Article

2004-12-27 Home Front: Culture Wars

The Habit of Continuous Serious Reading Continues to Decline

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Posted by Mike Sylwester 2004-12-27 1:38:18 PM|| || Front Page|| [8 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 That article's a bit long for my tastes, Mike. Can't you EFL?

Posted by lex 2004-12-27 2:55:52 PM|| 2004-12-27 2:55:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Indeed.

Posted by Seafarious 2004-12-27 2:57:39 PM|| 2004-12-27 2:57:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 "Books are man's chosen possession."

- FREDRICK DOUGLAS -

"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten,
either write things worth the reading, or do things worth the writing."

- BENJAMIN FRANKLIN -

"Stories happen to the people who can tell them."

From - "The Last Living Confederate Widow Tells All"

Reading is one of the most fundamental cognitive skills a person can field when dealing with life. Television and radio cannot possibly replace the critical faculty of imaginative synthesis that a book requires for consumption. Video and computer games do not even hold a candle to the intellectual stimulation that books provide.

My own library extends into thousands of volumes, including over 1,000 cookbooks alone. Selections range from the Audel's Manuals on building Victorian houses and electrified tram lines to Tom Clancy, Anne Rice, Tolkein and early fantasy writers like William Morris, Lord Dunsany, Lin Carter, Clark Ashton Smith, Lovecraft, not to mention the classics of Dickens, Bronte and beyond. The titles are as varied as the topics and include architecture, field guides for wildlife and plants plus scientific reference works and maps as well (another pet topic).

For fun, I challenge our membership to post their reading material from the last few months. As for myself:

The Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson

"Red Mars", "Green Mars", "Blue Mars"

Plus the bonus add-on "The Martians"

This series is an outstanding account of exactly what terraforming the planet Mars would require in order to make it suitable for human habitation. Going beyond well-based "hard" science fiction, this work also explores the political ramifications of a new planet's economic development, the advent of an off-earth culture, the side-effects of extreme longevity and the transition of Earth's own global economy through new phases.

The third book (which I am currently reading) sheds light upon what would be needed to begin terraforming other planets, moons and planetisimals within our solar system. The technology is spot-on and the scope can be breath-taking. Additional passages deal with psychological analysis of the characters themselves and often contain brilliant insights with respect to the human condition.

Other recent reading:

"McDonald's : Behind The Arches"
by John F. Love

Written in the mid-1980s when the food service chain was in its prime, the book provides a panoramic window into the how, why and when of America's biggest hamburger maker. Certain statistics regarding the corporation simply "do not compute:"

McDonald's provides job training for more people than even the United States Army.

Almost half of all Americans live within a three minute drive of a McDonald's.

One in every seven (15%) of all Americans got their first job at a McDonalds.

The figures and facts almost go beyond comprehension. Enough ketchup served to fill the Mississippi river a few times over. Rated as a individual nation, McDonald's would be the sixth largest global consumer of Coca-Cola soft drink. More retail locations than any other commercial organization and second only to Sears in square footage. Author John Love also details the revolutionary enterprise model that forever changed the way business franchises are transacted.

An excellent section of pre-history details how milkshake machine salseman Ray Kroc stumbled across a small hamburger shack in San Bernadino and eventually acquired total control of its name and innovative preparation methods. The corporation single-handedly forced beef processors to create fixed grades of hamburger meat so a reliable product could be served. It is almost hilarious to read how Kraft lost the chance to provide all of McDonald's cheese because they refused to make one with a sharper flavor. Similarly, Heinz lost out as sole provider of ketchup due to a lack of cooperation.

This book also details the long period during which McDonalds operated on a handshake basis with even its biggest suppliers. Also, how their executive board was populated by many high school graduates. It is amazing to see the evolution of Ronald McDonald from Willard Scott's "Bozo the Clown" character to one of the most well recognized individual advertising icons in history.

Each chapter contains at least one insight or revelation that makes the entire book worth reading. As someone who has worked as a chef and managed food service operations, this is a veritable page-turner. Anyone in management can benefit from reading this book.

Next on the must-read list:

On Food and Cooking - The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Completely Revised and Updated
By Harold McGee

This monumental work is required reading for anyone who pretends to have the least passion for the culinary arts. Hundreds of pages are untainted by more than a handful of recipes. This tome is a biochemical treatise of how food is cooked, preserved and manages to sustain human life. Simply one of the finest food books ever written, it shatters dearly held myths while providing solid scientific foundations which are easily understood by the average reader. Only Reay Tannehill's "History of Food" comes close to the level of informative writing and insight provided by "On Food and Cooking."

Other future titles - "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Deep Black" (hat tip to RB)

So, bring it on Rantburgers, what's your reading of choice?

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-27 3:40:17 PM|| 2004-12-27 3:40:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Letters to Penthouse?

Posted by Frank G 2004-12-27 3:42:25 PM|| 2004-12-27 3:42:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Well, well, oh yeah? Lol!

Anti-Americanism - Jean-Francois Revel

Uh, BTW, don't call me next time you move. Books are a bear!

Posted by .com 2004-12-27 3:46:54 PM|| 2004-12-27 3:46:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 lex, OT I have some problems with acronyms, what does EFL means?

