So I went out on a limb and took up a challenge from a friend of mine to read what is a so called "American Classic". The book is The Catcher in the Rye. This is read by children in schools all over North America and is regarded highly by critics, for what reason I am entirely unsure. You can find it on Amazon here http://www.amazon.ca/Catcher-Rye-J-D-Salinger/dp/0316769487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297968223&sr=8-1.
So I first off have to thank my friend Ian Torry for challenging me to read this novel. I would like to thank him with a quick punch to the nut sack. This book might possibly be the most useless and boring piece of fiction I have ever read. It is about a boy who gets kicked out of school and you follow his life as he heads home for winter vacation a few days early before his parents can find out he has been kicked out. Seems alright from there and the premise, although not my cup of tea, is not too terrible. It is the fact that this entire book is written from this little bastards point of view. I have to listen to him constantly comment on how he hates people who seem to be his friends, and then constantly saying but hey I put up with it because I am a nice guy. From start to finish there seems to be no big point, he doesn't come to some life changing revelation or have anything of worth even happen to him. Its more like a random string of events with this little kid I hate commenting and narrating his way through, all be it, some pretty weird situations. I mean who orders a prostitute then decides hey thanks for coming but I am not really in the mood. Especially when all this young man can talk about is how awesome he is, and how sexy he is. If I ran into this kid on the street I guarantee you he would have one of those faces you just want to punch. If this book had been any more than 210 pages long I might have opted to quit my entire literature run here just 5 books in. But then I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, the last page and was henceforth saved from the unbearable pain.
My suggestion if you ever buy this book, use it to prop up a desk, or burn it. The warmth provided by this book burning will surely be more useful to you than the zero bars of enjoyment this book will give you if you read it. For those who had to read this during their time at school, I feel for you. We can start a support group together just to overcome the sheer awfulness that we were forced to endure. Be ready Ian, next time I see you a junk punch is in order.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Zero, author Charles Seife
Sticking with my nerdy theme as of late, the book I have chosen this time around is called Zero. Zero was written by Charles Seife, a mathematician who also has his Doctorate in journalism. The book is named "The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" but how dangerous can one silly number be? The answers inside the book may surprise and shock you. You can find this book on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Biography-Dangerous-Charles-Seife/dp/0140296476.
This book documents the progression of the number zero through the ages. Now I know what you are thinking, how can you even begin to follow the progression of a single number. More importantly how can there even be a history of a number other than, boom the number was invented, end of story. The revelations in are quite intriguing for the budding mathematician and the historian alike. If this book was about any other number it would be rather dull and boring. A limp noodle of a book one might say. But the idea of nothing or zero, is quite different. One might argue that the thought of nothingness philosophically is quite terrifying to most people. The book goes into such topics as philosophy, history, religion and my favorite pure mathematics. Seife talks about how the concept of zero sparked such ingenuity's as Calculus and scared away such brilliant minds as Einstein. He argues that most religion is based on the concept of zero, for the thought of nothing after our lives are over, is terrifying to most people. Where as the eternal or infinite, zero's twin, is a much easier pill to swallow. Most of the book refers to the "dance" between zero and infinite and how they are two sides of the same coin. Alpha and Omega, Yin and Yang, the never ending battle that occurs between these titanic twin ideals. I would say that this book is more philosophical and historical than it is mathematical but you can not help but see the beauty in the way Seife presents the ideas within. I have to say that this is my favorite read thus far and being only 5 books in I guess that is not saying much. But this will be a hard one to top and being only 213 pages long and costing only $10 you would be silly not to pick this one up and give it a read.
Now I have to include this wonderful little proof that essentially allows me to prove anything in the universe using a little bit of logic, although if you look carefully I will make a mistake which of course in the end nullifies my proof. The question is can you spot it?
Let a and b each be equal to 1, since a and b are equal it follows that,
b^2 = ab and
a^2 = a^2
Now subtract the 1st equation from the 2nd to get
a^2 - b^2 = a^2 - ab
Factoring this we get
(a + b)(a - b) = a(a - b)
Dividing by (a - b) we get
a + b = a
Subtract a to get
b = 0
But I set b = 1 at the very start how can 1 = 0???
Using this trickery I can essentially prove anything in the universe I would like, the power of zero reigns supreme!!!! Alas I may have provided you with the solution to my little trick and given away my diabolical plan. I guess you can't win them all. But oh the fun we can have with math!
