What book would you memorize if they made books illegal?

[Rabrrrrrr]

and if Shrub wins, they just might.

WNYC today, on the Leonard Lopate show, was asking that question of its listeners. I've been thinking about it all day as to what I would memorize, if, say, time allowed just one book to be memorized.

(and I love that the NYC station is so wonderfully liberal, and willing to entertain this idea as something that is at least worth talking about)

My first thought was that I should maybe memorize something that really pertains to the founding of the country and the creation of the consitution, maybe something by paine or adams or Jefferson; or perhaps even go back a few years to Locke, who's thinking was so influential in the formation of our country. I thought these books would be good so that at least the dream of what this country was founded wouldn't be lost, and could thus be re-used at some later date.

But then again, the Bible could be handy; but also there's so much important literature - milton, dante, dickens, fitzgerald, etc.

I'm still not sure what I'd want to try to memorize.

What book would you choose?

[creativelcro]

1. I have already memorized 1000 books.

just in case.

[Rabrrrrrr]

And what are they?

:evilgrin:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

29. ummmm, I forget now

[DarkPhenyx]

2. The Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran

Not one more than two people would choose, and one that has a place and a time for the wisdon contained therein.

[Robbien]

19. Googled Kahlil and am reading some online text from "The Madman"

Thus I became a madman.
And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness; the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us.

Thanks for mentioning these books.

[lcordero]

3. hmmmmm

"The Prince" by Machiavelli
or
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu
or maybe the contemporary
"The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene

The next generation deserves to know what they are going up against.

[DarkPhenyx]

6. Going up against?

Shit happy, were going to need those books ourselves!

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Sun Tzu is another one I thought of

and the Prince, but soon discarded the prince, since it's so, well, machiavellian.

I'd also considered Plato's "Republic", and we also have the Buddhist writings.

[DarkPhenyx]

15. There are too many books, to be certain.

I do like the idea of having a large group of friends who each remember a set number of books then get together regularly to "read" the books to the group. a'la "Ferenheit 451".

We can't do it all on our own.

[fishnfla]

4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

and the Riverside Shakespeare.

[Catch22Dem]

18. How dare you!

I'm memorizing that one. You pick something else! ;)

[mhr]

5. 1984, George Orwell

http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/

[Snow]

7. I've heard that the old bards memorized books

by singing them - Homer wasn't really a writer, he shared his stories by singing them at the campfire, as it were. Putting a book to music makes it much easier to hold in your mind. However, this might be tricky with a book on, say, electrical engineering. Perhaps that's why so many old tales are metaphorical, even preachy - you can remember and convey important concepts better embedded in a heroic tale of some sort.

[FloridaJudy]

8. Wasn't this a question on Fahrenheit 451?

Three books.

Alice in Wonderland.

Huckleberry Finn.

One Hundred Years of Solitude.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. It was kind of the plot of 451, but not a question

Huck Finn - good choice! Some good sarcastic social commentary from Twain could be helpful for the next generations if they had to rebuild society from the republican wet-dream feudal hell they'll end up making the earth.

[ProudGerman]

10. I know one book I'll need to memorize

How to clean your rifle.

Because its gonna get dirty.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. LOL!

So very true...

maybe the anarchist's cookbook, then?

[ProudGerman]

14. That's the one I was trying to think of

Thanks!

I'm not kidding about the rifle comment though.

[DarkPhenyx]

17. I memorized the AC a long time ago.

I've since made improvements to it. :evil grinning hippie:

[flama]

11. I'd hide the books I now own

I'd hide them somewhere safe like in the walls of the house we're remodelling or maybe in a storage vault in another country.

Then I think I'd memorize The Old Man and The Sea. That book shows stamina and determination in the face of adversity.

Let us all be Santiago! Let us fight the fight and win if only we bring bones ashore. (Sorry, had to get political here. This is the Democratic Underground, after all.)

[beawr]

16. The collected works of W. Shakespeare

n/t

[Rowdyboy]

20. Animal Farm

Its short, tells a remarkable story and has lots of great opportunity for improvisation.

[ComerPerro]

21. Any Vonnegut Book

Breakfast of Champions, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, and Cats Cradle would be in there

[FloridaJudy]

25. Cat's Cradle Rocks!

That was the book that changed my life back in 1967..

Kurt Vonnegut and Thomas Pynchon have a lot to answer for; they made me what I am. On the other hand, without these dudes I could be working for Dow Chemical...

[ZenLefty]

22. I'd go with Dr. Seuss

Sounds like an easy cop-out, but you know, someone would have to preserve those works. I wouldn't allow them to be lost forever.

[Cheswick2.0]

33. Those are the only ones I have a hope of memorizing

I'll take "One Fish Two Fish"

[aQuArius]

23. this may sound conceeded, but, My Journal

I would just never want to forget all my thoughts and feeling I've had since I was 10 years-old, its the most important book in my life.

[MercutioATC]

24. Gurdjieff..."Beezlebub's tales to his Grandson"

and David Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus".

Both philosophical milestones...and, believe it or not, Lindsay is harder to grasp...at least for me.

[Draven]

26. I wouldn't memorize them...

I'd still keep them. I'd take my chances.

There's no way in hell that Bush will take away my books--or anything of mine, for that matter.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

30. Well, no... not while you were alive, of course.

After that, I don't think you would have much choice in the matter.

[scarlet_owl]

27. I'd memorize the Harry Potter books.

Everyone needs some magic in their life. I've read them so many times, I've halfway memorized them anyway!

[WindRavenX]

28. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Best book ever.
Or Contact by Carl Sagan...

[FDRrocks]

31. Fahrenheit 451...

I would start passing down the oral history of the depths the human race fell to while we limp towards are inevitible fate.

[RebelOne]

32. My all-time favorite

Ray Bradbury's "Martian Chronicles."

[Cheswick2.0]

34. Assuming the memorization fairy bopped me on the head

and I had the power to do this.........
I would memorize the bible. If that was already taken I would do Grapes of Wrath.

[Loonman]

35. "and if Shrub wins, they just might."

O----kay.

:eyes: