2007-04-22 23:57:52 · 11 answers · asked by livingmystic 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
-Living in western civilization, Christianity has had a very big influence on us as a society - like why we say it's the year 2007 for one tiny example. So I would definitely put the Bible on the list. It has influenced lots of literature to come after it.
-"Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared Diamond
-A holy book that has influenced other parts of the world, like the Quran or the Bhagavad Gita. Holy books and religion have played a major role in shaping the way societies think and act. It also helps us realize we are not the center of the universe, and there are other ways of looking at the world.
-Find out what your ethnic heritage is. Read a book about your cultural background. If your family has any books about their history, read it. (Or maybe research and write your own family history.)
-"The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell
-"A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking
-A world atlas to learn countries of the world
-A book by someone who has an entirely different opinion about life than you do.
-"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - just for grins
-A book about your favorite subject.
2007-04-23 01:35:37 · answer #1 · answered by Globetrotter 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
My Ten:
1) The Bible - Whether you are a believer or not, the Bible is the source of much of our historical background, our code of law, our shared society, that a knowledge of it is essential to an understanding of our culture. Plus, so many other works reference it and quote it that you'll miss the reference if you don't know the Bible.
2) Silent Spring by Rachel Carson - this is the book that launched the modern environmental movement and got people interested in ecology.
3) Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau - The classic work of man's relationship with government. This work influenced the peaceful revolution of Ghandi in India and the civil rights movement in the USA as practiced by Martin Luther King.
4) The Federalist Papers, by PUBLIUS (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay) - These 85 articles, originally published in newspapers in New York, give us the best insight into what the Founding Fathers thought the nation SHOULD be as expressed in the Constitution.
5) Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman - A collection of some of the most stirring and emotional poetry by an American writer.
6) Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein - An interesting look at human society as it might look from the outside, and a brilliant social commentary on how the gifted are often scorned and ridiculed by it.
7) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein - The book that defined the genre of modern fantasy, and still, despite Harry Potter, the best of them all.
8) 1984 by George Orwell - A little dated, so to speak, this is still a great look at how the combination of technology and the lust for power can oppress a society.
9) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - Like 1984, a bit dated, but this book shows how control of the media can generate control of the minds of the masses, to our great sorrow. Plus, it showcases the awesome power of books!
10) The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw - It won't be long before World War II is as much a historical event as the American Revolution: all knowledge of it will have passed from living memory. This book does the best job of capturing the mind, the heart, the fear, and the spirit of our nation and its people in its greatest crisis, rising from the dust of the Great Depression to take the stage as the world's leader. And it's all done with simple stories of hope, fear, and sacrifice by the individuals who lived it.
2007-04-24 07:57:32 · answer #2 · answered by Chredon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
3. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
4. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
5. Lao Zi (Lao Tsu) - 'Dao De Jing' (Tao Te Ching)
6. The Source by James A. Michener
7. The Federalist Papers 'PUBLIUS'
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
9. Huckleberry Finn by Mark twain
10. I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves
These are a broad group of wonderful books, picked both for content as well as use of language.
2007-04-23 03:59:45 · answer #3 · answered by Nicole D 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Nice query. Great solutions from every body. My record (in no unique order): The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach The Greatest Salesman within the World - Og Mandino The Bible Les Miserables - Victor Hugo To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom On the Road - Jack Kerouac Love - Leo Buscaglia one hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
2016-09-05 20:56:58 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would be sad if one could only read ten books in one's life...
1. Aesop - 'The Complete Fables'
2. Homer - 'The Iliad'
3. James Burke - 'The Day the Universe Changed'
4. Keith Thomas - 'Religion and the Decline of Magic'
5. Francis Parkman -'The Battle for North America'
6. John Keegan - 'A History of Warfare'
7. Ulysses S. Grant - 'Personal Memoirs'
8.Julius Caesar - 'The Conquest of Gaul'
9. Asser - 'The Life of King Alfred'
10. Lao Zi (Lao Tsu) - 'Dao De Jing' (Tao Te Ching)
The reason why one should read these books is to better acquaint oneself with Philosophy, History, Leadership, Mythology, Religion, Magic, and Military History.
2007-04-23 00:19:35 · answer #5 · answered by WMD 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
read these books because they all contain important lessons about life and the human psyche and also for the authors' brilliance :
1. animal farm; george orwell
2. god of small things; arundhati roy
3. to kill a mockingbird; harper lee
4. the lord of the rings; j.r.r. tolkien
5. the name of the rose; umberto eco
6. waiting for godot; samuel beckett
7. heart of darkness; joseph conrad
8. the go-between; l.p. hartley
9. wuthering heights; emily bronte
10. the english patient; michael ondaatje
and of course everyone should read the harry potter series..i'm not saying it's so great or anything, but a work so phenomenal must have something to it right? i sure dont one to miss out!! it must be the magic..
2007-04-23 01:47:27 · answer #6 · answered by sianghari 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
ANy of the HArry Potter Books (lol) "Tajore Arkle" by Jackie French...sum hardcore stuff!
2007-04-23 00:03:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
One of them for sure is Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold, amazing, check it out
2007-04-23 00:00:50 · answer #8 · answered by AMY S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One should read at least ten books just for fun. And at least ten books just for they are famous.
One should read at least ten books that were recommended by someone to you. And at least ten books that were never recommended to you.
One should read at least ten books for school. And at least ten books for leisure time.
One should read at least ten books that were published before you were born. And at least ten books that were published during your lifetime.
One should read at least as many books as one can find. And at least ten books one hadn't find before.
There are too many books to filter only ten books out of them ;-)
2007-04-23 00:56:25 · answer #9 · answered by Maresa 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
the bible must be on top of the list...think of your own anxieties and troubles. they may include money matters, family problems, loss of health, or the death of a loved one. the bible can help you deal with problems today, and it can provide relief by answering such questions as these:
- why do we suffer?
- what is the purpose of life?
- what happens to us when we die?
- how can we make our family life happier? etc.
2007-04-23 00:10:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