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The Book Thread

bowhunter1023

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Al's recent thread about Lakosky's book got me thinking about a thread for the books we all read here on TOO. I was given a Kindle Fire HD when I started my new job and it sparked an interest in reading again. I've read three books on there, am in the middle of a fourth and just started a hard back that my dad got me. Figured there were several readers on here and we could share suggestions and maybe even trade books. So post up what you are reading, what you want to read and your all time favorites.

During the fall I finished 3 books from Steven Rinella, host of Meat Eater TV. The first was Meat Eater: Adventures From The Life of An American Hunter. I really enjoyed this book as it details how he got started hunting as a kid and has several great stories that any hunter will love reading. The second book I read of his was American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon. In this book he talks about the history of the buffalo in North America while the story of his hunt for free range buffalo in Alaska mixes in. It is very informative and you feel like you are right there with him as his imagery is top notch. The final and favorite book of Steve's I read is called The Scavengers Guide To Haute Cuisine. This is a book any hunter who loves cooking should read; Beener I'm looking at you. Steve was given a book called Le Guide Culinaire by Auguste Escoffier’s which was published in 1903. The book details Steve's year long quest to prepare a 3 day, 15 course (45 total) meal with ingredients true to Le Guide. It is laced with hunting tales, humorous stories about the preparation of the meal, and a host of great food based knowledge. I plan to buy the paperback of this book so I can read it again.

I'm in the middle of The Frontiersmen by Allen Eckert. I tore in to it pretty heavy, but it is a daunting book, so I've petered off in recent weeks. I will finish it, but it will take me some time. Being 1/16 Shawnee Indian and 1/2 Irish, it has been a compelling read as it details the clash between Native Americans and the settlers who pushed in to this area. Being that a lot of the action takes place along the Ohio River, it is a very cool read for someone who grew up a few miles from the river and hunts on it. It is a must read for anyone interested in that kind of history.

I just started The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. This is a three part book wherein Pollan dives in to the industrial food chain in the first part, spends a summer on Polyface Farms in Virginia with Joel Salatin (a unique organic farm), and lastly follow Pollan as he hunts for the first time, gathers and prepares a meal that he has total control over. I'm not very far in, but so far I like it. I've seen Pollan on several food based documentaries I have watched, so I am familiar with him and his work. After I finish this book, I will read Joel Salatin's book The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer. I've listened to a couple podcasts with Joel and my dad has been to a seminar of his. He has a unique farming system and provides some great insight in to living healthy and living of the land in a healthy manner.
 
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DJK Frank 16

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Good idea for a thread.

Taking a few History gen ed electives over the past 12 months I have read portions of Eckert's Frontiersman and The Ohio Frontier. Also read Sherman's March by Burke Davis and Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau. These two were about Sherman's March to the Sea during the Civil War.

All of these but The Ohio Frontier were very long reads, portions were very interesting, but had some dry parts as well.

I've also read O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. Read them both in the course of a week, as I couldn't put them down. I love History and reading about past President's.

I currently don't have a book I'm reading consistently, just the Frontiersman on and off, will actually check back to this thread for suggestions.
 

Redhunter1012

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Jesse, I love Steve Rinella and keep saying I want to get his stuff. My wife has a Kindle she doesn't use anymore, so Im gonna do that. I started the Frontiersman 1 day a few months back then never picked it back up for some reason. And my preacher gave me a book called Once an Arafat Man. A book on a former PLO sniper who moves to America and converts to Christianity. I haven't cracked that one yet. Lately it's been nothing but kids books I read, haha
 

at1010

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good idea!!

the guy who started that first thread must be one smart feller!
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
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Interesting what others read and find of interest.
At present I'm reading Combat: World War 11 that's a 4 book series, 2 on Germany and 2 on Japan. Got the 2 on Germany done and starting on the japan.
I'm a History buff of the worst kind. During the 150 Anniv. of the US Civil War I read the entire 10 book series of over 5,000 pages.
I believe I have the entire Eckert's series and have read several of them. The last couple are tough reads. I lost interest when one of the sons went to France and lived a normal life. Read the Frontiersman 2 times and started again. Just a good book since I now live in the area the book takes place in. I like the one part when he just took off and walked up to Detroit.
I really enjoy all Sniper kill books. Going to take several to Lima this weekend as everyone around has read them. Plus I'm taking up my beaver trapping history books.
 
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MK111

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I received my Hunting Mature Whitetails the Lakosky Way this weekend. I'll start with the Food Plot chapter.
The book is as new.
 

bowhunter1023

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I just started The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. This is a three part book wherein Pollan dives in to the industrial food chain in the first part, spends a summer on Polyface Farms in Virginia with Joel Salatin (a unique organic farm), and lastly follow Pollan as he hunts for the first time, gathers and prepares a meal that he has total control over. I'm not very far in, but so far I like it. I've seen Pollan on several food based documentaries I have watched, so I am familiar with him and his work. After I finish this book, I will read Joel Salatin's book The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer. I've listened to a couple podcasts with Joel and my dad has been to a seminar of his. He has a unique farming system and provides some great insight in to living healthy and living of the land in a healthy manner.

I finished this book over the weekend and would recommend it to anyone wanting to take a closer look at our industrial food chain, as well as what it means to be a hunter gather. It was an excellent read. I purchased Pollan's other best seller, In Defense of Food to read as a follow up to this one. I will report back on it once I finish.
 

Redhunter1012

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So I picked up The Frontiersman again a few days ago and Im about 75% through it. What an amazing read. Like Jesse said, anyone with the slightest interest in the history of Ohio would absolutely love this book. It basically covers parts of the whole state
 
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bowhunter1023

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I finished Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto over the weekend. It is an easy read at 201 pages. He does a good job of breaking down how we came about our Western diet in terms of "nutritionism" and poorly execute food science. After he breaks down how we go here, he discusses what we should eat and how much. I've been a bit consumed with my nutritional research lately and this was a great addition to the library. Anyone looking to learn more about our current food system and why you should clean up your diet, this is a good book to read.

I have his book "Cooked" being delivered tomorrow. This is more of a cooking based read, so I should enjoy it as well.
 

MK111

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Just about finished reading Hunting Mature Deer the Lakosky Way. It's a good book and I would recommend it to all serious deer hunters.
 

Hedgelj

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I just finished "one second after" which is a fictional account of a small town in western north Carolina and their experience after a world wide natural disaster. If you enjoy shtf and teotwawki type of stuff along with human resourcefulness then I suggest it.
 

bowhunter1023

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I've been on a tear in the last year and have read all of Michael Pollan's books except A Place of My Own which I'm reading now. It's already worth recommending! http://michaelpollan.com/books/a-place-of-my-own/

I highly suggest Second Nature for those of you who enjoy gardening. Very interesting read: http://michaelpollan.com/books/second-nature/

I also enjoyed The Botany of Desire. There's one chapter that's laborious, but it's still a very informative read: http://michaelpollan.com/books/the-botany-of-desire/