Books every person should read

[slackerinabox]

I've been doing some introspection and realizing that I'm really poorly read and could do better. With zero per-qualifications (any genre, any reason - personal or academic), what are some books that just everyone should have read by adult hood?

 

[gorcorps]

Dystopian novels are my jam. To that end, every person needs to read:
-1984
-Brave New World
-Fahrenheit 451

 

[BoomerD]

If you're a man, start with these:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2016/11/28/100-books-every-man-read/

if not, try these:

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=8192263011

 

[brianmanahan]

the intelligent investor (modern edition)

 

[pete6032]

I am slowly making my way through this list.

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=8192263011

 

[shortylickens]

"Grab Her By the Pussy"
D. Trump

 

[Rumpltzer]

Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley

 

[MrSquished]

Almost anything by Bill Bryson. You will laugh and you will learn.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

The Bible. If we could get people to really read every word of it instead of just picking out 2 or 3 passages they like it would go a long way towards freeing humanity from its clutches.

Sticking with just non-fiction since no fiction (other than religious texts) are really all that important no matter how popular:

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
The Prince by Machiavelli
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
All the Presidents Men by Woodward and Bernstein
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
The Way Things Work: An Illustrated History of Technology by C. van Amerongen

 

[SKORPI0]

The Rise and Fall of Anandtech Forums - according to Mayne.

 

[Sonikku]

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

You'll learn the true way of the Sith and not the pussified way used by Sidious.

 

[sandorski]

The Bible. If we could get people to really read every word of it instead of just picking out 2 or 3 passages they like it would go a long way towards freeing humanity from its clutches.

Sticking with just non-fiction since no fiction (other than religious texts) are really all that important no matter how popular:

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
The Prince by Machiavelli
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
All the Presidents Men by Woodward and Bernstein
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
The Way Things Work: An Illustrated History of Technology by C. van Amerongen

I have only read 2 of those, the Bible and Origin of Species(although it was an Audio book), but this is a good list.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/books/

 

[Thebobo]

https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/books/

Audiobooks count. That's all I read these days. I actually look forward to my commute and you can DL from your library for free in most counties.

The book that got me started listening to audiobooks was Silence of the Lambs (before the movie.) We were coming back from our annual christmas pilgrimage to the folks and we listened to it the entire 13 hour drive home.

 

[Darwin333]

The Count of Monte Cristo

And I'll 2nd The Art of War by Sun Tzu

I also liked The Rogue Warrior by Dick Marcinko (founder of SEAL team 6) especially if you like action/military type stuff. It's a mostly true book about Marcinko's exploits as a SEAL in Vietnam and then his founding of SEAL team 6. Red Cell is pretty good too but I'd definitely recommend that you check out the original.

In Vietnam the SEALs were pretty new and the commanding officers didn't really know what to do with them so Marcinko was famous for waiting till the CO went to sleep and planning a UNIDOR (Unless Otherwise Directed) mission and being gone and on the mission before he woke up. He'd get his ass chewed because he was doing inland missions and he was Navy so he should stay near the water and his reply was always "There was fucking water in my canteen". He was so good the Vietcong put a pretty big bounty on his head and hung flyers all over the place.

 

[snoopy7548]

Stephen King books can sometimes be long but are always easy reads. I recommend The Shining or Pet Sematary if you want some horror.

 

[SMOGZINN]

The Bible. If we could get people to really read every word of it instead of just picking out 2 or 3 passages they like it would go a long way towards freeing humanity from its clutches.

Sticking with just non-fiction since no fiction (other than religious texts) are really all that important no matter how popular:

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
The Prince by Machiavelli
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
All the Presidents Men by Woodward and Bernstein
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
The Way Things Work: An Illustrated History of Technology by C. van Amerongen

Really good list. I would also add:

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

 

[FerrelGeek]

"Grab Her By the Pussy"
D. Trump

Followed up by "How to Get Away with Rape and Lesser Forms of Sexual Predation", B Clinton

 

[slackerinabox]

Awesome guys, thanks so much - will finally put my kindle to use!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Don't neglect the classic fairy tales. Truly just read. I'n short order, you find out who has something worthwhile to say and you can look for more books by that author. The English greats are always worth Reading, Kipling, Yeats, Burroughs etc.

 

[Genx87]

Starship Troopers

 

[BD231]

Red Badge Of Courage, guns and murder and insanity!

 

[Thebobo]

Starship Troopers

good choice.

 

[tcG]

Mark Twain - The Innocents Abroad

Very funny travel journal of Mark Twain trekking through 1800s Europe. Surprisingly accessible and translatable humor.

People recognize Mark Twain for Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer, but he became famous writing newspaper articles and humorous short stories in the same vein as Innocents.

 

[Cappuccino]

Berserk.