Seven books I keep close because I love them
This post takes readers on a journey through the author's 'elbow shelf,' revealing seven books that profoundly shape their thinking and writing. From a misunderstood Roget's Thesaurus to foundational texts of mathematical logic and Renaissance literature, each selection offers a window into the author's intellectual world. It's a testament to the enduring power of physical books and a personal invitation to explore the roots of Western thought and modern intellectual disciplines.
The Lowdown
The author presents a personal tour of the seven books kept within arm's reach on their 'elbow shelf,' not necessarily the most frequently consulted, but those whose intellectual 'emanations' they hope to absorb. Each book is discussed in depth, highlighting its personal significance and intellectual value, reflecting the author's wide-ranging interests and deep engagement with knowledge.
- Roget's Thesaurus (4th edition): The author prefers this older edition, explaining that a thesaurus is primarily a tool for refining one's thoughts and finding the precise shade of meaning within a hierarchical classification of concepts, rather than merely replacing common words with synonyms. Its effective use requires skill and understanding.
- The Prose of Sir Thomas Browne: A collection by a revered English Baroque writer, whose works like Pseudodoxia Epidemica (debunking 17th-century beliefs) are admired for their wit, learning, and humane spirit. Browne's adventurous intellectual curiosity, contrasting with what the author sees as the 'cramped' thinking of the Middle Ages, aligns with the author's own intellectual ideal.
- Boccaccio's Decameron: Set during the 1348 Black Plague, this collection of stories is celebrated for its human-centric, worldly themes and diverse moods, starkly contrasting with Dante's more medieval approach. The author appreciates its variety—from sad and romantic to funny and salacious—and the Cormac Ó Cuilleanáin translation.
- From Frege to Gödel (edited by van Heijenoort): A critical anthology of seminal papers in mathematical logic, spanning from Frege's foundational work to Gödel's incompleteness theorems. It covers key figures and concepts like Frege's Begriffsschrift, Russell's paradox, Peano numbers, Zermelo's theorem, and Ackermann's function, serving as a frequent reference and source of inspiration. The editor's colorful life as Leon Trotsky's secretary and one of Frida Kahlo's lovers is also mentioned.
- Orbis Sensualium Pictis (Johannes Comenius): A deeply cherished 1658 book, lauded as Europe's first illustrated children's book. It features engraved illustrations with numbered items explained in both the local language and Latin, functioning as an engaging educational tool for teaching about the world and language simultaneously, captivating the author whenever they open it.
- The Bible (NIV, large print): Considered a cornerstone of Western culture, essential for understanding 21st-century America, valued for its wisdom, stories, and insights into human nature. The NIV translation is favored for its clarity and accuracy, and the author touches on unfinished articles inspired by biblical passages, such as Jesus's admonition to 'not put the Lord your God to the test' and the tale of Samson and Delilah.
- The Belles Heures of Duc de Berry: A lavishly illustrated 'book of hours' (a medieval prayer book) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, whose identity the author discovered years after acquiring a print. It represents the pinnacle of medieval manuscript art and personal devotional texts commissioned by the very wealthy.
The author notes that the removal of the 8th edition Roget's Thesaurus has left space for an eighth book, perhaps Tristan Needham's Visual Complex Analysis. The shelf also contains various unrelated items like googly eyes, old tapes, and hard drives, which the author whimsically likens to the disparate contents of their own brain.