From Acronyms Finder:

EFL English as a Foreign Language
EFL Eastern Federal Lands
EFL Effective Focal Length
EFL Emergency Flare Launcher
EFL Emitter-Follower Logic
EFL Entry Flight Level
EFL European Football League (rugby)
EFL External Financing Limit (UK)

Posted by SwissTex 2004-12-27 5:11:57 PM|| 2004-12-27 5:11:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 SwissTex, EFL = Edited For ~~Laughs~~ Length

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-27 5:17:45 PM|| 2004-12-27 5:17:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Thanks. I'm learning something new every day

Posted by SwissTex 2004-12-27 5:20:20 PM|| 2004-12-27 5:20:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Yawn. An outdated, pseudo-intellectual whine posted by our resident outdated pseudo-intellectual.

Posted by Robert Crawford 2004-12-27 5:21:38 PM|| [http://www.kloognome.com/] 2004-12-27 5:21:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 I must admit I read constantly. I rarely even watch TV without a book in hand, unless it's on the history channel. Just a couple of the non-fiction books I've read recently are:

Thunder Road by David Zucchino
Panzer Battles by Maj. Gen. F.W. Von Mellenthin

Both books are courtesy of Laurence of the Rats, he gave me Thunder Road for my birthday, the other one I swiped a long time ago from him. I read nearly a book a day on fiction, so that list is really rather long. It is really sad to run into people who don't read for pleasure and interest. It's hard for me to imagine a life like that, but I guess it's their brain to waste.

Posted by Silentbrick 2004-12-27 5:27:42 PM|| 2004-12-27 5:27:42 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 It is really sad to run into people who don't read for pleasure and interest. It's hard for me to imagine a life like that, but I guess it's their brain to waste.

I could not agree with you more, Silentbrick.

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-27 6:08:02 PM|| 2004-12-27 6:08:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 i never eat salt pork without a copy of men against the see in ham

Posted by half 2004-12-27 6:24:31 PM|| 2004-12-27 6:24:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Here is a partial list (I don't remember everything) of what I have read or am reading in the past 4-6 weeks:
Lord of the Rings
6-8 Star Trek novels
Silent Sea & Final Harbor by Harry Homewood
Acouple of Raymond Chandler Marlowe novels
several of the books in Winston Churchill's history of WW2 (ongoing, interesting but dry)
Vortex & Red Phoenix by Larry Bond
Gerry Carroll's 3 books
Lord Darcy by Randall Garrett
American Soldier-Tommy Franks
Boots on the Ground & Dawn over Baghdad- Karl Zinsmeister
Boots on the Ground (anthology)
The March Up by Bing West & MG Smith
Storm on the Horizon by David Morris
The Iraq War by W. Murray & MG Scales
Operation Iraqi Freedom by Col. Boyne
In the Company of Soldiers by Rick Atkinson
When I moved there were 45 boxes of books, I nearly wrecked myself and 3 friends moving them all.

Posted by Lurks Often 2004-12-27 6:33:13 PM|| 2004-12-27 6:33:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Lurks, fine list but I didn't think much of the Rick Atkinson book.

Mike, I suggest "Neville Chamberlain: Savior of Czechoslovakia," by Sir Nigel Dimwit-Dumfart, O.B.E.

Posted by Matt 2004-12-27 7:28:18 PM|| 2004-12-27 7:28:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 *snicker*

Posted by Frank G 2004-12-27 7:40:14 PM|| 2004-12-27 7:40:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Zenster,

I am working on my last remaining Patrick O'Brian sea novels - now on the Yellow Admiral - while continuing Piers Paul Read's "The Templars". Finished in the last few weeks: "Island at the Center of the World" by Russel Shorto and "Tournament of Shadows" by Karl Meyers and his wife. In fact, for any Afghanistan followers it is a must read. But I like to read Henning Mankell when he is available and his latest is coming out this winter sometime. It was available in Sweden when I was there this summer but albeit in Swedish. Called "After the Frost". Should be another page turner if like melancholy self-loathing dectectives solving murders one cheeseburger at a time.

Posted by Jack is Back 2004-12-27 7:53:47 PM|| 2004-12-27 7:53:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 "1421 - The Year China Discovered the World" by Gavin Menzies

"Task Force Dagger - The Hunt for Bin Laden" by Robin Moore

"Thaksin - The Business of Politics in Thailand" by Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker

In the northern Thailand village from where my wife originates, there SIMPLY ARE NO BOOKS. TV's, DVD players, mountains of DVD's - maybe an occasional comic book - but no real books. Chilling.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2004-12-27 8:21:43 PM|| 2004-12-27 8:21:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 I cannot recall who here said it, but considering the 50% illiteracy rate among Saudi women (which is probably representative of many other Islamic countries), it bends the mind to consider a society where half the women cannot read to their children.

Small wonder that a single book manages to reign supreme in so poorly-read a culture.

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-27 11:01:28 PM|| 2004-12-27 11:01:28 PM|| Front Page Top

00:31 .com
00:02 Zenster
23:59 Phil Fraering
23:59 mojo
23:57 Seafarious
23:52 gromgorru
23:43 joeblow
23:40 .com
23:39 BH
23:36 Asedwich
23:34 Asedwich
23:31 Atomic Conspiracy
23:26 Zenster
23:19 Atomic Conspiracy
23:16 Frank G
23:13 joeblow
23:11 trailing wife
23:08 trailng daughter of the trailing wife
23:06 trailing daughter of the trailing wife
23:01 Zenster
22:59 trailing wife
22:54 trailing daughter of the trailing wife
22:53 trailing wife
22:51 Zenster