Bedside reading - what are you leafing through?

[johndglynn]

Behind cars, books have long been my other addiction/obsession. I collected hundreds when I was a kid and have a sizeable pile of part-read books by my bed that I should really get finished, but I usually end up zoning out on trucking videos instead. Still, I can't stop buying more books and will buy pretty much anything that gets recommended by interesting people. Plus I sometimes get sent Porsche books to read and review on Ferdinand, which is always appreciated.

Just arrived this morning is my latest purchase. Recommended by an ex-Special Escort Group rider I chat with, 'A Million Miles Ago' is Neale Shilton's story. As Triumph motorcycle's Sales Manager, he is the man who inspired the Bonneville and sold Triumph motorcycles to the police forces of the world. He later moved to Norton and did the same, before ending up at BMW and being responsible for embedding bikes like that 1200RT that pulled you up for speeding one time into Police culture.

Apparently it is quite a good read, so am looking forward to screaming through it this weekend. I'm a pretty quick reader and will do a book in a day sometimes. This one looks like a day to me.

What are you reading during lockdown?

[longman]

Safari Fever by Nick Brittan is a good read: if you could find one that is...

I have a copy as my Dad took a load of the photos in it as he worked for Ford at the time..

[GimmeShelter]

"How to Build a Car" by Adrian Newey.  More of an autobiography than the title suggests, with many insights into the personalities and politics of F1, etc.

Edited April 17, 2020 by GimmeShelter

[Beaky]

Playboy, ops sorry forgot about the watershed!, Jason Button "life to the Limit" 

[Ducktail]

Currently reading a book called "In My Time - memoires of a racing cyclist" by ex pro rider Mick Coward

Quite an interesting read for me as I was a keen road racer myself back in the late 70's and had a frame made by Mick in 79..I still have this bike along with one of his old racing frames that I am slowly building into a race bike...so the book is a good source of reference

 

[Ian Comerford]

Re-reading And The Revs Keep Rising.  Great!

[johndglynn]

4 hours ago, Ducktail said:

Currently reading a book called "In My Time - memoires of a racing cyclist" by ex pro rider Mick Coward

Quite an interesting read for me as I was a keen road racer myself back in the late 70's and had a frame made by Mick in 79..I still have this bike along with one of his old racing frames that I am slowly building into a race bike...so the book is a good source of reference

 

Cool. Higgoe who used to run a 3.2 through here was another pro rider back in the 90s. Good stories from him and Perkles (Brummie cycling royalty) of the sport over the years.

[Fred]

Just starting Mr Nice (Howard Marks). 

[johndglynn]

3 hours ago, Fred said:

Just starting Mr Nice (Howard Marks). 

One of my favourites! He had a house not far from where my sister lives at home. Crazy stories 😀

[Phill]

I really enjoy the James Bond books. I have them all and have read them several times. Currently on From Russia with Love again. The early Connery movies were pretty close to the books but it all went to pot after that. Love the movies though (except Craig).

[Mondrian]

Just finished "A general theory of love" written by Fari Amini & co. It is about the science of human emotions and evolutionary biology of human brain, funnily enough it was my interest in cars that brought me to this book. @jevvy introduced me to the infamous Elon Musk podcast with Joe Rogan (highly recommended, 2 hrs 30 min) during which Elon Musk briefly discusses the topic of limbic resonance (not sure if it was before or after he had a puff) that in turn got me on to this book.

Now I am reading Sapiens (a brief history of human kind) by noah yuval harari and next on the list is Homo Deus (a brief history of tomorrow) by same author.

[Chris_911]

You've hit on another of my passions - I absolutely love disappearing into a book. I buy far more than I can really afford.

Just about finished this one. Not sure what's up next...

 

[johndglynn]

1 hour ago, Phill said:

Love the movies though (except Craig).

I am the opposite - I think Craig is the definitive Bond. His career path starts and ends with psychology, personifying the internal fear and instinct to dominate at the soul of a paranoid culture/society. The director has created a space for a psychopath that some can closely identify with...

