I just finished up Ken Jenning’s book, Brainiac. I really enjoyed it. It was a good read and did not disappoint me. In fact, it made me appreciate trivia more than I have in the past. I used to think trivia, well, trivialized knowledge, but Ken’s book convinced me otherwise. There is a lot of value to trivia, especially when gained in a well rounded way (e.g. by reading The Grapes of Wrath and not just memorizing the character names).

Now I’m starting up on Carl Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World. It’s a re-read for me, which is rare, but I last read the book nearly ten years ago, back in December 1996. I’m re-reading it for two main reasons. (1) I was inspired to read some Carl Sagan after I read that he has a new (obviously posthumous) book coming out in November. I have read 6 of Sagan’s books and they 6 have warrented an average rating of 4.2 out of 5.0, which is saying something. (2) Back when I read this book ten years ago, it was at a stressful time. I recall enjoying the book. In fact, I recall being fascinated by it. But I didn’t really absorb the book because there was so much else going on at the time.

So I’m taking another crack at it and I’m really looking forward to it.