Basic Strategy, Monday, Period 4

[halfman-lion.livejournal.com]

As the students took their seats, they would each find a book being rather firmly placed on their desks by a teacher who had switched to modern dress for the week, though he wasn't quite sure he understood the point of his tie.

"Books," Tyrion informed them, once he'd finished the process of handing them out, "are the greatest tool there is in sharpening a mind. You may not think you need a sharp mind; perhaps you can get by on charging at things with a sword. And certainly that will work for some of you some of the time. For the rest of the time -- and especially for ensuring you have a properly full mind in a time of crisis -- there's nothing like reading."

"I am aware that there are other ways to obtain and store information on the island, but from what I can tell plain words on paper retain some popularity. Let's stick to those for the day."

"Your assignment is a simple one. Take the book I've handed you at random. Read as much as you can from it in the next half-hour. Then turn to the person next to you and have a discussion about what you read, and how you can see using the information in the future. And, sometime over the next week, pick out a book from the library or bookstore that talks about something you know nothing about, and be prepared to explain it to me when we next meet."

"If you cannot read, please let me know and we'll work out an alternate assignment." Probably it would be learning how to read, but that was a detail.

Comments

READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[halfman-lion.livejournal.com]

Your book is a random wiki article. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Randompage). Read it, and then talk to your neighbor about what you found out and how you might use the information.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[godgavemecable.livejournal.com]

Toby was wrapped up enough in his book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillin) that when the half-hour alotted for reading had ended, it took him another minute or two to manage to actually put it down, and even then it was with obvious reluctance. Once he finally managed that though, he looked around for someone to talk to.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[hasadestiny]

Lex spent the half-hour quite happily reading about nerve growth factors and occasionally writing down notes for later.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[wheeler-360.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Marshall said, giving Lex a cheery wave as he turned to him. His own book -- rather startlingly specialised on a musician named Emileigh Rohn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emileigh_Rohn) -- had been flipped through, but there wasn't actually a whole lot to it. "How's your term going? Settled in okay?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi's book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.V.A.) about the band E.V.A. (http://www.evaband.it/) at least was about music (http://www.mtv.it/musica/artisti/archivio/artista.asp?idArt=14157), and interesting for that. But she needed the translated pages included in order to make sense of it. Which also lead to some fun just trying to pick out words she recognized, English to Italian. Also, hey, all-girl band. She liked that.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

"How's your Spanish?" Kate asked, plunking her book on Colombian journalism down on the desk. "Mine's a little rusty." Not that most of the book was in Spanish, but a lot of the newspaper names were.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Enough to get by," Kenzi said, looking up, then peering at Kate's book. "Oh, that's not so bad. Here, I have Italian pop bands. But I lucked out into Google translate a translation too."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

"I think this went the right way, because my Italian is worse than my Spanish." Yes, there was a translation, she got that. Still.

"I don't see how I'm ever going to use this," she had to admit.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi tapped El Popular and said, "'The People', not just the ones who get voted Prom King... what, no Spanish people where you're from?" she asked, curious. "I mean, I'm not going to use the Italian pop band info. But it's fun to know five girls from Milan got it together enough to put out a disc."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

"There are Spanish people, but I'm betting none of these magazines exist," Kate theorised, tapping the list. "Way out of date for me."

"Are you going to look this lot up, then?" she wondered, peering at Kenzi's book.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[inaskinnyway.livejournal.com]

Susan began to read her article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachchi_Sadak)... and stared. Really? How was she ever going to be able to use this at all? Ever?

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[godgavemecable.livejournal.com]

"Do I want to know what sort of reading material inspired that look?" Toby asked.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[inaskinnyway.livejournal.com]

"Bollywood," said Susan, whose world had only just recently had the idea of moving pictures and that hadn't gone so well.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[godgavemecable.livejournal.com]

"Not a fan of musicals?" he guessed.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[inaskinnyway.livejournal.com]

"Not in the slightest," she said, a bit absently. "I think I need to look up half the words in this."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[godgavemecable.livejournal.com]

"Okay, so... It's useful for expanding your vocabulary?" on a subject she cared little for. Toby was clearly reaching, here.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Stephanie hadn't thought it was possible to write an entire book about the history of the song "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Little_Town_of_Bethlehem) but apparently she'd been wrong.

It ended up being pretty interesting, and Stephanie found herself getting into the sections on the different tunes the song ended up set to most of the time, the verses few people knew about . . . the whole thing was pretty cool.

And now she really wanted a peppermint mocha.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

"Hey, any chance you want to trade?" Bart was leaning over to read the cover of Stephanie's book. "Mine's a little... um... weird." Bart gestured at the book on Multi-particle Collision Dynamics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-particle_collision_dynamics) and looked awkward.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Stephanie took one look at the cover of Bart's book and made a sound that couldn't be described as anything other than a vocal wince. "I think my brain cracked in two just thinking about that," she said sympathetically. "But all things considered, it might not be un-useful. How do you feel about Christmas carols?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

"Christmas is that one with the presents and the big guy with the beard, right? I think I'd like that more than this." Bart grinned and held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Bart."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Santa's a no-show in this book, but thaaaaaaaaat'd be the one," Stephanie confirmed with a laugh and reached out to shake his hand. "Stephanie, and good timing, since if we'd done this introduction thing over the weekend you'd be horribly confused today."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

Surreal was rather sure this book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lame_duck_session) was in gibberish.

"I do not understand a word of this," she said finally, snapping the book shut. "Beyond 'duck,' which I am thinking would be very tasty today for dinner."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[notmyownage]

"Wanna trade?" Claudia offered. "I got a book about books."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

Caroline's book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Agr%C3%A9able) had bored her something terrible. Did anyone really care about some French boat? She thought not. The only thing worse than having to sit and try to read it was having to find a reason to talk about it now. She thought Tyrion was a cruel, cruel man.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[squire-hand.livejournal.com]

James was, well, not exactly eager, but available and open to discuss his book about the economist.