The Size of Thoughts
Authors: Nicholson Baker, Nicholson Baker
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Overview
This book is a collection of essays that explore the intricacies of thought, language, and the material culture of knowledge. I investigate seemingly minor details and everyday experiences, revealing their hidden depths and unexpected connections to broader cultural and intellectual trends. Whether I’m reflecting on the changing nature of our opinions, the challenges of grappling with large thoughts, or the fading allure of rarity, I aim to show how even the most mundane objects and seemingly trivial encounters can illuminate profound truths about the way we think and engage with the world. I’m particularly interested in the overlooked aspects of literary history, the subtle shifts in language and punctuation, and the evolving material forms of knowledge, from the humble card catalog to the alluringly useless model airplane kit. By excavating these forgotten corners of intellectual life, I hope to offer readers a renewed appreciation for the complexity and richness of the world around us. This book will appeal to those interested in literature, history, and the philosophy of knowledge, as well as to anyone who enjoys playful and insightful writing that explores the unexpected connections between seemingly disparate realms of experience.
Book Outline
1. Changes of Mind
Our opinions on various matters are in a constant state of flux, shifting under the influence of everyday experiences. We rarely notice these subtle changes, yet they accumulate over time and lead to significant shifts in our perspectives. This inherent dynamism makes it challenging to pin down our beliefs definitively, and even seemingly minor encounters can have a lasting impact on our views.
Key concept: “Fly, you mother” - This seemingly spontaneous outburst about unmanned space exploration, exemplifies the impulsive way we express opinions without careful reflection. We react based on immediate feelings rather than reasoned deliberation.
2. The Size of Thoughts
Large, impactful thoughts are elusive and demand a different approach than smaller, more readily accessible ones. They resist quick formulation, needing time and contemplation to fully form. Like complex ecosystems, they are comprised of a multitude of interconnected ideas, with even seemingly insignificant details playing a crucial role in their overall structure.
Key concept: “(1) All large thoughts are reluctant. (2) Large thoughts are creatures of the shade. (3) Large thoughts depend more heavily on small thoughts than you might think.” - Large thoughts require time and space to develop; they thrive in quiet reflection rather than in the harsh glare of direct argumentation. Furthermore, they are built upon a foundation of smaller, more intricate observations and insights.
3. Rarity
Rarity is a potent emotion, amplifying our enjoyment of things we perceive as unique or uncommon. The act of discovering something rare oneself adds a layer of personal significance, but the overzealous pursuit and commercialization of novelty can paradoxically diminish its impact and ultimately erode the very quality of rarity we seek.
Key concept: “Rough timetables, ‘appreciation schedules,’ may be of some guidance.” - The overexposure and rapid dissemination of new ideas or trends diminish their rarity and consequently our capacity for appreciation and wonder.
4. Model Airplanes
The allure of model airplanes lies not just in the act of building them, but in the contemplative space they offer before assembly. The kit itself, with its neatly arranged components, acts as a miniature museum, allowing for a detailed appreciation of the design and engineering of the aircraft. The act of building can often be a letdown, as the completed model rarely lives up to the intricate promise of the unassembled parts.
Key concept: “It’s real because it’s Revell” - Model kits, specifically of aircraft, serve as a tangible, miniature embodiment of the complex intersection between industrial design, technology, and military power.
5. The Projector
The transition from film reels to platters in movie theaters represents a technological shift with significant implications for both the art and craft of filmmaking. While platters offer technical advantages, they have also diminished the role of the projectionist, who once had a more direct influence on the pace and flow of the movie.
Key concept: “Film is projected from platters.” - The history of movie projection, with its shift from reels to platters, exemplifies the often-unnoticed technological changes that shape our experience of art and entertainment.
6. Clip Art
Clippers, an essential grooming tool for men, hold a particular fascination, offering a tactile and satisfying experience. Their design and function embody a sense of precision and control, while their affordability and ubiquity make them a readily accessible source of pleasure and self-care.
Key concept: “But fingernail and toenail clippers […] continue to glitter legitimately in an otherwise unpolished age.” - Even seemingly mundane objects, like fingernail clippers, can be rich with symbolic meaning and aesthetic pleasure.
