tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362072062024-03-19T04:52:24.478-07:00The Armchair AdventurerA meandering look at the literature that color my adventures.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-66800708746158030322018-09-30T13:09:00.000-07:002018-09-30T13:09:30.366-07:00The Great Big Reads Revisited<br />
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Last time I mentioned some of the surprising books missing from
“The Great American Read”, the current PBS campaign looking for the best loved
novel in America, and the BBC’s 2003 “The Big Read”. In passing I noted that
the lists shared 42 books. I find the commonalities interesting. These novels deal
with universal ideas and issues we all are struggling to make sense of in
classic and powerful prose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>The shared novels -</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>1984</i> George Orwell</li>
<li><i>A Prayer for Owen
Meany</i> John Irving</li>
<li><i>The Alchemist</i>
Paulo Coelho</li>
<li><i>Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland </i>Lewis Carroll</li>
<li><i>Anne of Green Gables</i>
Lucy Maud Montgomery</li>
<li><i>Catch-22</i> Joseph
Heller</li>
<li><i>The Catcher in the Rye</i>
J.D. Salinger</li>
<li><i>Charlotte’s Web</i>
E.B. White</li>
<li><i>The Chronicles of
Narnia</i> C.S. Lewis</li>
<li><i>The Clan of the Cave
Bear</i> Jean M. Auel</li>
<li><i>The Color Purple</i>
Alice Walker</li>
<li><i>The Count of Monte
Cristo</i> Alexandre Dumas</li>
<li><i>Crime and Punishment</i>
Fyodor Dostoyevsky</li>
<li><i>Dune</i> Frank Herbert</li>
<li><i>Flowers in the Attic</i>
V.C. Andrews</li>
<li><i>Frankenstein</i> Mary
Shelley</li>
<li><i>The Godfather</i>
Mario Puzo</li>
<li><i>Gone with the Wind</i>
Margaret Mitchell</li>
<li><i>The Grapes of Wrath</i>
John Steinbeck</li>
<li><i>Great Expectations</i>
Charles Dickens</li>
<li><i>The Great Gatsby</i>
F. Scott Fitzgerald</li>
<li><i>The Handmaid’s Tale</i>
Margaret Atwood</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter</i> J.K.
Rowling</li>
<li><i>Heart of Darkness</i>
Joseph Conrad</li>
<li><i>The Hitchhiker’s Guide
to the Galaxy</i> Douglas Adams</li>
<li><i>Jane Eyre</i>
Charlotte Bronte</li>
<li><i>The Little Prince</i>
Antione de Saint-Exupery</li>
<li><i>Little Women</i>
Louisa May Alcott</li>
<li><i>The Lord of the Rings</i>
J.R.R. Tolkien</li>
<li><i>Memoirs of a Geisha</i>
Arthur Golden</li>
<li><i>Moby Dick</i> Herman
Melville</li>
<li><i>One Hundred Years of
Solitude</i> Gabriel Garcia Marquez</li>
<li><i>Outlander</i> Diana
Gabaldon</li>
<li><i>The Picture of Dorian
Gray</i> Oscar Wilde</li>
<li><i>The Pillars of the
Earth</i> Ken Follett</li>
<li><i>Pride and Prejudice </i>Jane
Austen</li>
<li><i>Rebecca</i> Daphne Du
Maurier</li>
<li><i>The Stand </i>Stephen
King</li>
<li><i>Tales of the City</i>
Armistead Maupin</li>
<li><i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>Harper
Lee</li>
<li><i>War and Peace</i> Leo
Tolstoy</li>
<li><i>Wuthering Heights</i>
Emily Bronte</li>
</ul>
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I was struck by how many of the subset I’ve read, how many
friend’s favorite books are featured on the list, and how the ideas have been
integrated into popular culture. I often wonder - How many people have read the
novel which gave us the phrase “It’s a Catch-22.”? Or recognize the dystopian
futures developing around them? Or realize some of the most popular TV series
actually draw their source material from novels? Regardless, the storylines and
protagonists are powerful ones we connect with and live through on both sides
of the Atlantic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Update: Hovering at 60% complete in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quiet</i>. Rough week with what appears to be the annual cold respite
requirement. Until then…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>How many of these
books have you read? Did you read them for school? Or did they find you? If you
have children, have they read some of the books on this list? And, are they the
same as the books you read as a child/young adult?<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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<br />ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-77683289092906838172018-09-23T14:23:00.000-07:002018-09-23T14:23:32.933-07:00The Great Big Reads<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC33hZwjX4lREKeS49u6UFjXv9oeV8Hnr3dEsxE_wN8EeU6szP3jMZraHfO_vhOT5WFRNmAtVLhpDKcCLdQZPeEQ5JfyzRvU6EGCxbkajIjZwLyoVWp0EtUC_z6vgSeLSKpIr/s1600/Books.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1200" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC33hZwjX4lREKeS49u6UFjXv9oeV8Hnr3dEsxE_wN8EeU6szP3jMZraHfO_vhOT5WFRNmAtVLhpDKcCLdQZPeEQ5JfyzRvU6EGCxbkajIjZwLyoVWp0EtUC_z6vgSeLSKpIr/s320/Books.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/6ywyo2qtaZ8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank">Eugenio Mazzone</a> (Unsplash)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>“We read books to find out who we are. What other people,
real or imaginary, do and think and feel… is an essential guide to our
understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.”</i><div>
<span style="text-align: right;">– Ursula K. Le Guin</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
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<i>“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading,
you only think what everyone else is thinking.”</i> <span style="text-align: right;">– Haruki Murakami</span></div>
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I’ll admit it… I’m a book browser. I hate prescribed lists
of what you <i>SHOULD</i> read or what book clubs <i>ARE</i> reading. I seek out stories that
<b>speak to me</b> and what I’m processing at the time. Often the most off-beat covers
contain the most unique prose.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Why is there a dodo on a plain red back drop? (<i>The Eyre Affair</i>, Jasper Fforde)<br />
Will the dove return? (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things</i>, Jon McGregor)<br />
What happened after the astronauts walked on the moon? (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moondust</i>, Andrew Smith)<br />
Why is a guy climbing down stacked trailers? (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready Player One</i>, Ernest Cline)</blockquote>
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As bricks and mortar bookstores disappear, browsing has
become a wee bit more challenging... <o:p></o:p></div>
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This week I came across an episode of <a href="https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/" target="_blank">“The Great American Read”</a> on PBS. Similar to the BBC 2003 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Read" target="_blank">“The Big Read”</a>, both projects aim to
discover the best loved novels as voted by the public. The premise, although
completely unscientific, is an interesting experiment highlighting the stories
which shape our collective psyche. Accepting that 15 years have passed - How
similar are the lists? What’s missing that I might recommend?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Note: “The Big Read” listed books in a series separately. “The
Great American Read” collected series into one listing. I have compared the
long list from “The Big Read” to the 100 books on “The Great American Read”. I
have not controlled for books published after 2003.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A cursory glance shows how unique the lists are. The British
list is heavy on what most would consider classics whereas the American lists
contains more social commentary and modern issues relating to race. Without
controlling for books published after 2003, 42 books overlapped both lists. 42!
That’s amazing. Moreover, some of the books missing between the lists caught my
eye.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Having lived in both countries, I tend to favor British
novels due to the often dramatic prose and dynamic use of language. Missing
from the American list – authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock Holmes</i>), Roald Dahl, Terry
Pratchett (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Discworld </i>Series), Philip
Pullman (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His Dark Materials </i>Series),
and Bram Stoker (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i>) among
others. I chucked when I realized several of the individual titles trended
heavily towards science fiction/fantasy including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Brave New World </i>(Aldous Huxley), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wasp Factory</i> (Iain Banks), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Name of the Rose</i> (Umberto Eco), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The War
of the Worlds </i>(H.G. Wells). I was stunned not to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On
the Road</i> (Jack Kerouac). All amazing stories that will challenge you to
think if you haven’t read them before.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Four novels surprisingly missing from the British list – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Atlas Shrugged</i> (Ayn Rand), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Foundation </i>(Isaac Asimov), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And Then There Were None </i>(Agatha
Christie), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Siddhartha </i>(Herman
Hess). Again, beautiful storytelling all around.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Projects like these mark a particular moment in history,
reflecting what a society values or is struggling to understand. They are fluid
as are the choices we make about what we read and why we read. In researching
these projects, I may have added a few more titles to my current wish list as
they spoke to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Update: Hovering at 40% complete in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quiet</i>. Until then…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>How many of these
books have you read? Which is your favorite? Will you <a href="https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/vote/" target="_blank">vote</a> for your favorite in
“The Great American Read”? Voting continues until 18 October.</b></i></div>
</div>
ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-26217947627039692122018-09-16T15:20:00.002-07:002018-09-16T15:20:37.214-07:00Ready Player One<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">By Ernest Cline (Crown Publishing, 2011)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3kgmG3NPkmH0MEvt7oG5CTbL4Oslr9hbmdAfnaKG5VAxr3CM6mi-rALZ2L7a59jkFKNzFQzTpuxbGf-sbgBL0BQ7vqzAwXNEFhGdVOTu4DWaBPJb9vrHOTifpgCpZZU-baNF/s1600/ReadyPlayerOne_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1038" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3kgmG3NPkmH0MEvt7oG5CTbL4Oslr9hbmdAfnaKG5VAxr3CM6mi-rALZ2L7a59jkFKNzFQzTpuxbGf-sbgBL0BQ7vqzAwXNEFhGdVOTu4DWaBPJb9vrHOTifpgCpZZU-baNF/s320/ReadyPlayerOne_Cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It’s increasingly challenging to find a good bookstore these days.
