Due to Hurricane Irene, though, my local Borders store lost power this weekend (I don’t know why they lost it 5 days after the hurricane), perhaps saving some quality books from being picked up. It certainly seems that way, judging by the haul I pulled today. The following picture is actually of all the books I’ve bought since the liquidation began, but the eight I bought today are on the top this pile (Free Darko’s Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball up).

Let’s run these down, shall we? I figure I should document this moment, as it might represent my last big physical book haul. By the time I finish my backlog — which includes at least a half-dozen books not pictured — a new Kindle could easily be priced under $99. But I guess I could always rip through a used bookstore at some later point.

Wonder Boys – I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay a year ago or so and absolutely loved it. Borders actually a few copies of The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, but I settled on Wonder Boys due to it being an earlier work. I rather move chronologically, since I know I will read YPU eventually. Perhaps I should have bought both?

The Gun Seller – I recall @SpeedinUptoStop saying it was pretty good. And it’s written by Hugh Laurie! I couldn’t help myself.

An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England – This is a random one, but it’s due to having a random conversation with a girl in a dive bar about books. She recommended a few, but she particularly loved this book and I told her I’d read it. Even though I didn’t even ask her for her number and will most likely never see her again, I remain obligated to keep my word. It better not suck.

The Broom of the System – I’ve only read non-fiction from David Foster Wallace. His debut novel is probably a good place to start reading his fiction, right? Infinite Jest scares me.

A Confederacy of Dunces – A classic that someone recently reminded me to read.

The Four Fingers of Death – I remember @BenjaminBirdie going apeshit over its release, and while he’s prone to hyperbole, he usually has good taste (Die Hard > Die Hard with a Vengeance, though). Combine that with a cool cover and a science-fiction classification and I’m there.

Special Topics In Calamity Physics – Go ahead, make fun of me for buying a book somewhat based on its cover. I bought this book because I picked it up thinking it was a non-fiction book related to physics. Then I realized it was a novel and it was a Top Ten New York Times book selection and it was written by a woman (and she looked attractive on the back cover!). Considering I haven’t read many books by female authors, I figured this was a chance to stop being passively sexist. Wait, am I still being sexist by pointing out she’s attractive? Damn it.

The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball – I’ve read the first Free Darko book, which I felt focused too much on style over substance, but the guys can write, and this book appears to have much more actual content.

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2004 – This was a bargain book, so with the 50% off on top of that it was cheaper than a Classic Single at Wendy’s. If there were any other years, I would have bought them. I’ve already ripped through this collection and it was wonderful.

Collapse – I’ve read Guns, Germs, and Steel, which I thought was extremely interesting and enlightening. I thought he drilled his point home over and over, though. Maybe I’m just too quick to accept things I read (I enjoyed The Tipping Point), but the hypotheses he laid out quickly made intuitive sense. Also, the title “Collapse” is timely. Because, you know, the economy.

Soccernomics - I’m not a soccer fan, but maybe this will help me get into it because it’s a scientific look the game across the globe.

The Best of The Best American Science Writing – I’m sure it’s just more of the awesomeness that is 2004 version. Not exactly the same series, but there is sometimes overlap. This series is probably more up my alley, anyway. The one that was science and nature had an article about birds. Fuck that noise.

The Only Game in Town – A collection of the best sportswriting from The New Yorker. Undoubtedly wonderful.

It took me longer to write this post than it took Roger Federer to win his fourth round U.S. Open match. I need to learn how to focus.

I didn’t realize the book gave each and every sentence its own page, stretching out a speech to 150 pages, but once I started reading, it made some sense. The format forces you to take your time and pause when Wallace paused, allowing you to digest each and every word he originally spoke at Kenyon College’s Commencement in 2005.

Maybe it’s a bit harsh to call the book a money grab (as I do if you scroll and hold your mouse over the book pic), but it’s hard to justify spending $10 on it, nevermind the $15 Borders was charging for it. But the content is great, and it does almost seem like a perfect college graduation gift. Find the Best GAG Gifts at abracadabranyc.com.I guess I would just write the URL of a site with the speech inside a card instead of buying this posthumous publication.

Wallace talks about “learning to think” and how it’s easy to default to the natural setting of our brains when we have to deal with the day in, day out world. How it’s easy to hate everyone around you when you’re stuck in traffic or the line at the grocery store. How it’s easy to not think about anyone else’s life because we are, in fact, the center of our lives. How it’s easy to worship money or beauty or power.

“Learning to think” is somehow changing your default-setting to deal with the mundaneness and pettiness and frustrations of everyday adult life without going mad. And the saddest part is that Wallace never was quite able to do it himself. He says:

None of this is about morality, or religion, or dogma, or big fancy questions of life after death. The capital-T Truth is about life before death. It is about making it to 30, or maybe 50, without wanting to shoot yourself in the head.

He didn’t make it to 50 (he didn’t shoot himself in the head, at least, though). But it doesn’t make his message any less powerful or true. As in the link to the speech I already included in the post, I’ll quote this sentence:

The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.

I guess I’ll end with that. I don’t want you wasting time reading this post instead of the speech.

https://abracadabranyc.com/collections/funny-gifts

It’s a completely different story when it comes to music and movies.

I checked my email the other day and saw a coupon for ONE DAY ONLY (yesterday, Dec 8th) for 40% off the list price of any DVD set. Now, I knew Borders was pretty expensive, but I figured with 40% off I could get a decent deal. I walked into the store and immediately turned toward the electronics section and saw “24% off seasons of 24!” and then saw $69.99 on the 24 box. Even with my 40% off coupon, that still comes out to 42 bucks. They go for about 45 bucks at Best Buy and online. That’s just pathetic. I thought maybe that was a ridiculous exception, but as I scoured through the section, I was blown away by the prices. There’s no way people actually do their DVD and CD shopping there (yea, the CD pricing is just as horrendous). I just won’t believe people are that stupid, right? But then how does Borders even have that whole section? AHHHHH.

After failing to find a DVD set at a somewhat rational price, I walked out of the store and tore up my coupon in the parking lot. What a waste of 15 minutes.