7. Reading Aloud
Reading aloud brings a new dimension to written words, transforming them from silent symbols on a page to a shared auditory experience. This act can uncover unexpected emotional undercurrents, even in seemingly banal passages, and can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of both the text and the act of writing itself.
Key concept: “Gosh, I’m reading aloud, from Chapter Seven!” - The experience of reading aloud, particularly one’s own work, can be surprisingly emotional and even transformative, revealing unexpected layers of meaning and personal resonance.
8. The History of Punctuation
Punctuation marks, seemingly fixed elements of written language, have a long and fascinating history shaped by evolving cultural and technological forces. From the semicolon’s emergence in the Renaissance to the recent rise of
Key concept: “The semi-colon that we resort to daily, hourly, entered the picture with the first edition of Pietro Bembo’s De Aetna two years after Columbus reached America…” - The history of punctuation reveals how seemingly minor details, like the semicolon, have a rich and evolving history, reflecting broader shifts in intellectual and cultural trends.
9. A Novel by Alan Hollinghurst
Alan Hollinghurst’s novel, The Folding Star, is a masterclass in observation and language, capturing subtle nuances of human experience with remarkable precision. The novel explores themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships, all set against a backdrop of art and literature.
Key concept: “Dropped and toppled, with its slumping music, is brief and extremely good…” - Even seemingly insignificant details, like the way bees land on a flower, can be rendered with precision and poetic sensibility.
10. Leading with the Grumper
Jonathan Lighter’s Historical Dictionary of American Slang is a monumental achievement in lexicography, offering a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of American vulgarity. Lighter’s meticulous research and meticulous documentation of even the most obscure slang terms provide a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of language and the culture that shapes it.
Key concept: “usu. considered vulgar.” - Slang dictionaries, though seemingly devoted to documenting vulgarity, can also be inadvertently funny and even reveal unexpected charm in the language they catalogue.
11. Discards
The transition from card catalogs to online systems in libraries, while offering practical advantages, represents a significant cultural shift. Card catalogs, with their unique organizational structure and wealth of historical detail, are being discarded at an alarming rate, despite their potential value for future researchers and scholars.
Key concept: “GENUINE ARTIFACT FROM THE CARD CATALOG OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AT BALTIMORE.” - The widespread discarding of library card catalogs, though seemingly justified by the efficiency of online systems, represents a loss of valuable historical and cultural artifacts.
12. Books as Furniture
The use of books as props in mail-order catalogs reveals their symbolic power as markers of taste and intellectual aspiration. These catalogs, by placing books in carefully staged domestic settings, tap into a deeper cultural desire for a life imbued with literacy and knowledge, even if that desire is often more aspirational than actual.
Key concept: “Books do furnish a room.” - Books, beyond their literary content, also serve as a potent form of interior decoration, reflecting the owner’s taste and intellectual aspirations.
13. Lumber
The metaphor of “lumber” for the contents of the mind has a long history, reflecting a persistent anxiety about the potential pitfalls of excessive erudition. The act of collecting and accumulating knowledge, if not accompanied by careful curation and critical reflection, can lead to a mental lumber-room, a chaotic repository of undigested facts and unsynthesized ideas.
Key concept: “These lumber pies of common-places, wherewith so many furnish their studies, are of little use but to common subjects, and serve but to show us, and not to direct us…” - The accumulation of knowledge, if not carefully curated and critically assessed, can become mere “lumber” – a jumbled, unorganized mass that obscures rather than illuminates.
Essential Questions
1. How do our minds change over time, and what factors influence these changes?
Our opinions are in constant flux, shaped by various experiences and encounters. We rarely notice these subtle shifts, but they accumulate over time, resulting in significant changes to our worldview. This inherent dynamism of our beliefs makes it challenging to definitively articulate our stances, as they are constantly evolving in response to new information and experiences. This has implications for opinion mining and sentiment analysis in AI, as opinions are not static data points but rather fluid and contextual.
2. What distinguishes large, impactful thoughts from smaller, more readily accessible ones, and how do they develop?
Large thoughts are complex structures, built upon a multitude of smaller, interconnected ideas. They resist hasty formulation, demanding quiet contemplation and a tolerance for ambiguity. Their development is more akin to a gradual, organic process, like the slow settling of sediment, rather than a sudden, revelatory epiphany. This understanding has implications for how we approach problem solving and idea generation in AI, suggesting that complex solutions may emerge from a synthesis of smaller, interconnected insights.
