Re: reading

[HighlandWindsLLC Miller]

Recent posts included a quote - something to effect that we don't read if we have anything better to amuse ourselves with. I was reading A New Kind of Science this morning. I rest my case.

 

Peggy Miller

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[Kenneth Lloyd]

Peggy,

 

After reading NKS, try Roger Penrose's, Road to Reality - A complete guide to the laws of the universe. I own and have read both, but I consult Penrose often.

 

Both are meaningful, Penrose a little more so.  Neither are what I would call amusing.

 

Ken

---

From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of peggy miller
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:42 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] reading

Recent posts included a quote - something to effect that we don't read if we have anything better to amuse ourselves with. I was reading A New Kind of Science this morning. I rest my case.

 

Peggy Miller

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FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

[Pamela McCorduck]

I think the quote is mine (this week).  It comes from that great 18th century London dictionary compiler and writer, Samuel Johnson.  It amused me to think that people were complaining about the reluctance to read as early as that.

P.

Recent posts included a quote - something to effect that we don't read if we have anything better to amuse ourselves with. I was reading A New Kind of Science this morning. I rest my case.

 

Peggy Miller

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FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv

Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College

lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

"People in general do not willingly read if they can have anything else to amuse them."

Dr. Samuel Johnson 

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[Carl Tollander]

If he lived in different times and had said, "People in general do not
willingly watch TV if they can have anything else to amuse them.", would
we say this was (1) an observation about people being reluctant to watch
TV, or (2) an observation about a collective rational response to the
low quality of TV?

C.

Pamela McCorduck wrote:

> I think the quote is mine (this week).  It comes from that great 18th
> century London dictionary compiler and writer, Samuel Johnson.  It
> amused me to think that people were complaining about the reluctance
> to read as early as that.
>
> P.
>
>>
>>
>>     Recent posts included a quote - something to effect that we don't
>>     read if we have anything better to amuse ourselves with. I was
>>     reading A New Kind of Science this morning. I rest my case.
>>      
>>     Peggy Miller
>>
>> ============================================================
>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
>
>
>
> "People in general do not willingly read if they can have anything
> else to amuse them."
>
> Dr. Samuel Johnson
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

... [show rest of quote]

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[Paul Paryski]

Perhaps the same could be said about obsessive web surfing, Second Life, Macbook, and so on and on.  But perhaps 21st century realities are so "a-palin'" that we need to escape?  Paul


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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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