# Books You Must Read Before You Die



## Lucem (Dec 2, 2009)

Robatix said:


> http://i46.tinypic.com/a3jiug.jpg


oh hellsyeah:laughing:

My vote is for:

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson


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## GBer8721 (Jan 18, 2010)

No joke. Word to the wise, this is NOT for the faint of heart or young kids. It is DARK, it is DIRTY and is doesn't pull punches. Also DONT SEE THE MOVIE FIRST. The movie is good, the acting is top notch, but it does not do the book justice.


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## Black Rabbit (Apr 15, 2010)

GBer8721 said:


> No joke. Word to the wise, this is NOT for the faint of heart or young kids. It is DARK, it is DIRTY and is doesn't pull punches. Also DONT SEE THE MOVIE FIRST. The movie is good, the acting is top notch, but it does not do the book justice.


Oh, I love Watchmen. And I did just that. I read the comic book before I watched the movie.


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## Female INFJ (Feb 27, 2010)

HannibalLecter said:


> How about the Bible? Koran? Torah?


*
HannibalLecter *- i don't think i've had the chance to talk to you  I kind of avoid intellectual types, they may see me as being 'out there' and i get self-conscious  have you read these scriptures? These are good choices - part of the reason i would read scriptures though, is also to be able to connect and understand people better...to understand others, i usually start from the types of 'philosophy' and 'scripture' they like, or follow, then i go from there, a process of learning, and a process of elimination too at times...as with books, and people, time is limited, and i don't waste time on reading too much for 'pleasure' also on people who are kind of not looking into self development of some kind, or who cannot really challenge, or bring out other aspects in me, in association with them. also this way of looking at people, often keeps me away from people who are looking to just cause argument with me, yet have nothing to offer at my level of understanding. why do you think reading scripture is important?

So to answer your question further Troisi...

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates 

i would read philosophy before you die, and/or scriptures, because to 'know thyself' is very time consuming, yet the more you learn about yourself, the more you will be able to connect with others, and enrich your life, it is an interesting relationship...time on earth is limited - and you will be guided to what you 'need' and to which books to read, by simply taking time to know yourself.

“One regret dear world, that I am determined not to have when I am lying on my deathbed is that I did not kiss you enough.” - Hafiz of Persia 

i will add to the scriptures to say you must read _Bhagavad Gita_, should you have any spiritual inclination - at the time of death it is too late to contemplate 'liberation' ( moksha ) or the next destination in your journey...

( or Other spiritual literature of your choice, especially books of Saints, Gita is not easily read by most )

Here is an excerpt from an online article, that kind of talks about the book...

Einstein, the accepted father of Modern science in Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies in the States. The German scientist hailed him in Sanskrit instead of English. The Indian scientist pleaded his inability to reply in Sanskrit. Dr Einstein was amazed at the poor response of the young Indian scientist and said, "You hail from India which is the original home of Hindu philosophy, yet you have not cared to learn that language. See my library which treasures classics from Sanskrit namely the Gita and other treatises on Hindu Philosophy. I have made the Gita as the main source of my inspiration and guidance for the purpose of scientific investigations and formulation of my theories."

Not only Einstein, but Thoreau the great thinker also derived his inspiration from the Gita and Upanishads. He himself categorically states thus: "In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and the cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavat Gita, since whose composition years of the gods have elapsed, and in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial and I doubt if that philosophy is not to be referred to a previous state of existence, so remote is its sublimity from our conceptions."
Also while talking about the pyramids of Egypt Thoreau says, "How much more admirable the Bhagavat Gita than all the ruins of the East".

