Close but no cigar

A few weeks back I enthused over "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" which I finished reading a couple nights ago. My professional training has taken any romance out of insanity so the reading of this book became less and less enjoyable to me as the main character descended into madness. I don't buy the premise that to be true to his beliefs he would have to be found insane. He was committed because he melted down and couldn't function. Throughout the book, I wished I could have heard his wife's side of the story. There is nothing noble about losing your grip on reality. It is sad, dreary and monotonous.

Another highly touted book which has been getting much attention by headshrinkers is Jeffrey Schwartz's "The Mind and the Brain". Our group's newly minted Phd, whom I refer to as Mecte (my esteemed colleague to the east), commented that this was almost a good book. I agree.The review of research demonstrating the brain's ability to restructure and rewire itself is really nifty. The quazi-spirituality that he attempts to tie into all this comes across just plain flakey. It would appear that the definitive book on the subject is still to be written. Actually it's still being researched ; however, I do think the old computer model of the brain is fading fast and a new more fluid and dynamic model will replace it.

TBA:
I have just started "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert. I've finally figured out how to do links so I'm having fun today...my happiness de jour. Anyway Gilbert is not telling the reader how to be happy but he talks about what happiness is and what it is not. So far it's been an interesting read and he is a clever witty writer. If it's really good, an eventual disappointment or I give up on it entirely, there may be more to say later.

Speaking of happiness, my favorite song of the week is from the album "The Little Willies".The song is "Lou Reed" and it's about cow tipping. Yes, the official sport of south Richland County. This slighty tipsy song makes me happy when I hear it. My favorite lines goes:
"I thought he was a vegetarian"
"He was just tipping them, not eating them"
Oh well, I've always been easily amused, but I'm glad that Norah Jones and company wrote and recorded that song. The rest of the CD is lots of fun too...easy to listen to while fixing dinner or running around town.