Recently, I read Anathem, by Neal Stephenson. It was an alternate-universe, science fiction book that was just unbelievable. How unbelievable? Well, I read a book in a few hours if it’s a print novel and devour an audiobook a week. Generally, if I love a book, I’ll read everything I can in that series, by that author, or in the “if you like this…” list until I overload on the genre, cannot find anything else in that series, or become seriously disappointed. After this book, I had to leave science fiction, and even fantasy, and go to listen to a substantial story that’s completely and totally different.

Anathem is a third-person story from the viewpoint of Fraa Erasmus, a scientific “avout” in a world where the mathematicians and scientists are cloistered away from the public with contact with each other and outsiders at intervals of varying levels, in powers of 10 years – 1 year (the Unarian order), 10 years (the Decenarians), 100 years (Centenarians), and 1000 years (Millenarians). At first, it seemed as though this world had no religion and that science was their religion (the monks were called avout, their most-beloved were called savants, or more familiarly saunts or just St., etc.), but that was not true. There are deioleters (misspelled, unfortunately, because I read the audiobook edition), who have various arcs (factions) and may only share the fact that they believe in one or more gods. Interestingly, there are also the Ita, who are among a society whose name’s derivation has been lost to time (although it was generally believed the first two letters stand for “information” and “technology”) and who care for and improve upon the new technologies amongst the masses while still keeping it accessible (e.g., the motor, which could have been further improved upon to run for a human lifetime without issue, but would be beyond repairable by 98% of non-cloistered non-Ita). The avout have been locked away for a number of reasons, the strongest being:

1. they won’t be sullied by non-rationally-based lines or reasoning or uses of technological short-cuts,
2. their learning can be focused from an extremely young age, and
3. their faith in the scientific method and the ways of their consent can control what they do and what they have access to, and they therefore won’t be a threat to the rest of the world (technology is now so very sophisticated that few people can understand what can be created or done).

This concept would be enough to capture my interest and hold it for 8 hours to read the first section. Now throw these sheltered folk into the outside world and add a outside-threat-with-a-quantum-physics-basis plot line. Awesome. It held my interest for the additional 24 hours of audiobook. I won’t add any other spoilers. It was a really fun, fascinating read for both the anthropologist/sociologist and the scientist in me, as well as the story-lover.

Anathem, by Neal Stephenson

How did I find this book? Well, first I read Quicksilver, the first portion of volume 1 of Neal Stephenson’s “Baroque Cycle.” It is set in the late 1600s, following the perspective of the intelligent, but fictional, Daniel Waterhouse as his life crosses alongside the daily lives, scientific theories, and failed experiments of the Royal Society, including the soon-to-become-Sir Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle, and so many more.

Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Book One), by Neal Stephenson

It was fascinating to read about the scientific Renaissance, but I was not held by the storyline and the audiobook went on for so long (or seemed to – it was less than half the length of Anathem). In addition, I didn’t feel like there was a “next book” in that timeline. The next book in the Cycle was set in a completely different world and less math-and-science-based, and the book that sparked the Baroque Cycle, The Cryptonomicon, is set centuries ahead, in WWII. So although it’s in my iPod, I haven’t gotten to book two, King of the Vagabonds, yet. Maybe if the two pieces of the first Volume in the cycle had been together, I might have been held. But I’m not sure.

I should note that I highly recommend Quicksilver as a novel of historical fiction that may appeal to science-minded folk, and The Cryptonomicon, although I have not yet read it, was awarded all kinds of awards and praise and is on my Sci-Fi Must-Read list.

There is a great deal of detail on Neal Stephenson’s site about Anathem (including portions of their dictionary), the Baroque cycle, and The Cryptonomicon, if you would like to learn more before buying. However, if you check out the reviews in Amazon, you may learn too much about Anathem (although not necessarily too much about the rest).

I have recently become friendly with the Hist-Fic Chick, who recommended several historical fiction novels I might enjoy. I looked for ones I could get on audiobook, either through the library or through audible.com. It helps my road-rage to have a good story going on during traffic; some days, I spend nearly 5 hours in the car.

The first book I read after getting her recommendations and hunting through the online stacks was Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran (the third book in her Egyptian women trilogy). It followed the early life of Cleopatra VII and Marc Antony’s daughter, Cleopatra Selene, in the third person. After the fall of Egypt to Rome, Cleopatra Selene and her twin brother Alexander Helios are taken to Rome by Octavian (later renamed, Caesar Augustus) and raised by his sister. As a former student of classical languages back in college, I am fascinated by learning about life in the ancient societies of Greece and Rome. This book had a wonderful story, but also was filled with the richness of what life was like in Roman society at that time, and the bent of Selene’s perspective, comparing cultures, added so much and gave the cultural details a background that never made it seem like a textbook. I was hooked.