57 minutes ago, Mondrian said:

 @jevvy introduced me to the infamous Elon Musk podcast with Joe Rogan (highly recommended, 2 hrs 30 min) during which Elon Musk briefly discusses the topic of limbic resonance (not sure if it was before or after he had a puff) that in turn got me on to this book.

That was a great podcast! Musk is so unashamedly out there. Amazing.

[Mondrian]

3 hours ago, johndglynn said:

 I think Craig is the definitive Bond.

100%

[johndglynn]

On 4/17/2020 at 12:57 PM, johndglynn said:

 

Finished this in a few hours and it was interesting but not £35 interesting. Still some robust insider background regarding the death of the British bike industry (lousy management and underinvestment) and the arrogance of BMW UK and Germany regarding prioritising and listening to customers. Porsche dealers say the same about Stuttgart.

Now into the bedside ‘finish us’ pile. George Leonard’s ‘Mastery’ was on top. 

[runnersp]

I just finished re-reading all the Fleming Bonds, which was a treat. Now getting through all of Sherlock Holmes again (classics are free on Kindle), while alternating with Excellence was Expected and Initial D mangas.

[njpcarrera32]

Still working, but from home obviously. Thought I'd be able to catch up on some of the management books that have been gathering dust in my bookcase in the office. Have managed about 10 pages in the 5 weeks, just still crazy busy trying to push things through so we're in a better shape after the lockdown ends. Hazards of a global role I guess.

[johndglynn]

I hear you! Flat out here too. Waiting for my hosts to fix an issue before I can start the next phase of two projects this week so just about had time to read the bike book yesterday. Not complaining about being busy 😘

[Roy M]

Against the Gods, the remarkable story of risk by Peter Bernstein.

Fantastic book - read it about three times and learn something every time!

I also used to love  'A bootful of right arms' which was the story of the London to Sydney marathon but it's out of print now.

[Roy M]

It wasn't Sydney it was Munich via the Sahara but it was a Leyland p76

[TheBishop]

Currently revisiting old magazines, I'd forgotten how much great stuff there is in Supercar Classics, so much great Setright stuff for one thing, and would love to know more about the Kremer modified car in one of the early issues. So far got to the ned of my first binder so plenty still to go - and cross referencing another thread lots of great Bob Freeman drawings.

My copies are in loose binders so a bit big to read in bed - so then its John Bolsters "Motoring is my Business" great timeworn stuff!

[Chris_911]

Just had this delivered. Looks like an interesting read.

[johndglynn]

Same old names though - I like new names. Some good writers online these days - well, not the same old ones at any rate.

I suppose I should actually sit down and read my own book one day. Got a few copies in the garage that I will add to the IB "store for the hardcore" in a few weeks. 

Link to Cult of Porsche Book 1

11 hours ago, TheBishop said:

My copies are in loose binders so a bit big to read in bed - so then its John Bolsters "Motoring is my Business" great timeworn stuff!

Aha - yes good one. I was in the Renault Owner's Club for years and Bolster was a founding member.  The club had his old 4CV as well as a big Bolster archive. Got to see a lot of it as a committee bod. Pretty cool.

[TheBishop]

Big fan of JVB, but your right same old names - sadly some of it's to do with my age! Nothing against new talent - but even some of that's nearly my age.  To be fair your not doing badly in your blog. I enjoy much of what's in Octane and Classic Porsche - always open to suggestions.

[Ian Comerford]

I have an Octane subscription but usually only get to read 80% of each one.  I’m going back through them now and re-reading.  Quite enjoying this.  An interesting article in one of them saw Stephen Bayley reviewing the NSU RO80 and Felix Wankel (and Milton Keynes in the same article).  I hadn’t realise Wankel was an anti-Semite and later an obersturmbannfurer in the SS.  One line in particular was an eye opener though ‘ his Wankel engine was patented in 1929 and was designed to obviate the mechanical absurdities of the reciprocating engine in which pistons reach their maximum speed just before they are decelerated to standstill at tdc’.  I’ve never thought about it in that way, how illuminating!