"...What an astonishing thing a book is! It is a flat object, made from a tree. With flexible parts on which are printed - with lots of funny dark squiggles. But, one glance at it and your inside the mind of another person, maybe, somebody dead for thousands of years!
Across the millennia, an Author is speaking clearly and silently, inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of different epochs. Books, break the shackles of time!
A book, is proof that humans are truly capable of working magic!..." - Carl Sagan.
A friend sent this picture to me on Facebook! And I couldn't agree more with the message, as I have only just finished reading the first novel in a series by author Lee Child, titled.."Killing Floor", in which he introduces the character.."Jack Reacher". Anyway, I have just begun the Jack Reacher series' 2nd book, titled.."Die Trying". I recommend Lee Child, he is a rollicking good read.
So, in the space of two months - I have finished one, and started two books, which for me is a world record! I am the first to admit that I am terrible - no, woeful in fact is a better word - when it comes to reading "books". The last time I finished a book from cover to cover was about twenty years ago, no joke! It was, "The Hunt for Red October".
In the same amount of time, my wife J has read, probably - literally hundreds of titles! And so has my oldest son MG, and he isn't yet twenty-one! This is a fact that I am not proud of for myself, for my reading-list of novels is shocking. But, I am intent on making up some of the ground, this year at least.
I am a reader of journals, 'text-books', and magazines though, anything that deals with the sciences, engineering, physics, the sea, the air - nature is fair game too! My engineering background gives me an insight into the wonders of the universe, through astronomy - a 'genre' that I have loved since I was old enough to sit in front of the TV and watch the documentaries, made famous by Carl Sagan himself, ..."Cosmos - A Personal Voyage", way back in 1980 - (R.I.P, Carl). My first venture into science fiction was with my brother G in 1977, when we went to see "Star-Wars", need I say more.
Back to books, then. The first book I read that had me hooked-on-reading, (that I remember), was - "Walt Disney - Fantasyland". So I guess I have been hooked on science and science-fiction, because of Walt Disney! He was one 'far-out-dude', in his day!
My wife J and our 3 boys have gone every year to the "Worlds-Largest-2nd-Hand-Book-Sale", held in Brisbane in winter. Our home is happy to receive some new 'friends', each sale! They really come cheap too, some books only costing 5-cents. But they are priceless in the way that they can become our treasured possessions in no time at all. All types are catered for - no topic is off the table. If your're lucky - you might find just what your looking for, even if you weren't really there looking - just looking!
Reading is a good way of taking my mind off my persistent-pain! It's been strongly recommended by my OT, and specialist neurologist - so I've been doing a lot of it (in small doses). I have to agree, it actually works best when you really get 'into-it', so I've been reading in bed (mainly), then going off to sleep. It will take me about 2-months to read a 500-page book! I know that is terribly slow for 99% of people (like watching your fingernails-grow!), but It is my pace at this moment.
So go grab a book and start reading now, for goodness sake!
Across the millennia, an Author is speaking clearly and silently, inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of different epochs. Books, break the shackles of time!
A book, is proof that humans are truly capable of working magic!..." - Carl Sagan.
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| From Timeline Photos |
A friend sent this picture to me on Facebook! And I couldn't agree more with the message, as I have only just finished reading the first novel in a series by author Lee Child, titled.."Killing Floor", in which he introduces the character.."Jack Reacher". Anyway, I have just begun the Jack Reacher series' 2nd book, titled.."Die Trying". I recommend Lee Child, he is a rollicking good read.
So, in the space of two months - I have finished one, and started two books, which for me is a world record! I am the first to admit that I am terrible - no, woeful in fact is a better word - when it comes to reading "books". The last time I finished a book from cover to cover was about twenty years ago, no joke! It was, "The Hunt for Red October".
In the same amount of time, my wife J has read, probably - literally hundreds of titles! And so has my oldest son MG, and he isn't yet twenty-one! This is a fact that I am not proud of for myself, for my reading-list of novels is shocking. But, I am intent on making up some of the ground, this year at least.
I am a reader of journals, 'text-books', and magazines though, anything that deals with the sciences, engineering, physics, the sea, the air - nature is fair game too! My engineering background gives me an insight into the wonders of the universe, through astronomy - a 'genre' that I have loved since I was old enough to sit in front of the TV and watch the documentaries, made famous by Carl Sagan himself, ..."Cosmos - A Personal Voyage", way back in 1980 - (R.I.P, Carl). My first venture into science fiction was with my brother G in 1977, when we went to see "Star-Wars", need I say more.
Back to books, then. The first book I read that had me hooked-on-reading, (that I remember), was - "Walt Disney - Fantasyland". So I guess I have been hooked on science and science-fiction, because of Walt Disney! He was one 'far-out-dude', in his day!
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| A sign for the..."World's Largest 2nd-Hand Book Sale", in Brisbane CBD. |
My wife J and our 3 boys have gone every year to the "Worlds-Largest-2nd-Hand-Book-Sale", held in Brisbane in winter. Our home is happy to receive some new 'friends', each sale! They really come cheap too, some books only costing 5-cents. But they are priceless in the way that they can become our treasured possessions in no time at all. All types are catered for - no topic is off the table. If your're lucky - you might find just what your looking for, even if you weren't really there looking - just looking!
Reading is a good way of taking my mind off my persistent-pain! It's been strongly recommended by my OT, and specialist neurologist - so I've been doing a lot of it (in small doses). I have to agree, it actually works best when you really get 'into-it', so I've been reading in bed (mainly), then going off to sleep. It will take me about 2-months to read a 500-page book! I know that is terribly slow for 99% of people (like watching your fingernails-grow!), but It is my pace at this moment.
So go grab a book and start reading now, for goodness sake!
I love books!! They are a way of transporting us to different worlds and times. Great post as always my Australian friend.
ReplyDeleteHi Glendon,
ReplyDeleteI'm a slow ready too. Have to say the word in my head when i'm reading otherwise the words are just funny dark squiggles as you put it.
Re books, the printing press was one of the most world changing inventions as it allowed ordinary people access to information and knowledge (or power) that only the noble folk could previously afford. Similar to the creation of the internet and www.
I reckon the novel the movie Contact was based on (by Carl Sagan) would be a good read for us science nuts.
Anyway , as they say in Galaxy Quest, "never give up, never surrender"
I hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day Glen!
ReplyDelete