Thank you to Nate for pointing me towards goodreads.com. I should have known that a community existed on the world wide web to meet my needs to share what I have been reading and thinking about.
I still plan to continue publishing here, but we will see if the content shifts away from books.
18 January 2009
13 January 2009
Orson Scott Card and technology
I had some more thoughts about Ender’s Game that thematically deserved a separate post.
I read some science fiction as a teenager (not any Orson Scott Card as I admitted previously) and perhaps I knew too little to realize some of the foresight the authors had. Reading Ender’s Game however I am amazed at the technical aspects that we are beginning to see today that Card wrote about in the 1970’s.
It may be that I view the 1970’s as long ago because of my age, but as I understand things this was before the personal computer was a part of even the most tech savvy home. Ender’s Game is full of things that are just now becoming a part of everyday use. They studied on personal, laptop computers connected together in a giant network. They played simulation and computer games, some of which they interacted directly with.
Perhaps we haven't come as far as I think since the late 1970's and we have been this close for a long time. Even if there were visionaries then talking about these things I am impressed with Card’s ability to understand how technology can be used in our lives and how it will affect our lives.
I read some science fiction as a teenager (not any Orson Scott Card as I admitted previously) and perhaps I knew too little to realize some of the foresight the authors had. Reading Ender’s Game however I am amazed at the technical aspects that we are beginning to see today that Card wrote about in the 1970’s.
It may be that I view the 1970’s as long ago because of my age, but as I understand things this was before the personal computer was a part of even the most tech savvy home. Ender’s Game is full of things that are just now becoming a part of everyday use. They studied on personal, laptop computers connected together in a giant network. They played simulation and computer games, some of which they interacted directly with.
Perhaps we haven't come as far as I think since the late 1970's and we have been this close for a long time. Even if there were visionaries then talking about these things I am impressed with Card’s ability to understand how technology can be used in our lives and how it will affect our lives.
Ender - Orson Scott Card
I came to the Ender series late. I never did read any of Orson Scott Card’s books as a teenager. I finally read Ender’s Game recently and was very impressed.
The copy of Ender's Game that I read had questions at the back to be used in classroom discussion. The questions had the potential to elicit very serious answers and yet were directed at young adults. These questions echoed many of the thoughts I had as I read and pondered the book.
I have been reading some of the other books in the Ender saga. Card has the ability to draw me in quickly with each book. A real part of the satisfaction is not simply the good story and approachable delivery; I enjoy the deep potential thoughts that are brought up throughout each book.
I also came across Card’s Alvin Maker series and feel the same way. This series is a historical fantasy set in an alternate colonial North America. This series is directed at a more mature audience because of the themes, but it is undergirded with deep issues to think about.
I don’t know if Card intends his works to be as deep as I read them, but it is wonderful to enjoy a book not only for the story but also for the things it makes you think about.
The copy of Ender's Game that I read had questions at the back to be used in classroom discussion. The questions had the potential to elicit very serious answers and yet were directed at young adults. These questions echoed many of the thoughts I had as I read and pondered the book.
I have been reading some of the other books in the Ender saga. Card has the ability to draw me in quickly with each book. A real part of the satisfaction is not simply the good story and approachable delivery; I enjoy the deep potential thoughts that are brought up throughout each book.
I also came across Card’s Alvin Maker series and feel the same way. This series is a historical fantasy set in an alternate colonial North America. This series is directed at a more mature audience because of the themes, but it is undergirded with deep issues to think about.
I don’t know if Card intends his works to be as deep as I read them, but it is wonderful to enjoy a book not only for the story but also for the things it makes you think about.
John Madea and Simplicity
The Laws of Simplicity by John MaedaI loved this book and the concise presentation of powerful ideas. He has collected the principles to drive toward simplicity and makes the case for the power behind simplicity. This can be applied in so many circumstances.
Madea’s background coming from both computer science and design is especially intriguing to me. As I sit on the technical side of things I am often fascinated by the design world. The more I learn and observe I see many corollaries between the two worlds. I was able to see the application of the principles in this book both to design as well as the technical world.
The Alchemist
When I began this short book by Paulo Coelho I was skeptical. I felt as I did while reading The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clayson. I did not agree fully with the motivations of the individuals in the story, but as I continued to read both books I found lessons that I could easily apply to myself and my own experience.
For those unfamiliar with these books they discuss ways to achieve goals and are set in times long ago. The Richest Man in Babylon is specifically about paying yourself first to provide financial freedom. The Alchemist is about following your personal dream. I recommend both books and the overall messages that they have to share.
The sticking point for me that I had to get past was that I saw much of the individual motivations based on selfishness. I know that I have many selfish desires myself, and probably many I don’t realize, but I have spent a lot of energy trying to curb many of those selfish desires.
Perhaps we all need a certain amount of healthy selfishness in our lives. I find motivation a much friendlier word, and this is how I view healthy selfishness. We need the motivation to get out and do productive things and build worthwhile relationships.
