The Oldest and Dearest from My Book Stash (or what's left of it)

Eventhough I love books, I have to trim down my book collection everysooften due to space limitations. In our Sta. Rosa home, we had a custom built wall mounted book shelf enough to hold a considerable volume of books to last a lifetime. Condo-living entailed we only have space for 1 bookshelf which is 75% full by now (and 75% are Kyla's own book collection). And I am not yet succumbing soon to the seduction of Kindle and tablet readers. Call me old fashioned in that area. I tried the e-books during the Palm Pilot era and it catapulted my eye grading to 500.

I have a handful of books from many years ago that are still part and parcel of my book stash wherever I go. From our Rizal hometown to our first home in Makati City to Laguna and til date. I have given away, donated and sold most of my books but these are simply the dearest of them all.

The Mythology by Edith Hamilton was a required reading in Literature during my junior high years. This  was my original book from high school. The book cover still had the date when I purchased the book (October 6, 1989) and still had the original plastic cover which is partly dilapidated by now. We took up the Olympian gods and goddessess, and the Trojan War. But I read the entire book anyway. I love this book because it gives you an insight on the great storytelling from early civilizations when life was still a mystery shrouded by superstitions, supernatural or even paganistic beliefs often confused with religion and simplistic rendition of why life was the way it was. The latest paperback no longer carries the same cover picture of Perseus holding Medusa's head.



A good substitute for the Gregorio Zaide history book



I love history books, especially that of the Spanish era. Perhaps in previous life I lived in the Spanish colonial-era Manila which explains my affinity for history. I also have books about America and Europe- not the school textbooks- but the kind that gives you an unapologetic glimpse of history and its glaring realities. The Old Manila is good read because it packs a punch despite the slim volume and is insightful and comprehensive. I also bought a coffee table book about the History of Manila and it's nearby cities and provinces. We cannot live in the past but we must not forget our past either - we must learn from the lessons of history and use it to influence a better future. Sadly, not al lot of our youth really likes history.


My book Europe 101 had an interesting closing anecdote about geopolitical history, economics and a daring prediction about modern age social justice and what it means for the First and the Third World.  It cited a quote from the 1979 best seller "The Future in Our Hands" and after that I'm hooked. Made me think hard and deep. I must find that book.

The book "Who Moved My Cheese?" was given to me by my manager Rohan Murkunde in 2000. There were about 5 of us in his team and we were about to face a huge change in our career- moving from R&D to Product Supply. The book is about adapting with change. I did not have a lot of drawbacks going through that episode of my life because a feeling somewhere in my gut circa 1998 tells me that moving to the Plant is my fate. But this book gave me the wisdom that we should not cease looking for the signs that foretells significant change that is about to happen.

Pride and Prejudice is a hand me down book from my friend Nats. Love story from the 19th century par excellence. What I loved most about it is that heroine is actually a feisty, speak-before-you-think, no non-sense young lady. It is inspiring that even though we are centuries apart, there were already liberal minded women who are ahead of their time! They are the true femme fatale!

The book by John Maxwell 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader was a gift by my then manager Carlos Morales, given to me during my early years as a young manager with subordinates for the first time. This book had a lasting impact on me and shaped by beliefs, thinking and convictions as a leader. In latter years, I used quotations from this book as part of the trainings I gave to my organization.

I was fortunate to receive the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" as a gift twice. One was from my former manager in packaging days, Suhas Potnis and the second one was from my friend Ed Macias. This is one powerful book that changed the way I looked at strengths and the so-called weaknesses. It enabled me to discover strengths at its most fundamental level. Years later when I moved from one role to another in my career, I have used the wisdom I learned from this book to help guide me on which path to go based on my strengths. On moments of doubt, I read this book again to reaffirm on what I know I should be holding on to.

"The Best of Youngblood' is a compilation of stories from twenty-something Filipino writers and wannabe writers in the early 90s. I bought it when I was at that age bracket so you can say it is the literature of my generation (Gen-X). It is the many facets of the youth from Generation X. By now, some of them are working moms like me, some are still enjoying the freedom of being single, some are probably torn in between, and some are still searching for themselves true to Gen-X tienes tienes (coloqial for fluff). If you have read the book or if you are a true Gen X-er, you will understand what I mean.


The poignant opening story from the book Chicken Soup for Children with Special Needs

One of the most heartwarming book I have ever owned- Chicken Soup for Childen with Special Needs. This is the only Chicken Soup book left to me, obviously the closest to my heart. I read it one story at a time. Most stories are poignant, each story is inspiring and leaves you a feeling of connectedness to millions of others whom I have never met but we are linked together by a common special bond. The opening story "Welcome to Holland" sent me to tears for its truthful evocation of every mother and child's journey. I still cry whenever I read the opening story eventhough I've read it a hundred times.

Similarly the book "The Curious Incident of the Dog at Midnight" gives you an insight of how the mind of a person with autism perceives his world around him. How he thinks, how he processes what he sees, what he hears and how he will react accordingly. It enlightened me as to how my son apparently looks at the world from his eyes.

I encountered the book "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" while reading the Chicken Soup for Children with Special Needs. It is thought provoking to say the least and there are just so many unforgettable quotes and passages that makes you ponder. "Endings are also beginnings. You just don't know it at that time." And yes, it got me thinking who are the five people that will greet me when I die. Knowing my life, I can already surely tell at least one of the five.