2 days ago360-degree mythologyHumans are not rational, but they tend towards rationality, a famous sociologist once said. Our behaviour, and culture by implication, is not fashioned by facts, but by stories. A good story will always win over hard fact. The challenge is to marry fact to fiction. The two are customarily seen…2 min read2 min read
4 days agoThe staring effectThe enduring power of myths lies in their capacity for endless retelling. “Here, the boy, tired by the malaise of the century and his enthusiasm for the chase after meaning lies down, drawn to the grove by its look and by the fountain, something he’d never seen before. While he…2 min read2 min read
6 days agoEscaping the catachresisIn one of the most influential texts of late antiquity, St Augustine points out that there are words whose roots are related to characteristics which are no longer valid for the usage the words are subjected to. In his De Doctrina Christiana written towards the end of the 4th century…2 min read2 min read
Mar 17Squeezed into existenceThere’s more to a page than the words on it. There’s more to a word than the letters it is made up of. There’s more to a letter than the sound it stands for. Unless it’s a Kindle, the book page will always be more than the sum of its…2 min read2 min read
Mar 15The genius of short formThe modern world is founded on very complex ideas which took centuries to emerge, develop and mature. …2 min read2 min read
Mar 13One word, multiple experiencesThere are many ways of reading, but they won’t lead to the same experience. Silent reading brings worlds through words to life, to be enjoyed secretely, to be cherished in the palace of one’s own mind. Social reading creates bonds of intellectual and emotional depth, the roots of a common…2 min read2 min read
Mar 10Unsafe spacesBooks have always been unsafe spaces. Spaces of risk, a risk to others and to themselves. A risky book could and still can ruin a life, though a bad book will ruin a generation. A book may have ruined the Roman poet Ovid’s life. Words are dangerous, but books are…2 min read2 min read
Mar 8Not everyone is readySome books are written before people are really ready for them. Before they are understood. Long before their impact can fully fan out and strike the minds and touch the hearts of readers. What has always drawn me to history is its focus on pivotal moments. The turns from which…2 min read2 min read
Mar 6Solo sailingContrary to watching a film or a play, reading a book is a strictly solitary activity. And writing, especially the kind that is routinely described as creative, is equally solitary. Performative reading may work in groups, but that is a different type of reading from the one that we usually…2 min read2 min read
Mar 3Winning ideasHistorians know the power of narratives. When it comes to the competition of ideas, the best story always wins. It’s always great for ideas to be backed by evidence, but that is not always required. A good story is simply good. Its exigencies lie elsewhere. Its requirements are seldom a…2 min read2 min read
