Books on LOS

[Mr Floatplane]

There is a whole array of books in the shops dealing with Thailand. So far I’ve only read non-fiction ones.

My favorite is ‘Wondering into Thai Culture’– by Mont Redmond. Not a light read, but very insightful. I also really enjoyed ‘Working with the Thais’, ‘Love $ex and Marriage’ and ‘The People of Issan’.

There seems to be a whole lot of fiction dealing with the bar scene. I am not so much into novels, but do enjoy a good one now and then.

Which books can you recommend and why? Which did you not enjoy?

Thanks.

[LivinLOS]

Bar scene I think David Young is the best (by quite a margin).. His best probably being Fast Eddies lucky 7 agogo..

His others are Scribe (a guy taking commision on sick buffalow money for writing bar girl love letters)..

Sukhumvit (one BKK stunner has 3 love struck boyfriends all converge on BKK the same weekend.. Slightly surreal part)..

Thailand Joy (one womans fall and rise through hard times and economic forced bar work.. Should be compulsory reading for all those that say they "choose to work in the bar").. The Diary of Bua Geow is a similar theme..

You could do worse than Dean Barrett.. He writes some Thai based detective fictions and I am currently enjoying Murder at the Horny Toad bar..

Even Thai girls cry absolutely killed me.. Cant say why without giving the end away but the last chapter was a mirror of events that happened to me here.. Didnt rate the writing style much but it was emotionally involving to say the least..

Private Dancer is a bit of a hack job IMHO but interesting.. Its just been printed (finally) but I have the eBook somewhere if you want..

Bangkok agogo is OK ish (a lot less about nightlife than it sounds)

For a less bar girl side of fiction you could try mad dog and Co (written by a Thai.. I want to try to read more works published by Thai authors now rather than farang takes on the bar scene)..

Non fiction worth a read is Phra Farang and (very different !!) Hello my name Lon, you like me.. You could try the love letters in Hello my Big Honey (gets boring fast if you have watched a lot of guys check thier brians in at the airport).. I believe Slithering south is presented as non fiction (tho not really sure) well worth reading.. You could also check out Patpong Sisters..

Also not yet read 'Thai Girl' or 'Just another girl'..

Theres a lot of stuff out there.. DCOThai is relaible mail order..

I have not read them but the 'deciet' trillogy (smiles of deciet etc) are supposed to be good.. They are on my list as is 'the pole dancer'

[Mr Floatplane]

Thanks for that, I'll cheak out something of David Young's.

Why do you use DOCThai rather than a bookshop? Less expensive?

Thanks for the eBook offer, but I think it would give me the sh__ts. Much better to pick a book? How do you find eBooks?

-yer that 'Mad Dogs and Co' looks interesting - started reading another by the same writer, was great, but I moved house and lost the book!

[wakeboycam]

Hi LIL,

I read Privat Dancer half but stopped because it was making me depressed. I was still in love with a thai girl at that time and probably didn't wanna see the truth. I even deleted the pdf i got from it. It wasn't because the book reminded me of her because she wasn't a BG but more because it made me realise that a western kind of relation with a thai girl would be very hard if not impossible. Now i regret deleting it so if you wanna post a link to it again i would be very gratefull.

[LivinLOS]

I just meant DCOThai as they mail order.. Dont know your location.. Here in Thailand book shops are pretty feeble.. Not much selection etc, I usually grab a few when in BKK but I read a lot of non Thai stuff also (just finishing the grapes of wrath and murder at the Horny Toad bar concurrently)...

I seem to have forgotten Christopher G Moore.. Another Thai subject matter writer..

[LivinLOS]

PD has been taken offline as they have now published the book in paper form..

I have it somewhere I think..

[LivinLOS]

found it.. PM me email or list email address if you want it..

Make sure you can take a 1 MB email..

[Lightemup]

Im about halfway through a book called:
Hi, my name is Lon....Do you like me?

Just about one of the most depressing books I've ever read.

Got it from a co-worker thats married with kids to a TG living in
Thailand, maybe he is trying to tell me something...

[LivinLOS]

Yeah not exactly a feel good book for the barflies is it ??

[Lightemup]

No, not exactly.
Then again, I dont think anyone on this board is not aware of the things that make them do it.....But some of the things she went through, damn....

[steveski]

I liked Thailand Fever, explained some of the differences between us and them.
Agree with LIL about "Hello My Big Honey" but worth a read if you can get for free. Are we really that stupid? Obviously some are. No Money No Honey is boring and about Singapore (as the cover says) but it sort of is all the same.
I think private dancer is worth the read, opened my eyes quite a bit, especially if you are not a veteran or an expat being in it every day.

