“What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic."
i think i remember Carl saying that on one of his trips through the galaxy... wonderful series and a shame CS isn't here to help civilize the government...
@ VV: I think you just need to practice more [grin]
@ Stephen: I agree. Books are wonderful things.
@ Mudpuddle: Apparently she's an American author born in 1972 and has had 10 novels publish. None of which I'd heard of. Lisabet Scott is indeed an actress famous for her roles in the 50's Noir scene I think.
@ Stephen: We disagree on Government. Personally I see it as one of the defining characteristics of Civilisation - like Cities. We might move beyond it at some point in the (far) future but the result isn't something that we'd define as civilised. But that's just my political opinion. I must review some books on the subject [muses]
Yes, I do. I fear I'm one of those who has a hard time sitting still. I have been reading _The Search for the Girl with the Blue Eyes_ at night before bed. It's not a good book, but I feel compelled to finish it, just to make sure it doesn't redeem itself right at the end.
@ VV: I do *try* to finish every book I start and, so far, am pretty good at picking books I enjoy (you would hope so after so much practice/experience). It is very rare - maybe 1 book a year - that I give up on one.
@ Stephen: Yes, indeed. You're rather jaded with them/it even by my low standards.... [grin]
8 comments:
Mmmm, I love that too. It's been a long time since I've read a book that did that though. 🙁
From Carl Sagan:
“What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic."
i think i remember Carl saying that on one of his trips through the galaxy... wonderful series and a shame CS isn't here to help civilize the government...
wasn't Lisabet Scott an actress?
Government is control of people and thus inherently uncivilized, but Carl's presence --his gentle humor, his optimism -- are incredulously missed..
@ VV: I think you just need to practice more [grin]
@ Stephen: I agree. Books are wonderful things.
@ Mudpuddle: Apparently she's an American author born in 1972 and has had 10 novels publish. None of which I'd heard of. Lisabet Scott is indeed an actress famous for her roles in the 50's Noir scene I think.
@ Stephen: We disagree on Government. Personally I see it as one of the defining characteristics of Civilisation - like Cities. We might move beyond it at some point in the (far) future but the result isn't something that we'd define as civilised. But that's just my political opinion. I must review some books on the subject [muses]
Yes, I do. I fear I'm one of those who has a hard time sitting still. I have been reading _The Search for the Girl with the Blue Eyes_ at night before bed. It's not a good book, but I feel compelled to finish it, just to make sure it doesn't redeem itself right at the end.
@Cyberkitten: Well, few share my complete disaffection with government at the level of a nation-state...I blame Gandhi, Emma Goldman, and Ed Abbey.
@ VV: I do *try* to finish every book I start and, so far, am pretty good at picking books I enjoy (you would hope so after so much practice/experience). It is very rare - maybe 1 book a year - that I give up on one.
@ Stephen: Yes, indeed. You're rather jaded with them/it even by my low standards.... [grin]
Post a Comment