As a browser, I’m just not a fan of chains after years of dusty, dimly lit rare
stacks or small independents. Ernest Cline’s science fiction debut came to me
back in April while browsing what books ‘not’ to read (i.e. those on book club
lists with excessive amounts of praise on the cover) at a local chain.
Intrigued by the strange book with an orange toned cover of stacked trailers, I
thumbed the first five pages as usual before buying this summer popcorn read.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Written in 2009-2010, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready Player One</i> is
set in a dystopian world thirty years in the future not unlike our present
society. Ravaged by energy and climate issues Earth’s inhabitants escape the
crushing disappointment of life via the OASIS. In the OASIS, part virtual
reality utopia part video game junkie paradise, access to information and
community is universal and the world is your oyster. The story follows Wade
Watts and his group of friends on their quest to find Halliday’s [creator of
the OASIS] Easter egg hidden within the simulation and win the grand prize…
Halliday’s fortune and ownership of the OASIS. Wade and the gunters are up
against IOI and the Sixers, a massive corporation that will use any means
possible to win the prize then monetize and restrict the OASIS. IOI’s goal seemed
reminiscent of current transformations within entertainment content and
distribution companies. A runaway <i>New
York Times</i> bestseller, described by <i>USA
Today</i> as “Willy Wonka meets the <i>Matrix</i>”,
reviewers either loved it or hated it. I bought the compelling storyteller’s
tale… to a point.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Cline hooks the audience with his distinctly American premise –
find the ‘Easter egg’ or ‘golden ticket’ (Roald Dahl) and win the pot of gold.
Littered with popular culture references from the 1980s, I quickly found myself
remembering TV series and video games I hadn’t thought of in a decade. I was
sucked in by the nostalgia of when the world seemed innocent and optimistic.
Wade comes across as a straight shooter when he describes the human condition.
“I started to figure out the ugly truth as soon as I began to explore the free
OASIS libraries. The facts were right there waiting for me, hidden in old books
written by people who weren’t afraid to be honest. Artists and scientists and
philosophers and poets, many of them long dead. As I read the words they’d left
behind, I finally began to get a grip on the situation… Basically, kid, what
this all means is that life is a lot tougher than it used to be, in the Good
Old Days, back before you were born.” (p16-17). This protagonist gets it. Watching
the world change around me, and not always for the better, this resonated with
me.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">To access in the OASIS, Cline borrowed ideas from the <i>Matrix</i> and evolving virtual reality
technology. Players don a minimum of visors and haptic gloves before logging in
and seeing the magic words, “Ready Player One”. As the story progresses, Wade
is almost consumed by the OASIS as his obsession with finding Halliday’s Easter
egg takes over his entire existence. He becomes an anti-social recluse who literally
suits up from head to toe, plugging into the machine, to better enhance his
immersion in the quest (p190-199). This evolution disturbed me tremendously as
I watch humans connect more and more with their devices and less and less with
each other.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Although initially a nostalgic jaunt through popular culture via a
popcorn quest, this novel quickly deteriorated to a farcical chore. Cline’s
debut unsuccessfully mashes romance, adventure, and over the top whimsy all
under the guise of science fiction. The wheels come off the quest at the start
of the third section when Wade is forced to infiltrate IOI to save the day.
Initially using his intelligence and intuition to solve the puzzles set by
Halliday, Wade succumbs to the same weaknesses as his Sixer opponents thereby
losing his luster. From there I honestly couldn’t read fast enough to get
through the ridiculous final battle scene involving iconic Japanese monsters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Cline over uses just in time information by introducing characters
or play-through scenarios literally as they were needed. A well-constructed
plot should have these connections mapped and introduced evenly throughout the
story. Without spoiling the “chance” event that leads Wade to winning, I found
it impossible to believe that other gunters had not stumbled upon the side
quest and winning artifact. Finally, the vulgar language throughout really
soured the reading experience for me… Swearing is base and a cop out, period.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">During an interview with Adrian Liang for Amazon, Cline was asked
about his thoughts on the immersiveness and escapism of the OASIS and whether
it has parallels to social media. Cline observed, “</span><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 13.5pt;">Right now, in 2018, billions of us carry
small hand-held computers that keep us connected to the Internet every second
of every day. We already have virtual conversations and relationships with
people we've never met. And we communicate through our social media profiles,
which are just like Oasis avatars—idealized versions of ourselves that are
often more representative of who we would like to be, rather than who we truly
are. So yes, I always had those parallels in mind when I created the Oasis, and
they only seemed to have deepened in the years since the book was first published.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 13.5pt;"><b><i>If you can take one thing away from this novel, I challenge you
to consider the ramifications of digital escapism. How ‘plugged in’ are you?
But more importantly, why?</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Next on the reading pile is Susan Cain’s game changing exploration
of introversion</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet">Quiet:
The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking</a>.</span></i></div>
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ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-60598162813904290482018-09-09T15:23:00.000-07:002018-09-09T18:31:05.909-07:00Slow down, you read too fast.<br />
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When a pair of bibliophile holidays caught my attention this
week - <b>National Read a Book Day</b> on September 6<sup>th</sup> and <b>UNESCO’s
International Literacy Day</b> on September 8<sup>th </sup>; I wondered, in an age of
decreasing attention spans, does how fast you read matter?<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGWV3_9v6IBRiwX_6wi-TV57q4fO0XN-xiIvNvWlFWyx-m6crqhjDAgvDxod04u099XQsj8cdkZ5byJLCkm1PkO0UyGxC41ty9UsoUJb5OROIXwcGRDQp76naJhB1FCUhPdd5/s1600/attention_span.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGWV3_9v6IBRiwX_6wi-TV57q4fO0XN-xiIvNvWlFWyx-m6crqhjDAgvDxod04u099XQsj8cdkZ5byJLCkm1PkO0UyGxC41ty9UsoUJb5OROIXwcGRDQp76naJhB1FCUhPdd5/s320/attention_span.png" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©xkcd</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Over the past few weeks I’ve touched on a several <b>alarming
trends</b>. Distilled - Fewer American’s are reading than ever, often for less than
20 minutes a day, that may be fueling a decrease in empathy (due to the lack of
engagement in storytelling).</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Is our super-charged world moving too fast for reading? Are
most people slow readers and not achieving the instant gratification they
expect? In Kevin McSpadden’s piece “You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than
a Goldfish”<sup><a href="http://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/" target="_blank">[1]</a></sup> he dug into research conducted by Microsoft for
answers. Canadian researchers “found that since the year 2000 (or about when
the mobile revolution began) the average attention span dropped from 12 seconds
to eight seconds [shorter than a goldfish]” according to the 2015 Microsoft
report.<sup><a href="http://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/" target="_blank">[1]</a></sup> Neuroscientists suspect this may be our brain
evolving in response to the rise of rapid bursts of information and our
fragmenting mobile society. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Ooooo shiny’</i>.
