Hi!

[derekareed]

My name's Derek and I like to read. I am very analytical so it takes me ruffly three times longer to finish a book than most people. I am fond of poetry, but I believe it is easier to express oneself through sound, instead of using words that only a few may understand. Well, maybe there are less people that understand my music. Anyhow, I'm working on The Prince and The Pauper. There is a lot of good stuff going on in this book by Mark Twain. For a while I felt envious of English folk whom had the privilege of reading his work early in their years. Now I realize that it would have been very confusing and I wouldn't have gotten much out of it other than frustration from not knowing any of the words I now can enjoy. If you haven't read TPaTP, you need to. So much has been taken from this book including: books, movies, music, humanity. Especially if you are living in the US and you can't get a grip on British culture. This book makes me want to be smarter, and that's what these things are for. I am tired of bestseller books. It's all a ploy to sell crap. We need to stop thriving on others misfortunes and start living by our own A chord.

[The Comedian]

This book makes me want to be smarter, and that's what these things are for.

derekareed -- that sentence is one the best statements I've read all day. I completely agree that the feeling of coming in contact with genius and the corresponding impulse to be more wise that comes with that contact is one of the best parts of reading literature. No jest; I mean it. I'm no joker, after all.

Good hunting!