Thursday, September 26, 2013

Characteristics of a Book Reader



Have you ever noticed how reading habits vary from person to person? Some of us can only read one book at a time, while others have multiple titles sitting by their bedside, in their bathrooms, scattered about their house and office.

Romantic novels are the king for some, crime mysteries work for others, and a good many of us never investigate either of these genres. More than once a sage has suggested to me it is best to move away from your comfort zone and be a consumer of many topics. This can be difficult and ever so rewarding.

I'm a slow, steady reader. Prolific in the titles I consume, I’m more like the turtle than the hare, eventually reaching the finish line. Following the adage stop and smell the roses, I wallow in the words and connect to the author's message. Books with a message captivate me. I have no time for shallowness.

I like it when people share books with me, and people have shared many. There's something very special about someone knowing you’ll appreciate their connection to an author, book or subject. Two of my dearest friends, Rusty Chinnis and Mike Holliday, share books with me often. Rusty is famous for casually mentioning an author, and then voilĂ , two days later that author’s newest book is delivered to our doorstep.



While I won’t be sending any of you a new book anytime soon, I'd like to share a few of the books I've read during the past year or so. Mike Holliday leant me Dead Zero by Stephen Hunter. With its drones, death squads and strong military flavor, this one varied far from the literary path I usually follow. Regardless, I found it to be relative to today's world, provocative and entertaining. I rooted for Ray Cruz to the end.

John Englander's High Tide on Main Street deals directly with sea level rise and our ability to deal with it. Living with Florida's Atlantic Beaches: Coastal Hazards from Amelia Island to Key West by David Bush is a technically sharp, science-based look at Florida's east coast beaches and barrier islands. I suggest these books to anyone living on or near the beach or concerned with sea level rise.

Life and Death of the Salt Marsh by John and Mildred Teal was an equally sobering look at our world. Al Gore's newest interactive eBook, Our Choice, was by far the most creative publication I coddled in 2013. Strauss and Howe's The Fourth Turning is an interesting look at why we are where we are in America today. Books John Adams by David McCullough and The New Revelations: A Conversation with God by Neale Walsch were both uplifting and interesting. I reread two iconic books, one for pure pleasure - To Kill a Mocking Bird - and one for pure strategy - The Art of War.

Books are central to our ability to communicate our collective knowledge. They are always a good gift idea. For Christmas 2012, our favorite youngest son, Jacob, gave me a book I highly recommend everyone study, Zen Yoga.

Namaste


Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

A Thumbnail Idea!



The Florida Dung Beetle- an idea?
It's funny how little things can generate great ideas.

In this case, it’s an exciting find. Our crew of hikers, seven of us, huddle close together, marveling over our discovery. Our captive, a rainbow scarab, is a brilliant iridescent blue-green beetle with a hoe-like brown horn projecting well above his wedged forehead.

Sandra Friend, and John Keatley lead our hike. Their shared passion for hiking is contagious. We're a group of Florida Outdoor Writers Association’s conference attendees who opted out of fishing on the great Kissimmee River basin. This year's conference host, the rustic Westgate River Ranch, is situated at Lake Kissimmee's south shore and connected to the KICCO Wildlife Management Area. We're hiking the Florida Trail south toward Ice Cream Slough.

Along the way I find him wallowing and lifting the earth under a pile of unidentifiable clay-like gray dung on a very narrow portion of the Florida Trail wedged between a divined grove of ancient palmettos. For me it's one of the more interesting beetles I've seen, and I've seen my good share. Twenty years ago while surfing and camping in Pavones, Costa Rica, my companions and I discovered a huge, somewhat similar-looking beetle in brush near our campsite. It had a marvelous glitzy exoskeleton, and its body nearly filled my hand. After we caught and released the critter, we watched in amazement as it opened its wings and loudly buzzed away. It was twice the size of some of the birds we were seeing around us.

This Florida dung beetle is about the size of my thumbnail. Noticeably happy when I gently place him down he disappears back under the scat, quickly escaping the tip of the palm fond branch I use to achieve its poopy catch and release.

While this critter encounter could lead me down a path lined in crappy thoughts, it actually paves a pathway of inspiring possibilities. I marvel at how such a diminutive beetle can generate the strength to lift a hundred times its weight in dung.

Later that day back at River Ranch, the FOWA conference's annual Al Hubbard Corporate and Tourism Showcase is buzzing with writers and authors. Many of them visit our LPP display and fill out our LPP writer's questionnaire. The data we receive from the questionnaire clearly shows the vast majority of writers understand and appreciate the value of publishing an eBook and have the desire to publish an eBook.


Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com