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biofriendlyblogAug 3, 2010
Some great books. I haven't read all of them, that's for sure....but I have read quite a few. :)
nmanguyAug 3, 2010
Quite a few of those are required High School reading.
1984
The Great Gatsby
The Catcher in the Rye
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Lord of the Flies
The Grapes of Wrath
zannaduAug 3, 2010
Or none of them... *adds this to the list of reasons my high school sucked*
zb757Aug 3, 2010
Quite a few of those are required spark-notes and missing the message
FTFY
thcobbsAug 3, 2010
you actually can't find The Catcher in the Rye in many highschools
ubernickAug 3, 2010
GAAAAHH, not TKAM! I was assigned that book three or four times by high school, and it got worse every time. It's a semi-autobiographical story about an annoying, pretentious little kid written in an annoying, pretentious tone. Yes, we get the point; racism is bad. Thank you for beating us over the head with it. Maybe the author can send me back to first grade where I can appreciate her work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Lee#After_To_Kill_a_MockingbirdComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
ghatidAug 4, 2010
Those are the exact books that I read in school that didn't involve the difficulty in being a woman, the difficulty of being a minority, or, most commonly, the difficulty of being a minority woman.
nmanguyAug 4, 2010
Haha Ghatid, you're absolutely right. Well, except for the Hiroshima apologist books and God-knows-how-many Shakespeare plays. And Oedipus.
sexyboboAug 4, 2010
@thcobbs
I graduated HS only 4 years ago and we were still required to read that horrible book.
shawn789Aug 4, 2010
Only a few of those books were required in my hign school about half were "optional"
pontiacAug 4, 2010
Of those I only had to read Catcher in the Rye. My high school sucked. But I will say I think this list is seriously lacking. They should have had either Black Boy or Invisible Man on it. Preferably Black Boy because that book is f**king incredible.
roomforpanicAug 3, 2010
This is the canon of Dead White Men.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
How terrible for English-speaking people at English-speaking websites to focus primarily on English language books.
roomforpanicAug 3, 2010
Did I say anything about non-English language books? There are hundreds of non-white, non-male authors who have made important contributions to the field of literature. This list is great, but short sighted.
Also, not to be judgmental, but you seem a tad xenophobic. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
elcadAug 3, 2010
Harper Lee is a man and dead?!?!?
And Sun Tzu was white?
roomforpanicAug 3, 2010
So, 2 of 30. Poor representation at best.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
@roomforpanic Lolita was originally written in English. Nabokov wrote in both English and Russian, and I think all or most of his later novels were written in English.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Bulgakov stood up directly to Stalin and lived. f**k you for seeing him as just another dead white man, when he wrote under censorship and oppression.
bootieAug 3, 2010
No Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ?
wr332Aug 3, 2010
WTF are books?:
shmike9Aug 3, 2010
I just read The Golden Stream by I.P. Standing.
whitehat51Aug 4, 2010
Cool story bro!
zirchxworldAug 4, 2010
o0o0o0o 30 books in 30 years... yeaaah i think ill pass on that one :)
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
ELITIST!!!
/read it off my hand
thereyagoAug 4, 2010
I've read 14 but I would have to add "the Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran
there is a nice website for this short but perceptive book
http://leb.net/~mira/works/prophet/prophet.html
derm2Aug 4, 2010
I'm sure the author didn't read some of them himself.
Books like The Art of War, and The Origin of Species are really great and important books, but they are... not entertaining to read.
Especially because you already know what they want to say, and you'll have to go through hundreds of pages where they're trying to prove their point to their less educated cotemporaries.
aaronhoffmeyerAug 16, 2010
I had 13 of them by age 30, but I'd read summaries and Cliff Notes for some of the others. Some of the books are works of art because of the writing, but others were a real chore and really not that enlightening.
bundalovAug 3, 2010
I have read some of them. Pretty good collection.
shmike9Aug 3, 2010
Hands up anybody who made it through 1000 Years of Solitude
brisktAug 3, 2010
I still have 975 years to go
aquapeteAug 3, 2010
1000 years of solitude would have been a better title than 100 years and no i didnt make it through.
floreshdezAug 3, 2010
The book is great ... in spanish. In english is unbearable.