From time immemorial, the Gita injected enthusiasm to the humanity as a whole.
Mahatma Gandhi, Bala Gangadara Thilak, Maharishi Aurobindo, Mother of Aurobindo Ashram, the great poet Subramanya Bharathi of Tamilnadu , Bhankim Chandra Chatterji, the great poet Rabindranath Tagore were all derived their inspiration from Gita. These are only a few. Hundreds of thousands of persons worldwide get their answers from Gita for their day to day problems. We may quote Mahatama Gandhi as to how he got his comfort from the verses of Gita.
Mahatma Gandhi said: "When doubts haunt me, when disappointments starve me in the face, and I see not one ray of light on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavat Gita, and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. My life has been full of external tragedies and if they have not left any visible or invisible effect on me, I owe it to the teaching of the Bhagavat Gita."

ezinearticles.com - The-Glory-of-Bhagavat-Gita---Part-II

This book is certainly not mean to be read by all - but always benefits one who opens it with a pure heart and desire to learn - this speaking from a spiritual perspective 
( skip over this part of my message, if it does not speak to you - i'm not looking for debate ) I honestly don't care 'who' read any book, but westerners seem to desire 'credibility' lots, thus this is often how eastern lit is presented - oh, did you know 'so and so' read and appreciated this book...but in east it is not like that. Scripture in itself is valued. Thus i would add - don't listen to others 'follow your heart' to a certain degree, on how you spend your time. All we have is 'time' and 'capacity' on this earth.

But on this thread, there are plenty of other books to contemplate and read also...but I am one of simplicity...I just read what i feel guided to read...there are many here that one should read, if you have the time to do so.

a girl friend of mine asked me once...i only have limited time, what should i read? i have no clue why she entrusted me with such an important question! i didn't tell her Gita, i knew she may not have been interested ( i'm just being very open on PerC ) but i did tell her, to see into herself, and find out what her purpose is, and what the desired outcome would be in selecting literature - she was studying history at the time - so i suggested she look also into time periods that are of interest to her, and themes she likes and go from there too...if taking on serious literature, i always read about the author too - to see where they are coming from...and i like 'spiritual' literature, but to be honest, most of it is garbage, so i watch for themes, and perspective of the author, and check the table on contents before opening...
i usually always go to the source also - i won't for example read a general book like 'what Ghandi learned from Gita' I would go straight to Gita, for example...

am i reading for pleasure? or to learn? i'm a boring gal, so it's usually to learn 

k...my response is kind of intense - the question was!

*Troisi *- i am not implying that you have spiritual inclinations - i am just letting my mind say what it wants to say, and i know you are open minded, and won't get crazy on me for it  but hope i've said something of use to you...you've got 1000+ books to read now anyway 

hey you 'asked' and i got all thinking 'life or death' what choices to make!



kiwigrl said:


> since HL has mentioned the bible and I don't want to be bludgeoned to death by BR, I will mention some others:
> 
> PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
> Memoirs of a geisha
> ...


*kiwigrl *- this list is so girlie ( but i am sure appreciated by many ). i love most of these books - especially memoirs of a geisha, i like to be transported to different lands...in my mind I am a Geisha sometimes! hehehe - saving THAT for another thread!


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## Kevinaswell (May 6, 2009)

House of Leaves.

For fucking real.

Put it at the top of your lists.

It just dominates everything I've ever read. Ever.

Mark Danielewski.


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## owlet (May 7, 2010)

-The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
(Heck, let's just say everything by Murakami. You know it's true roud
-The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald
-Vampire Chronicles - Darren Shan
-Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass - Lewis Carroll (When you do this for course work and explain how the Cheshire cat is god, you'll understand)
-Redwall - Brian Jacques (you haven't lived until you've read one of this series)
-Lord of the Rings - Tolkein
-Watership Down - Richard Adams
-Coraline - Neil Gaiman
-Earthsea series - Ursula Le Guin
-Cathedral - Raymond Carver
-The Passion - Jeanette Winterson
-Boogiepop - Kouhei Kadono
-The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Nagaru Tanigawa
-American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis
-Ring - Koji Suzuki
-The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

Probably more, but I can't remember them.


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## cardinalfire (Dec 10, 2009)

Sensors and Inuitives like different books and sometimes this means that if your opposite recommends a book that is 'really good'. That being said here are some books that i've noticed different people like:

Harper Lee - To Kill A Mockingbird
George Orwell - Animal Farm / 1984
Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist

NFs really like things like The Neverending Story by Michael Ende and Shakespeares Complete Works, Plato's complete works.

