This time: Desert Island Books

[jnerges]

Hi All,

I have been following the Music Association Challenge. It has been great fun. The posts are adding up. On my way home from work, I had a thought that is Airstream Related and similar to the Music Association Challenge.

Ever go to somebody's house and check out their book case? It will tell you a lot about them. Lots of adventure books? How to books? Fiction? Biographies?

In our quest to get the world wired, I don't ever see me giving up "books". There have been some books that have really made a difference in my life.

What books have you read that changed/ altered/ adjusted your life in a positive manner. Let me know what it is, I may have read it. Did you have a favorite part?

For example, one of my all time favorite books is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I can totally relate the Airstream lifestyle to a guy traveling around the country looking for something or someone.

My favorite part of the book is the Professor's discussion on what Quality is... exactly.

I also loved the Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, Oh, and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (I think), they made Apocalypse Now based on it.

I would really love to hear your thoughts

A book that changed your life. If you could only have 10 or 20 books, what would they be?

[jnerges]

Actually thought of one more:

Lord Jim. The Movie with Peter O' Toole didn't quite capture it though.

[eubank]

Lordy, that's a tough one. Having retired from the university, books were my stock in trade, and there were many hundreds of them. Sure, some stood out a lot, but there were just hordes of them. Plus a bunch of them that had nothing to do at all with univesity life, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance among them.

But life after the university has been a different story, with adjustments all over the place. One thing I've done is to learn a bunch about the southwest, especially Native American country and culture. And the two books that did more than any other in this regard are the following:

Fran Kosik, Native Roads. A really excellent guide for the Airstreamer wandering about the four corners area.

Marc Simmons, New Mexico: An Interpretive History. An extremely well-written and interesting history of the state, commissioned for the bicentennial of the nation.


Lynn

[love vintage]

Lord Jim... Conrad???

Born and raised "bookie", have Brownie "book-worm badge" to prove it! Passed on my addiction to both my chidren, who read before kindergarten. Daughter is persuing Masters in English Lit at UNB.

My Dad loved literature and words. We (brother and sister) were raised hearing and reading the words of Ogden Nash, Walt Whitman, Robert Service, Rudyard Kipling etc. etc... Cherish "Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" - my earliest childhood memory of books.

Would love to have a BOOK site forum. Go for it!

[jnerges]

Yep, it was Conrad. The guy didnt even speak English none two gud.

but his words can paint a picture.

So what do AS'ers read other than Airstream Life?

Lord Jim - Google Book Search