This morning I was looking back over the list of books I’ve read over the last couple of years, and I didn’t even remember having read some of them. This is why I write them down.
My friend Sylvia is very smart; she writes a mini-review of each book after she reads it. That way, when she looks back she not only can remember what the book is about, she remembers whether or not she liked it.
More than once I’ve been halfway through a book before realizing that not only have I read it before, but I didn’t particularly care for it the first time around.
So…in the interest of both self-discipline and self-preservation, I’m making myself write down quotes from books as I read them — statements that stick out to me at the time.
I liked this passage as I read Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography:
In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.
I thought that was both true and funny.
Categories: Brain Workouts
Tags: Benjamin Franklin, benjaminfranklin, pride
Flabby Brain 
I started keeping a list a long time ago because of the very same reasons..I actually bought a couple of books and on the way home from the bookstore remembered that I had read both of them!
I just ordered an ipad. I think it’s going to be the answer to my book organization. I’ll never give up my books, real honest to God books, with covers…but I think I might try electronically organizing my books and reviewing them as I go…
We’ll see!
Nice to see you again….
Good to hear from you, too! I’m hoping to get an iPad in the next month or so for reading at night. Let me know how yours works out. :)