3. What is the nature of rarity, and how is it affected by the increasing availability and accessibility of information?
Rarity, as an emotion, amplifies our appreciation for things we perceive as unique or uncommon. However, the overexposure and rapid dissemination of novel ideas or trends can paradoxically diminish their impact, eroding the very quality of rarity we seek. This paradox has implications for content curation and recommendation algorithms in AI, suggesting that a balance needs to be struck between novelty and scarcity to maintain user engagement and a sense of discovery.
4. What is lost in the transition from physical card catalogs to online library systems, and what are the implications for the future of knowledge organization?
Card catalogs, with their physical presence and intricate organization, embody a unique history of knowledge curation. Their replacement with online systems, while offering convenience and efficiency, represents a loss of tangible, tactile engagement with information. This loss has implications for the way we design and interact with digital archives and knowledge bases in AI, suggesting that we should consider incorporating elements that foster a deeper, more embodied sense of connection with the material.
1. How do our minds change over time, and what factors influence these changes?
Our opinions are in constant flux, shaped by various experiences and encounters. We rarely notice these subtle shifts, but they accumulate over time, resulting in significant changes to our worldview. This inherent dynamism of our beliefs makes it challenging to definitively articulate our stances, as they are constantly evolving in response to new information and experiences. This has implications for opinion mining and sentiment analysis in AI, as opinions are not static data points but rather fluid and contextual.
2. What distinguishes large, impactful thoughts from smaller, more readily accessible ones, and how do they develop?
Large thoughts are complex structures, built upon a multitude of smaller, interconnected ideas. They resist hasty formulation, demanding quiet contemplation and a tolerance for ambiguity. Their development is more akin to a gradual, organic process, like the slow settling of sediment, rather than a sudden, revelatory epiphany. This understanding has implications for how we approach problem solving and idea generation in AI, suggesting that complex solutions may emerge from a synthesis of smaller, interconnected insights.
3. What is the nature of rarity, and how is it affected by the increasing availability and accessibility of information?
Rarity, as an emotion, amplifies our appreciation for things we perceive as unique or uncommon. However, the overexposure and rapid dissemination of novel ideas or trends can paradoxically diminish their impact, eroding the very quality of rarity we seek. This paradox has implications for content curation and recommendation algorithms in AI, suggesting that a balance needs to be struck between novelty and scarcity to maintain user engagement and a sense of discovery.
4. What is lost in the transition from physical card catalogs to online library systems, and what are the implications for the future of knowledge organization?
Card catalogs, with their physical presence and intricate organization, embody a unique history of knowledge curation. Their replacement with online systems, while offering convenience and efficiency, represents a loss of tangible, tactile engagement with information. This loss has implications for the way we design and interact with digital archives and knowledge bases in AI, suggesting that we should consider incorporating elements that foster a deeper, more embodied sense of connection with the material.
Key Takeaways
1. Embrace Simplicity and Avoid Information Overload
The overabundance of information or choices can be overwhelming and counterproductive. Just as a cluttered room can hinder productivity, a mind overloaded with unprocessed data struggles to form clear, impactful thoughts. By recognizing the limitations of our cognitive capacity, we can learn to prioritize and curate information more effectively, focusing on what is truly valuable and relevant.
Practical Application:
In product design, focusing on user experience often involves prioritizing clarity and simplicity over excessive features or complexity. A design team might choose to limit the number of options in a user interface, ensuring that the essential functions are easily accessible and not buried under layers of menus or settings. This minimalist approach can help avoid overwhelming users and foster a more enjoyable and engaging experience.
2. Recognize the Interconnectedness of Ideas and Embrace Collaboration
Large, impactful ideas are often composed of a multitude of smaller, interconnected insights. Just as complex ecosystems are built upon a web of intricate relationships between organisms, so too are profound thoughts formed from a synthesis of diverse perspectives and observations. Recognizing this interconnectedness encourages us to approach complex problems with a more holistic perspective, seeking out diverse sources of knowledge and embracing the contributions of multiple disciplines.
Practical Application:
In AI development, complex problems often require a multifaceted approach, drawing on insights from various disciplines and subfields. A team working on a natural language processing project might integrate expertise from linguistics, computer science, and psychology to develop a more robust and nuanced understanding of language. This collaborative approach recognizes that complex solutions rarely emerge from a single perspective or a narrow focus.
