i'm sure this has been done before, but this could change occasionally. if you were trapped on a desert island and could only take 5 books with you what would they be?
1) the bible (that would burn up some time reading)
2) Last of the mohicans
3) Cantebury tales
4) Without remorse
5) The Stand
--------------------------
runners up:
Living History (H. Clinton) gotta have something to start a fire with.
Raft making for dummies
robinson crusoe. (that might be depressing though.)
One would be a comprehensive survival guide, and the other four would be copies of the OED, so I'd have lots of paper to make stuff out of.
What kind of stuff? Well, that's what the survival guide will tell me.
why would you take the bible? I thought that was all about how to avoid sin and do unto others and stuff. If you're alone on an island, do you really need to know? there's noone to sin with or against, noone to do unto, no church to attend......you'd do better taking the buddhist version of the bible......do they have one? what's it called?
I'd take:
at least one hardcore porn mag( with extra lesbians)
that buddhist book
a good survival guide...what bugs you can eat and whatnot (good idea, clod)
Many lives Many masters - b weiss
365 ways to cook fish cook book
I think i'd be more intersted in taking lots of blank paper and pencils so i could finally WRITE a book. .........with extra lesbians. ;)
lots of blank paper and pencils so i could finally WRITE a book.
great idea. but don't forget the midget lesbians, they gotta have love to. and maybe there could be some sort of conspiracy...
Originally posted by lumberjim
why would you take the bible? I thought that was all about how to avoid sin and do unto others and stuff. If you're alone on an island, do you really need to know? there's noone to sin with or against, noone to do unto, no church to attend
You really don't get the contemplative life do you?
Choices subject to change without notice.
1.
Atlas Shrugged
2.
The Iliad & The Odyssey (or does that count as a "double"? Actually, if folks can have BOTH the old and new testament, I should be able to have both books of this.)
3.
SAS Survival Handbook
4.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (I've been meaning to read it for years.)
5.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
(I actually had a bit of a hard time deciding whether or not I wanted to take "When Technology Fails" but the SAS survival manual is far more useful. I need to keep myself fed, not make professor-like widgets out of coconuts.)
The Beach by Alex Garland
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Dalai Lama (lj this is the Buddhist 'bible')
The Kama Sutra
Imaginary Friends And How To Stay On Their Good Side
Originally posted by Catwoman
this is the Buddhist 'bible')
The Kama Sutra
i understand all the rest - but wouldn't this one jsut be rubbing your nose in it, as if to say "look at all the great things you'll never do again."?
Good choice wolf with The Making of the Atomic Bomb. its nice and thick, but real good.
The Bible is more than just two books. It is 46 OT books and 27 NT books in the Catholic version. Protestants have a few less. Let's say the Bible is an anthology and leave it at that.
So looking for books that are thick but good, I would go with:
Godel, Escher, Bach, an Eternal Golden Braid
the uncut 101 Arabian Nights (HUGE)
and still thinking
You do what you want, obviously, but why the book on growing weed? That has significantly limited utility ... either the weed grows on the island or it doesn't. You have time on your hands and can smoke-test every damn plant there, if you like.
I'm going to have to check out that Boaz book. Might be nice companion to my copy of the Pocket Patriot.
Originally posted by Slartibartfast
Godel, Escher, Bach, an Eternal Golden Braid
I've read that three or four times, but it's been quite a few years. Thanks for reminding me! Also reminds me that I have a copy of Metamathmagical Themas that I bought at a garage sale that I haven't gotten around to reading. Mebbe after I finish Imajica.
You do what you want, obviously, but why the book on growing weed?
You have a point. I was just thinking of a way to make the time pass by quickly. I suppose the book wouldn't help too much if it weren't already growing on the island. But if it were, I'd need to know how to cultivate it and grow it to be more potent, and have a higher yield.
Supposing it isn't already growing on the island and since you've already chosen the Odyssey/Illiad combo book, I suppose I'd replace the weed book with...
The Lysander Spooner Reader by Lysander SpoonerOriginally posted by Slartibartfast
the uncut 101 Arabian Nights (HUGE)
I'm on night 338, a delightful little tale of various women insulting each others' appearances.
Originally posted by wolf
5. The Making of the Atomic Bomb
I've read that book twice already, and talked to the author on a radio talk show years ago. Brilliant guy, great book. The sequel about the H-Bomb was not nearly as engaging, though.
I have Dark Sun sitting on the to-read pile, along with his book on The Waffen-SS.
Overall, the hydrogen bomb project is not as compelling as the Manhattan Project. The sense of immediacy and need of the race to develop the first atomic bomb makes a great adventure tale as well as fascinating history.
Also, Teller was more ego-driven than Oppenheimer, and his jealousy may well have led to Oppie losing his security clearance.
I think I would have to havethe complete works of Shakespeare. There isnt much that stays fresh past the 10th reading but Hamlet still rocks my boat after all these years so...*thinks* what else? Oh yeah, "The Language Instinct" by Pinker ( I think thats what it's called) My brother is a huge Pinker fan and has paraphrased bits of it to me....I keep thinking I really aught to read it but life gets too busy and there are soooo many history books to read....If I was on a desert island I would definately read that.
Hmm......the Canterbury tales would be good to have......Oh......If it's counted as one book I'd take "This Sceptred Isle" But I suspect that'd count as several books......and maybe one of those pithy little books of sayings....y'know one a day little tidbits to brighten your day and lighten your mind:P
Originally posted by DanaC
and maybe one of those pithy little books of sayings....y'know one a day little tidbits to brighten your day and lighten your mind:P
People who communicate using those make me homicidal. We have a nurse that says crap like that all the time. My coworkers have had to hold me back from killing her (even though they KNOW she needs it).
Dark Sun spent a lot of time talking about the spies that got nuclear secrets to the Russians. It could have been interesting, but it felt tedious instead.
And wolf, relax, even a bad time with a coworker can be good because:
"Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such." - Henry Miller
Originally posted by lookout123
i understand all the rest - but wouldn't this one jsut be rubbing your nose in it, as if to say "look at all the great things you'll never do again."?
Well, I initially wrote 'porn' but as it had to be just one book I thought I might as well get something slightly spiritual. Besides, if I ever got rescued I could repay my rescuer with my new found knowledge...