Author: Vernon Gambetta

I have had many people ask me about my reading habits and interests. Inevitably the questions arise as to why I love to read so much? It takes a bit of explanation. My parents were immigrants who came to this country from Ticino, the Italian speaking Canton of Switzerland. My Dad went to the equivalent of the eighth grade in Switzerland and then had to work. My Mother went to school here in the states from the fourth through ninth grade and then was forced to drop out by her dad who did not think women needed to be educated, they needed to work. My mother prized education; I guess that is understatement, for her education was everything. My dad did but not to the same extent. They both did everything possible to make sure their sons got an education and succeeded. Success for them was that my brother and I got good jobs. Some of my earliest memories are of my mother taking me to the Santa Barbara public library and helping me pick out books. At night my mother used to read to me. When I was about eight years old she started reading books from the Landmark series on US History. The first book she read from that series was the Seven Cities of Cibola, about the De Soto expeditions into what is now the southwest of the US. That ignited my interest in history and Latin American history in particular, which was my area of study in college. You are probably thinking big deal my mother used to read to me also, the difference was that my mother was severely asthmatic, for her to read orally was a real ordeal, she used to have to use this big inhaler, but she was determined and that determination rubbed off on me. In ninth grade I could not take PE so I worked in the library instead (Osgood Slaughters). That opened the world of books even wider. Think of it a huge room full of books. Instead of putting books away as I was supposed to I used the hour to read whenever I could hide from the nun who the librarian. Thankfully when she recognized my interests she starting recommending books for me. The one who put over the top was Father Alexander, a Franciscan priest and principle of my high school, who was our English teacher in our junior and senior year in high school. Looking back he was a real cool guy, but at the time in his big brown robe, booming voice and that bald head, he was intimidating. The first week he told us that he would give us extra credit for reading. I needed all the extra credit I could get. No limits just read the book and then turn in the title, author and a two-sentence summary. That was all I needed, I took off and started reading with a vengeance. First it was Steinbeck then Hemingway, then Eugene Burdick and yes-even Catcher in The Rye (A book banned in the public schools – I guess was testing limts on that one. His comment was what did you think of Holden Caufield?). I have never looked back. My reading now is fairly eclectic. I like biographies, modern history, science, and some fiction. Of course much of my reading in consumed by my profession so there is an emphasis on sports science and technique books. For me there is no better way to gain knowledge and insights than a book. I will probably never own a Kindle or a device like that, there is no substitute for holding a book and being able to underline and write in the margins. I am so thankful for my mom who ignited my passion for learning through reading and Father Alexander who opened an even bigger world through his encouragement.