This book documents the progression of the number zero through the ages. Now I know what you are thinking, how can you even begin to follow the progression of a single number. More importantly how can there even be a history of a number other than, boom the number was invented, end of story. The revelations in are quite intriguing for the budding mathematician and the historian alike. If this book was about any other number it would be rather dull and boring. A limp noodle of a book one might say. But the idea of nothing or zero, is quite different. One might argue that the thought of nothingness philosophically is quite terrifying to most people. The book goes into such topics as philosophy, history, religion and my favorite pure mathematics. Seife talks about how the concept of zero sparked such ingenuity's as Calculus and scared away such brilliant minds as Einstein. He argues that most religion is based on the concept of zero, for the thought of nothing after our lives are over, is terrifying to most people. Where as the eternal or infinite, zero's twin, is a much easier pill to swallow. Most of the book refers to the "dance" between zero and infinite and how they are two sides of the same coin. Alpha and Omega, Yin and Yang, the never ending battle that occurs between these titanic twin ideals. I would say that this book is more philosophical and historical than it is mathematical but you can not help but see the beauty in the way Seife presents the ideas within. I have to say that this is my favorite read thus far and being only 5 books in I guess that is not saying much. But this will be a hard one to top and being only 213 pages long and costing only $10 you would be silly not to pick this one up and give it a read.
Now I have to include this wonderful little proof that essentially allows me to prove anything in the universe using a little bit of logic, although if you look carefully I will make a mistake which of course in the end nullifies my proof. The question is can you spot it?
Let a and b each be equal to 1, since a and b are equal it follows that,
b^2 = ab and
a^2 = a^2
Now subtract the 1st equation from the 2nd to get
a^2 - b^2 = a^2 - ab
Factoring this we get
(a + b)(a - b) = a(a - b)
Dividing by (a - b) we get
a + b = a
Subtract a to get
b = 0
But I set b = 1 at the very start how can 1 = 0???
Using this trickery I can essentially prove anything in the universe I would like, the power of zero reigns supreme!!!! Alas I may have provided you with the solution to my little trick and given away my diabolical plan. I guess you can't win them all. But oh the fun we can have with math!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Code Book, author Simon Singh
So because we almost got lost in a world of fiction last time, I have decided to right the ship and bring us back to reality and jump into a subject that I personally find intensely interesting. I have chosen The Code Book written by Simon Singh. This is a book based entirely around the science of cryptography and takes you on a journey from ancient Egypt, to the modern world where we are immersed in Internet encryption. You can find this book on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/Code-Book-Science-Secrecy-Cryptography/dp/0385495323/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297187656&sr=1-1.
So despite the fact that reviews are supposed to be completely unbiased. I don't care, this is my blog and I will be as gosh darn biased as I so choose and there is nothing you can do about it. So this book is largely about Math and the science of cryptography, does that mean that I will automatically love it? @#$% yes it does. So if you were ever curious about writing secret messages and what role this fine art has played throughout history, then this book is right up your alley. Have you ever heard of Mary, Queen of Scots? I am sure you have but did you know that she died because of the failure of her cipher and the breakthroughs of code beakers? I bet you didn't! How about the immensely huge role that cryptography played in the two most massive military battles waged on our planet? I mean the intelligent person would always assume that secret messages would have to have been encrypted and passed between high ranking members of the army during those times, but the sheer amount of effort that was put into mastering the art of code breaking is truly breath taking. While most of the young men were off fighting equally important military campaigns, there was a huge intellectual battle engaged between the allies and their respective enemies. It is just awesome for a nerd such as myself to see that these battles were equally as important and that science and technology has played such a huge role for millenia. Singh does a very comprehensive overview of every major cryptological battle between the code makers and breakers since the dawn of the science itself in ancient Egypt. He even has a chapter dedicated to an unsolved code that teases the reader with a grandiose story of gold and riches buried somewhere in the southern United States. Again only a basic understanding of math is required to truly appreciate this book. I know all of you were forced to take Math 10 in high school, so there is no excuse, you are able to do algebra and thus can read and understand this book also!!! At the end of the book he even dives into what an integral role in ALL of our lives encryption and this art has become. I try to tell people all the time that math is the most important subject in every ones lives but usually I just get laughs and giggles. Assholes, but Singh truly shows you how important these things are in the everyday lives of people just like you.
