The Book Test Thing

Doing the book test thing:

1. One book that changed your life: Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead". I read this as a teenager and it turned me into one of those Ayn Rand fans. But as I grew older I moved farther to the left, and am today really a fan of no one.

The Old Testament continues to change my life.

2. One book you have read more than once: Moby Dick. A totally unique book, it fascinates me that Melville describes every detail on board that whale vessel in minute detail. But the metaphysical implications of his writing sail right over my pretty little head. I have read literary criticism saying that Melville is very "transcendental" and "metaphysical". But I don't have a clue what that means. As I have stated previously, I don't know a symbol from a cymbal or an allegory from an alligator.

3. One book you would want on a desert island?: The Old Testament, with facing Hebrew and English pages.

Second choice: One of Donald Knuth's computer algorithm books. It would take years to work thru all of the problems in any of his mind-boggling computer algorithm books. That would keep my mind occupied.

4. One book that made you laugh: Dilbert's book.

5. One book that made you cry: Can't think of any.

6. One book you stayed up all night to finish: James Michener's "Hawaii", when I was back in High School. I remember writing a book review of it, and my teacher said to me: "You ignor-a-mus, you didn't read that WHOLE book (it was 600 pages). You can't fool me! You must have used Cliff notes!" But of course I DID read it. She hated me because I used to heckle her remorselessly.

7. One book that took you too long to read: All of them. I'm a slow reader and am currently reading 10 novels and am in the process of reading a hundred books. I just sort of do "round robin" reading them.

8. One book you are currently reading: "From Beirut to Jerusalem", by Thomas Friedman. Kind of prophetic with the recent war. Thomas Friedman is one of the few people in the entire universe who presents any sort of hope for peace in the Middle East.

9.One book you have been meaning to read: "Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry", by Albert Pike. This is a mind-bogglingly incredible book that I found at a used book sale for a dollar. It was written back in the 19th century.

10. Best novel: Paste together 3 of Herman Wouk's World War II novels: "Winds of War", "War and Remembrance" and "The Caine Mutiny". The three of them together are an exhausting experience. You feel like you've just gone thru WWII.

Draft 3: 8/30/06