I read it , now you read it…

Inspired from Mridu’s idea of sharing interesting paragraphs, here are few paragraphs from Issac Asimov books

Relativity of wrong

Keep doing the good work

” …However, I continue to try and I continue, indefatigably, to reach out. There’s no way I can single handedly save the world or, perhaps, even make a perceptible difference – but how ashamed I would be to let a day pass without making one more effort. I have to make my life worthwhile to myself, if to no one else – and writing these essays is one of the chief ways in which i accomplish the task.”

That gives you one more reason to blog even if its readership is low and you don’t get comments

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From his autobiography – In memory yet green

How he actually started with his autobiography …

why, then am i doing it? Ah, at twenty-nine, I had never published a book. Now I have published two hundred. There seems to be a widespread belief (according to my editor) that no one can possibly write two hundred books of both fiction and non fiction, in dozens of categories at all age levels, without being, somehow, an interesting person.

…. and she wanted a well – rounded tale that included my nonliterary life as well.

I said,” What nonliterary life? How can a person turn out two hundred books and have a nonliterary life?”

…. fortunately she (editor) explained it to me sot hat i could understand what she meant.

She said,” shut up, Issac, and get to work”

So, here it is.

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In his initial career lessons from his editor for effective story writing:

Don’t let sympathetic characters disappear without a good excuse made plain to the reader

When you have trouble with the beginning of a story, that is because you are starting in the wrong place, and almost certainly too soon. Pick out a later point in the story and begin again.

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Some hilarious paragraphs
He says he always handed back the bitter comments on him – sometimes with unfortunate results -

There was a girl in the laboratory, for instance who was rather pretty, but quiet thin and with a figure consisting almost entirely of vertical lines

” I was carefully pouring something from one vessel into another and i suppose i made a humorous figure as I stood there in a frozen attitude, with my rubber apron rounding the curve of my belly.

Struck by the humor of it, the thin young woman picked up a long piece of glass tubing and, holding it spear – fashion said, ” I’m going to puncture your stomach and let out the air so that you will look more like a man.”

“All right,” I said, still pouring, ” and when you get the air, use it to pump up your chest so that you will look more like a woman.”

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His experience in Army:

I learned new ways of life in the Army. I learned how to take shower in public or at least with other young men surrounding me.

I did not enjoy it. I don’t think i would have minded if it were young women surrounding me, but i have always found the sight of naked men repulsive in the extreme. I was aware of this first at my very first Army physical when for the first time i saw a line of men with their genitals dangling. I wondered then (and I wonder now) how women can bear it

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