Book Meme Blog As I mentioned previously, Ken tagged me with the book meme. So, without further ado:How Many Books I OwnI'm sure I can't estimate this properly. Not nearly as many as I would like. I've probably lost/lent/sold as many books as I currently have, at least. I've been slowly filling my computer room walls with bookshelves, and a quick count and estimate reveals about 700 books in here. There may be half again as many still in boxes and hidden away.Five Books That Have Influenced MeWhat, only 5? The Dispossessed, Ursula K. LeGuin.Strangely, this is the only fiction entry on my list. I read a lot of fiction, and my choosing only one is not an indication that I don't find it as worthy. It's just that I only get 5 books (yes, I'm going to keep complaining about that). So anyway, The Dispossessed makes the list because it fundementally changed my understanding of people. It's a story of an ambiguous utopia - an anarchy that only barely works. In spite of unanswerable questions about whether the described society could ever really exist, it makes an absolutely convincing argument that human beings inherently like to work. Not just for money, not just for gain, but for its own reward. And when one reflects on our current society and why it is that the opposite seems to be so thoroughly true, one can't help but wonder if the way things are now isn't horribly wrong for us.Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches : The Riddles of Culture, Marvin HarrisA populist anthropology book that is absolutely fascinating. Sometimes I wonder about things that just don't seem to make sense. Things we're all taught as true, but that we simply know can't possibly be true, but we're not experts, so we don't fight it. For instance, dogs will choke and die if they eat chicken bones (I feed my dogs raw chicken all the time). A moment of thought, of course, reveals that dogs would have failed long ago were that true.Marvin Harris tackles questions about human history, culture, and our beliefs about them. Why don't Jewish and Muslim people's eat pork? Because it's a dirty, diseased animal? How do you explain the Chinese then? Why don't Hindu's eat cows? Why do some cultures engage in cannibalism and other's not? Why don't Americans eat dogs and horses like so many others? Combine this one with Marvin's book, Our Kind, and see if you're not enthralled like me.It's better than Guns, Germs, and Steel :-). In Search of the Miraculous, P. D. OuspenskyI have to include this one, though it's not a book I recommend. Whereas the previous two books changed my understanding of people in general, this book changed my understanding of me. But reading this book occurred along with an experience with a Gurdjieff work group here in Rochester, which was a large part of the package. From this book and from that experience, I learned meditation in a way that I could understand and value, and I learned that all is not as it seems in my inner psychic life.Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code, Martin FowlerWell, I am a programmer, and this book finally captured (for me) what code design and management is all about. Fowler is the epitomy of concision and always packs his punch into the first few chapters of his books - the remainder existing to flesh out the details. This book was a revelation for me as a programmer.Underground History of American Education, John Taylor GattoI wasn't going to include this on my list, wanting to add more fiction (I wanted to put Lois McMaster Bujold in here as a whole for clarifying for me what story-telling should be about and why so many authors fail to be story-tellers, preferring to be show-offs instead. Hmm, I guess I got her in anyway :-). But, I can't deny the influence of this book on me - the author's writings helping to convince me that I would home-school my own children. I'd say that's a big influence!Last Book I BoughtThe Tyranny of the Night : Book One of the Instrumentalities of the Night, Glen Cook Well, I've been making my way through Glen Cook's books lately - just good fun.Last Book I read for the first timeBeasts, Joyce Carol OatsI got a whim to read an Oats novel, and this one seemed to get interesting reviews. Can't say that I really *got* it, though. I think it was supposed to shock me, but I didn't feel much shock. Kind of ho-hum, and a lot of money to pay for what is essentially a short story that should have just been in a magazine. Last book you read for the second timeHey, I'm adding a category to this book meme thing. After all, I wanna know what people read again. Anyway, a while back I re-read A Separate Peace by John Knowles because I remembered it from school as one of the few books I liked, and I recently saw the movie. It's still good :-) Not sure why I don't find it boring, but I just don't.Five other bloggers to tagHell, not sure I know 5 bloggers well enough to tag. Let's see:ViviWoolfelThat's all the bloggers I know - sorry!

