What's in your Library?

[Theaetetus]

Ayn Rand hold a disproportionately large section in my library. I wanted to understand why the American culture is all f'd up and Ayn Rand had a major influence on the aspects that make it especially f'd.

[Aedes]

I have a pretty big library with some standard philosophical works and some nonstandard works. Most of my library is literature, medieval studies, history, and some travel writing. I have a lot of Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, Camus, Sartre, and Kant on the shelf, plus some compilations. My most unusual books are The Aesthetics of Music and The Aesthetics of Architecture, both by Roger Scruton; South Park and Philosophy; and a whole lot of eastern philosophy. This includes a complete translation of the Mahabharata, which is over 5000 pages long.

[Victor Eremita]

Victor,

So you would more closely identify with Kant and Kierkegaard more than Heidegger and Ryle? I have noticed though that the books I never touch are some of my favorite ones. But I realized how odd it was that I kept those favorite ones in a spot where I always go to for books but never touch them. They are always in the way, but I can never seem to put them somewhere else. So maybe you identify more with Heidegger et. al.

I do like Kant and Kierkegaard, I turn to their books frequently; The last time I touched Heidegger or Quine's books were back in 2004. Never read them since.

[Didymos Thomas]

I heard that! LOL! The books being sprawled all over the house is what spurred me to collect my books today. I even found text books in my backpack from when I went to college. If you can think of it like this, perhaps the fact that you keep your philosophy books everywhere indicates how immersed you are in philosophy, because you have consistent reminders of the subject throughout your living space.

It's not limited to philosophy/religion. My Modern Drummer collection is similarly scattered about... man, here I am looking around - I do this with everything. All kinds of crap out on tables, lost under tables, in drawers. I should really start to organize more.

Funny that you would mention the Prince, that’s one of the books I always seem to keep out.

Yeah, it's like I cycle books to keep close at hand depending on what subject has me most interested at the moment. Recently, I brought out the Prince again because we were reading it in my World Lit class.

As for borrowing books, I’ve always been the possessive type when it came to my books. I used to lend them out until someone lost my copy of the complete works of Plato. That…was…my…goldenboy. [single tear].

Oh, man, I've lost so many books in the same way. Montaigne's Essays - gone. That one I really miss; just haven't managed to get another copy, still looking for a good bargain. I keep lending them, though. Another copy can always be found, and I like giving people books. Most of the stuff I buy is used, and therefore cheap.

[socrato]

I got the seven harry potter books

[Didymos Thomas]

The Harry Potter series is pretty good. I have most of them... around here... somewhere.

[one-philosophy]

Theres loads of books I want but can't afford as there are loads of them, but I have an online library.
In my real life library to mention a few, this is roughly what I have:

My Christian Research lot:
The dead sea scrolls (translation)
Lost scriptures: books that didn't make it into the new testament (nag hamadi library effectively)
New RSV bible: catholic edition with deutero-canonical books (apocrypha)
KJV bible
Good news bible
Gideons new testament and psalms
Book of mormon
A translation of the psalms (from a prominent jewish guy)
Jung and the lost gospels

Islamic stuff:
Islam in Focus
The Quran (several)
Sahih bukhari (collection of hadith/ prophetic stuff)
Sahih muslim (as above)
Bearing true witness (for new muslims)
Signs of the Day of Judgement
The End of times
A brief illustrated guide to understanding islam
And many other smaller books that I cant remember as thee are so many.

Micellanious:
The Da Vinci Code
The Lord of the Rings collection (All 6 books and appendixes)
The Harry Potter septilogy (all seven books)
A Brief history of time

Books I want
The Polyglot Bible
A Complete collection of Pseudepigrapha
The holy Piby
Oahspe (or the Kosmon bible)
The Royal Parchment of Black supremacy
The Book of Shadows
The egyptian book of the dead
The Third Eye (or mother of the matrix) by Sophia Stewart
The Republic
Das Kapital

[Vasska]

My whole philosophical adventuren is a bit difficult because I'm interested in so many things, but never really seem to finish anything, and end up knowing something about everything, but nothing that i can really hold on too. Notice here that i like Nietzsche, but am looking for others (The Great Philosophers; essays about philosophers), as well to expand my knowledge (Cambridge Encyclopedia).

