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Good Night
Nov. 7th, 2018 12:18 am
Nov. 7th, 2018
Another TV show has ensnared me recently. it is the Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina. Watched the first five episodes last night,
I also watched the latest Supergirl and Supernatural episodes.
Sunday I watched the latest episode of Doctor Who. That was quite a tense one. I am really enjoying Jodie as the Doctor. What are your thoughts on the new series?
I also watched the latest Supergirl and Supernatural episodes.
Sunday I watched the latest episode of Doctor Who. That was quite a tense one. I am really enjoying Jodie as the Doctor. What are your thoughts on the new series?
Just Wondering
Nov. 7th, 2018 11:24 amWhat Harry Potter character would you be if you could?
If it were possible to colonize Mars in our lifetime, would you go?
If you had to read an entire encyclopedia, which letter would you choose?
If it were possible to colonize Mars in our lifetime, would you go?
If you had to read an entire encyclopedia, which letter would you choose?
Book 80 - Simon Garfield "To The Letter"
Nov. 7th, 2018 11:50 amSimon Garfield "To The Letter" (Canongate Books)
This is a quirky book about the lost art of letter writing. Garfield (his name was Garfunkel but this was changed by his forebears during the war; Simon Garfunkel would have been novel) touches on the re-emerging cult of letter writers, but begins at the beginning with the letters of Ancient Greece, and later Seneca et al., and mentions a number of famous authors and artists and their famous collections of letters that exist to this day. I did not know about Pliny the Younger's account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, nor many other letter-writing stories of old. The book is cleverly punctuated with a letter from a soldier to a woman who becomes his pen pal/girlfriend during the Second World War, and the story of their growing love unfolds as does the history of the letter (and to some extent, the post). I found myself wanting to finish each chapter to get to the love story. It has inspired me to tackle a few of the as yet unexplored volumes of letters I have in my library: The Letters of Ernest Hemingway (three volumes), George Orwell: A Life in Letters, The Letters of John Keats, and, although not strictly letters, but The Journal of Sir Walter Scott.
This was an enjoyable and enlightening read and there were many snippets of history I was completely unaware of, and for that alone it was useful, but as a complete package, with the love story intertwined, this is a delightful book and I am pleased to now have it in my collection.
This is a quirky book about the lost art of letter writing. Garfield (his name was Garfunkel but this was changed by his forebears during the war; Simon Garfunkel would have been novel) touches on the re-emerging cult of letter writers, but begins at the beginning with the letters of Ancient Greece, and later Seneca et al., and mentions a number of famous authors and artists and their famous collections of letters that exist to this day. I did not know about Pliny the Younger's account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, nor many other letter-writing stories of old. The book is cleverly punctuated with a letter from a soldier to a woman who becomes his pen pal/girlfriend during the Second World War, and the story of their growing love unfolds as does the history of the letter (and to some extent, the post). I found myself wanting to finish each chapter to get to the love story. It has inspired me to tackle a few of the as yet unexplored volumes of letters I have in my library: The Letters of Ernest Hemingway (three volumes), George Orwell: A Life in Letters, The Letters of John Keats, and, although not strictly letters, but The Journal of Sir Walter Scott.
This was an enjoyable and enlightening read and there were many snippets of history I was completely unaware of, and for that alone it was useful, but as a complete package, with the love story intertwined, this is a delightful book and I am pleased to now have it in my collection.
Chris Hadfield "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" (Pan Macmillan)
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield is undoubtedly best known for the video of him playing the guitar and singing David Bowie's "Space Oddity, " while actually in space. He's also made a bunch of other videos and maintains a fantastically popular Twitter feed, and is just generally terrific at putting a likeable, human face on the space program for the public at large while stirring up some of that good old-fashioned sense of excitement and wonder.
In this book, he talks about how he achieved his ambition to become an astronaut, his accomplishments in space, the fascinating details of life on the International Space Station, and the often-overlooked realities of the 95% of the astronaut job that takes place on the ground. He also talks a lot about the attitudes and philosophies that got him where he is, and the principles and strategies he believes are essential to success in an environment that can all too easily kill you. (In very brief summary, these more or less boil down to being crazy-prepared and highly detail-oriented, and not letting your ego get in your way.)
