Important Books to Read

[andaval]

I was thinking about how reading some books has changed my outlook on the world, to the point that I suggest that friends should read them, and I was wondering if anyone has some interesting non-fiction books that they would like to recommend to people in general. I'll start off with a few:

Fast Food Nation (Schlosser (sp?)): Man, this book made me glad I was a vegetarian. Kind of an exposé on the fast food industry.

Lies My Teacher Told Me (Loewen): This book discusses the role History textbooks play in society and covers some topics that they routinely omit and lie about to students.

How We Believe (Shermer): This book discusses the role of religion in society, and brings up and deals with many interesting points.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: I would never have read this book on my own, but it was assigned in a History class I took. I had many misconceptions about Malcolm X and was glad to have read another point of view.

 

[aimn]

Conversations with God Neal Walsh Books 1,2,3........................changed my life.

 

[fatalbert]

The People's History of the United States of America by Howard Zinn
This gives a whole different perspective on American History.

 

[Farbio]

Lies My Teacher Told Me (Loewen):
absolutely great book, incredible look at how our textbooks teach us badly w/out being preachy

The People's History of the United States of America by Howard Zinn
yet another great book from a different and fresh perspective at the us

and my addition:

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
probably the first and best self help/relationship improvement book. an incredibly easy read that after each anecdote and lesson has you going 'doh! y don't i do that already?' definitely life changing

 

[Maetryx]

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

 

[markjrubin]

The New York City Taxi Driver's Joke Book - It's a book full of timeless jokes, clean and dirty.

Mark

 

[Hammer]

I read these during college, and feel that they are important reads:

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
The Will to Power by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

A Manly Movie Guide

 

[fatalbert]

<< I read these during college, and feel that they are important reads:

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
The Will to Power by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand >>



Nietzsche blew my mind,

I also thought The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle were very good, but they are hard to get through.

 

[Hammer]

Two more I read on my own which I loved:

The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli

 

[killface]

Ishmael - Daniel Quinn - Excellent outsider view of human civilization.
The Demon Haunted World - Carl Sagan- "Science as a candle in the dark"

 

[andaval]

killface - I recently read that Sagan book. You should read How We Believe (Michael Shermer), I bet you'd find it really interesting. I'll check out Ishmael.

 

[killface]

<< killface - I recently read that Sagan book. You should read How We Believe (Michael Shermer), I bet you'd find it really interesting. I'll check out Ishmael. >>


Thanks man, I'll check it out.

 

[SpecialEd]

Don't get me wrong on this, but one book you should read, if you haven't already, is the Bible. You don't even have to take it from a religious stand point.

The bible is hands down, one of the most influencial books in western culture. Soo many authors make references to it, that you can miss alot of symbolism or points that these authors are trying to portray. If you are reading any classical western literature, your gonna miss alot if you don't have a basic understanding of biblical stories.
And if you don't care for that too much, so much blood shed has been fought over this book, you might as well read what all the fuss is about.

 

[datalink7]

Just listing some books that taught me something

Cosmos by Carl Sagan
The Trial by Franz Kafka
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Time Enough For Love by Robert A Heinlein
Crime & Punishment by Fydor Dostoyevsky

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Without Remorse by Tom Clancy.

Best book I've ever read, hands down.

nik

 

[Novgrod]

The People's History of the United States of America

I'll adamantly disagree with you, just because I really dislike the implications of the book. For the more accepted-in-scholarly-community version, look at Gordon Wood's _Radicalism of the American Revolution_.

Otherwise, catch-22 or moby dick.

 

[Queasy]

My preferences:

Bias, Bernard Goldberg - Book on how the media slants the news and doesn't even realize it.
Ten Things You Can't Say In America, Larry Elder - Very revealing book on race relations, politics, etc
The Terrible Truth About Liberals, Neal Boortz - Very eye-opening book on the liberal agenda

 

[Hammer]

While I enjoyed the book also, I would not call it non-fiction or important.



<< Without Remorse by Tom Clancy.

Best book I've ever read, hands down.

nik >>

 

[b0mbrman]

<< Two more I read on my own which I loved:
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli >>


Nice Choices...go ahead and add On War by Karl Von Clausewitz to that list

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

<< While I enjoyed the book also, I would not call it non-fiction or important. >>

As opposed to reading other people's sob stories and semi-scientific study on society? *bah*

Gimme a decent gunfight any day.

nik

 

[Queasy]

Ahhh...forgot one. Winston Churchill's books on World War II. I can't remember the name of them off the top of my head right now but they are very good and give you excellent insight into what happened during WWII.

 

[Hammer]

Already ahead of you. Defintely essential reading.



<<

<< Two more I read on my own which I loved:
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli >>


Nice Choices...go ahead and add On War by Karl Von Clausewitz to that list >>

 

[littlezipp]

<< The People's History of the United States of America by Howard Zinn
This gives a whole different perspective on American History. >>

I'll second that. What a great book.

 

[Amused]

<< I read these during college, and feel that they are important reads:

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
The Will to Power by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand >>



Yep, the creator of this thread needs to read these in the WORST way.