silentspyderAug 3, 2010
My parents are Colombian but I was born and raised in the US so my spanish pretty much sucks. Still, I forced myself to read this in Spanish (with english-spanish dictionary in hand) and it was epic.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
coolstorybro
perspicuity777Aug 3, 2010
I thought it was 100 Years of Solitude. And yes I made it through...the book isn't that long. How about Foucault's Pendulum by Emberto Eco...3 attempts, could not make it to the end.
greatgatAug 4, 2010
I loooooved Foucalt's Pendulum. It was delightfully bizarre, but the parts I loved the most were the conversations. When they were in the bar and just talking about... whatever they would be talking about I would just get lost in enjoyment.
mimimiaouAug 4, 2010
Me too. When it jumps to brazil I just go.. wha?? Loved name of the rose though.
gabrielbowAug 4, 2010
*Umberto
And loved it. Read it at the same time as teh darvinchee coed. Really highlighted the banality of Dan Browns book. Just finishing his latest now, looking back at life under the fascists. Baudolino is awesome too
metalstormAug 4, 2010
I loved Foucault's Pendulum so it was the exact opposite for me. I couldn't put it down.
ra2bkAug 3, 2010
Writing 150 blech
ghatidAug 4, 2010
To tell you the truth, I remember the story pretty well, but I don't think I read it...I think I spark noted the whole thing.
dollar0dot02Aug 4, 2010
Methuselah almost made. Chuck Norris is trying.
thenewblackAug 4, 2010
i read it, wasn't that hard to get through. try gravity's rainbow, that's the one book i could never finish.
sabachAug 4, 2010
I tried twice, it's the only book I ever gave up on.
nationalistAug 4, 2010
read the book in spanish...the english version is too dense and long
wagnerianAug 4, 2010
I read it and loved it, so there.
harsh3rAug 4, 2010
try reading Ulysees sometime
pontiacAug 4, 2010
One Hundred Years is one of my favorite books of all time. Yeah try War and Peace. Mad props to anyone who can get through that. Or Atlas Shrugged. IMO that book was a good 700 pages too long.
corle1Aug 4, 2010
War and Peace... It's like my mind is bench pressing a train.
maddhoppsAug 6, 2010
Agreed. One Hundred Years is awesome. You just have to let go of reality, your prejudices, and simple grammar rules.
Also agreed about Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand and her elitist black-and-white philosophy pisses me off. Every character of hers is either one of the most driven people that ever lived or a lazy, lying sack of crap.
sloonarkAug 14, 2010
War and Peace is awesome and very readable. It's long, but not difficult.
kaelyiestaAug 19, 2010
maddhopps,
Eddie Willers
Cherryl Brooks
the wet nurse kid
Those are just a few names I can recall, but sufficient to refute your claim about the characters. Rand focused entirely on nuances of inner conflict that varied between individuals. The common thread of abandoned integrity to ones own soul is the focus, but how and to what extent is not constant between the characters.
In fact, the whole point of Atlas Shrugged is in the ending, where Willers fate is ambiguous. This is purposeful(like anything Rand wrote). It emphasizes the fact that the 'common man' is the one she was writing to. It was a warning that they, not the great men or the evil ones were the most at risk if they chose the side of the takers over the makers. Because they couldn't provide all the wealth of society should the best be held back, and they would not stoop to the levels of depravity that the thieves would, so would be the worst off during the decay. That point fully shows that she acknowledged the full spectrum of human potential.
I hope you will consider the book again with this in mind. It is among the best life affirming ideas out there.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Dropped it halfway, always felt bad about it.
charbannedAug 4, 2010
One of the best books I've ever read
corle1Aug 4, 2010
Just read half a century.
risadAug 16, 2010
loved Loved in a Time of Cholera and his non-fiction but just couldn't read Solitude! Glad I'm not alone!
kylescousinAug 3, 2010
Also, Stephen Hawking's "A brief history of time".
grindelwaldAug 3, 2010
To fully appreciate and understand this book, you really need a strong background in physics.
kylescousinAug 3, 2010
No, that's not true. It's specifically written for people with little physics background. There are no complicated formulas in there, and A LOT of illustrations :)
mburke1124Aug 3, 2010
I read it first in high school... and then again after a few years of physics... it helps but not that much...
hydesAug 3, 2010
that was the children's edition
ubernickAug 3, 2010
Download the audio book a "briefer" history of time from TPB. Great primer; no physics or math needed (but highly recommended independently from the book!)
