Book Meme

Being relatively new to the world of blogging, I had no idea what a meme was when John See told me that he had tagged me with a book meme. I am supposed to answer the questions and tag another 3 people so that they will in turn answer the same questions. So here are my answers:

Total Number of Books Owned:

Seriously, I have no idea! If I include bible study guides, magazines and comics, I still don't think it reaches 500 though.

Last Book I Bought:

Like John See, I bought 4 books together the last time. I can't remember which book left the counter last, but I think the last book I picked up was 'Mother Teresa: In My Own Words' by Mother Teresa and Jose Gonzalez-Balado.

Last Book I Read:

I just read 'The History of Christian Thought' by Jonathan Hill in the toilet this morning.

5 books that mean a lot to me, in no particular order:

1. Alfred Edersheim's 'The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah', along with a Bible study seminar by Ada Lum, helped me to see the Jesus that I never knew; a Jesus that was totally human, yet totally divine; a Jesus that had emotions and so much love. This is a treasure of a book, and in my opinion, the best commentary I have ever read on the gospels. It has helped me time and time again as I prepare for Bible studies on the gospels, providing all the background information needed on first century Jewish culture, and by helping me to see Jesus from different perspectives. I actually found myself being transported back into first century Palestine on countless occasions while reading it.

2. Henri J. M. Nouwen's 'In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership', among all the other books that I have read on Christian leadership, stands out as being the most profound and thought provoking. With simplicity and humility, Henri Nouwen draws from his experiences at L'arche, to talk about the temptations that leaders face, and what it really means to be a Christian leader. This book has been a source of inspiration to me many times when God has put me in leadership positions.

3. Brian McLaren's 'A New Kind of Christian' trilogy (ok, I know I’m cheating here!) turned my views about Christianity upside down. No other set of books have had such an impact on my journey as a Christian, sweeping me off into exciting new territories and adventures with God, opening up my eyes to see the bigger picture of what it really means to follow Christ.

4. Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time' introduced me to the exciting and mysterious world of cosmology, where fact is stranger than fiction! It even helped to affirm that science has never been in conflict with faith. I have been a fan of Hawking’s writings ever since.

5. Michael Crichton's 'Jurassic Park' marked my coming of age, as I shifted my reading of children’s books to full-fledged novels more than 10 years ago. I remember reading this novel almost 10 times, being a dinosaur fanatic. It would pave the way for me to enter the world of science fiction and fantasy novels like Dune, Lord of the Rings, as well as works by Philip K. Dick, Joe Haldemann, Alfred Bester and much more.

Tag, you’re it! This book meme has been passed on to kath (You name it), tehka, and Phd in Bluffology!