Tag Archives: Books

The Hawking index is not what you think

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Mathematician Jordan Ellenberg created an imaginative means of quantifying a metric that book publishers and writers had long suspected: most people don’t finish the books they buy. He called it the Hawking Index, named after Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History … Continue reading →

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What makes a book a book

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

What makes a book a book? Is it just anything that stores and communicates information? Or does it have to do with paper, binding, font, ink, its weight in your hands, the smell of the pages? To answer these questions, … Continue reading →

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why fiction fascinates us so

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Our perceptual relationship with the world works because we trust prior stories. We could not fully perceive a tree if we did not know (because others have told us) that it is the product of a long growth process and … Continue reading →

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Writing is the greatest of human inventions

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I recently stumble upon is wonderful short video below of the late Carl Sagan talking about books. It’s worth a minute of your time. Please note, if the video fails to play in your browser click here.

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Do You Need A Reading Sheperd

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Shepherd is a curated book discovery tool based on author recommendations: “We ask authors to share their favorite books around topics and themes they are passionate about and why they recommend each book.” Although the website is relatively new, it’s off … Continue reading →

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Our Kind of Hotel

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Last year while I was under the delusion that I’d be taking a trip to Japan, I ran across a fantastic hotel in Nagoya called the Lamp Light Books Hotel. That amazing looking facility combined a bookstore, a 24-hour cafe, … Continue reading →

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Why Real Books Are Great

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Strand Book Store  

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Train Your Brain

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

This great little video from the clever folks behind the Improvement Pill YouTube channel addresses persistent misconceptions about reading.

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Hallucinations May Be Experienced

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

This wonderful infographic from the University of Virginia Library explains the potential “side effects” from reading a book.

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Can You Borrow My Book ?

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Brian D. Butler
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