Some book recommendations...

Today I attended a lecture of a very very influential scholar who happens to teach at my school. I know he's influential because his articles are everywhere and his books as well. In my research across several classes his name comes up.

But that's not the point. It's just context.

First he started out with the fact that graduate students complain they are assigned too much reading. He says he believes we aren't assigned enough. For an hour lecture he provided a three page list of citations for works he planned on referencing in his talk.

He said once he gave a doctorate student an 180 page reading list. And he was serious about how much someone in the profession must read. He said it takes almost a decade to really master a discipline.

He also said there are ten times as many graduates in this field as jobs. We have to do something to distinguish ourselves from the other 9 graduates to earn the job.

And then he said "The purpose of graduate education is to push you. To push you hard. And kick you a few times while you’re on the ground for good measure. Doctorate students by their third or fourth year are so bruised and bloody they’re following law students."

He said his own collection just one topic (I can't remember what it was) spanned two bookcases, floor to ceiling.

This all should have scared the bejesus out of me. Instead I was left feeling like I too wanted to read an entire profession's literature. In an amazing way I wanted to be so well read. I wanted to have knowledge that spanned hundreds of books. I've read maybe...15-20 books and maybe that many articles in a month and a half.

It seems measly now! How pitiful my tiny accumulation of knowledge seems in the vast oceans of whats out there. Sure I have the rest of my life to read but I wanted to be just like him the second I walked out the door. The man was phenomenal.

Here are some fabulous titles he touched upon:

Nicholas Carr, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Being (New York: W.
W. Norton & Co., 2010)

Is the internet affecting our ability to think? Does it have an impact on cognitive issues? This book takes a fascinating look at how the internet is affecting our neurological connections and wiring. Is the use of the internet in some sense "making us dumber"?

Personally, with how we dart from page to page, skim and click without truly absorbing the information or thinking critically, I can see how time spent on the internet erodes at our capacity for disciplined reading. People have no attention span to sit down and read a text for hours, engage with it, question it, reflect on it. nor do many even care to. The internet does not force us or invite us to think. Instead it cultivates a culture that is constantly multi-tasking, which only inhibits deep thought. I for one would be fascinated by his take on it from a biological perspective because I do believe our generation is lacking the discipline and skills it takes to be well read. I also find myself abhorrent of this possibility.


A for fun book: The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime

About why people steal antiques/rare materials. It's been recommended in two classes. IT seems to be more a fun read than anything.



Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

He said if there's one book to read on writing, this is IT. She addresses the necessity of conviction and belief in writing, how one must be called to write about something. While it seems simple, I think this book seems inspiring nonetheless.

Richard Rhodes, How To Write: Advice and Reflections (New York: Harper Books,
1995).

This book is another one on writing, it focuses on the importance of being a good reader in order to be a good writer. And by that being well read. One must know the good from the bad writing before one can write well and the way to know that is to read. I for one could not agree more. Though these unpolished, type and grammatical error-ridden blogs most likely do not reflect my reading at all unfortunately!

Anyway, the first book in particular has me pondering cutting my internet usage if only to read more. This Thursday I began a book and finished it that night, Friday I began another book and finished it today. Tonight I'll start a third book and hopefully finish it tomorrow morning. So 3 books, four days.

I have a literature review for which I need to read two more books and 18 articles so I really need to be consuming literature at a faster rate with more critical thought involved.

I want to develop the kind of discipline scholars seemed to have before the internet. I find myself annoyed by my generation's complete lack of ability to sit down for long periods of time with a text. I do believe it's crucial to be well educated and I believe to truly be well educated it takes an enormous amount of self discipline.

Though grad school may well be the most miserable year of my life, I do think it may well be shaping me. I'm finding I really appreciate a lot of old fashioned values of lots of reading, lots of writing, serious discipline, hard work and life long learning. My values are clearly taking on an academic shape and I find I want even more to surround myself with like minded people.

On that note, I'm planning on attending my first professional conference in November in Harrisburg PA with a student group I am an officer of (have I mentioned that? Well you shouldn't have doubted I'd sign myself up). I'll have to buff up my resume and print some off, maybe make some business cards. And dry clean my suits.

I'm also desperately trying to get another internship for one day a week on the weekends. There is a lot of red tape here, but I'm rather desperate for some hardcore archival hands on experience. I'm meeting with my adviser about this on Monday.


And as a side note: if you'd like to respond, for some reason despite my attempts to change it all comments go to my old school email and updating the address hasn't helped. Please email me directly for comments.