McScoliosisAug 3, 2010
Do you need some pictures?
http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Brief-History-Updated-Expanded/dp/0553103741
anti404Aug 3, 2010
I'm not well versed in anything but the most basic understanding of physics(v=x2-x1/t2-t1 f**k YEAH), but I found this book to be very interesting.
diggpickAug 4, 2010
Fahrenheit 411
pygmalionAug 4, 2010
451
frisbinatorAug 4, 2010
That book was terrible, people just like to sound well rounded and intelligent so they read it and brag about it
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Not true. I read that book because I find the topic to be very interesting but it's not something I study and it's also not something I'm skilled at.
invaderprotosAug 4, 2010
"The Demon-Haunted World".
i38warhawkAug 4, 2010
Tuesdays with Morrie
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
As for A Briefer History of Time - it all makes sense…until chapter 7. Then my brain hurts and I get sleepy.
atarioAug 4, 2010
Carl Sagan's /Cosmos/. Or, hell, really, just about any of his books.
frostekAug 5, 2010
Where's Dune?!
nbclocalAug 3, 2010
I'm sure "Getting Things Done" is a great book, but does it really belong on the same list as the classics?
racheljtmAug 3, 2010
That cover definitely stuck out in a slideshow of older, more classic books
brianislostAug 3, 2010
To be fair, the article isn't "30 classic books" its 30 books you should read before age 30. The writer feels that is a good book to read while still being relatively young.
bookantAug 3, 2010
I burried it for that, plus "How to Win Friends . . ." and "The Tipping Point."
brianislostAug 3, 2010
Have you read those books? I'm assuming you haven’t. Maybe your opinion would change if you did.
max0Aug 3, 2010
Don't judge a book by its cover ;)
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
Haven't read "How to Win Friends," but "Tipping Point" was outstanding. I'm generally a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell, and that particular one is a classic.
bookantAug 3, 2010
I'm not denying they're good for what they are. But if you're going to winnow our culture's written history down to 30 selections, do they deserve to make the cut? I stand by my "no."
I actually dump the cookbook, too (I neglected to mention it above); if you're opening the door to a how-to manual, why just cooking? Why not a home-repair manual, or book about how to write effectively, or how to use a PC? No, I'd say instruction manuals on how to perform a specific task don't belong on the list.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
I had read How to win friends and influence people first probably when I was 16. And I've read it 3 or 4 more times till now and plan to re-read it sometime next month. (I'm 23 btw)
Its an awesome book. A MUST read for ANYONE on this planet.
braskyAug 3, 2010
What if you dont give a f**k about winning friends or influencing people? Why should I have to "win" friends. Can't I just hang out with people of mutual interests? Why do I need a book to tell me to not be an anti-social prick?
madpainterAug 4, 2010
How to Win Friends changed my entire business career. I used to believe if I went in with all the facts and figures I would win every argument and influence every decision or policy toward my way of thinking. Boy was I wrong. I learned from that book that you can never win an argument, but that there are ways to change someone's thinking to your ideas. That's one powerful lesson to learn and if you learn how to do it, your work career will be radically improved. The classics on this list are great reads, but if you want something that will change your life , read How to Win Friends and Getting Things Done.
zannaduAug 3, 2010
I assumed that was an ad at first.
loudmusicAug 3, 2010
The list isn't about novels or stories, it's about information a young adult could greatly benefit from.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
I would actually prefer to see more non-canonical books on the list. But I'm just post-modern like that.
joculatorAug 3, 2010
I've been planning to read "Getting Things Done" for years now.
isifunded911Aug 3, 2010
Every year or so when I stumble upon an article recommending "Getting things done" I say to myself it is high time I read it.
joculatorAug 4, 2010
Tell you the truth, I actually started the audio course version, but after the first tape I never picked it up again. Not a joke.
haikufuAug 4, 2010
I bought the book, and it sits prominently on my bookshelf, taunting me. f**k that book, it's an assh**e.
ripterAug 4, 2010
A friend gave me the book a few years ago. I've read most of the first chapter!
helloyoAug 4, 2010
I've read a few books off that list, but Getting Things Done is probably the book that has influenced me the most. Fantastic ideas in that book (though I don't particularly like the writing).
tedsgameAug 3, 2010
boomarked !
