At a time when high-tech connections and communications have become increasingly central to our research and scholarly work, CSU Writes has taken a step back to embrace the technology of the book. After recommending dozens of books in writing workshops and retreats, CSU Writes has launched a book club to bring CSU’s graduate student, postdoc, researcher, and faculty writers together to talk about recent publications that matter to the work we do.
Fall 2021, Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth (Metropolitan Books, 2020) by Stuart Ritchie is an extended look at the impact of poorly or unethically written science. Focusing on well-known cases of scientific misconduct, Ritchie reminds us that good science is good writing. His book provides “an insider’s view of science reveals why many scientific results cannot be relied upon – and how the system can be reformed.”
Spring 2022, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2021) by Oliver Burkeman is “is about making the most of our radically finite lives in a world of impossible demands, relentless distraction and political insanity (and ‘productivity techniques’ that mainly just make everyone feel busier).” Burkeman reminds us that the problem with most productivity advice and strategies is that they actually work. We may find that we become ever more efficient as we become less engaged with the meaning of our work—feeling ever more stressed and less satisfied. While Burkeman’s book does not specifically address research writing productivity, his insights and tips are incredibly valuable for those of us who study, research, and write in academe, today.
The books selected for CSU Writes’ Book Club focus on current issues that will be relevant to writers across all colleges, disciplines, and career-statuses. CSU Writes has 10 copies of each book to sponsor readers. You can register and find more information on the CSU Writes’ Book Club page.