To summarize: Are secret codes cool? Yes. Should you read this so we can pass super awesome secret notes to each other? Yes. Does reading this book make you smarter than your friends? Yes. Finally, does math rule the world? @#@$ YES! Everyone go out and read this book, it will open your eyes to truly tantalizing art form and give you perspective on your world and the things you take for granted.
So now that I have reviewed the first 4 books that I have read this year, I must get back to reading as I have fallen slightly behind my one book per week deadline. Although the next book I chose isn't very long, so hopefully with any luck you will not have to wait long for my truly on the edge of your seat review of it.
So despite the fact that reviews are supposed to be completely unbiased. I don't care, this is my blog and I will be as gosh darn biased as I so choose and there is nothing you can do about it. So this book is largely about Math and the science of cryptography, does that mean that I will automatically love it? @#$% yes it does. So if you were ever curious about writing secret messages and what role this fine art has played throughout history, then this book is right up your alley. Have you ever heard of Mary, Queen of Scots? I am sure you have but did you know that she died because of the failure of her cipher and the breakthroughs of code beakers? I bet you didn't! How about the immensely huge role that cryptography played in the two most massive military battles waged on our planet? I mean the intelligent person would always assume that secret messages would have to have been encrypted and passed between high ranking members of the army during those times, but the sheer amount of effort that was put into mastering the art of code breaking is truly breath taking. While most of the young men were off fighting equally important military campaigns, there was a huge intellectual battle engaged between the allies and their respective enemies. It is just awesome for a nerd such as myself to see that these battles were equally as important and that science and technology has played such a huge role for millenia. Singh does a very comprehensive overview of every major cryptological battle between the code makers and breakers since the dawn of the science itself in ancient Egypt. He even has a chapter dedicated to an unsolved code that teases the reader with a grandiose story of gold and riches buried somewhere in the southern United States. Again only a basic understanding of math is required to truly appreciate this book. I know all of you were forced to take Math 10 in high school, so there is no excuse, you are able to do algebra and thus can read and understand this book also!!! At the end of the book he even dives into what an integral role in ALL of our lives encryption and this art has become. I try to tell people all the time that math is the most important subject in every ones lives but usually I just get laughs and giggles. Assholes, but Singh truly shows you how important these things are in the everyday lives of people just like you.
To summarize: Are secret codes cool? Yes. Should you read this so we can pass super awesome secret notes to each other? Yes. Does reading this book make you smarter than your friends? Yes. Finally, does math rule the world? @#@$ YES! Everyone go out and read this book, it will open your eyes to truly tantalizing art form and give you perspective on your world and the things you take for granted.
So now that I have reviewed the first 4 books that I have read this year, I must get back to reading as I have fallen slightly behind my one book per week deadline. Although the next book I chose isn't very long, so hopefully with any luck you will not have to wait long for my truly on the edge of your seat review of it.
The Dragon Reborn, author Robert Jordan
The follow up to my power house physics boys Hawking and Einstein, is none other than Tolkien v2.0 Robert Jordan. The Dragon Reborn is the 3rd book in The Wheel of Time series and it follows a group of young friends from Edmond's field as they continue to discover they are the most important people in the world. The Wheel of Time series is probably the second most famous series of all time, standing dwarfed only by The Lord of the Rings. Of which whom everyone and their mom has probably read. You can buy this book from Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Reborn-Wheel-Time-Book/dp/0812513711.
So obviously I have read the first two books in the series and the third book picks right up where the last two left off. Now for those of you who have not read fantasy novels before I am gonna give you a quick breakdown of a few general rules of thumb that almost every fantasy novel I have read follow. First is that yes there are fantastic creatures and magic is everywhere in a sense. The second is that almost always some grand catastrophe thousands of years previous to the timeline of the books has caused magic to become a rarity and something that everyone is terrified of, or just simply doesn't believe in. The main characters are almost always some random Joes and Marys from some small towns in the middle of nowhere who are dumbfounded to find out that "OMG I m teh heroz?!?". There is usually some grand vague prophecy about how this young man or woman is destined to save the world. The heroes usually do not want to be the hero, they are usually chucked into the fray by some old cunning wise person who always knows more than they will ever let on in the book. Oh yes, and always you aren't just fighting to save your country or friends. You are fighting to save the world from the ultimate evil. Boom, now that we have passed Fantasy Novels 101 I will get into why I loved and hated this novel all at the same.
