Thought provoking books that are neato!
 

Hey, just trying to see what everyone would reccomend to be a reallly amazing and thought provoking book. I have a few books in my que that I want to finish but since they are not long and should finish them quite quickly, I need some suggestions. Thanks in advance!

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Way Of The Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives by Dan Millman


both are 2 of my favorite books. :)

"Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn.

<i>Prometheus Rising</i>, Robert Anton Wilson
<i>The Book of the Sub Genius</i>, Rev. Ivan Stang
<i>Small Gods</i>, Terry Pratchett
<i>Lord of Light</i>, Roger Zelazney

Ill second the Alchemist. What a great book :D

House of Leaves, Mark Danielewzki. It helps to listen to the Poe album "Haunted" as the two works are tied together (what with them being brother and sister).

:)

if you liked the Alchemist, read the other one. it's like the american-warped-cool-off-the-heezy version (except not).


...yeah.

:D

gravity's rainbow by thomas pynchon
if you havent read any pynchon before, read crying of lot 49 as a warm up to his writing style (its a short read)

Contraband by George Foy.

Written in 1996. Very chilling tale of smuggling, freedom, and a government with broad, sweeping powers to arrest and detain, to wiretap, to do anything they want in the name of national security.... Gee... I wonder if George is a time traveller?

He's an excellent writer and the story's settings are very reminiscient of Gibson's Neuromancer and Stephenson's Snowcrash.

Do you want suggestions of non-fiction? If so..........

Celestine Prophesy & Celestine Vision
Conversations with God & other books (I recommend New Revelations) by Neale Donald Walsch
The Architecture of All Abundance by Lenedra J. Carroll

Starship Troopers - surprisingly enough, i read into it a lot... and it surprised me.

Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus, by Orson Scott Card.

It's one of those books that are so enmeshed with history and reality that when I finished it I had to remind myself how history really happened.

I still think that it's unfortunate that things didn't go the way it did in the book.

If you're talking fiction, check out George RR Martin's fantasy series "A Song of Fire and Ice". It's the rare book where you get to see both sides of the story. The good guys aren't so good, and the bad guys aren't so bad.

The Traveler's Gift, by Andy Andews
This is a wonderful book, it's about a guy who's just lost his job, his kid is sick and his feeling pretty suicidal, he ends up trying to crash his car, and ends up in a dreamlike state where he meets several historical figures, Anne Frank, King Solomon, Christopher Columbus and another character who's name is escaping me, but was a Civil War figure from Maine. Each person he meets imparts some wisdom to him -

Basic gist of the book, the buck stops with me, I control my destiny. It's definitely a must read for everyone (to date, I've given away at least 10 copies of this book to people)

"Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand is one of my favorites if you're into something more deep and philosophical. As an atheist and hardcore capitalist, her philosphy is very close to my views since it puts individual freedom and the power of man's mind over collectivism and religion. However you don't have to agree with it to enjoy it and think about her message. A friend of mine is a socialist, he read the book after I introduced him to it and really liked it, although he said it still didn't sway his views. Damn. :)

If you're looking for something that's lighter and more humorous but still makes you think, check out "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Imagine Monty Python combined with The Twilight Zone, and you'll have a decent approximation of his style. I enjoyed it.

It's so sad how the movie turned out. So devoid of political statements made in the book.

Joseph Campbells four volume series The Masks of God. It's studies on mythology and really is rather profound yet easy to read and understand.

Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Really worth the time and effort.

I agree with the starship troopers thing

also I recommend reading Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein. Very thought provoking, really great read as well.

Umberto Eco - Focault's Pendulum
A tale of worldwide conspiracy and occultism. Very mysterious. Very thought-provoking. My favoritest book ever. :D

I love this series. Problem is, the author has been waffling on the 4th book for so long now. The third came out like 3 years ago!

I just ordered The Alchemist after reading this thread. I can't wait until it arrives. I will be sure to check out some more of these books after I finish The Alchemist. Thanks for the suggestions!

I'd second Ayn Rand, though I'd start with Anthem or The Fountainhead. Atlas Shrugged is heavy reading, and takes a while, though it is perhaps the best expression of her style and message.

the illuminati trilogy- damn thing twists like a mobius strip, and if you can stay with it its a hell of a ride

agree with zelazny's lord of light

also, though its a graphic novel, read watchmen and batman the dark knight returns- both will make you think....

1984 George Orwell

Don't be surprised if what was written in this book in ~1945 seems suspiciously like what happens today.

Having purchased several of Cambell's Interviews and "The History of Myth" I agree wholeheartedly. Wish he'd been my college prof. !

Currently I'm reading "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by Micheal Biagent, Richard Leigh & Henry Lincoln. Kinda puts "The da Vinci Code" in another light...but a bit too tutorial in some respects. Any one else read this? Let me know your thoughts. Or alter suggestions.

Funny how popular these Jesus Christ as Real man & Husband tales are these days.

Another vote for 'Lord of Light'. Just about anything by Zelazny's gonna make you stop and think.

'Starship Troopers' is good, but for thought provoking Heinlein you gotta go with 'Job'. Incredible book for making you think.

I'd also recommend science fiction by L. Neil Smith. Libertarian science fiction that manages to be entertaining and thought-provoking all at once.

I also really like anything by Harlan Ellison. He writes short fiction and essays mostly, but any one of his collections will give you plenty of material to ponder.

I just checked out The Alchemist and The Traveler's Gift from the library, I don't have the money to just go out and buy books. So I'll report back with my two cents after I read them. Thanks guys for the suggestions.

Although the copy of The Alchemist that I got was from the LARGE PRINT section. It was the only copy the library had for some reason. I'm gonna have to read it from across the room 'cause the print is just massively, massively huge.

Hi,

Try "Revolt in 2100"

A Robert Heinlein tale about a revolution against a religious dictatorship in America.

Alright I just finished the Traveller's Gift and Alchemist. Both very good books, I would recommend them definatly.

The Traveller's Gift is a little cheesy, but the message is a very good one. And the people in the book and their perspectives on life are very moving.

The Alchemist was a really good fable. Reading it in Large Print may have been a little weird but it was still an awesome book about finding one's destiny. And never giving up.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Anybody have anymore suggestions? Preferably non fantasy. I just can't bring myself to read it. But I'm digging on everything else.

Phillip Jose Farmers "Tarzan Alive" and "Doc Savage"

:D

Daniel Keyes Moran: The Last Dancer.

Revolution against an oppressive UN occupation of the US.

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another...