I Wanna Do Everything! An Essay on Dissipation, Arrogance, and the Life of the Mind by Sarah Penn

I Wanna Do EVERYTHING!
An Essay on Dissipation,
Arrogance, and the Life of the Mind
  by Sarah Penn

A lighthearted but serious look at
how it feels to be overwhelmed

Contents:

1. Not Necessarily Number One
2. Paralysis
3. The Imp of the Perverse
4. The Impotence of Godlessness
5. How to Crush Creativity in One Easy Lesson
6. Dichotomous Choices in a Field of Gray
7. Counting Coup
8. The Seven Ages of Woman
9. The Thinking Woman's Richard Brautigan
10. I Saw the Best Minds of Their Generation ...
11. Freedom, Individuality, and the Libertarian Paradox
12. The War Which is Peace; the Peace Which is War
13. The Eye of the Golden Needle
14. Save E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G-!
15. The Baby Anthropologist
16. From Pictures to Words - and Back Again?
17. A Travelogue
18. Sils Maria
19. The Hitchhiker s Guide to the Universe
20. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G-! is Not Enough
21. Ethyl Benzoate vs. Oleic Acid
22. Brownian Motion Without Causality

"I hesitate to try and categorize this book as to its 'theme.'
I see it as a celebration of the process of learning and
formulating ideas ... that turbulent process we go through
of connecting the dots. The joys of the examined life. Just
talking about 'ideas' in the abstract makes my eyes glaze
over but this book reads like an interesting conversation
... darting as conversations do from one topic to another
and liberally peppered with personal anecdotes, wit and
humor. She includes references to philosophers but in a
non-pedantic way. She also critiques our consumer culture
with its emphasis on self-interest and consumption and
its impact on education and thought. ... If you're tired
of constant conversations about sports and the organized
activities of other people's children and grandchildren,
grab a cup of coffee, curl up with this book and broaden
your perspective."
    - Mary Wehrheim, historian