I guess it is only a matter of time to be tagged, if you are involved in the Blogosphere. I am a bit short on time, so I cannot go into depth on my choices. I remember as a kid always being being asked, “Dude what three albums would you bring on a deserted island?” and never being able to narrow down all the music in the world to three choices, so today these choices are off the top of my head and have not involved too much thought. After all books are my life and I can answer each of the following questions a million different ways. These are just the answers that came to me this Sunday afternoon as I filled in the blanks:
1: One book that changed your life:
People’s History of the Untied States by Howard Zinn. Although it was fairly late in my life, this book more than any other radicalized me and opened my eyes to the true nature of the American government. I have since read Chomsky and Tariq Ali and others, but Zinn’s tome is the quintessential read for anyone who wants to understand the nature of both domestic and foreign American policy. I think it was Marx who said that history is written by the winners, well this is the story of the struggle made by the people of the US. Starting with the genocide of the native population to the Vietnam War and beyond, this is a must read for anyone who considers politics a worthy topic.
2: One book you have read more than once:
There are so many great books that I have yet to read that I rarely read books twice. But I have read Big Sur and The Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch by Henry Miller at least twice, and I am looking forward to reading it again soon. In this book we fined an older, gentle, more mature Miller discussing the role of Art and his life in Big Sur during his older years.
3: One book you would want on a desert island:
I think I would want a definitive collection of Rumi’s poems. Because realistically how many times can a person read a novel or non-fiction book. But Rumi’s poems like wine, open up, and deliver something new every time they are read. I think they would stimulate me intellectually and spiritually.
4: One book that made you laugh:
Anything by Dave Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty Someday and Naked come to mind. I seldom laugh out loud when reading, but Sedaris is the master of comedy writing.
5: One book you wish had been written:
I am sure this has been written, but a readable history of the fall of the Roman Empire. Something not too academic, but all-inclusive that will show us the signs as our empire collapses.
6: One book you wish had never had been written:
Anything by Ann Coulter.
7: One book that made you cry:
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. I think this may be the perfect novel. Funny, sad, insightful and beautifully written.
8: One book you are currently reading:
The Autobiography of Ghandi. It is called My Experiment with Truth. I am 175 pages into it and it is a bit slow. He is currently in South Africa and starting his work in public service. I hope it gets better.
9: One book you have been meaning to read:
Anything by Trotsky and Das Capital. I know it is ambitious, but I hope to get to it someday.
10: Now tag five people:
1. Chronicles of Me
2. HoboPoet
3. The Vapid Lemur
4. Journey's With Jood
5. Life's journey
1: One book that changed your life:
ReplyDelete"the years of the locust" by loula grace erdman
2: One book you have read more than once:
i am embarrassed to say it is a book called "serial killers" and has bundy, gacy, and quite a few more
3: One book you would want on a desert island:
"war and peace" unabridged. i keep meaning to read it.
4: One book that made you laugh:
i don't read many funny books- but i do have fun reading the harry potter series.
5: One book you wish had been written:
perhaps someone should write a coffee table book about ancient serial killers if and when they were caught.
6: One book you wish had never had been written:
"cujo" was like watching paint dry.
7: One book that made you cry:
"the yearling," "a separate piece," "the red pony"- i am very emotionally involved in my reading.
8: One book you are currently reading:
"our endangered values" by jimmy carter, "lord of chaos" by robert jordan(book six in wheel of time series)
9: One book you have been meaning to read:
"founding mothers" by cokie roberts(it's a loaner from a friend), "the complete book of american presidents" by william degregorio
thanks bz- i hope everything is going goodly for you and your family. i have been heavy hearted lately but my husband and i had a good talk last night and i am going to continue the good fight. maybe i will get a chance to read my books- but i enjoy reading the living blogs by others more lately.
ReplyDeleteInteresting choices, BZ. I need to read Trotsky and Das Kapital also. Time is the hardest commodity to find, though.
ReplyDeleteOh, lordy BZ. I just got double tagged, by you AND Spooky Pete. So I put it up on my blog.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting community exercise to see what people are reading. Thanks.
1. One book that changed your life: Cat's Cradle, Vonnegut (during the formative years, you know)
ReplyDelete2. One book you have read more than once: Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Wolfe
3. One book you would want on a desert island: Brother's K, Wallace
4. One book that made you laugh: Most poem collections by Bukowski
5. One book you wish you had written: Artist of the Floating World, Ishiguro
6. One book you wish had never been written: DaVinci Code, Brown
7. One book that made you cry: Stones in the River, Hegi
8. One book you are currently reading: Corrections, Franzen
9. On book you have meaning to read: Atonement, McEwan
Good list man! Thanks for the tag...
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI wasn't tagged but I am still going to answer these questions as a voracious reader:
1. One book that changed your life:
"The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck. Read it at 10 years old and suddenly realised there was a lot more to the world than middle class New Zealand life
2. One book you have read more than once:
"Eight Ball Chicks" - written with first hand accounts of female gang members in LA. Scary, amazing, frightening, couldn't put it down.
3. One book you would want on a desert island: The Penguin History of New Zealand by Michael King
4. One book that made you laugh: anything in the Shopaholic series
5. One book you wish had been written: a codice of the ancient Maya........there are way too many conspiracy theories :-)
6. One book you wish had never been written: none - everyone is entitled to tell a story even if it is completely rubbish
7. One book that made you cry: "Man and Boy" by Tony Parsons
8. One book you are currently reading: "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt
9. One book you have been meaning to read: "A Suitable Boy" by Vikram Seth and also something my husband bought "A guide to the state of the world"