4 ms·

I've gone through phases where I'm more or less organized. Since the start of COVID and not needing to commute, I found myself with time to exercise for the fi

I've gone through phases where I'm more or less organized. Since the start of COVID and not needing to commute, I found myself with time to exercise for the first time in many years. In order to use that time efficiently and avoid injuries that would inevitably come from someone in his late 30's pretending he's in his early 20's, I read a bunch of books around running, biking, strength training and nutrition over the summer. I try to make myself read some fiction, but I don't feel compelled too often enough, so it doesn't happen much. I end up re-reading Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia every 2-3 years. I've been listening to a few Audible books lately about Roman History. A finished a biography of Caesar and a book offering (yet another) set of theories on the fall of the Roman Empire. I'm currently listening to a book about Cicero's life. For sorta-related-to-work I have a few really niche books I'm reading on Telecom OSS/BSS, network planning and telecom regulation. I think my favorite author remains GK Chesterton, he has a couple books I try to re-read every so often. It's fascinating how he was writing around 100 years ago, and how around 25% is super old-timey cultural references or things that no one would think today, but how much of it is still pretty relevant. Also, I haven't read anyone better at turning a phrase.

npsimons 6y ago
> It's fascinating how he was writing around 100 years ago, and how around 25% is super old-timey cultural references or things that no one would think today, but how much of it is still pretty relevant. Perspectives from the past are super interesting. In "Teton Tales" by Paul Petzoldt, he describes chopping down a tree and tying it with rope to a car to use it as a brake going downhill, back in the early days of cars where brakes weren't so good. Crazy stuff! I need to finish that book someday.
Jtsummers 6y ago
> I think my favorite author remains GK Chesterton, he has a couple books I try to re-read every so often. It's fascinating how he was writing around 100 years ago, and how around 25% is super old-timey cultural references or things that no one would think today, but how much of it is still pretty relevant. Also, I haven't read anyone better at turning a phrase. Years ago, on a whim, I picked up a copy of Lapham's Quarterly in a Barnes & Noble. After that I started picking them up less-than-quarterly (two or three times a year, typically) and finally subscribed last year. It's fantastic to read the themed content (Scandal, Democracy, Trade, etc.) drawn from cultures around the world and throughout history. There's a surprising amount of content ("surprising", not to me I got over my shock regarding this a long time ago through a "world literature" course in college that drew from, mostly, BCE writings and a later Old English course) that, with small modifications, would easily read as contemporary (to us) writing. Long way to say, if you enjoy Chesterton and have an interest in reading more broadly through history and cultures, but don't know what to read, pick up a copy. You'll probably enjoy it.

npsimons 6y ago

> It's fascinating how he was writing around 100 years ago, and how around 25% is super old-timey cultural references or things that no one would think today, but how much of it is still pretty relevant. Perspectives from the past are super interesting. In "Teton Tales" by Paul Petzoldt, he describes chopping down a tree and tying it with rope to a car to use it as a brake going downhill, back in the early days of cars where brakes weren't so good. Crazy stuff! I need to finish that book someday.

Jtsummers 6y ago

> I think my favorite author remains GK Chesterton, he has a couple books I try to re-read every so often. It's fascinating how he was writing around 100 years ago, and how around 25% is super old-timey cultural references or things that no one would think today, but how much of it is still pretty relevant. Also, I haven't read anyone better at turning a phrase. Years ago, on a whim, I picked up a copy of Lapham's Quarterly in a Barnes & Noble. After that I started picking them up less-than-quarterly (two or three times a year, typically) and finally subscribed last year. It's fantastic to read the themed content (Scandal, Democracy, Trade, etc.) drawn from cultures around the world and throughout history. There's a surprising amount of content ("surprising", not to me I got over my shock regarding this a long time ago through a "world literature" course in college that drew from, mostly, BCE writings and a later Old English course) that, with small modifications, would easily read as contemporary (to us) writing. Long way to say, if you enjoy Chesterton and have an interest in reading more broadly through history and cultures, but don't know what to read, pick up a copy. You'll probably enjoy it.