Just Because it is Green

Pure equality would restrict us. Like the monoculture of a Palm Oil Plantation versus the rich biodiversity of a Rain Forest. One may be green, but the life disappears. Daniel Dennett’s book “Darwin's Dangerous Idea” reframed the concept of evolution in a way that I had not understood before. I always had the sense that it was important to have some driving sense of progress. We want some knowledge of how things are going to play out. That is why we love this idea of cause and effect. Then we can control what is going to happen. Letting go of that control is very difficult. That is Darwin's dangerous idea. It talks about the Red Queen, in Alice in Wonderland. Where she has to run as fast as she can just to stay in the same place. We have to step back and start looking at our idea of progress.

A Palm Oil Plantation in Malaysia

Reading other peoples books

I just watched `The Jane Austin Book Club' with my Mom (Christmas time and all). One of the things which my mother has not enjoyed is that whenever she buys me books, they tend to sit on my book shelf.

The problem is, that until 18 months ago, I really didn't read much. I like reading, but I read slowly and not often. When I read, I felt like I had to read things with gravitas. So, it was Charles Dickens or some other book with great literary notoriety. I also had some bad rules.

1) I would always finish a book
2) I would only read one book at a time

I also tended to read exclusively fiction. This put a major dampener on my reading. Particular `break pad' books I can remember were 'Embrace' by Mark Behr, and 'Tender is the Night' by F.Scott Fitzgerald.

I also read very slowly, and for some reason, despite my ability to study for long periods, the same ability did not translate to reading.

`The Satanic Verses' and abuse for my stupidity from the Brothers Torr, led me to break rule number 1. Rule number 2 was broken when I realised how dumb it was. Why do we categorize books as an exclusive activity like that. We watch multiple TV series. Our jobs are filled with numerous parallel tasks. We can have a number of friendships... 'sorry, I can't go for a drink, I am still busy finishing off another friendship.'

That said... I am now managing to read a lot more. That combined with starting this blog, and reading others has really led to a whole other level of creative energy that I feel buzzing all the time. I still read slowly... but am getting faster.

The other thing goes back to my first point... reading books that friends recommend. Now that my 2/3 a year is 20/30, I should really make an effort to read recommendations... well, not reapplying the two rules. If they don't grab you after an honest attempt, put down.

`Jane Austin's Book Club' shows a guy who always read Sci-Fi being included in a Jane Austin only book club... and he gets into it. He recommends to one of the ladies, Ursula Le Guin (author of the wizard of earthsea) who, and I agree, he thinks is awesome.

Even if you enjoy your own beach, strolling over to the other side of the island once in a while is probably a good idea.

I love holidays.