What books are you reading right now?

BIFF - Quick Responses to High Conflict People
BIFF stands for Brief, Informative, Friendly and Firm.

It's for work.
Basically how to deescalate assholes who are looking for a fight.

 

That sounds like an interesting, and useful, read. Is it based in real life, or some academicians' hypothesis of what should (might) work?

 

Bill Eddy, the guy who wrote it, is a lawyer, therapist, and mediator.
He uses examples but there is a a lot of jargon.
It's a short book so it doesn't grind like a lot of them do.
There is a lot of good ideas for folks that haven't had years of dealing with the public and people with personality disorders.
I'm not saying there aren't things I can't learn from it, just that it is written more towards people that haven't had my somewhat unique background.

 

I'm about halfway through "We Are Legion" (Book 1 in the Bob-Verse.) It's pretty good!

 

I finished "We Are Legion" (Bob-Verse). It was great and I'm definitely getting the rest of the series. Now, I'm re-reading Larry Niven's "Tales from the Draco Tavern".

 

Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising".

 

I'm getting back into Cormac McCarthy.

There three novels & two plays I don't have in my collection: The Orchard Keeper*, Stella Maris, & The Passenger (novels I have in hand), and The Stonemason, & The Sunset Limited (plays, one in route, one just ordered).

All five of these book purchases support charity/service organizations. Cheaper, and better than supporting Half Price Books???

CM wrote a meh? screenplay (the name escapes me) that was turned into a meh? movie; I'm holding off on this one.

*I'm starting with TOK, one of his earliest novels. Will it be as dark as Child of God, & Outer Dark?

 

McCarthy isn't a happy ending writer. His novel Suttree, which is semi-autobiographical, helps explain his general dark view of people.

I can see how Tolkien might be a bit much for an eight year old.

 

Today I had what I hope really is a pleasant surprise.

I purchased The Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy from a youth group service group via eBay. When it arrived today I noticed a partially erased notation (written in pencil) that mentions "signed."

Sure enough, there is an inscription & signature. The signature matches examples of McCarthy's signature I found on-line. So my $7.00 book could have a value of $750.00 to $3,000.00. Based on my limited experience handling valuable books I believe the higher prices are extremely optimistic.

Oh, it's also a hardcover 1st edition with the dust jacket in very good condition. I was expecting a later paperback edition showing some wear.

...(?)