THE FIVE BOOKS YOU WOULD TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND AND WHY

Don Tollefson, 55, founder of the Venice Historical Society

1. The Journal of the Venice Historical Society

We have a rich and colorful history in Venice, and each time I read the journal I learn something new or relearn something I had forgotten. There’s always blurbs in there about things that happened in Venice at the turn of the century--parades, beauty contests, the old Southern Pacific Railway. Venice was an independent city until 1925, when it was annexed by Los Angeles.

2. Muscle & Fitness magazine

I’ve worked out since I was 13, in 7th grade, lifting weights and doing aerobics. What I’ve found is that everything in the body gets old except the muscles. They will last forever. All you have to do is work out. Lift weights and your muscles will be as good as when you were 20. I lift about three or four times a week and do aerobics every day for 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Home Power magazine

I split my time between homes in Venice and Malibu. I use the magazine for ideas around my house in Malibu, which is totally self-contained. I produce my own electricity. I catch the water that runs down my hillside in wintertime in large storage tanks. I heat the water with a solar panel. I use drip irrigation to water my garden. The house is completely independent from any utility company.

4. The Palm Journal of the Palm Society of Southern California

I’ve always been interested in palm trees. I love the

tropical ambience they provide. If you grow these palms in a greenhouse and get them up to a size of two to four feet, then you can put them outdoors and they can survive. But if you put them outside as seedlings, they’ll die as soon as they get cold.

5. Popular Science magazine

I’m interested in the latest scientific news and breakthroughs. I’m also interested in what the future holds. Right now, I really look with interest at articles about the hybrid car--a combination of an electric motor and a gasoline engine.