Thursday, March 10, 2011

Booking through Thursday: Multi-Tasking

Booking through Thursday wants to know:  Do you multi-task when you read? Do other things like stirring things on the stove, brushing your teeth, watching television, knitting, walking, et cetera?

"My mother always said, 'If you try to combine talking and eating, you'll end up doing neither very well!'" - Miles O'Brien

 I am rarely far from a book, and often turn to one if I have downtime. Combining reading with eating has been a habit of mine since childhood, to the effect that I'm constantly sipping water while reading -- I'm used to the combined stimuli. While living on-campus, I often brought a book with me to the dining hall in case I found no friends to eat with, and I tended to stay long after the meal sipping coffee or hot tea, immersed in my book.

Though I do not watch much television, when I do I mute the commercials and read between the breaks -- usually my 'leisure' reading, as books in history, science, philosophy, or other such serious topics demand more attention than the commercial break period provides.

I also combine music and reading -- sometimes having music on as background accompianment, but often listening to music that corresponds to the subject at hand. For instance, while reading "Our Oriental Heritage", I listened to music from India and Japan while reading the histories of those respective nations -- and when reading one of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch novels, I put on Bosch's favorite jazz  to better immerse myself in the character's environment. Last week, while reading Augstine's "Confessions", I listened to both Benedictine chants and classical music (specifically, Beethoven), because they seemed appropriate.  I enjoy combining music and literature in this way.

I sometimes combine reading and napping, but this is entirely by accident!

15 comments:

  1. I read while I eat, while I use the toilet (never, I hasten to add, the same books as I read in the kitchen), while I cook and occasionally during commercial breaks on TV.
    I also like to listen to audio books while I do the housework.
    If I could figure out a way to read in the shower, I would do it.

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  2. I can read everywhere and can be noisy. My daughters do not let it be otherwise.
    Sorry for my English :)
    Have a nice day.

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  3. I've learned not to eat while eating though... I realized that I could easily overeat if I'm engrossed in reading while eating...

    Here's my Multi-Tasking (Booking Through Thursday) post!

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  4. Your idea of synching the music you listen to, to what you read delights me.

    Here's my answer
    http://elizabethwillse.com/2011/03/10/booking-through-thursday-multitasking/

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  5. I love the idea of complimenting your book with music! I'm going to try that.

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  6. Great answer: here is mine http://www.farmington.k12.mi.us/gil/

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  7. I love finding music that compliments a book. I don't do it as meticulously as you do, but I do do it to some extent myself.


    Here's my BTT Post

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  8. I used to take a book to lunch with me when I was working...and I also did other things while reading, as described here in MY BTT POST

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  9. I prefer to do nothing while reading, however I do sometimes like to add some background music if I'm reading a genre novel. For example, while reading Anna Karenina I listened to some of the more brooding classicists on the record player. Very moody. ;)

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  10. Mostly I like to find a quiet place to read.

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  11. I like the idea of choosing music as an accompaniment to reading, especially scores that coincide with the topic being read! I'll have to try that!

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  12. I certainly multitask, and sometimes accidentally combine reading and napping.
    http://mostraum.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/booking-through-thursday-multitasking/

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  13. I love that you listen to music that relates to the book you are reading - I have never thought of doing that before.
    Sally.
    http://theelifylop.blogspot.com/2011/03/booking-through-thursday-9.html

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  14. Yes, eating while reading is the one multi-tasking activity that I can do really well! But I've found that getting used to that "combined stimuli" can be really disastrous for the waistline, so I have to be very careful.

    I do like your idea about listening to appropriate music while you're reading. Might have to try it, too.

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  15. I tend to just read in "between" things

    Here's mine

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