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Reading list for #BelshawBlackOps12

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

As I’ve already mentioned, in just over a week I’ll be on Belshaw Black Ops for the whole of December. During that time I want to spend time with my family, slow down a little, and read. You know, long-form stuff.

Here’s three books I’ve got queued up:

Altogether, I’ve set myself the challenge of reading 10 non-fiction books during December.

What else should I read? (and why?) It doesn’t have to be a new book, nor does it have to be about education or technology – but it does need to be interesting.

List your three must-read books in the comment section below. I’ll be writing a short review of the ten books I end up reading when I come back in January. 🙂

Image CC BY picturenarrative

Update

The following books have been recommended by the awesome people commenting below:

Also, Audrey Watters recommended via Twitter:

And on Google+ Timothy Scholze recommended:

Then, again on Twitter Jon Parnham recommended:

10 reasons I like reading ebooks more than paper books.

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

There’s 5 big reasons and 5 smaller reasons I enjoy reading books on my Amazon Kindle* than standard paper books. Blog posts like this are usually prefaced by claims by the author to have a huge paper book collection/voracious appetite for reading/capability to use big words. Assume all of the above. :-p

5 big reasons

1. I can carry hundreds – if not thousands of books around with me. Which means reference library everywhere I go, and the ability to have several books (e.g. novel/business/academic) on the go at once.

2. Finding out the meaning of an obscure word takes about two seconds.

3. I’ve got instant access to pretty much any book I want.

4. Highlighting is portable, either via the Amazon website (if one of their titles) or a text file (if one you put on the device).

5. Weight. Many of the books I read for work, pleasure and study would be fairly weighty tomes. It’s easier on my arms – and my luggage!

5 small reasons

1. It’s virtually impossible to ‘lose your place’ in an ebook.

2. No-one can see the cover of the book you’re reading (and therefore make implicit judgements)

3. You can change the font size – or even the font type in some cases. Some paper books are set in tiny, horrible fonts.

4. I love 19th-century fiction (especially Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Gogol) which means many books I want to read are completely free.

5. Speed. It’s only anecdotal, but I’m positive I can read faster on my Kindle.

Bonus 11th reason

Audiobooks. I love being able to decide to listen to a book instead of reading it when my eyes are tired from work.

* I’ve got the previous generation, but with a cool, limited-edition Moleskine cover. Awesome.

You are what you habitually do.

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

I’m not alone in taking a book/my Amazon Kindle to the doctors/dentists/airport or somewhere else we’ve come to expect delays.

But what about other times? What about queues? What about unexpected delays?

Howard Rheingold, a bit of a hero of mine, tweeted this yesterday:

I try to see underheads ahead of me in line who fumble for their checkooks, change, as opportunities for mindfulness in the moment …so when I am delayed by circumstances beyond my control, I try to ask myself what I might not be noticing in my environment.

Instead of seeing unexpected delays as being the result of some malevolent ethereal force it’s a much better plan to have an idea of what can fill that time. Some suggestions:

  • People-watching (why do people do what they do?)
  • Writing down/expanding upon thoughts in a notebook
  • Talking to other people (i.e. practising striking-up conversation)
  • Pattern-spotting (how many x are there? what does that remind me of?)

Why not checking email/Twitter/other technological things?

You are what you habitually do. (Aristotle)

I’m aiming to become more creative, aware of my surroundings and reflective. Are you?

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