eiffelfish Acheng, China

這是我近年看得最快的一部書 (近年看書的數量大減)! 昨天乘車時開始看, 今晚吃完飯後便忍不住坐在床上把它幹掉!
很早便已在蘋果日報看過這個專欄, 但因為不是定期出的, 有緣的便看到一兩篇. 所以這本書剛出的時候便己嚷著要買下來, 只是一耽誤便己幾個月的光景了

書中談的有很多, 說家書又不像是典型的家書, 倒像是兩個朋友在談話, 只是年紀和文化背景有所不同罷 .

這也是這本書好看的地方.

龍教授和安德烈談國家, 談身份認同, 談積極和消極的道德, 談公民權, 談美學, 談音樂, 談文化, 談香港, 談香港的大學生, 談青年人的職業... 這些題目, 實在是非一般母子所會談的題目, 是會歸類為知識份子或中產才會關心的題目。

但親子溝通呢? 書中提到世界各地不少讀者來信說這本書給了他們一個機會重新和父母 / 子女溝通。但是, 書中並沒有明確談論過這個題目。那麼, 讀者們得到了甚麼呢?

有一個朋友趕緊去學如何用msn, 希望可以和13歳的女兒溝通。確然, 如果想和新一代的青少年溝通, msn是不可或缺。如你再仔細留意書上列明的msn通話時間, 由於時差的關係, 龍教授有一兩篇的msn對話是香港時間午夜十二時, 甚至是凌晨三時半. 能夠捱夜和子女msn, 實在是一件極高難度的事了! 至少, 你的生活節奏, 和正在發育期要夜訓的青少年, 又拉近了一點.

書中令我觸動的地方不少, 首推是安德烈自覺為平庸的表白。這篇也有不少的讀者來信。當然, 我立即聯想起我的老本行 - 心理學的理論。人在除了溫飽之外, 確實會思考生存意義的問題, 理想與現實的兩難不停地挑戰我們。如何抉擇, 也是兩代人的鬥爭。

當然還有對香港的論述。我們整天在忙, 賺錢成為生活的全部, 放不下對生活藝術的培養。真的是我們的難民DNA作崇嗎? 錢成為我們倚靠的安全感的來源? 一見勢色不對, 便倉皇逃亡, 移民嗎?

太多想法 , 不知如何整理。希望有機會再寫。

i am attracted by the cute drawings in the front cover. and i saw the video that ma ka fai's recommending this book in the book expo. somehow i have been hoped to find a book that teaches ppl how to read a book, and i hope it can give me some insights. so far, i like the author's beautiful analogy of reading vs eating.

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finally finished the book. the chapters near the end are a bit more difficult to read, but the author tried hard to use different analogies to help express his abstract ideas to a more "laymen" level. after reading the book, just u know that it is self-discipline that matters most. to really spend time on reading, to read those classic books rather than best-sellers or popular books. anyway, just like the book recommends, i only read through the book very quickly this time as it was the first time. i look forward to the second-time reading that i am sure i will learn something new from this book.

i had started it some time before but stopped cos too busy. recently i picked it up again and finished reading it. the book is written from an autistic boy's perspective. of cos the author is not autistic, but the book does provide me with a new angle to think of the characteristics of autistic people. i like the piece that talks about that autistic people will be the final survivors of a new virus that transmits through eye contact. what an irony!