It's my opinion that nine out of 10 books are poorly written, out of date, contain wrong information or are just boring.  But, one out of ten books is more than you can read in a lifetime.

 

Books open doorways to vast universes that we otherwise could never experience.  I like movies, but, books...  ahhh books are the best.  They can transmit wisdom and hope down through the ages like no other medium.

 

One of the first books I read as a very young child was: "The Good Earth" by Pearl Buck.  I haven't read it in a long, long time, but will re-read it again some day.  Also, Tom Sawyer and Huckelberry Finn were a couple of my favorites.  I read them several times.

 

Other books that inspired me over the years include:

 

"Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe

 

"Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens

 

"Spartacus" by Howard Fast

 

"Dune" by Frank Herbert

 

"The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by

        T.E. Lawrence

 

The "Foundation" trilogy by Isaac Asimov

 

"The Human Zoo" by Desmond Morris

 

"On Instinct" by Konrad Lorenz

       (People are driven by instinct...)

 

Many books by Ashley Montague

       (People are driven by learning...)

 

"The  Dragons of Eden" and other books

       by Carl Sagan

 

Several biographies of Abraham Lincoln

 

"The Twelve Caesars" by Suetonius

 

"World Order" by Andrew Goliszek

 

"The Syndrome" By John Case

 

"Gentleman Spy; The life of

Allen Dulles" by Peter Grose

 

"Widows" by William Corson,

Susan Trento & Joseph Trento

 

"Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the

Batle of Thermopylae" by

Steven Pressfield

 

"Clash of Civilizations and the

remaking of world order" by

Samuel Huntington

 

Several books by my father,

      James A. Brundage  (especially

     "Richard Lion Heart" which he

      dedicated to me!)

 

To be continued...

 

 

I like movies that have some social relevance.  Mindless entertainment doesn't entertain me because I have some idea of the real needs of this world.  Given that knowledge, wasting time is a crime for someone like me.  There's too much to do.

 

Hotel Rwanda

(President Clinton at the time of the Genocide, prevented the U.N. from intervening, though this isn't mentioned in the movie.)

 

City of Joy

(A doctor re-discovers his humanity in Calcutta.)

 

Blood Diamonds

(A bit of reality concerning the diamond trade.)

 

The Power of One

(Fictional story of a white boy in South Africa who uses boxing and sincere intentions to help unify the tribes, educate people and fight aparthied.)

 

Lord of War

(Story about international weapons trade.)

 

Enemy of the State

(Misuse of governmental power against an innocent man)

 

Danny the Dog

(Personal transformation through love and music.)

 

Lord of the Rings

(Good vs. Evil and the power of friendship between very diverse individuals.)

 

Kingdom of Heaven

(Salvation through and hypocrisy of the crusades.)

 

The Last Samuri

(Maintaining traditional values in the modern world, and personal transformation through sacrifice.)

 

Memoirs of a Geisha

(Even a slave can love, and femininity is not passe.)

 

Troy

(A good man fights an evil war and is killed.)

 

Arthur

(A mixed race man tried to bridge two cultures.)

 

Alexander

(A man conquers the world but not his passions and is undone because of it.)

 

Syriana

(Brilliant review of the oil industry.)

 

Many others...

 

Good music gives wings to the soul. 

 

I like almost all genres of music including pop, rock, , new age, R & B, rap, bluegrass, jazz, blues, classical, folk... you name it!

 

Cat Stevens (Moonshadow, Peace train)

Crosby Stills Nash and Young (Deja Vu album)

Diana Ross (Do you know where you're going to)

Eagles (Witchy Woman, Hotel California)

Eddie Rabbitt (I love a rainy night)

Elton Johh (Your song, Yellow Brick Road, Can you feel the love tonight)

Emerson Lake and Palmer (Lucky Man)

Four Non Blonds (What's up)

Rolling Stones (Sympathy for the devil)

5 Stairsteps (O-o-o Child)

5th Dimension (Age of Aquarius)

Led Zeppelin (Stairway to Heaven)

Michael Jackson (Man in the Mirror, Do you remember the time, Thriller, Black or white)

Otil Redding (I can see clearly now the rain is gone)

Olivia Newton John (Hopelessly devoted to you)

Prince (Purple Rain, When doves cry)

Pocol Harem (A whiter shade of pale)

