The Book Meme

i-425ddc2100dd6b3a07b6c876a006b749-oldbooks.jpgLast week, my Scibling* Janet tagged me with the Book Meme. There's also been an "old book" meme going about, sort of a do-it-yourself thing, so instead of doing separate posts, I just tacked an extra question on the end of this one:

1. One book that changed your life?
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig

2. One book you have read more than once?
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

3. One book you would want on a desert island?
Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air by Theodor Schwenk

4. One book that made you laugh?
Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book by Terry Jones and Brian Froud

5. One book that made you cry?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

6. One book you wish had been written?
Communication, Economy, and Culture: A Guide for Natives of Planet Earth

7. One book you wish had never had been written?
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (I'm tired of people who typically don't read anything (fiction or non) acting like it is some great non-fiction novel.)

8. One book you are currently reading?
Whose Freedom? by George Lakoff

9. One book you have been meaning to read?
The Value of Science by Henri Poincare

10. Your oldest books?

    I have a four volume set of The Outline of History by HG Wells published in 1925 (the 4th edition), but these are all a bit older:
  • Organic Chemistry by W.H. Perkin and F. Stanley Kipping (1911)

  • Four Centuries of Progress by Henry Davenport Northrop (1893)
  • Theory and Practice of Teaching by David P. Page, A.M. (1885)

11. Now tag five people -

  • Carel (whose antique book on sex inspired me to look through my old book collection.)
  • Abel Farmboy
  • John Wilkins
  • Donna
  • Diana (although I'll wait until she finishes moving out of state and fixing her blog.)
  • Any other bibliophiles. Enjoy!

Note: (*) They've been using "siblings" (lately "SiBlings") to refer to fellow ScienceBloggers since long before we newbies arrived. A few days ago, John Lynch of Stranger Fruit suggested "Sciblings" might be more appropriate. It's catchy, so I'm trying to be the first to drop it into mainstream use. (The credit still goes to John.)

More like this

Ohhhh. Looks like I started my very own meme :)

By John Lynch (not verified) on 31 Jul 2006 #permalink

I agree wholeheartedly with the DaVinci Code >_<

And while I was reading yours, I was mentally answering the questions with my collection, so as soon as I get things settled in, I'll be sure to answer them properly ^_^

Whew, I'm glad I'm not the only one who is sick of Dan Brown.

Jenna, I enjoyed this too... I love any excuse to look through my books. I think it is in the nature of the meme to have an unknown or ambiguous origin, though.

Even "scibling" may go mainstream, and they could forget where it came from. John, enjoy the glory while it lasts!

Hi,

1:"Ronja the Robber's Daughter", by Astrid Lindgren. One of the first books I got from the library and read in one afternoon (twice). It made me find my passion for reading. (Title litterally translated from Dutch)
2:"Gormenghast", by Mervyn Peake. I've read the first and second part three times each. Amazing atmosphere and characters. (Well, there's a lot of books i've read more than once, but I enjoyed rereading this one the most.)
3:"The Dark Tower", by Stephen King. For all the purists who say: "Whaaat!?", sorry, but on a deserted island, I don't want grandiose literature. I want a book that opens a door to another world. "The Dark Tower" does that for me.
4:"A History of the World in 10 and 1/2 Chapters", by Julian Barnes. A look at written history from the viewpoint of a woodworm. (Well not quite, but close enough)
5:"The Brothers Lionheart", also by Astrid Lidgren. Also a children's book, but even now, when I read it, tears come to my eyes at the same moment in the story. (Again: title literally translated.)
6:"Krijzeltand", by Kim Boone. Not yet, but I'm working on it. Or, to be less egocentric: "An Uncertain Guide On How To Live In An Uncertain World." Subtitle: "No Refunds."
7:Any religious or philosophical or ideological book that claims to have "The Truth".
8:"Emergence and Convergence", by Mario Bunge. A very interesting philosophical book about emergence of new properties on all levels, from molecular to biological to political. A generalization of the concept "emergence" across almost all ontological and epistemological levels. (BTW, Karmen, I think you would enjoy this one. It's got great points to argue for and/or against. Either way, it broadens one's mindfield...)
9:"I of the Vortex", by Rodolfo R. Llinas. I bought it two months ago,but I'll put it off 'till i've read Bunge's book. (and a fiction-book in between. Wouldn't want my brain/mind to overload.)
10:None worth mentioning. This question does remind me of some vinyl-freaks I know. I understand the attraction in old books or records, but hey, it's the content that counts, right... No, not always. Sometimes the history counts too, bigtime. That's why I cherish my old records.
11: Sorry, no can do

Kim, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to your list sooner. On your #3, I love the Dark Tower series, although I've grown tired of most of King's work. I understand your choice... it's the path of the beam, right?
On #8, I've looked at "Emergence and Convergence" in the bookstore, and thought I had it on my Amazon wish list. I didn't. I do now. :)

(One of these days, I'll add that to the side bar.)

Glad to help you remember.
And I'm not sure if I pointed your attention to this one on your old blog, but "Mother Nature" by Sarah Blaffer Hrding is also definitely worth the read. A synthetic look at evolutionary biology, ethology and developmental bio- and psychology, with the emphasis on mothers and their relation with their ofspring.

Kim, I got it on the list, although under the last name Hrdy. Thanks... she sounds like an interesting author... I'm rather curious now.

PS I'm not sure my Amazon link works. I guess I should get it right before adding it to a permanent part of the page.

Yep, Hrdy.
My mistake...

Am I a procrastinator or what? Still working on it, my friend - the oldest one is stumping me b/c I can't find my 1859 copy of Pilgrims' Progress and it is upsetting me - I can't answer in the affirmative if I can't locate it, right?. And, hey, is it my browser or are you missing a [/i] somewhere here?