It is a common characteristic of Aspies that we tend toward Intense Interests, Perseverations even. For some it is a lifelong dominant interest, which for me would be railroads, though that has only episodically been as dominant as some Aspies' Intense Interests. I am more inclined to Serial Intense Interests - including periodic returns to railroads.
Somehow over the last week or so, my Intense Interest has become the Lewis & Clark Expedition, especially the nature studies. I've read four books in hardly more days, am well into a fifth, and have made reasonable progress in another (left) in amongst.Admittedly, two have been for younger readers, on plants and animals encountered by the expedition, but the others are for adult readers, and represent accomplishments for me. I often have trouble sticking it through adult nonfiction, even when I love the books.
The Lewis & Clark Expedition is not a new interest, except in this intensity, and I came to it when browsing a nature book shelf at the library and finding the above-mentioned plant book. As passive-to-negligible as my interest in gardening, I have had a recurring interest in wildflowers and weeds.
My favorite of all the general books I have looked at so far, top image, is one I borrowed from Eliza. I came across it in a bookstore several years ago and thought it was wonderful and would be a good gift for her. I hope she has enjoyed it too. It was the second Lewis & Clark book I read (at least recently).
The wonderful Green World book (above left) is the one I am reading in bits and chunks, and it is suitable for reading that way, and whether or not I actually read it cover to cover, I expect to return to my own copy repeatedly in the future.I am saving Stephen Ambrose's highly regarded Undaunted Courage (right) for later. ;)
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1 comment:
Yay for Lewis & Clark! This post makes me want to dive back into the book you gave me. Let me know when you're done, no hurry though, as it's a bit big to be taking on the plane with me next week.
I keep thinking there are other books I have read or partially read about L&C -- particularly ones that focused on their interactions with Native Americans. There was definitely some good articles I read for college courses, but those would be hard to lay my hands on.
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