THREE DAYS LATE!!

So, late as usual, I start my top ten lists. I am going to start with my top ten books, although only because I found this list actually quite easy to compile. Primarily because I have only read eleven books, so the only choice I had to make was which one to drop. Not sure about the running order, but here we go.

10. Failed States - Noam Chomsky.
Possibly the finest social/political mind alive today. A real genius, but a man of profound principal. He has been issuing warnings to the world for years, we could do worse than listen every once in a while.

9. Holidays in Hell - P J O'Rourke
An economist by trade, this is an account of his visits to the poorest places on the planet and why they have become so. What makes this book so enjoyable is that amidst so much desperation, he is still very, very funny. Acerbic one minute and compassionate the next, Mr O'Rourke has been entertaining me for years.

8. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
Lent to me recently by a good friend, this is a profoundly moving book. To tell you about the content would be a mistake, just get yourself a copy and read it. Then when your children are past 10 years old, read it to them, just to make sure that we never forget.

7. The Point of Departure - Robin Cook
The diaries of a noble man in an increasingly ignoble profession. Both illuminating and funny, it deals with the build up to his resignation stemming from his opposition to British involvement in the Iraq war. Politicians seem to show so little respect for their position these days, that even I am starting to despair of a system that seems to almost welcome deceit and corruption. It remains a terrible shame that he died so soon after leaving office. This book offers a wonderful insight into the mechanics of government, whilst showing a man having to come to terms with a decision he felt compelled to make.

6. Billions and Billions - Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan remains one of the brilliant minds of modern times. One of the worlds foremost astronomers/scientists, he is remembered mostly in this country for the series 'The Cosmos', which he both wrote and presented. This book however is a look at some of the key issues facing mankind as we venture in to 21st century. Whilst I do not agree with all that he proposes, I found it to be thought provoking and challenging. Carl Sagan found out whilst writing this book that he had terminal cancer and had to curtail what was supposed to be a much bigger piece of work. As a footnote, he also wrote the film 'Contact' starring Jodie Foster.

5. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
I am not a huge fan of Dickens, but I absolutely love this story. I suspect that most of you have read it, so need no introduction to the plot. I remember being only nine or ten and being mesmerised by the twisting storyline and the ultimate sacrifice.

4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
Written in the late sixties, this book has brought untold of joy to all of my children. I don't know why, but this book seems to capture the imagination of every child that reads it. I must have read this book three or four hundred times and it still makes me smile.

3. Mere Christianity - C S Lewis
I know, very predictable. Still, for most people who are starting to think there is something more to life, this will probably be the book that gives them more to think about than any other. I found it to be a marvellous piece of work from a clearly brilliant mind. One thing though, I found that I could only read it in small chunks as it really made my head hurt.

2. The Universe in a Nutshell - Stephen Hawking
It is always difficult when talking about this mans books, as all the hyperbole tends to get in the way. Still, it does make some of the big questions in theoretical physics accessible to thickos like me. I always find it slightly odd that Hawking (and Carl Sagan for that matter) find the presence of God so difficult to accept. It always seems to me that the symmetry of science does nothing but suggest the presence of a really great architect, do you not think?

1. The Bible - God
Big name author, good story and a great central character. A book for all seasons I think. I don't think I need say more, I think it speaks for itself.

I would like to give honourable mentions to Heart of Darkness, Last of the Mohicans and Corialanus.

So there you go. You probably disagree with nine of the ten, but it is my blog and I don't care (tongue is now sticking out). If you think I have missed the mark completely, then feel free to tell me your suggestions, that way I can include them on my 'to read' list.