What has The Man Who read in 2001?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

So, in this thread I propose to list all the books I read in the year 2001. There are 2 points to this exercise:

1: Learning to read books one at a time and actually finish them, and
2: seeing how long I can actually keep this thread up-to-date.

Yesterday (the 4th of January, 2001) I finished

  1. How to Talk Minnesotan, by Howard Mohr.

I’ve read it before, but since I just moved back to my old stomping grounds, I felt I needed a refresher course, then.

Took a nap, then, refreshed, I read through

  1. Dave Barry Slept Here, by Dave Barry (natch.)

Again, I’ve read it before, but I figured I should read through some easy stuff, before I try to stay engrossed in something longer. The book is easily Barry’s best (well, perhaps Bad Habits, his first one, is better) and is remarkably perceptive and hip to the realities of history and politics. Or maybe I’m smarter now than I was in high school (the last time I read this).

Still couldn’t sleep, but becoming more tired. I then picked up and quickly read

  1. 37 Things Every Black Man Should Know, by Errol Smith.

Smith’s basic thesis is, if you want to be successful, quit whining and learn the realities of the business world. Good advice in this one, regardless of your race. It was written in 1991, however, so the advice may be a bit dated. Like Dave Barry Slept Here, it’s also a quick read.

I’ve started book four for the new millennium. Stay tuned.

Cordially,

Myron M. Meyer
The Man Who

2

Can we offer recommendations? Should we start another thread for that? Why are we speaking like we are plural? Is it because we prefer that to speaking of ourselves in the third person?

3

Where d’you have time to read so quickly?

I read two-three books a month, depending on how busy I am, & the books themselves. I don’t have TV, and read all kinds of stuff. I’m about half way through Ann Rule’s newest paperback. Mind candy for true crime fans.

4

I’d have sworn I posted book

  1. The Diabolical Dictionary of Modern English, by R. W. Jackson

, but I’ll be snookered if it’s here. Anyway, the book’s good, I’m not gonna repost the whole review, and the next book is by Bierce, which inspired this one here.

Also, I read a lot because I don’t watch much TV and I’m not taking requests at this time.

Ciao.

Cordially,

Myron M. Meyer
The Man Who

5

Well, so far this year we’ve learned that I am incapable of reading one book at a time, but if you read three at a time, you finish them all on the same day.

Today, Sunday, I finished

  1. The Jumbo Jeopardy Quiz Book

a combination of the What is Jeopardy Quiz Books 1 and 2, special QPBC edition,

  1. Family Words, by Paul Dickson

which is a glossary of sniglet-esque words for things that various families have come up with (more on that in a later missive), and

  1. Adventures of a Verbivore, by Richard Lederer

which is one of Lederer’s best. It’s a pretty good, not-at-all-snotty look at language in America today, including novelty grammar and fun wordplay quizzes, such as

Which US President’s first name starts with the same letter that ends his last name?

I recommend this one over any of Lederer’s other books (if you happen to be into wordplay, of course. Don’t bother if this sort of thing bores you to death.)

I’m still working my way through The Devil’s Dictionary and will probablly start something else tomorrow. At least the updates continue.

See, I’m really not that fast a reader.

Cordially,

Myron M. Meyer
The Man Who