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You Are Currently Watching: Neal Stephenson is Awesome
Posted In: All Videos, Personal VideosComments: 76 Responses
I have been focusing on things that make me mad lately. Which, you know, was kind of what I started The Resident for anyway.
But I also have used it to showcase people and things I like, too. So this week I thought it was time to show off a new super favorite of mine, writer Neal Stephenson.
A friend had lent me his book, “Snow Crash,” because I had expressed to him the giant black hole in my life at that time, no new good writers for me to explore. About two chapters in, I was hooked.
About a year and a half later, I own every book Mr. Stephenson has written. And they are all supremely dog-eared. Each one is better than the next. Each one has infinite amounts of laughter, wisdom, poetry and hope to offer.
And one is actually 3,000 pages long. If you’ve ever read a 3,000 page book – besides the Bible, get over yourself – then you probably have experienced the kind of grieving sensation I had when finishing Mr. Stephenson’s opus, The Baroque Cycle (which actually spans several books, but is still kind of ONE BOOK). I miss all the characters and their world.
So I thought I’d tell you about this guy, Mr. Neal Stephenson, so that you too can live in that world and make it come alive again.
In all the worlds he creates, actually: go live in them for a while and enjoy. Whether you are a sci-fi nut or a romantic, there is truly something for everyone in his body of work.
July 30th, 2010 at 11:53 am
[..YouTube..] i love you
July 30th, 2010 at 11:54 am
[..YouTube..] @Anom565 “POOR IMPULSE CONTROL” I still laugh about that.
July 30th, 2010 at 11:55 am
[..YouTube..] sounds like a genieous
July 30th, 2010 at 11:57 am
[..YouTube..] @Anom565 It’s awesome, love it.
July 30th, 2010 at 11:57 am
[..YouTube..] @Twostones00 Yes, glasses = smart, listen to me, right? haha
July 30th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
[..YouTube..] He’s been my favorite author since 1993. I’m so glad you made this video. You could talk about the Waterhouse family, the Shaftoe family across the books. Daniel Waterhouse and Jack Shaftoe are more real to me than my neighbors. You should caution people that they will need to keep a good dictionary close by.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
[..YouTube..] nice
July 30th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
[..YouTube..] I boobmarked this video. Intelligent and informative absolutely sexy as well!
July 30th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
[..YouTube..] @theresident You would look out of place in the library without the “librarian glasses”.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
[..YouTube..] I can’t even fathom reading a 3000 page book! Props to The Resident for being such a book fiend.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
[..YouTube..] Hi Lori,thanks for picking up one of my favourite authors.Currently I’ve read “Cryptonomicon” and started with the Baroque Cycle (“Quicksilver”) in last years December.Neal understands to blend fiction and facts.One can learn a lot about history as well as getting acquainted with new ideas while he skilfully weaves in new ideas.Sometimes I thought about how life would have been, if destiny took some other ways at some stage…Joe.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
[..YouTube..] @chungdanield You just have to start. These books are so great, that they carry you away in a blink and you don’t even realise, that it’s 4 a.m. already.Trust me.Joe.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
[..YouTube..] @joecounter Definitely know what you mean. I was always lost in a book or three probably until I got into college. Now I’m 22, and I’ve reduced my texual input to short web snippets and headlines.
. Thanks Mr. Counter for the encouragement!
July 30th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
[..YouTube..] @chungdanield You are welcome, my friend.But don’t let your studies slip…
Joe.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
[..YouTube..] Lori what is this “Hey People” I thought all of us has been your friends for a while. lol Ok so you don’t like us any more I understand.
I don’t know whether to give you a thumbs up or down. Hmmmmm. Thumbs up for such a great video about a great Aurthur.:-) that is the way you spell Aurthur isn’t it? my bad
July 30th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
[..YouTube..] why mohamad rape his own aunt?
July 30th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
[..YouTube..] I will. I already read Plato and Sokrates. Also interesting.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
[..YouTube..] You look so much prettier with glasses. (sorry, that’s a left-handed compliment, but I’ll let it stand because it was my first thought when I watched this video) remember, only in Hollywood does wearing glasses make you ugly
July 30th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
[..YouTube..] I love Cryptonomicon.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
[..YouTube..] The outfit looks awesome! :3
July 30th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
[..YouTube..] You are beautiful with your glasses on!Best video in my book. Do this some more.