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel, by Michelle Moran

Then I read Nefertiti, the first book in Michelle Moran’s trilogy. I was so disappointed! It was a good enough read, but the story was told in the first person from the perspective of Nefertiti’s younger sister, Mutnedjemet. Although the story followed Nefertiti’s reign with a critical but loving eye, the everyday cultural details were sparse. It was like eating tortilla chips and salsa in place of dinner. It was missing meat. However, I did enjoy reading it, and if you’re looking for an insider perspective on how Nefertiti’s reign was doomed to failure, it is certainly a worthwhile read. I’m just not a politics person. I’m more focused on learning about culture and life in that time and place.

Nefertiti: A Novel, by Michelle Moran

I might read The Heretic Queen, the middle book in Moran’s Egypt trilogy, but I might not. Maybe in a month or two.

The Heretic Queen: A Novel, by Michelle Moran

I did finally find a print version of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell, one of the Hist-Fic Chick’s all-time favorites, so I may read that one day soon.

The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, by Robin Maxwell

Right now, while I’m trying to decide what world to enter next, I’m reading one of those fun potato-chip murder mysteries (the kind you enjoy at the time and can demolish like a bag of potato chips, but aren’t dying to pick up again).  I’ve been taking a break from sci-fi after reading a particularly spectacular book, so I’ll be going back to historical fiction soon.

There are a few essentials I bring to tutor every student, especially for math or science tutoring. First of all, inside my bag is everything that would normally be in my handbag: cash wallet, card wallet, business card holder, lip gloss, hair brush, pill box, and my purple iPod nano. I put all this in various pockets so they don’t get in the way of the Business At Hand: tutoring. My pill box and business card holder are both objects of math geekery from kyledesigns.com.

Mathy Cardholder and Pillbox by KyleDesigns.com

I carry a handsome, well-made tote that is larger than 8.5″x11″ that has a lot of room. However, it can’t be too huge (I don’t want to lose everything and I’m only 5’3″) or too heavy on its own, and since it holds electronics and important documents, I prefer to have a zip closure for rainy days. My newest tote (a Marie laptop tote by Gift Craft) is structured, quilted and light, roomy (16″ x 20.5″ x 3.5″) with plenty of pockets, and has a black-and-white pattern I don’t hate, but I adore my leaf-green Brahmin Alden medium tote (which is 10″ x 15.5″ x 5″) and look forward to using it again in the spring.

Totes: Brahmin Alden medium tote and Marie by Gift Craft laptop tote

Connectivity is of primary importance. For that, I have a Garmin Nuvi 265WT and a BlackBerry Storm (which is dying and will be replaced by an HTC Thunderbolt in two weeks). I get traffic information, directions, and a predicted arrival time from my Garmin. It helps me change my route, find new students, and find the nearest gas station or Starbucks. It also has bluetooth so I can answer my phone without fumbling or voice dial if I hit traffic or am running early for a student that has a flexible start time. My smart phone is essential for keeping me in contact with students and my husband while I’m driving all over Maryland. It also helps me Google for local libraries, bookstores, and cafes if a location we originally decided on is not available (for example, the Olney library recently closed for renovation until Fall 2012, and a student needed to change the location from her home to some place near her school due to a forgotten after-school function). I am lost without either one of these two items. Literally.

Connectivity: Garmin Nuvi 265WT & BlackBerry Storm

Instead of relying solely on my BlackBerry, I carry an At-A-Glance monthly academic planner, 9″x11″, to write all my appointments. The box is small, but so is my time and energy. I also write appointments on the kitchen calendar and have alarms on my BlackBerry, but my monthly planner is the absolute authority.

At-A-Glance Monthly Academic Planner

In order to enter a building to talk with a teacher or get information, often it’s required that I wear my badge from my brief stint attempting to teach a pre-Algebra-II type of course to 30-student classes of very needy, jaded teenagers. Apparently, Anne Arundel County Schools still considers me one of their own, even though my fibromyalgia was not up to the challenge at all. As you may be able to tell, my badge holder is from kyledesigns.com, as well.

My Badge

Next, I carry a binder full of paper: lined paper and a half-dozen different kinds of graph paper I created. The lined paper is a full 8.5″x11″ and essential to avoid wasting time. The one graph paper that gets the most heavy use is a page that has three, 3.75″ square, coordinate grids (each quadrant is 10×10) on the right side with space for doing work on the left.

I also carry writing utensils. It may seem silly to name my preferences, but these are the basic tools of my trade and having dependable, solid instruments help me seem more dependable and solid. I prefer 0.7mm mechanical pencils that have a larger or cushioned grip and white eraser. If the pencil has a side-click dispenser (so erasing does not cause the pencil “lead” to get longer) and an extra-long twist-out eraser, so much the better. In addition, I carry erasers. Specifically, I prefer the mechanical stick that holds one giant, long, white eraser (like the kind found on the back of most mechanical pencils). I also carry a highlighter and a colored pencil, as well as pens. In pens, I also prefer a larger, cushioned grip and, although roller balls are nice, I’ve found the Bic Velocity to be very reliable (black, medium point). I use pen to write out notes or a problem for students, so they can write in pencil and clearly see a difference between their work and the original problem/notes.

