Book Reviews On The Way

Big Frank has heard from many saying that this blog has not lived up to its content description. For example, there have been very few book reviews. Big Frank does aim to please, and will be writing book reviews.

(Written in the tones of those baritone-voiced narrators of the previews of coming attractions) “In a world of infinite distractions where time is in short supply there comes a book review for everyone.” These reviews will be modeled after the wonderful collection of book reviews published by Wislawa Szymborska, nonrequired reading, wherein she covers a book in a completely subjective manner using it to skip into whatever strikes her fancy. So the forthcoming entries, for the time being, will be book reviews of the Szymborskan kind.

A prelude: Vladamir Nabokov states that a very good approach to any memoir is to follow themes that present themselves in your life. Which are bona fide and which bogus? I take the position that those that catch your attention are real themes: you see what you should. These can be themes that carry themselves out over long periods of time. They can also be poignant interludes inserted between the longer running pieces. Thus, as Big Frank was sitting outside this morning and pondering this that and the other; he had an epiphany that adherence to truth would carry him through. At this moment a hummingbird flew overhead, immediately followed by the sight of a school bus, and then in the distance a hawk slowly spiraling down upon its prey. These three images (choices from among an infinite number of competing sights, sounds, and smells) were taken in for reasons of their resonating as an interlude that could develop into a theme, or perhaps because they were connected to an unrecognized theme. What is their meaning? That is tied up with the kind of introspection and recall that memoirs explore. Few take the time to write them out in the same detail as Nabokov, but all to some extent create a narrative of their experiences – in many ways that is the “I” that we identify with. The first book review will be of Vladimir Nabokov's superb memoir: Speak Memory.

What would you do?

What if our universe were somebody else’s hobby. An Oxford University Professor has speculated that there is a reasonably good chance - an almost mathematical certainly – that we in fact are living in someone else’s computer simulation. He bases this on the assumption that technological advances will, perhaps as soon as within 50 years, lead to the development of a superduper computer with more processing power than all the brains in the world. These future people could conceivably run a kind of what he calls “ancestor simulation” of their history and create worlds inhabited by virtual people with complete nervous systems – just like ours. These ancestors would have no way of knowing for sure if they were virtual or real. This is because the feelings and sights they would experience would be indistinguishable. Aside from speculating on the likelihood of this happening – there are lots of practical questions on how to behave in a computer simulation. You might, at first say that, well, nothing matters anymore – nothing’s real. However, your feelings would be very real indeed. You would still want to live as long as you could in this virtual world – and any sequels or continuations thereafter. Perhaps following certain moral principles would lead the designer to reward you – or, possibly it wouldn’t be morality that got rewarded, but people who led interesting lives, who took chances, who maximized their enjoyment of life (cyber, nonetheless), who interacted with the most other beings, etc. etc. Would this change your life? What would you do?

The Peace of Love

Feelings Intertwine
(For C)
"I like the way I feel when we're together."
---- Big Frank Dickinson

Wrap your heart around mine
And feel the warmth and peace
Of me around you and you around me.
This comfort will lead us to love.