Crain's "Twilight of the Books"

The main idea of Crain’s “Twilight of the Books” was that less and less people are reading today. This wasn’t new or surprising information to me because I am part of the problem. When I was younger I remember reading twelve books per summer. Reading was one of my favorite activities to do in the summer, but now, I find myself watching TV when I have nothing better to do instead of picking up a book like I used to.

One statement in the reading that I found interesting was when it said that readers and viewers think differently. I believe this means that when someone is reading a book they are able to imagine the characters and the locations for themselves. Books make your brain work even when you don’t realize it. When watching TV everything is given to you; there’s no room for imagination. Therefore a viewer is lazier than a reader.

One line that I thought contradicted the above idea was a comment Wolf made about reading. Wolf said, “When reading goes well it feels effortless, like drifting down a river rather than rowing up. It makes you smarter because it leaves more of your brain alone.” I found this strange because I thought when you use more of your brain you become smarter. For example when you’re reading about a topic that you are unfamiliar with, it may be difficult because you may not understand everything, but it is making you smarter due to the fact that you’re learning new things. I’m not sure if this idea that Wolf brought up is true, but because it's contrary to my belief it caught my attention very quickly.

The notation system was difficult for me to use because it was different than what I am used to. For the past five years I’ve been underlining and using different brackets to symbolize important passages. I do think this is a good system, but it’s a method I would have to get more familiar with. It was especially hard to use with this first reading because I didn’t know what each number symbolized, so I would have to go back and look it up in the middle of the reading which staggered my flow of reading.

Born an Engineer

I have heard the word “engineer” my entire life, but the meaning of it has changed for me over time. At three years old I thought my parents were “silver” engineers. I had no idea what this meant, but I knew that’s what they called themselves. I later came to learn that I had mistaken the word “civil” for “silver”. On Saturday mornings, we would travel five minutes down the road and arrive at their office. Not knowing or caring what went on there, I simply used the office as a place to run around and play. A few years later, I finally learned what it was that they did everyday on a weekend trip to a few of their jobsites. They were given a set of plans from the state and from these plans built roads, bridges, and landfills. From small $500,000 sitework jobs to $36 million road projects, their job is to improve society. I’ve come to learn that this is the overall purpose for engineers-to help the public whether it be by inventing new technologies or by demolishing a faulty bridge and building a new one.

I’ve always wanted to be an engineer. This was partly due to my parents telling me nothing else was worthwhile. I’ve seen this firsthand as my sister has decided to study history, and now with three months left in her college career has no idea what she wants to do with her life. My parents just sit back and shake their heads. Luckily for me, math and science were the subjects I excelled in and enjoyed the most. But the only field of engineering I knew of was civil and I did indeed know it well. After working for my parents the past four summers, I have learned the ins and outs of civil engineering. From surveying a landfill to estimating how much each item on a bid will cost, I have been involved in it all. And the question is: Could I see myself doing this for the rest of my life? Absolutely not. The company is there with open arms waiting for me to take it over. I’ll be set for life, but I don’t want it. Perhaps I just want to do something different than my parents, set my own path, but I know I don’t I have civil engineering in my blood as my parents once thought I did. I knew I wanted to be an engineer, so I needed to find another field that caught my interest.

Biology was one subject in high school that really interested me especially when it came to studying the human body. From growing hair to healing wounds, the human body is amazing. But I know I don’t want to be a doctor, so I’ve decided to try biomedical engineering. Perhaps I’ll be able to create new devices that will help doctors do their job in a more efficient and safe manner. I really don’t know too much about biomedical engineering and all that it entails, but I think my calling lies somewhere within it.