3 ms·

Both the OPs list and your list, and everyone else’s list for that matter seem, for lack of a better term, white collar. What about books not for the academic

Both the OPs list and your list, and everyone else’s list for that matter seem, for lack of a better term, white collar. What about books not for the academic but for the eminently practical? Books on gardening, needlecraft, cooking or auto mechanics, for example? Do people who work with their hands not like to learn? Or do they just not hang out at HN?

TriinT 17y ago
For each, his own. I like working with my hands. Personally, I am into carpentry. It's relaxing and I like to see stuff being build. It just happens that carpentry is learned by doing (especially from someone who knows more), not by reading. Science and Math is fun. Building stuff is also fun. I see no contradiction...
- stinkytaco 17y ago
  Certainly there are carpenters out there who like to read (I'm a librarian and connect people with materials on their hobbies often), but perhaps gardening is a better example. Much more suited to study about planting, pest control, etc. I am certainly a gardener who reads extensively on the subject. My observation is more directed at the fact that, as a group, "learning" seems to involve math, science and, to a lesser extent, philosophy, economics or psychology. It does not involve "trades" or "crafts". But perhaps it is as you say and those topics just are not interesting to read about.
  - TriinT 17y ago
    My reading list is biased towards the "why". Funny that I left out the "how" and only noticed it now. I have read a bit on carpentry, but like I said before arts & crafts can be learned from someone who knows more, in a sort of master and apprentice relationship. This is fun because learning carpentry can then be a social experience as well. It provides a good balance to, say, Math or Theoretical Physics, which require endless hours of reading and solitude.

3 ms·

Both the OPs list and your list, and everyone else’s list for that matter seem, for lack of a better term, white collar. What about books not for the academic

by stinkytaco 17y ago

TriinT 17y ago
For each, his own. I like working with my hands. Personally, I am into carpentry. It's relaxing and I like to see stuff being build. It just happens that carpentry is learned by doing (especially from someone who knows more), not by reading. Science and Math is fun. Building stuff is also fun. I see no contradiction...
- stinkytaco 17y ago
  Certainly there are carpenters out there who like to read (I'm a librarian and connect people with materials on their hobbies often), but perhaps gardening is a better example. Much more suited to study about planting, pest control, etc. I am certainly a gardener who reads extensively on the subject. My observation is more directed at the fact that, as a group, "learning" seems to involve math, science and, to a lesser extent, philosophy, economics or psychology. It does not involve "trades" or "crafts". But perhaps it is as you say and those topics just are not interesting to read about.
  - TriinT 17y ago
    My reading list is biased towards the "why". Funny that I left out the "how" and only noticed it now. I have read a bit on carpentry, but like I said before arts & crafts can be learned from someone who knows more, in a sort of master and apprentice relationship. This is fun because learning carpentry can then be a social experience as well. It provides a good balance to, say, Math or Theoretical Physics, which require endless hours of reading and solitude.