Here’s my thoughts on the books I reach for most often.
Birdwatching books
Some books demand to be read cover to cover. I even read most cook books all the way through, which we’ll get to later. Still, I’ll never read a birding book straight through, front to back. Bird books are dense with disconnected information — reference books, referenced and not read.
But even though I won’t read every entry, I return to my birding books over and over again — every time I see a new bird. That gives me a special relationship to that book. Like the birds, the book itself is a source of wonder. Like any good reference book, it becomes a companion and connection point as I journey through the world around me.
Cook books
I mentioned that I read cook books cover to cover. And at the same time, cook books are definitely reference books — so why read every entry? When I pick up a cook book, it’s because I’m interested in the perspective of the chef who wrote it. I want to know how they think about cooking. When they call for a fat, is it butter or oil? How much time do they spend in the kitchen? How do they combine different flavors and textures? What kind of cookware do they rely on?
These patterns emerge when the book is taken as a whole. Then, I can explore how their cooking relates to my own — what I can take and what I can leave.
Journals
I write my journal long-hand in cheap composition books. Long-hand because it slows down my thoughts. Cheap because then I don’t have to worry about ruining something beautiful.
When I journal, I’m thinking of what to write as I write it. Not one second before. Putting pen to literal paper increases the buffer, letting my brain slow down and my thoughts become more manageable.
Also, I can’t edit. I just have to keep moving forward.
Also, it’s tactile. Find a good pen. Writing feels nice.
And! I can’t make it perfect. It will never look finished scrawled out between cardboard covers. I am free to write what I want. There’s plenty of time and space to fix mistakes and clarify my thoughts later. Or not. I might never read it again, and that’s fine, too.
It is not a faster way to write, but it leads to better writing. Journaling by hand supports a slow, clear, continuous flow of thought. As a generative exercise, it forces me to have a first draft, giving me more freedom to edit my work later.
Books vs the internet
Books provide a collection of curated information from a source that you — presumably — trust. If you don’t trust the author, why are you reading the book? Anyway, that’s the advantage of books.
The advantage of the internet is that it likely has the information that got left out in the curation process. So, you need both.
I reference the book first, and if I still can’t find that odd bird, I turn to the internet.
Or, I guess I could just buy more books.
Or, I could go to the library.
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