Encyclopedia Brittanica:  Vol  1. A-f, 2. g-k, 3. l-q, 4. r-v and 5. w-z

I think Audio books would be great Steve until the batteries ran out, and then there would be silence, which would bring me back to reading. I am a complete book lover and hoarder so i would want them along with me. I pretty much take a good book on every trip, as does Rin, but my five would be.

1 The complete works of Tolkien, I have read it them all many times and never tire of them, so if its a long stay, I will relax on the beach and enjoy.

2 The complete guide to wild foods, I would want to be sure what I was eating was not going to kill me.

3 The swiss family Robinson. not only have I loved this book since being a child, I think it would definatly inspire me to create a home worth living in, which would keep me busy.

4 The complete works of Sherlock Holmes. I am a bit of a Conan Doyle fan, so would want to have a good mystery with a twist to keep my brain active.

5 For my fifth book, I am sure it has not yet been written "How not to be rescued and say sod off in every language" :) I think living on an island would suit me fine, unlimited nudity, no politics or people telling me how to live is a very appealing notion.

Tim, we must be long lost triplets. Books are my best friends (second only to my wife). Tolkein! Absolutely! and the complete works of C.S. Lewis.  Sherlock Holmes I loved, but once was enough. His famous quote about eliminating the impossible and what's left, etc.,  doesn't actually make sense if you think it through to a logical conclusion.  That aside, I loved Rob's #5.  It made me laugh out loud. Presuming an endless supply of food and good shelter, who would want to come back to this train wreck?

I wouldn't mind having the entire collection of Louis L'Amour, and I do love Stephen Lawhead's books; "Byzantium" is my favorite.
And I am aware I'm breaking the perameters of this topic; but it's my fantasy; so nyaahhh....

"Around midday during his third week on the island, as he was putting finishing touches on his shelter, Sam noticed something quite large being tossed by the waves onto the beach. Upon inspection, he realized he had been blessed with an airtight container, housing the entire library from the doomed luxury vessel. As he joyfully set aside title after title, he looked up to see his wife, rowing to shore on a piece of flotsam, piled high with canned goods and large crates of vodka."

My desert island books would be:

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday.

The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz.

The Untethered Soul by Michael A Singer.

Illusions by Richard Bach.

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.

All books I could and often do read many times over.

If you watch any of those solo survival shows, the thing that lets most people down is not the physical toil, but the mental anguish. Nurture your mind and you will endure almost anything. 

Book 1 and 5 are especially useful for getting through tough challenges.