The Fun of Browsing

AKA - The Delights of the Dewey Decimal System

Recently I wanted to re-read the book Why Gender Matters by Dr. Leonard Sax. I am very interested in books related to childhood education; some people might call it a minor obsession, I prefer to describe it as a developing passion. When I read Why Gender Matters, I appreciated Dr. Sax's research and opinions, but did not take thorough enough notes for my taste. That's a freebie in this blog post: when reading a non-fiction book, even if not for a school project, keep a notebook and pen to hand. Information retention is so much stronger if we pause to write down what we think are the most important points an author makes, which are his weakest, and which his strongest.

Like I said, this is what I failed to do with Dr. Sax's book. Deciding summer vacation would be a perfect time to re-read it the proper way, I ventured into the library stacks to find it.

This is where the fun really begins. Because of the Dewey decimal system, all books relating to the same topic are numerically shelved in the same spot at the library. The call number for Why Gender Matters is 305.3 SAX. Just by browsing the early 300's, I was able to pull several more fascinating looking books on education. Reading them will probably send me to other sections of the library for books on medical research or on the history of education. It's like a treasure map, with each book pointing its way to the next... or like one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books. Every time you browse the library shelves, you are given a tremendous opportunity to pick your own intellectual adventure. Next time you're in the library, don't just come in hunting for one particular book. Take the time to browse the books clustered around yours. No telling what you mind find...