Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
>
What are U reading these days? (PART NINE (2013) (ongoing thread for 2013)
message 701:
by
Jim
(new)
Aug 16, 2013 04:47AM
Yeah, often we don't actually store new information, just check off another instance of many similar instances or bits of data. Differences & details are lost easily that way. I've read several articles about it, too. Very tricky.
reply
|
flag
The brain also filters what we see, we do not have the processing power for every detail, so it chooses to record what it thinks is necessary. This is only a commerical for it, 33 seconds, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E6E5O... False memories: everyone thought there was a crowd there, when in fact, the man in front of the tank was alone, no barricades. It didn't show that part, but I saw it so I could tell you.
For observation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pfbrs... We focus on what we think is important and miss the rest.
Jackie wrote: "I've recently been watching a series called 'Your Bleeped Up Brain' and one of the episodes was about memory, it's quite inaccurate, the brain can change memories and even remember false memories."Jackie, I saw that TV program recently too. Makes me wonder if my own memories are accurate. They certainly seem to be! :) I guess one way to check is to discuss the memories with someone who went through the same experiences, like a sibling or a parent.
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3042086/?...
PS-This seems to be a link to a video of the episode in question:
http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi8421...
I hate demonstrations with playing cards!
Who's to say that the other person's memories are more accurate than your own? I've seen programs that will have people at the same event having different and opposing memories. Which one is correct, or are both wrong? The only way to be sure would be to have a recording of the event. It really is odd, and disturbing, that we cannot trust our own memories. What else do we have to go on?
Jackie wrote: "... What else do we have to go on? ..."Hmmm, I suppose photographs would help.
Yes, that'd be a good record of the event too.
I've been bad about posting my reviews. Crazy busy lately. Anyway, I just finished 2 very good books.Three by Jay Posey is an excellent post apocalyptic action book. Very skillful & neat world. It's not pure action, but character driven & subtle. While it is the first of a series, it stands alone just fine. My 4 star review is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
In audio format, I just finished the 6th book of E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series. No Count Draculas, but an SF/war series that follows one man. It's quite good & this book was no exception. Another 4 star review here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Joy, you wouldn't like either of them.
;-)
Jim wrote: "... Joy, you wouldn't like either of them.;-) "
LOL, Jim! - Probably not. :)
Thanks anyway for the info about the books.
I've been "crazy busy" lately too... running around enjoying the good weather and the summer activities. It's hard to keep up.
Nina had recommended: The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present. So I borrowed it from our local library. It's quite a tome! Some of the essays are excellent and others don't appeal to me, but it has a wonderfully varied list of selections written during the "last four centuries". The reader is bound to find at least some of the essays quite interesting.
The essay on "Noise" by Seneca (of Roman times) is engaging and easy to understand.
The essay by Robert Benchley entitled "My Face" is precious... very amusing and fun to read.
So there seems to be something for everyone in this book of essays. I wish I could afford to buy it and then underline the parts that impress me. It would be good for random reading when all the reader wants is a short burst of interesting reading and reflection.
Nina, thanks for bringing it to my attention!
PS-Here's a link to my review which has a bit more info about the table of contents, etc:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I have just finished a SF adventure by Allen Steele, Coyote, which was pretty good.Now I am switching to a what-if? alternate history. It is 1862by Robert Conroy. The premise is interesting: how would events have changed if Britain had NOT accepted our apologies about the Trent affair, and entered the Civil War on the Confederate side? Looks real promising.
I listened to a very interesting free audio book by Chip Heath & his brother Dan called The Myth of the Garage. They write (wrote?) a column for some magazine & one of them read some of their older ones. Smart guys. My review is here:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I finished the 7th book in E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series, Fall with Honor. Again, very good & I'm sad to say that I'm going on to the last one I have in audio format now. There are a couple of books after this. My review is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mary JL wrote: ... Now I am switching to a what-if? alternate history.It is 1862 by Robert Conroy. The premise is interesting: ..."
Mary JL, that sounds like an interesting genre: "Science Fiction > Alternate History". Especially interesting for history buffs!
Jim wrote: "I listened to a very interesting free audio book by Chip Heath & his brother Dan called The Myth of the Garage. ..."Jim, thanks for the links to your reviews. I wish audible.com carried The Myth of the Garage and Other Minor Surprises. Sounds like I might enjoy listening to it.
Thanks Jim and Mary, now I have at least two more books to try to find time to read... :) (Seriously, thanks!)
Goodreads author Carolyn Jourdan is one of my most long-standing Goodreads friends; but even though I'm not a big reader of memoirs, I thought that her book, Heart in the Right Place, looked interesting already when I read reviews of it in Booklist and Library Journal, back in 2007. A couple of years ago, I had a chance to snag a copy on BookMooch; and I'm finally making time to read it! (It should be quite a change of pace from my last read. :-) )
Werner wrote: "Goodreads author Carolyn Jourdan is one of my most long-standing Goodreads friends; but even though I'm not a big reader of memoirs, I thought that her book, Heart in the Right Place, looked intere..."Werner, thanks for telling us about Heart in the Right Place, One of the GR reviews calls it "entertaining and informative".