This will also help if you are a fan of 'before you die-ism'.... 1001 Series


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## myjazz (Feb 17, 2010)

My list to read before one die's would have to be Tao Te Ching, that isn't already listed.


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## kiwigrl (Apr 27, 2010)

Female INFJ said:


> *kiwigrl *- this list is so girlie ( but i am sure appreciated by many ). i love most of these books - especially memoirs of a geisha, i like to be transported to different lands...in my mind I am a Geisha sometimes! hehehe - saving THAT for another thread!


I don't think the entire list is girlie. Although you are right for the most part that is true because surprise, I am a girlie girl. I love romance novels. But, I also liked the Hobbit which isn't girlie, nor is The power of one imo, nor The Potato Factory. I like stories like these because the characters find victory in the midst of adversities, reminding me that even when I am down I won't be there for long, I will dust myself off and carry on, and that a hero can take many forms.


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## Female INFJ (Feb 27, 2010)

Troisi said:


> So for the past four years I've been fully immersed in business textbooks, articles, wall street journal blah blah blah. But I'm finished with college and now I want to learn. Can you guys give me suggestions of books you feel I must read before I die (I know, sounds a bit extreme but I'm extremely interested)? The genre doesn't matter nor does the topic. Any and everything you feel a person should read is welcome.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


 Hey Troisi - as i know of your cool attitude, and excellent taste in music already - i am curious to know, i know you are asking, but if you can too respond to your question, is there anything that is drawing your attention (literature) or something you've wanted to read, but not gotten to, or is there anything you've read that you consider a 'must read' for others? also before i wandered off onto a tangent, i should have asked, what is it that you want to 'learn'? do you want to read about life? philosophy? or read fiction? are you looking to develop something in particular? 



myjazz said:


> My list to read before one die's would have to be Tao Te Ching, that isn't already listed.


 I am going to re-attempt this book, in the past and i don't think i was able to understand any of it, but this time around may be different...this is beautiful, ch 6 i think, i found this on wikipedia:
*
The Mysterious Female* 
The Valley Spirit never dies
It is named the Mysterious Female.And the doorway of the Mysterious Female
Is the base from which Heaven and Earth sprang.
It is there within us all the while;
Draw upon it as you will, it never runs dry. (chap. 6, tr. Waley) 

So Beautiful...I can't wait...



kiwigrl said:


> I don't think the entire list is girlie. Although you are right for the most part that is true because surprise, I am a girlie girl. I love romance novels. But, I also liked the Hobbit which isn't girlie, nor is The power of one imo, nor The Potato Factory. I like stories like these because the characters find victory in the midst of adversities, reminding me that even when I am down I won't be there for long, I will dust myself off and carry on, and that a hero can take many forms.


Sorry kiwigrl - i wasn't implying that your list was not relevant to males - i was just noticing the girlie-ness, and that kind of reminded me of that side of me that i have too - thought not always expressed. i like latin authors, stories involving history, love and war, and lots of recipies, and lit that depicts womens perspective...i don't read as much anymore, but i do recall these books:

_isabelle allende_, house of spirits; of love and shadows

_laura esquivel_, like water for chocolat

_tolstoy_, anna karenina

_emily bronte_, wuthering heights ( still looking for my heathcliff, hahaha )

oddly this awesome male INFJ asked me to read '_George Eliott_' you should check her writing out, the author is fascinating, and there is more dimension to it, than stuff written by other ladies who wrote in the same time - if you read about author ( Mary Anne Evans ) she lead quite the racy life, for her time! plus was not afraid to show off her intellect, pretty cool.


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## kiwigrl (Apr 27, 2010)

I should have added the Twilight series of books (I know some of you are gagging right now but the books are good I tell you).


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## SavMandu (Jun 12, 2010)

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Blue Highways
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Catch-22
High Fidelity


oh, and also:
What Color is Your Parachute?, but only if you're at a crossroads in your career.


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## HannibalLecter (Apr 18, 2010)

kiwigrl said:


> I should have added the Twilight series of books (I know some of you are gagging right now but the books are good I tell you).


I only saw the first film, but I thought it was pretty good - for a chick flick, that is.


