# Looking for some books to read **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291 "2003-07-14T03:12:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/1 "2003-07-14T03:12:50Z")
I am a male in my early 20’s, recent college graduate. I have done very little reading on my own in the past, at least since I was in grade school. Pretty much the only books I have read were assigned for school. I am looking for some suggestions of books to read, here’s a little overview of what I’m looking for: 1. I am looking for books that I would “get something out of”, or would make me smarter or that I’d learn something from. You know what I mean. 2. I am thinking more along the lines of non-fiction books or biographies or whatever. I wouldn’t completely rule out fictional stories or novels or things like that, but I’d really probably steer away from them. 3. Since I’d be reading thes books on my own, I’d need them to be fairly interesting and keep my attention. I’d probably give up on a book fairly quickly if it was boring, no matter how educational it was. That’s pretty much it I guess. I’m looking for some books that I would learn something from or better myself by reading, that are hopefully interesting or at least not very boring. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![flood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@flood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/2 "2003-07-14T03:29:54Z")
Animal Farm by George Orwell: Based on Russian history, so its not completely fictional. Real people depicted by animals on a farm. You’d definetly get something out of this one. A Brief History of Time and The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking: Both are really good reads dealing with theories and concepts of physics. I’d recommend reading them in the order that I’ve mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/3 "2003-07-14T04:20:46Z")
“Guns, Germs and Steel” is a book every person on the planet would benefit from reading. I think it meets all your requirments. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/4 "2003-07-14T04:22:58Z")
How about _Cosmos_ by Carl Sagan. The book is a companion to the old PBS series. Absolutely fascinating, and contains a good bit of history as well as astronomy. I got the hardback, which has many more illustrations, for cheap used on Amazon. Along those lines – any collection of Stephen Jay Gould, anything else by Sagan, if it’s “educational” and compelling that you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/5 "2003-07-14T12:01:19Z")
Bill Bryson’s new book, [A Short History of Nearly Everything](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0767908171/qid=1058184506/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-4554763-0251206?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) is a great read. Very informative, and easy to read. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/6 "2003-07-14T12:17:08Z")
> [@](#): > > The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicamerla Mind > Author: Julian Jaynes > This book will provide incredible insight into how and why human consciousness was able to evolve. The function and evolutionary benefits of intellectual awareness are illuminated in ways that will completely amaze you. I second this in a big BIG, way. Also: The way of the Peaceful Warrior. By, Dan Millman. Extraordinary and Popular Delusions and the Maddness of Crowds. By Charles MacKay. The Physics of Immortality. By, I forget… Illusions, the Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. by Richard Bach. Atlas Shrugged and Fountain Head Anne Rand ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/7 "2003-07-14T13:33:01Z")
_Flatter Land_ by Ian Stewart _The Marquis De Sade: A New Biography_ by Donald Thomas _The Armchair Economist_ by Steve Landsburg _The Science of Discworld_ by Terry Pratchett, Ian Steward, & Jack Cohen. I don’t think you’ll need to be a Pratchett fan to appreciate this one. Very good. _The Demon Haunted World_ by Carl Sagan _The Geography of Thought_ by Richard Nisbett I might also suggest making a run through some fiction, specifically Kurt Vonnegut. His novels generally go _very_ quickly–they’re generally not long, and they’re broken in to very small parts. They’re generall thought provoking and very entertaining. Another fiction author I’d suggest immersing yourself in would be Tom Robinson. _Even Cowgirls Get the Blues_ and _Another Roadside Attraction_ are the ones I’d start with. Finally, Pratchett’s Discworld novels make for great reading. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/8 "2003-07-14T15:14:53Z")
For history, try **The Fatal Shore** by Robert Hughes, a fine account of the founding of Australia. Very readable. David McCulloch’s biographies are always fascinating reads. Alistair Horne’s **The Price of Glory: Verdun** is also great. For novels, read **The Sot Weed Factor** by John Barth – very funny, very bawdy pseudohistory. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/9 "2003-07-14T17:05:29Z")
Flood suggested, “A Brief History of Time and The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking: Both are really good reads dealing with theories and concepts of physics. I’d recommend reading them in the order that I’ve mentioned.” Hmmm…unless you are already a student of physics, this is pretty heavy-duty reading. Seriously. Read a couple pages before you actually take it home. Very lofty stuff. And it’s dumbed down for our benefit! (so I hear). ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/10 "2003-07-14T17:08:10Z")
I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but I’m reading a collection of short stories. I like them because the writer can do so much in the way of setting a mood or evoking an emotion in such a compact space. Every word is important. And for a busy person, you can put it down and pick it up when you have time, without losing continuity. It’s also great exposure to a large number of writers. ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Beaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Grim\_Beaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Beaker)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/11 "2003-07-14T18:00:02Z")
