Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not? Do you ever read manuals? How-to books? Self-help guides? Anything at all?
First of all, let me just say that I rarely bring home any “gadget” more complicated than a book. I have no cell phone, no pda, no mp3 player, no laptop … nor do I especially want any of those things. I’m a bit of a Luddite at heart, really. So I don’t read manuals, because I don’t deal with things that need them.
I read some how-to books — Stitch’n'Bitch Crochet (The Happy Hooker) is a good one which I have recently perused. I’ve also made forays into my mother’s encyclopedia of stitchery (which is probably not the title, but is the general idea) when I started learning embroidery. I still can’t do french knots, though.
I don’t read self-help guides. Please, homie.
I do read cookbooks, but mostly I just read the particular recipe I want — and the index, so that I can get to the recipe in question. I do know somebody who reads cookbooks the same way she reads other books — cover to cover — but I haven’t done that yet. I will occasionally look at all the pictures all the way through, but usually when I do that I’m not reading the accompanying text.
Cookbooks are one of my vices. I have a bookshelf full. I do read them–both the recipes and accompanying information. I love to find out why something works the way it does. One of my favorite cooking magazines is Cook’s Illustrated magazine which will cook 200 turkeys to figure out the very best way to prepare turkey! Definitely overkill, but fun to read.
I’ll read the quick install guide to get hooked up as soon as possible. Then I’ll skim the real manual just to check out the features. After that it’s just a reference if I can’t figure it out. I’m still looking up things for my digital SLR camera. No way you can learn how to use that in one sitting.
I have to go through to manual. Even when I know how to run any gadget.
I love my mom’s old cookboooks. And like to read craft books. I also read a lot of project work books as I teach mathematics.
My BTT post!
The Happy Hooker. That just make me laugh. Yep, still laughing. Can’t manage to do much else. Thanks for the smile.
Hi – I found your blog at LT and wanted to say hello. =)