Coloring My Cerebral Matter

I like taking Deep Dives. And that is why I read.

I read through about 3 different books a week. A nonfiction book to learn about something new. What I call a “Process Book”. This is a book that takes a look on some form of the Creative Process of some art form. And a fiction novel.

We are bombarded by information. News is everywhere and it comes fast. Most of it is just Click Bait. Without value. Only meant to Enrage not Engage. The people around me that follow the news on almost minute by minute basis do very little in terms of going deep on thinking about it.

I am finding the better way for me to see current events in terms of past historical events. When the Lockdown and social isolation started. I read Valley Forge by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. I found quite a few parallels between the events of now with the events then.

Now it seems disaster is everywhere and could happen at any moment. Dan Carlin the host of the podcast series Hardcore History takes the Deep Dive into history in ways that are never taught in school. This is not for people who are mentally faint of heart.And his book The End is Always Near tells that humanity has a long reoccurring history that “The End is Here. That’s it!” I found this book to be the equivalent of a college level course. However, this only cost me $15. And I got more from this book.

During the day I am mostly reading to learn for myself. At night, I end the day with a fiction novel.I am reading again The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. And sometimes storytelling is a better way to interpret the human experience. And spread the knowledge in the form of a story.

I have this X-Files Mulder/Scully Approach with my reading in life. Like the show it is the believer vs the skeptic. Mythology vs science. And both sides can have a co-existence with each other. This is what balances out my book reading. Keeping my curiosity fueled. My library card in use.