Secrets of The Temple by William Greider. Good book about the history, reasoning and inner workings of the Federal Reserve. Particulary concentrates on the 70’s to early 80’s. Battlecry of Freedom by James McPherson. Excellent one volume coverage of the US Civil War. The Language of Mathematics by Keith Devlin. Shows how math is the study of patterns and provides an interesting tour through select areas of the field. Good explanations of both the origin of, and practical uses of math. Want to know how determining the most effective way of packing oranges into a box affects data encryption? This book is for you. Godel, Escher, Bach an Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter. This book defies categorization. It touches on DNA replication, ant colonies, zen koan’s, programming, recursion, artificial intelligence, art, music and a whole host of other topics. Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam. This book studies the decline of “social capital” in America in the last 50 years as well as it’s effects. We vote less, donate less, attend community meetings less, visit friends less, are more depressed, less happy, etc. Grim ---
**Author:** ![michael\_trevino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@michael\_trevino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/michael_trevino)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/12 "2003-07-14T18:03:18Z")
I too, started some heavy reading on my own in my early twenties. I found J.D. Salinger books really spoke to me. granted it’s fiction, but the way the characters are written and the issues they deal with, I always get something out of it… mostly philosophical. so, if you’re even in a fiction kinda of mind, try: 9 Stories. Franny and Zooey. ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/13 "2003-07-14T18:48:38Z")
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his _Sherlock Holmes_ stories – sharpen your powers of observation and deductive reasoning. Alexandre Dumas (_pere_ more than _fils_) historical works like \* The Count of Monte Cristo\* and _The Three Musketeers_ are cultural icons, in addition to being ripping good reads. Charles Dickens, also for the cultural icon/interesting looks at people/society category. (_A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, The Old Curiosity Shoppe,_ et al.) if you like ironic social commentary, try Jane Austin’s works. (_Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility,_ etc. believe it or not, but a vast majority of the “classics” that appear on so many assigned-reading lists in high school really _are_ there for a good reason. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/14 "2003-07-14T22:23:38Z")
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. It’s fiction, about immigrants to the US in the early 1900s. It illustrates in a pretty gripping way the reasons behind some of our current labor and consumer protection laws. I second Guns, Germs and Steel. Godel, Escher, Bach is another one I’d say read a few pages to see if you really think you can make it through. I know I couldn’t, and I tried…and tried… ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/15 "2003-07-14T22:25:50Z")
HAMSTERED AGAIN!!! **The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind** Author: Julian Jaynes One of the only coherent theories of how human awareness evolved. **On Food and Cooking** Author: Harold M[sup]c[/sup]Gee A biochemical treatise of how food preparation and preservation work. **Sex in History** Author: Reay Tannahill One of the most enduring topics is give a superb historical treatment. **Food in History** Author: Reay Tannahill Another historical view on the role of food in history. **Philosophy Who Needs It** Author: Ayn Rand A rational approach to understanding philosophy and it’s pitfalls. **The Making of the Atomic Bomb** Author: Richard Rhodes An excellent overview of how nuclear weapons were developed. **A Cook’s Tour** Author: Anthony Bourdain A hilarious account of one globe trotting chef’s quest for the ultimate meal. **Drawing the Line** Author: Mark Monmonier A fascinating review of the role maps have had in politics and history. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/16 "2003-07-14T23:06:19Z")
**Fast Food Nation** is a great one, as is **No Logo** , **Culture Jam** , and **Affluenza**. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/17 "2003-07-14T23:12:04Z")
In addition to the specific books recommended, you should make time to wander aimlessly through your public library or bookstore (depending on your budget) and pick up things that just look interesting. You don’t want your excursion into reading to be too much like a homework assignment, or you might lose interest. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/18 "2003-07-14T23:19:14Z")
I’m going to recommend: _Sophie’s World_ by Jostein Gaarder - some people frown upon it, but if you want a really basic but entertaining primer on the history of philospohy, it is quite good. _A History Of the World in 10½ Chapters_ by Julian Barnes - this book is not what you think it might be. _Permutation City_ by Greg Egan - SF, but a fantastic exploration of the nature of consciousness and existence. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/19 "2003-07-15T00:34:17Z")
Nearly anything written by Joseph Campbell. And buy, borrow or rent the PBS series “The Power of Myth” about Campbell’s work. ---
**Author:** ![Sivalensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Sivalensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sivalensis)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291/20 "2003-07-15T02:33:23Z")
\The Tipping Point \ by William Gladwell \Nickle and Dimed\ by Barbara Ehrenreich Anything by Oliver Sacks (\An Anthropologist on Mars, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat \) - engrossing stories about a psychologist’s patients (one is a colorblind painter, or an autistic artist, or a surgeon with Tourette’s) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-some-books-to-read/188291.md?page=2)