By this third installment we have around 10-12 MAIN characters, these aren't just randoms who pop up, they are full blown characters with intriguing story lines of their own. Now Jordan has created this world to be so massive that at times it is kind of hard to keep up. There is literally so much crap going on that you may in fact get a little dizzy with all the bouncing around between groups and characters. The real issue I have is that the main characters whine constantly. They are these young farm boys who cry about there situation and just want to go back to the farm to tend to their sheep. Sheep.... really?? You are the first wizard born in a thousand years, who has the most bad ass powers on the planet and all you can do is sit and cry about it? Although technically all three of the main main male characters are slowly going insane. There is no reason to whine constantly, yeah the Dark One is trying to take over the world but come on buck up kick some ass, take some names, and show him who is boss in this world. Which of course they do reluctantly.
Now onto the good. These books are literally so well put together, you feel like you are reading a history book. That is the reason Robert Jordan is often referred to as the second coming of Tolkien. He has built a world so vast with so much history and depth that it is just awesome to behold. Although I eluded to the fact that so many main characters is a flaw, its also really quite impressive. I can barely write a blog where I am discussing one thing where as Jordan has intricately woven the story lines of dozens of characters together into a really amazing story. Now to finish this would not be the first fantasy series I suggest you read if you are a rookie, but they are pretty good reads and the depth is truly amazing. Now when is this series gonna be made into a movie? Oh wait no thank you, I do not want to watch 13 movies.... or do I??
So obviously I have read the first two books in the series and the third book picks right up where the last two left off. Now for those of you who have not read fantasy novels before I am gonna give you a quick breakdown of a few general rules of thumb that almost every fantasy novel I have read follow. First is that yes there are fantastic creatures and magic is everywhere in a sense. The second is that almost always some grand catastrophe thousands of years previous to the timeline of the books has caused magic to become a rarity and something that everyone is terrified of, or just simply doesn't believe in. The main characters are almost always some random Joes and Marys from some small towns in the middle of nowhere who are dumbfounded to find out that "OMG I m teh heroz?!?". There is usually some grand vague prophecy about how this young man or woman is destined to save the world. The heroes usually do not want to be the hero, they are usually chucked into the fray by some old cunning wise person who always knows more than they will ever let on in the book. Oh yes, and always you aren't just fighting to save your country or friends. You are fighting to save the world from the ultimate evil. Boom, now that we have passed Fantasy Novels 101 I will get into why I loved and hated this novel all at the same.
By this third installment we have around 10-12 MAIN characters, these aren't just randoms who pop up, they are full blown characters with intriguing story lines of their own. Now Jordan has created this world to be so massive that at times it is kind of hard to keep up. There is literally so much crap going on that you may in fact get a little dizzy with all the bouncing around between groups and characters. The real issue I have is that the main characters whine constantly. They are these young farm boys who cry about there situation and just want to go back to the farm to tend to their sheep. Sheep.... really?? You are the first wizard born in a thousand years, who has the most bad ass powers on the planet and all you can do is sit and cry about it? Although technically all three of the main main male characters are slowly going insane. There is no reason to whine constantly, yeah the Dark One is trying to take over the world but come on buck up kick some ass, take some names, and show him who is boss in this world. Which of course they do reluctantly.
Now onto the good. These books are literally so well put together, you feel like you are reading a history book. That is the reason Robert Jordan is often referred to as the second coming of Tolkien. He has built a world so vast with so much history and depth that it is just awesome to behold. Although I eluded to the fact that so many main characters is a flaw, its also really quite impressive. I can barely write a blog where I am discussing one thing where as Jordan has intricately woven the story lines of dozens of characters together into a really amazing story. Now to finish this would not be the first fantasy series I suggest you read if you are a rookie, but they are pretty good reads and the depth is truly amazing. Now when is this series gonna be made into a movie? Oh wait no thank you, I do not want to watch 13 movies.... or do I??
Monday, February 7, 2011
A Brief History of Time, author Stephen Hawking
Who do I dare follow up Albert Einstein with?!? Why the master of space and time thats who!!! Stephen Hawking himself. A Brief History of Time is Stephen Hawking's first trip into the public's literary gauntlet and although it was originally published in 1988, I personally bought the updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition. This means I get some updated insights from the master himself. One can find this book at http://www.amazon.ca/Brief-History-Time-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0553380168.
