It turns out we like things when we have the opportunity to pine for them in anticipation and also to think about them fondly as a memory. ‘Liking’ something happens on a continuum of past, present and future according to the fascinating book about tastes, You May Also Like by Tom Vanderbilt.
Even as you are looking forward to something, you are looking backward at the memory of the last time you enjoyed it. As Pascal once lamented, The present is never our end. The past and the future seem to dominate our thoughts. Perhaps it is the simple fact that the past and the future last longer than the present. We try and ‘live for the moment’, but how long is that moment before it’s already a memory. That so many people photograph their memorable meals speaks not only to how fleeting the experience may be, but to how photographing it helps to actually make it memorable
You May Also Like by Tom Vanderbilt
Read the review: You May Also Like by Tom Vanderbilt
Ever wondered why you like some things and dislike others? The answers may surprise you. ‘You May Also Like’ is a bubbly, effervescent, fun, erudite and informative book that I managed to breeze through in only one evening. It was so incredible that I bookmarked almost every second or third page. It’s just one of those books. Each page gives you an AHA moment of recognition (as Oprah would say). It turns out that our unique pastimes, preferences and peccadilloes are not as specific to you as an individual as you may have thought!
Content Catnip 