Book Run!

It’s time to create a quick list of potential purchases this Fall.

My reading style is a bit odd because even though I am in the middle of a series, I tend to intersperse books on different subjects as little breaks. Thus, I am in the middle of choosing what to get, here are my options currently:

Science!

Genius:  The Life and Science of Richard Feynman – The epitome of flamboyance and eccentricity, but one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century.

Einstein: His Life and Universe – Need I really explain this option?

Isaac Newton – An in depth look into the beginnings of one of the greatest intellectual minds, ever.

Erwin Schrodinger and the Quantum Revolution –  He’s the father of Quantum Mechanics; it’s a must-read.

In Search of Schrodinger’s cat – I think my bias is showing.

Everything Else.

1Q84  – An epic by Murakami spanning a little over 1,000 pages, I welcome the challenge.

David and Goliath – I want to Malcom Gladwell, I really do, but I probably won’t.

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My Barnes and Noble wishlist is hovering right around 100 – needless to say, I’ve left out a few – but, as I stated, this is just a quick review of the books I am considering.

 

 

 

 

How I disconnect to recharge

Are you an introvert? Me too; that means I have to get the fuck away from things sometimes. Unfortunately, being an adult, in the real world, is not a ride that you can just get off of. I find myself in awkward situations a lot, but I am persistent in trying to find a way to avoid most – if not all – social invitations.

I do not have social anxiety nor am I shy, but I have learned that being honest and blunt with the person who is extending an invitation is not the best way to avoid ‘confrontation’. You can’t just say you don’t care, well, you could, but, I’d like to keep a few social contacts available for future reference. Therefore, I am in a perpetual state of ‘busy’.

For the sake of clarity: I do not avoid obligations that I deem necessary, nor will I flake on a meeting that I arrange, but when it comes to attending your baby shower? No. I have better things to do.

Getting off the grid

In many relationships – romantic and platonic – it is difficult to explain why you have the constant urge to disappear. It can be straining on people, but it does not have to be. It was a statistical anomaly that I happened to facilitate a relationship with another intuitive, introverted thinker; however, it was still necessary to set boundaries in the beginning of our relationship.

1. I may not engage you often in conversation, but that does not mean that I do not enjoy your presence.
2. If the door to a room is closed I am either writing, reading, or doing work – knock before you enter.
3. Sometimes I go away for a walk or a drive, but I’m just thinking.
4. When I come home after work I am drained from interaction, so give me an hour to recuperate.

Those are a few of the basic mutual agreements between my significant other and I, but for platonic relationships such boundary setting can be weird. Those that I associate with I have known for nearly a decade, so they understand my tendencies, but it is important to screen relationships before they fully develop.

‘Disconnecting’ from the world is easy; turn off your phone, don’t check your email, and if you use any social media – log out. Once all of those ties are severed, stay inside. There is no need to go to the cafe on the corner to do anything; brew your own coffee.

Recharging

There are numerous avenues one can take in an effort to recharge, and I wouldn’t doubt that certain activities are efficient for some, but not others. Thus, my solitary activities – while mainstream – are what I found to work best for me; find your own :).

• Reading – I know, obvious, but the act of sitting down with a book, in an empty house, without any worries or pending obligations, is the best way for me to let myself wander. The efficiency of recharging while reading is not predicated on genre either, so I could be reading one of Murakami’s works, or that of Walter Isaacson’s and still recharge the same.
• Writing – Again, obvious, but it works. I enjoy putting things in order and writing is a way for me to express complex ideas in their most fundamental form which further enhances my ability to explain concepts. A lot of my writing has to have direction; I am not a random writer – even my stream of consciousness is operating in a specific direction. So, writing helps, but only in certain forms.
• Exercising – I am an advocate for healthy routines, and exercising is just a part of mine. I tend to focus on aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling. It helps to clear my head and simply focus on the technical and physical part of the action.
• Cooking – I don’t do it often enough, but it can be helpful as well; especially when I want to be alone with my SO.

