Eric_W’s Reviews > Ships' Bilge Pumps: A History of Their Development, 1500-1900 (Volume 2) > Status Update

Ha ha..

Except, that I'm serious.

Right right right.. If I had the time to read it, I'm sure I would also be interested in bilge pumps. My Dad is another, he can become interested in just about anything on earth (including things much much less inherently or widely-held-to-be interesting than bilge pumps). And his wife was just bringing that up about him again - he will talk to a person, and ask them all these questions about themselves, and can just keep going much after most people would have exhausted themselves.
So yes, I personally agree, bilge pumps do sound very interesting. In this day and age marked by 30-second sound bites though, I thought you were being sarcastic in your original post some how. No offense intended.
I end by calling up Mike Pirsig, who makes the excellent case that quality (and, I would add, interesting-ness) exists *between* the perceived and the perceiver, not within the perceived.

Claire wrote: "Right right right.. If I had the time to read it, I'm sure I would also be interested in bilge pumps. My Dad is another, he can become interested in just about anything on earth (including things m..."

absolutely no offense taken. You'll note from my reading list that I am fascinated by technology and technological change, especially as it relates to ships and planes. I suppose I'm just a real generalist, intrigued by all sorts of things but knowing just a little about a lot. I loved Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance An Inquiry Into Values. Your dad sounds like an interesting guy. He's probably around my age anyway.

He's older, he was 25 when I was born, so he's in his 70's.. and yes, he is great. I'm a generalist myself - it's just *all* so interesting!