Thank you! I used to read a lot more books. I do have fond memories of packing a picnic and finding a nice spot outside to read (for a while, I would actually climb a tree and read up there with my sandwiches.) Now I read far fewer books but am much pickier about them.
I have noticed something among women of a similar demographic to me who read. Not sure how common it actually is. They read prolifically (like dozens of books a year) then use an algorithm like GoodReads to track and analyze their reading. Then report on what the website says! I find this so weird.
At this point in life (it wasn’t always so) the mark of a good book is it makes a big impression and challenges me to do something real in my life. Otherwise I can’t say I really see the point.
This is actually why I tend to only read books I’ve seen good reviews about or those explicitly recommended to me by my friends - because they do in fact have good taste in literature. Life is, unfortunately, far too short to read every book, so I might as well read just those that can make for exciting conversation starters (:
That’s pretty much what I do too, except I’m more likely to take recommendations from podcasts I listen to or writers I already read. I can’t say I have real life friends with similar tastes in books or who read a lot of books. Sometimes my brothers will recommend something.
I care about the interests and worldview of the author too, and I am quite likely to investigate their background before reading. This isn’t because I have hostile feelings (much), but I’ve also read enough that a lot of books are simply redundant or predictable. (Another reason I’m baffled by people who read dozens of books. I can’t imagine not getting bored by so many words.) If I know a writer is interested in something I am interested in, and has a fresh take, I’m more likely to stay interested.
Thank you for reading and the lovely reflection here. I too have fond memories of reading, especially outdoors and have found I got pickier with what I read over time (perhaps my taste improved?)
I love that connection between a good book and real life change.
Would you rather live a full life and never crack open a book, or read all the great books and never leave your room?
I think it’s got to be the former. Work, art, and knowledge are pursued in service of experience. Most of human knowledge cannot be transmitted through text or language. Life must be lived.
That’s such a good question Danny and I think I agree with you. Life must be lived. And if books contained all the wisdom we needed, we’d all be set for life.
As I'm finishing up the book "The Master and His Emissary" (about the brain science and history of the two sides of the brain... the left coming to dominance as it currently is) I was especially struck with the part where you mention times of peace being those where you're just *being* and *doing* in the embodied world, not simply reading and writing. This rings true, and is probably a better and more harmonic use of the brain... and really of our whole person. :)
I love that so much, Haley. Thank you for reading and leaving such an insightful reflection. In my life, I’ve certainly found periods of embodied doing to be the most grounding and harmonizing. Perhaps because of how far I can be from living my body in the abstract modern age.
“Worth rooted not in what is stored in my brain, but what is built within my soul.”
So beautifully written. Thank you for these words Tommy. I used to also be obsessed with knowledge just like all my Thai students. Overtime I’ve released. Maybe too much though…
I swing on the other side of the totem pole these days and would rather talk to someone for their own story or experience more of life first hand. Writing itself is such a sedentary task already. Maybe it’s my desire for an emotional experience I rarely get from or a book or my dyslexia that makes book comprehension at a glacial speed.
So, opposite from you, I fear that I will never reach my potential as a writer because I don’t read enough.
Thank you for reading Jen and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. It’s funny how the pendulum can swing in life sometimes. Maybe we all fear somewhere inside we’re not quite at the right balance. Maybe the right balance just doesn’t exist.
Thank you for writing so beautifully Tommy :) I suppose it's a dance of figuring out what feels right, even in the face of doubts. Confidence in living the "best" way is rare unless it's a trust in what brings me a sense of enough in the face of my constraints.
Your post made me think of the verse in Ecclesiastes which says, “the making of many books has no end, and much study is a wearing of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and guard His commands, for this applies to all mankind.” Ecc 12:12 . Written by the wisest man in history thousands of years ago…his words still ring true today.
Thank you for your writing. I enjoy it immensely!!
I love that verse from scripture Lauren, and it was one of the driving inspirations in the initial stages of this piece. It’s one of the oldest warnings against the love of acquiring knowledge for knowledge sake. It reminds me of another verse in Ecclesiastes about nothing being new under the sun—how these truths are all so old, discovered long ago, we just forget them.