Cue <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘squirrel’</i> from Disney’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">UP</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jrvAO7uysFNaD0fjS33wzNokK0aWftyBH2dBBLYmKC_Yh25C7UbTHf7FC6pkbfSU0-43yW-RMc3CPiOd87ZRaPdYK_-apc_7ISbR8yCpRdcrztgULdjk2WGnDeUPaQPl5Low/s1600/Human-vs-Goldfish-Attention-Span-research.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="679" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jrvAO7uysFNaD0fjS33wzNokK0aWftyBH2dBBLYmKC_Yh25C7UbTHf7FC6pkbfSU0-43yW-RMc3CPiOd87ZRaPdYK_-apc_7ISbR8yCpRdcrztgULdjk2WGnDeUPaQPl5Low/s320/Human-vs-Goldfish-Attention-Span-research.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Giffon Webstudios</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Technology is reprogramming how we collect and collate
information while introducing myriad distractions. How do diminishing attention
spans gristle against the biology of reading? In Mark Seidenberg’s piece
“Sorry, But Speed Reading Won’t Help You Read More”<sup><a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-resolution-read-speed-reading-wont-help/" target="_blank">[2]</a></sup> he uses
excerpts from his book to explore the biological limitations of reading. Back
of the napkin, Seidenberg estimates your eyes can only process 280 words per
minute. “The exact number of words per minute is far less important than the
fact that the value cannot be greatly increased without seriously compromising
comprehension.”<sup><a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-resolution-read-speed-reading-wont-help/" target="_blank">[2]</a></sup> On average, adults read 200 to 300 words per
minute with a 60% comprehension rate depending on the material.<sup><a href="https://www.irisreading.com/what-is-the-average-reading-speed/" target="_blank">[3</a>&<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettnelson/2012/06/04/do-you-read-fast-enough-to-be-successful/#9ac8760462e7" target="_blank">4]</a></sup>
Given the physical processing limits of our eyes and brain, Seidenberg went further
and dispelled most of the popular speed reading modalities.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have always been a ‘slow’ reader. I read all the words. I
create the environments. I like my immersive escapism. I get a bit grumpy when
someone bothers me while I’ve got a book open. I am totally at odds with a
society demanding I answer every e-mail, direct message and Tweet the second it
arrives. I can’t change the physical processing limits of my biological
supercomputer, yet. Attention spans will continue to dwindle in response to increasingly
fragmented information. How does the slow reader thrive? </div>
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Brett Nelson observed,
“The most successful people I know don’t just read – they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">inhale</i> information… manag[ing] to fit in what amounts to an extra
work days’ worth of reading every week.”<sup><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettnelson/2012/06/04/do-you-read-fast-enough-to-be-successful/#9ac8760462e7" target="_blank">[4]</a></sup> Like any skill, reading
takes practice and delayed gratification. Seidenberg further drives the point
home. “The serious way to improve reading – how well we comprehend a text and,
yes, speed and efficiency – is this: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Read…
As much as possible… Mostly new stuff.</b>”<sup><a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-resolution-read-speed-reading-wont-help/" target="_blank">[2]</a></sup> But maybe turn off the
predictive timer on your eReader… Those things are creepy and only reinforce
how much longer you’ll be engaged in your current read.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Update: Hovering at 60% complete, I’d expect to collect my thoughts
on Cline’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready Player One</i> next
week. Until then…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>How long is your <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/attention-span-test" target="_blank">attention span</a>? How fast do you <a href="https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/technology-research-centers/ereaders/speed-reader/index.html" target="_blank">read</a>? Does
it matter? And thank you for 2 minutes and 15 seconds of your time.</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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1: McSpadden, Kevin. “You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than
a Goldfish” <i>Time</i>, Time Inc., 14 May
2015, <a href="http://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/">http://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/</a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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2: Seidenberg, Mark. “Sorry, But Speed Reading Won’t Help You
Read More” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wired</i>, Con<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">d</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">é</span> Nast, 24 January 2017, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-resolution-read-speed-reading-wont-help/">https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-resolution-read-speed-reading-wont-help/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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3: Nowak, Paul. “What Is the Average Reading Speed?” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iris: Reading at the Speed of Thought</i>,
Iris Reading LLC, 29 May 2018, <a href="https://www.irisreading.com/what-is-the-average-reading-speed/">https://www.irisreading.com/what-is-the-average-reading-speed/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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4: Nelson, Brett. “Do You Read Fast Enough to be Successful?”
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Forbes</i>, Forbes Media LLC, 4 June
2012, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettnelson/2012/06/04/do-you-read-fast-enough-to-be-successful/#9ac8760462e7">https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettnelson/2012/06/04/do-you-read-fast-enough-to-be-successful/#9ac8760462e7</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-23948735782145790262018-09-02T13:20:00.000-07:002018-09-02T13:20:23.691-07:00Twain and a Liberal Arts EducationLife as an independent contractor is unique; ebbing and
flowing to its own rhythms rather than the agrarian calendar. I had an
unexpected deadline-driven opportunity this week that reminded me of the
season’s changes. The first red leaves and autumnal light are hard to ignore. Cooler weather is coming and I am less than
impressed.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtWstEJjyQUAHbRWoBQQuAxSqFAf3Zk9rll7DlV_nfBKpzyFO-YSXr3EWnM4mvOkxu-j0B2TsT9V0vM9hT_x_9Z-kxI9w0j8nTI2BVcf1zahiz0HvMY_kKenN2Lvel_N6g3py/s1600/MarkTwainStatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtWstEJjyQUAHbRWoBQQuAxSqFAf3Zk9rll7DlV_nfBKpzyFO-YSXr3EWnM4mvOkxu-j0B2TsT9V0vM9hT_x_9Z-kxI9w0j8nTI2BVcf1zahiz0HvMY_kKenN2Lvel_N6g3py/s320/MarkTwainStatue.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local Mark Twain Statue. Olympia, WA. ©MTHough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While researching for work, I paused Tuesday evening to
process the information I was collating and analyzing. Dry, bloodshot eyes
shied away from further reading despite my love of it. A quick flip through PBS
on demand landed me at Ken Burn’s 2001 documentary <i><a href="http://kenburns.com/films/mark-twain/" target="_blank">Mark Twain</a></i>. At the
intermission, I found myself wondering about '<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the classics'</span> and my liberal arts education.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a child, I vividly remember wall mounted shelves
containing hard bound volumes of '<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the classics'</span>.
My parents insisted on collecting them. As times change, books tend to be
redacted or abridged to reflect the evolving social attitudes. They wanted my
brothers and me to have access to the originals 'as they were meant to be read’.
After musing for several days, I can’t honestly remember the names of any of
the volumes and find it harder still to recall reading them. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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Everyone remembers reading Shakespeare and a few others in
high school, an empire of Cliff’s and Sparks Notes depend on it. What other
classics did we read? As an undergraduate, I pursued a ‘well-rounded liberal
arts education’ because connections often lie in desperate ideas. I recall
reading Fitzgerald, Steinbeck and Kerouac. It was only when I returned to the
authors as an adult that I understood or enjoyed them. Mark Twain, I am sad to
report, has not been thumbed other than his fantastic wit and pointed quotes.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Born Samuel Longhorn Clements, Mark Twain arrived (1835) and
departed (1910) with Halley’s Comet and was himself almost a tall tale spun for
his readers. Keenly observed and sharp witted, his stories and novels
transformed the literature landscape through the use of American vernacular and
humor. I often snicker at Twain quotes! He was pitch perfect in his observations.
Although owning <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Innocence Abroad, The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn</i>; my connection with Twain really is his quotes, an
off-beat Claymation film from 1985 –<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Mark_Twain_(1985_film)" target="_blank"> </a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Mark_Twain_(1985_film)" target="_blank">The Adventures of Mark Twain</a>, </i>and a local statue celebrating his<a href="http://www.thurstontalk.com/2018/04/23/mark-twain-olympia-visit-1895/" target="_blank"> lecture tour stop</a> here in
1895. This week, that changed. I dusted off the story collection which launched
Twain onto the national scene - <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Celebrated_Jumping_Frog_of_Calaveras.html?id=kqMDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank"><i>The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches </i>(1867)</a>.
Although tough to find the vernacular groove, it is 2018 rather than 1865 after
all, I immensely enjoyed these tall tales after Ken Burns’ documentary provided
the context for their creation. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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Even if you only have a few minutes, I suspect you’ll
chuckle. <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Celebrated_Jumping_Frog_of_Calaveras.html?id=kqMDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">Full text available</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
As I return to Cline’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready
Player One</i>…<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<b><i>What makes a book a classic? What classics have you loved?
What classics do you wish you’d read?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<br />
<br />ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-37566424725442114152018-08-26T13:36:00.000-07:002018-09-16T15:13:07.229-07:00Empathy and Love Languages<b><i>Achooooo!</i></b> If only it were from the dust… <o:p></o:p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mSTP1CirslX8lS02mP_Co33450NfVQ54HaNAJIEI-u86jlQ7BLpyPtKDNK0Ut8-6uvj_CW6dVRAkHiaEhnTuOMzRB9OEi0BCzRHTlUm-OPv19pkvL42l-Gta1-fUYYwMnY-g/s1600/SeattleSmoke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mSTP1CirslX8lS02mP_Co33450NfVQ54HaNAJIEI-u86jlQ7BLpyPtKDNK0Ut8-6uvj_CW6dVRAkHiaEhnTuOMzRB9OEi0BCzRHTlUm-OPv19pkvL42l-Gta1-fUYYwMnY-g/s320/SeattleSmoke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sadly, the last few weeks have seen much of the western US
blanketed in unhealthy smoke. Thick, hurt your lungs, make your eyes water,
smell of fire nearby smoke. Spurred by wildfires currently fueled by
record-breaking heat and minuscule precipitation, it reminds me more of a post-apocalyptic
nuclear winter than a region known for its stunning natural beauty. As the
conditions have worsened, it seems our crowded marble has become more aggressive
– Abrasive clients and angry drivers abound.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I took the long way home a few nights ago… Around the
largest lake in our county, through precious little remaining old growth forest,
across a railroad track shaded by a dappled sunset where a doe was shepherding
two fawns away from encroaching civilization. I wondered, can empathy in our
transactional society be related to the book I had just finished on ‘love
languages’?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Two months ago, I reserved <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23878688-the-5-love-languages" target="_blank">Gary Chapman’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Five Love Languages</i></a> as part of a
co-reading experiment. I’m not one for the self-help books, unless the travel
section is considered self-help these days, but I wanted to give this
experiment a try and support my friend. Libby, my library app, took the liberty
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">finally</i> downloading the title.
