Travel Diaries of a Web 2.0 Newbie

Mmm. This held only a passing interest for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some Fahrenheit 451 book-burning book-hater – there was a time when I could happily while away the hours browsing through bookshop shelves. But the realities of life kick in and two small children now have first call on my time and leisurely book-reading has been replaced by snatches of reading crammed in while the kids are in the bath, or in bed – this is when I haven’t got lessons to prepare or work to mark (anyone hear that violin in the background playing a sad minor key?).

So, while I found the idea of LibraryThing interesting, I struggle to find any use for it in my lessons, or professionally. If only my students were all avid readers of Dawkins and we could debate the pros and cons of his preaching, or we had time during lessons to discuss whether Brave New World was close to becoming a reality. However, this scenario, I’m afraid, remains a work of fiction.

The blind watchmaker by Darren Hopes (Wellcome Images)