Page 8

Read this book!

For some time, I had been eying this book since seeing it on John Howe's blog shelf some time ago. Well, I received this book for my (recent) birthday from some friends here in Maine, I finally had time to sit through some of it. I went through all the drills that I have learned about good readers (since I'm kind of mediocre), eyeballed the Table of Contents, reviewed the reviews, and flipped through the pages as I got ready to read. I'm only on page 8 and I had to get up and walk around.

If you know me, I'm not very emotive (sometimes) when I'm concentrating on something, and I've been accused of having a stern poker face, but every once in a while, when I'm studying for a lecture, or a talk, or reading something that has depth to its implications, because of a novel thought, I get up and walk around and think. If I am speaking to someone on the phone, they can probably tell by my voice that I have stood up, and am pacing the floor, enthusiasm unhindered. Almost emotive. This happened a lot when I first read the book Steps to Christ (and incidentally, still continues to happen).

But another thing I find interesting is cognition. Meta-cognition. The way we think. And the way we think about the way we think. "Think" meaning the verb, to process intellectual and emotional information (yes, that includes all you Feelers out there.) But with that in mind, you can imagine how curious I was to finally get my hands on this book and the find the time to sit and digest it. 

So I'm reading this book, and within the fraction of the first story, the implications are tremendous and far reaching. They have an intrinsic application to various aspects of life (in the vernacular, people usually say, "Man, that is deep!" when in fact they mean this phrase.) This is an amazing book, and I RARELY use this word, except when meeting people or things that dumbfound me (in a good or bad way). But in fact, this book is AMAZING.

The pace is easy, but substantial. The information is practical and feelings compelling. The stories are real and some of the names have not been changed. The idea of connecting the mind (the hypothetical construct with which we find ourselves AWARE - i.e. the software) and the brain (the physical construct that allows electrons to move and signals to be carried - i.e. the hardware) is put forward to the reader in such terms that one's interest is generated, not just for the science, but for the stories. The stories of the real people with real problems, and the possible solutions that can be brought home to every day life. Because we all use our minds and brains. Without which the heart can pump, but not feel. The body can exist but not live.

And it makes you wonder that kind of wonder that is sparked with the words, "What if ..." where possibilities are endless and horizons are open. Like getting a car (and driver's license) for the first time, or lots of money at a candy store (ok, a fruit stand) and it feels like anything can happen. This is called hope.

And it gets you up off the bed (where you're reading) and makes you pace and think, maybe aloud. And realize with a quirky smile, you're only on page 8.