Hey,

What kind of non-magic books do you folks read? I get a lot of inspiration for presentations from novels, short stories and poetry. Some of my favorites:

"Outside the Dog Museum" by Jonathan Carroll
"Written on the Body" by Jeanette Winterson
"The City in Which I Love You" by Li-Young Lee
"Art and Physics" by Leonard Shlain
"World of Wonders" by Robertson Davies

Also, has anyone out there read "Carter Beats the Devil" yet? I'm hoping to snag a copy from my local library soon.

Non magic books for me these days are usually technical manuals having to do with computers or the Internet (Web-design, etc).

Regarding Carter Beats The Devil, I received a first edition hardcover from my brother-in-law for Christmas. I haven't had a chance to read it, but when I do, I'll write something up about it.

Like Steve, I read technical books on Web Design, Flash, etc.

I also read books of fire fighting as that is what I teach in my seminars.

Which brings us to Seminar books and a lot on Guerrilla Marketing books by Jay Conrad Levinson: These books tell how to market yourself cheaply, and effectively on-line as well as in the real business world.

Occasionally, I read sci-fi books like all of the Juassic Park movie books and Dune... several times! And lots of books on dinosaurs.

I read novels by Authur Hailey, Jeaffrey Deaver, David Bladdaci..... anything as long as it is a thriller/mystery.

Can't beat the Harry Potter books for a darn good read. But are they 'non-magic'?

My taste is pretty eclectic. I enjoy good crime fiction, from Doyle, Hammett, Stout,and Chandler, to modern folks like Elmore Leonard, Michael Connelly and James Ellroy. BTW, Void Moon by Connelly features a psychopathic magician. It's a fun read.

I also like biographies by or about hustlers and con men. "You Can't Win!" by Jack Black is a classic of this kind. Other great reads are "McGoorty" by Robert Byrne, and "Side Show" by Howard Bone.

Finally, for the sheer joy of their writing, I like reading the old New Yorker writers (James Thurber, Dorothy Parker, A.J. Liebling, etc.).

Jim

I like mysteries, action/adventure, science fiction/fantasy, history, biography, and the Bible.

I'm an all non-fiction guy (couldn't tell you why). I enjoy books on physics (most sciences actually), religion, donuts, astronomy, prehistory (again, couldn't tell you why).

What books do I read that aren't magic related? Well, I'm currently reading Og Mandino's journal, Secrets of Success and Happiness. Og was a facinating man, and not to shabby of a writer either.

Bible
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Ravi Zachariason,
Chuck Coleson, Kingdoms in Conflict
A variety of books on marketing, and selling skills
Books on writing

I tend toward non-fiction, self-enrichment types of books.

Scott

Steven King for the most part.

Den did you ever read "Last American Heroes Todays Firefighters" by Charles W. Sasser and Michael W. Sasser

:question:

I rarely read anything not relating to magic. When I do, it is usually true life ghost stories, books about Psychic phenomena & true life mysteries.

Who are some of your favorite donut authors. Mine is Duncan Donut. Winchell also puts out good work. Allthough I find some of his work to have holes in the plot.

I personally enjoy a good Tom Clancy novel...but, it has to be the original Tom Clancy, not the Op-Center stuff. I also like the John Grisham novels. Grisham and Clancy, in my opinion, have similar writing styles, just different subject matter.

Margarette

I'm working my way through "The hungry little caterpillar" at the moment.

I always like reading 'The little mole who knew it was none of his business'

my neice likes it too...

I just finished reading LOTR and I guess next on my non-magic list is 'The Jesus I never knew'.

I read the "SWORD & SCORCERY" kind of books.
Plus books on the Paranormal, Ghosts and anything creepy for ideas for Bizarre magic

I just don't get time to read anymore, but used to be an avid reader.

As a teenager loved SF, things like Aldis' Hothouse, books by Jose Farmer, Harry Harrison, John Wyndham, Clarke.

Then moved on to horror and thrillers, Ludlum, Maclean, Cussler, King, Koontz, Barker etc.

The earlier King books were better I think, Salem's Lot, Firestarter etc.

Read the Edge westerns, not into romance, gangster or War, though read two factual war books.

Various books on the occult/paranormal, like Colin Wilson's work.

Paul Hallas

Well, you'd think as a fiction writer I'd read more fiction, but the fact is I read mostly non-fiction. I read a great deal of religious books: Hinduism, Budhism, Judaism, Islam etc. Not books about them so much, as their various holy books. I also read a good deal of various mythologies (not Greek and Roman, that got old after third grade). Quantum physics, martial arts, Chinese medicine, some biographies. There is a little fiction though: C.S. Lewis, Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert, Neil Gaimen...

Sable

I loved Robert Byrne's book on McGoorty. What a great read that was. (Robert Byrne is a very funny guy. His instructional books on pool are written with the same kind of humorous approach).

Non magic books... That's a tough one, because that's an addiction in it self.

I've been reading the dune books again and I'm trying to learn how to cook better so I've been reading a few cook books.