Summer Reading

The kids are doing the summer reading program through the Ann Arbor District Library. If they read ten books, they get to choose a free book from a rack at the library. This poses a conundrum for them, since they are both in the middle of Harry Potter books - HP books are way too big for them to be able to read ten in a summer (and besides, there are only seven Harry Potter books.) So they've shifted down to smaller books for the time being.

J's doing the grown-up summer reading program. Adults who finish five books get a free loaf of bread at Great Harvest, I think.

I didn't sign up this year. I did just finish a novel, though, "Nobody's Fool" by Richard Russo. I've read a few other Russo books: "Empire Falls", which was a Pulitzer winner, and "Straight Man". He's a terrific writer.

Prior to that I read "Shop Class as Soulcraft: An inquiry into the value of work" by Matthew Crawford. It was kind of disappointing - it's about how our educational system has systematically devalued hands-on training like wood shop, metal shop, and auto shop, in favor of the coming "information society." The society in which, if you ask educators, no one will need to use his or her hands again to do anything. I don't know who those people think will fix their cars, or make furniture. Maybe robots? The book didn't go into remedies, or examples of communities who rallied their schools to re-introduce this kind of training and exposure. Maybe it will get people talking.

Obviously, you know I write software for a living, and know that computers can do great things for us and make our lives better and easier. But at some point, they can't. I don't see why we should deny middle-schoolers the opportunity to pick up a file or a saw, or take away their chance to create a lopsided screwdriver during third period metal shop. (Everybody's screwdriver was lopsided, not just mine, right?) Heaven help them if they ever need to do something like change a tire.

My most recent checkouts from the library, by the way, are "Understanding Wood Carving" and "How to Carve Wood". I'm working on a secret project which I will reveal (using computers!) in a few weeks. It promises to be a shining example of good intentions, whimsy, and basement-workshop amateurism - stay tuned.

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Speaking of summer reading, Wondermark has a great comic about those who like to relax with a good book.

http://www.wondermark.com/510

Happy reading!

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