Encyclopedias - Latest Entry Reads

This may be a single edition post or possible a series... We'll see what unfolds. It stemmed from a quick post about what i'm currently reading... And I struggled to paraphrase the important of and my love for Encyclopedias. So, this is my why, what version/edition right now and a few random word choices to share with you, literally for the joy of learning.

Why: When I was young, I idealized the scenes in Disney’s Matilda where she took her wagon to the library… I imagined myself as the ‘real life version’ of Matilda (if you haven't seen the movie... nevermind), I myself was going to the library and reading kids stuff for a moment then sneaking over to the adult books in search of the encyclopedias. Sometimes even pretending I didn’t understand the Dewey Decibel system when I became socially uncomfortable to be caught reading them. Because I had a belief that I would rather be ‘stupid’ than ‘smart’ … A long winded way to say I read them because I like being smart and learning and so I actually do things that fulfill my desires. Powerful. And fun.. more fun.

What, right now: Reading this particular edition because I hoped the edition I grabbed included ‘women’ and 'womb' as I was researching the etymology of those words and how I wanted to utilize them…. but it turned out to be the wrong alphabet section, so this was a sort of oops, but oh well already got this one:

It’s Funk & Wagnalls new standard encyclopedia of Universal Knowledge – volume XXIV treat – washings, I believed to be printed in 1973. I looked up verdict, Uriel & Typha. I also noted that astrological things aren’t mentioned through this entire publication… no ‘virgo’ listed in this edition as the latest support of that odd fact...

Hold on, you’re about to learn something:

“verdict, the finding of a jury upon the issues tried before it. It is the function of the jury to determine from the conflicting evidence and testimony before them what facts they consider to have been established and to make a proper application of the law relating thereto as charged by the court..”

“Uriel, one of the seven archangels, who personified ligt and had his swelling in the sun. He appears in Milton’s Paradise Lost…” – if you haven’t at least read bits of Paradise Lost…. You should add it to your “to read” list… (got your notebook? Read my little blurb about why I keep a notebook... not just for work notes)

“Typha, … marsh plants… It grows to the height of 5 or 6 feet. The astringent rootstocks are rich in starch…” … now to go Google and search: American Typha Latifolia

So there, you know what you just did… read an encyclopedia.

Be well friends,

Brittaney