TwiLyghtSansSparkles Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 I am a grad student. As such, I do a lot of reading. The books I read are….shall we say, less than interesting. I do my best to read them. I do my best to pay attention. Yet every time I get more than a few pages in, I find myself drawn, as if by a magnet, to more interesting works. Let's face it: Brandon Sanderson's works are addictive. Once they get going, it's nearly impossible to put one of his books down. And this is a problem for a student who just wants to finish her reading and pass her summer class. So. I have an idea. It's brilliant. It's crazy. And it's totally going to work. We get Brandon Sanderson to write our textbooks. I don't know how we'd do it. It'd involve a lot of fan letters, a lot of asking nicely, and probably a good deal of whining. But once he buckled down and did it—well, we'd have the perfect solution to grad school! A textbook that is nigh-impossible to put down—and a host of classes that are nigh-impossible to fail. There is no possible way this can't work, guys. It's foolproof. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argent Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 This touches on the biggest problem with textbooks - they are infodumps, not stories. Stories are interesting; infodumps are not. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgedancer Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 "...And so the 2 used the power of the division Surge on the 4, by doing so it managed to split it´s very existenc in half, bringing them down to equal footing..." This might just work. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatebreaker Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 (edited) I would take a class on surgebinding physics, cosmere biology(the section on kandra would be interesting), and the economics of allomancy. Edited September 17, 2014 by Fatebreaker 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 Ah, but then we'd never learn calculus because calculus is a seven-book prequel series that won't get published for another few decades. And you can't ask the teacher questions 'cuz he'll just tell you RAFO. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argent Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 I just thought about Brandon teaching particle physics and using the various magic systems of the cosmere to clarify different aspects... and then I realize how incredible backwards the whole thing is. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terisen Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 (edited) I wish someone would honestly try this approach to writing textbooks. It's not that they CAN'T be interesting and engaging, but most authors aren't willing to spend that kind of effort.Can you imagine how more successful student would be if they WANTED to read their textbooks? We just need to tell Brandon it's for the good of the children! Edited July 4, 2014 by Terisen 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of nowhere Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 when we make an imaginary world we tend to make it more intersting than the real one. plus, every intersting topic becomes boring if you have to know it well enough. generally when it starts involving complex math and stuff that is not intuitive anymore. That said, textbook writers could make an effort at least. But again, I've seen textbooks that tried to be engaging, and they were downright pityful. They weren't any more engaging that regular textbooks, and gave the impression that the authors considered you a retarded. I say, Sanderson's books can already be used for educational purposes, for learning language. I remember in my english classes being forced to read stupid books that were just as intersting as the phone book; if only I'd been asigned to read mmistborn over the summer vacations! Actually, my english was rather mediocre, before I started reading english stuff that was actually engaging; first the order of the stick, then i found the wheel of time, and then sanderson. I tried to get all my little cousins into sanderson, hoping I could get them to read my books in english (more to increase the fandom than to teach language, I admit). But so far, no success. I got one to become a sanderfan, and his little brother may follow him one he grows up, but he read the italian translation. Now I have some hopes to get him to read alcatraz in english, as there is no italian translation of it. The main obstacle is that I live in another country and only see him during vacation. Oh, and i have to give alcatraz to, like, a dozen people. It could be just the perfect tool to introduce sanderson to someone who isn't into epic fantasy. So my cousin will have to wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delightful Posted July 5, 2014 Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 (edited) This touches on the biggest problem with textbooks - they are infodumps, not stories. Stories are interesting; infodumps are not. Someone needs to teach textbook-writers how to integrate their information with dialogue, action and characterization. Sounds like they're all a bunch of amateurs writers. (No disrespect to amatuer writers, Every disrespect to boring textbooks ) @kingofnowhere, I presumed by 'the order of the stick' you meant Sanderson.....did you mean Sanderson? Edited July 5, 2014 by Delightful 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles Posted July 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 "...And so the 2 used the power of the division Surge on the 4, by doing so it managed to split it´s very existenc in half, bringing them down to equal footing..." This might just work. "But then the former 4, angered at the change brought upon him, called upon his ally the 7, making himself seven times more powerful than the 2 and 14 times more powerful than a simple 1." Yeah, that could work. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of nowhere Posted July 5, 2014 Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 @kingofnowhere, I presumed by 'the order of the stick' you meant Sanderson.....did you mean Sanderson? No, I mean the order of the stick by rich burlew. I'm not a fan just of sanderson. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delightful Posted July 6, 2014 Report Share Posted July 6, 2014 No, I mean the order of the stick by rich burlew. I'm not a fan just of sanderson. That's why I asked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paragrin Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 When you find yourself trying to read EVERY THEORY ON THIS SITE before you can actually do any theorizing. When you notice a copper tabletop in a restaurant and start looking for each Allomantic metal in the surroundings. There were a good few! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delightful Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 When you find yourself trying to read EVERY THEORY ON THIS SITE before you can actually do any theorizing. When you notice a copper tabletop in a restaurant and start looking for each Allomantic metal in the surroundings. There were a good few! Just don't eat the tabletop or your phone Also, I think you wanted the You Know You're A Sanderfan When thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paragrin Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 ...yeah, that's embarrassing. Links in threads... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delightful Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) Not a big deal Edit: I mean, you *should* post in the right thread. But no need to be embarrassed about a mistake like that. It happens. Edited July 10, 2014 by Delightful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles Posted July 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) 'Tis all right. It happens. Edited July 10, 2014 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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