Comfort Reading

In tandem with Browning's The Ring and the Book I've been reading Howard Gardner's 5 Minds for the Future. It certainly is a far less strenuous read than the Browning; in fact, as far as I can tell it makes no real demands on the reader at all, unless you find vague pontificating and generalising taxing on the old grey matter. Now I know that Gardner's work on multiple intelligences is reasonably well regarded, though controversial. I have to confess I only know it at second hand. It strikes me as interesting, but I have my doubts regarding the idea of separately operating intelligences and I'm suspicious of the manner in which so many people, especially in education, have bought into the concept. But I know I don't know enough about it and must learn more.

But reading the 5 Minds book (a present from Karen earlier this year - thanks) has not convinced me that the good professor consistently produces material of value. This one looks like something intended to cash in on his reputation as something of a guru. Just look at this from the introduction as an example: A friend, Patricia Graham, has made a shrewd observation. She says that those who behave ethically command our respect. As a statement of the staggeringly obvious this would take some beating.

What puzzles me is why people read this sort of stuff - and read it they do, especially in Singapore and Malaysia, where it is given pride of place in bookshops on the Self Help shelves. After all, these books essentially repeat all the obvious platitudes in the other books, with just slightly different dressings (usually to do with the magic number that the writer has chosen - 6 ways of losing weight, 4 ways of getting into heaven, and the 22 people you'll meet there before they throw you out.) The only answer I can think of as to why folk like to read it is that it has an oddly soothing, almost hypnotic effect under the influence of which you think you are actually achieving something, I suppose an understanding of important insights, when you're simply lulling yourself into mental sleep.

Mind you, having said all that, the ease with which I'm getting through the Gardner helps compensate for the rugged brow the good Browning keeps forcing on me. Sometimes you've just got to take it easy.