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Joy, I found the 'Garage' book online at my library.
Jim wrote: "Joy, I found the 'Garage' book online at my library."Yeah, but I'd rather LISTEN to a book like that, rather than read it. I'm too slow a reader and my eyes tire easily.
Also, I haven't yet explored the possibility of accessing books online via our library. For some reason I don't want to face the trouble of clicking my way through the maze to find them.
Joy, I did listen to it & got it online. I don't actually go through the library to get it, except for the first time to set up the account. I just go straight to their audio book service's site & download it from there. The library still gets credit, but it's much easier that way. I agree that the library site is a maze.
Any item that a library offers for checkout should be in its online catalog, and here at the BC library, the search function for our catalog is actually a breeze to use; it's so simple even I can do it. :-) (The one quirk that may throw people is that in searching by author, you need to enter "Smith, John," not "John Smith," and that's true of most online catalogs, I believe.) But some public library systems' set-ups may be more Byzantine to navigate. Wish I could help you!
Jim and Werner, after being motivated by Jim's comment above ("Joy, I found the 'Garage' book online at my library.", I went to my local library's website and by serendipity I found a link for their audio-books. They have quite an extensive collection to choose from!I chose an audio-book and "borrowed" it but now the problem is listening to it on my computer. I have to find the right listening software. The audio download has the following extension: .odm
I have to find a program which allows me to listen. I'm going to call my library for help today.
Little by little, I'm learning, thanks to a little prodding. :)
Good for you, Joy! Good luck with that audio program; I'm sure the library can help with that.
Werner wrote: "Good for you, Joy! Good luck with that audio program; I'm sure the library can help with that."Yes, Werner, I called the library and the rep, who is the head of adult services, tried to help me. We were doing fine for a while but then, as usually happens, we hit a stonewall.
We downloaded: ODMediaConsoleSetup.msi (as advised by the library's website). It says it's "powered by OverDrive". We got a window saying the .odm audio book is "not a valid Win32 application."
The rep said she would call me back. So I'm waiting.
Learning to use these new things is always such a struggle!
Hang in there, Joy! I'm not into audiobooks myself, so I don't know enough about the current technology to help you. (I'm told that playing them on a tape recorder isn't considered state of the art any more.... :-) )
Werner, I'm enjoying being a member of audible.com. Once it's set-up on the computer, it's a pleasure to use.http://www.audible.com/
So far, my public library can't match it.
When I had problems with the set-up in the beginning, they were able to help me. If I remember correctly, they even did a remote control of my computer to help with the set-up.
If a customer isn't happy with the audio-book he/she purchased, Audible will exchange it for something else.
BTW, my local library still can't figure out why I can't play their audio books on my computer!
For audio book readers, Audible.com sounds like a great set-up, Joy; thanks for the link and info.Good luck with the library audio book, and keep us posted!
Will do. But I'm not holding my breath waiting for a solution. Very discouraging.
PS-Here's the link to our local library's ebooks and audio books:http://salon.sals.edu/8F5689AC-2FBD-4...
I just finished Spook by Steve Vance. It was pretty good & quite a surprise. My 3.5 star review is here:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Joy, the audio library you are using looks to be the same one as I have for 2 of the 3 county library cards I have. It's my favorite to use. Very easy.The ODM file you downloaded is used by the Overdrive software to get the correct files. You have to install the ODMediaConsoleSetup.msi by double clicking on it. Once it is in place, you download & run the ODM file. It should call up the OverDrive software. It will bring up a window showing you your books. Then another couple of windows will open that show you the files it wants to get. Just tell it to go ahead & get them.
After that, you can play the files using the OverDrive software, although most media players will work. I copy the books over to my MP3 player which I carry around with me while mowing or commuting.
It might seem a bit complicated, but it's pretty easy once you get it set up. Your son or the library help desk should have no trouble with it.
Jim wrote: "I just finished Spook by Steve Vance. It was pretty good & quite a surprise. My 3.5 star review is here:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."
Thanks for the review, Jim.
Jim wrote: "Joy, the audio library you are using looks to be the same one as I have for 2 of the 3 county library cards I have. It's my favorite to use. Very easy.The ODM file you downloaded is used by the..."
Jim, I figured you'd be familiar with ODM. So far, the library hasn't been able to figure out why I'm having a problem accessing my downloaded audio books. I hope they will call me back when they find someone who can help me.
I read your instructions and fiddled around with my Overdrive Media Console program but I didn't get anywhere. I did get to a section where a voice explained the benefits of ODM. But that was of no help.
Our son will be visiting soon. Maybe he can help me. However, most of the time, he says he knows nothing about what I'm dealing with. There's just too much to know these days!
Right now I'm ready to give up on ODM unless the library can help me. For now, I'll stick to audible.com!
Maybe my particular laptop can't handle the program. Who knows! It's a Dell Vostro with Windows7.