Sadly, the co-reader has gone but that hasn’t stopped me from reading the
material anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Originally penned in 1992, Dr. Chapman distills his thirty
years of experience as a marriage counselor into three simple principles:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPv-q47hkLaIKLRzdPfyANEi9MMW3HimDhjgj5mx3HaGUFaA8yd1_bImgoVV2x7lJpw81j3dzpYgV_VbSi2dxasJ4b1YXJG3xbj2TyC8CvoUnB9kusB4ed7pK_o-Gx8_HhvrPT/s1600/5-love-languages.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPv-q47hkLaIKLRzdPfyANEi9MMW3HimDhjgj5mx3HaGUFaA8yd1_bImgoVV2x7lJpw81j3dzpYgV_VbSi2dxasJ4b1YXJG3xbj2TyC8CvoUnB9kusB4ed7pK_o-Gx8_HhvrPT/s1600/5-love-languages.png" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>We all have a ‘love tank’ that needs to be
tended. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs" target="_blank">Maslow’s hierarchy of needs</a>.)</li>
<li>There are five primary ways people express they
care for one another, although, these tend to be a continuum more than discrete
boxes.</li>
<li>We each experience the world differently, often
filtering our experiences based on our own ‘love language’. Cue epic miscommunications
and mayhem when we realize we aren’t speaking the same language!</li>
</ol>
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Chapman uses vignettes as gentle case studies to help
illustrate how easy it is to misunderstand each other and how frank discussions
and diligent efforts might mend the hurt. Having sold over 11-milliion copies
worldwide, translated into 50 languages, and a #1 New York Times Bestseller for
over 8 years the book has now spawned a series distilling the message for children,
teens, singles and scores of other demographics. He must be on to something.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chapman’s observations caught my attention in relationship
to empathy in our transactional world. Are people ‘meaner’ because our world is
more about transactions than relationships? Especially given that relationships
take diligent communications in the right language and transactions do not. In
Jamil Zaki’s piece <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/" target="_blank">“What, Me Care? Young are Less Empathetic”<sup>[1]</sup></a> he
explores two studies examining our changing attitudes. Using the Interpersonal
Reactivity Index, Konrath and colleagues noted, “almost 75 per cent of students
today [2011] rate themselves as less empathic than the average student 30 years
ago.”<sup><a href="https://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/eob/edobrien_empathyPSPR.pdf" target="_blank">[2]</a></sup> With a decline in
empathic skills between 34% and 48% in the past decade <sup><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2016/06/08/is-empathy-dead-how-your-lack-of-empathy-damages-your-reputation-and-impact-as-a-leader/#162034093167" target="_blank">[3]</a></sup>, it’s
unsurprising the world feels grumpy. More alarming to me was a small aside –
Jean M. Twenge noticed “during the same period student’s self-reported
narcissism has reached new heights.”<sup><a href="https://www.narcissismepidemic.com/" target="_blank">[4]</a></sup> Zaki suggests several
possible reasons, including what information we consume and how we engage with
it, noting work by Raymond A Mar demonstrating “adults who read less fiction
report themselves to be less empathic.”<sup><a href="http://www.yorku.ca/mar/mar%20et%20al%20in%20press_CogDev_media%20exposure%20and%20child%20ToM.pdf" target="_blank">[5]</a></sup> Cue flashing master
alarm…<o:p></o:p></div>
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P.J. Manney observed in her Op-Ed “Is Technology Destroying
Empathy?”<sup><a href="https://www.livescience.com/51392-will-tech-bring-humanity-together-or-tear-it-apart.html" target="_blank">[6]</a></sup> that “We learn to be in the shoes of another person
through real-life observations or storytelling” with communication being at the
center of empathy creation. For me, Chapman’s ‘love languages’ distilled this
idea – if I communicate more deliberately (not just with a partner) based on
how others may experience the world, maybe just maybe a little bit of positivity
will follow. Obviously, there are no guarantees, but I’d rather have a
relationship over a transaction any day, regardless of the effort required. And, read more fiction!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next on the reading pile are two books – end of summer
popcorn fiction Ernest Cline’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one" target="_blank">ReadyPlayer One</a>; </i>and a work-related non-fiction volume <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet" target="_blank">Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking</a> </i>by
Susan Cain. Tweets will center on the later so as a not to ruin the storyline
in the former. Until then...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Do you know your primary love language? <a href="http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/" target="_blank">Take the quiz!</a> How might learning a
new language change your daily transactions into relationships?</i></b><o:p></o:p><br />
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1: Zaki, Jamil. “What, Me Care? Young Are Less Empathetic” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scientific American</i>, Springer Nature
America, Inc., 1 January 2011, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/">https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/</a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -24px;">2: Konrath, S.H., O'Brien, E.H., and C. Hsing. "Changes in Dispositional Empathy in American College Students over Time: A Meta-Analysis." <i>Personality and Social Psychology Review </i>15.2 (2011): <a href="https://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/eob/edobrien_empathyPSPR.pdf" target="_blank">180-198. Print.</a></span></div>
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3: Caprino, Kathy. “Is Empathy Dead? How Your Lack of Empathy Damages Your Reputation and Impact as a Leader” <i>Forbes</i>, Forbes Media LLC., 8 June 2016, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2016/06/08/is-empathy-dead-how-your-lack-of-empathy-damages-your-reputation-and-impact-as-a-leader/#162034093167">https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2016/06/08/is-empathy-dead-how-your-lack-of-empathy-damages-your-reputation-and-impact-as-a-leader/#162034093167</a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">4: Twenge, Jean M. and W. Keith Campbell. <i>"The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement."</i> Free Press, 2009. </span><a href="https://www.narcissismepidemic.com/">https://www.narcissismepidemic.com/</a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5: Mar, R.A., Tackett, J.L. and C. Moore. "Exposure to Media and Theory-of-Mind Development in Preschoolers." <i>Cognitive Development </i>(2009), <a href="http://www.yorku.ca/mar/mar%20et%20al%20in%20press_CogDev_media%20exposure%20and%20child%20ToM.pdf" target="_blank">doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2009.11.002</a></span></div>
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6: Manney, P.J. “Is Technology Destroying Empathy?” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LiveScience</i>, Purch, 30 June 2015, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/51392-will-tech-bring-humanity-together-or-tear-it-apart.html">https://www.livescience.com/51392-will-tech-bring-humanity-together-or-tear-it-apart.html</a></div>
ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-82319369950852147642018-08-20T13:01:00.000-07:002018-08-20T13:31:30.209-07:00The Armchair Adventurer Returns<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aaaaa-choo! Achoo!</i>
</b>Pardon the dust as I reopen the shutters and shake out the dust cloths. Ah
good, my overstuffed armchair is no worse for neglect.<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>Whoosh!</b></i></div>
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<br />
Twelve years ago, I started this adventure to cope with the
rigors of doctoral studies. Seven years ago, life disconnected me from blogging
about the adventures hidden within the pages I’d been thumbing. Where did I go?
Since 2011, I have driven across the country three times for work, run 3 full
marathons and nearly 50 half marathons, and acquired a feline family. Through
it all, the books have persevered. Each relocation has added another box or two
of volumes to complement those shipped from Scotland nigh on ten years past.
Slowly. Steadily. The library of my childhood imagination is growing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Why am I back on the air now? A conversation… Some facts… A
story… New goals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Recent <i><b>conversation</b></i>,</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MAM<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why don’t you read a book?<br /><o:p></o:p></i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>9-yr old
girl<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why? Am I being punished?<br /><o:p></o:p></i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>13-yr
old boy<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I get punished when people see me reading.</i></blockquote>
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In utter disbelief, I stared at these two children. They’d
shot arrows at my bibliophile heart, wounding the very fabric of my being. I
love language and ideas and books. How could these tweens not understand the joy
found within their pages? It got me thinking. Why do we read? There are tomes
on the subject, yet the answer is unique to each reader. In a world where
schools require only 20-minutes of reading a day, how will children develop the
concentration and imagination to be life-long learners and problem solvers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Is the problem reading, and intelligence, are out of vogue
again? Or are we reading less and if so why? I’m not the only one asking these
questions. In Caleb Crain’s essay “<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/why-we-dont-read-revisited/" target="_blank">Why We Don’t Read, Revisited</a>”<sup>[1]</sup> he
dug into the Department of Labor’s American Time Use Survey for <i><b>answers</b></i>. “Between
2003 and 2016, the amount of time that the average American devoted to reading
for personal interested on a daily basis dropped from 0.36 hours to 0.29 hours.”<sup>[1]</sup> Basically, the average American of 2016 is reading 17 minutes a day down from 21 minutes a
day in 2003, or a 20% decline. Worried yet? After an excellent discussion of possible
composition effects (i.e. what might be some of the causes for this change),
Crain discovered, “The average reading time of all Americans declined not
because readers read less but because fewer people were reading at all, a
proportion falling from 26.3 per cent of the population in 2003 to 19.5 per cent
in 2016.”<sup>[1]</sup> Back of the napkin, that’s a decline of about 13.2
million readers, more than the population of the state of Pennsylvania<sup>[2]</sup>,
our fifth most populous state. Anyone else’s master alarm flashing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Digesting and <b><i>daydreaming</i></b>, I remembered being a young reader
of 7 or 8. There were the typical books of the early to mid-1980s and carefully
chosen classics my parents insisted we have before they were banned or redacted.
