Distance: 4.5 miles, wee yoga sessions
Ciwt is happy to begin CIWT YEAR 8 with an homage to those who write and read better than she does. Better than most people anywhere do.
A few days ago, Ciwt wrote to say she was quite impressed with people who apparently read two or more books at once and that she herself might give it a try.* In response to this, one of her readers sent the picture above. And, no, those books aren't lying there because they haven't been attended to and the bookshelves are getting dusty. Those are the books her husband is currently reading. All of them. Soon they will have been read cover to cover and a new pile will begin forming.
Needless to say, Ciwt was stunned. Luckily her reader also included a note: The above photo is my husband's reading/rotating book stack. He rotates 20 (Ciwt's bold) at a time although he says he does better when we travel and he brings along 10 - in both cases replacing finished books with new ones (from Amazon) to be savored. He assiduously reads, reviews and probably passes over 120 books a year. As a result he's a fascinating dinner partner and guest. Plus I luck out because he knows what I like and passes them along.
Knowing Ciwt's brain was likely spinning at this news, her reader sent an addendum to help Ciwt understand how her husband accomplishes this. Ready? If he has, say, 10 books, he reads every other space: Book A, then Book B, then back to Book A, and then...to Book C and so on until he gets to book number 10. Book A varies; he chooses it because it has the least pages left to read, so the longer books gradually work their way up to Book A position.
Using this personal system he finishes one book every other day on average. 200 pages a day. And remember the yearly 120 books in the description above? Well, it turns out that was an underestimate and he actually reads more like 150 books a year.
Ciwt would like to add a few notes of her own:
1. This topic of exceptional readers and how they do it is surely worthy of some NYT, or New York Review article by an excellent columnist.
2. If you don't quite grasp the husband's system, neither does Ciwt.
3. It should be noted the husband has a PhD in some form of Engineering.
4. Lest you think all this reading is accomplished by a hermit, let Ciwt correct you: He's a terrific guy; they have a wonderful long marriage and spend much time conversing, entertaining, enjoying their children, grandchildren and each other. It can be done.
5. If you meet such a man, send him Ciwt's way please.
6. Welcome to CIWT Year 8. Thank you very much for reading at whatever pace suits you. You are valued.
*Ciwt Day 7/363
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