Preferred: Pentel Twist-Erase 0.7mm Pencil, Pentel Click-Eraser, and Bic Velocity (medium point, black ink)

Rather than continuing to stick pencils in the little pocket that holds my phone or waste time rummaging around in my tote, I just got the cutest pencil case for them – I’m not a Hello Kitty fan, I’m a nerd and a fan of nerds and I just found this adorable. (For fun, I also bought the matching scarf.)

Hello Kitty Nerd Pencil Case (and Scarf)

Surprise, surprise! − I also carry a calculator. Actually, make that two calculators. At least. My main calculator is a TI-84 Plus Silver Edition graphing calculator. Most students and schools use a TI-83+ or TI-84+, and the buttons and functions are nearly identical. It is a must-have for all students in Pre-Algebra and above in helping students check their work, make larger conceptual connections, etc. (I’ll get into the pros and cons of calculator use at a later date.) I used my TI-85 through middle school, high school, and college (until its untimely demise after accidentally falling into my soup – calculators can survive plain water, but not broth or sugar-laced tea or any other liquid that may have crystallized flavoring dissolved in it). I purchased the calculator that had a pink faceplate and case because it makes it easier to spot in my purse and it is easier to recognize (although I do write my name on the back in Sharpie annually). My second calculator, which I generally keep in the car, is a TI-34II scientific calculator. It shows two lines and follows the order of operations. I use this with my younger students or for random “I-wonder-how-much-” musings at a traffic light. My third calculator I just received as a Christmas gift from my baby brother, Jay. He’s a big-time software engineer for a video game company now (I’m very proud of him), and he tries to stay on top of the latest. In this case, the latest is the Casio PRIZM fx-CG10 color graphing calculator. It shows dynamic graphs (for example, possible graphs for y = 3x² + 5x + c), systems of inequalities (each in a different color), and can do all sorts of other things. I’m still trying to figure it out. So, I carry it around to fiddle with if I have some free time (I try to run early whenever possible, even if I know the student won’t be home from until our appointment time).

My Calculators (L-R): TI-84+ Silver Edition graphing calculator, TI-34II scientific calculator, and Casio PRIZM fx-CG10 color graphing calculator

I tried to decide whether to carry other mathematical instruments: protractor, compass, ruler, etc. They seemed like things I’d easily break or lose. Then, I found the tin-cased “Staedler Mathematical Tools”, which includes mechanical pencil, pen, stick eraser, compass, compass pencil, pencil sharpener, 6″ plastic ruler, protractor and 2 triangles. They’re not perfect, but it’s compact, light, stays shut, and looks nice.

Staedler Mathematical Tools Kit

Finally, it’s really helpful to have reference textbooks. My car and home are filled with them. I buy them used from Amazon.com for roughly $5 each,  including shipping, and they’re hugely useful for visual explanations, practice problems, and just to back up hunches. However, they are also heavy. Which is why I love my Amazon Kindle and bring it to see every student. The publisher CK-12 offers free Kindle textbooks. They’re not perfect by any means. However, it is really great to have if we need an additional resource, especially for upper- and college-level math and science courses. I currently have 7 textbooks on my Kindle, along with useful (and fun) reading material so I can help students work on reading comprehension and games like EveryWord. I have a second generation, 6″ Kindle with Wi-Fi capability. The larger screen just seems too large to be as easily portable and the digital ink is easy on the eyes, although you do need an external light source (lamp/sun) to read it. A note about other, similar devices. I’m also not sure of whether other devices have as wide an availability of texts and books, or if they are in fact more flexible. Although the black-and-white version of the Nook uses the same digital ink as the original Kindle, the full-color Nook has an LCD screen like the iPad, which is harsher on the eyes. In other words, I just love my Kindle but I suggest you do your research before buying an e-reader.

Amazon Kindle, 6" screen, 2nd gen.

As a side note, hygiene is always an issue. I also make sure to keep tissues and antibacterial gel handy. Tissues must be at least 2-ply, and I get my antibacterial gel from Bath and Body Works in Fresh Market Apple (which smells light and fruity, not alcohol-rich or cloyingly sweet). If a student is sniffling, I wipe my nose and use the gel and offer each to my student. I also have very dry skin so I keep L’Occitane shea butter hand cream to keep my skin intact (it’s amazing) and band-aids nearby just in case. I always, always use one or the other, or both, before leaving my car.

Hygiene: Kleenex Tissues, Fresh Market Apple Anti-Bacterial Gel by Bath & Body Works, L'Occitaine shea butter hand cream, and Band-Aids

As I get new materials, or decide to rave about the functionality of a particular item, I will definitely be posting more about the contents of my tote.