3. Cultivate a Sense of Rarity and Mindful Consumption
Rarity, as a quality, can enhance our appreciation and enjoyment of things, but the overabundance of information and the relentless pursuit of novelty can diminish its impact. In a world saturated with readily available content, it becomes crucial to find ways to curate and filter information, creating a sense of scarcity and fostering a more mindful engagement with the things we consume.
Practical Application:
In AI-powered content curation, algorithms could be designed to balance novelty with a sense of scarcity. For example, instead of flooding users with an endless stream of new content, an AI system could curate a limited selection of high-quality items, presented at strategically spaced intervals. This approach would help maintain a sense of anticipation and discovery, avoiding the numbing effect of information overload and preserving the allure of rarity.
1. Embrace Simplicity and Avoid Information Overload
The overabundance of information or choices can be overwhelming and counterproductive. Just as a cluttered room can hinder productivity, a mind overloaded with unprocessed data struggles to form clear, impactful thoughts. By recognizing the limitations of our cognitive capacity, we can learn to prioritize and curate information more effectively, focusing on what is truly valuable and relevant.
Practical Application:
In product design, focusing on user experience often involves prioritizing clarity and simplicity over excessive features or complexity. A design team might choose to limit the number of options in a user interface, ensuring that the essential functions are easily accessible and not buried under layers of menus or settings. This minimalist approach can help avoid overwhelming users and foster a more enjoyable and engaging experience.
2. Recognize the Interconnectedness of Ideas and Embrace Collaboration
Large, impactful ideas are often composed of a multitude of smaller, interconnected insights. Just as complex ecosystems are built upon a web of intricate relationships between organisms, so too are profound thoughts formed from a synthesis of diverse perspectives and observations. Recognizing this interconnectedness encourages us to approach complex problems with a more holistic perspective, seeking out diverse sources of knowledge and embracing the contributions of multiple disciplines.
Practical Application:
In AI development, complex problems often require a multifaceted approach, drawing on insights from various disciplines and subfields. A team working on a natural language processing project might integrate expertise from linguistics, computer science, and psychology to develop a more robust and nuanced understanding of language. This collaborative approach recognizes that complex solutions rarely emerge from a single perspective or a narrow focus.
3. Cultivate a Sense of Rarity and Mindful Consumption
Rarity, as a quality, can enhance our appreciation and enjoyment of things, but the overabundance of information and the relentless pursuit of novelty can diminish its impact. In a world saturated with readily available content, it becomes crucial to find ways to curate and filter information, creating a sense of scarcity and fostering a more mindful engagement with the things we consume.
Practical Application:
In AI-powered content curation, algorithms could be designed to balance novelty with a sense of scarcity. For example, instead of flooding users with an endless stream of new content, an AI system could curate a limited selection of high-quality items, presented at strategically spaced intervals. This approach would help maintain a sense of anticipation and discovery, avoiding the numbing effect of information overload and preserving the allure of rarity.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: Discards
This chapter offers a detailed and insightful exploration of the transition from card catalogs to online systems, raising important questions about the preservation of knowledge and the changing nature of libraries in the digital age. This is particularly relevant to AI professionals working on projects related to digital archives, knowledge organization, and information retrieval.
Memorable Quotes
Changes of Mind. 11
Then one Thursday, out on a minor errand, you inexplicably come to a new conclusion (‘Keynesian economics is spent’), and it – like the fetching plastic egg that cruel experimenters have discovered will cause a mother bird to thrust her own warm, speckled ones from the nest – upsets your equilibrium.
The Size of Thoughts. 17
A really large thought, a thought in the presence of which whole urban centers would rise to their feet, and cry out with expressions of gratefulness and kinship; a thought with grandeur, and drenching, barrel-scorning cataracts, and detonations of fist-clenched hope, and hundreds of cellos… this is the size of thought worth thinking about.
Rarity. 24
Rarity, then, is an emotion as much as it is a statistical truth.
Model Airplanes. 31
The box, then, is the basilica of the unbuilt.
Discards. 130
So card catalogs had to be closed and “frozen.” Nobody can expect a library to maintain sequences of alphabetized cardboard for a collection that is growing, as some currently are, at a rate of five hundred items a day.
