Dave Shepherd, Barbara Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about their summer reading. (2:14)
Dave’s recent favorites:
- The Word Nerds Discussion forum
- Online fora related to magic
- The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
- Baseball as America, by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Dai Vernon: A Biography, by David Ben
- The Secret Art of Magic, by Eric Evans and Nowlin Craver
Barbara’s summer reading:
- The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman
- Winter Wheat, by Mildred Walker
- The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion
Howard’s books of summer:
- Skipping Towards Gomorrah, by Dan Savage
- A Natural History of the Senses, by Diane Ackerman
- The Students Are Watching, by Theodore R. Sizer
Music bumper from “The Beach 1969″ by Paul (11:56)
The functions of summer reading (12:33)
Song: “Summer Rain,” by COMEG (19:42)
Rude word of the week: “pulp” (23:15)
Music bumper from “Perfect Summer” by COMEG (28:08)
Social networking through reading (28:46)
Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
Theme music by Kick the Cat
Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone
time: 35:51
size: 24.6 Mb
rating: PG-13 (We actually don’t make any rude references; however, Howard talks about the Dan Savage column “Savage Love,” which is really only appropriate for adults.)
So nice to have you Nerds back.
Today’s brush with stardom: Khaled Hosseini’s agent is mine too. I have an etymology – magic question for you Dave. I’ve noticed the word “hog” in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books (Hogwarts) and also in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series (Hogfather) and wondered if you knew of any linguistic connection for “hog” to magic. I’ve looked and can’t find one. Lastly, Barbara noted The World is Flat as an important book (and I agree) which made me think of Guns Germs & Steel by Jared Diamond; both an important book and one that I’d guess would be interesting to people who are interested in the history of words, since it’s about the history of humans. This book won a Pulitzer Prize and has been made into a PBS series and I was fascinated to find talking to an anthropologist I know, that she and many of her colleagues didn’t think much of the book. I was stunned. It took me a year to get it out of her; why? Were his arguments faulty? It turned out that “everybody knows that” (”everybody” being academics who follow these things) so why all the fuss about old news? She didn’t see the genius in bringing ivory tower truths to popular understanding. I heard from other people that Jared Diamond was reviled by some professionals. Again I wondered why? Was it because he was so successful? I’m still wondering about this, both if this is widely true, and if so, what might be the reason. One theory is that the book supports a Eurocentric world views and some theory of European superiority; but my first reading (with the eyes of an innocent) was just the opposite. I guess it underlines the relative truth of “truths” as I used it above. Thus endeth my book report.
You may also note that both authors mentioned are wonderful fantasy writers. If you like satire and you haven´t read Pratchett, you´re missing out, because he´s hysterical.
I am wondering about the general etymological connections between Bavarian slang and modern American English. I´ve been told that some Bayrisch is closer to English that Hochdeutsch, with the example of foam being Foam in Bayrisch and Schaum in Hochdeutsch. What do the Word Nerds say? What does the OED say?
For a bit more on my experience with Bayrisch so far, ask the center of the Howardness Shepherdness venn diagram for a copy of my email. And people interested in Bavaria should see the film `Wer Früher stirbt, ist länger todd´ which is wonderful, funny though a bit morbid, and is filmed around where I am.
TWN is back! Hurray! And thanks for returning with a show on one of my favorites subjects.
Baseball as America is a fine coffee table book. Dave, have you noticed on page 180 that one of the Boston Red Stockings (top row) appears to be flipping the bird? Speaking of CTBs my favorite as to be Masters of Deceptions. It’s full of really great visual illusions!
As for books in general, when I think of reading for pleasure, it’s non-fiction for me. I think I’m more interested in non-fiction because I want to understand how the world works. It’s pretty rare that I read fiction. Okay. I’ve been carrying Melville’s Moby Dick with me for a few days. (I was an English Lit major; yet, I haven’t read many of the so called great novels. So, this is sort of my way of catching up.) Although I know it deals with themes that interest me, I haven’t gotten into it too deeply. I just don’t feel like committing myself to 500 pages of fiction when I’ve got a wish list of non-fiction books to read. I also have books in my desk at work, and plenty at home that I’ve yet to read.
I just finished The Sky is Not the Limit: The Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist by Neil deGrasse Tyson. It was a really enjoyable read. (Now, I want to visit my city’s planetarium!)
I think a recent article by Paul Craig Roberts sums up why I like to read. The header to his article “Books Are Our Salvation” reads “The More Artificial Reality Becomes the More We Need Books.”
Works for me.
Dave, have you seen the movie “The Illusionist” yet? It looks like something you’d be interested in if you’re interested in magic. I want to see it, but it’s not playing anywhere near where I live. There’s another magic-themed movie set around the same time period coming out soon called “The Prestige” with Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and David Bowie as Nicola Tesla and directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins). Here’s a trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/theprestige/
Hey, people! It’s good to have you all back here!
