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Just Read the Book Already

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Re: Just Read the Book Already

#161

Post by emodendroket »

zeroego wrote: post #134
SCdF wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not a perspective I expected someone to argue, and I'd argue directly the opposite. I find the older the book, the slower and more waffly (if you want to be uncharitable) its prose. I haven't looked into this at all, but it always feels to me like editors are a new edition to the writing process. Ironically I usually really enjoy the actual prose they wrote, because it's often beautiful, but after dozens and d…

>I find the older the book, the slower and more waffly (if you want to be uncharitable) its prose. In some cases older writers were actually paid per word. Dickens comes to mind.

The ancients were not paid by the word but didn't think much of a couple pages of genealogies.

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#162

Post by pastor_elm »

bowlich wrote: post #64
emodendroket wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author's more concerned with fiction

Fiction has suffered the same bloat. Used to be that letting an author ramble for 200,000+ words was considered indulgent. Dune told it's entire story in around 180,000 words, I can hardly say anything more intriguing is going on in Song of Ice & Fire at 1.7 million words.

There are actually 6 Herbert Dune novels and over a dozen others.

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#163

Post by eatonphil »

Am in my twenties, hadn't read a book for fun since I was eight (nothing outside of school).

Two things got me going reading books again: 1) not getting that much from blog posts and not learning enough from coworkers and 2) friends I looked up to who read much more than me. Three years ago I forced myself to read 2 technical books. Two years ago I read 8. Last year I read 40 and this year I'm on track for 50+ (33 so far).

At first I could only make myself put in time to read advanced books on programming and architecture. But in time I was able to force myself to read (older) fiction as well as books on economics, finance, psychology, management, writing and history.

These days it's easy enough to keep myself on track because I feel like I'm losing ground to myself if I don't keep reading. There's so much to learn and while I can never get it all, I've internalized the drive.

I cannot recommend enough reading about psychology, history, finance and programming/architecture/management to fellows in tech. These topics apply so clearly and frequently in life/at work.

If you're curious I'm on Goodreads with this username.

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#164

Post by louhike »

ma2rten wrote: post #133
AlwaysRock wrote: post #63

I've gone from reading 10 books a year to reading 25+ books a year over the last few years. Mostly I've cut down on my screen time. I am on a computer all day for work but once I go home I try to spend as little time as possible on a computer. What do I do now? Come home, do yoga for 15-30 minutes, make tea, meditate for 10 minutes, read for 15 - 50 minutes. Then I'll allow myself to do other things that may occupy m…

I don't read a lot because I have ADHD which makes it hard to focus. Do you also have that problem?

I had this problem but it's ok now. Meditation or yoga before reading is helpful for me. It stops the constant flow of thought so it is easier to read after. And also, I don't force myself to read books I don't like

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#165

Post by creep »

eatonphil wrote: post #163

Am in my twenties, hadn't read a book for fun since I was eight (nothing outside of school). Two things got me going reading books again: 1) not getting that much from blog posts and not learning enough from coworkers and 2) friends I looked up to who read much more than me. Three years ago I forced myself to read 2 technical books. Two years ago I read 8. Last year I read 40 and this year I'm on track for 50+ (33 so…

Hey bud, I've never lost the drive to read and learn new things, but I definitely have trouble organizing everything I want to be learning/reading.

Usually I have a fiction book going at all times. Keeps me sharp, interested, engaged, even if I don't feel like being "productive". But apart from that, there are so many things I'm working on, I feel a bit muddled.

Do you have any advice for a dude like me? How to know when to read or do what? Especially when you don't have a preference at a particular moment in time?

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#166

Post by fredsanford »

DubiousPusher wrote: post #149

I have had a similar experience but I don't blame the internet. I blame my age and a growth of my own critical thinking. It used to be that anything an authority told me was "great writing" was great writing. This of course included a wide array of 18th and 19th century writing. But as I've read more I've come to the conclusion that while writing of that era is full of many woderful plots, observations, philosophies,…

Are you able to get through books by Tolkein, Robert Jordan or Terry Goodkind?

