It's funny how editing is such a different process from the construction of a chapter. When I began writing the chapter on whales the more pages I could add, the better. When my wife asked me about my progress I would say "I wrote [x] more pages today." Now that I'm editing I usually reply "I pared it down by another page or two."
At present I've gone through the whale chapter twice and it is 29 pages long, but I'm going to go through it one more time. At that point I'm going to give it a rest and work on another chapter, as taking a step back and working on something else might help me come back to it with a fresher perspective.
Unfortunately, I'm definitely not going to reach my goal of having 3-4 chapters prepared by the time the fall semester starts. I had less time than I thought to work on the book this summer, both because of my horrific summer math class and some unexpected writing opportunities that were of more pressing importance. Although I am disappointed that I didn't reach my goal, what I have now is much more like an actual book than the relatively loose connection of notes I had when I first started.
I've also been giving some thought as to why I am writing this book. I do feel that there is a need for it, that it has the potential to be important, but ultimately my motivations can be regarded as a bit selfish. Beyond feeling that I've got something to say and enjoying the process of writing, the book allows me to feel that I am making some sort of progress when I am otherwise unhappy with my job and my collegiate education. I am not going to neglect my responsibilities, but even if the book is never published it at least allows me to feel that I am doing something to move forward. Maybe it will help me, but it will be a long time before I find out.
Here is the latest iteration of the whale chapter, as summarized by Wordle;
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If it never gets published (though I hope it does) I would still love a chance to read it.