The anecdotes he tells from his years of training, his adventures aboard the space station, his EVAs (extra-vehicular activities), and the gruelling physical manoeuvres and changes he goes through, before, during and after his 5 months up there - you can't make this stuff up! Hadfield's positive attitude, good humour and work ethic, though, are the really impressive part of his story; I don't think a person could accomplish what he has without that type of personality.
His open, honest, clear style and concise, sharp mind make this book a wonderful pleasure to read from start to finish, as well as being utterly fascinating.
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield is undoubtedly best known for the video of him playing the guitar and singing David Bowie's "Space Oddity, " while actually in space. He's also made a bunch of other videos and maintains a fantastically popular Twitter feed, and is just generally terrific at putting a likeable, human face on the space program for the public at large while stirring up some of that good old-fashioned sense of excitement and wonder.
In this book, he talks about how he achieved his ambition to become an astronaut, his accomplishments in space, the fascinating details of life on the International Space Station, and the often-overlooked realities of the 95% of the astronaut job that takes place on the ground. He also talks a lot about the attitudes and philosophies that got him where he is, and the principles and strategies he believes are essential to success in an environment that can all too easily kill you. (In very brief summary, these more or less boil down to being crazy-prepared and highly detail-oriented, and not letting your ego get in your way.)
The anecdotes he tells from his years of training, his adventures aboard the space station, his EVAs (extra-vehicular activities), and the gruelling physical manoeuvres and changes he goes through, before, during and after his 5 months up there - you can't make this stuff up! Hadfield's positive attitude, good humour and work ethic, though, are the really impressive part of his story; I don't think a person could accomplish what he has without that type of personality.
His open, honest, clear style and concise, sharp mind make this book a wonderful pleasure to read from start to finish, as well as being utterly fascinating.
Chris Hadfield "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" (Pan Macmillan)
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield is undoubtedly best known for the video of him playing the guitar and singing David Bowie's "Space Oddity, " while actually in space. He's also made a bunch of other videos and maintains a fantastically popular Twitter feed, and is just generally terrific at putting a likeable, human face on the space program for the public at large while stirring up some of that good old-fashioned sense of excitement and wonder.
In this book, he talks about how he achieved his ambition to become an astronaut, his accomplishments in space, the fascinating details of life on the International Space Station, and the often-overlooked realities of the 95% of the astronaut job that takes place on the ground. He also talks a lot about the attitudes and philosophies that got him where he is, and the principles and strategies he believes are essential to success in an environment that can all too easily kill you. (In very brief summary, these more or less boil down to being crazy-prepared and highly detail-oriented, and not letting your ego get in your way.)
The anecdotes he tells from his years of training, his adventures aboard the space station, his EVAs (extra-vehicular activities), and the gruelling physical manoeuvres and changes he goes through, before, during and after his 5 months up there - you can't make this stuff up! Hadfield's positive attitude, good humour and work ethic, though, are the really impressive part of his story; I don't think a person could accomplish what he has without that type of personality.
His open, honest, clear style and concise, sharp mind make this book a wonderful pleasure to read from start to finish, as well as being utterly fascinating.
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield is undoubtedly best known for the video of him playing the guitar and singing David Bowie's "Space Oddity, " while actually in space. He's also made a bunch of other videos and maintains a fantastically popular Twitter feed, and is just generally terrific at putting a likeable, human face on the space program for the public at large while stirring up some of that good old-fashioned sense of excitement and wonder.
In this book, he talks about how he achieved his ambition to become an astronaut, his accomplishments in space, the fascinating details of life on the International Space Station, and the often-overlooked realities of the 95% of the astronaut job that takes place on the ground. He also talks a lot about the attitudes and philosophies that got him where he is, and the principles and strategies he believes are essential to success in an environment that can all too easily kill you. (In very brief summary, these more or less boil down to being crazy-prepared and highly detail-oriented, and not letting your ego get in your way.)
The anecdotes he tells from his years of training, his adventures aboard the space station, his EVAs (extra-vehicular activities), and the gruelling physical manoeuvres and changes he goes through, before, during and after his 5 months up there - you can't make this stuff up! Hadfield's positive attitude, good humour and work ethic, though, are the really impressive part of his story; I don't think a person could accomplish what he has without that type of personality.
His open, honest, clear style and concise, sharp mind make this book a wonderful pleasure to read from start to finish, as well as being utterly fascinating.
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