A “brick book” refers to a book that’s as thick as a brick. Some people find meaning in the term. They say that just as bricks are stacked to build a house, the knowledge in books builds brainpower. Since a standard brick is about 59 mm thick, you could reasonably say that a “brick book” is a book that’s at least 6 cm thick. In my mind, it’s a book with over 500 pages.
Examples of brick books include “Cosmos,” “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” “Sapiens,” “The Selfish Gene,” and “Inner Communication.” Many of us might have had a go at these books at some point but abandoned them halfway.
But most of these books are masterpieces. While they can be intimidating at first, finishing them brings a huge sense of accomplishment. I deeply admire the dedication of authors who write such long works.
have a go at - to make an attempt at (doing something)
intimidating - making you feel frightened or nervous
tome - a large, heavy book
decor - the colour, style, and arrangement of the objects in a room
‘벽돌책’은 벽돌처럼 두꺼운 책이라는 뜻이다. 일부 사람들은 벽돌로 집을 짓는 것처럼, 책 속 내용으로 지성을 쌓아 올린다고 의미 있는 해석을 하기도 한다. 일반적인 벽돌 두께가 약 59mm 두께이므로, 최소 두께 6cm는 되어야 ‘벽돌책’이라고 할 수 있을 것이다. 내 생각엔 500페이지 이상인 책이다.
벽돌책의 예를 들어 보자면 ‘코스모스’, ‘총, 균, 쇠’, ‘사피엔스’, ‘이기적 유전자’, ‘내면 소통’ 등이 있다. 많은 사람들이 이 책들을 읽어보려고 한 번쯤 시도했으나 중간에 포기한 책들 일 수 있다.
하지만 이런 책들은 대부분 명서이다. 처음에는 시작이 어려울 수 있지만, 끝까지 읽었을 때는 정말 뿌듯하다. 이렇게 긴 작품을 쓴 작가들의 정성이야 말로 정말 존경스럽다.
- Reading is the best way to build brainpower. / Children can build brainpower in many ways.
- In my mind, this is the best possible solution. / It seemed find in my mind.
- I do it for the sense of accomplishment, not the money. / The sense of accomplishment was the biggest reward.
A: Wow, these are some seriously thick tomes.
B: I’ve put them on my shelf for when I’m ready to read them someday.
A: That’s quite a collection!
B: I’m waiting for the day when these books call out to me, like fate.
A: Haha! Do you think that day will ever come?
B: I’m holding out hope. Meanwhile, they add to the decor. I’m happy just looking at them.
