2011 Personal Mini Challenges

We've been mulling over the success or failure of the mini challenges we set this past year. I think it might be time to start setting our new mini challenges for 2011. Perhaps those of us that bit off more than we could chew last year will even be realistic this year.

I met two of my three goals in 2010, and came within a single book on the third one. But the more I read, the harder it will get, so my goals will be modest for 2011:

1. Finish the unfinished 2010 goal, of getting all ten sections in the 97x division. I have one book left, which is on my TBR shelf, so this should be a slam-dunk.

2. Get three sections total in my three most underdone classes of 2xx, 1xx, and 4xx. (So this could be one of each, or three of one, etc.)

3. Get all ten divisions in another class -- most likely by reading How to Lie with Statistics for a 31x.

I also hope to get 10 sections total overall, but that's not a mini-challenge so much as just an overall goal. That's considerably less than my 2010 total, but more or less by definition the remaining categories are less well-populated or less interesting to me, so I think it's not unreasonable.

I also hope to

I didn't meet my 2010 goal of bringing my total number of sections up to 100, so I'm going to try to be more modest in my goals for 2011.

1. Bring my total number of sections read up to 100.
Total books needed: 8

2. Complete two new sections in 000, 100, 400, 500 & 800.
Total books needed: 10

3. Revisit two sections currently filled with books read prior to starting the challenge or audio books.
Total books needed: 2

4. Finish the Federalist Papers. Yes, this book deserves it's own challenge.
Total books needed: 1

Because the books read in the first two challenges will overlap the minimum number of books I will need to read to finish is just 13. Which is a lot better than the 32 book challenge I set myself up with last year.

I'm still considering whether to make any explicit goals. I generally can't resist the temptation of planning, but it is a bit silly when I come up with goals and proceed to ignore them. We'll see.

I missed both goals last year but I'll try again.

I'd like to get 3 new divisions in the 800s so I have one of each. I need one each of 85x, 86x, and 87x.

I'd like to read one new division each in the 100, 200, and 400 classes.

That's only 6 books which isn't too bad. As a bonus it will put me over the halfway point in terms of total divisions.

5>

I'd like to read one new division each in the 100, 200, and 400 classes.

Good luck! Those are absolute bears. I'm looking forward to seeing what you get, and hopefully will get some ideas. (I have a couple TBR sections in the 400s -- In the Land of Invented Languages is a 499 that sounded really interesting, but not a new division for me since I have a 493, and The Last Speakers is 408 but 40x is probably the easiest division to get in the 4xx, so probably not helpful for you.)

As a bonus it will put me over the halfway point in terms of total divisions.

Cool!

5 & 6> They're tricky classes, but that doesn't mean you won't find some excellent books to read in them. I got myself a copy of The Moral Landscape (171) after listening to Sam Harris give this lecture and I'm pretty excited about it. It's essentially flying in the face of tradition and arguing that a scientific approach is not only useful in determining human values, but that it is the best means to do so.

>6 lorax:,7

I've only got one of each so I don't think I'll have any problems finding a few. They're not things I normally gravitate to though, so that's why I've singled them out. I agree that in the long run they're going to be tough to make serious progress on.

>6 lorax: Thanks for reminding me about The Land of Invented Languages; that's one I'd like to get around to eventually.

I still haven't set any particular goals for the year yet.

I don't think I'm setting any particular goals for the year. Plenty of books on my shelves will fill in new categories, so I'll just read what strikes my fancy.

So how are we doing on our mini-challenges, or just in general for people who didn't set specific challenges? I've managed the second on my list, with two 4xx, one 2xx and one 1xx, but that 971 is still languishing unread on my shelf, and I haven't even ordered How To Lie With Statistics yet.

Congratulations Lorax! Since I am not far into my challenge, I'd like to read a 200 and a 400 to get one per category. _Zoe_, I just ordered Land of invented languages. My son gave me an computer language immersion program in Klingon so this book will be interesting. Also ordered Lost languages so will see which one I start when both have arrived. And have possibilites for 200.

I just love the way LT has influenced my reading. I've discovered so many books though these challenges. Thank you all.

I've read two of my six targets, so that puts me one book behind at the half way point. I've added one division in the 200s and one in the 800s.

I've got the other four picked out so I think I'll still make it.

I didn't list any goals at the beginning of the year, but I'll mention a few now. I'm still making reasonable progress just by chance, so I won't necessarily make much effort to complete these, but it's nice to have them in mind anyway:

1. Complete a book from each 93x category (ancient history). Currently 6/10. I have Egypt, China, India, and North-Western Europe remaining.

2. Complete a book from each 97x category (North American history). Currently 4/10, but two of those were in the past year, so I'm optimistic.

3. Complete a book in each 200 division (religion). Currently 6/10. The 210s should be easy; lots of popular books about atheism. Christian history should also be fine; there are several there that I want to read. The 250s include Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr. (I should add that to the wiki as something potentially interesting, since the Texts of Sermons category is looking pretty bare). I don't have a particular plan for the 260s, but maybe The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton.

I've finished 6/13 and I'm falling behind. I've got plenty good books to work with, I just haven't had much time for reading.

14> I'm planning on reading Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God for my sermon. Somehow I don't think it will be dull.

>15 fundevogel: Heh, that one does look like it might be interesting!

My main goal for the DD challenge at the moment is to list what I've already read, so I can see where I stand. Toward this goal, a major accomplishment: every single book that I physically possess is now cataloged in LT. The final batch is not yet tagged, not yet collectioned, not yet shelved (though placed in categorized stacks below the eventual locations), but I now have an empty patch of floor in my office where the daunting triple deep stacks of books had been since I removed them from boxes over a year ago.

17> That's impressive. That initial cataloging on LT is a massive undertaking.

In #12, I said that I need a 200 and a 400:

The life and times of Jacob Albright by Kenneth R. Good
and
In the land of invented languages : a celebration of linguistic creativity, madness, and genius by Arika Okrent
are my 2 books.

Now that I have at least one in each of the 10 main classes, the next goal is to get one book in 2 divisions in each of the classes: I need 100, 200, 400 and 600.

I'd still like to complete my favorite parts of the DDC: the 300s, 500s, 800s, and 900s
1. 310s
2. 370s
3. 580s
4. 870s
5. 880s
6. 930s
7. 980s
8. 990s

And I'd like to start getting completist... 9 sections would complete 3 divisions: the 300s, the 570s, and the 970s
1. 300
2. 301
3. 309
4. 575
5. 579
6. 971
7. 975

Potential books that would do this:
How to lie with statistics
three cups of tea
oaxaca journal
protagoras and meno
the iliad
the odyssey
helen
protagoras and meno
time detectives
archaeology detectives
aguirre: the re-creation of a 16th century journey across south america
mcmafia
why is sex fun?
ants, indians, and little dinosaurs
pirates on the chesapeake
the swamp
Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
the rape of the nile
the greening of america
the trumpet of conscience

I'm finally reading Vikings! by Magnus Magnusson, and once I'm finished, that will complete the 940s--my first completed division.