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What the CLC is Reading

By Elizabeth End posted 02-28-2019 21:23

  

You have probably realized that many members of the Candidate Liaison Committee enjoying writing, and it probably won’t be a surprise to learn that we enjoy reading too. Here are some books that we have been reading this winter. We thought you might appreciate a good recommendation or two that you could possibly sneak in alongside your actuarial exam reading and problem solving.

 

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

If you’re looking for something on the lighter side after a long day of studying, this book is great! It’s about a group of friends who go to the same high school as kids who are usually at the center of YA novels – those kids fall in love with vampires and battle the undead, but our main characters just want to get through graduation without their high school blowing up (again). It’s a fun novel centered around nuanced characters facing very real problems, with just a hint of fantasy thrown in. I had a great time reading it and I hope you do too!

Recommended by Sarah

 

Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan

This book is about how ordinary people built extraordinary wealth and encourages readers that they can do it as well.  Chris Hogan is an author and speaker with Dave Ramsey’s organization in Nashville.  Chris and his team studied over 10,000 US millionaires to find out how they got to where they are today.  The awe-inspiring results of their research are summarized in this treatise on who the rich are and how they achieved their success. 

Recommended by Mark

 

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Top-notch science fiction with two parallel stories unfolding over centuries in space.  A mathematical message from a god-like entity in the sky steers the development of a genetically engineered world operating outside the parameters of an original experiment; while refugees from a dying Earth seek to unlock the technological mysteries of their pre-apocalyptic predecessors and keep their ancient ship in working order until they can find a new home.  The story explores what could happen when organic and artificial intelligence merge, how differently technology might develop on a world dominated by a non-mammalian species, and more.  I was hesitant to read this novel due to my fear of spiders, but once I got past my early squeamishness, it was really cool.

Recommended by Agatha

 

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

This book details the historical and current* uses of dead bodies in science, education, forensic investigation, and more.  Also included are some fascinating alternatives to traditional burial.  With chapter titles such as “How to Know if You’re Dead” and “Eat Me,” you’ll quickly discover that the author has turned what could have been a somber topic into an amusing read. 

*current as of early 2000s

Recommended by Agatha

 

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

All the short stories in this book come from moving tattoos on the Illustrated Man’s body. Interesting, huh? It only gets better. Bradbury wrote this book in 1951, but these futuristic stories hit eerily close to home at times. One of the most memorable and chilling stories, “The Veldt” revolves around a nursery/playroom for a couple’s children that can be adapted to any situation through virtual reality. The children continually program the room to be an African veldt where lions are eating carcasses. The parents, with the help of a child psychologist, decide that this is not a healthy atmosphere for the children. The children do not take kindly to their technologically advanced room being taken away though, and they let the parents know it….

Recommended by Elizabeth

 

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

This book is about President James A. Garfield and his unfortunate death while in office. The circumstances of the death are infuriating, and hearing about the medical attention he received will make you grateful for today’s medical practices and technologies. It was so interesting to learn about the political players at that time as well as hear about the shenanigans of Charles Guiteau, the man who shot President Garfield.

Recommended by Elizabeth

 

Have you read any good books recently? If so, please comment on this blog and give us your recommendations! We are always looking for good books to read.

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