Another Beginning: Purpose And Style

If I can't get paid to do book reports, I might as well do them for free, right?

I come to the table as a "learner." I'm considerably less concerned about the topic in particular, than I am with how it's presented and if it can be discussed in a productive way.

Some books are really good at throwing out a ton of facts and figures that are well-researched, independently backed, and useful if you're working with them, but to the average person never going to be remembered nor applied. Others seem to find this insatiable need to fill in every detail of a particular subject's background down to the 5 colors of a particular leaf they stepped on as a child. Neither are going to help if we're drunk on the back porch at a party seeking middle ground.

To borrow from Ralph Nader, I want to be a "professional citizen." I don't need to be an expert on a particular topic to be worried about how it's discussed, yet I will hopefully express my perspective in a way that is accessible without pretending I'm on a crusade to dish out arbitrary or intellectual smack-downs.

I want to stress, I'm after the how more often than the what. I can correct or criticize factual errors and claims, and that will inevitably happen, but in a world with endless streams of information, maybe we don't all have to read the book to get the gist. And, hopefully, I'll be able to offer a way to reflect and engage with information that makes it less overbearing and useful in your daily discourse.

Depending on the book, I may write overviews once I'm finished or blurbs throughout. I'll try to have an organization or labeling system if I need to keep coming back to a particular work. A collection of essays, for example, can sometimes be hard to sum up given the range of topics they cover. I generally stick to non-fiction as well. Do you really need an essay on "omg omg omg I want to blow Neil Gaiman!?" Probably not.

I can see me using this as a place to keep me honest. I want the world of information engaged with. I want to know what it takes to form the most effective voice. How better than the digestion and reflection on the voices of others?