I'm so out-of-date that I hardly know what Facebook and Myspace are, so I'm going to (politely) ignore that thread of the conversation and comment on the "judging a book by its cover" thing.
I read the article yesterday and was dismayed at the thought that someone might judge me by my bookshelf. I think I have a nice depth and breadth in my reading tastes, but I stay regrettably busy with work and am waaaaayyyy behind the times in terms of reading. Merging my book collection with that of my wife has helped, but if it is the hip, intellectual book of the moment then I probably haven't seen it yet and may not read it for another 5 years (how behind am I? My current reading is "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Scott Pilgrim" VOLUME 1). And if you look closely you'll find Stephen King and Tom Clancy on my shelves (I've even got a copy of "The Fountainhead" around somewhere).
Moreover, some of my very best friends in the world read nothing that you couldn't find in the bookstore of a smallish regional airport (Buffy/Willow slashfic and Penthouse Forum [do they still publish that?] excepted).
So I'd generally hesitate to judge a woman by her book choices. That being said, although I don't know what "The Secret" is, if (as I gather) it is a self-help-type book the hairs on the back of my neck might stan up just a teensy bit. While the love of Sue Grafton or Anne Rice may not define a person's worth or even compatibility, the interest in certain philosophical or religious or political subject matter may be a warning bell worth heeding.
For example, if on a first date I discover that a woman is reading and loving Joel Osteen, or owns more than three books by Ann Coulter, I suspect I might safely assume that we aren't simpatico much beyond a round of sweaty groping followed by that old favorite early morning game of stealth, "Where the Hell is My Other Sock?"
I read the article yesterday and was dismayed at the thought that someone might judge me by my bookshelf. I think I have a nice depth and breadth in my reading tastes, but I stay regrettably busy with work and am waaaaayyyy behind the times in terms of reading. Merging my book collection with that of my wife has helped, but if it is the hip, intellectual book of the moment then I probably haven't seen it yet and may not read it for another 5 years (how behind am I? My current reading is "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Scott Pilgrim" VOLUME 1). And if you look closely you'll find Stephen King and Tom Clancy on my shelves (I've even got a copy of "The Fountainhead" around somewhere).
Moreover, some of my very best friends in the world read nothing that you couldn't find in the bookstore of a smallish regional airport (Buffy/Willow slashfic and Penthouse Forum [do they still publish that?] excepted).
So I'd generally hesitate to judge a woman by her book choices. That being said, although I don't know what "The Secret" is, if (as I gather) it is a self-help-type book the hairs on the back of my neck might stan up just a teensy bit. While the love of Sue Grafton or Anne Rice may not define a person's worth or even compatibility, the interest in certain philosophical or religious or political subject matter may be a warning bell worth heeding.
For example, if on a first date I discover that a woman is reading and loving Joel Osteen, or owns more than three books by Ann Coulter, I suspect I might safely assume that we aren't simpatico much beyond a round of sweaty groping followed by that old favorite early morning game of stealth, "Where the Hell is My Other Sock?"