Charles, as I mentioned a couple times, I’m what a friend of Barbara’s once referred to as a “recovering academic.” Since I got turned down for tenure nine years ago, I’ve been in public education and out of the ivory tower. I think it has improved my intellectual life. Academics can be some of the narrowest-minded people in the world, I think. You’re quite right: there is real genius in making what some might consider very simple ideas clear to the “unwashed masses.” I have come to appreciate this more and more the older I get. (This is, in fact, directly related to performance magic, as a matter of fact. Genius is simplicity.)
Amanda, I get the impression that Ami-Englisch is creeping more and more into everyday German all over central Europe, not only in Bavaria. It might be more prevalent in Bayern, but I doubt it. I think it’s a result of the Internet and satellite television as much as anything.
Thanks for the book tips, deb. I’m going to flip (pardon the pun) to page 180 in Baseball as America as soon as I post this. Keep those book suggestions coming, folks!
Doran, Howard Shepherd was just asking me this afternoon about The Illusionist. I have not seen it, but my magician friends and acquaintances have delightedly noted that it not only is authentic and accurate in tone, but also shows great respect for the art of Magic. I’m also on the lookout for The Prestige, another film in a similar vein featuring Michael Caine, which should appear soon.
What a fascinating Word Nerds! So good to have you back. I think I checked a dozen times yesterday.
I love to read challenging books - The Kite Runner was one I loved, too - I also read it for a book group, as well as “Reading Lolita in Teheran” which was really wonderful. I’ve also been reading a lot of religous stuff, and some German stuff - which I read really s-l-o-w-l-y.
For me, recreational reading is Science Fiction and mysteries. I read these a couple times a year when I really want to just give my brain a break and have fun. Beach Books, if you will.
It’s nice to hear from my former student, Amanda Wernicke, who is in Bavaria for the fall improving her German. Amanda, if you get the chance you should check out our Bavarian colleague, Annik Rubens, and her two podcasts (Schlaflos in Muenchen and Filme Und So).
Hearing Barbara talk about books as ersatz vacations, I couldn’t help but think of Anne Tyler’s novel The Accidental Tourist, which was made into a film with William Hurt sometime in the late 1980’s. The protagonist writes “armchair travel guides” for people who don’t want to take the risk of actually traveling. (When I lived in Baltimore in the mid-80’s, I lived not too far from the cafe that was the model for Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.)
Cool new outro music. It’s great timing because I was just starting to miss you last weekend when I scrolled across your entry in my iTunes and you were still slacking, or reading as it turns out.
To my shame I have to say that I’m not much of a novel reader. I like books about design, about psychology and about science, the first of which I am studying. I also read a lot online. Still I have only finished reading about 12 (twelve) novels in my entire life and I’m starting to wonder if I have missed anything; if it would have influenced my love for language, my interest in design or my intelligence in one way or another. The invention of audio books and radio plays was what I consider a blessing because I could enjoy novels read by their authors or by famous german voices if I couldn’t get the original audio book. I loved listening to Douglas Adams’ Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul for example after reading the Hitchhiker series.
I’d be interested in your opinion about the difference between reading novels or reading technical literature as well as the difference of reading it printed on paper as opposed to on-screen. Nevertheless I am still a word nerd and I’m looking forward to your upcoming shows.
Cheers
– Peter
I have read The Da Vinci Code, but I only did so I could understand all the hype surrounding it. It’s really not what you’d expect. It doesn’t try to change anyone’s viewpoint, it just simply tells the other side of the story. I’m also reading Angels & Demons, the first book in the trilogy by Dan Brown which includes The Da Vinci Code, with the third book due out sometime in 2007. I actually seem to enjoy it a tad-bit better.
Speaking of hype surrounding something; Howard Chang mentioned Snakes on a Plane, which I saw the first week it was out. Even though it is a great movie, I do have to admit that it is rather overrated.
Going back to the Da Vinci Code… I saw the first 15 minutes or so of the movie, and it is nothing like the book. It starts off different, and it makes it obvious who the killer is and who it is not, whereas the book makes you wonder from the getgo. I had to stop watching it because it’s totally different that it just doesn’t hold my interest.
That leads me to my conclusion, which is: “You should never judge a book by its movie.”
Long time listener, first time poster…
As an amateur magician and a professional speechwriter, I’ve found my “Miser’s Dream” in The Word Nerds!
Dave - I just wanted to suggest a few magic books that I think you might like. If you haven’t read them yet, you should try to find Dariel Fitzkee’s trilogy: Showmanship for Magicians, The Trick Brain and Magic by Misdirection. They’re not “trick books” per se, but instead focus on the psychology behind magic performance. Definitely not beach reading, but they’ve made me a much better magician, and I hope you’ll find them useful as well!
Hi Laz. I have two of the three Fitzkee Trilogy books, and I was reading Showmanship for Magicians this summer. For some reason I have never bought The Trick Brain, although I think it is an important book. I’ve read it, though.
The Fitzkee books are very good, but I find I need to read them with an eye to their historical context. The kind of stage magic Fitzkee uses as his examples is just not a format I find myself performing in that much.
The Trick Brain, actually, might be the most useful (to me) of the three. Fitzkee’s scheme of classifying magical effects is very useful and helpful.