# Books people must read **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421 "2001-01-30T17:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421/21 "2001-01-31T18:33:46Z")
I debated listing this one in my first post, because I think it’s more specialized, but I’m adding it back now. \*\*Our Babies, Ourselves \*\*by Meredith Small. I think this is an excellent book for new or expectant parents. Small is a “pediatric anthropologist.” Her book compares parenting practices in various cultures around the globe to show the role that culture plays in how we think about infants and how we raise them. Even things that we think are empirical truths about child development may be culture-based. It’s tremendous food for thought. Actually, it’s not just good for parents. I’d like it to be read by those people who are eager to lean across the grocery aisle to give well-meaning parenting advice, too. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421/22 "2001-01-31T19:01:59Z")
**How The Mind Works** and **The Language Instinct** by Steven Pinker **The Selfish Gene** at least, by Richard Dawkins That’s about all I can think of now. There’s probably a lot more I haven’t read or heard of yet. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421/23 "2001-01-31T19:35:48Z")
This is not a recent book, but it’s worth every erudite member of this forum’s time to hunt down a copy: “Science and Sanity: an Introduction to Non-Aristotlean Systems and General Semantics” by Alfred Korzybski This book helped me escape my reality tunnel: “The Illuminatus! Trilogy” by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. These books blew my mind: “Shadow & Claw” by Gene Wolfe “Sword & Citadel” by Gene Wolfe “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk “Survivior” by Chuck Palahniuk Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421/24 "2001-01-31T21:05:42Z")
**The Children’s Story** by James Clavell. It only takes twenty or thirty minutes to read, but it’s chilling. **Good Omens** by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Kind of a “Hitchhiker’s Guide” to the Apocalypse. I’ve bought more copies of it than I can count to give to people. Actually, anything by Gaiman is worth reading. My brother insists that I include **Atlas Shrugged** by Ayn Rand. Does it count, even though it was written in the 60s? ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421/25 "2001-01-31T21:26:44Z")
Richard Brautigan’s _Trout Fishing in America_. It’s considered by many to be **the** book of the '60s generation. Very entertaining, yet it does make you think. It’s also a good intro to his other books, like _Confederate General from Big Sur_. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421/26 "2001-02-01T02:03:53Z")
_The Doubter’s Companion_ and _The Unconscious Civilization_ and, for Canadians, _Reflections of a Siamese Twin_, all by John Ralston Saul. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421/27 "2001-02-01T18:13:11Z")
Geez, guess I’ve been doing OK, as I’ve read considerable number of the ones mentioned so far. How about: “Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives”, by Allan Bullock “The Five Ages of the Universe: Inside the Physics of Eternity”, by Fred Adams, Greg Laughlin “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales” by Oliver W. Sacks “The Mezzanine”, by Nicholson Baker “Consider Phlebas” and/or “Against a Dark Background”, by Iain M. Banks [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-people-must-read/52421.md?page=1)