The Science of Doctor Who by Paul Parsons

Title: The Science of Doctor Who
Author:  Paul Parsons 
Genre:  Non-Fiction
Length:  307 Pages
Weight:  1.2 lbs
Date of Completion:  February 23, 2013

Thoughts:

This is one of many science-related books that I love to read.  Although not as technical as Kip Thorne or framed as nicely as Neil DeGrasse Tyson, I loved it.  As a hard-core Whovian, it was interesting to read about how the "science" of a science fiction television show might not be so far from reality.  Parsons does a great job of keeping the book light and stays away from majorly in-depth explanations of certain scientific explanations.  But, in doing so, it follows the same path as many science-for-the-non-scientist books do.  At times, (especially on topics that I had greater understanding) I felt as though the author dumbs down the science to where it isn't science anymore and at times almost misrepresents some of the material in order to keep is more accessible.  

Those complaints aside, I did love the book.  As opposed to some other science related books I've read (such as The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss), this book explores further topics of biology, chemistry and engineering, instead of just physics.  It takes many of the far-fetched ramblings of a writer with a decent imagination and explains that while we will never get exactly what the Doctor ordered, some of the ideas are based in fact.  Rather clever if I do say so myself.  

Reading books like this reminds me why I got into physics, and science in general, in the first place.  Is speaks to the imagination of a human consensus and decision to push beyond that into the unknown.  We chase after the impossible with logic and hope.  It encompasses the way that Doctor Who tugs at my heart (besides when RTD and Moffitt make me cry).  Like Galileo, Kepler and hundreds before me, I too was filled with wonder and awe when I gazed up at the night sky.  Stars and galaxies shown, illuminating my eyes and imagination with light from a hundred, thousand lifetimes ago.  As a frontier of human knowledge, space represents the vast unknown into which we expand, and it calls to the explorer in all of us.  My heart reaches out to answer that same call, and I know that I will always ache for the vast and incomprehensible beauty of the universe stretching out before my eyes.   

The Sorcerer's Companion by Allan Zola Kronzek & Elizabeth Kronzek

Title: The Sorcerer's Companion:  A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter
Authors:  Allan Zola Kronzek & Elizabeth Kronzek
Genre:  Fantasy
Length:  286 pages
Weight:  1.4 lbs
Date of Completion:  February 17, 2013

Thoughts:


There are a huge variety of Harry Potter-related books on the market.  This one has no official affiliation with  J.K. Rowling or her publishing company, and is really just associated with the world she created.  Technically, this book is formatted like an encyclopedia;  it goes alphabetically through the creatures and people that make up Harry's world and explains their historical context and importance.  This would be the perfect time to insert some joke about how reading this book equates, therefore, to reading an encyclopedia.  As some would note, this is not so far out of reach for me.  Case-and-Point:  I am the only person I know who has actually read the Simarillion.

This is nowhere near as dry.  While not the most academic or in-depth reference, I found it entertaining and fun to read.  The content of the book, as well as the organization, made it a great bedside companion.  I was able to read a few sections every night before bed without feeling that continuous pull to continue that often accompanies a novel.  For a book my Mom got at a library sale for 50 cents, I think it was a great deal.

A Dream of Armageddon by H G Wells

Title:  A Dream of Armageddon:  The Complete Supernatural Tales
Author:  H.G. Wells
Genre:  Sf/Fantasy
Length:  363 pages
Weight:  1.5 lbs
Date of Completion:  February 9, 2013

Thoughts:

I have always loved to read Wells.  He has an impeccable command of the English language and is a great writer.  More than that, though, he is a storyteller.  This book is a compilation of Wells' short stories, and a large majority are told from either a first person POV or a retelling of what occurred to another person (as was told to him).  The tales range from slightly macabre to humorous and are full of supernatural themes.  Wells is a master of the sensible and thrilling as he pursues the illogic of fantasy to its logical extreme.  As a series of short, unrelated stories, this is the type of book I like to keep by my bedside; it can be read all at once, or in short snippets, as time permits.  I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction!

Read Your Weight in Books

I have a confession to make.  I am a class A bookworm and bibliophile-have been since birth.  There are few things in the world more wonderful and fulfilling than to be able to dive between the covers of a book and disappear from the world.  It is a practice as necessary to my survival as breathing.  If you were to search my backpack or purse, you would find at least one poetry book and one novel in my possession at all times.  My first purchase of nearly every paycheck is a new book, even if I haven't finished the one I am currently working on.  This results in an ever evolving stack of 4-5 books "in-progress" scattered around my house and car.  My nightstand, dresser, and desk are covered with battered copies of Jane Eyre and the latest Orson Scott Card.  The bookshelf is overflowing; books stacked two deep and piled on top.  I'd say I suffer from bibliophilia, but in truth, I love every minute of it.

I take pride in my obsession hobby and the volume of literary materials I consume.  In the words of Barbara W. Tuchman "books are the carriers of civilization...They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind.  Books are humanity in print."  There are also studies that show direct, positive correlation of  intelligence (as well as vocabulary size) to the amount of time an individual spends reading.  As an individual who places a great amount of importance on intelligence and literary competency, a passion for reading is both necessary and fitting.

I've never been big on the whole "new year's resolutions" thing, but this year I found one that I think I have to try.  While trolling Pinterest (biggest time suck known to man), I came across a funny pin with a tagline that read "Most literary doctors say you should read your weight in books-every year."  My initial response was nod and agree. I, of course, made the internal assumption that I was meeting this recommendation.  When I matched my annual book consumption against a scale, however, I found myself sadly lacking.  I was horrified and stunned.

Somewhere between work, college and social activities, my precious books had slid down my priorities list; no longer was reading in a constant battle against the need to sleep.  Instead, it had come to rest somewhere between watching a movie and surfing the internet.  I experienced that unpleasant, but necessary revelation that perhaps I was spending too much of my time attached to my computer and my phone. In the process of becoming a more extroverted person, I don't believe that I have to give up my bookish tendencies.  I'd much rather give up Facebook than a piece of my soul.  There is much more to be found between the pages of a book than on any back-lit screen.  (This would be a good time to explain that I'm also a purist-I prefer REAL books over any Kindle, eReader or tablet.  There is something more about the feel, the smell, the comforting weight of a book.  It feels more old fashioned that way, more honest.)

Ashamed, I turned to the nearest book on my nightstand and refused to reappear until I felt more like the bookworm I profess to be.  As expected, this resulted with a finished book at 2 am.  However, as any book lover worth their binding will tell you, staying up till all hours of the night to finish a book is ALWAYS worth it.  In the weeks that followed, I re-organized my books and my 4,000+ title long to-read list-no mean feat, I can tell you.  I plan to use this blog, if I can figure out how, to chronicle everything I read this year.  I'll keep an updated list of what I have read (and comments about the books) and what I am currently reading.  My scale doesn't register the weight of a single paperback, so I'm still working on how to record the weight.  I found that using a kitchen scale, or finding the shipping weight of the book on Amazon are the best ways to keep track of the book weight.  I hope that by the close of this year, I will see a re-emergence of the girl who used to get in trouble because she would sneak a book into class, instead of the woman who has momentarily forgot who she really is.

Wish me luck and happy reading!