Great read, Tommy!! That DFW quote: “If I worship my intellect, if I make that the foundation of my identity, I will always feel like a stupid fraud.” 🔥
…time is certainly a puzzle…how to spend it…how to see it…when to ignore it…a friend this year asked me if i ever stop thinking and i told them i have to think about that…all to point that if what we do allows for too much of itself perhaps then it is too much…balance is a harder sensation to sense than lack of it…
This is so good: “balance is a harder sensation to sense than lack of”. I’ve never really been good at balance. I’m only learning balance from being imbalanced and unhappy. Thank you for reading and being here CansaFis. You’re a gentleman and a scholar.
…hey brother i don’t think you read my stuff any more but i am always thankful for the conversation…my prompt this week was “ask me anything”…if interested would love a question from you…
I love reading, and I agree with Dillard that a life spent reading is a good life. It's probably because reading was an essential part of my formative years, when it was difficult, and it was my escape into other worlds. At the same time, learning about varied ways of life and ways of thinking formed my fundamentals. I grieve the times I spent forgetting to read, and they are often not-so-good phases in my life, or if it's good, I'm just too swamped with responsibilities and other focus. I already dream of the time when I retire and spend most of my days reading.
This is to respond to what you're saying. I agree not to worship intellect. I read not only to learn but also to enrich my soul. I am guilty, though, of staying more in my head than going into action.
Thank you for reading Rachel and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. I also found such an escape and such a delightful world in books and have so many memories as a child falling in love with stories and characters. It’s certainly a delicate balance between thought and action. One I’m continually trying to strike, but usually falling on the side of reading.
“Somethingsomething to be a writer you must live a life worth writing about somethingsomething” or however that goes. It seems like everyone has to do their time flirting with gluttony to internalize why they probably shouldn’t. I hope we get to hear your thoughts on East of Eden, it’s definitely in my top 5. I recently read Simone de Beauvoir’s Pyrrhus and Cineas which talks a lot of the finitude of life and its projects, and endeavors that are still worth having while dealing with the awareness that they’re bound to end. I Highly recommend if you find the time (my edition is about 100 pocket-sized pages).
Haha I think that’s exactly it macs. Temperance is one of the virtues that can only be learned the hard way, through experience. William Blake said something like “the road of access leads to the palace of wisdom”. Fools that persist in their folly become wise. With a lot of things, I have to take them to their extreme to realize moderation.
I had east of Eden recommended to me so many times I had to read it. I’m only 200 pages in, but it’s exceptional. I’m also reading Steinbeck’s journals from when he was writing the book which had a ton of helpful colour to both the writing process and the man behind it.
I will make a note to check out de Beauvoir’s book! What’s worth doing knowing that everything will end is a super interesting question. I think about the idea of serving eternity a lot.
Seeing that word again just transported me back to exactly where I was when I read (listened to) that chapter because it evoked such a vivid feeling. Funny enough, I actually got a tattoo of a snake around my leg partly from the influence of this book (as well as a different book I read years later). I feel a strong pull towards art with garden of Eden allusions and this book brought me one of my first conscious awarenesses of that. (I’ll get around to Milton one day)
Congrats on the move man! I saw it in your updates at the bottom. On to a new phase.
I loved this line: "I don't want to die, buried beneath an avalanche of books, looking back on my life as something that was lop-sided. Realizing I wasn't consuming books as much as books were consuming me."
This is something I've mulled over a lot as well. Reading can feel indulgent and like spent reading can often feel like time that could have been spent doing something else. I like what you included about the 'golden mean,' and balance in an activity - and life in general - is the thing to aim at.
A really profound read and I loved the photos after it, as well.
Thank you for reading my friend and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. I think we both feel a similar way. But as with many things in life, the important thing is making the effort to find balance. We are ultimately redeemed by our willingness to strive.
Thank you! I used to read a lot more books. I do have fond memories of packing a picnic and finding a nice spot outside to read (for a while, I would actually climb a tree and read up there with my sandwiches.) Now I read far fewer books but am much pickier about them.
I have noticed something among women of a similar demographic to me who read. Not sure how common it actually is. They read prolifically (like dozens of books a year) then use an algorithm like GoodReads to track and analyze their reading. Then report on what the website says! I find this so weird.
At this point in life (it wasn’t always so) the mark of a good book is it makes a big impression and challenges me to do something real in my life. Otherwise I can’t say I really see the point.
