Recommend some books?

Question

I'm looking for the kinds of books that will broaden my mind. Anything with new ideas or unusual perspectives on things. No "for entertainment purposes only" kind of books. Thanks.♥

Answer 1

A book about space travel and planets: "A Journey Far Away" from Mark J. Smiley. It's an educative book for younger one but it is also good for adults.

Answer 2

So I guess Harry Potter's out of the question. There are a lot of good biographies out there. I'm not sure if it's still in print, but "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!" was a great insight into Harry Truman's presidency. There are several books about the Revolutionary War, and about the first presidents that are great. Another one I loved, if you don't mind 800 page books, was "Sacajaweah," which documents the Lewis and Clark expedition. "From Sea to Shining Sea," by James Alexander Thom, also covers it, if you don't want to read quite so much. Another book of his, "Long Knife," is about George Rogers Clark, who led a group of Kentucky marksmen during the Revolutionary War. Another which covers a true story is "Follow the River," about a woman kidnapped by Indians who walked from Kentucky to Virginia, using the Ohio River and the New River as her guide, to find her way back home.

Answer 3

Read Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series and learn about the problems in the Middle East beginning with Hitler and his "Final Solution" for the Jews through an amazing series of thrillers that are about an Israeli assasain who is also a world class restorer of Christian art. Daniel Silva's prose and research is brilliant and his stories are great. Gabriel Allon is one of the most memorable characters in literature today.

Also try Nelson de Mille's Wildfire - a great thriller involving the aftermath of 9/11 - his character John Corey is another memorable character. You might also enjoy De Mille's Up Country about a Viet Nam vet who goes back to complete a mission for the government.

It is wonderful to read stories that teach as well as entertain C.

Answer 4

Here are some great picks that I love and so have many of my friends: Roots by Alex Haley, Cry of the Peacock by Gina B. Nahai, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Crispen and the Cross of Lead by Avi, Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Moragan, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

Enjoy!

Answer 5

Great reading for this month: How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. Very interesting, good perspective on Irelands role in preserving history and classical literature.

Answer 6

With the situation in Israel and Palestine in the news so much there are some excellent books on the establishment of Israel, written by Leon Uris.

They are somewhat dated now but years ago when I read them I came to see what an uphill battle it was to establish and defend the country.
Some of the titles I can recall are:-
Mila 18 ( WW II Warsaw)
Exodus (early days in Israel)

Yahoo him

Answer 7

State of Fear by Michael Crichton is worth reading. It's a fictional novel dealing with the global warming contraversy and how the political interests manipulate science for their own agenda. It's fiction but the tactics used by the bad guys are uncannily real.

Answer 8

If you are looking for books to "broaden your mind" , you need to read George Orwell's "1984", Aldus Huxley's "Brave New World" and Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". These novels will frighten you with how they have stood the test of time and how effectively they describe the world we know today.

Answer 9

Read "The picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. It's fiction but the author puts so much of his (material and cynacle) view of the world into it that it really makes you think. And if nothing else, it will give your vocabulary a boost.

Answer 10

Read something by Cormac McCarthy. I've read Blood Meridian and am reading The Road now and recommend both.