September 20, 2019

TED Talk Tuesday #132: How books can open your mind

Watching TED Talks is a popular pastime at CN&CO. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. This week’s talk was posted by Colin. Here’s why he chose it:

Confession: I am posting my TED Talk Tuesday on a Friday. (Guess the week just whizzed by!) One of the conversations at book club last night was about what and how people read. Our book club (the Thursday Next Book Club) is about reading for fun. But not every book club has the same mandate. We heard a story last night about a group of English-speaking academics living in France whose book club revolves around comparative translation. So every month or two they read a number of versions of the same book translated into English from its native language by different people. They compare and contrast (as academics do) for variances in context and nuance, and debate the possible reasons for these differences.

This morning I cam across this TED Talk, another reminder that reading is not the same for everyone. One of Lisa Bu’s happinesses is reading the same book in English and Chinese and comparing the similarities and differences between the two.

Her reading journey started as a young child in China in the 1970s when her dreams of becoming an opera singer were dashed. Years later, as she adjusted to a new life in the United States, she turned to books to expand her mind and create a new path for herself. She shares her unique approach to reading in this lovely, personal talk about the magic of books.

Colin is our resident wordsmith. He can write absolutely anything and loves to read, too. He even has his own book club.

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