Book Meme

I saw this book meme at Waterfall's blog, and was pleasantly surprised that I were to receive the "stick" from her. Now it sounds like some relay.

Pardon me if I don't have an impressive list. Lately, I have been spending more time practising on the double bass and going for walks than reading.

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You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?

I have not read Fahrenheit 451. I searched for Fahrenheit 451 using Google and realised that in this fiction, firemen start fires in order to burn books. I don't enjoy being burnt and so I won't want to be any book at all in Fahrenheit 451.

(On 9 April 2005: Apologies. I got to realise that this question means to ask which book would one want to be committed to someone's memory. Anyway, I can't think of an answer that I am satisfied with. Maybe a short and simple fairy tale? I am not sure.)


Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
I don't usually read fiction books as much as non-fiction. Anyway, I don't remember having a crush on any fictional character.

The last book you bought is:
This book titled Handling common problems in children, if I remember the title correctly. It is a hand-book for parents to learn ways to manage various misbehaviours in children. To clarify, I have no child of my own. I have bought the book to add it to my library as a reference book to serve the needs of my work. This book will serve as a handy professional resource.

The last book you read:
I can't remember. But I think it was some self-help book that I had borrowed from the library. It was quite an alright read, but not impressive enough for me to remember its title. And it was quite a few months ago. Lately, I tend to read articles, newspapers and short sections from books instead of reading an entire book.

What are you currently reading?
I'm trying to read a few books:

Essential Ear Training for Today's Musician. I think I will take some time to finish it, because there are quite a number of exercises in it that I will have to gradually work through.

The Inner Game of Work. I have started on it sometime ago, but have yet to finish it. I have not touched it for the past one month already. I am still waiting for the momentum of reading this book to build up again.

Vanished Civilizations. This book contains many chapters. Each chapter writes about a vanished civilisation. I read this book from time to time, each time reading one or two chapters.

A pity newspapers aren't meant to be included in this list. I read the Chinese newspapers everyday.

Five books you would take to a deserted island:

Am I to be on the deserted island by sheer accident, or is it by choice of my own? Anyway, here are my choices:

1. I will take a book that will help teach me survival skills on a deserted island. I am quite a pampered city dweller and I needed such a book to adapt to conditions on a deserted island. Unless there is at least a three-star hotel on the island equipped with all the necessary hospitality personnel and the necessary facilites. By the way, I wonder who would have written such a book in the first place?

2. I will bring a book that will teach me how to sketch the landscapes on the deserted island. I have learnt how to sketch trees, it will be good if I could learn to sketch other things. I will surely bring my sketch book! Is the sketch book considered a book? If it is, then I would rather bring my sketch book. An empty one preferably. I make sure I have the necessary drawing tools. For me, it's drawing pen and pencils.

3. I will take MBTI Manual. It's about 420 pages in total, and although I have read all of the essential chapters, I have yet to read the optional chapters. I would like to spend my time on the deserted island reading the manual from cover to cover. Then at the end of my stay on my island, I would probably be very knowledgeable in the development and use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

4. Maybe Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. Quite a short and simple read with short chapters. Yet each chapter is filled with insights that I found quite helpful. Reading this will help keep me sane on a deserted island.

5. Dr Morton's Double Bass Technique: Concepts and Ideas. I have been reading certain sections of this book from time to time, but I have yet to complete the book. I would tend to read those section that I needed to borrow ideas from. I suppose it would help if I could take this to a deserted island so that I can spend time reading through and reflecting on the concepts and ideas. Of course, it will help greatly if I could beg to take a double bass along with me to the island. Then I can practise and try out those techniques.

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why:

*long pause*
Emily, Dinah, and Mistipurple.
I think among my potential readers for this blog, there are higher likelihood that these three may read my blog and be willing to respond to the questions on this book meme? I may be wrong. Anyway, I shall just try my luck. I won't be disappointed if they don't respond.

I know I can't pass it back to Waterfall, for sure.