Asimov and the Dewey Challenge

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.

Isaac Asimov 

In looking for role models  for my life, I must say I’m inspired by Isaac Asimov.    An author, scientist, editor and all around deep thinker, he wrote about 500 books.  500.  I think I’ll shoot for 50.  There is a myth that he wrote in all 9 major categories of the Dewey Decimal system, but apparently it was on a technicality.  In the 100s (Philosophy and Psychology), he only wrote an introduction to a book.

I started wondering about what I would write about if I wrote a book for each category (is this something only librarians can get behind?).  Here’s my list. Try it yourself!

Dewey Listing and Books I’d Write:

000 Generalities

  • How to Teach Basic Computer Literacy
  • 101 cheap Library Programs

100 Philosophy & psychology

  • Gamer’s Guide to Real Life
  • Philosophy of Roleplaying Games

200 Religion

  • Greek and Roman Goddesses

300 Social sciences

  • Fairy Tales From Around the World

400 Language

  • Typewriter Tangled: the origins of modern punctuation

500 Natural sciences & mathematics

  • 50 Nature Experiments
  • Australian Animals

600 Technology (Applied sciences)

  • Geek Guide to Getting Healthy

700 The arts

  • Handmade Toys to Craft, Knit and Sew

800 Literature & rhetoric

  • Outsmarting Writer’s Block

900 Geography & history

  • History of Rensselaer
  • Martha’s Vineyard on a Budget

 

4 Comments

  1. Craig said:

    Go for it. I look forward to seeing the results.

    April 10, 2012
  2. ShadowHawk said:

    I’d love to read ‘Gamer’s Guide to Real Life’, ‘101 Library Programs’ and ‘Typewriter Tangled’. Heck, I’d love to help contribute to the first!

    April 24, 2012
    • Jane said:

      ShadowHawk! Welcome to the Folly! I’d love your input on the Gamer’s Guide to RL- I did something with it back in … um, the day.

      April 24, 2012
  3. Tisha said:

    These are some great ideas! Let me know if I can help! I have some old post cards of Troy…

    April 28, 2012

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