Tuesday is my thirty-third birthday. I was thinking of taking a week off. But, consistency is an important thing, right? So, this week will be a bit short.

A short, concise idea

History is context, and context is important. No matter the endeavor, you’ve gotta know where you came from. It’s awkward if you’re No Doubt when Blondie existed decades prior. Struggling on solved problems, or unsolvable problems, is not how you invent the future. Making something that becomes part of history means knowing enough history to build upon the things that worked, discard the things that didn’t work, and work around the immovable boulders.

A lengthy, extraordinary article

Prior to writing Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson wrote an epic-length article on how fiberoptic data lines connect the islands and mainlands of the world. If you’ve read Cryptonomicon, this is a great prologue that adds intriguing color to the novel. If you’ve never read Cryptonomicon but have heard people like myself rave about it, consider this a useful first step. If you can get through this umpty-thousand word piece (this is possibly the transition from easy-reading Stephenson to exquisitely-detailed Stephenson), you are ready to tackle Cryptonomicon in all its rewarding depths.

Next week I’ll return to thousand-plus word form. Gird your inboxes and reading lists!