Francis Bacon
Some Books Are To Be Tasted
In 1605, Francis Bacon observed that “some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Nowadays, as we supersize our burgers and abridge our books, reading and dining continue to provoke symmetrical anxieties. Surveys and several interesting books now diagnose too little of one, too much of the other; regression analysis correlates calorie surplus and book deficiency with drug use, divorce and teen pregnancy.
Last month, the National Endowment for the Arts lengthened that list. “To Read or Not to Read,” its 2007 report on American reading habits, identifies who reads as the best predictor of who exercises, plays sports, volunteers, votes and stays out of jail. Several interesting books present these data, and they suggest, or even refute “assumptions that readers are passive, isolated or self-absorbed.” So what’s the X factor that will make you not just civic-minded and muscular, but also friendlier, outdoorsier and less wrapped up in your thin, law-abiding self? The N.E.A. refuses to speculate, acknowledging only that “strictly understood, the data in this report do not necessarily show cause and effect.” The obvious explanation is tucked away in a “technical note” within these interesting books, whose fine print acknowledges that “no attempt has been made to … delve into racial, ethnic or income traits of voluntary readers.”
We’re not the first generation to invest reading with miraculous powers. But until radio and television deposed the book, social reformers worried about too much reading, not too little. Advice about when and where not to read was once a medical specialty. In an 1806 diagnosis, a British doctor hypothesized that the “excess of stimulus” produced by reading novels “affects the organs of the body and relaxes the tone of the nerves.” Reading at the table interfered with your digestion, reading before lunch with your morals. Another expert, in 1867, noted that “to read when in bed … is to injure your eyes, your brain, your nervous system, your intellect.” Cue to the other in-bed activity that makes you go blind. Like masturbation, reading was too pleasurable for its own good; like masturbation, it threatened to upstage real human contact (messy, tedious, disappointing) with virtual pleasures.
Francis Bacon – Documentary part 1/6
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Francis Bacon Photo Mugs Portrait of English scholar Francis Bacon. Hand-colored engraving of a painting by Honbraken, 1738…. |
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Rick London Famous Wisdom Quote Gifts – Francis Bacon – Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts – Mugs Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts Mug is new. Why drink coffee out of an ordinary mug when an imprinted mug is so much cooler? Microwave safe, FDA approved. Image is printed on both sides of the mug. Dishwasher use is not recommended…. |
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Rick London Famous Wisdom Quote Gifts – Francis Bacon – Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts – Tile Napkin Holders Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts Tile Napkin Holder is measuring 6w x 6h x 4d. Made from high quality solid maple wood with satin finish and two 4.25 commercial grade mirror gloss ceramic tiles. Holds napkins, mail, letters or files. In addition, customized engraving, on the face of the item, is available on request…. |
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Holiday Inn [VHS] $1.54 This perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It’s a great excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a catchy story, and Astaire’s frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance?) doesn’t let us down. The Irving Berlin number… |
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Texans [VHS] $4.55 … |
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Wonder Bar [VHS] $19.98 … |
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Francis Bacon Vinyl Wall Graphic Decal Sticker Poster $49.00 SIZE:70x33in – Wall Graphic of Sir Francis Bacon. Bacon was an English scientist, lawyer, author, jurist, statesman, and philosopher from the 16th century. He invented the scientific method and is known as the father of frozen food. His own experiments led him to his death however. He got pneumonia from studying freezing meat for means of preservation. This product is made in the USA and produced … |
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Rick London Famous Wisdom Quote Gifts – Francis Bacon – Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts – Light Switch Covers – double toggle switch $13.75 Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts Light Switch Cover is new and handcrafted utilizing unique process resulting in a stunning high gloss ceramic-like finish. SET OF MATCHING SCREWS IS INCLUDED giving it a perfect finishing touch. Made of durable metal material…. |
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Rick London Famous Wisdom Quote Gifts – Francis Bacon – Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts – Light Switch Covers – 2 plug outlet cover $13.95 Francis Bacon – Studieth Revenge For Green Wounds Wisdom Quote Gifts Light Switch Cover is new and handcrafted utilizing unique process resulting in a stunning high gloss ceramic-like finish. SET OF MATCHING SCREWS IS INCLUDED giving it a perfect finishing touch. Made of durable metal material…. |
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Holiday Inn (Special Edition) $4.51 Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire sing and dance their way into your heart in the sensational musical comedy Holiday Inn. Nominated for 3 Academy Awards, this special edition features 13 holiday songs by famed composer Irving Berlin, including “White Christmas” – one of the biggest-selling recordings in music history! Crosby plays a song and dance man who leaves showbiz to run an inn that is open onl… |
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This entry was posted on Friday, August 14th, 2009 at 9:27 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.