I'm wondering if fellow boardmembers have some favourite books.
Here's my top 10 (in no particular order)
Catch 22 -
Joseph Heller
Perhaps the world's best anti-war novel. Breath-taking, hilarious, yet full of pathos. This book changed the way I look at life.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb -
Richard Rhodes
Truly amazing book on the science, people and events that led to the creation of the most powerful weapon the world had seen. This book is breath taking in scope, extremely well written, covers military history, science, biography and is written in a lucid and very engaging prose.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
The Scramble for Africa -
Thomas Pakenham
Another excellent book of great scope. Very much an eye-opener. The way the Europeans "raped" Africa is enough to make the blood boil. Who would have thought, for example, that the
Belgians were so rapacious?
Stalingrad -
Anthony Beevor
Deservedly a best seller. If this doesn't bring home to you the horrors of war, then you have no soul.
Well researched, well written and well deserved of its fame and popularity
An Anatomy of Thought -
Ian Glynn
The best, single volume, introduction on how the mind works (with apologies to Steven Pinker!) available. Your brain is a wonderful thing. Do yourself a favour, and feed it by reading this book.
In Search of Schrodinger's Cat -
John Gribban
Over 10 years old, but still the standard by which all introductions to Quantum Physics are measured. Gribban offers a great history of this amazing area of physics and explains extremely complicated concepts in (usually) an easy to understand manner.
The Civil War Trilogy -
Shelby Foote
Magesterial 3 volume history in that most important of America's wars. These books will open a whole new world to you; that of the early Americans and their struggles that nearly resulted in the fall of the US. Perhaps the best written book I've ever read
Cicero -
Anthony Everitt
Besides Robert Massie's biography of Peter the Great, this is probably the best study of a famous historical character in print (my opinion of course). Brings the Roman Late Republic truly to life. An amazing man and an amazing life...
Citizens -
Simon Schama
Quite astounding revisionist history of the French Revolution. From its first paragraph to the epilogue 800 pages later, this book grabs you and doesn't let go. The quote from Chinese Premier Zhou En-lai, where he was asked "What was the significance of the French Revolution" and he answered after a moments thought "It's too soon to tell" is the kind of scene or anecdote that really makes this book a must read.
Origins Reconsidered -
Richard Leakey & Roger Lewin
A superb summary of the evolution of human kind, that starts with Leakey's discovery of the now famous "Turkana Boy" remains in Africa.
Now you may notice a preponderance of non-fiction. I have to admit I prefer factual works, but if I was to add any more fiction books
The Life of Pi by
Yann Martel and perhaps
A Suitable Boy by
Vikram Seth would have to be included.
I used to read a lot of SF, but to be honest, that's 99.9% crap, with the notable exception of anything by Iain M Banks.
Hope you share with me some of your favourites and the reasons you love them.
Mr Mephisto