Thanks for commenting John -- getting to know you has been a joy these many years. I would imagine you do more with the time we get on this earth than most anyone I know. I guess I'm not surprised you also manage to read the best books more than once.
When I taught the same book year after year, I'd re-read them with a bit more speed but it was the only way I could teach them effectively. My memory was too full of too many details to remember everything each book had to offer the new young readers. However, in my personal reading adventures, I have never re-read a book nor do I think I ever would. There's just too much to read now and the thought of re-reading something while the other books are crying for attention seems just too unkind :-)
Such great insights here Chuck!!! I believe Contact is the ONLY book of fiction I have reread (save for the gotta read stuff with my children as they were growing up). Non-Fiction History is different. It seems a topic (let's say Lewis and Clark) has been written myriad times. One book settles in our mind. Then we read something else. There are points where both cannot be true and it is worthwhile to explore the difference. I think I have must made the case for why more fiction in my life is a better path for the years ahead!!!
When I read your passion for reaching your students it enrages me there are a large and growing subset of parents who want less diversity in what children are exposed to. This is the death of learning.
Love how you wove memories of Carl Sagan into this piece. I remember watching Cosmos and BILLIONS of stars. I will have to look up the Library at Alexandria. You made a great point in that science is not always fact. It can and should be disputed and discussed with respect.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment CK. I did not go down the rabbit hole of the library in the post. Basically Sagan was so enamored with his view of the world and an idealized "place for scientists to be unencumbered" he embraced that lie to tell his greater story. Who knows whether he just did not research it thoroughly as the idea of science breaking free was his hope.
He MIGHT ENJOY https://markdolan.substack.com/p/it-starts-in-your-head -- my hidden goal in this one was to discuss philosophy, faith and science without being controversial. I avoid controversy like the plague. It is one of my favorite posts. It's a bonus just for the byline as it is ridiculous "Donald Rumsfeld, Blaise Pascal and the 3rd Base Coach" -- thanks so much for being so kind with your comments and your time.
That piece spoke to me personally. I'm reading a book that now that basically says all negative situations, arguments, etc are your fault. No longer can one say, But he's nuts, he's judgmental, etc. It's all you. The book goes into greater detail. It's eye opening with an eye clamp. Integrate the Shadow Master Your Path by Matthew James.
Oh my this is FANTASTIC CK. I recently completed a class. It was about a lot of things. The part of the class from the first module that changed me was a focus on thought and consciousness. I wish I had been introduced to the concepts in my teens. I am going to order your book reference today! A kind POV is that much of what we feel impacted by (stress, anxiety, guilt) are just FLEETING THOUGHTS in our own heads. Rather than becoming a victim, it is wonderful to just imagine it is best to let these fleeting THOUGHTS pass as that is simply what a brain does and deserves no more concern necessarily than any other fleeting though.
Yes! When crap comes up ask yourself, how does this serve me? I have a lot of mishegoss to unravel so I’m meditating twice a day, reading these types of books, etc. It’s life changing.
I will organize the references to One Thought for you. It was VERY IMPORTANT for me to get the message also. I LOVE mishegoss and am a sucker for the right word for the right time. I use Grammarly as my assistant when I write. It's monthly report reminds me I make the same mistakes over and over (ugh) -- I am grateful it pumps me up occasionally for fun vocabulary. Gonna work mishegoss in soon!!!
I LOVE your comment that "Its a nice feeling when you can carve out a comfortable space for someone even if there are some things you might not agree with." A hearty amen to that. It pains me so that we can no longer have sane discussions these days. Doesn't matter what side you're on, the other side is automatically wrong, no ifs, ands or buts. I long for the days when gray areas were okay! And sadly, I do not remember his writing in Omni.
A long while ago I wrote a bit of a parable https://markdolan.substack.com/it-starts-in-your-head -- alas most didn't get the parable :) There is a part when I riff on the only person ever to win a Nobel prize in two different disciplines. My point about him was late in life he was a quack encouraging people to megadose on vitamin C for all conceivable ailments. He is the poster child for having something important to say and also being a crazy uncle. You can be both.
Ah, good old Linus Pauling. He was the commencement speaker at my now-husband's graduation many years ago. It was an outside event on a hot summer day, and all I remember about it was that my brother-in-law and I drank champagne from the bottle throughout. I probably shouldn't admit that, should I?