As I mentioned previously, Ken tagged me with the book meme. So, without further ado:

How Many Books I Own

I'm sure I can't estimate this properly. Not nearly as many as I would like. I've probably lost/lent/sold as many books as I currently have, at least. I've been slowly filling my computer room walls with bookshelves, and a quick count and estimate reveals about 700 books in here. There may be half again as many still in boxes and hidden away.

Five Books That Have Influenced Me

What, only 5?

The Dispossessed, Ursula K. LeGuin.

Strangely, this is the only fiction entry on my list. I read a lot of fiction, and my choosing only one is not an indication that I don't find it as worthy. It's just that I only get 5 books (yes, I'm going to keep complaining about that).

So anyway, The Dispossessed makes the list because it fundementally changed my understanding of people. It's a story of an ambiguous utopia - an anarchy that only barely works. In spite of unanswerable questions about whether the described society could ever really exist, it makes an absolutely convincing argument that human beings inherently like to work. Not just for money, not just for gain, but for its own reward. And when one reflects on our current society and why it is that the opposite seems to be so thoroughly true, one can't help but wonder if the way things are now isn't horribly wrong for us.

Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches : The Riddles of Culture, Marvin Harris

A populist anthropology book that is absolutely fascinating. Sometimes I wonder about things that just don't seem to make sense. Things we're all taught as true, but that we simply know can't possibly be true, but we're not experts, so we don't fight it. For instance, dogs will choke and die if they eat chicken bones (I feed my dogs raw chicken all the time). A moment of thought, of course, reveals that dogs would have failed long ago were that true.

Marvin Harris tackles questions about human history, culture, and our beliefs about them. Why don't Jewish and Muslim people's eat pork? Because it's a dirty, diseased animal? How do you explain the Chinese then? Why don't Hindu's eat cows? Why do some cultures engage in cannibalism and other's not? Why don't Americans eat dogs and horses like so many others? Combine this one with Marvin's book, Our Kind, and see if you're not enthralled like me.

It's better than Guns, Germs, and Steel :-).

In Search of the Miraculous, P. D. Ouspensky

I have to include this one, though it's not a book I recommend. Whereas the previous two books changed my understanding of people in general, this book changed my understanding of me. But reading this book occurred along with an experience with a Gurdjieff work group here in Rochester, which was a large part of the package. From this book and from that experience, I learned meditation in a way that I could understand and value, and I learned that all is not as it seems in my inner psychic life.

Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code, Martin Fowler

Well, I am a programmer, and this book finally captured (for me) what code design and management is all about. Fowler is the epitomy of concision and always packs his punch into the first few chapters of his books - the remainder existing to flesh out the details. This book was a revelation for me as a programmer.

Underground History of American Education, John Taylor Gatto

I wasn't going to include this on my list, wanting to add more fiction (I wanted to put Lois McMaster Bujold in here as a whole for clarifying for me what story-telling should be about and why so many authors fail to be story-tellers, preferring to be show-offs instead. Hmm, I guess I got her in anyway :-). But, I can't deny the influence of this book on me - the author's writings helping to convince me that I would home-school my own children. I'd say that's a big influence!

Last Book I Bought

The Tyranny of the Night : Book One of the Instrumentalities of the Night, Glen Cook

Well, I've been making my way through Glen Cook's books lately - just good fun.

Last Book I read for the first time

Beasts, Joyce Carol Oats

I got a whim to read an Oats novel, and this one seemed to get interesting reviews. Can't say that I really *got* it, though. I think it was supposed to shock me, but I didn't feel much shock. Kind of ho-hum, and a lot of money to pay for what is essentially a short story that should have just been in a magazine.

Last book you read for the second time

Hey, I'm adding a category to this book meme thing. After all, I wanna know what people read again. Anyway, a while back I re-read A Separate Peace by John Knowles because I remembered it from school as one of the few books I liked, and I recently saw the movie. It's still good :-) Not sure why I don't find it boring, but I just don't.

Five other bloggers to tag

Hell, not sure I know 5 bloggers well enough to tag. Let's see:

1. Vivi
   
2. Woolfel
   

That's all the bloggers I know - sorry!