State of the Bookshelves

Books represent one of my major expenses. I buy them for various reasons – favorable reviews, favorite subjects (I have a fascination for the Kennedys, subject of another post), cheap, nice cover (I can be incredibly shallow). etc. Whatever. Net-net, I have a lot of books, many of them read several times over. More, not yet read.


I was cleaning out my bookshelves today and came up with three new piles (descriptions in quotes are from the cover blurbs, italics in blue are my side-comments)


Books I Just Finished (These have gone to the back of the shelves)


1. Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, edited by Jenni Ferrari Adler
2. A Golden Age,by Tahmima Aman – love, war, loyalty and Porgy and Bess - a novel about the civil war that separated Bangladesh from Pakistan


Books I'm Reading Now (These stay in the book sack near the toilet)


1. Lasting Contribution, by Tad Waddington – “how to create meaning in your life, take sophisticated action, manage your career and make a lasting contribution to the world”. O di ba?
2. Partnering with Microsoft by Ted Dinsmore and Edward O'Connor - "how to make money in trusted partnership with the global software powerhouse". Required Reading. 'Nuff said :-)


Books that are next on my To-Read List (These go to the bedside table or in the book sack next to my toilet)


1. Banker to the Poor, by Muhammad Yumus – “micro-lending and the battle against world poverty” Paluwagan with meaning. The author won the Nobel price for his work.
2. Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert – “describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions”. Baka kasi I might find out I’m happy na but I just don’t know it yet.
3. The Venetian’s Wife, by Nick Bantock – “ from the author of the Griffin and Sabine trilogy, a strangely sensual tale of a renaissance explorer, a coputer and a metamorphosis”. Ok, I bought it because I liked the cover.

Books I've Read but Want to Read Again (These go to the coffee table)


1. Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, by John Wood - :”an entrepreneur’s odyssey to educationa the world’s children”. He seems like a really nice guy and I want to be just like him when I grew up, although he is maybe 3 or 4 years younger than I am.
2. Honeymoom with my Brother, by Franz Wisner – “a funny thing happened to Franz Wisner on hs way to the altar”. His girlfriend dumps him, he goes on the paid-for honeymoon anyway but takes his brother. They decide to quit their jobs and travel and world together.
3. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh – “the wellsprings of love and the impediments of desire come brilliantly into focus”. Yeah, whatever. But Emma Thompson is on the cover and I remember liking the book when I read it like maybe 15 yeas ago. Let’s give it another try, shall we?

Books I'm Going to Read Eventually, So Help Me God (These will stay in the front of the shelves because they make me look good)

1. Tibetian Book of the Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinponche - "a guide into the Tibetian traditions of life and death", Besides, don't you just love the author's name

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