Urban Thought | 4 Observations If you want to keep information from black people put it in a book.
Years ago, in my youth, I overheard someone make that comment. It took me a minute to understand and realize the impact of their words. It didn’t actually make sense to me considering I was in school and had to read a textbook on a regular basis.
That saying is actually older than my age now, is what I realized later on. Actually, I spoke to my grandmother about it and she shed some light on the ignorant statement. Within my own family, most of us read books. Actually, the females read books and the dudes were in the streets getting into other activities, although, they were smart in their own right.
My grandmother told me that the statement was made out of ignorance or how people would like to see black people. I decided at that moment that I would read as much as possible. I wasn’t going to get caught up in the stereotype and make the statement a reality.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
In December, I asked, you, the blog audience, to recommend some books to read. I realized I hadn’t read a book in some time, later on, I did remember I had read the Di Vinci code a few months prior to the release of the movie.
I received some great recommendations. However, I can only gather a certain amount of books at one time. I’ll get to all these books this year at least that is my goal. But here is a list of the ones that will be read in the next few months:
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People: A Memoir
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx
The Shadow of the Wind
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
THE BIG PICTURE
After some discussion with random folks these past couple of weeks, I’ve found that reading habits vary. Most men don’t read much outside of magazines, newspapers and the web. Women are the ones who actually read the most books. As for teens, they resemble their older counterparts.
Reading is Fundamental.
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Tags: books, reading, stereotypes
I agree with you - women do seem to read more books, at least those I know. MOst men I know read something - at least a magazine (tech, sports and science) and many read history, biographies, the latest memoir and action/adventure novel.
Like attracts like and I’m a reader which is probably why I know readers and people who don’t have TVs like myself.
Currently I would like to read more novels but have avoided them because I don’t want to get “sucked” into one. I have been reading more practical books like books on investing, personal development, writing.
What I have noticed is that readers use richer language, tend to write better (read enough good writing and you gotta learn something) and this is just my impression but they come across as more intelligent or perhaps more accurately, more educated.
Reading IS fundamental.
I love this article as I read tons of books. I’ll pass Random Family on to you - it is definitely worth the read.
Ms. Q: Another type of material men read is comic books. I remember my mother having a conversation with a friend of hers over her son’s reading habits. The woman expressed distress over her son’s fascination with comic books. She complained that he reads them all the time and nothing else. My mothers reply, “At least he is reading.”
T.O. Phoenix: I actually have the book. The picture of the four books in the post was taken upon delivery of the books. So it is on my list of books to read. But thank you for offering.
[...] Come to find out later in the conversation that my friend actually hadn’t read a book until he turned 30. How is that you may ask? Well he says, “I skimmed through the books and took notes to write whatever papers needed. Sorta like cliffnotes only without actually buying the yellow book.” He even went so far as saying that the stereotype fit him for quite some time: black people don’t read. [...]