I’ve been reading Pax, Tom Holland’s awesome history of Rome’s ‘Golden Age’, the two centuries beginning in AD 69, with the Empire teetering on the edge of collapse and civil war. It’s heaps good. I’ll write it up properly when I’m done but this par from the chapter describing the destruction of Pompeii stayed with me, because it reminded me of how much I used to enjoy reading encyclopaedias as a kid. It’s about Pliny’s efforts to compile the very first in the world.
In Robert Harris' Pompeii he does a brilliant job with fictional Pliny observing the eruption from sea and documenting the phenomena; there's no way this dude didn't write an encyclopedia, his curiosity was boundless.
Yep, another encyclopaedia reader here, and I agree that it helps with everything, having some sort of loose knowledge all of the world, trivia I guess.
Yeah - did the same thing with encyclopedias. The internet promised this on a grand scale never before seen but its just scrolling through a small screen watching people act like loons for the likes (or ad revenue)
Huh. I thought I was the only guy who read encyclopedias as a bored rural kid. The rest of the books were religious, except for dad's secret stash of sci-fi in the attic.
Those 60's sci-fi covers could be a tad racey. I remember stacks of "Analog" plus a trove of other authors. Azimov and Heinlein come to mind. Outside of the attic, the most stimulating reading was the JC Penney catalog.
Luck you. I read everything I could but sucked at school. Absolutely everything about it was a horrible experience. Luckily I had the school library to hide in at lunchtime and recess, until I filled out in high school. But then it was all video games, skateboarding and smoking weed.
Add me to the list of encyclopaedia readers. But my parents near bankrupted themselves to get Encyclopaedia Britannica. Not easy reads for a primary school kiddo, but it certainly made me think.
Legit surprised by how many people read encyclopaedias as kids.
Probs to do with the like minds who meet here. My grandad bought me a set of Children's Encyclopaedia when I was very young - loved them.
In Robert Harris' Pompeii he does a brilliant job with fictional Pliny observing the eruption from sea and documenting the phenomena; there's no way this dude didn't write an encyclopedia, his curiosity was boundless.
Yep, another encyclopaedia reader here, and I agree that it helps with everything, having some sort of loose knowledge all of the world, trivia I guess.
Yeah - did the same thing with encyclopedias. The internet promised this on a grand scale never before seen but its just scrolling through a small screen watching people act like loons for the likes (or ad revenue)
"beginning in AD 69" and me giggling because I never developed mentally any further than a 12 year old boy.
it was a good year - the best of years
Huh. I thought I was the only guy who read encyclopedias as a bored rural kid. The rest of the books were religious, except for dad's secret stash of sci-fi in the attic.
Why did he hide tin the attic? 'Big Chested Barbarellas Attack Earth' style sci fi?
Those 60's sci-fi covers could be a tad racey. I remember stacks of "Analog" plus a trove of other authors. Azimov and Heinlein come to mind. Outside of the attic, the most stimulating reading was the JC Penney catalog.
The attic got me wondering if it was sci-fi or "sci-fi"....
It really was sci-fi. Dad was, and still is, a big fan.
Ohh I'll add it to my reading list. Thanks.
Luck you. I read everything I could but sucked at school. Absolutely everything about it was a horrible experience. Luckily I had the school library to hide in at lunchtime and recess, until I filled out in high school. But then it was all video games, skateboarding and smoking weed.
Add me to the list of encyclopaedia readers. But my parents near bankrupted themselves to get Encyclopaedia Britannica. Not easy reads for a primary school kiddo, but it certainly made me think.
Another encyclopedia reader- starting to wonder if it's correlated with or causative to liking JB's stuff.
Yeah....seems like a real time suck when You could be pillaging whoring and drinking . And I doubt I could get past Aardvark writing by hand.