The best part about this book is how it is not just about the many accomplishments of his career, he goes out of his way to essentially weave together how modern physics came to be. He starts from the beginning and builds his way to world where people are willing to accept his ideas, unlike many of his predecessors. I enjoy reading about successful theoretical physicists, because unlike their experimental counter parts, they have no solid evidence other than ideas and mathematical proofs. Hawking shows how he and other scientists before him predicted the wonders of Neutron Stars, and Black Holes long before they could have ever been found. It is in this beauty of mathematics and physics that I find so interesting. He explains one of the main goals of theoretical physics today the search for the GUT. The Grand Unified Theory is what many are searching for, a way to combine Quantum Mechanics with General Relativity. Again like the Einstein book I read previously, despite popular belief anyone with just a very elementary understanding of science will be able to read this book and be awed by it. At the end of his book he puts in some little blurps about some very famous physicists before him, my favorite is how everyone hates Isaac Newton. People constantly describe him as horrible to be around and a man who pretty much went out of his way to make sure if he didn't like you, you were not going to be an academic. Great use of power Isaac!! There is just so many facets of Theoretical Astro-Physics explained herein that you feel you might just be a little smarter after you read this. Most importantly after you are done you can truly say that just like Stephen Hawking you too now know about Black Holes and @#$#.
The best part about this book is how it is not just about the many accomplishments of his career, he goes out of his way to essentially weave together how modern physics came to be. He starts from the beginning and builds his way to world where people are willing to accept his ideas, unlike many of his predecessors. I enjoy reading about successful theoretical physicists, because unlike their experimental counter parts, they have no solid evidence other than ideas and mathematical proofs. Hawking shows how he and other scientists before him predicted the wonders of Neutron Stars, and Black Holes long before they could have ever been found. It is in this beauty of mathematics and physics that I find so interesting. He explains one of the main goals of theoretical physics today the search for the GUT. The Grand Unified Theory is what many are searching for, a way to combine Quantum Mechanics with General Relativity. Again like the Einstein book I read previously, despite popular belief anyone with just a very elementary understanding of science will be able to read this book and be awed by it. At the end of his book he puts in some little blurps about some very famous physicists before him, my favorite is how everyone hates Isaac Newton. People constantly describe him as horrible to be around and a man who pretty much went out of his way to make sure if he didn't like you, you were not going to be an academic. Great use of power Isaac!! There is just so many facets of Theoretical Astro-Physics explained herein that you feel you might just be a little smarter after you read this. Most importantly after you are done you can truly say that just like Stephen Hawking you too now know about Black Holes and @#$#.
Relativity, author Albert Einstein
So I started my quest with one of the most famous scientists of all time, Albert Einstein. Although many things can be attributed to this intellectual marvel of a man, his most famous work would have to be his Theory of Special, and General Relativity for which this book is written. This book was written by the man himself and is designed to be a more publicly readable version of his published theories. I have decided to include an amazon link to all the books I read in case others feel inspired to read them as well. You can find this book at http://www.amazon.com/Relativity-Special-General-Albert-Einstein/dp/0517884410!
The first words that come to mind about this small but intellectually heavy book is, MIND BLOWING! Although I am sure most of you who read this post never will read this book the only thing I can say is that you really should. His ability to bring the work of theoretical physics down to a more elementary level is just awesome. I think that it is a subject that lots of people are interested in but are scared that they don't have the underlying knowledge to understand. This book proves that wrong. I believe anyone with a basic understanding of science can not only understand but also see the real beauty in this mans theories. But be warned if you have no background in physics, I guarantee you that you will give a big solid WTF on several occasions when hes proving how one event can occur at different "times" pending on your perspective. He moves on and eventually finishes with unanswered questions and possibilities of what his theories may in fact imply. Truly a joy to read and a rare glimpse into a mind of pure genius.
This book can really open your eyes and make you wonder about things you never thought possible. This book and its author truly prove that an idea can change the world. Albert Einstein will be forever immortalized as the father of modern physics, who do I dare try to follow up this marvel of human ingenuity and perseverance with!?
The first words that come to mind about this small but intellectually heavy book is, MIND BLOWING! Although I am sure most of you who read this post never will read this book the only thing I can say is that you really should. His ability to bring the work of theoretical physics down to a more elementary level is just awesome. I think that it is a subject that lots of people are interested in but are scared that they don't have the underlying knowledge to understand. This book proves that wrong. I believe anyone with a basic understanding of science can not only understand but also see the real beauty in this mans theories. But be warned if you have no background in physics, I guarantee you that you will give a big solid WTF on several occasions when hes proving how one event can occur at different "times" pending on your perspective. He moves on and eventually finishes with unanswered questions and possibilities of what his theories may in fact imply. Truly a joy to read and a rare glimpse into a mind of pure genius.