I wonder because as I've aged I don't have the patience to sit through a description of every blade of grass in a meadow...

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#167

Post by Zarath »

twoquestions wrote: post #132
bitwize wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have to justify it, you're doing it wrong. Your free time is your playground. Take half an hour -- or ten minutes -- each day and enjoy those fantasy worlds. They might refresh you.

Hard disagree there. Your 'free' time is valuable currency, and every minute must be invested as productively as possible, or you'll lose to someone else who does in this kill or die monkey knife fight economy [ https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/ ]. (edit: corrected link. Thank you!)

I don't think you want to go down this rabbit hole. Free time and relaxing is important investment IMO. My own experience with this philosophy was that it results in heavy burnout. And besides, you never know what you'll get out of a book or a TV show, some of them have been just as impactful on my life as works of philosophy or workout podcasts or what have you.

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#168

Post by DubiousPusher »

fredsanford wrote: post #166
DubiousPusher wrote: post #149

I have had a similar experience but I don't blame the internet. I blame my age and a growth of my own critical thinking. It used to be that anything an authority told me was "great writing" was great writing. This of course included a wide array of 18th and 19th century writing. But as I've read more I've come to the conclusion that while writing of that era is full of many woderful plots, observations, philosophies,…

Are you able to get through books by Tolkein, Robert Jordan or Terry Goodkind? I wonder because as I've aged I don't have the patience to sit through a description of every blade of grass in a meadow...

Never read Goodkind. I don't think I could read Jordan anymore. Just kind of got over high fantasy a bit and don't find it all that rewarding. With Tolkien, I used to view "The Hobbit" as pretty good and TLOTR as his magnum opus. Now I'm convinced it's the other way round.

Generally, I'm very much the same. Let's set the scene quick and get the characters doing stuff. I used to see intricate scene dressing as a skill now I see it as an indulgence. There are too many period films, mini-series and series with beautiful sets and costumes etc if I really want that. There I can marvel at them without much addition time cost.

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#169

Post by int_19h »

ByThyGrace wrote: post #118
AlwaysRock wrote: post #63

I've gone from reading 10 books a year to reading 25+ books a year over the last few years. Mostly I've cut down on my screen time. I am on a computer all day for work but once I go home I try to spend as little time as possible on a computer. What do I do now? Come home, do yoga for 15-30 minutes, make tea, meditate for 10 minutes, read for 15 - 50 minutes. Then I'll allow myself to do other things that may occupy m…

Getting an e-ink reader is the reason I've had a similar boost in reading hours, also over the last few years. The thing's fantastic. I don't even mind the low dpi, or the delayed responsiveness (it's not slower than turning a paper page). I bring it with me and read anywhere. It does not have the attention seeking alerts nor the eye-straining of a back-lighted smartphone. There's under a dozen simultaneous books I'm…

Smartphones are great for books, but you need an OLED screen (and hence no backlight). I was a very early adopter of eInk tech - got into it when Chinese started making the first affordable alternatives to the very first Kindle. It was great, but eventually, the smartphone won out of sheer convenience - it's always there in the pocket with me, so whenever I have to wait on the go, I can just whip it out and continue reading.

Re: Just Read the Book Already

#170

Post by [deleted] »

ma2rten wrote: post #133
AlwaysRock wrote: post #63

I've gone from reading 10 books a year to reading 25+ books a year over the last few years. Mostly I've cut down on my screen time. I am on a computer all day for work but once I go home I try to spend as little time as possible on a computer. What do I do now? Come home, do yoga for 15-30 minutes, make tea, meditate for 10 minutes, read for 15 - 50 minutes. Then I'll allow myself to do other things that may occupy m…

I don't read a lot because I have ADHD which makes it hard to focus. Do you also have that problem?

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