Lazy Sunday: Walden Style

Today wasn't really so lazy - a yoga class and volunteering filled most of the sunlit hours - but I've been enjoy every lazy minute lately reading Walden. It has me ready to go into the woods and start building a cabin myself... well, once this freezing weather lets up anyways. Until then I'm enjoying the amazing and sexy scent of Archipelago Black Forest candles which have filled the apartment with a woodsy and wintry scent.

I just finished an absolute gem of a book called Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss. I'm not especially interested in science and knew nothing about the Curies before reading this book, but nevertheless I highly recommend it. Part work of art, part picture book for adults, every page was a joy to linger over. If you're looking for a hard hitting biography with loads of intimate details or a truly scientific primer, this is not the book for you. If, however, you appreciate creative expression, want to read something completely unlike other biographies out there, and treasure the books in your personal library - then I urge you to pick up this book.

Through it's picture book format, you'll learn a lot about the Curie's research on radiation, their discoveries of radium and polonium, and the effects of radiation on the human body (given the heartbreaking recent events in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami that cut power to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant causing increased radiation levels in the area - it is an interesting time to have read this book). You'll also learn much about the Curie's personal lives and the tabloid-worthy affairs of Marie - it's juicy! Even the typeface used throughout the book was created by the author an has a very interesting history (explained at the very end of the book), and the book itself glows in the dark (an homage to radium)! This is one piece of literary work that really has it all. Just check out some of these pages:

Lazy Sunday: Philosophizing

I just finished a great book called Socrates Cafe by Christopher Phillips and it's had me feeling especially philosophical all weekend. The book recreates dialogues from Socratic inquiry discussions Phillips has facilitated in cafes, assisted living homes, elementary schools, and prisons around the country, along with his own reflections and fitting bios and anecdotes of philosophers past and present. Anyone ready to bring a deeper level of inquiry and curiosity into their own life can channel their inner Socrates by asking questions, and more questions, and still more questions... For example, in one senior center a participant asked the question, what is home? The questioning went from there - When is one most at home? Is home a physical location only? Can a person have more than one home? Can you return home? Can one be without a home?

Phillips wraps up the book by quoting from Socrates's Apology - an excerpt I think fits quite well given the current state of US affairs: "As long as I breathe and have the strength to go on, I won't quit philosophizing... Esteemed friend, citizen of Athens, the greatest city in the world, so outstanding in both intelligence and power, aren't you ashamed to care so much to make all the money you can, and to advance your reputation and prestige - while for truth and wisdom and the improvement of your soul you have no care or worry?"

Lazy Sunday: Reading Riot

I am forever reading too many things at once, and before I've whittled down my bedside book pile to a reasonable height I rarely restrain myself from making more trips to the library or the bookstore to contribute to the madness. Tonight, however, propped against stacks of pillows and fueled by a desire to simplify my literary rotation, I'm determined to finish up several of the half-read books and somewhat-skimmed mags claiming valuable nightstand real estate. Do you read several books at once? Typically I enjoy the variety but I think I've hit a critical mass.

Free Information

found

Living fabulously means being informed and enlightened about the world around us, and these days you don't need a costly subscription to the evening post to do so. Two of my favorite sources of information and inspiration also happen to be free: the library and free podcasts. If you haven't made it to your local library recently, head on over - it's an incredible source for books, magazines and journals, CDs, DVDs, news, digital media, and more. Even if you live in a small town and think your library falls on the puny side, it is likely to have a partnership with other libraries in your area which means you can request materials from other locations and they'll be delivered to your particular branch at no cost. You can read more about why I think libraries are so great in one of my past posts here.

If you like to get your information in an audio format, podcasts are the way to go. The internet hosts a never-ending supply of regular (or psuedo-regular) audio recordings addressing topics of every kind. Downloading free podcasts to your MP3 player or phone takes just a few seconds, and listening to something interesting is a perfect way to make use of your drive to work, your afternoon walk, or time spent cleaning the house. I like listening to NPR's On Health podcast to stay up to date on the latest health developments, Stop Podcasting Yourself for some comedic relief, and the CNN News Update which comes out with new headline stories every hour. Do you have a favorite podcast you recommend?