Queen (We are the champions)

The Who (Teenage Wasteland, Behind Blue Eyes)

Uriah Heap (The wizard)

 

Aly & A.J. (Walking on Sunshine)

Beyonce (Many, Wishing on a star, )

Black Eyed Peas (Where is the Love, Shut up)

Britney Spears (Oops I did it again, Stronger, My Perogative)

Celene Dion (Because you loved me)

Christina Aguilera (Fighter, Beautiful, Lady Marmalade)

David Gray (Sail Away)

Desiree (You Gotta Be)

Genuwine (I'm feelin' you - Honey Soundtrack, Riding my Pony)

Jennifer Lopez (Let's get loud)

Jessica (Get up)

Laura Branigan (Gloria)

Madonna (La Isla Bonita, Just like a prayer)

Mary Mary (Shackles)

Pussycat Dolls (Don't Cha, Sway)

Sugababes (Too lost in you)

Sweetbox (Don't push me, Everything's gonna be alright)

Whitney Houston (I will always love you)

 

Coolio (Gangstas Paradise) 

Eminem (The real slim shady)

Ice Cube (Today was a good day)

Lady Sovereign (Love me or hate me)

L.L. Cool J (Doing It Well)

Mase (Welcome Back)

Tu Pac (MANY... Only God Can Judge me, Life goes on, I Ain't Mad at Cha, Keep your head up, Unconditional love, Dear momma, Life goes on)

 

Genuwine (Tell me do U Wanna)

Usher & Genuwine (Seduction, The best man I can be)

R. Kelly (Bump N' Grind, Shake ya Body, Slow Dance)

James Blunt (Tears and Rain)

Coco Lee (A love before time)

Bette Midler (The rose)

Michael Buble (Feeling Good)

Milli Vanilli (Girl I'm gonna miss you, Blame it on the rain)

Roberta Flack (The first time Ever I saw your face)

Sade (Is it a crime, Smooth operator, No ordinary love)

Stephanie Mills (I feel good all over)

Jessica Simson (Take by breath away)

Jewel (Have a little faith in me, Who will save your soul)

Stephanie Mills (I feel good all over)

Tommy Bolin (Gypsy Soul)

Van Morrison (Into the Mystic)

 

BOB MARLEY (Three little birds)

Sean Paul (Shake it, Give it to me)

 

Red Hot Chili Peppers (Californication, City of Angels)

Stray Cats (Stray Cat Strut)

Sugababes (Freak like me)

Korn (Word up)

Weezer (I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me)

 

Dirty Dancing Havana Nights Salsa Cubana

Los Lobos (Once Upon a Time in Mexico)

Mambo Kings (Tango Rumba)

Marisa Monte & Cesaria (Salsa Caliente)

Ojos de brujo feat (Rumba dub style)

Paco De Lucia (Tango Flamenco)

 

Louis Armstrong (As time goes by, You are so beautiful, What a wonderful world)

Rightous Brothers (When a man loves a woman, You've lost that loving feeling)

The Manhattans (You are my shining star)

 

Paul Horn (Flute played inside the dome of the Taj Mahal)

Hearts of Space (Spring in the Tibetan Grassland)

Braveheart (Celtic Bagpipes - outlawed tunes)

Hans Zimmer (Many, The power of one - Gladiator main theme, The thin red line)

Steel Drums - African Tribal Music - Fiji Chant

Musique Irlandaise Celtique - Sounds of nature - Kitaro Celtic Harp

 

Bach (Anna Magdalena Notebook, Peasant Cantata, Coffee Cantata)

Mozart (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Symphony 41 -  Jupiter Symphony)

Brahms (Any of his four symphonies, or Academic Festival Overture, Hungarian Dance 5 & 6)

Schubert (Trout Quintet)

Beethoven (Seventh Symphony, Flight of the Bumble Bee, Fur Else)

Ottorino Respighi (Ancient Airs and dances)

Joseph Canteloube (Songs of the Auvergne)

Franz Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 in C-Sharp minor)

Maurice Ravel (Boléro, Daphnis et Chloé)

 

Epiloge - Thanks to LimeWire (free music sharing software on the Internet) and iTunes (a library system) for helping keep in touch with the tunes of the world.  Thanks also to my dad for his suggestions regarding the classics!