The volumes that spoke to me were the adventure books. Beverly Cleary’s curious
mouse, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232109.The_Mouse_and_the_Motorcycle" target="_blank">Ralph</a>, and his motorcycle. Brian Jacques’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7996.Redwall?from_search=true" target="_blank">Redwall </a></i>fantasy. A quirky new genre of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choose_Your_Own_Adventure" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Choose Your Own Adventure</i> </a>(CYOA) books. I would get lost in the
pages, becoming the protagonist, making choices, learning, exploring, going on
adventures not possible from our bungalow in the suburbs of Los Angeles. As
soon as I’d finish one plotline in a CYOA, I’d read it again, making different
choices and traveling a different story arch. I think those early experiences,
both with words and books, as well as exploring, set the stage for my life as a
scientist and generally curious adult. Now I read for all sorts of reasons. I
wonder though, how will children four decades later be shaped if not by books
and imagination?<o:p></o:p><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrkJKDMpShwp6rYQ2-pgKaxK0xQTOgr8fgukLluZSzd14GntxRI5QvkRk8UlVeJNRhorZTqtqCY1nsWWjLdIHgEZ9v8rdP64d1uDnmtgnVfCn9mFwVDjSYLAfwDBAU1z31BRA/s1600/Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrkJKDMpShwp6rYQ2-pgKaxK0xQTOgr8fgukLluZSzd14GntxRI5QvkRk8UlVeJNRhorZTqtqCY1nsWWjLdIHgEZ9v8rdP64d1uDnmtgnVfCn9mFwVDjSYLAfwDBAU1z31BRA/s320/Collage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: ©Joanne Scribner, ©Thomas Canty, ©Paul Granger/BatmanBooks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Although I can’t change the reading habits of Americans, or
even my nieces and nephews, I believe as Gandhi did “You must be the change you
wish to see in the world.” My <b><i>goal</i></b> for this space is to share the books and
thoughts which color my adventures. I expect to post a review or opinion every Sunday.
During the week, feel free to join me over on <a href="https://twitter.com/theroamingnome" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for a quiet moment of pause
daily.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next week I’ll offer my opinions on Gary Chapman’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Five Love Languages</i> but as a
meditation on empathy and civility since the lessons extend well beyond
relationships. Until then…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>What is your earliest memory of books or reading? How has it
shaped who you are today?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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1: Crain, Caleb. “Why We Don’t Read, Revisited” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Yorker</i>, <span style="background: white;">Condé Nast, 18 August 2018, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/why-we-dont-read-revisited/">www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/why-we-dont-read-revisited/</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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2: <a href="https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2010-2017/state/totals/nst-est2017-01.xlsx" target="_blank">"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for theUnited States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1,2017" (XLSX)</a>. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 20 August 2018.</div>
ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-47202751714587771472011-07-20T08:49:00.000-07:002011-07-20T08:49:34.241-07:00Lost in Space - Redux.Howdy howdy.<br />
<br />
Just over two years ago I posted something along these same lines - adventures in real-life supplant adventures in armchairs. The past few years have been no exception - 2 major moves (across nearly half of our small marble) as well as some roaming have left my library secured in boxes.<br />
<br />
A few books have been read, including Dan Brown's <b><i>The Lost Symbol</i></b>, but the vast majority of my time has been spend with travel books, maps, and government paperwork. (Yuck to the later!) In a bid to tie up loose ends, mini-reviews will appear shortly.<br />
<br />
As a promise to a friend, I'm reading <i><b>The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo </b></i>for her book-club. Review appearing in a few weeks. Stay tuned.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-29853428413145001482009-07-07T13:33:00.006-07:002009-07-08T00:27:00.363-07:00The Science of Heroes: The Real-Life Possibilities Behind the Hit TV Show.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4BasVrnOC2m-FKRxqmYYkc5is1t1SIoqc843BVqFksKe8AHJi3yphfpGVoV5R7AGQxI-CgcJYK4G8EPOHQvJwDHY-M0TSxoONFCiX9lVOO0Cq_rpUsQE3H2D27lo4udm9ELs/s1600-h/Heroes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4BasVrnOC2m-FKRxqmYYkc5is1t1SIoqc843BVqFksKe8AHJi3yphfpGVoV5R7AGQxI-CgcJYK4G8EPOHQvJwDHY-M0TSxoONFCiX9lVOO0Cq_rpUsQE3H2D27lo4udm9ELs/s320/Heroes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355820886250107746" border="0" /></a>by Yvonne Carts-Powell.<br /><br />“Where does it come from—this quest, this need to solve life's mysteries when the simplest of questions can never be answered?”<br /><br />With Mohinder Suresh’s probing question, the hit science-fiction show <span style="font-style: italic;">Heroes</span> was launched in 2006. At times offbeat and dark, we were rapidly hooked into the story of normal people discovering they possess extraordinary talents and how they would change the world. Yvonne Carts-Powell’s first book explores the science and plausibility behind these superpowers.<br /><br />Ms. Carts-Powell utilizes <span style="font-style: italic;">Heroes</span> to present accessible and easy to read morsels of the complex research at the cutting-edge of diverse subjects ranging from physics to neurobiology to stem cell research. Introducing the mechanics of science (for non-practitioners) she then explains the genetic probability of evolving a superpower before diving into our favorite characters. Subsequent chapters are centered around a pivotal character in order to explore the field or key concepts underlying the plausibility of their ability – Hiro’s space and time travel introduces the physics of time; Claire’s cellular regeneration showed us just how much we know about immunology and stem cells; while Claude’s invisibility might be more plausible than most of us realize. There are also creative explanations for improbable abilities such as Nathan’s ability to fly. More than a simple summary of science, historical anecdotes and wacky analogies from cuttlefish to ‘assume an orbital Wyle E. Coyote’ abound. Ms. Carts-Powell ultimately challenges us to consider the nature of a hero and how we use the abilities each of us possess.<br /><br />Aimed squarely at the non-scientist, this concise text provides the kind of background one might wish more of the general public possessed. Surprisingly, it also challenged me, a biomedical researcher, to think about some of the wider implications of my own research. You don’t have to be a fan of the series to enjoy this book. However, by explaining the underlying reality to one of the most culturally relevant science fiction series in decades, Ms. Carts-Powell is introducing a new generation to the power of science and how quickly we are catching-up with the avant-garde ideas of Victorian writers and Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next up</span>: I've opted to start a trilogy and unwind in the evenings from some rather daunting challenges (its easier to sleep if you are dreaming of stories rather than reliving your day me thinks). As such, I offer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philip Pullman's <span style="font-style: italic;">Northern Lights</span></span> for your consideration.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-58200822934035302372009-06-30T05:21:00.005-07:002009-06-30T10:35:44.564-07:00The Codex<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-teQ71L2HbxayfYTK5y4YgbYX1fdF6IbPwHwHJMYLhGKuRQ0RQtdmmmF8rIylaeSDa7imO9s_2w5FJELLGc3yPM4z4vRkWPTn77DhaBNa3VbtgAfy49-EMZ3WuoI_tj_b6Cv/s1600-h/TheCodex.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-teQ71L2HbxayfYTK5y4YgbYX1fdF6IbPwHwHJMYLhGKuRQ0RQtdmmmF8rIylaeSDa7imO9s_2w5FJELLGc3yPM4z4vRkWPTn77DhaBNa3VbtgAfy49-EMZ3WuoI_tj_b6Cv/s320/TheCodex.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353095610794541842" border="0" /></a>by Douglas Preston.<br /><br />A quest for inheritance meets Indiana Jones…<br /><br />Douglas Preston’s adventure-thriller arrived as a bit of a punt; while browsing through used books at my local Cancer Research UK, I found two novels high on my ‘must buy’ list but needed a third for the £1 offer. Intrigued by the name and ready for a treasure hunt, I added <span style="font-style: italic;">The Codex</span> to my basket.<br /><br />Ideal for a holiday read, I tossed this paperback in my backpack for a month’s excursion in Crete last year only to read 50 pages. Sadly, this became a common theme, re-reading the same 50 pages only to stall due to work or other commitments. Determined to finish, I took this novel home in June with one goal – Leave it completed or not!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Codex</span> is the story of Maxwell <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Broadbent</span>’s, tomb-raider and billionaire, game to make his seemingly ungrateful sons earn their inheritance. Dying of cancer, Maxwell carts off his collection including a Mayan Codex, supposedly a medicinal cookbook of the Amazon, to be buried like an ancient pharaoh and challenges his sons to find him. Of course there is competition, in the form of ex-partner Marcus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hauser</span> and down-on-its-luck <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lampe</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Denison</span> Pharmaceuticals.