For 2019, the library will feature a new reader every month who will share their reading interests, habits, and favorite books. The CSPL Reader of the Month for January is the library’s very own Book Peddler, Evan Meyer. Here, Evan discusses his reading preferences and answers a few questions put forth to him.
Evan’s reading interests:
I enjoy reading nonfiction books, with an emphasis on economics and history. World history and events are frequently influenced, if not outright caused by, global capital flows and wealth transfers. Technical innovations and cultural, political, or other shifts and discoveries impacting economic activities can have far-reaching consequences.
Economics and the study of money is probably one of the most important areas of life which people do not adequately prepare themselves for. Students avoid it and adults whisk it aside as boring, complicated, or uncomfortable, when in fact it is a dynamic, exciting, and powerful force. Too often I feel we want answers that would fit in a tweet to questions requiring a dozen interconnected books to attempt a full explanation.
I also believe that if I expend time in any pursuit, I try to make it worthwhile, and learn something for personal improvement. This does not mean I never read a certain genre; indeed, I recognize human experience and universal truths are sometimes best related through works of fiction. Even from authors or subjects I find unfavorable, there is something to be gleaned or new thoughts they can teach. I support critical thought, expanding my knowledge base, sharpening my ability to synthesize information and find connections, and learning whenever possible.
The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.
-Winston Churchill
History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.
-Paraphrase, attributed to Mark Twain
Q&A with Evan:
Q: What is the best book you’ve read this year (or ever)?
A: I either read or listen via audio format to
1984 every year. I suppose that would put it at the top of my personally-important-books list.
Q: What’s your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?
A: On the couch, especially in winter while we have a fire going in the wood stove. Also, with tea. A close second would be in bed with my reading light.
Q: What book are you most excited about reading next and what about it is most exciting?
A: Oh wow, I have quite a list to work through. And authors keep writing more!
Dealing with China : An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower by
Henry M. Paulson, Jr.
I'm probably most excited about this one, as I just watched a documentary titled
Hank: 5 Years From the Brink about the 2008 financial crisis, and Secretary Paulson's view from a front row seat. I'm curious what he has to say about the future, given the perspective he has on the past.
Several on my list look interesting. I like many interpretations, from many points of view, and glean what I can. I can really just browse and get hit in the face by more good books than I'll ever have time for. I also have three or four books from the Friends of the Library Book Sale I need to whittle away at!
Q: What book do you think more people should read and why do you think they should read it?
A: I would have to tout
1984 as a book more people should read, as well as understand, and synthesize with both historical and current occurrences domestically and internationally. Take a look at Orwell’s life, adventures, and what he saw, and why he came to the conclusions he did. Much like
Josef Conrad’s
Heart of Darkness being influenced in large part by factual observation (read
King Leopold’s Ghost, also on my suggested reading list), what seems like prophetic prediction or dark fantasy is in reality greatly observation. With technological advances, China's Sesame Credit system, global data gathering, etc... I'll let you go from there, but we should always be leery of letting entities - especially large, impersonal, machinated entities - other than ourselves get power over our lives, and not lightly sacrifice or otherwise let personal freedoms slip out of our control.
Q: When do you decide to stop reading a book?
A: This depends upon the book, the author, the style, the content… that’s something that really falls under the “difficult to define, but I know it when I [read] it” category. I'll give anything a chance, but if the material doesn't grab me, I will move on. I don’t spend time on reading fallacious or poorly written drivel. Luckily for me, we have a great selection at the Carnegie-Stout, so that's rarely a problem. In fact, that kind of leads to the last "abandonment" of mine. It was
Unelected Power, focusing on European Central banks and their roles in international finance; it was very dry, and quite a ponderous tome. I might come back to it in the future, but at the time (and to this day) I just had (and have) the issue of "so much to read, so little time," and just had to pull a kind of "literary triage," and throw in the towel until I catch up on some titles I'm more interested in. That's kind of a recurring theme in my reading: I bite off more than I can chew and bounce around multiple books, sometimes at the same time, especially when they're similar subjects.
For more titles, check out
Evan's Reading Recommendations.
