Category Archives: Ruminations

Attention Parents

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

When I was a child, did I ever walk into a bookstore? I’m not sure I ever did. I walked into the library, and often. I sat in circles of kids listening to the librarian read to us. Some bookstores … Continue reading →

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TED talk on Culturomics and ngrams

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

You may already have seen the video below of a talk given at the 2011 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference, this talk being on Culturomics and ngrams.googlelabs.com. I’m posting it here because all the data behind the phenomenon is being … Continue reading →

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Cautionary Tales

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

I’ve been busy transitioning from Maine to Florida for the winter. It’s not so much a culture shock as an environment shock. The day before we left our place in Maine, I took this (above) picture of the view outside … Continue reading →

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Reasons for Book Optimism

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

This picture reminds me that objects farther away are reduced in impact on the eye. If your town has no bookstore, especially if it has recently lost a bookstore, you may be thinking books are going the way of the … Continue reading →

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It’s Banned Books Week

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

I’m a bit late highlighting Banned Books Week, but this is a good case of better late than never. Visit the Banned Books Week website by clicking on this word website. Once there, click on the Mapping Censorship tab near … Continue reading →

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So Beautiful Is Paul Simon

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Last spring my husband and I bought a copy of Paul Simon’s latest CD, So Beautiful or So What. Gary didn’t have time to listen to it right away, so I was with my own thoughts for the whole experience. … Continue reading →

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Just Another Puzzle

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

I enjoy puzzles. Crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, number puzzles, word puzzles like the one at the end of this posting. As a kid I loved a game now sold as Tangoes or Tangrams. It may have been called one of … Continue reading →

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Life Beyond Books

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

You may have noticed that the “For Fun” section of this blogsite wasn’t always about books. Today I have relocated those items and added a new tab section called “Life Beyond Books.” I anticipate adding material to this new section … Continue reading →

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Early Onset Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Kudos to Pat Summitt, age 59, for the way she is facing her newest competition, early onset dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. She wondered at her erratic behavior and got herself checked out at Mayo Clinic. She didn’t hide from … Continue reading →

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Rediscovering the Joy of Reading

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Once I became entrenched in the business of textbook publishing, I hardly ever read for fun. The 60–80 hour workweeks left little time for food and laundry, let alone reading. When at work, most of the reading I did was nonfiction–either … Continue reading →

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