July 30th, 2010 at 8:46 am
Hmm, I just might take a look at Neal’s books. Thanks, Lori.
July 30th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
[..YouTube..] 2:10… is this possibly why I don’t care, and never did care about sports? (I work in an artistic field.) I don’t fit-in with most guys at parties or BBQs because all they talk about is sports and their favorite players. I tried to get into watching sports on TV like most normal guys, but I just get bored.I never knew why this was, but Resident, I think you just explained it! Come to think of it, my normal guy friends ARE bored with their lives.Thanks for the book recommendation!
July 30th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
[..YouTube..] Hello,Lori.Reading is good, but trying to turn down the corner of a page on a kindle or some such reader, may void the warranty…
July 30th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Love Neil Stephenson … great stuff. If you get them from Audible, in some cases, he actually reads them too, so you get the story told to you by the author.
Thanks Lori.
July 30th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
[..YouTube..] Ah I love u resident! You’re a woman of my heart (in a platonic sense ofcourse)I love ur devotion to philosophy
July 30th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
[..YouTube..] will you read them to me as we fall asleep for the night?
July 30th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
[..YouTube..] I just had a flash back to my childhood show “Reading Rainbow” . lol
July 30th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
[..YouTube..] There’s no prescription lenses in those glasses, right Rez?
July 30th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
[..YouTube..] Snow Crash ftw!
July 30th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
[..YouTube..] What I’m reading now: The Rockefeller File, by Gary Allen.It’s all about the family that started America’s biggest (and legal) mafia, that today continues in the form of the CFR and the banking cartel.
July 30th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
[..YouTube..] Definitely gonna check him out! His books sounds very interesting. Thank you! Have a great week, Lori
July 30th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
[..YouTube..] I love the part about the corporate jisms.
July 30th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
[..YouTube..] Sounds like Mr. Stephenson is well acquainted with Frederick Taylor and his work, “The Principles of Scientific Management”. I’ll put Neal on the “to-do” list without a second to waste!
July 30th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
[..YouTube..] great shirt Res
July 30th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
[..YouTube..] Neal Stephenson? good choice. As a complete nerd, Snow Crash is my favorite.
July 30th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
[..YouTube..] I’ve sold some copies of Anathem. The worst part of the job is that I’m surrounded by thousands of books at work, but we aren’t allowed to read any of them.
July 30th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
[..YouTube..] Keep your voice down in the library!
July 30th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
[..YouTube..] please visit us at Saudi arabia !! I will be your host ; you will love it for sure . Please say yes
July 30th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
[..YouTube..] Sounds groovy. I’ve always been interested in reading something by Stephenson but haven’t had the balls to invest my time in one of his large books. You have persuaded me to give one a try. This video makes me happy.
July 31st, 2010 at 1:02 am
[..YouTube..] Her shirt sucks.
July 31st, 2010 at 1:07 am
[..YouTube..] cool.
July 31st, 2010 at 1:25 am
[..YouTube..] Some people can really wear glasses – yes, I can see Craig Ferguson saying you have the “naughty librarian” look going here. ^_^
July 31st, 2010 at 1:30 am
[..YouTube..] My summer project has been to read The Baroque Cycle. Great stuff! Crazy cool to hear The Resident talk about Stephenson
July 31st, 2010 at 2:48 am
[..YouTube..] In a nutshell: For thousands of years people farmed and hunted their own food and built their own houses. They didn’t need to pay anyone for anything to live of off what God gave. Then one day, a certain greedy individual wanted more power and wealth beyond what God provided. He made himself king and began to use violence and intimidation to threaten farmers to give him tribute or be killed. This was the beginning of government , “the system” or civilization or whatever you want to call it.
July 31st, 2010 at 3:00 am
[..YouTube..] on of my favorite books is The Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen
July 31st, 2010 at 5:48 pm
[..YouTube..] I want to merry with you! I mean not precisely now, but you are the perfect woman. Smart, sharp and very beautiful
July 31st, 2010 at 1:18 pm
cool! i check em out
July 31st, 2010 at 6:59 pm
[..YouTube..] Diamond AgeorA Young Ladies Primer,Is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Shows for still remembering it.
