Julie's Book meme

Since Julie tagged me

1. What is the total number of books you've owned?

Since I don't have detailed accounting records for my book inventory all the way through early childhood, I'll have to estimate. Let's say college was 4 books per class on average, times 3 classes per term times 12 terms for 144 books. Recreationally, let' say I've acquired 5 books per year since college for 45 more. Thus far, business school has dumped 25 new books on me. In high school, I owned my text books as well, so there's another 40 or so. As a child there are tons of books around. Let's call that another 100. So we're looking at something around 400 books.

2. The last book you bought?

I would have been a big book buyer had it not been for a friend that pointed out that libraries do, in fact, still exist, and they're free. Being a cheap bastard, I prefer free. Technichally, I just bought my last round of text books. Which was the last one bought, I don't know. So I shall designate "Economics of Strategy" by Besanko, Dangrove, Shanley and Schaefer as my last book bought. It's about the economic math behind strategic decisions. Analytical strategy.

3. The last book I read.

You mean actually finished, or just started? Finished, as in got to the last page that said "The End": "A Skeptic's Guide to the Twelve Steps" by Phillip Z.

4. Five books that mean alot to me.

I choose to take this to mean "Had strong influence on me"

1. "Our Town" Thornton Wilder. "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it -- Every, every minute?" "The saints and the poets, maybe. They do, some." Yes, it's a play.
2. "The Catcher in the Rye" Phonies.
3. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" C.S. Lewis. It got me to read all the Chronicles. Would that Aslan as Jesus were real. Would that he'd drop by when needed and hope was lost. Would that one could spend time chatting with that gentle wisdom.
4. "1984". The revisionist history stuff. The mass produced formulaic popular entertainment for the C,D and E masses. If you don't think of this book when Pakistan becomes our "friend" or Iraq becomes our "enemy", and if you don't think of this book when you hear any Britney Spears song or watch any television or see any big hollywood movie, you shouldn't be allowed to vote, in my opinion.
5. "Startide Rising" David Brin. Hugo & Nebula Award winner. Most expansively imaginative work I've ever read.