Changes of Mind. 11
Then one Thursday, out on a minor errand, you inexplicably come to a new conclusion (‘Keynesian economics is spent’), and it – like the fetching plastic egg that cruel experimenters have discovered will cause a mother bird to thrust her own warm, speckled ones from the nest – upsets your equilibrium.
The Size of Thoughts. 17
A really large thought, a thought in the presence of which whole urban centers would rise to their feet, and cry out with expressions of gratefulness and kinship; a thought with grandeur, and drenching, barrel-scorning cataracts, and detonations of fist-clenched hope, and hundreds of cellos… this is the size of thought worth thinking about.
Rarity. 24
Rarity, then, is an emotion as much as it is a statistical truth.
Model Airplanes. 31
The box, then, is the basilica of the unbuilt.
Discards. 130
So card catalogs had to be closed and “frozen.” Nobody can expect a library to maintain sequences of alphabetized cardboard for a collection that is growing, as some currently are, at a rate of five hundred items a day.
Comparative Analysis
Baker’s essays share a kinship with the works of other meticulous observers of daily life and language, like E.B. White, John McPhee, and Susan Sontag. However, his focus on the often-overlooked or seemingly mundane distinguishes his work. Unlike White’s gentle humor or McPhee’s journalistic precision, Baker brings a blend of whimsy and intellectual rigor to his subjects, dissecting the humble fingernail clipper with the same intensity as a complex philosophical argument. His work also stands in contrast to Sontag’s more critical and analytical essays, as Baker often celebrates the quirky beauty and inherent interest of the things he observes. While Sontag might dissect the cultural implications of photography or illness, Baker finds joy in the intricate design of a plastic model airplane or the comforting ritual of reading aloud.
Reflection
Baker’s essays offer a timely and thought-provoking meditation on the nature of knowledge, memory, and the evolving forms of information storage and retrieval. His anxieties about the loss of card catalogs and the rise of digital databases resonate with broader cultural concerns about the digitization of knowledge and its impact on scholarship and learning. However, while his skepticism toward technological progress is understandable, it sometimes veers toward a romanticized view of the past. Card catalogs, though charming in their physicality, were not without their limitations, and online systems, while imperfect, offer many advantages for researchers. The real challenge lies in finding ways to harness the power of digital tools while preserving the values of careful curation, intellectual serendipity, and deep engagement that characterized traditional scholarship. Baker’s essays remind us that the pursuit of knowledge is not merely a matter of efficiency and retrieval, but also of curiosity, wonder, and a love for the intricate beauty of the world, whether found in a dusty library corner or on the luminous screen of a computer.
Flashcards
What does ‘lumber of the mind’ refer to?
A term used to describe the contents of the mind, suggesting a jumbled, unorganized collection of ideas and knowledge.
What is a key characteristic of ‘large thoughts’ according to Nicholson Baker?
Large thoughts resist quick formulation, requiring time and space to develop, often in quiet reflection.
How does the increasing availability of information affect the experience of ‘rarity’?
The overexposure and rapid dissemination of novel ideas can diminish their rarity and consequently, our capacity for appreciation.
What does Baker mean by ‘squads of unexamined opinions’?
It is the unexamined opinions and beliefs that we carry with us, often unconsciously.
What is a key example of unnoticed technological change in the history of cinema, according to Baker?
The transition from film reels to platters, a seemingly minor technical shift, had a significant impact on the role of the projectionist and the presentation of films.
What does ‘lumber of the mind’ refer to?
A term used to describe the contents of the mind, suggesting a jumbled, unorganized collection of ideas and knowledge.
What is a key characteristic of ‘large thoughts’ according to Nicholson Baker?
Large thoughts resist quick formulation, requiring time and space to develop, often in quiet reflection.
How does the increasing availability of information affect the experience of ‘rarity’?
The overexposure and rapid dissemination of novel ideas can diminish their rarity and consequently, our capacity for appreciation.
What does Baker mean by ‘squads of unexamined opinions’?
It is the unexamined opinions and beliefs that we carry with us, often unconsciously.
What is a key example of unnoticed technological change in the history of cinema, according to Baker?
The transition from film reels to platters, a seemingly minor technical shift, had a significant impact on the role of the projectionist and the presentation of films.