Nonfiction post: heroic, depressing, depressing, depressing, bicycles!

[thewronghands]

First, a little book tourism: I have new travel ambitions. Portugal. Buenos Aires. And Los Angeles. I've been talking with my friends about where we've gone to ebooks and where we haven't, the loss of the social aspect of reading (I hate it when I go to the Silent Reading Party and I can't tell what anyone else is reading because they have an

Comments

[roseneko]

You know, I think I have a copy of The Black Count on my Nook, which is likely buried somewhere in my bedroom - I seem to remember it being a B&N Daily Deal years back. Maybe I'll charge it up and see if I can give it a read. It'll likely be a good experience to make me remember why I switched to Kindle too, heh

[thewronghands]

Yeah, "The Black Count" made the bestseller list, so it wouldn't surprise me.

As far as I know, Apple doesn't give you the "and if you don't like it you can roll your own" other option that I would want, though. I do agree that most people just don't want that, and that's a big part of their success. But I do, which probably explains my Android-derived many-options hard-to-use phone, heh.

I do think you'd like the cycling book! When I'm in Chicago and it's not Hoth, I will happily rent a bike and go ride places with you!

[roseneko]

Apple does not have the "roll your own" option, which I think is partly why a good chunk of high-propensity-for-tinkering folks seem to resent them so much. But yeah, Android positions itself pretty well to cover that end of the market. :)

Awesome, I would love to have non-Hoth bike rides! Now to figure out cool local places to ride to. :)

[thewronghands]

It's a pity that Bicycle Benefits only has one stop in Chicago; I would have thought that with Chicago being such a bike-friendly town that there would have been lots of businesses who would take the marketing opportunity to drive traffic to them! I use them to find new and fun places to go in Seattle; look up how many places offer discounts to bicyclists here. And I do discover new businesses and bike-friendly destinations that way.

Chicago does have a bike map (though I've found that if I know the area and have biked it once, Google maps has also done pretty well for me), and a couple local bicycling clubs that might have events or tips. There are also bike fashion blogs that you might enjoy -- I recently read one with articles on how to ride a bike in heels and how to ride a bike in a long skirt. Ha! My inner femme is pleased, though I haven't tried it yet. But I will now!

[sirena73]

Should you wish to venture to the City of Angels, I can provide recs for places/things/foods/bookstores.
Also, read "LAtitudes: An Angeleno's Atlas" edited by Patricia Wakida and "Sagebrush and Cappuccino" by David Wicinas. Two excellent and entertaining books (one with pictures!) about L.A., with lots of good history and interesting tidbits.

[thewronghands]

I hope you'll come with me to the bookstore! Have you been? That seems like a thing we should do together. I bet my vaguely local-to-you friend jalenstrix would be all in too!

[adds books to recommendation to-read list, thank you!]

[sirena73]

I haven't been to that bookstore, but you bet I will now. :)

Also? This place in the Valley. http://www.iliadbooks.com/
A wonderful treasure trove of new, used and collectible books. Stained glass windows, store cat, and dusty book smell included.

[wordsofastory]

I read "The Black Count" a few years ago and really enjoyed it! It did manage to be so informative and exciting at the same time, which is a rare combination.

[sistawendy]

Buenos Aires and L.A. without in-laws are both places I'd like to go.

[asakiyume]

Wow, I've come away wanting to read most of these! Definitely the Dumas one, and definitely the Louisiana one and the one on the effects of Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The urban cycling one also really appeals and might make a Christmas present for someone in my family...

The paradox of choice is something I've been aware of for a long time because of having spent so much time in Japan and knowing how Japanese people feel about the glut of things that America requires you to make decisions about. There's a book by a Japanese sociologist, The Anatomy of Dependence (it's pretty outdated now; I think it came out in like the 1970s) which has a section that talks about how exhausting and almost combative the perpetual thrusting of choices on a person is: "Which of these choices of sandwich do you want? Okay, now which sort of bread? Okay, now which condiments? Okay, now which accompanying drink?" Whereas in lots of Japanese eateries, you have the set meal--you just order and take that. (Usually other options are available, but