<br /><br />Sadly, this book can only be classified as a holiday read, at best. The main characters were less-than-developed stock caricatures that seemed to tromp through the Honduran jungle for entirely to long, often running into predictable debacles. Coupled with a sugary-sweet ending, Preston left me happy to pass this book along and pleased it only consumed a few hours of my life.<br /><br />Given its baseness and pedestrian tempo, it is hard to recommend <span style="font-style: italic;">The Codex</span> unless you are looking for something straightforward and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">unchallenging</span>. Then again, the newspaper might be slightly more interesting?<br /><br />Next up: As part of my new ‘hobby,’ <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">EuSci</span></span>, I have agreed to review a popular science book. I offer <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Science of Heroes: The Real-Life Possibilities Behind the Hit TV Show</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yvonne Carts-Powell</span> for your consideration.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-52866660739369895132009-06-24T04:08:00.011-07:002009-06-24T04:41:06.517-07:00Reviews in a MinuteHowdy howdy.<br /><br />I'm starting to think that if you are a real-life adventurer, you don't have time for armchair voyages... It is hard to believe that my last post was over 18 months ago. Boy, have I seen some geography in that time! In the few fleeting hours I've spent at home not recovering from jet lag, I have managed a few titles. In the interests of brevity (and sanity) here are my quick reviews:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IPW2K4xhKfZIGgN835Wc89CV8tjK8FbUMnG7w0ezCS4s1Auia8XX5hO2Hxm0NtCxqE2tWTFZdRKYCbWtsUzSho8SwPUmWCZPAj0fPibludVEVtUsKIHnnMRdoBZtGiM5EcsN/s1600-h/KeepingFaith.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IPW2K4xhKfZIGgN835Wc89CV8tjK8FbUMnG7w0ezCS4s1Auia8XX5hO2Hxm0NtCxqE2tWTFZdRKYCbWtsUzSho8SwPUmWCZPAj0fPibludVEVtUsKIHnnMRdoBZtGiM5EcsN/s320/KeepingFaith.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350855405055875714" border="0" /></a>1)<span style="font-style: italic;"> Keeping Faith</span> by Jody Picoult.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Touching, women's read (but not traditional chick-lit) about a little girl named Faith. Caught in the midst of a messy divorce, Faith discovers an 'imaginary' friend to help her through the toughest times. Exploring issues of personal beliefs, mental illness, exploitation, and love Mrs. Picoult challenges even the most stalwart and pragmatic readers to questions their beliefs. For the first time in a long time, I spent a weekend reading just to see how the story would end. 5*<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9107W8lTNtGzyoIqC19vTPSTGioN778D9vichDyvmTl82RoLPscyRIsk6SNhKdtZPY6_5qG38mj4yh3Cr2-P6zGLG3cjK9lpcnhDK9VMJtKxvhdm0Gwu_U291li7w0cxWier/s1600-h/SundayMorning.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9107W8lTNtGzyoIqC19vTPSTGioN778D9vichDyvmTl82RoLPscyRIsk6SNhKdtZPY6_5qG38mj4yh3Cr2-P6zGLG3cjK9lpcnhDK9VMJtKxvhdm0Gwu_U291li7w0cxWier/s320/SundayMorning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350856325762684066" border="0" /></a>2)<span style="font-style: italic;"> The Sunday Morning Philosophy Club</span> by Alexander McCall Smith.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I picked up this slim jacket for two reasons: 1) To see what everyone was raving about with regards to Mr. McCall Smith; and 2) It is set in the New Town of Edinburgh. A traditional detective story with a less then obvious sleuth this book was a quick read. If you like nosey neighbors, you'll love Isabel Dalhousie. Although not to my taste, Mr. McCall Smith did present a plausible mystery which could be solved by even your most average bear. 2.5*<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56o1egC-_CfRAp91qQw2SD0RS96jJm8n1g0xBiQEauRlm3suZrjWpWliDPEcA7HNqEwG7WD9vOzKDmc9vwisAh3dLvuqEWyFxVxYLkTYQZ3-4OCvxMqm1JSc6C76Mqn4q4BUW/s1600-h/TheAlchemist.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56o1egC-_CfRAp91qQw2SD0RS96jJm8n1g0xBiQEauRlm3suZrjWpWliDPEcA7HNqEwG7WD9vOzKDmc9vwisAh3dLvuqEWyFxVxYLkTYQZ3-4OCvxMqm1JSc6C76Mqn4q4BUW/s320/TheAlchemist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350855885842205874" border="0" /></a>3)<span style="font-style: italic;"> The Alchemist</span> by Paul Coelho.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr. Coelho's iconic novel needs little reviewing as there are tomes published on it already. It is the story of a boy's quest to find the Alchemist during which he learns about life and himself. Although greatly applauded as 'a fable for our time,' I was actually less than impressed. But, new age philosophy does little to impress this pragmatist. 3*<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEgOW81MimhBDScXJmVopo8uJDEreXN2ezU4ORulz0Mw_oLzU0P9FvPSmmpmNlBloM5E2_ISlD-P5_ftUMKhO3nNxiqkitj6Cy0NZFOh_8GWXaJgD8ZgVafbv7pp9SCLe_3fd/s1600-h/PSILoveYou.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEgOW81MimhBDScXJmVopo8uJDEreXN2ezU4ORulz0Mw_oLzU0P9FvPSmmpmNlBloM5E2_ISlD-P5_ftUMKhO3nNxiqkitj6Cy0NZFOh_8GWXaJgD8ZgVafbv7pp9SCLe_3fd/s320/PSILoveYou.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350855990803628834" border="0" /></a>4)<span style="font-style: italic;"> PS, I Love You</span> by Cecelia Ahern.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Tear-jerking, classic, chick-lit. Although not an avid reader of chick-lit, Ms. Ahern's novel of loss and moving on caught my eye because I was working through similar issues myself. At times hysterically funny, others immensely sad, this was a wonderful holiday read. (Yes, it went in my backpack to Crete for a month!) Do yourself a favor though - read the book and skip the movie! It was horrid. 4*<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Rightey oh! Four books in four minutes. Cool! I've just come back from a week in the US during which I read <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Codex</span></span> by Douglas Preston. If you're looking for a beach read of the adventure variety you'll enjoy this book. My review will be coming in early July!<br /><br />Until then, enjoy the words!ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-48828316145619173572008-01-23T07:45:00.001-08:002008-01-23T07:45:37.996-08:00There Be Dragons…After less than 1 hour and 45 minutes, the University of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Edinburgh</st1:place></st1:City> as decided to award this Roaming Gnome a Doctorate of Philosophy. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I’d like to extend a huge thank you to all those adventurers who’ve supported this fanciful pursuit over the years.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dr. M-</p>ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-724938274567127212008-01-19T03:20:00.000-08:002008-01-19T03:27:19.306-08:00Non-fictionGreetings fellow Armchair Adventurers!<br /><br />Sincerest apologies for the delayed news and views. As most will know I’ve been engaged in a spot of non-fiction writing. Although… at times a certain amount of creativity was required to prevent the tome from turning into fiction.<br /><br />For those interested in stats and averages: My thesis was submitted on <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 November 2007</span> at about 13:15 GMT. It contained <span style="font-weight: bold;">221</span> pages, <span style="font-weight: bold;">29848</span> words, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">22</span> images. After near death, I am please to say I have survived and am almost thriving again.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">viva</span> examination has been set for <span style="font-weight: bold;">23 January at 11:00 GMT</span>. So, watch out world, Dr. M is on her way.<br /><br />Tragically, for those paperback ‘readers’ the reviews have ground to a halt, but not for a lack of reading. After 12 to 18 hours in front of a computer screen drafting and editing, all this little ‘gnome’ wanted to do in the evenings was NOT see pixels. So, we are behind a few books. Reviews for the following shall be appearing in the not so distant future:<br /><br />- Jodi Picoult’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Keeping Faith</span><br />- Alexander McCall Smith’s <span style="font-style: italic;">The Sunday Philosophy Club</span><br />- Paulo Coelho’s <span style="font-style: italic;">The Alchemist<br /><br /></span>And finally, I present for your consideration this month <span style="font-weight: bold;">Celia Ahern’s <span style="font-style: italic;">PS, I Love You</span></span>.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-66219210785237414412007-06-03T06:41:00.000-07:002007-06-03T06:53:58.408-07:00The Historian<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiw5vxXqtw6uqngyLWxNirGQxNa9zf2l1dFrlyq8t8KcpP24qVIyvBzH8KIkWUaHqo0XW2VI7AuICM5g-tjm72uZWlNZdPQM7x_P2uXy-PsOWuj3X_f7G1-KzYhKarEShzMuU/s1600-h/Historian.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiw5vxXqtw6uqngyLWxNirGQxNa9zf2l1dFrlyq8t8KcpP24qVIyvBzH8KIkWUaHqo0XW2VI7AuICM5g-tjm72uZWlNZdPQM7x_P2uXy-PsOWuj3X_f7G1-KzYhKarEShzMuU/s320/Historian.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071834471084972386" /></a>By Elizabeth Kostova.<br /><br />For my brother, P...