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## kiwigrl (Apr 27, 2010)

yes well I thought it was a chick flick but my husband is equally looking forward to Eclipse in July.


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

Troisi said:


> Oh, I love Watchmen. And I did just that. I read the comic book before I watched the movie.


Its the best graphic novel I've ever read next to V for Vendetta. Oh how I love Alan Moore. Genius.


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## L'Empereur (Jun 7, 2010)

kiwigrl said:


> I should have added the Twilight series of books (I know some of you are gagging right now but the books are good I tell you).


:facepalm:


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## sumi (Dec 13, 2009)

CaesAug said:


> :facepalm:


I read Twilight before i knew it'd be popular. I could see recommending it as a pretty well-plotted book.

As a guy, i found it frustrating, too, because much of the story involves Bella drooling over Edward, which can be tiring because we have to spend the entire book with Bella. And i think Stephanie Meyer could have spent a lot more time developing Bella's character, since there's not much about her in the book.
I'm not saying that guys _can't _ get anything out of Twilight, but i think there might be better books for guys, especially if you want us to see the world from a girl's perspective.

If you want a boy book, i adore Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.


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## kiwigrl (Apr 27, 2010)




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## Refu (Mar 5, 2010)

sumi said:


> I read Twilight before i knew it'd be popular. I could see recommending it as a pretty well-plotted book.
> 
> As a guy, i found it frustrating, too, because much of the story involves Bella drooling over Edward, which can be tiring because we have to spend the entire book with Bella. And i think Stephanie Meyer could have spent a lot more time developing Bella's character, since there's not much about her in the book.
> I'm not saying that guys _can't _ get anything out of Twilight, but i think there might be better books for guys, especially if you want us to see the world from a girl's perspective.



That's exactly why I wouldn't recommend it. The main character, who is an obvious self-insert, only has one thing you can really call a character flaw, and even that is being clumsy, which is portrayed in pretty positive light. Hardly a character, never mind a well developed one. 

My biggest objections with it are that, first of all, it's not even well written. It reads like a high school student writing fan fiction. As a hugely popular youth book series, it also causes the "harry potter-effect" where while young people are reading more, they're reading less diversely. That is, they're only obsessively reading their own book series. Lastly, I need to call attention to everything said above and the fact that the woman is getting absolutely loaded from it. Which I wouldn't object to as much, but it's not like unknown yet talented authors are ultimately very rare, why the obsession over this series :/

So this post won't just be all ranting:
*The Corner: A Year in the Life of An Inner City Neighborhood* by David Simon is a pretty great book, The Corner by David Simon and Edward Burns - Trade Paperback - Random House - Praise

Howard Zinns* A People's History of the United States* is also a pretty incredible read for perspective.


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## nooo (Jun 5, 2010)

YES! A People's History of the United States is quite a mindblowing, and enlightening read. And another one up to Catch-22, easily my favorite book, so amazingly funny, and the movie didn't do it near as much justice.


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## Dark Noble (Apr 17, 2010)

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (my all-time favorite book)
The Giver
Wuthering Heights
Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde (I've never read it, but I plan to this summer It seems very interesting)
The Rapture (Counldn't finish it myself, but others may enjoy it)


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## Black Rabbit (Apr 15, 2010)

Female INFJ said:


> Hey Troisi - as i know of your cool attitude, and excellent taste in music already - i am curious to know, i know you are asking, but if you can too respond to your question, is there anything that is drawing your attention (literature) or something you've wanted to read, but not gotten to, or is there anything you've read that you consider a 'must read' for others? also before i wandered off onto a tangent, i should have asked, what is it that you want to 'learn'? do you want to read about life? philosophy? or read fiction? are you looking to develop something in particular?


*Why I ask for your recommendations:*

Yes FemINFJ, a little bit of everything above. Before I chose business as a major, I was deeply interested in pursuing a major in english. So the suggestions of literature everyone has posted is warmly received.

I definitely would love to hear recommendations on philosophy or basically anything someone feels "HEY! Read this before you die or else you'll regret life!"

*My list:

*I don't have an extensive library yet but hopefully that changes.


