What was your favorite book ever, and why?

[turbo]

Like the title says...

 

[magpies]

Does the bible count as a book? I can't believe they give this book to children :) well I enjoyed it.

 

[rewebster]

bible translates as book in old greek I think.

I read the dictionary when I was young, --took a while---I think I got the most out of it

 

[Desiree]

Does the bible count as a book?

Sure, why not? it's got a front cover, a back cover, and pages in between!

 

[DaveC426913]

Hofstadter's http://www.amazon.com/dp/0465045669/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[TubbaBlubba]

bible translates as book in old greek I think.

I read the dictionary when I was young, --took a while---I think I got the most out of it

"Books", even, I think.


My most prized book would've had to be that old English - Swedish dictionary I always used as a kid. God knows how many video games that saved me in, and how many words I learned from that. Probably more than all the words I learned from English homework combined.

 

[waht]

I think Sartre's Nausea is the best because of it's deep and esoteric writing style rather than the content which is kind of weird.

 

[GeorginaS]

Hofstadter's http://www.amazon.com/dp/0465045669/?tag=pfamazon01-20

You missed the "why" part.

 

[magpies]

I probably should plug this other great book...

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

It's got a magical bus with tons of old dead people.

 

[DaveC426913]

You missed the "why" part.

I guess because it nourishes both halves of my Da Vincian mind - the artist and the scientist.

 

[rewebster]

"Books", even, I think.

Phoenician, it looks like:

"EtymologyLatin biblia (“‘a collection of books’”) (since there are many books in the Bible) < Ancient Greek βιβλία (biblia), “‘books’”), plural of βιβλίον (biblion), “‘small book’”), originally a diminutive of βίβλος (biblos), “‘book’”) < βύβλος (bublos), “‘papyrus’”) (from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material)."




http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bible

 

[Math Is Hard]

I'm going to go with "https://www.amazon.com/dp/0497503093/?tag=pfamazon01-20" by Philip M. Parker.

Previously I had only considered the Indian stacking chair market from the bar, bowling center, cafeteria, library, restaurant, and school sectors. It took Parker's targeted insight to give me a fresh perspective. But don't take my word for it. Read the reviews on Amazon.

 

[lisab]

I'm going to go with "https://www.amazon.com/dp/0497503093/?tag=pfamazon01-20" by Philip M. Parker.

Previously I had only considered the Indian stacking chair market from the bar, bowling center, cafeteria, library, restaurant, and school sectors. It took Parker's targeted insight to give me a fresh perspective. But don't take my word for it. Read the reviews on Amazon.

It's $495 !

 

[rootX]

It's $495 !

It seems to contain very valuable information.

One of the reviews:

This is, hands down, the best book I have read on this topic - and I have read plenty. I would however, in future editions, like to see the topic of chair stacking in bowling alleys better addressed. Nice work by the author!

 

[magpies]

Dr. Parker has written a masterpiece!
I first discovered Dr. Parker's brilliant analysis and forecast of Indian stacking chair consumption while completing my thesis on the roll played by wheel based ergonomic office chairs in workplace fatalities. In particular, I found fascinating the statistical modeling employed by Dr. Parker to determine governmental stacking chair purchase requirements for the year...

This book is, indeed, quite good at describing the outlook for public building stacking chairs excluding bar, bowling center, library, restaurant, and school stacking chairs in India. However, I am a bit offended that the information for the Kashmir region (which is claimed by both India and Pakistan) seems incomplete. Such scholarship is inexcusable. I will be going...

LoL...

 

[Math Is Hard]

It's $495 !

Yes, but it's eligible for FREE Super Saver shipping.

 

[jtbell]

Mr. Parker has a https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=philip+m+parker+india&x=17&y=16&tag=pfamazon01-20!

What say we all chip in a few dollars apiece so we can buy one of these and see what's actually in it?

[added] Aha, he has an entry in Wikipedia!

 

[baywax]

I was fascinated at an early age with the old books in the reserved section of the UBC library, where my mom was the ever present tyrant to the profs...

One I actually was allowed to keep was "Pilgrims Progress". It was from the 1700s or so. Very cool to have and read.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

I really need to start reading more regular novels... I got a bit stuck when I had to read Oliver Twist for my English course... When I have to read something for school, no matter how good it is, it's as if something in my head stops.

