Hey Everyone - Adam here.
Due to a recent influx of book purchases I have made, as well as getting a new bookshelf to display my collection of books on for the apartment..
I have decided it’s time for me to do another Ten Book Challenge.
Does anyone remember my previous challenge? I’ve linked it below, it was written on March 11th, 2021.
The main idea for those unaware of the previous challenge is simple. I am picking the next 10 books in which I am assigning myself to read.
Perhaps due to the spirit of school being back in session for those attending university/K-12, I’ll consider these 10 books my required reading for the fall semester.
With my previous ten book challenge… I hate to admit it - but I did not read all of the books I had planned on reading. However, it is my hope that now - I’ll be able to stick to it due to a more refined approach.
The date in which I’ll dictate the semester to be done with will be Friday, December 23rd, 2022.
Typically, I think the semester for most “normal” schools would end on December 16th, 2022. But what we are doing here with The Freelance Graduate Student is far from your “typical” education, so I’ll give myself the extra week for wiggle room.
There must be something in this crisp fall air here in Michigan that has me ready to get all studious 🍂
Now time for the list of the next ten books in which I plan on reading!
Ten Book Challenge for Fall ‘22
“The Power of Myth” by Joseph Campbell.
“On Writing” by Stephen King.
“Simulacra & Simulation” by Jean Baudrillard.
“Robin” (Robin Williams Biography) by Dave Itzkoff
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson.
“Noise: The Political Economy of Music” by Jacques Attali.
“Modern Man in Search of a Soul” by Carl Jung.
“The Conquest of Happiness” by Bertrand Russell.
“The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James.
“Creativity: The Psychology of Discover and Invention”
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
What am I hoping to explore?
About myself. With each book I’ve been reading as of late, I’ve been partaking in a process I like to call “digestive learning”.
It’s where I assemble the bits of information in which I find resonant as an individual and put that into flashcards for my daily study on Anki. Everyday, I study close to 100+ flashcards. With these flashcards I’ve been adding the information from books I really enjoy to my flashcards, as a way to make the ideas more sticky/malleable within my mind.
With each book read, and now, as my note-taking process/weekly reflections on these books go more smoothly… I seemingly learn more about myself, as well as the history of the human race. Knowledge is acquired through received wisdom and experience in our lives.
I am determined to do this thing long-term. And reading various writers works all throughout time on the things that fascinate me in the next ten books I plan on reading… such as these topics below
The love of music - where does it come from? what’s the worldwide impact due to the creation of music, let alone consumption of music?
Writing - it’s historical context and how we came to such an invention, let alone it’s impact on the world. literacy. how do I become a better writer?
Philosophy - what fundamentally connotes a good life? what wisdom can be found from previous scholars? how can I start building up my own philosophy?
Art - what is the significance of putting oneself outside of a conventional lifestyle in the pursuit of some higher means? how have others survived doing so? what has the long-term social impact been of such outliers?
Creation - where does it come from? what environments are most conducive to let creativity flourish?
Religion - what is it about religion that makes it stick around so much? what role does religion play in a world in which religion seems to be falling off? what new religions are forming… and how corporations/ideologies are applying religious ideals to the ways in their inception.
PARTING NOTE
I’ll plan on reflecting/writing a bit on these assigned reads in the coming future in this newsletter.
Interestingly enough, I find that when I am most embedded in times of study, it is the moments in which my creative flow comes most easily.
I become excited to write, to play piano, to DJ, etc.. There really is something special about focusing our attention on the medium of reading and how the state of flow one gets from reading transfers over towards our other tasks.
Assign yourself some reads to break in this change of season! I’m curious what books you see yourself reading this fall, reply to this newsletter and let me know.
Cheers to lifelong learning,