RR...Sort Of.

Since I really didn't like the other Gladwell book, I really didn't feel much like reading Blink. I really didn't. But since I already had it from the library, I figured I's might as well give it a shot (though I was even more turned off of it by my father's assessment, since he'd read it. He said that it wasn't very interesting and that Gladwell was completely wrong about a few things...) So, I read the first part, but I may or may not keep going. I'll also post about another nonfiction book.

Gladwell said that there are a lot of things that you can look at that will tell you about a person. That's true, at least. iPods are one good example, though not conclusive. Mine's full of a pretty large variety of stuff, so I really couldn't tell you what that signifies exactly. I don't listen to the stereotypical irritating music that a lot of people similar to me like, so either I'm a terrible judge of music, or they are. I'd go with them.
Maybe that's not a really good example.

So--the perennial example of the bag. Somebody, probably somebody old, once said that you can tell a lot about a woman from what she has in her bag. It's true. What would you assume about someone who carries around a sketchbook? A vampire book, like that annoying Eclipse series? A manga and a how-to-draw-your-own-(lousy)-anime book? A laptop? Someone who never seems to stop at their locker because they feel the inexplicable need to carry all their books around?
That's right. From the first, you'd assume "artist", though not necessarily good one. I've known some extraordinarily bad (to the point where it's gotta be some kind of talent) "artists" who carry a sketchbook everywhere. Second person, they have bad taste in literature and that there is a good chance they won't shut up about it. Third person, that they bear all the identfying marks of the Greater American Douchebag, and should probably be avoided, especially if they think they can speak Japanese. Fourth person, they're a lucky one, with more money than you. Or something. Last person...They're going to get scoliosis in a serious way, and you're gonna slap them if they keep blocking the hall with their giant bookbag.

At least, that's what you'd assume if you were me. I have no doubt that not everyone's mind works this way, but we all do judge people based on appearance and how they act and speak. It's how we're programmed. Are you going to want to associate regularly with someone who wears their jeans up to their ribs, makes pokemon noises a lot, and thinks Sonic the hedgehog is sexy? I thought not. Sounds terrible, I know. (Take comfort in the fact that they conglomerate into groups, and are rarely without friends of their own.)

This peek into my cynical, judgemental mind brought to you by...5:56 P.M., the A.P. U.S. History exam stress, a bowl of spagetti with parmesan, PMS, and large amounts of Polish Prog Rock.

I'll post about my other nonfiction book in a little while.