Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Second Question from Boston

This one's going to be fun. Imagine that we are building a library NOW for people to use to educate themselves. Nominate a book for this library and explain why it should be included. If someone who posted before you chooses "your" book, then choose another one. It can be a book from anywhere, any time period, including our own. And, just to steal everyone's thunder, I'm going to go first. Bwahahahahaha.

32 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. . . . and I nominate the Bible. It is almost impossible to understand Western culture if you don't have a working knowledge of the Judeo-Christian scriptures. Regardless of a person's own religious beliefs, he or she should know the basic structure and tenets of the Bible in order to understand how it shaped our culture through 2,000 years and how it continues to shape public dialogue, not only in America, but throughout the world. As a matter of fact, the monotheism that Moses introduced was revolutionary for the next 1,500 years, right up to the fall of the Roman Empire. The Bible has shaped how we view laws, due process, fairness, justice, corporate and individual morality, economics, and many more aspects of civic and private life. It has fueled philosophies and fictions, and the literary references to the Bible are almost numberless. An educated person cannot afford to miss all this stuff because he or she is unfamiliar with the Bible.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, I was going to pic the Bible, BUT, I will have to pic another book.
    Hmmm...
    I'm going to go with the dictionary. A nice big huge one, perhaps one of those that even has a thesaurus in it, too. I find these to be pretty useful books. For one, they tell you how to spell things. When I was in grade school I was ALWAYS in the dictionary, because I would ask my Mom how to spell something and all she would say is "go look it up!" Today, I just use google. They not only teach you how to spell words correctly, but they tell you where that word CAME from, so you can learn about languages and history and how the words may have been formed over time. It tells you what part of speech a word is, so you will use it correctly in your speech. A good dictionary will even teach you how to pronounce words! While I find these books to be rather dull myself, I think they are completely necessary. A dictionary may not be the most thrilling book to be in our "library," but it sure it important, because they teach us how to speak and write correctly! Ya know... like the educated civilized people we should be.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm not in your class, but I'm going to post anyway. I vote for The Republic, by Plato. Cop-out? Perhaps. But here is why I think this should be included:

    It is perhaps one of the best books to learn how to form an argument. Premises, supports, conclusions, its an amazing work. Not only do you learn basic arguing, which we all enjoy, but they philosophies themselves are enthralling. Deemed inadequate theories of justice, entire discussions of justice for the individual vs. city, the allegory of the cave, universal truths, the Ideal State, forms of government; Plato (in a wonderfully difficult to follow dialogue)encircles these ideals and makes them timeless into today. I almost fear the person who does not have at least a basic philosophical grip of these theories, because they are so applicable to today.

    Anything that can make you seriously evaluate EVERYTHING you know is a valuable book.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ashlyn DiCiero


    My little contribution to the library would have to be The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Not only is this one of my favorite books, I also find it very informative if someone wanted to have a “first hand" experience of the Great Depression. This period though full of turmoil and despair is one that shaped how Americans are today. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck’s depiction of the Joad family gave readers a look into the life of migrant workers during this era. Not only will this book be read for enjoyment but also for educational purposes as well .. moreover, just because I think Steinbeck is amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Okay so this may be cheesy but I would nominate our literature book. I actually did give this a lot of thought even though it seems that I picked the first book that popped into my head. The reason I decided this book is because it contains mostly primary sources from history. Reading through out literature book would give the reader an overview of the things that happened during America's beginning history and of what life was like for many. There would definitely be some gaps left but as for one book, our literature book does a good job at covering a large amount of time with differing perspectives.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Corey Hedge


    I would choose 1984 because I enjoyed reading it in high school. The book shows what can happen when government becomes to powerful. It shows us that we can not let a government get so powerful that it starts to interfere with our rights and freedom.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Heather Hedge said...


    I would have to choose Lord of the Flies. It shows how people with no structure who don't folow the rules would act. It shows that you need structure and rules in order to operate appropriately. If there are no rules and everyone does what they won't people get hurt and some even get killed.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great choices so far! William Golding's Lord of the Flies is a good one, but it's interesting that Golding never managed anything else nearly as deep or as true to human nature.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Emily Dean

    I would choose the twilight series!!!! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! NO!!! Just kinding!! I would like to put The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davis in my library. It is a new book, according to me, but I was engrossed by this book!! A man has a traumatic physically and life changing accident. Where he is placed in the hosptial and meets a strange women who says that she is his lover from a past life. This women takes him on a journey of self presesrvation. Its an amazing love story, with different cultures, different stories. It was amazing!!! I loved it!!! I recommend it to you all.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. My mom recommended this book to me. It was the first known study of the planning and conduct of military operations. Not only can it be used in war tactics but it can also be translated into living in today's society and surviving by winning without fighting.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I would like to nominate Tom Wolfe's "The Electric Cool Ait Acid Test". I think it is a great first hand account of a great time period in Americas history and also a great, honest example of the hippie counter culture and how deverse it was.I believe the merry pranksters lived the american dream of freedon to the fullest and protested against a way of life that didnt fit their idea of happiness. In essence, this is true freedom. A concept our country has come to forget sometimes. What good is it to live by the book if you dont agree with the idea in the first place? Only you can decide what is meaningfull in your life.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I would nominate Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult because I feel like it's a really good glimpse into the minds of what junior high and high school is really like. I feel like parents dont fully understand what their kids go through. I feel like if parents understood their kids better, they could help them develop into better adults.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would nominate Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte because it provides a glimpse into complex relationships, as evidence by the relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester. This book can be used today by showing that all woman want to be loved and valued, but they have to find a balance between finding love and turning her back on herself.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm going to throw The Diary of Anne Frank into our library and for obvious reasons. Everyone should have the opportunity to read the viewpoint of someone who actually encountered the holocaust first hand.

