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This blog is the work of an educated civilian, not of an expert in the fields discussed.

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Joy of Reading

Pol Thoughts: Lindsay Beyerstein has had some excellent blog posts recently. I find the need to criticize Dean for one of his off the cuff remarks a bit stupid, but generally, agree with this discussion of the misuse of the word "Christian." These people are the best "Christians" have to flock too? That would be mighty depressing. The page has some good links, including respecting the ongoing push for real voter justice in this country. Rep. Conyers -- the guy even has a blog -- has done great work in this area. He shows how "minority" (of all races) voices can speak truth to power, even in these troubled times. As to Ohio, not only Gore Vidal (The Nation), but also Christopher Hitchens, feels something went seriously wrong there in 2004.


Remarkably, Americans still spend more on books than they do on moviegoing, recorded music, video games or DVD's. Despite all the advances in technology, books still have no equal when it comes to telling complicated, nuanced narratives.

I'm not sure if I would agree with the degree of bibilophilia referenced here,* but the general sentiment meets with my approval. As shown by my use of the Internet, reading per se is a wondrous experience in my mind. Though it can be addictive and excessively used, the ability to easily obtained the views and information (and share them) provided online is amazing. Just imagine -- as soon ago as 1998, the Internet was a rarely used thing for this writer. Now, I often spend hours online. Pluses and minuses to that, but it is useful to take a step back and realize how things change. Soon enough, the amazing becomes mundane.

As to my reading habits, I have some trouble getting into fiction -- always did, though in time, I became more friendly to it. Also, I am becoming a bit more disconcerting -- I find a bit less patience, more of an aptness to return books to the library that do not appeal to me. Internet reading clearly has some effect, including cutting back some on the time spent reading books and other hard copy media.

Still, a book has a special place in my heart. Putting aside problems with download speed or easily skipping around (links can also be a bit distracting ... a neverending universe that you feel you must examine), the computer has some limitations. It is just often more leisurely, as noted by the letter writer, to read a book or newspaper. You can read almost everywhere, which is just not possible even with a laptop. And, it focuses your thought in the way the Internet cannot -- the Internet (which has its share of fiction) is more of a multimedia/multitasking sort of animal. Useful, but it has its place.

A good book is also a personal experience. The mind is alive when you read a good book (again, some of this can be applied to the computer media), things passing through your imagination as you read and form pictures of what is inside. This is definitely the case for fiction, but is true for nonfiction as well. Your mind analyzes what is said, compares it to other things you have read and believe. This is as pleasurable to me as a good story can be.

I have had a mixed record this year finding good books, such as the ones posted on the margins, but they were small pleasures.

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* "For me, nothing else can compare with sitting down with a good book. Yes, I love movies and music, and I use the Internet regularly to send and receive information, but having a book in my hands is a singular experience. The simple act of turning a page in a leisurely manner and getting involved in a story is a wonderful way for me to learn, grow and, of course, relax and escape. The images, feelings and moods that a good book creates in my imagination are all about me. No computer, TV show or video comes close. Books are magical." [Married to librarian.]