Is it worth seeing if we can do something with our old books such as leave them with some kind bar owner (are you listening Nicke?) so other BMs can read them while they are there? After I read them they just gather dust some where and then I have to take them with me when I move, I would rather pass them on for others to read who may appreciate them or get something out of them.

[LivinLOS]

I actually have a really interesting plan along those lines..

Been knocking a little idea around in my head for a while.. Just a fun thing connected with books.. Will try to take time to write up my idea tomorrow..

[steveski]

Good on ya, look forward to the read

[marc26]

i suggested the drop-off books at MTB. ill bring my old books when im there in 2 weeks

2 recommendations, not based in thailand, but in asia:

Family Business by Byron Bales-best fictional book ive read based in Asia
Midnight in Burma by Alex Obrien- pretty good drug book about burma

[LivinLOS]

One for you Marc.. OPM Holdings (perhaps rise and fall of) reads like a financial thriller but is the true story of OPM Leasing (obviously Other Peoples Money, they had a subsiduary called Andre Mehnses Gelt !!! Great ).. True Ponzi world class scammers at work..

I love good con stories and true boiler room accounts.. Ponzi's scheme I read years ago and is fun.. Dirty Money taught me a few tricks also

I still havent found a copy of 'smartest guys in the room' will need to drop that on my next amazon order.

I should also gran an abignail book to see what he writes like also.

[steve@thaib]

I've been tossing this idea around since I heard an article about it on the radio.

The idea is that you leave a book with a sticker inside with a web address, and when someone picks the book up and takes it home they post something about it on the website and pass the book on in the same way.

You could track books on journey around the world, I thought it was a great idea.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

One for you Marc.. OPM Holdings (perhaps rise and fall of) reads like a financial thriller but is the true story of OPM Leasing (obviously Other Peoples Money, they had a subsiduary called Andre Mehnses Gelt !!! Great ).. True Ponzi world class scammers at work..

I love good con stories and true boiler room accounts.. Ponzi's scheme I read years ago and is fun.. Dirty Money taught me a few tricks also

I still havent found a copy of 'smartest guys in the room' will need to drop that on my next amazon order.

I should also gran an abignail book to see what he writes like also.

stepehen frey is a great financial thriller author.
a great book, right up your all sefton is ugly americans by ben mezrich. you would love it

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

I've been tossing this idea around since I heard an article about it on the radio.

The idea is that you leave a book with a sticker inside with a web address, and when someone picks the book up and takes it home they post something about it on the website and pass the book on in the same way.

You could track books on journey around the world, I thought it was a great idea.

Thats exactly my idea...

I was thinking to make a site called wanderingbooks or something.. Then when you finish a book you have to give it away.. The person you give it to is asked to continue the thread and if they can say where they got it, where they left it, if they liked it etc.. They could come onto the web or have an email address or set up a efax number or SMS to make it as easy as possible..

At first it would be interesting to track a small sample of books to see if and how it works but the idea is a good one and a forum could start with a thread for each book with people starting thier own wandering books through the site..

I think being a 'booky' community the click through on amazon banner ads etc would be much higher than normal.. Plus you would have a book club atmosphere for talking about books.. Perhaps the site could have a amazon direct sales link to create a revenue flow...

Theres variations on the theme..

If you have a Thai book does it stay in Thailand.. Or perhaps interestingly would it return to Thailand ?? Would a 'Lucky 7 agogo' or nightlife style book only go male to male ??

Also I wondered about the idea of saying this book is trying to get to xxx person in xxx place.. Simply by handing it person to person with the instructions in the front (no posting it) could the book be engineered to go from person to person around the world ???

I have sort of thought of a 'manifesto' to put in the front, including such things as this book should be given to you freely and passed on freely.. This books should be given to a stranger.. If found in a second hand bookshop please donate it as a gift after use.. Then include that you can find out about this book and its travels on this web address please report the following info to us by any of the above methods.

I have been meaning to discuss this on here for a while.. I get loads of books and get a fair few second hand.. I remember picking up a book in english with arabic (I think) writing in the cover / dustjacket.. It struck me that I wonder who had given this book to who and what the message was and since then have turned this idea around lots of times..

I am really curious if certain types of books and authors get different types of readers naturally.. I mean I wouldnt expect the type of person who reads a Kurt Vonnegut to be the same kind that reads a Jilly Cooper but you never know..