Next to that I'm obsessed with analyzing humanity (The Moral Animal) and the whole idea punishment (Discipline and Punish), but haven't delved much into it lately, but many observations are running wild and untamed in my head.

My collection of books from the last 2 years when i started reading again; haven't read all of them yet.

Philosophy
1/3th of Nietzsche's books (Zarathustra, Antichrist etc)Bertrand Russel: Bertrand Russel Why i am not a Christian
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Mastering Philosophy (Nice book for the beginner by the way)
The Great Philosophers
Some research books
George Orwells Essay's (Not that he's a philosopher, but his essays can be quite powerful)
The Moral Animal (About human nature)
Discipline and Punish; the birth of prisonAmusing ourselves to death
Darwin's The Orgin of species
Also notice that i'm also expanding into Mathematics, Rasputin, Hitler (Left out all the books, for most are non-US editions) and science.

Misc Education
Mathematics The birth of numbers (1024 pages of mathematics!)
World Changing (Global warming, and earth itself)
Certificate no 000867// (About the nuclear devastation of Russia, Kazakhstan and others, photo/text book, story of the people. Very moving)
Bill Bryson: Shakespeare, Bill Bryson: The Short history of nearly everything
To Kill Rasputin: The life and death of Gregori Rasputin
The book of nothing (about numbers and zero, very interesting)
Quantum Technology
The Fiction department of my brain wants to read all the masterpieces and trilogies, which limits my time in philosophy. School books are left out.

Fiction:
The masterpieces (Das perfum, Slaughterhouse 5, Catcher in the Rye, To kill a mockingbird etc)
Lot's of Ryu Murikami books
Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (all books)
Lord of the rings (fellowship, two towers, king)
His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass etc)
A Series of Unfortunate events, all 13 books + several other related books
Harry Potter 1 through 6 (I borrowed 7)
George Orwells books (1984, The Animal Farm, others will be bought when i'm done reading all the books i still have to read)
The Plot against America
And tens of others, when i'm 80 i'll propably have my own private library.
Dexter Trilogy (Books are really bad in comparison with the Showtime series)

[GoshisDead]

I have Linguistic, Ethnographic, and Archaeology Sections Arranged in Theory, Method, and History sections. I have a Western Philosophy Section Arranged in Ancient, Enlightenment, Religious, and Modern-ish sections. I have an Eastern Philosophy Section Arranged in Taoist, Buddhist, Hindi, Sufi, Martial Arts and Misc Sections. A Sci-fi/fanstasy section... Never could stand the "literary classics" then I have a Christian section arranged in General, Catholic, Latter Day Saint Sections. And still I'm so ill read it makes me a little sick.

[Arjen]

I am one of those persons whose books are being used. Some are besides my bed (my political philosophy books), some are besides the computer (Spinoza, Descartes and the English dictionary), some I lent to friends (Plato and Rousseau), but most are still on the bookshelf.

Most of my bookshelf is filled with books concerning WWII, but my philosophy books are catching up quickly. It is organised by subject primarily. I have a number of dictionaries that I use frequently (Dutch, German, French, Latin and English), I have a number of religious works that I have read (Thora, Nieuwe Testatment, Quran, some Taoistc and buddhistic works and even a work concerning the art of Zen). And finally I have a small collection of Anarchistic works.

The philosophy section is neatly arranged by name of the philosopher (usually). The names are not organised, so Kant is next to Plato and rousseau is on the other side of Plato. The rest of my Descartes and Spinoza is in there, Wittgenstein, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca, Xenophon, Nietzsche, Hume Schopenhauer. Perhaps I am forgetting some works. There also is a small section reserved for my old schoolbooks, but I find them somewhat limited in their usefullness and offered information.

P.S. Get well soon GoshisDead