The above is by no means an extensive list, but it works for me when I have the urge to get away from everything.

 

How do you recharge?

eReaders & currently reading

eReaders

I am not a Luddite – I understand the use of technology and generally embrace it – but neither am I classified as an Innovator or Early Adopter on the Law of Diffusion of Innovation scale. I’m skeptical with new technology; not for an irrational fear of it becoming sentient, but because early editions of technology have bugs. I tinker with things – systems – and if I had purchased one when it released I would have been too preoccupied with improving it. In any case, the advent of eReaders went largely unnoticed as I have a preference for actual books, and while I still do not own one, I can understand the convenience of such technology.

I’m a frequent flyer and voracious reader, so when I created the perfect need to want to space to weight ratio that could fit inside a weekender bag it did not include the eReader variable. My natural inclination to improve systems would lead to the logical conclusion that the purchase of an eReader would drastically alter the formula. My weight would significantly decrease consequently allowing more space due to the removal of physical books (never more than two). The rough estimate of a hardcover a smidgen under 500 pages would be a bit over a 1lb plus a second book, normally paperback, that is around 350-400 pages is roughly 17 ounces.

The ‘best’ eReader on the market is $119 and 7.3 ounces. The average total cost of both the hardcover and paperback is $47 and would round to 2lbs. However, the eReader allows for infinitely more books independent of physical space while actual books would hamper space and weight. Thus, as any INTJ would, I have weighed the benefits and the true cost to own as well as the long-term worth of such a purchase.

The eReader’s use would only be when I am flying – which is every 3 months – and in the end would cost $119 + $30 (case) + $20 (removal of ads) + 16.99 ( hardcover ebook) + 9.99 (paperback ebook) =  $196 the first day. The weight saved is around 1.5lbs which is admirable, and the space is negligible as it has been accounted for by the eReader in it’s case. 1.5lbs alters the threshold for tangible weight difference which could result in less strain from 9lbs to 7.5lbs when carrying it through terminals. However, I am a creature of habit and once I begin a book I must finish it, and that would mean having to purchase two of the same book – physical copy and an ebook – every few months in order to continue reading while I am absent.

Is there any other way? If I designed it I would create a seamless ISBN transition from physical copy to eBook with the only stipulation being the inclusion of a receipt of purchase. It’s simple, easy, and excludes pirating.

Would an eBook be worth it? In short, no.

The length of the trip + the cost of eBooks + the horrible formatting I constantly hear from book ports + no audio-book functionality +  I prefer actual books.

 Currently Reading

My introduction to Haruki Murakami’s work came on a whim – a rare impulse purchase at the bookstore – with Kafka on the Shore. I enjoyed it, and as the title suggests it was very much Kafka-esque. Essentially a contemporary rendition of Oedipus mixed with Murakami’s quirky sensibility and other-worldly story-telling. Kafka on the Shore led me to The Windup Bird Chronicle which was paced a bit slower, and continued the multi-dimensional, otherworldly style that I enjoyed with the previous work of his I read. Finally, I landed on Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. 

An odd journey to say the least. I am not revealing any plot points or going to discuss the book in detail – but, I’d advise you to take a look at his work. It is a departure; and that is the most apt way to summarize his work in four words or less.

What now?

Now begins (or I re-enter) the world of the Dark Tower – Stephen King’s self-proclaimed Magnum Opus spanning 8 books of epic scope, depth, and proportion. The release of the Wind Through the Keyhole prompted a re-read of the entire series; here is the breakdown.

Have read:

The Dark Tower l: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower ll: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower lll: The Waste Lands
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass

Currently on:

The Dark Tower IV.V: The Wind Through the Keyhole

Up Next:

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower Vll

Related:

Little sisters of Eluria (short story)

I may or may not read the prequel short story, but in all likelihood, I probably will. Closure, and all that.