Archive for the ‘ Books ’ Category

Electricity is a Mystery

A few months ago, Gus posted a link to an image purporting to be a scan from a children’s science textbook:Gus was skeptical of the image’s authen­ticity. Obviously the image had been altered to show a gun in the girl’s hand rather than what the hairdryer that was probably in the original. But the text was partly believable as genuine fanaticism. To see if Poe’s Law was really at work here, I did a little research and discovered that the book was appar­ently genuine. I tracked down a copy and bought it to be sure:It was published by Bob Jones University Press as a 4th Grade science textbook for [ . . . ]

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Public Libraries are Hazardous to Your Health

This is a gross post. I do not often get sick. In fact, in the past 3 years, I have been sick exactly 3 times. Fortunately, they have all come at the least inop­portune times — during various breaks. I got sick two Christmases ago, and then again last Christmas, and now I’m sick again during summer break. All three times have been really insanely awful sinus infec­tions. I’m not the sort of person who gets sinus infec­tions with every cold. No, I only get sinus infec­tions when I get something–we’re talking about foreign bodies here–stuck up my nose. I don’t go around putting things up there delib­er­ately. [ . . . ]

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Everyone Else Is Doing It

[Note from the Chamberlain: All fixed!] What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more. Obsessive-​​​​Compulsive Bookworm   Book Snob   Literate Good Citizen   Fad Reader   Non-​​​​Reader   What Kind of Reader Are You?Create Your Own Quiz And besides, it’s about all I have time for right now.