This is actually why I tend to only read books I’ve seen good reviews about or those explicitly recommended to me by my friends - because they do in fact have good taste in literature. Life is, unfortunately, far too short to read every book, so I might as well read just those that can make for exciting conversation starters (:
That’s pretty much what I do too, except I’m more likely to take recommendations from podcasts I listen to or writers I already read. I can’t say I have real life friends with similar tastes in books or who read a lot of books. Sometimes my brothers will recommend something.
I care about the interests and worldview of the author too, and I am quite likely to investigate their background before reading. This isn’t because I have hostile feelings (much), but I’ve also read enough that a lot of books are simply redundant or predictable. (Another reason I’m baffled by people who read dozens of books. I can’t imagine not getting bored by so many words.) If I know a writer is interested in something I am interested in, and has a fresh take, I’m more likely to stay interested.
Thank you for reading and the lovely reflection here. I too have fond memories of reading, especially outdoors and have found I got pickier with what I read over time (perhaps my taste improved?)
I love that connection between a good book and real life change.
Would you rather live a full life and never crack open a book, or read all the great books and never leave your room?
I think it’s got to be the former. Work, art, and knowledge are pursued in service of experience. Most of human knowledge cannot be transmitted through text or language. Life must be lived.
That’s such a good question Danny and I think I agree with you. Life must be lived. And if books contained all the wisdom we needed, we’d all be set for life.
By the way, this is partly what makes fiction so valuable. Life is short. But, through reading, we can live other lives.
I love this so much.
Thank you for reading Charlotte. I’m so glad it resonated.
As I'm finishing up the book "The Master and His Emissary" (about the brain science and history of the two sides of the brain... the left coming to dominance as it currently is) I was especially struck with the part where you mention times of peace being those where you're just *being* and *doing* in the embodied world, not simply reading and writing. This rings true, and is probably a better and more harmonic use of the brain... and really of our whole person. :)
I love that so much, Haley. Thank you for reading and leaving such an insightful reflection. In my life, I’ve certainly found periods of embodied doing to be the most grounding and harmonizing. Perhaps because of how far I can be from living my body in the abstract modern age.
“Worth rooted not in what is stored in my brain, but what is built within my soul.”
So beautifully written. Thank you for these words Tommy. I used to also be obsessed with knowledge just like all my Thai students. Overtime I’ve released. Maybe too much though…
I swing on the other side of the totem pole these days and would rather talk to someone for their own story or experience more of life first hand. Writing itself is such a sedentary task already. Maybe it’s my desire for an emotional experience I rarely get from or a book or my dyslexia that makes book comprehension at a glacial speed.
So, opposite from you, I fear that I will never reach my potential as a writer because I don’t read enough.
Thank you for reading Jen and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. It’s funny how the pendulum can swing in life sometimes. Maybe we all fear somewhere inside we’re not quite at the right balance. Maybe the right balance just doesn’t exist.
Thank you for writing so beautifully Tommy :) I suppose it's a dance of figuring out what feels right, even in the face of doubts. Confidence in living the "best" way is rare unless it's a trust in what brings me a sense of enough in the face of my constraints.
Your post made me think of the verse in Ecclesiastes which says, “the making of many books has no end, and much study is a wearing of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and guard His commands, for this applies to all mankind.” Ecc 12:12 . Written by the wisest man in history thousands of years ago…his words still ring true today.
Thank you for your writing. I enjoy it immensely!!
I love that verse from scripture Lauren, and it was one of the driving inspirations in the initial stages of this piece. It’s one of the oldest warnings against the love of acquiring knowledge for knowledge sake. It reminds me of another verse in Ecclesiastes about nothing being new under the sun—how these truths are all so old, discovered long ago, we just forget them.
Great read, Tommy!! That DFW quote: “If I worship my intellect, if I make that the foundation of my identity, I will always feel like a stupid fraud.” 🔥
Thank you for reading Emily! I’m so happy to have you here
…time is certainly a puzzle…how to spend it…how to see it…when to ignore it…a friend this year asked me if i ever stop thinking and i told them i have to think about that…all to point that if what we do allows for too much of itself perhaps then it is too much…balance is a harder sensation to sense than lack of it…
This is so good: “balance is a harder sensation to sense than lack of”. I’ve never really been good at balance. I’m only learning balance from being imbalanced and unhappy. Thank you for reading and being here CansaFis. You’re a gentleman and a scholar.
