Consider the importance of books to you both personally and within a broader global sense. First of all, think back to the earliest books you came across as a child, through your teenage years and early adulthood to where you are now.
There may be half a dozen books which stick in your memory or are important to you in some way. There may be many more than that. It may be an early reading book, a particular image or short rhyme which helped you recognise letterforms. It may be the distressed metallic silver cover of a Salinger novel you read as a teenager, or the book you bought on impulse after work one day, seduced by the tactile quality of the cover. Identify these books in your learning log, use photographs and annotation to create an illustrated list documenting the books that are important to you, for whatever reason.
Now, connect your influential books to those with a more global reach. Identify seminal works that have informed or challenged some of the areas you have identified. These may be scientific, artistic, historical, political, geographic, fictional, poetic or religious texts. For example, a book from your childhood could connect to other seminal children’s books by association, such as Heinrich Hoffmann’s Der Struwwelpeter / Shockheaded Peter (1845) or Charles Perrault or the Brothers Grimm.
Likewise a book featuring dinosaurs might connect to Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species.
When we appreciate the breadth and influence of books, we begin to appreciate the extent of a book’s potential impact. Books carry and communicate ideas; powerful messages can be contained within seemingly innocuous bound paper pages.
In your learning log, create another list of books, with accompanying images and annotations, which you believe to be more globally important, but connect to your first list in some way. This activity will feed into your first assignment, so document your ideas in your sketchbooks and learning log to refer back to later.
List of important books in my childhood, teen life, early adulthood -
The little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 1943
The little prince was a childhood sweet memory. Probably one of my favotire books of all times. I remember I just loved the little price's drawing, and my mother which also loved the story bought me a small toy of the little prince to put on my shelve. I remember the story didn't make much sense to me, but as a child you don't always look for sense in the story. I loved the rose, and the sheep, and the cool outfit the little prince had. I love the drawings of him on a planet. and all and all loved the mystery and the nonsense. Obviously as an adult I can keep reading this story again and again and find more depth into the 'nonsense'.
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Play by William Shakespeare
Growing up most books like Harry Potter (which was a bit hit) didn't speak much to me. I couldn't keep up with huge books, and I wasn't excited about reading fiction books. Though, weirdly enough, what caught my eyes more, and my interest - was plays. It was like shortcutting the whole thing into the actual point for my imagination. Maybe also as a theatre fan from a young age, I used to just love reading plays and go with my imagination into the story. One of my forever favourite was A Midsummer Night's Dream of Shakespeare. It wasn't his absolute famous plays (maybe another reason why I loved it so much, I felt it was a little secret gem).
Wisdom of the Pretzel - Ilan Heitner
As I mentioned above, I wasn't a book fiction reader, other than when it came to Ilan Heitner. Something about his writing was raw, real and funny that he became the only author I actually red books from. This book was the first out of a few classics, but this one also became a classical movie in Israel. I loved how he wrote about women men and relationships, especially for an adolescences girl, to hear how it is in the male perspective was pretty fascinating. I wasn't alone, everyone in Israel loved this book, movie and also the next one.
The Hummus King and the Bathtub Queen - Ilan Heitner
Again, Ilan Heitner, this time when I picked up the book, I chose the book by its cover, I already knew I love Ilan's writing but I was a teenager who loved graffiti and mess. So the cover was super attractive to me. This book again, Ilan is taking us the readers through his love story in Philadelphia and Central America.
Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu, Translated by Nissim Amon
Tao Te Ching was a book I'm pretty sure I picked up when I was roughly 19, and started to practice yoga. I'm pretty sure my teacher was reading texts from this book in classes and I asked her what was the book and immediately went to buy it.
Tao Te Ching or Dao De Ching is a philosophy book traditionally credited to the 6th-century BC sage lauzi, by Lao Tzu (which translate to old wise man, some people say lay tau was a bunch of old wise men and not specifically one person) translated to Hebrew by Nissim Amon (an israeli monk, which came back from the monastery to teach eastern wisdom).