July 31st, 2010 at 7:42 pm
[..YouTube..] @kredit787 That’s not even good fiction.
August 1st, 2010 at 2:34 am
[..YouTube..] why is it when speak for an african amreican you sound mean
August 1st, 2010 at 8:54 am
[..YouTube..] @Neueregel I know… I was just giving Lori a hard time. XD
August 1st, 2010 at 8:59 am
[..YouTube..] You have nice
August 1st, 2010 at 9:00 am
[..YouTube..] I love your
August 1st, 2010 at 2:30 pm
[..YouTube..] He is truly an amazing author and must be able to write in his sleep to be so prolific!
August 1st, 2010 at 5:46 pm
[..YouTube..] Hey! Lori its nice to see you hit the books again, last time you did, it was the reason I ended up on these You Tubes ,it was back in 2007 when you did [Tribute to Kurt Vonnegut] & I wanted to give you 5 stars …bingo I had to create an account,its all your fault
I think you may like a book called [Barbarians to Bureaucrats: Corporate Life Cycle Strategies] although it’s written a bit dry-ish for most ladies taste but you are not the mostYou think you are cynical now? Just wait….Gaus
August 1st, 2010 at 7:04 pm
[..YouTube..] @KillJesus Dick
August 1st, 2010 at 7:05 pm
[..YouTube..] @ahuachapan2 Why wait? She’s obviously a catch so propose now, don’t let her get away.
August 1st, 2010 at 9:48 pm
[..YouTube..] 1:02 Hot Damn, I’m in love with the Librarian!
August 1st, 2010 at 11:51 pm
[..YouTube..] i might check out the Diamond Age.. i’m in for an acid trip XD
August 2nd, 2010 at 12:39 am
[..YouTube..] Ok so…The problem you have working in an office, is because you would need a position of significance?If so, isn’t that everybody’s problem? To work towards that position?I do need to start reading again, thanks.
August 2nd, 2010 at 2:07 am
[..YouTube..] @CrowValen I know you are, but what am I?
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
[..YouTube..] Loved Snow Crash. His vision of a dystopia was so much more realistic than Orwell’s or Huxley’s.
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:03 am
[..YouTube..] you are a most curious entity, Lori….
August 4th, 2010 at 2:56 am
[..YouTube..] Olaf Stapledon….I say no more…but I will check this cat out that you love so much. Thanks for being so thoughtful!
August 4th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
[..YouTube..] She said “problem” hahahaShe also said “stick”
August 4th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
[..YouTube..] I met this chick on the subway.
August 4th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
[..YouTube..] My buddy loved Stephenson in high school. Maybe I should check him out.
August 5th, 2010 at 1:38 am
[..YouTube..] gracias por el la recomendación, siempre e querido lee un buen libro pero nunca lo e comprado, ha, ,, algún día boya leer mi primer libro ha
August 7th, 2010 at 12:54 am
[..YouTube..] I loved the second political quote enough to put Neal into my “Authors to purchase from” list. Thanks Lori.
August 18th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
[..YouTube..] Nice Wifebeater Tank Top
August 22nd, 2010 at 3:17 am
[..YouTube..] Thank God therez mention it was an african american or I would have thought she was a racist. I’m not the only one who thought this because I suspect that therez thought the same thing as well which is why she felt compelled to interject ‘its an african american character’.
August 24th, 2010 at 3:03 am
[..YouTube..] How can you be this detailed oriented and totally get it wrong about your biofilter for water? wow??????
September 4th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
[..YouTube..] Thanks for your suggestion, I will definitely give it a try!
September 5th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
[..YouTube..] @timbosforporn , you are partially right.It’s BECAUSE of people like you, people who jump to a conclusion about the speaker’s intent, without all the facts, that she felt compelled to preface that quote.Your comment reflects your racism. If a black character says it, no problem. If a white person says it, she’s racist.
September 5th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
[..YouTube..] @mxp299l I was actually sarcastically pointing out that people feel a need to preface their statements in order not to be judged a racist by the PC crowd. I’m not sure where you are coming from but that was my intent.