It would seem that I was tagged by Rafe to answer this little quiz. So, here goes.

Total number of books I’ve owned. I would say that, right now, I own fewer than 200 books. That number has remained pretty flat for awhile now, as I’m more likely to read things online¹ than on a dead tree. Plus, my wife and I live in a small house with few bookshelves. The public library is our friend.

Last book I bought. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. Yes, I was bitten by the 43folders bug, too. I must have mistaken the fact that merely buying this book — and even reading about half of it — would make me, as Radiohead says, “Fitter Happier, More Productive…”. Sadly, it has not, but that’s more my own fault than the book’s, I’m afraid.

Last book I read. I’m in the middle of Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. So far, I’m enjoying it more than the movie (which I liked, BTW). My favorite detail that was lost in translation is the fact that the character of Mandy Nichols, played in the movie by Clint’s anorexically-thin daughter Alison, is described in the book as “statuesque” and “voluptuous”. Unfortuately, that was left out, ostensibly because the proles who watch movies evidently couldn’t stomach someone with curves². Oh, and then the part couldn’t have been played by Alison. Right.

But I digress. It’s a good book so far, and the reading experience is enhanced if you have been to Savannah³. What a beautiful city she is.

Last book I finished. 1984 by George Orwell. Finished this about a month ago. Depressing all around, especially in light of current events. Under the spreading chestnut tree / I sold you, and you sold me….

Five books that mean a lot to me:

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This is the book that opened my eyes to the joys of wry British humor.

• No Logo by Naomi Klein. This book pretty much sums up why I have a healthy disdain for companies whose job it is to turn Americans (or anyone) into walking billboards (c.f. abercrombie) while enabling sweatshop labor abroad.

• Writing Solid Code by Steve Maguire. Even though this book is becoming outdated, the concepts in this book are still golden for any software developer.

• The Pragmatic Programmer by Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt. Required reading for software developers or people who deal with them.

• Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor. “No man with a good car needs to be Justified.” A brilliant satire with freakishly bizarre characters.

Five people who would you like to see do this as well. Kent, JMD, Amber, Teresa and/or Patrick Nielsen, and finally the elusive Dean Allen.

¹ My brain has been eaten by blogs.

² Fact: Kate Winslet >> Kate Moss, in every single way. If you dispute this, you’re not just wrong, but a total wanker.

³ Michelle and I visited Savannah in 2001, and it remains our favorite trip we’ve taken as a couple so far.