Catch 22 - (I know it's been mentioned a few time but I love that book)
Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon
100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Sound and The Fury - William Faulkner (Wow)
Don Quixote - Miguel De Cervantes
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Allegory of the Cave - Plato
Black Boy - Richard Wright
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
1984 - George Orwell
Oedipus Rex - Sophocles
A Modest Proposal - Jonathan Swift


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## The Psychonaut (Oct 29, 2009)

Philosophy, lots of it...

Start with the basics, Greeks like Socrates and Aristotle, Persians like Zoroaster, Chinese Confusius (a little totalitarian- big surprise) get Nietzsche and Marx, after reading on most of these, you'll know what you are interested in.


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## Narrator (Oct 11, 2009)

The Safety of objects by AM Homes.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.
Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami,
Tales from tartary by James Riordan.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.
The magic toyshop, and The Bloody chamber by Angela Carter.
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.
Jonothan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.
Fire Bringer, and The Sight by James Clement-Davis.
A merchant of Venice by Shakespeare.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller (Watch the movie(s)).
Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
The book of lost things by John Connolly.
Bottersnikes and Gumbles by SA Wakefield (Just because it's cute).

Read Shakespeare's tragedies, watch the comedies.


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## kiwigrl (Apr 27, 2010)

Anything by Jill Mansell or Julie Garwood.


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## EYENTJ (Aug 21, 2010)

In my experience, many of the classics are completely overrated as good reads. I've gotten way more out of, say, The Giver, than I ever have from Wuthering Heights. In any case, here's a short list of must reads:

The Giver - Lois Lowry
The Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
Candide - Voltaire
Antigone - Sophocles
The Trial and Death of Socrates - Plato
History of The Peloponnesian War - Thucydides
A River Runs Through It - Norman Maclean
Lolita - Vladimir Nabakov
Sperm Wars - Robin Baker
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat - Oliver Sacks
Different Seasons - Stephen King
The Tom Clancy series can be very entertaining
Harry Potter 1-7

I'd also recommend looking at the following essays (or collection of essays):

Letter from Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King Jr.
Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
What the Dog Saw - Malcolm Gladwell
A Modest Proposal - Jonathan Swift
The Portable Atheist
Many of the books by Robert Greene are very informative, not for their amoral lessons, but for the copious use of historical and literary examples.


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## lovecraftianbeatles (Aug 22, 2010)

One book that I can think of in an instant: The Stranger by Albert Camus
Ooh, and Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
I almost forgot Brave New World and 1984!


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## xezene (Aug 7, 2010)

It sounds like you are going for high-level thinking, not just the pop culture kind of thing. In that case (and hoping these have not already been recommended):

_The Hero With a Thousand Faces_ by Joseph Campbell
-- When it comes to mythology, this man was king. In this book he shows how, in his encounters with the myths of the known world, all cultures have the same basic central 'hero's journey' story -- which he, and his colleague, C.G. Jung, named the 'collective unconscious.'

_The Stranger_ by Albert Camus
-- The book that is most incorrectly labelled -- this is labelled as existentialism. In this short work of fiction, Nobel winner Camus comes to existentialism, and he moves beyond it.

_The Dhammapada_ by the Buddha
-- Not much can be said about this, except that I cannot recommend it enough. A collection of saying purported from the Enlightened One by his followers. Calling this "influential" would certainly be an understatement.

_The Wisdom of Insecurity_ by Alan Watts
-- A great translation of Eastern thought for the Western world. Influential and wonderful. Watts follows well in Campbell's footsteps.

_The Myth of Sisyphus_ by Albert Camus
-- If you continue to like Camus from _The Stranger_, this existential essay is a must-read. This is what put Camus in the big leagues.


