Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

Book review: Knowing what we Know by Simon Winchester

[audiobook]

Knowing what we Know, the Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic by Simon Winchester

This is a slightly incoherent book, it covers a lot of topics mostly around the creation and transmission of knowledge, somehow without a continuous thread through the book. It jumps around exploring the history of education, the making of books, the reporting of news and the generation of the Internet.

For each topic there is some detail in terms of the histories and components, how things are developed and used.

While there is plenty of good information within, I found the switching of topics a little jarring. I want to know all these things, and I think it would yield more on a second listen, I would like to be able to connect the dots. Maybe it would be better as a paper book you could dip in to, so the juxtapositions of topics would be irrelevant.

Overall, a good collection of knowledge loosely connected by a theme of transmission.


Book review: Moonlight Express by Monisha Rajesh

[Hardback, read aloud to Adelle]

Moonlight Express, Around the World by Night Train, by Monisha Rajesh

We have long thought about going on sleeper train services, circumstances have conspired to make that impractical for us. This book was a way for us to experience some of the romance of overnight train journeys without leaving our house.

We have previously read Around the World in 80 Trains by the same writer. She has an infectious enthusiasm for train travel, wanting to learn what she can about her fellow travellers. Night trains are an easier context to strike up conversations.

She starts out on the route of the Orient Express, and most of her journeys are around Europe, where there is a resurgence of sleeper trains. There are many different styles of train and ticket class covered by the book, from seated sleepers to luxury cabins. And many different levels of service and qualities of train, some are shabby old stock contrasting with slick newly commissioned carriages.

The Nordic journeys were my favourites, one each in Norway, Sweden and Finland, that descent into the tundra from the civilised and built up south. Although the journeys in India and South America also sounded amazing, in very different ways.

She travels with a variety of people, her family and various friends she has met in her previous travels. Each companion bringing a different viewpoint to her travels.

Books like this feed my wanderlust, but are not the same as being there yourself.