<br /><br />I tend to be intimidated by mammoth tomes. Be it my slow reading or the devotion required to see such a volume to the finish, I generally prefer novels of 200-500 pages. That said, I might have independently chosen this 704-page opus due to the controversy surrounding its quality – reviews either rave or rant, but certainly none sit on the fence. Had it not been for a promise to my brother over the holidays, (“You pick a book, and we’ll read it together!”) this queue-jumper would have been relegated back to the bookshelf within 100 pages.<br /><br />Ms. Kostova’s epic Dracula-cum-<em>Da Vinci Code</em> novel is an update to the Bram Stoker original. Over 10 years in the making, Ms. Kostova received a sizable advance ($2 million from Time Warner), sold the rights to Hollywood, won the Hopwood Award for Novel-in-Progress, and became a New York Times No 1 bestseller during her first week in print. Surely this must be decent popular fiction? <br /><br />Despite being well research, I found the novel overly detailed and more of a meandering travelogue than a vampire-hunting ghost story. Similarly, the plotline is highly predictable (owning to its faithfulness to numerous genres – adventure, historical, mystery, science fiction, thriller; oh and did I mention romance?) and filled with uncanny coincidences involving the introduction of new characters just in time to provide the principles with new information to further their quest. It is over 500-pages before Dracula shows his undead head and then as a maniacal egomaniac. Given popular culture’s present love of celebrity, again such a baddie is not completely unexpected. <br /><br />In spite of these shortcomings, I was intrigued by the structure of the novel. Ms. Kostova weaves together three Dracula quests, roughly thirty years apart, through a series of letters and flashbacks within the most contemporary quest. Cunning, and undoubtedly requiring a white-board on the author’s part, this device was almost enough to keep me plowing through the pages. Almost.<br /><br />Given these plot failings; it is hard to recommend this tome. After three months plodding through this novel, I strong endorse waiting for the movie! (And as everyone knows, I prefer to read the book.) <br /><br /><strong>Next Up:</strong><br />While on the road in Amsterdam, I recently found myself fiction-less. Generally, I don’t travel with novels in tow; I’m out experiencing the world, not reading about it. But, after galavanting all day, the tootsies, and camera, needed a brake. I was given <strong> Jodi Picoult’s <em>Keeping Faith</em></strong> by the hotel proprietor and offer it for your consideration.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-72976786514902600082007-05-31T04:15:00.000-07:002007-06-03T06:54:09.140-07:00Update!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49PfKnJjh5e-vSGPpt2TVmAcxaq3qHZ87Ax4hGDhWbKnCU9SXJCQFICSBAUejEJFguJ01APHKOCJcz_-FZkQR5iYgysb-1qJZe4iGihTzx-F3NIEkP4WcUbVOHZmMujjabyyK/s1600-h/Checkmate.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49PfKnJjh5e-vSGPpt2TVmAcxaq3qHZ87Ax4hGDhWbKnCU9SXJCQFICSBAUejEJFguJ01APHKOCJcz_-FZkQR5iYgysb-1qJZe4iGihTzx-F3NIEkP4WcUbVOHZmMujjabyyK/s320/Checkmate.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070683166446573906" /></a>The good news: I've <strong>finally</strong> finished <em>The Historian</em>!<br /><br />The bad news: I've been traveling (Holland and Scotland) for the past few weeks and haven't had a chance to properly review this, uh um, novel. Hoping to attempt to find something positive to say about the 704 page beast this evening.<br /><br />In the meantime, I was given <strong>Jodi Picoult's <em>Keeping Faith</em></strong> while on the road in Amsterdam and am just about finished with this one too!ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-64484931777823285612007-02-26T06:11:00.000-08:002007-02-26T16:15:08.930-08:00If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8DFpV99bsYYAquHdWcfj8nwuYVVe49W_kZf8w5IrSzir6az2-EUqhNMuvv2OiFOH9LEguVVWdJubOMJh0tvl8u4Xgi0QMsfrYXC7ELHTcI7PJz7sycUC0KzFwnZm9Mh9zDL9/s1600-h/NoBody_Cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8DFpV99bsYYAquHdWcfj8nwuYVVe49W_kZf8w5IrSzir6az2-EUqhNMuvv2OiFOH9LEguVVWdJubOMJh0tvl8u4Xgi0QMsfrYXC7ELHTcI7PJz7sycUC0KzFwnZm9Mh9zDL9/s200/NoBody_Cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035849559419929506" /></a>by Jon McGregor<br /><br />Chance encounters… <br />Friendly punters… <br /><br />Jon McGregor’s debut come to me through just that - a chance encounter while standing in a very long queue for tickets (for friends) at the 2006 Edinburgh International Book Festival. After saving each other’s places through coffee and loo runs, we started chatting about the best books people had read this past year. As a busy PhD student, whose only contact with fiction was the type I’m writing for my thesis, I was anxious to get some recommendations. The chap in front of me was one of the directors for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. He suggested quite a few of the novels that already inhabit my bookcase before arriving (quite literally – he found it on the shelf and brought it over) at McGregor’s offering. Victorious with the tickets, I purchased the novel on my way out.<br /><br /><em>If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things</em> documents the ordinary, everyday lives of the nameless souls on a nameless city street on a sultry, final day of summer. At first glance, such a topic seems a bit ‘unremarkable.’ However, the novel is filled with dramatic tension due to the way it was crafted. McGregor tells his story by alternating street snapshots with the linear story of just one of these people three years later who is at a turning point in her own life.<br /><br />At first, I found the novel very challenging to read. Chapters tend to be cliché filled; speech devoid of spacing and punctuation. Once I settled into McGregor’s rhythm, the novel became almost cinematic – a series of flashbacks interspersed in one’s own life story. I wondered if this actually wasn’t a very cleverly crafted screenplay (a la <em>American Beauty</em>) rather than a debut novel.<br /><br />During interviews, McGregor explains he was interested in the concepts of community and transience. His use of anonymity quickly drew me into the story - this is the street I live on; the characters are people I know. Being from nowhere in particular these days, I quickly identified with his critique of our evolving, supersonic-paced, global society and the lack of connections most people have. One character explains to his daughter, “There are remarkable things all the time, right in front of us, but our eyes have like the clouds over the sun and our lives are paler and poorer if we do not see them for what they are.” (pg 239). McGregor, and I, seem to be pondering if most people experience the small miracles all around them – a sunny afternoon, the rustle of wind through trees, fine details on buildings, facial expressions; the quality not quantity of a life well lived.<br /><br />At 26, McGregor truly is an “archaeologist of the present.” (pg 153). He challenges the reader both in his avante guard style and layered subject. Given a crossroad in life, what does one do when faced with the unthinkable? More importantly, why does one make the choices they make?<br /><br />Honestly, although initially being a chore, this novel is actually a quick little read. It packs its punch once the covers are closed. I’ve had it finished for over two weeks now. But, it left me looking at my response to the issues McGregor raises. After a recent realignment in my own life, I would challenge the wider world to take off your wristwatch, breath deeply, and smell the roses. With over 6.7 billion people on this tiny planet, might a rich life have more impact that an over scheduled one?<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong><br />While I was visiting my family this past holiday season, my youngest brother, P, said he was out of novels. So, while I at the bookshop I made him a promise, “You pick a book, and we’ll read it together!” Accordingly, the next novel is of his choosing - <strong><em>The Historian</em> by Elizabeth Kostova.</strong>ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-64712823431267677772007-02-05T08:02:00.000-08:002007-02-26T02:51:21.658-08:00Extra, extra, read all about it...I'm happy to report, I'm back on track with the Reading Group books. <em>If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things</em> is turning into a well-observed study of everyday existence. More on that in a few days!<br /><br />The real focus of this quickie is a rather interesting initiative I encountered over weekend: <strong> One Book-One Edinburgh </strong>. In October 2004, Edinburgh petitioned, and was granted, UNESCO 'City of Literature' status in honor of its deeply rooted traditions of literacy and literature. We became the first ever 'City of Literature' and part of a new drive by UNESCO to promote artistically, as well as historically, important landmarks for all of human history. Since then, there have been a variety of improvements (including the creation of a Scottish Storytelling Centre) and all sorts of events to continue this tradition. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgAqJGpbLPT5naGauxkGHOg369QYnSXaSGPFgjicEx7mg6wPZlr3fBmp0s2h_Fy-t4EsRxZngn3V36S9wkTUi82WhpY2G84NAZ4LHWsuKOm-2h8LdHp2fCBXB1FJ6c2RWCEY8/s1600-h/2_Canongate+Cover.sml.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgAqJGpbLPT5naGauxkGHOg369QYnSXaSGPFgjicEx7mg6wPZlr3fBmp0s2h_Fy-t4EsRxZngn3V36S9wkTUi82WhpY2G84NAZ4LHWsuKOm-2h8LdHp2fCBXB1FJ6c2RWCEY8/s400/2_Canongate+Cover.sml.