Also, many on their journey overlook these two important figures. I suggest if you are interested to look into them, however little may be available:

Democritus, quotes
Dōgen, quotes


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## jeanvjean (Aug 23, 2010)

Did someone already mention Les Miserables? Well, I'm seconding (or nth-ing) that motion. Les Mis is my Bible, but other powerful, life-altering books for me were:

Cider House Rules
To Kill A Mockingbird (had to read 1+ times to love it)
The Fountainhead

And for fun:

1984 (creepily prophetic)
Battle Royale (fabulous)
The Stand (had to read 2+ times to love it)


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## nothingnew (Aug 8, 2010)

I have seen them in this list several times, but my truly favorite books so far:

Animal Farm - Short 100 page story about why Communism will ultimately fail. Predicted almost 50 years before the event.
1984 - same author, Orwell, 200 pages if I remember about why capitalism will ultimately fail. Predicted ?? years before the event.


Sci Fi - 
Ender's Game - one of my favorite books about the most bad-ass little boy ever.
Snow Crash - predicted many things including a dominating service based industry and the internet and its uses before it became a true public domain.


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## Hermes (Aug 9, 2010)

Ancient Greek plays -Antigone, Oedipus Res, Medea, etc..
Brave New World
Crime and punishment
Lolita
Sofia-its a nice introduction to most Western Philosophy set out in a novel, quite entertaining
Philip K. Dick novels

Some lighter books/ series I liked
Ender's Game
David Gemmel
Terry Pratchett
Peter F. Hamilton


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## Lula (Aug 6, 2010)

The perks of being a wallflower and the catcher in the rye. Honestly, those are the only two books I couldn't live without.


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## EYENTJ (Aug 21, 2010)

The Definitive Book of Body Language - Allan and Barbara Pease

By far the best book I've ever read on body language.


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## yondaime3001 (Sep 1, 2010)

The Quran for sure

try to listen to it ,,, u will feel a real comfort specially in ur heart 

just try.....:happy:


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## Soapysofah (Feb 23, 2011)

The World According To Garp - John Irving
Really hilarious, yet thought provoking and touches death and many subjects.
Wonderfully written. Definitely the best book I've ever read.


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## TheSeer91 (Nov 2, 2010)

Kurt Vonnegut - Mother Night
Vladimir Nabokov - Invitation To A Beheading
Jorge Luis Borges - The Aleph, Fictions
Dashiell Hammett - The Glass Key
Hasek - The Good Soldier Svejk
Nikolai Gogol - Dead Souls
David Bohm - Wholeness and the Implicate Order
Erich Fromm - The Sane Society


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## freeagen (Apr 29, 2011)

Perceptions of Heaven and Hell
-Aldous Huxley


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## Arclight (Feb 10, 2010)

*"I'm not crazy, I'm just not you"*

A book about Jung, Functions, MBTI, Midlife Crisis, Generations,The deep insight of sensors, What I/E _really_ mean in cognitive terms and how much of this stuff we are getting wrong.  

Utterly fascinating.
Very modern data and scientific approach to Typology and functions.. 
I am not done reading yet, but I advise anyone and everyone to read this book.
You will never look at typology or functions the same way again.


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## friendly80sfan (May 12, 2011)

You should read every S. E. Hinton book, especially The Outsiders and That Was Then This Is Now. Those are my 2 favorite books they're so meaningful. They both made me cry. I plan on rereading them soon even though the first time I read them was this year. The Outsiders is also an excellent movie.


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## Sean Adams (May 13, 2011)

moby dick, dracula, alice in wonderland


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## Vox Impopuli (Sep 18, 2010)

I'd say:

-The hunchback of notre dame ; Victor Hugo
-Shantaram ; Gregory David Roberts
-Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged; Ayn Rand
-The tenant of Wildfell Hall

I'll post more later.


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## kiwigrl (Apr 27, 2010)

Not sure if I have already posted here... 

Pride and Prejudice
The Power of One
Pay it forward
Cross Stitch (or the outlander if you are American)
Memoirs of a Geisha
Desert Flower
Wild Swan
The hobbit
Mere Christianity - CS Lewis


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## BlissfulDreams (Dec 25, 2009)

Oh, crap. Wrong thread. Carry on...


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## Kilgore Trout (Jun 25, 2010)

Inspired by this thread, I'm now reading the Dune and Lord of the Ring series (along with some cool stories by Ernest Hemingway and David Foster Wallace). 

Does anyone know of some GOOD Science Fiction books for the future?