I love this book as it contains such deep meaning texts, which were written so many years ago.
You can read more about my experience in this blog post when I designed a book cover for it on my previous unit Graphic Design 1.
I really love that on Nissim Amon's books the cover has very special materials (fabrics), this one is leather or maybe a fake leather fabric, and embossed silver letters. I also love the Chinese symbol at the back (道 means Taoist / Dao - Road / Path).
Eastern Wisdom - Nissim Amon
Another book of Nissim Amon, this time is a bunch of beautiful philosophical texts he wrote rom years of living in the far east and being a monk. These texts are so beautiful and as well as the first book, I was introduced to it by one of my first yoga teachers.
I keep reading texts from it on a regular basis, and I love the design of it inside and out. The fabric this time is different and have a very special rough texture, almost like very raw cotton or linen.
The interior design is really cool as well, has very beautiful use of typefaces (which are very hard in Hebrew, the fonts verity is very very limited).
Rise Goodness all around - Esther Peled
This is a very special one for me, and Yes, i fully picked it up by it's cover.
I was heading to a full year trip around the world, 365 day, with about 16 destinations - Starting with 3 months in India. I saw this cover and fell in love, still one of my favourites to date, The ancient image of the buddha statue, and the title "Rise Goodness All Around" (free translation - Rise Goddess Around the World) subtitle "Buddhism, Meditation, Psychotherapy".
I knew I need it on my journey. I still read parts of it here and there, and it brings such warmth to my heart.
The cover, is so simple, just the best representation to the book.
The book is a journey to simplicity, to bring love and compassion into our hearts, and naturally then - to the whole world.
Globally Important books which relate to my first book list
I feel like few books on my list are already pretty important and known globally, but I chose few books which could be related and very important and known around the world.
Alice in Wonderland 1865 (Wise Children/ Adult Book)
Alice in Wonderland is a classic, i would have added it to the list if I read it as a book but it was more influential on me as a child as the movie, I could just watch it over and over again and I still am watching it here and there, I just love the imaginary world she has and I feel sometimes (as well as being called "alice" by my mother sometimes) that I have a world of my own sometimes.
Alice in Wonderland, same as the little price, is a book which have been written for kids, but actually as well for adults. I derived a lot of inspiration from both books and stories to a short fairy tail I have written myself when I was 21.
I have chosen to upload here the very first edition of Alice in Wonderland book, as it is so mysterious and beautiful, just like the story. I also love the leather hard cover.
God Hates Us All - Hank Moody 2009 (Romance and Relationship Book)
Yes, this is the book featured on the very well known and famous TV show 'Californiacation'. If I could say what my mind associate Ilan Heitner's books - is 'Californiacation'. When I quickly googled to see if there is a book based on the series, I have realised the book showcased on the series 'God Hates Us All' is an actual real book, and apparently a very good one!
Hamlet by William Shakespeare 1603 (Plays)
To find a similar or connected book to my favourite of Shakespeare 'Midsummer Night's Dream' I chose 'Hamlet' by Shakespear. I think the famous "to be or not to be" opening speech of Hamlet is the first association people have when they hear the name Shakespeare. So I guess, to link the less famous play I chose on my list to something more universal - Hamlet by Shakespeare will be the one.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita (Spiritual Books)
I think Tao Te Ching is a very very famous spiritual book worldwide, but if to find a relative - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita are both of the most famous books for spiritual teachings nowadays. Both have been written many years ago and have been almost forgotten, until someone brought it back to light and to the eyes of people. nowadays both books have been translated to an endless amount of languages and have had an endless amount of publications and book designs as well as commentaries.
Reflection
This exercise was very interesting as it really made me think deep into the connection between books and shared ideas, as well as pulling out of my memory books which has a very great influence on me throughout my years growing up.