OK, I'm overdue on providing my responses to the latest Book Meme thing, with thanks to Lynn B. for the invite. For my answers to the other book quiz, see here.

I find these things very difficult, because I can never decide on an answer to any of the questions that require a judgement call, and those always depend on where I am in time and tastes. Some of the stuff that might have been influential when I was younger, like Stranger In A Strange Land, or The Once and Future King, or even Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, are fading somewhat from my memory and I'm forgetting to a large extent what it was that I loved so much about them. Sooo...my policy for "filling this out" is to twirl in my chair, look around at what's on my shelves now and pick out my answers without too, too much agonizing over the answers.

Here we go...

Number of books I own: I'm guessing around 700. Not sure, really.

Last book I bought: I think it was John Adams: Party of One -- sort of an impulse purchase at BJ's Wholesale. No, really. I like Adams and find him a very sympathetic figure. A Massachusetts man of enormous accomplishments, curmudgeonly, always feeling unappreciated and worried that history wouldn't recognize him as it should (he was right).

Last book I read: Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B.C.. I'm looking forward to renting the movie when it's released on DVD. I'm given to believe I'll regret it.

Five books that mean a lot to me:

OK, here's where I spin the chair and look around.

The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror by Natan Sharansky: An intensely important book for understanding the world as it is today.

Hitler's Willing Executioners : Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen: All about understanding and facing history as it was, not as we'd like to excuse it.

CITIZEN SOLDIERS : The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany -- June 7, 1944-May 7, 1945 by Stephen Ambrose: Read about what our fathers did and what they sacrificed.

Radical Son: A Generational Odyssey by David Horowitz: Horowitz's personal story of his journey from Left to Right is an important story for anyone no matter where they are now on the ideological scale -- but especially if you're on the cusp of a similar move.

Downfall : The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire by Richard B. Frank: I call this the book with the redundant title. This is another book that's all about "appreciating our Fathers." It's a detailed, amazingly researched work that serves as a great primer for what you need to know about the allied effort in the Pacific War.

Now, I'm going to be a bit of a bastard and not pass this on. I did that the first time and I just don't like putting it on people to post something if they don't want to (which is not to say I mind being asked myself...bring 'em on!) -- I also don't want to leave anyone wondering, "Hey, why didn't he pick me?." SO! If anyone out there would like, I leave it to you to pick up the stick and post your own answers. I'll update this post with the links.

Edit: I hate the way the new Amazon links add an extra space. Sorry 'bout that.