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Agreed. Master and Margaretta is an amazing novel. It's a shame Bulgakov never lived to see this novel published.
bigterguyAug 3, 2010
'Atlas Shrugged' and "Animal Farm" and "Sometimes a Great Notion"
dalittleAug 3, 2010
a trickle down economics fan I see.
numbAug 3, 2010
You don't have to follow a particular ideology just to read and appreciate a book. Or, at least some of us don't.
hetmanAug 3, 2010
@numb I agree. I am not a fan of trickle down economics or atlas shrugged. However it has affected our society and it should be read regardless of how you feel about the situation.
wrath017Aug 3, 2010
Numb, the book sucked. It had a 80 page monologue for god's sake... small print!. It was painfully boring, painfully slow, painfully naive, and If i ever see the word "superlative" again, I'm going to scream.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
Or human freedom perhaps?
hydesAug 3, 2010
@WraTH017: superlative
ubernickAug 3, 2010
superlative
dalittleAug 3, 2010
you could also read books on scientology and under water basket weaving, but it does not mean they should be on a recommended reading list.
fillbaxAug 3, 2010
Nice use of this weeks catch phrase, you're so witty.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
Karl Marx, is that you?
wrath017Aug 3, 2010
@ hydes:
*puts hands on face*
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
tinycorkscrewAug 3, 2010
Atlas Shrugged is one of the worst books I've ever read. It's a failure in terms of aesthetic value as well as in terms of content.
netantAug 3, 2010
Horrifically bad. When I was a child, I used to treat reading like mountain climbing. I would knock off 2K page tomes just because it was there. After Atlas Shrugged, I never had the desire to do that again. AS just murdered that desire to read.
trigonometronAug 3, 2010
...in the Illuminatus Trilogy.
SPOILER ALERT
emmeronAug 4, 2010
And your review works for diggers, but is one of the most lacking reviews I've ever read. I cannot recommend tinycorkscrew's reviews as they lack content. Aesthetic values are quite subjective, and would require some specific discussion. Content lacking? Far from -- the reviewer simply disliked the content. Disliking a book for its content and calling it "one of the worst books" really only makes a case for either a) failure to comprehend the material or b) having a disagreement with the material. If it was the later, a decent reviewer might explain the case. Instead, possibly owing to the digg populist movement, tinycorkscrew chose to simply belittle without relying on any data.
In conclusion, this was a lackluster review filled with typical venom for anything anti-collectivist. Digg doesn't even need more of such reviews. Don't quit your day job, tinycorkscrew.
jesseAug 4, 2010
@emmeron - No, he's right. Atlas Shrugged is a piece of s**t. I literally threw the book into the trash can because of its s**t writing. No wonder Rand never followed it up with another novel - she sucks at writing.
tinycorkscrewAug 4, 2010
@ emmeron -
The book sucks. It's terrible. It's so offensively bad that I refused to sleep with the college freshman who recommended it to me. It's not like I'm a guy that had so many girls offering sexual favors that I was overly selective, but I was morally compelled to refuse the good-looking coed so as not to give the appearance of endorsing Ayn Rand.
"Aesthetic values are subjective." While this is true, 99% of the human population can tell the difference between s**t and Shakespeare. The rest read Ayn Rand.
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
dabekAug 4, 2010
I haven't read Atlas Shrugged, but even before reading this thread, I didn't want to. I was forced to read Anthem for summer reading before 9th grade. I was so glad when I got to hand that book back to my teacher.
ripterAug 4, 2010
I kind of like Atlas Shrugged. You have to skip some chapters, and parts of other chapters.
Ok I've never finished it, but the parts about finding a secrete engine and a pirate capturing all the powerful people seemed cool.
emmeronAug 6, 2010
Jesse,
What do you like to read that is fantastic writing?
I do not think Rand ranks in my top thirty, to be honest, but I do think the book was extremely important (and very thought-provoking). Most books are useless after being read, they are a simple journey that concludes with a little self-indulgence or, more often, a great deal of "pretend it was deep that the main character died."
maxxusflamusAug 3, 2010
I came to check comments because I'm sure someone would come in to harp about Atlas Shrugged.
was not disappointed.
numbAug 3, 2010
Yeah, it's like the Satanic Verses to some people. When does the book burning start?
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
except satanic verses has literary value. and the only fanatics are the ones who love 'the fountainhead.'
ymegAug 3, 2010
I'm almost convinced that people suggest Atlas Shrugged as some sort of real life trolling.
