Actually I have read prodigiously all of my life. It is only in the last ten years or so that I have largely lost interest in books, preferring direct experience over words. More power to you if you enjoy them.
--- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltablues@...> wrote: > > To have a negative view of readers like this is a strong indicator of an > undiagnosed alternative learning style. Your elementary school screwed you > by not having the resources to accommodate you. That is my guess. > > Imagine a computer with no CD rom or IO ports. No Internet connection. No > new software downloads. > > When I read I am able to have lunch with people so much smarter than I am > that they would never have lunch with me. I would bore them. Plus even if I > am as smart as they are I would be interupting them with my thoughts instead > of letting their new perspective wash over me and change the way I see the > world. > > If you pick up a novel by Ian Mcewan you enter the world of a super observer > of inner and outer life. He takes you along for the ride of noticing things > about how your mind works or the world that you have been missing. And when > you put it down you are transformed. At least for a while! > > For a couple of years I read first novels from foreign writers. I went to > the library and searched the fiction shelves for funny names until I found > them. These books offered a genuinely alternative view of the world that > stretched my brain to see the world differently. Books can do that. > > Most of my life I have been such a nonfiction addict that I have to > consciously focus on inputting fiction. But when I think of the > transformational aspect of reading it is usually fiction that I think of > first. Of course some science books and histories can blow my mind in a > similar way. I just finished Dawkins book on the details of the theory of > evolution. Man was I missing important pieces of that enlightening > perspective on life. > > And this is the problem. We don't know what we don't know. We are all happy > little idiots running around with our own blinders on till we sit down with a > book that updates our software and changes our life. Some of the most > important books I have read I hated at first. They were changing he way I > thought so much that I resisted them. But I have learned that this is a sign > to keep on reading till my brain catches up and I am usually not disappointed > if I persist and let it do its work on me. > > I am writing a show about encouraging kids to read so this is a super up > topic for me. We have a national tragedy of boys being way behind girls in > reading. And now that we have more legal trouble discriminating against them > (damn you equal rights!) they are about to hand our gender our asses in the > workplace. > > Reading is like playing tennis with a better player. Soon we find ourselves > playing above our previous level, hitting back shots we never imagined > ourselves capable of. Learning to love reading is not the product of an > overactive mind. It is the result of an educational system who understands > how different student's learning styles need different approaches. It let > you fall through the cracks. I would like to write a show that encourages > kids, especially ones with alternative learning styles to appreciate the > transformational wonder of reading. > > > --- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@> wrote: > > > > For those last few minutes of the day I sometimes enjoy leafing through > > catalogs we get in the mail, the ones filled with electronics and gadgets I > > won't buy. I haven't figured out why people seem to be obsessed with > > reading books. I can't recall the last time I read one cover to cover - it > > has easily been years. Perhaps they are a fun distraction for overactive > > minds - I don't know. > > > > --- In [email protected], "seventhray1" <steve.sundur@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks for the recommendations. I wish I could find something I enjoy > > > reading for a few minutes before I drop off to sleep. I am so narrow > > > minded that I can't bring myself to read fiction and usually stick with > > > something "spiritua"l in nature. But most of the modern new agey type > > > books seem dull and full of platitudes. Lately I've been reading some > > > of the lesser known early theosophists. Even that has been somewhat > > > dull. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "danfriedman2002" > > > <danfriedman2002@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Yesterday, I finished ¨Songs of >Kabir¨translated by Arvind > > > Krishna Mehrotra, with a Preface by Wendy Doniger. I found it > > > delightful, full of wisdom, and FUNNY¨. I,m certain that others on > > > this Forem would enjoy the read. > > > > > > > > I began¨Great House¨, and am on page29. The author, Nicole > > > Krauss previously wrote ¨The Histoy of Love¨, which I loved. Both > > > were given to me by my daughter (who, as you can expect introduces her > > > Dad to new work). My daughter managed to get the auther to autograph > > > Great House, and presentewd it to me on my birthday. So far, the setting > > > is the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where I have lived for most of my > > > life. The narrator is an author, as are many in the ´hood´´. > > > > > > > > Probably, one of these will suit you, dpending on your interests. > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "seventhray1" steve.sundur@ > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Care to share some of the recent books you have read? > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "danfriedman2002" > > > > > <danfriedman2002@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > I don´t chose books on (1) personal intimacies, or (2) gossip. > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "wayback71" wayback71@ > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" > > > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "danfriedman2002" > > > > > <danfriedman2002@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > But Curtis, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > What you are saying is that Rick reported gossip years ago, > > > > > which later appeared in a book by the gossiper. That´s not fire, > > > only > > > > > Smoke. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dan, Judithe is not the only woman to make these claims. Several > > > > > other women have as well. Read the book and then let us know what > > > you > > > > > think. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > So you are not a fan of first person histories are you? Then > > > how > > > > > do you learn about the past if you dismiss first person accounts as > > > > > gossip? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Of course if you read the book and found some specific places > > > > > where you question her credibility I would enjoy hearing them. I am > > > > > assuming that you wouldn't be shallow enough to make this judgement > > > > > about her book without having read it. You know kind of prejudging > > > it > > > > > based on gossip you heard about what was in the book. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" > > > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I'm with Sal on this one Dan. This request is not > > > reasonable. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And as far as Rick not coming through with facts, he > > > backed > > > > > Judith's account for years, was way ahead of the curve, and then the > > > > > book came out. So I think we can drop the tired "innuendo" routine > > > now. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > What Rick is "prone" to is having an open mind. He has > > > created > > > > > a place where atheist's can interact with the formerly enlightened > > > as > > > > > well as the currently "whatever". Not too shabby IMO. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Although we have come down in different places concerning > > > > > spirituality, I have respect for the integrity of the process that > > > lead > > > > > him to his own different conclusions. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And if he smells smoke, I'm betting on fire soon to come. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Sal Sunshine > > > > > <salsunshine@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Jun 28, 2011, at 8:19 PM, danfriedman2002 wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Your request for a picture of a sign is a good one. > > > But > > > > > then we'd be dealing with facts. Rick's prone to innuendo, not > > > facts. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Um, Dan...Rick hasn't been in the Doom in years. > > > > > > > > > > > And, like most other people without badges, > > > > > > > > > > > has no way of getting in. And do you really > > > > > > > > > > > think with all the paranoia in the TMO they'd > > > > > > > > > > > let someone take pictures? You ask for > > > > > > > > > > > evidence that I'm pretty sure you know nobody > > > > > > > > > > > can supply. Therefore, for you the situation > > > > > > > > > > > doesn't exist. If that works for you, great. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sal > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
