Being a scholar of nothing, I allow my intellectual interest to wander hither and yon.
— Theodore Dalrymple, “What the Hedgehog Knows”, Farewell Fear
As recently as late June, I had cleared all the books off my “to read” list. Within a mere week or so, I’ve managed to accumulate a new dozen-plus, most by design, a few by happenstance. I recognize that it’s a blessing to still have an exuberant interest in so many things, but sometimes exhaustion tempts me to consider training my intellectual interest to walk on a leash. Or maybe I should have an electronic fence installed. Can’t it learn to just bark at interesting books as they pass by? Does it always have to chase them down and carry them back to deposit on the front porch?