Book Meme

Freeman, aka The Libertarian Critter http://freemanlc.blogspot.com/2006/08/book-virus-thingie.html tagged me with the book meme. This has been one of the more interesting memes, but it also involved quite a bit of thought. Here goes:

One book that changed my life: I have been influenced by many books, but the most profound influence was “The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James. This led me to the pragmatists and the idea that belief is involuntary. This was huge for me. I had been spiritually wounded by Baptists and their insistence that I had to make an effort to believe in Jesus in order to be eligible for God’s grace. I was never sure I could will myself to believe anything. I knew I didn’t deserve grace, and it seemed strange to me that grace could be earned by an act of will and ongoing works. To make a long story short, the pragmatists led me to Calvin, and I ultimately received the gift of belief when I stopped trying. This has made all the difference.

One book I have read more than once: Douglas Hofstadter’s “Goedel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid” has something new in it every time I pick it up.

One book I would like to have on a desert island: “Swiss Family Robinson” might be good.

One book that made me laugh: “You Are Worthless: Depressing Nuggets of Wisdom Sure to Ruin Your Day” by Scott Dikkers is pants pissing funny. It’s a spoof of self-help books and contains such wisdom as “God is your invisible friend”.

One book that made me cry: Ann Patchett’s “Bel Canto”.

One book I wish I’d written: “The Known World” by Edward P. Jones. This book was a masterpiece. Jones shifted from past, present and future in a unique and effective way. This literary device gave the work, centered on a family of black slaveholders in Virginia, a sense of taking place within a larger framework while preserving the intimate connection to the characters.

One book I wish had never been written: “The Late, Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsey led a generation to the false doctrine of the rapture.

One book I’m currently reading: Richard Russo’s “Nobody’s Fool”. Russo is good at examining life in small dying towns and towns in transition. This one is set near the Adirondacks in the 1980s.

One book I have been meaning to read: I have meant to read “Ulysses” by James Joyce for 30 years now just to see what all the fuss is about.

Five bloggers to tag with this meme:

Dr Lenny http://www.howdt.com/blog/
Steve Scott http://fromthepew.blogspot.com/
Jomama http://djomama.blogspot.com/
Iceberg http://iceberg18.blogspot.com/
Adem Kupi http://poxyhouses.blogspot.com/