The side of selfishness that bothered me the most in the story was the lack of commitment to other people close to the main character. Granted this may only be my perception, but in comparing these characters to myself they had very few if any obligations to others. I feel that it is natural for us to take upon ourselves obligations that should determine decisions we make in the future. With a family it is not appropriate to leave or force your family into a difficult situation. I don’t mean to say that family commitments restrict our dreams, these commitments just add another layer of things that must be considered before major actions are undertaken.
I believe that our lives are more meaningful when shared with others. If we expand self to include family and others important to us then acting upon selfish motivation for this expanded self will bring more happiness to our lives.
For those unfamiliar with these books they discuss ways to achieve goals and are set in times long ago. The Richest Man in Babylon is specifically about paying yourself first to provide financial freedom. The Alchemist is about following your personal dream. I recommend both books and the overall messages that they have to share.
The sticking point for me that I had to get past was that I saw much of the individual motivations based on selfishness. I know that I have many selfish desires myself, and probably many I don’t realize, but I have spent a lot of energy trying to curb many of those selfish desires.
Perhaps we all need a certain amount of healthy selfishness in our lives. I find motivation a much friendlier word, and this is how I view healthy selfishness. We need the motivation to get out and do productive things and build worthwhile relationships.
The side of selfishness that bothered me the most in the story was the lack of commitment to other people close to the main character. Granted this may only be my perception, but in comparing these characters to myself they had very few if any obligations to others. I feel that it is natural for us to take upon ourselves obligations that should determine decisions we make in the future. With a family it is not appropriate to leave or force your family into a difficult situation. I don’t mean to say that family commitments restrict our dreams, these commitments just add another layer of things that must be considered before major actions are undertaken.
I believe that our lives are more meaningful when shared with others. If we expand self to include family and others important to us then acting upon selfish motivation for this expanded self will bring more happiness to our lives.
Stumbling On Happiness
I listened to this book after listening to Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, which in hindsight was a good fit. This book addresses more of things that our brain does without us realizing it. In this case Daniel Gilbert dissects some of the ways our brain may deceive us and specifically why it can be so difficult to understand what decisions will bring us the most happiness in the future.
The analogy that Gilbert uses is the optical illusion. An optical illusion is the corruption or confusion of our vision. Our past vision (memories) also becomes corrupted in a way similar to optical illusions. In the same way our future vision is also imperfect, seen through bias of the present. This means that our decisions are tainted by the present moment. Our thoughts and feelings now are poor predictors to how we will feel in future situations that we have not yet experienced.
Daniel Gilbert leaves the reader with an antidote to overcome our inability to accurately predict future happiness, and it is surprisingly simple. He makes the point however that it is also tremendously difficult. His recommendation is to ask someone else who has gone through a similar situation how they felt and how the experience went. It has been found that even if we feel our situations are unique they are not nearly as unique as we think. The best projection of how we will feel in a situation we have not experienced can be found in the experiences of someone who has gone through a similar situation.
I have my own reluctance in counseling with others, but I can also see the power in turning to others to help guide our decisions. We are not as different as we may think. Part of the difficulty in following this advice is knowing the best person to ask. This is a good argument to be socially active, as those with a wider circle of friends and acquaintances will probably have an easier time than the recluse.
The analogy that Gilbert uses is the optical illusion. An optical illusion is the corruption or confusion of our vision. Our past vision (memories) also becomes corrupted in a way similar to optical illusions. In the same way our future vision is also imperfect, seen through bias of the present. This means that our decisions are tainted by the present moment. Our thoughts and feelings now are poor predictors to how we will feel in future situations that we have not yet experienced.
Daniel Gilbert leaves the reader with an antidote to overcome our inability to accurately predict future happiness, and it is surprisingly simple. He makes the point however that it is also tremendously difficult. His recommendation is to ask someone else who has gone through a similar situation how they felt and how the experience went. It has been found that even if we feel our situations are unique they are not nearly as unique as we think. The best projection of how we will feel in a situation we have not experienced can be found in the experiences of someone who has gone through a similar situation.
I have my own reluctance in counseling with others, but I can also see the power in turning to others to help guide our decisions. We are not as different as we may think. Part of the difficulty in following this advice is knowing the best person to ask. This is a good argument to be socially active, as those with a wider circle of friends and acquaintances will probably have an easier time than the recluse.
2009 Update
I intended these posts to try and present some of the thoughts I had while reading the books I enjoy. Unfortunately I have let too much time elapse since reading these books and my thoughts have turned into vague impressions. Compounding the problem is the fact that I haven't stopped reading other books, so I hope ideas don't become muddled. I will try and do some catch up so that I can post my thoughts more quickly, but no promises.
If anyone has read any of these books and would like to discuss them let me know. Also, if you think of any books that I may enjoy, please let me know and I will add them to my ever growing list of interesting books to read.
If anyone has read any of these books and would like to discuss them let me know. Also, if you think of any books that I may enjoy, please let me know and I will add them to my ever growing list of interesting books to read.
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