Many are certain to know his award winning 1998 book The Professor and the Madman which was also transformed into the eponymous 2019 film starring Sean Penn. Though he didn’t use the German word zettelkasten in the book, he tells the story of philologist James Murray’s late 1800s collaborative 6 million+ slip box collection of words and sentences which when edited into a text is better known today as the Oxford English Dictionary.
If you need some additional motivation to check out his book, I’ll use the fact that Winchester, as a writer, is one of the most talented non-linear storytellers I’ve ever come across, something which many who focus on zettelkasten output may have a keen interest in studying.
Book club anyone? (I’m sort of hoping that Dan Allosso’s group will pick it up as one of their next books after Donut Economics, but I’m game to read it with others before then.)
Book released on 4/25/2023; Book acquired on 4/26/2023
For info, Winchester’s ‘The Professor and the Madman’ is entitled ‘The Surgeon of Crowthorne’ in the U.K.
It sounds as if this book might come in useful if ever I get to my next major project (after the current one), so I’ve just ordered a copy. Would be more than happy to do some sort of bookclub.
I’d like to join any book clubs. Book acquired.
I am down to join the bookclub (before Dan even finishes his bookclub) (Since this aligns with my research interests!)