I’ve Got Books

I’ve got lots of books. Not a ton mind you — nothing to start a bookstore with or shelves with rolling ladders, but a fair amount for an apartment dweller. Every once in a while either I get to just staring at them and reflecting or someone that knows me will be in my office and say something to the effect of “I can trace your life just through these books.” There are books on how NOT to play chess to SQL Server Administration to BJJ, to guitar to fiction to biographies to science texts to Calculus with a smattering of fiction. It’s a diverse collection and I’ve always been a diverse guy. Back in the day at Fordham, my friend Martha used to call me the “Renaissance Man”. Not that I would compare my self to him, but the one figure I really admire and respect from that period is Leon Battista Alberti– the Renaissance’s “Universal Man”. If you’re not familiar with him – go look up his entry in Wikipedia for starters or pick up Burkhardt’s book.

Anyways, these thoughts that always remind me me of a quote from Robert Heinlein:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

-Lazarus Long, Time Enough For Love

I’m definitely more of a “Big Picture”, unspecialized guy. Lack of specialization is my specialty! No wonder CrossFit training now appeals to me so much. I really enjoy performing continuously varied functional movements at a relatively high intensity and moving large loads long distances and quickly. The same goes for my life — I’m not specialized and enjoy variety in all things — in what I read, in what I learn about and what I do. Some might say that indicates that I lack focus. I disagree. Life’s a banquet and most poor son’s of bitches are starving to quote a phrase.

With that said, here’s a short list of stuff I’m interested in, do, have done or want to do and own a book or two about. Recommended books have been read and owned. I really should go to the library more…

• CrossFit
  • There are CrossFit Journals all over my office and tons of files on my computer. Read read read, learn learn learn. Practice practice practice. Rinse and repeat.
  • Go to http://journal.crossfit.com and sign up. Life changing stuff in there.
• Strength and Conditioning
  • I’m a CSCS so I get the Strength and Conditioning Journal and the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. Some good stuff in there if you wade through the chaff. I like to try and read the primary source material myself before something possibly gets picked up by the like of Gina Kolata from the NY Times. Cannot stand her.
• Drawing – this is something I’d love to get back into. Seems like every few years I get all amped up about it and draw and paint for about three months and then the mood passes.
  • Recommneded Reading:
    • Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain by Betty Edwards
      
    • Drawing On the Artist Within by Betty Edwards
• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – a past pursuit I plan to pick up again. Some MMA training would be good to.
  • Recommneded Reading
    • Brazilian Jiu Jitsu by Royce Gracie and Royler Gracie
    • Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Techniques by Rigan Machado
• Tech – Well, I love tech. I hate tech. I love it. No I hate it. Wait, there’s some new Ajax technique? Ahhhhhh. Lemme see. No I hate it.
  • Recommneded Reading
    • Seriously? List them ALL? I think not. Here are my favorites though – chosen for their clarity vs Uber Complexity:
      • Any ColdFusion book by Ben Forta
      • Beginning Python by Hetland (an Apress Book)
      • MySQL Tutorial from MySQL Press
      • Designing with Web Standards by Jefferey Zeldman
      • How to Cheat At PhotoShop by Steve Caplin
      • Cascading Style Sheets – The Definitive Guide by Eric Meyer
        
• Chess – something I always wanted to get good at over time so in retirement I can be the guy in the park everyone fears and respects. Plus, I need to get at least good enough to take a match from my buddy and ex-coworker, Aleks Nemets.
  • Recommneded Reading:
    • Complete Book of Chess Strategy – Silman
    • How Not To Play Chess – Borovsky
    • Chess Openings – Traps and Zaps – Pandolfini
• Piano – I had a friend back in elementary and junior high who’s mother made him practice all the time. At the time I hated it because it constantly interrupted things. Now I think the coolest thing to do would be to walk into a room with some piano in it and say “Do you mind if I play a bit?” and be able to play. It’s one of those things you I had no respect for as a kid and now go…DAMN!
  • Recommneded Reading
    • NONE!
• Photography – Love it! Need to do it more. Need to make lots more money so I can buy more equipment. My digital camera just suffered a “Dead Like Me” tragedy – so until I get the funds, I am without.
  • Recommended Reading:
  • Way Beyond Monochrome by Ralph Lambreccht and Chris Woodhouse
  • The Photographer’s Handbook by John Hedgecoe
• Guitar – Well, I got my first one one I was 15. I’m 38 close to middle age now. You’d think that means I could shred. Not so. I abandoned it from ages 18 to 37. Just starting to get back into it and practicing sporadically.
  • Recommneded Reading / stuff:
    • Aside from like, tons of Tab books…
    • Guitar For Dummies
    • The Guitar Handbook – Ralph Denyer
    • If you are a n00b or a Novice — Buy Yourself a Line 6 Pod XT. You’ll be glad you did.
• Meditation – A calm mind is the way to go. I’m not a Buddhist but I can dig it. Not so much a religion as a methodology.
  • Recommended Reading:
    • The Art of Happiness – His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Howard Cutler
• Hockey – Lost it’s luster for me at some point. I’m a big Red Wings  and Would not mind getting back on a men’s team. Almost any team would be better than the one I played a few games for last time out. Oy. Suck-O-Rama. Let’s just say the goalie did not give us much of a chance and leave it at that.
• Fencing – great sport. Just A$$ expensive. There’s one right across from where I’m opening up CrossFit Davis – so maybe I’ll be able to work out something in trade with the guys over there.