Books In My Life
Alan - 06/18/1927
March 2006
I have been reading for a long time and there are books that I remember very clearly; those are the ones I want to record by author and title and where I remember certain things or characters, I want to make some comments (my memory is not always as sharp as I would like it to be). As I look over my list, I see a paucity of "Non Fiction" books. I make no apology, I read for enjoyment and escape. Oh, I read several newspapers and various periodicals and, from time to time, a book by one of our "columnists or a "talking head" but that’s just for survival. In good old Elmhurst College I was a history major and also read English Literature. My history professor was Dr. Crusieus, an old fellow who wrote his doctorate in Latin. He gave his lectures with his eyes closed and we were sure that he was seeing every event and battle that he described. One of our texts was a complete history of civilization. The text described each civilization beginning with the cave man, by its geography, its culture, its arts, its religion and its place in the scheme of things. The books, the people, the art and pictures gave us a starting point for additional research into a particular person, artist or place. The text would talk about Voltaire, this would lead to reading his biography and some of his works. That history class really pushed me on the road to inquisitiveness..
As I read, I tend to find an author I like and read the heck out of him or her. Some authors are very prolific and I make an attempt to read the works in the order that they were written. I buy a lot of books and give a lot away. I am addicted to "thrillers" and mysteries and I have read many more than I can ever remember. Ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, people, history and mythology, will grab me any time, fiction or non fiction. At "Elmhurst" we were required to take a course in Logic and one in Religion. As the result, I have always had an interest in biblical characters and the dogma of all the different beliefs. I like "biblical/history" fiction. As I go over my list of books and authors (in the tiny note books that I keep for each year) it does not seem long enough but what I remember will have to do.