When I lent a friend my iPod she later exclaimed: "It's like taking a peek inside a musician's brain."

I liked that idea and set out to give you an extended peek into my brain by compiling this list of recommendations. I did it by looking through my book shelves, and sifting through my music and film collection. I own every item on this list. In fact this list of stuff is a very condensed amount of what I have - only items I either like a lot or find important.

Sometimes a piece of art/music/film/literature can be very important to me even though I don't like it. I don't have to like something to want to encounter it again and again. Sometimes the most important pieces are not pieces I like.