Being in a tourist place means that this can spread them very easy.. However after that.. would they stagnate in one place ?? Or whould they move ?? I personally would enjoy passing them on in train stations and airports.. Give them that boost.. I guessed a lonley planet style book might live more in a country than other type...

I just really like the possibilites of monitoring the migrations of them passed from person to person and then also the people study (I should have been an anthropologist !!) of who reads em..

Cant be too tough to knock up a CMS with Nuke and PHPBB.. Hell the vbullitin portal page would be enough homepage really..

I just think its a fun little idea..

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by marc26

stepehen frey is a great financial thriller author.
a great book, right up your all sefton is ugly americans by ben mezrich. you would love it

I have heard of that but not read it.. Yanks in theier 20's taking the asian trading systems for millions right ??

Also theres 'Bringing down the house' superb how MIT students formed a blackjack club and took casinos for millions.. Or the Eudomonic Pie (about a failed attempt with tow operated computers to narrow the odds in roulette)..

I have seen a book I must get about Amarillo slim that I simply have to read..

Theres also a whole bunch of Japanese / chinese stuff in my wishlist (Musashi, The 47 Ronin, Tao Te Ching)..

This thread will cost me a bundle in shipping this shit !!!

[LivinLOS]

Does anyone else read 'The Flashman Papers' ??

I am a huge fan and so is Graham.. He has left me most of his collection here and they are just superb.. totally un PC.. racist, womanizing, cowadly poltroon.. Histoically accurate to an amazing degree and such enjoyable writing style (with this superiour victorian attitude)..

I cant get enough of these.. Started Flashman at the March last night..

[Lightemup]

Just finished "Lady of Issan"
Weird chick...

LivinLOS,
If you got Private Dancer, can you send it to my email?

Thanks in advance,

[steve@thaib]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Thats exactly my idea...

I was thinking to make a site called wanderingbooks or something.. Then when you finish a book you have to give it away.. The person you give it to is asked to continue the thread and if they can say where they got it, where they left it, if they liked it etc.. They could come onto the web or have an email address or set up a efax number or SMS to make it as easy as possible..

At first it would be interesting to track a small sample of books to see if and how it works but the idea is a good one and a forum could start with a thread for each book with people starting thier own wandering books through the site..

I think being a 'booky' community the click through on amazon banner ads etc would be much higher than normal.. Plus you would have a book club atmosphere for talking about books.. Perhaps the site could have a amazon direct sales link to create a revenue flow...

Theres variations on the theme..

If you have a Thai book does it stay in Thailand.. Or perhaps interestingly would it return to Thailand ?? Would a 'Lucky 7 agogo' or nightlife style book only go male to male ??

Also I wondered about the idea of saying this book is trying to get to xxx person in xxx place.. Simply by handing it person to person with the instructions in the front (no posting it) could the book be engineered to go from person to person around the world ???

I have sort of thought of a 'manifesto' to put in the front, including such things as this book should be given to you freely and passed on freely.. This books should be given to a stranger.. If found in a second hand bookshop please donate it as a gift after use.. Then include that you can find out about this book and its travels on this web address please report the following info to us by any of the above methods.

I have been meaning to discuss this on here for a while.. I get loads of books and get a fair few second hand.. I remember picking up a book in english with arabic (I think) writing in the cover / dustjacket.. It struck me that I wonder who had given this book to who and what the message was and since then have turned this idea around lots of times..

I am really curious if certain types of books and authors get different types of readers naturally.. I mean I wouldnt expect the type of person who reads a Kurt Vonnegut to be the same kind that reads a Jilly Cooper but you never know..

Being in a tourist place means that this can spread them very easy.. However after that.. would they stagnate in one place ?? Or whould they move ?? I personally would enjoy passing them on in train stations and airports.. Give them that boost.. I guessed a lonley planet style book might live more in a country than other type...

I just really like the possibilites of monitoring the migrations of them passed from person to person and then also the people study (I should have been an anthropologist !!) of who reads em..

Cant be too tough to knock up a CMS with Nuke and PHPBB.. Hell the vbullitin portal page would be enough homepage really..

I just think its a fun little idea..

It's a top idea, but you lost me right her - Cant be too tough to knock up a CMS with Nuke and PHPBB

I have some unused space and free access to phbb message boards. I thought exactly the same format as it gooes too, a forum with a thread for each book.

I will PM you an e-mail address if you want to flesh the idea out.

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by Lightemup

Just finished "Lady of Issan"
Weird chick...

LivinLOS,
If you got Private Dancer, can you send it to my email?

Thanks in advance,

PM me your email again can ya..