It’s hard to believe it’s that time of the week again. I’m beginning to feel bad that I’m not getting all the reading done these days that I want to so my blog is filling up with memes and other type things. I’ll get back into it once I’m fully settled in the new surroundings. I’ve been working a couple of books for quite sometime and I would just like to get them done. That’s not to say I’m not enjoying them because I am it’s just that it feels like it’s taking forever to finish. Part of that is because both Oil! and The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear are both over the 500 page mark. I hope to finish at least one by this time next week. And I have one review in the works. It’ll get posted today or tomorrow so be sure to keep your eye open for that.
And now for something completely different…
Following up last week’s question about reading writing/grammar guides, this week, we’re expanding the question….
Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?
Do you ever read manuals?
How-to books?
Self-help guides?
Anything at all?
When it comes to manuals and the such I don’t take much time looking at them. I have a tendency to play with my new gadgets to learn how they work. Only if I’m frustrated, and that will often take a number of days, will I see what the manual has to say. I do this because I know I’m more likely to remember how each feature works by find it out myself, if I consult the manual I find I must do this for quite a number of times before I remember how to do it with the aid of the manual.
When it comes to how-to guides I never even look at them. I tend to associate how-to guides with doing repairs and other “mechanical type” endeavours. I know that’s not the only kind of how-to there are but that’s what often comes to mind when I hear those words. Given that I’m not a handy guy, if you want something in need of more repairs than when I started. I just don’t have the skills to do repairs. So, I tend to leave those books on the shelves.
I did go through a big self-help phase. But I’m not sure you’d classify what I was reading as self help though, but I would consider them self-help. I live with depression daily and there was a time in my life when it got really bad and I needed to be medicated for the problem. At this time in my life I went out and got all the books I could on the issue in hopes to find different ways to deal with the problem. I’m not a huge fan of being medicated but I realized at the time it was needed. I still have a few of these books that I haven’t read but would like to. And I probably should read them before I’m in that place again. Aside from this time I really haven’t had much to do with self-help.
I’m interested to see what others have had to say about this. So, off I go to read you have had to say on the topic at hand.
That's the Book! 
I think it’s important to educate yourself about medical matters before you use medication or have some sort of medical procedure. I know depression is a hard and constant battle–good luck.
You and I are a lot alike as far as reading manuals. I like to play around with a cell phone or what not before reading the manual…it’s fun to see what I can figure out on my own.
I want to read Oil! but I didn’t realize it was so stinkin’ long! Maybe I won’t read it after all…
I agree with Jan. I think the more you know about issues like depression the better equipped you are to take decisions that are going to effect your long term well-being.
I read medicine labels. I want to know what chemicals I am ingesting!
My BTT post!
I really like self help books myself. I don’t have tons of them, but maybe one shelf of one of my bookshelves is self help books. I tend to like the workbook style ones more. I have had a few given to me and sometimes when I am at the thrift store I will buy a title just because it catches my eye. I like to passively listen to self help books in audio as well. If you are going to be sitting in front of the computer in silence or sitting in front of the computer listening to something that might improve you I chose the latter. And then if it isn’t a particularly helpful book it doesn’t feel like a massive waste of time. (Wow, and I just thought I was going to leave “short” comment. Shows what I know.)
Yes, I find playing with the gadgets is much easier than reading the manuals anyway!!! I find some manuals hard to understand and not useful at all.
Now when John Wayne rode in to town to tackle the cattle barons in their fancy Eastern Style ranches you never see anyone struggling with a flat pack manual. Yet mail order catalogues took off in the 19th century so did the fancy furniture arrive all made up? We need an answer!!
John: Ummm, not really sure how to respond to that. I would guess that the furniture didn’t arrive all made up?
Melody: I agree, they usually aren’t very helpful and sometimes I think you need a manual in order to know how to use the manual, or at least to find the solution to your problem.
Megan: I think workbooks are more helpful than just a typical self help book. Those are ones I’m drawn to more as well.
Gautami Tripathy: I’ve never taken the time to read those labels because I have no idea what half those things are. It’s good to know what’s going into your body so it might be a good habit to pick up.
Ann Darnton and Jan: Thank you for your comment. They are very encouraging.
Trish: That’s right, playing is more fun. As for Oil! I enjoy the book but the length of the book is something else. I don’t usually read books with that number of pages and I started two of them at the same time. And I still haven’t finished either of them and it’s getting frustrating.
No One Is Perfect Only I am One To Near Perfect Set. Thanku