    ReplyDelete
  16. It is crazy how I have wanted to read a bunch of the books you guys are suggesting, especially, Lord of the Flies.
    My book selection would definitely be, Brave New World. I adore this book. Not only is it a not-so-thick literary work, you will not want to put it down. There are great examples of the dichotomy of the extremes that the world forces us to choose between, especially culture. It shows you that your principles truly define who you are, and makes you look at what is more important: the individual or the society? You can identify with the wild and tame versions of each group in the book, even to the point where it will make you uncomfortable- but in a good way! There is so much implied information and symbolism in there, you could probably find and support perceptions to have for any day in your life. I think it really makes you look at your political, cultural, biological, and spiritual beliefs, and wonder if you should change your ideas to entertain a consistent philosophy. For me, it was one of those books I think we should all read, because it will help you learn a bit about yourself. Aldous Huxley is an incredibly intelligent philosopher for whom I have a lot of admiration. It was actually part of my English 245 class. I could rant on for days about it because it is that deeply introspective.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Adam says...
    Ok maybe this is corny but I'm going to say the Dr. Seuess collection because if it was for these books i dont think i would have wanted to learn how to read but maybe im nuts...? I feel this library should be built for all ages. Chosing just books that would interest adults would be like saying that young minds arent important, but they are our tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ooo, that's a good point Adam! I think Dr. Seuess is a great choice.

    ReplyDelete
  19. So I just got done reading all of the post and there are some good books added and I would love to say that I have read them, but most of them I have not. I have never been a huge reader, but I do enjoy a good cheesy love story that can grab my attention enough to finish. So for some of you who will hate this, I am going to have to say the Twilight series. I know someone was joking about it in another blog, but I am not. This summer I read all of them in just a few weeks, and believe me this is amazing for me I don’t think I have read an entire book since before I had my 3 yr old. So I have to give it up for the teenage vampire love, because they are so much fun.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Chris
    I would nominate the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This book is about cencorship and how if we keep censoring something because a group of people don't like it we will never have anything to read or watch. Therefore I believe this would be a great selection to put into the library

    ReplyDelete
  21. As silly as this sounds I would choose The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, simply because who hasn't read and enjoyed that book. It was written by Mark Twain who was one of America's greatest authors. It's basically about being a kid and having adventures and a wild imagination. This book is must have in any library!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I would pick encyclopedia's because you can learn about all kinds of things that happened in history all the around the world. They give you dates, facts, pictures, and even maps of certain things. My mom has the very large encyclopedia's that date back to the 60's and I find them interesting to look through.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I've never been able to read for leisure. So if I had to add a book to our collection I would have to pick the Where's Waldo series. Studies show that puzzle books keep the mind sharp and nobody does it better than Waldo. He keeps books interesting by involving the mind in a powerful search through worlds of color and imagination. While visiting our library people could free their mind from words and escape into a world of fun and pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I would nominate To Kill a Mockingbird. One reason being I dont read very often and this is probably the only relevant one that I can think of. It can be a very influential book. It's a good portrayal of the prejudice that existed in the south. And a good view of the south in the 1930's.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I guess to supply us with adequate knowledge on all subjects as a general well of information-an unabridged encyclopedia would be sufficient. I considered other different holy books (Torah, Koran, Book of Mormon {two of the three I personally own}) Darwin's Origin of Species, Poe, Shakespeare...all sorts of random things...but I guess an unabridged Encyclopedia is one of those basic "gotta have" books like the dictionary or Bible.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Melinda Trask

    I would have to nominate The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers that consists of A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn. They are Christian books that tie stories from the Bible into a fiction novel. They are my favorite books and since I don't enjoy reading too often I believe they must be exceptional books if I want to read them over and over.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Im going to nominate The Last Lecture. This was true story about life. Randy P. knew he was going to die from cancer, so he wanted to take the time to reach out to his kids so they could read his book about life in general.

    ReplyDelete
  28. As difficult as this was to decide, i truly believe that there is a book out there that will be direly needed. That book...THIS one book...is "From Emeril's Kitchen: Favorite Recipes From Emeril's Restaurants". Because no human should live without the knowledge of cooking. And if that wasnt good enough then this library must have butt loads of historical musical literature.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh, Melinda, the Mark of the Lion series are my favorite books too! I love them and you are one of the first people I have ever known to have read them too!

    ReplyDelete
  30. This list is the BEST. If we used it as the basis of a library, we'd be pretty complete, actually. It might not tell people who we've been in the past, but it would explain who we are. I wonder, though, why most of it is fiction. Any thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  31. Genny said...

    If I could pick any books from my own personal collection to be in the library I would have to pick Kite Runner and My Sisters Keeper. Kite Runner is very dark but it deals with prejudice and how it can effect someone. Then My Sisters Keeper because that is just a great read, and it is the first book I have actually full on sobbed for three whole chapters. Both are worth reading..and for me, they are both worth reading again.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm also going to vote for an age-diverse library, and nominate books by Beverly Clearly, such as Ralph S. Mouse. I loved those books back in late elementary school, and I noticed we haven't given that age group anything to read yet. Those books sparked my interest in reading, back in the day, and my younger siblings have all loved them too.

    -Kayla Harless

    ReplyDelete