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## ProfessorLiver (Mar 19, 2011)

I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak.


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## Paeter (May 18, 2011)

*Human Action* by Ludwig Von Mises. It starts off with some epistemological philosophy concerning what can and can't be known about the market from the Austrian perspective and then delves into praxeology (the study of human action) which is the root of Austrian economics. It is a deductive process somewhat like mathematics. All concepts are implied in the first axiom and are simply unpackaged. It's usually known as the economics that doesn't use mathematical modelling. It can change your entire view on how the world works. Everyone intelligent person should try to read it once, in my view.

I rarely read fiction books because I get bored with them but one book I couldn't put down was: *Perfume: The story of a murderer*. It really is a brilliant piece of literature.


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## Sanityhatesme (Apr 12, 2011)

If these have been named already, forgive me.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The Beardless Warriors by Richard Matheson

uh... Those are the only ones I can think of at the moment... Every single one of them is excellent and very, very, very insightful.


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## Gentle (Jan 31, 2011)

_Oryx and Crake _by Margaret Atwood
It's one of those books like_ Perks of Being a Wallflower_ or _Catcher in the Rye _that you can finish in a night or two and have this great satisfaction after reading.

_Dubliners_ by James Joyce is one of my favourites as well.


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## Fizz (Nov 13, 2010)

*insert something I was forced to read in school but only sort of liked the Cliff Notes of but to sound smart I'll post it anyway*


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## Hermes (Aug 9, 2010)

Kilgore Trout said:


> Does anyone know of some GOOD Science Fiction books for the future?


 Depends on what you mean by good. A brave new world (Aldous Huxley) or Mockingbird (Walter S. Tevis) I found to be good and insightful. Or if you prefer Space odysseys ( i find this sub genre as insightful as technology is usually so extreme a lot of things are possible, which allows for some interesting scenarios) style books Peter F. Hamilton does some good ones. 
And of course there is Philip K. Dick novels.


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Free To Choose by Milton Friedman. Both are brilliant, life changing novels that open your eyes to the current issues of the world.


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

sysha said:


> I'd say:
> 
> -The hunchback of notre dame ; Victor Hugo
> -Shantaram ; Gregory David Roberts
> ...


Amen to Atlas Shrugged.


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## babblingbrook (Aug 10, 2009)

I think you'd love to read

William Faulkner - As I Lay Dying


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## ThisAnonymous (Feb 24, 2011)

Anything by the authors below:
Haruki Murakami
Chuck Palahniuk
Ayn Rand
Mitch Albom
Paulo Coelho

And then these books:
Perfume
Harry Potter series
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Stars Shine Down
Women's Murder Club
Hunger game series
The Kite Runner
Ender's Game


Most of these are either really mellow in a deep literary way or mistery/horror/thriller. Will definitely think of more


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## Moon Pix (Sep 19, 2009)

My favourite book of all-time is _The Glass Bead Game_ by Herman Hesse. It was his last book, is rather long and feels profound. I love his use of Jungian symbolism all the way throughout the book . Each character represents something larger than the character themselves.

For works of non-fiction, it would have to be _The Autobiography of Malcolm X_ by Malcolm X and Alex Harvey. Such an amazing story and so many amazing characters that if they hadn't existed somebody would have had to invent them.


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## IonOfAeons (Dec 2, 2010)

I, Lucifer - Glen Duncan
Sophie's Choice - William Styron

and pretty much everything by Michael Marshall Smith.


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## PurdyFlower (Aug 1, 2010)

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgress (I haven't read it yet, but I hear it's good...but has it's own slang/language so some find it difficult to read)


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## SharpThingsExciteMe (Jun 20, 2011)

_Go Ask Alice_
This is my favorite book of all time. It is an actual diary of a girl who gets caught up in the drug world. It is very interesting to see her go from being this innocent teenage girl to this strung-out drug addict living on the streets. I highly recommend!


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## Toru Okada (May 10, 2011)

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

All by the same author. All life changing. I will never be the same.


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## pears (Jul 13, 2011)

nineteen eighty-four by george orwell
brave new world by huxley
the antichrist by nietzsche


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