99. Carry Around a Novel
Next time you’re on the bus or waiting at an airport, have a look around. The art of “ipoding” is way up whilst the art of “noveling” is way down. That’s tragic because reading is awesome! It is captivating, informative and relaxing. It stimulates your imagination in a way that no other form of media can. Quite possibly the the second most rewarding solo activity a person can engage in.
But let’s be honest, they’re pretty long. Here’s the good news: You don’t actually have to read it to glean the cool that comes from these little handheld narratives. You just have to carry one around.
Simply having a novel in hand will suggest several cool things about you: You’re literate. You have the focus and dedication to finish long projects. You’re calm enough to sit still for extended periods of time.
Smart people are cool and smart people read novels, ergo, carrying a novel around will make you appear both smarter and cooler.
For an added air of book club snobbery, try using novels as drink coasters at the next cocktail party you host, “Oh, Sasha, I just had the countertops redone. Here, let me give you….ummm 1984. You can put your drink on that. It won’t mind, it’s used to being oppressed.”
April 4, 2010 at 6:28 am
Not to be underestimated is the books utility in hitting things and people you wouldn’t otherwise touch, i.e. spiders and strangers.