System 13

I came across an interesting book a few days ago, The Independent Scholar’s Handbook (PDF). I found it at this site, the Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars. The book is a digital re-issue of this book. I’m not sure what the deal is on the re-issuing of it; the forward on the above-linked site says “It is my pleasure to dedicate this re-issue of THE INDEPENDENT SCHOLAR’S HANDBOOK to Yosef Wosk”, but it never goes to say who said pleasure belongs to. It’s unclear whether the forward is by Ronald Gross (author of the book), or someone else.

Whatever the details behind the re-issuing, the book is available for free. It is basically what the title says: a handbook for those who wish to be scholars, to learn deeply, and to perhaps eventually publish their findings, whatever those may be. I’ve read the first 50 pages or so, and have enjoyed them. The most fundamental thing that the book has pushed beneath my nose is that you don’t have to be in academia to be a scholar. Most scholars are in academia, but the academic position isn’t a prerequisite to being a scholar. This is something that I would have “known”, had I ever thought about it, but I hadn’t. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

There’s a lot of practical how-to stuff in it. Thus far I’ve read about starting an intellectual journal, checking out various realms of knowledge (even if you’ll never be able to “master” all of them, or even a few of them), finding sources (interlibrary loans, databases, etc.). The table of contents shows there’s information on working with others, teaching, getting funding, and beyond, but I can’t say much on these, as I’ve not read them yet. However, if they’re as good, as helpful, and as enjoyable as what I have read, they’ll be quite nice indeed.

I don’t recall how I came across the book / site, but I was interested in it immediately; it sounded like something that would appeal to my inner book geek. If I hadn’t been hooked, I would have been after reading this quote from Max Schuster (of Simon and Schuster), which was said to the author of the book when he was an employee with above-mentioned company:

I have one piece of advice for you – not just for success in this business, but personally. Begin at once – not today, or tomorrow, or at some remote indefinite date, but right now, at this precise moment – to choose some subject, some concept, some great name or idea or event in history on which you can eventually make yourself the world’s supreme expert. Start a crash program immediately to qualify yourself for this self-assignment through reading, research, and reflection.

I’m not sure why, but that quote really spoke to me. It gave me goosebumps on the first read. Anyone else have a similar reaction, or am I just strange?