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028081132156430082" /></a>The latest, aims to get Edinburghers reading the same book, Robert Louis Stevenson's <em>Kidnapped</em> this month. In addition to reissuing the novel (the original version, a graphic novel version, and a children's version), events ranging from readings to tours of Stevenson's inspirational locations are planned.<br /><br />Please join me with this last minute addition to the list!<br /><br />For more information about anything related to the 'City of Literature,' and the <strong> One Book-One Edinburgh </strong> project, check out:<br /><a href="http://www.cityofliterature.com/projects.aspx?sec=6&pid=30">http://www.cityofliterature.com/projects.aspx?sec=6&pid=30</a>ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-13614881357044481462007-01-24T03:40:00.000-08:002007-01-24T03:56:14.053-08:00The Gloaming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk4KqptPOJdVr1sfoTbb4753aPbqYqByzQ_xuDnXZtg8Uw6UdeMveQw8EXdb3XzUvQ9pP9Q7dUxBr9YAhLVjoyYeW8tHxoIFaE2s_1wpdaDkOfefEw26SIfaZbq52Me2DGofZ/s1600-h/DSC01670.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk4KqptPOJdVr1sfoTbb4753aPbqYqByzQ_xuDnXZtg8Uw6UdeMveQw8EXdb3XzUvQ9pP9Q7dUxBr9YAhLVjoyYeW8tHxoIFaE2s_1wpdaDkOfefEw26SIfaZbq52Me2DGofZ/s320/DSC01670.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023563009863424882" /></a><br />Lately, I've found it hard to find any time to myself... and when it is quiet, I seem to be luminescently challenged. <br /><br />Dear Nephew Donovan doesn't like the dark, and we have been treated to alot of dark lately courtesy Ol' Man Winter. Very quickly we discovered the only way to calm this little guy down was by giving him a 'coal miner' flashlight. Trouble is, he wouldn't give it back. =(<br /><br /><br /><br />Never fear, the lights are back on, and I have returned to Edinburgh! Yippee! Normal book reviewing shall resume shortly.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-1164595617586798662006-11-26T18:38:00.000-08:002006-11-26T18:46:57.593-08:00Baby Blues<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1869/4014/1600/167884/DJ_5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1869/4014/320/160698/DJ_5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Hi all you cats and kittens!<br /><br />Sorry for the delay in posting about this months novels... I've been on the road (Florida and Washington), down with pneumonia, and chasing a certain nephew... wee baby Donovan at 15 months (see left). Hope to get the first of November's novels finished by December 1st.ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-1162723764126012502006-11-05T02:44:00.000-08:002006-11-05T12:59:54.566-08:00Reading GroupAfter a number of recent e-mails with book suggestions (thanks guys), I'd like to offer the following for your consideration:<br /><br />Nov 25: <br /><em> If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things </em> by Jon McGregor<br /><em> The Highest Tide </em> by Jim Lynch<br /><br />Dec 25: <br /><em> Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to the Earth </em> by Andrew Smith<br /><br />Jan 25: <br /><em> The Time Traveler's Wife </em> by Audrey Niffeegger<br /><br />Happy reading. =)ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-1161977732057191462006-10-27T12:24:00.000-07:002006-10-27T12:36:21.553-07:00Trowel and Error<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1869/4014/1600/TrowelAndError.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1869/4014/200/TrowelAndError.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>By Alan Titchmarsh<br /><br />For my dad...<br /><br />I remember long summer evening with relatives, sitting round, sipping ice tea, telling stories of childhood -- of adventures with cousins, of dinners at each others houses, of getting a switch with a willow branch, of 'the log picture,' of an innocence that is hard to find these days. Of my own childhood, I almost remember riding bikes until dusk with my brother and playing in the mud. Or was it catching snails?<br /><br />A few years ago I happened across Alan Titchmarsh's 'memoirs.' Known to me from BBC America and my dad's love of the brass band, and gardens, featured on 'Ground Force,' I was oddly drawn to this story of a gardener. Titchmarsh presents a wry series of vignettes -- of innocence, first loves, and hard work; but most of all following your dreams and passions even if they seem to lead you unlikely places.<br /><br />Having left school at 15, Titchmarsh shares how staying true to him passions, gardening and writing, over the past half century have lead him on an extraordinary journey including working at Kew, meeting Julia Roberts, surprising Nelson Mandela, being knighted, and writing romantic fiction. Dubbed 'the second sexiest man on television' (behind George Clooney), it is hard not to see why. His warm humor and unassuming nature create a wonderfully nostalgic look at life, at a time when it is rare to see children playing outside unsupervised or after dark.<br /><br />If you remember days of climbing trees and skinned knees, I highly recommend this heart-warming reflection on good fortune and the importance of following your dreams. It will leave you with a chuckle and smile. (And his command of the English language is amazing -- keep that dictionary handy!)<br /><br /><strong> Next Up:</strong><br />Jon McGregor's <em> If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things</em>ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-1161128583385079252006-10-24T06:32:00.000-07:002007-02-26T02:53:45.085-08:00The Big Over Easy<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1869/4014/1600/TheBigOverEasy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1869/4014/200/TheBigOverEasy.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>by Jasper Fforde<br /><a href="http://www.jasperfforde.com">http://www.jasperfforde.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.nurserycrime.co.uk">http://www.nurserycrime.co.uk</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall...<br />Humpty Dumpty had a great fall...<br /><br />Who would have guessed it was murder?<br /><br />I've never been a fan of crime novels. But, I couldn't resist this peculiar offering from Jasper Fforde -- a contemporary crime novel chocked full of murder, infidelity, and industrial espionage centered on an egg with podiatry troubles.<br /><br />In this latest series, we are introduced to DI Jack Spratt and his partner Mary Mary of the Nursery Crimes Division (NCD) at the Reading Police Department. (Ironically, the concept of the NCD was developed long before the adventures of Thursday Next were even a glimmer on the international best sellers list.) Still smarting from the acquittal of the Three Pigs for the murder of Mr. Wolff, Jack and Mary must solve the case before the almost certain disbanding of the NCD. Although slow to start, this quirky blend of modern day England inhabited by the nursery/fairytale characters of our youth comes into its own 150 pages from the end. As I raced towards the finish, I felt like I was in the midst of the TV series 'Dragnet' complete with theme tune and wrap up. Good fun!<br /><br />Fforde's writing is not for the faint of heart. Often peppered with puns, my favorite of which was 'Winsum & Loosum Pharmaceuticals,' and phonetic spellings, there are enough mental gymnastics to keep even the most well read wondering how far the English language stretches. At the end of the day, I loved it although I wouldn't recommend reading at bedtime.<br /><br />I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Fforde at the International Book Festival. A brilliant author, although slightly eccentric, he treated us to a reading from his latest publication 'The Fourth Bear' before explaining his goal for the NCD -- an exploration of our collective, childhood memory. What a noble objective! <br /><br />Even if you don't remember all your nursery rhymes or fairytale plots, Wikipedia will sort you out. I highly recommend 'The Big Over Easy' for your consideration.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> <br />Alan Titchmarsh’s <em>Trowel and Error</em><br />Jon McGregor’s <em>If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things</em>ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36207206.post-1161128388503947582006-10-17T16:15:00.000-07:002006-10-17T16:39:48.510-07:00Words, glorious words!Welcome friends old and new!<br /><br />As a break from what has become one of the more challenging endeavors of my life, the writing of a PhD is biomedical sciences, I have made the executive decision to re-enter the world of stimulating human conversation while increasing my appreciation for adjectives. There will be no more journal articles stacked a mile high around my bed anxiously waiting to be skimmed! They have been banished to the dustbin, or more realistically, my office. Only novels abound! Stories of adventure, mystery, and, most importantly escapism, have replaced the intricate details of biochemistry and medical policy.<br /><br />Here's the deal: I plan to complete one novel a month for the next year. Those of you who know me well are aware of the challenge this poses a slow reader who tends to fall asleep on the couch promptly after dinner. Never the less, it is a noble goal and will be achieved. The collection of stories you'll find will be quite eclectic and open to suggestion. All I ask is if you have a comment on a book, post it; the ensuing dialogue will be stimulating. If you have a suggestion on something you think I'd like, post it too! I might just pick it up, if I haven't read it already.<br /><br />And so we're off. The first book under consideration is: "The Big Over Easy" by Jasper Fforde...ScienceMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881828126855758298noreply@blogger.com0