More on the essay book, Joy. Did you ever read Joan Didion's essay, "Good-by To All That?" And I did read Seneca's "On Noise" and it was good. Also liked Hubert Butler's,"Aunt Harriet." And I especially like M.F.K.Fisher's "Once a Tramp, Always." I think that is the title.There were other good ones but too numerous to read and think about, do you agree?
I gave 4 stars to Matt Helm: The War Years by Keith Wease, a homage to Donald Hamilton. My review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I also gave 4 stars to Winter Duty by E.E. Knight, another of his Vampire Earth series.
My review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Nina wrote: "More on the essay book, Joy. Did you ever read Joan Didion's essay, "Good-by To All That?" And I did read Seneca's "On Noise" and it was good. Also liked Hubert Butler's,"Aunt Harriet." And I espe..."Nina, I've been waiting for my own copy to arrive from Amazon. Then I can do all the underlining I want! Will report back soon on this.
Jim wrote: "I gave 4 stars to Matt Helm: The War Years by Keith Wease, a homage to Donald Hamilton. My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...I also gave 4 stars to Winter Duty by E.E. Knigh..."
Jim, sounds like you're finding a good number of books to enjoy. You gobble 'em up like popcorn! lol
Good review of the overall appeal of the Essay book. I so very much liked, "Street Haunting," as I felt I was actually walking along the streets of NY with Virginia W.
Nina wrote: "Good review of the overall appeal of the Essay book. I so very much liked, "Street Haunting," as I felt I was actually walking along the streets of NY with Virginia W."Nina, I'll be sure to check out "Sweet Haunting" too in the Essay book. Since they are all "personal" essays, they are more appealing than essays which are more impersonal. The writers in these essays truly speak their minds about their feelings and experiences. It's as if they are actually TALKING to you. Very engaging. The book is an excellent selection of essays, as many of the critics say.
The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present
Joy, I must have typed it wrong; not unusual for me. It is Street Haunting, not Sweet Haunting. Sorry. And I just finished, "Clara and Mr. Tiffany," and did like it very much. My only critique is the author gave almost too much detailed information on how to make the Tiffany lamps. However, I really appreciated learning something of the craft and also I like books based on real people and this book stuck to the truth as much as it was able to do so. I might like to read it again now that I know the story and actually learn more.
Nina, I know what you mean. When we're reading for pleasure, it's always nice to learn something new at the same time.As for the essay, I like the title "Sweet Haunting" better than "Street Haunting"! LOL
That's how I felt about the book, "Clara and Mr. Tiffany," as I really knew so little about stained glass except to gaze at it's beauty. Our church is over one hundred years old and the stained glass windows are awesome. Now I look at them with renewed interest.
Finished Fairy Godmother and enjoyed it. A unique take on the Cinderella tale. Next in the series is One Good Knight, barely started, maybe 20 pages in, good so far.
Nina wrote: "... Now I look at them with renewed interest."
Nina, I like your choice of words, "renewed interest". One of the benefits of reading is how it can renew our interest in many things. Now, with the Internet, we can satisfy our renewed interests more readily, learning more and more.
Jackie wrote: "... Next in the series is One Good Knight, barely started, maybe 20 pages in, good so far."Jackie, that title reminds me of a quote:
"Once a knight, always a knight. But once a knight is enough." -Anon.
I remember a kid writing that in my autographbook when I graduated elementary school---circa 1961.
"When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden." Minnie Ammonier
"It had been startling and disappointing to me," she said, "to find out that storybooks had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders coming up of themselves, like grass." Eudora Welty
Arnie wrote: "I remember a kid writing that in my autograph book when I graduated elementary school---circa 1961."Arnie, that was pretty risqué for elementary school! ("Once a knight, always a knight...").
Nina wrote: ""When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden." Minnie Ammonier ..."Nina, thanks for the quotes. I have a stone plaque in my garden which says:
"An Hour in the Garden Puts Life's Problem in Perspective".
http://gardencuizine.com/2013/03/an-h...
http://www.statue.com/Products/Steppi...
Nina wrote: ... " 'It had been startling and disappointing to me," she said, "to find out that storybooks had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders coming up of themselves, like grass.' Eudora Welty "What a nice simile ("like grass")! And an interesting insight into how books and authors may be taken for granted. I myself am often in awe when I think about the work that goes into the writing of a good book. Kudos to all the good authors!
I know Joy. I'm not sure I really got it!!---Ah, the innocence of youth.
Speaking of good authors, I am so enjoying the charming, excellently written book by DE Stevenson, "Miss Buncle's Book." I can't remember when I last laughed out loud while reading a book. I didn't even know there were DE Stevenson's literary societies. So glad a friend introduced me to her work. If you are not familiar with Miss Buncle; do check her out.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
Books mentioned in this topic
Birdsong (other topics)Anna Karenina (other topics)
Anna Karenina (other topics)
The Perfume Collector (other topics)
A Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sebastian Faulks (other topics)Romeyn Beck Hough (other topics)
Colleen McCullough (other topics)
Simon R. Green (other topics)
Mildred Mastin Pace (other topics)
More...
