What book would you take with you on a deserted island?

[ddeubel]

Here's an interesting question. You are crashing and only have time to put one book in your bag before parachuting to safety, to a deserted island. Which book would you chose? Why?

Reply here or use the voicethread to share your thoughts about THE BOOK and which book in other categories also.....

Also, visit this Chinswing discussion about great book recommendations!

[Ian Carmichael]

Well, it would be my Bible (New RSV). It's always fresh to read and deeply life-, world- and future-related.
But if it had to be fiction, I'd probably take Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath - an amazing piece of novelised history, intense and interesting plot, description and deep characterisation.
If I had a chance to raid my shelves, it would be Gilbert Highet's The Classical Tradition, being such a great study of the classic literature it would help recall the full ancient library of storytellers.
But, I'm almost never on an aeroplane with those on hand - if I were really crashing the book I'd have would most like be the current one I got from the airport. If I'd crashed on the way back from Europe, I'd be marooned with A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. If I'd crashed on my last flight, I'd be enjoying Alain de Botton's Consolation of Philosophy.
And next week - the options will be different again. At present I'll be taking John Derbyshire's Prime Obsession with me.

[ddeubel]

Ian,

Great inspiraton for me. I"ll be taking a sabbatical soon and will dive into The Classical Tradition on your thumbs up.

LOL - I've had A Short History of Tractors in Ukraine on my shelf for a year after a recommendation from a friend. So too with a couple of Coetzee's latest books! I have to get around to it. I"ve been swamped lately and will start promoting this ning and the bookstore soon enough.....

For me, I would have to say I'd take Aldous Huxley's "The Perennial Philosophy". A book I adore and which keeps me thinking and thinking....but many would be second. I love Koestler's The Creative Act and on the side of fiction I'd be partial to a few books like The good soldier Svek (a Czech book) and another Czech book - Too loud a Solitude. Brothers Karamazov also....

But the deserted island metaphor is apt. So much of our accomplishments as "civilization" (the good and bad) are upon the asset of literacy and that great event whereby consciousness was transformed by print and availability of all to have such inner dialogue and fantasy..... But yeah, the Bible, religion aside is a work of amazing depth...along side the Mahabarrata.....(imo)

Cheers,

David

[Ian Carmichael]

Hi David,
Thanks for the response: you've reminded me of The Good Soldier Svek - well, I should read it again. (I recall a feeling of amusement from it, nothing more.)
I was toying with taking a Dostoyevsky, thereby making myself read him (I found everything other than The Devils/Possessed unfinishable.)