Biting Off More Than I Can Chew

I mentioned a while back that I had bought a book for some people who never even looked at it. Well, the "people" were family members who kept complaining that they hadn't learned anything in college or weren't learning anything in college. So I bought them An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned But Probably Didn't.

I was just being thoughtful.

As I said, to my knowledge, they never even opened the cover. So I decided, Hey, I didn't learn anything in college, either. I'll read this thing.

Well, this thing is the size of a city telephone directory. I'm reading a few entries every night. Unfortunately, the authors don't number each item so while I'm on page 48 (still Chapter 1), I don't know how many of the "3,684 things" I've knocked off. I've only got 630 pages to go, though!

So I had this idea. I thought I should start another blog about my experience reading An Incomplete Education. You know, like The Julie/Julia Project or Blogging the Bible. And then some publisher could offer me a book contract. Then there would be a movie. And a television series.

But here's the problem with that plan: Though An Incomplete Education is very readable, even entertaining, I'm not retaining anything. I still can't tell you anything about Ezra Pound or William Carlos Williams...Wait! No! Yes, I can! William Carlos Williams was a pediatrician!

I finished reading a section on American intellectuals last night. How has this changed my life? I keep thinking, Intellectual. Just how do you apply for that job? What's the pay scale? Are there benies?

If I learn anything interesting and can recall it long enough, I'll blog about it. I wouldn't expect much, though.