Thanks for reading the old post unless you just surmised it was LP just b/c you are brilliant!!! No one ever gets the joke when I go to brunch and there are unlimited Mimosas -- the Linus Pauling special :) -- I think a graduation is the perfect time to celebrate with champagne.
Hooray for you -- you would dominate on Jeopardy. I did get a few notes from people privately that others have won multiples but they were in largely the same field unlike Pauling.
I'm not a big re-reader, either. A. because there are so many books in the world to read! And B. because I'm afraid I won't love my favorites as much as I once did. But you make a great point--it's good when we re-read and don't love the book anymore, because that means we've changed! But back to Sagan--I've always been a fan because of my later mother-in-law, who adored his work. One of the great moments of her life was visiting Cornell and seeing the plaque with his name on it by his office door.
What a great comment Charlotte. Thank you. I have a nephew who just finished four years at Cornell. I think it is such a great place. Any Ivy without the constraints of the city that still represents the early and important ag traditions of the nation. I continue to love so much that Sagan gave us. It is actually a pretty nice feeling when you can carve out a comfortable space for someone even if there are some things you might not agree with. I may not have made the point well enough but I consider it tragic that many people seem to have moved toward a warrior setting of either A or B when maybe a little bit of both would be just fine. Do you remember his writing in Omni Magazine occasionally?
What a great comment Paul. I can still remember the alarm of my father when he might hear me listening to music as a kid. It would have been a great and snappy retort to say yeah I was thinking about the great battle for Mordor in the Tolkien book so I decided to listen to this :) I wish, even more, I could talk to him about it now but he has been gone for nearly 40 years :( I am going to listen to Ramble On today and maybe an album of LZ. Thanks for reading AND taking the time to comment. It is genuinely the part of Substack I enjoy the most.
I have and do reread books that I have enjoyed in the past and, in most cases, enjoyed them even more.
Thanks for commenting John -- getting to know you has been a joy these many years. I would imagine you do more with the time we get on this earth than most anyone I know. I guess I'm not surprised you also manage to read the best books more than once.
When I taught the same book year after year, I'd re-read them with a bit more speed but it was the only way I could teach them effectively. My memory was too full of too many details to remember everything each book had to offer the new young readers. However, in my personal reading adventures, I have never re-read a book nor do I think I ever would. There's just too much to read now and the thought of re-reading something while the other books are crying for attention seems just too unkind :-)
Such great insights here Chuck!!! I believe Contact is the ONLY book of fiction I have reread (save for the gotta read stuff with my children as they were growing up). Non-Fiction History is different. It seems a topic (let's say Lewis and Clark) has been written myriad times. One book settles in our mind. Then we read something else. There are points where both cannot be true and it is worthwhile to explore the difference. I think I have must made the case for why more fiction in my life is a better path for the years ahead!!!
When I read your passion for reaching your students it enrages me there are a large and growing subset of parents who want less diversity in what children are exposed to. This is the death of learning.
Love how you wove memories of Carl Sagan into this piece. I remember watching Cosmos and BILLIONS of stars. I will have to look up the Library at Alexandria. You made a great point in that science is not always fact. It can and should be disputed and discussed with respect.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment CK. I did not go down the rabbit hole of the library in the post. Basically Sagan was so enamored with his view of the world and an idealized "place for scientists to be unencumbered" he embraced that lie to tell his greater story. Who knows whether he just did not research it thoroughly as the idea of science breaking free was his hope.
BTW you and hubby would have much to discuss. Lots in common.
He MIGHT ENJOY https://markdolan.substack.com/p/it-starts-in-your-head -- my hidden goal in this one was to discuss philosophy, faith and science without being controversial. I avoid controversy like the plague. It is one of my favorite posts. It's a bonus just for the byline as it is ridiculous "Donald Rumsfeld, Blaise Pascal and the 3rd Base Coach" -- thanks so much for being so kind with your comments and your time.
That piece spoke to me personally. I'm reading a book that now that basically says all negative situations, arguments, etc are your fault. No longer can one say, But he's nuts, he's judgmental, etc. It's all you. The book goes into greater detail. It's eye opening with an eye clamp. Integrate the Shadow Master Your Path by Matthew James.