…hey brother i don’t think you read my stuff any more but i am always thankful for the conversation…my prompt this week was “ask me anything”…if interested would love a question from you…
I haven't been reading much online these days CansaFis, but I still do check in on your work from time to time. Left a question (:
I love reading, and I agree with Dillard that a life spent reading is a good life. It's probably because reading was an essential part of my formative years, when it was difficult, and it was my escape into other worlds. At the same time, learning about varied ways of life and ways of thinking formed my fundamentals. I grieve the times I spent forgetting to read, and they are often not-so-good phases in my life, or if it's good, I'm just too swamped with responsibilities and other focus. I already dream of the time when I retire and spend most of my days reading.
This is to respond to what you're saying. I agree not to worship intellect. I read not only to learn but also to enrich my soul. I am guilty, though, of staying more in my head than going into action.
Thank you for reading Rachel and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. I also found such an escape and such a delightful world in books and have so many memories as a child falling in love with stories and characters. It’s certainly a delicate balance between thought and action. One I’m continually trying to strike, but usually falling on the side of reading.
“Somethingsomething to be a writer you must live a life worth writing about somethingsomething” or however that goes. It seems like everyone has to do their time flirting with gluttony to internalize why they probably shouldn’t. I hope we get to hear your thoughts on East of Eden, it’s definitely in my top 5. I recently read Simone de Beauvoir’s Pyrrhus and Cineas which talks a lot of the finitude of life and its projects, and endeavors that are still worth having while dealing with the awareness that they’re bound to end. I Highly recommend if you find the time (my edition is about 100 pocket-sized pages).
Haha I think that’s exactly it macs. Temperance is one of the virtues that can only be learned the hard way, through experience. William Blake said something like “the road of access leads to the palace of wisdom”. Fools that persist in their folly become wise. With a lot of things, I have to take them to their extreme to realize moderation.
I had east of Eden recommended to me so many times I had to read it. I’m only 200 pages in, but it’s exceptional. I’m also reading Steinbeck’s journals from when he was writing the book which had a ton of helpful colour to both the writing process and the man behind it.
I will make a note to check out de Beauvoir’s book! What’s worth doing knowing that everything will end is a super interesting question. I think about the idea of serving eternity a lot.
East of Eden’s one of my favs too, I have a tattoo from it on my back
What is the tattoo of? I’m also reading Steinbeck’s journal from when he was writing East of Eden, which is fantastic.
Timshel, in Hebrew, across my right shoulder blade. I’ll check out those journals as well.
Seeing that word again just transported me back to exactly where I was when I read (listened to) that chapter because it evoked such a vivid feeling. Funny enough, I actually got a tattoo of a snake around my leg partly from the influence of this book (as well as a different book I read years later). I feel a strong pull towards art with garden of Eden allusions and this book brought me one of my first conscious awarenesses of that. (I’ll get around to Milton one day)
Tommy we must be buzzing at the same frequency - I just now posted an article about my favourite books from last year <3.
That’s awesome Sirsh! I appreciate you reading and leaving a note here
Congrats on the move man! I saw it in your updates at the bottom. On to a new phase.
I loved this line: "I don't want to die, buried beneath an avalanche of books, looking back on my life as something that was lop-sided. Realizing I wasn't consuming books as much as books were consuming me."
Thank you for reading Jeremy. It always brings a smile to my face to hear from you.
This is something I've mulled over a lot as well. Reading can feel indulgent and like spent reading can often feel like time that could have been spent doing something else. I like what you included about the 'golden mean,' and balance in an activity - and life in general - is the thing to aim at.
A really profound read and I loved the photos after it, as well.
Thank you for reading my friend and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. I think we both feel a similar way. But as with many things in life, the important thing is making the effort to find balance. We are ultimately redeemed by our willingness to strive.
Beautiful essay. I can’t help but think of Tolstoy’s Levin here…a great example of coming to the virtue of balance…
Thank you for reading Mimi. I admittedly haven’t read a lot of Tolstoy but I look forward to it. Appreciate you being here (: