Book Meme

Annie in Austin tagged me for a book meme and not wanting to be a cyber curmudgeon I decided to play along. I have seen mention of memes in blogs, but I am not one hundred percent sure of what they are. I have thought of them as a form of linking internet chain letters, with the link aspect being the important part since links are crucial to how the system works. So now I am going to look it up and find out what a meme is.

The short version of an incredibly long entry in Wikipedia is: The term "meme" coined in 1976 by Richard Dawkins, refers to a replicator of cultural information that one mind transmits (verbally or by demonstration) to another mind.

I need to do another search.

From a Google search using "meme + blog + definition" comes this from About.com: In the world of blogs and bloggers, a meme is an idea, question, statement or project that is posted in one blog and answered to in many other blogs. Memes are used to propagate ideas in the blogosphere. Some blogs or web sites post memes on a daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis.

I guess the linking part isn't as important as I thought. It just happens.

Here goes.














1] One book that changed your life?

Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as The Big Book and one of its companion books Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

2] One book that you have read more than once?

The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux. It is a primer of sorts for living on a desert island.

3] One book you would want on a desert island?

I live on the desert side of an island and it seems the word stranded may be missing here. This is a hypothetical so I get to have a hypothetical book. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Basket Weaving and Macrame.

4] One book that made you laugh?

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. This book is set in New Orleans with a cast of southern eccentrics and there are some unfortunate similarities of personality between me and the main character.

I also have to add Visit to a Small Planet by Gore Vidal

5] One book that made you cry?

The Color Purple by Alice Walker back when Oprah was maybe just a millionaire and long before the movie.

6] One book you wish had been written?

I am not dead yet. It may still get written.

7] One book you wish had never been written?

This is not likely to be an original thought but it is still going to be controversial. The Bible and the Quran. I think this is particularly appropriate in light of current affairs in the world today. And so as not to appear anti-semitic and to get to the source of both of the above I will include the Talmud.















It does make a handy door stop in a windy environment and yes I stole this book from a motel drawer.

Being that it is a full moon, I will howl. I think the "Civilized" people of the world might do themselves a big favor and take a serious look at some of the spiritual beliefs and practices of indigenous peoples who had more earth centered beliefs and numerous gods and goddesses. The Hawaiian mythology before the missionaries was a long standing oral tradition, a meme, with common roots through out Polynesia.

Monotheism seems to be reaching an apex of sorts similar to Ultimate Fighting contests and is really a rather limited and limiting translation of the mysterious.

8] One book you are currently reading?

Not really reading anything currently. I have put down unfinished because life is so distracting, Grace from the Garden by Debra Landwehr Engle.

9] One book you have been meaning to read

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. It keeps popping up in my life as something I should read.

10] Tag 5 people to do the meme.

I hate chain e-mails and those Forward FW [fw] (fw) (Fw) sugary sweet puppy dog kitty smiley cute stories that I have to send out to ten people in twenty minutes or I will die an agonizing death from the plague if I don't or receive a million dollars in the mail in ten days if I do. I delete them all and I feel fine. I am hesitant to tag anyone for a meme as well.

I seem to have as many lurkers on this blog as commenters so anyone who would like to do this book meme speak up and tell us where to look.















Raindrop Bubbles on a Swimming Pool Surface or Through the Eyes of an Alligator


The Meme

1] One book that changed your life?
2] One book that you have read more than once?
3] One book you would want on a desert island?
4] One book that made you laugh?
5] One book that made you cry?
6] One book you wish had been written?
7] One book you wish had never been written?
8] One book you are currently reading?
9] One book you have been meaning to read
10] Tag 5 people to do the meme.