Just ordered the book THANKS
Oh my this is FANTASTIC CK. I recently completed a class. It was about a lot of things. The part of the class from the first module that changed me was a focus on thought and consciousness. I wish I had been introduced to the concepts in my teens. I am going to order your book reference today! A kind POV is that much of what we feel impacted by (stress, anxiety, guilt) are just FLEETING THOUGHTS in our own heads. Rather than becoming a victim, it is wonderful to just imagine it is best to let these fleeting THOUGHTS pass as that is simply what a brain does and deserves no more concern necessarily than any other fleeting though.
Yes! When crap comes up ask yourself, how does this serve me? I have a lot of mishegoss to unravel so I’m meditating twice a day, reading these types of books, etc. It’s life changing.
I will organize the references to One Thought for you. It was VERY IMPORTANT for me to get the message also. I LOVE mishegoss and am a sucker for the right word for the right time. I use Grammarly as my assistant when I write. It's monthly report reminds me I make the same mistakes over and over (ugh) -- I am grateful it pumps me up occasionally for fun vocabulary. Gonna work mishegoss in soon!!!
“Things are true until they are not.” Love this!
Thanks Anne. It is one of my favorite expressions.
I LOVE your comment that "Its a nice feeling when you can carve out a comfortable space for someone even if there are some things you might not agree with." A hearty amen to that. It pains me so that we can no longer have sane discussions these days. Doesn't matter what side you're on, the other side is automatically wrong, no ifs, ands or buts. I long for the days when gray areas were okay! And sadly, I do not remember his writing in Omni.
A long while ago I wrote a bit of a parable https://markdolan.substack.com/it-starts-in-your-head -- alas most didn't get the parable :) There is a part when I riff on the only person ever to win a Nobel prize in two different disciplines. My point about him was late in life he was a quack encouraging people to megadose on vitamin C for all conceivable ailments. He is the poster child for having something important to say and also being a crazy uncle. You can be both.
Ah, good old Linus Pauling. He was the commencement speaker at my now-husband's graduation many years ago. It was an outside event on a hot summer day, and all I remember about it was that my brother-in-law and I drank champagne from the bottle throughout. I probably shouldn't admit that, should I?
Thanks for reading the old post unless you just surmised it was LP just b/c you are brilliant!!! No one ever gets the joke when I go to brunch and there are unlimited Mimosas -- the Linus Pauling special :) -- I think a graduation is the perfect time to celebrate with champagne.
I did read the post, but I knew it was Pauling without reading it!
Hooray for you -- you would dominate on Jeopardy. I did get a few notes from people privately that others have won multiples but they were in largely the same field unlike Pauling.
I'm not a big re-reader, either. A. because there are so many books in the world to read! And B. because I'm afraid I won't love my favorites as much as I once did. But you make a great point--it's good when we re-read and don't love the book anymore, because that means we've changed! But back to Sagan--I've always been a fan because of my later mother-in-law, who adored his work. One of the great moments of her life was visiting Cornell and seeing the plaque with his name on it by his office door.
What a great comment Charlotte. Thank you. I have a nephew who just finished four years at Cornell. I think it is such a great place. Any Ivy without the constraints of the city that still represents the early and important ag traditions of the nation. I continue to love so much that Sagan gave us. It is actually a pretty nice feeling when you can carve out a comfortable space for someone even if there are some things you might not agree with. I may not have made the point well enough but I consider it tragic that many people seem to have moved toward a warrior setting of either A or B when maybe a little bit of both would be just fine. Do you remember his writing in Omni Magazine occasionally?
So you've got me listening to Led Zeppelin at 6:22am est! No, I don't want to handle the truth all the time. Great thoughts Mark.
What a great comment Paul. I can still remember the alarm of my father when he might hear me listening to music as a kid. It would have been a great and snappy retort to say yeah I was thinking about the great battle for Mordor in the Tolkien book so I decided to listen to this :) I wish, even more, I could talk to him about it now but he has been gone for nearly 40 years :( I am going to listen to Ramble On today and maybe an album of LZ. Thanks for reading AND taking the time to comment. It is genuinely the part of Substack I enjoy the most.