This book can really open your eyes and make you wonder about things you never thought possible. This book and its author truly prove that an idea can change the world. Albert Einstein will be forever immortalized as the father of modern physics, who do I dare try to follow up this marvel of human ingenuity and perseverance with!?
The Quest for 52!
So a while ago I thought to myself, "Hey Greg you enjoy hearing yourself speak, others should also get this fine pleasure!". Now I realize trying to impose my voice on everyone in the world is impractical, but lucky for me they invented this wonderful medium by which I can share all of my wondrous thoughts with the world, THE INTERNET! Thus this Blog was born.
I have always been that annoying kid who always wanted to know more. My poor parents had to deal with this from an early age, and unlucky for her speaking came quite naturally to me and with it the wonderful single word question, "Why?". Why is an interesting question in many facets of life and even more so in science. Where most people hear about a fact, or an event and just accept it, there are the rare few who always want to know the all important question, WHY? It is the latter that I fall into, and it is here that my journey begins.
So of course being the type of nerdy kid who always wanted to know more, I naturally have enjoyed reading. Although the majority of the books I have read fall into the Sci-Fi category, or are related to non-fiction in Mathematics or Physics, it is not solely in these genres where I enjoy learning and reading. I have discovered over the years that I pretty much like learning and reading about anything and everything. I find that through reading and learning one can not only learn about the topics and books themselves but also open new doors to ideas and thoughts that would previously have been foreign and exotic. It is through the medium of reading that I think you can find truth to the proverb that "Ideas can change the world". Reading can open doors and spark your brain into action and really think about things and ask that wonderful question of why.
So what is The Quest for 52? It is my goal and my inspiration for this the year of 2011. I have challenged myself to read 52 books this year, one for every week. An impossible task? No. But I think that anyone can say that this is no small undertaking either, especially considering that I generally enjoy reading books that are usually 300+ pages in length and some of the lengthier novels approach upwards of 1000+ pages. One thing I have learned over my years of literacy is that lots of the books I have enjoyed reading are ones I never would have chosen myself or more so had never even heard of. So I will look to my friends and family for help on my quest, it is through their recommendations that I will find books that truly spark my curiosity and interest. So initially this blog will be used as a place to talk about my exploits in the works of fiction and non-fiction alike. Where my journey, through the annuls of the written word, will take me I do not know. The destination is not my concern, as it is through the journey that we can learn and discover!
I have always been that annoying kid who always wanted to know more. My poor parents had to deal with this from an early age, and unlucky for her speaking came quite naturally to me and with it the wonderful single word question, "Why?". Why is an interesting question in many facets of life and even more so in science. Where most people hear about a fact, or an event and just accept it, there are the rare few who always want to know the all important question, WHY? It is the latter that I fall into, and it is here that my journey begins.
So of course being the type of nerdy kid who always wanted to know more, I naturally have enjoyed reading. Although the majority of the books I have read fall into the Sci-Fi category, or are related to non-fiction in Mathematics or Physics, it is not solely in these genres where I enjoy learning and reading. I have discovered over the years that I pretty much like learning and reading about anything and everything. I find that through reading and learning one can not only learn about the topics and books themselves but also open new doors to ideas and thoughts that would previously have been foreign and exotic. It is through the medium of reading that I think you can find truth to the proverb that "Ideas can change the world". Reading can open doors and spark your brain into action and really think about things and ask that wonderful question of why.
So what is The Quest for 52? It is my goal and my inspiration for this the year of 2011. I have challenged myself to read 52 books this year, one for every week. An impossible task? No. But I think that anyone can say that this is no small undertaking either, especially considering that I generally enjoy reading books that are usually 300+ pages in length and some of the lengthier novels approach upwards of 1000+ pages. One thing I have learned over my years of literacy is that lots of the books I have enjoyed reading are ones I never would have chosen myself or more so had never even heard of. So I will look to my friends and family for help on my quest, it is through their recommendations that I will find books that truly spark my curiosity and interest. So initially this blog will be used as a place to talk about my exploits in the works of fiction and non-fiction alike. Where my journey, through the annuls of the written word, will take me I do not know. The destination is not my concern, as it is through the journey that we can learn and discover!
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