The only book I currently and actively employ is my New Nelson Kanji dictionary. Very useful in some situations.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

bible translates as book in old greek I think.

I read the dictionary when I was young, --took a while---I think I got the most out of it

You can't trust those bargain basement dictionaries.

 

[chhitiz]

catch 22
because of its satire, i guess

 

[Galteeth]

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
by Ken Kesey

 

[turbo]

I think mine is Dune, because I have read it so many times, and always find something new in it.

 

[DanP]

I think mine is Dune, because I have read it so many times, and always find something new in it.

I think it's mine too. I simply love it.

 

[BobG]

I'm going to go with "https://www.amazon.com/dp/0497503093/?tag=pfamazon01-20" by Philip M. Parker.

Previously I had only considered the Indian stacking chair market from the bar, bowling center, cafeteria, library, restaurant, and school sectors. It took Parker's targeted insight to give me a fresh perspective. But don't take my word for it. Read the reviews on Amazon.

This is my favorite book, too. It's very hot! Interesting trivia: This is the book Annie Savoy read to Nuke LaLouche in Bull Durham.

I love the reviews:

I first discovered Dr. Parker's brilliant analysis and forecast of Indian stacking chair consumption while completing my thesis on the roll played by wheel based ergonomic office chairs in workplace fatalities. In particular, I found fascinating the statistical modeling employed by Dr. Parker to determine governmental stacking chair purchase requirements for the year 2011, which is well know to be the year that the Indian Civil Service Entrance Exam switches to a "Standing Only" testing methodology. Indeed, after months of careful study I can find only two obvious faults with the findings put forward by Dr. Parker. Firstly, and far more seriously, while Dr. Parker's analysis included over 2600 Indian municipalities, his thoughtless exclusion of Indian bowling allies cuts short any possible insight into the scarcity of stacking chairs and the effects on Hindu-Muslim bowling alley violence. Perhaps the infamy of the religious riots in Pune, following Mohinder Singh's perfect 300 game in 1998 led to this exclusion, I only hope that this obvious gap in analysis does not alienate future generations of readers and lead them to repudiation this otherwise thoughtful and deeply insightful study. My final criticism has to do with the quality of the publication and lack of full color illustrations. The choice to use black and white illustrations may be in keeping with the scholarly focus of this publication but I find it hard to distinguish between the Duo and Cello stacking chairs featured prominently on pages 316-318.

Interestingly, this book has an odd number of pages. What are the odds of that happening?

 

[BobG]

You can't trust those bargain basement dictionaries.

catch 22
because of its satire, i guess

How is that a catch-22?

 

[TubbaBlubba]

How is that a catch-22?

Are you making a witty joke here or did you actually misinterpret it... ? Catch-22 is a book, at any rate. As I recall, catch-22 itself was you'd have to be crazy to get into a bombing plane. And if you're crazy you can get relieved of duty and go home. But if you realize that, then you're not crazy. Back into the plane.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I think I like books too much to have a favourite. I could list several.
As an individual possession my old leather bound collection of short stories by Edgar Allen Poe would probably be my favourite. Unfortunately it was played with my a puppy and then eventually water damaged beyond salvage while in storage.

 

[BobG]

Interestingly, this book has an odd number of pages. What are the odds of that happening?

Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey has an even number of pages (736)

Closing Time by Joseph Heller has an even number of pages (464)

Chronicles of Narnia has an even number of pages (784)

In fact, the number of pages is divisible by 4 in all 3 cases.

John Steinbeck's East of Eden has 601 pages. Odd. In fact, that's reason enough for it to be my favorite book.

In fact, of the top 50 New Releases on Amazon.com, 47 had an even number of pages. Two had an odd number of pages. 44 of the books had a total number of pages divisible by 4. Three had an even number of pages not divisible by 4 (two of those were books about Obama).

(For those that noticed there were only 49 books in the top 50, one of the top 50 releases was actually a trilogy package of 3 different books and didn't list the number of pages)

 

[hotvette]

My favorite is 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card. Reasons are (1) I love science fiction, and (2) the story is so gripping. I could hardly put it down.

Second favorite is probably 'The Magus' by John Fowles. Captivating story. Another one I could hardly put down.