"Yeah, sure, go and read it. It's great"
fillbaxAug 3, 2010
You call that harping? I came here to see all the collectivists harp about how bad it was.
I was not disappointed.
numbAug 3, 2010
At the time he wrote it there was just the parent comment mentioning Atlas Shrugged as one of three books, and all the responses were people harping about why people shouldn't read it. Pretty sure he was referring to the people freaking out about it being mentioned, otherwise his comment would have made no sense.
netantAug 3, 2010
It also makes do for a quick personality meter. People who love the book are usually egotistical turds.
fillbaxAug 3, 2010
@Numb
Good point
@netant
You quickly dismiss people just for liking a book... and they're the turds?
bookantAug 3, 2010
"Two novels can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other involves orcs."
dalittleAug 3, 2010
haha, best comment!
maxxusflamusAug 3, 2010
replying here so I can come back for this quote later.
wrath017Aug 3, 2010
Comment of the year.
janineeeAug 3, 2010
Where is that quote from ? I must r3ecord it in my book of quotes.
wrath017Aug 3, 2010
http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/03/ephemera-2009-7.html
Straight from the source
bookantAug 3, 2010
@WraTH017 -
Thank you. I wanted to give attribution with the quote. but haven't been able to find it. But your link still leaves me with a question - are these guys the original *authors* of the quote or are they just another example of someone quoting it without attribution like I did?
wrath017Aug 3, 2010
No prob Bookant. I looked over different places and they all seem to attribute this quote that John Rogers fella at Kung Fu Monkey.
http://www.blogger.com/profile/12551450586119958881
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
bookmarking
emmeronAug 4, 2010
HAHAH
... sorry... I was laughing at all the collectivists who cannot think a good quote up for themselves. /sigh
dabekAug 4, 2010
Excellent comment. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
prodigitalsonAug 3, 2010
Id include "Supercapitalsm", "Das Kapital", and "The Wealth of Nations" in addition, but whatever...
ymegAug 3, 2010
If you can even get through Atlas Shrugged before your 30...
janineeeAug 3, 2010
Animal Farm I agree with.
Atlas Shrugged? That book was insulting
hetmanAug 3, 2010
I like animal farm however if you have 1984 on the list it is kind of redundant. I figured that a brave new world would be on the list though.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
I appreciate the fact that you named a book by a hard-capitalist (Rand) and then followed it up with a book by a socialist (Orwell).
janineeeAug 3, 2010
shhhh, many are too stupid to realize Orwell was a socialist.
bigterguyAug 3, 2010
Whether Orwell was a socialist or not is irrelevant. Animal Farm depicts the fate of socialist systems - they start out with high ideals of "all animals are created equal" and end up with " .. but some are more equal than others" as human nature and greed take over - power corrupts and all. At least with Ayn Rand's philosophy human greed is channeled through fair and voluntary exchange rather than foced oppression; one cannot say the same for socialist systems of any stripe. They all end up with the few supporting the many and favoritism, politics and patronage determining people's fate more than effort and productivity.
"The essential notion of a capitalist society … is voluntary cooperation, voluntary exchange. The essential notion of a socialist society is force." – Milton FriedmanComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
"Animal Farm depicts the fate of socialist system"
Nope, sorry, it shows the fate of a communist system. Orwell was a socialist, but not a moron, and thus he was critical of Stalinism.
janineeeAug 3, 2010
Animal Farm was being critical of Stalin's "socialism" and "communism" because in reality he practiced neither. If you couldn't comprehend that I feel sorry for you. For f**ks sake, the Animal farm didn't even have majority rule, it was a "republic". The real trick of "communism" was that it turned out to be just as a oppressive as the government it replaced. Orwell hated what was considered communism in action. That doesn't change the fact that the man was a socialist.
runningflame570Aug 4, 2010
Capitalism only appears to be voluntary, in reality it is nothing of the sort. Many times today we're given the choice between a handful of abusive oligarchs, but in the end these companies are very much alike.
What fundamentally separates a Target from a Walmart from a Sears? They all sell similar or the same things, they all share many of the same business practices and there is little difference in price between them as well. How about the difference between Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips?
Try getting by without ever getting credit, or borrowing your way into debt, or paying an oligarch or regional monopolist. Capitalism or at least American capitalism as it stands today is anything BUT voluntary. It's engaged in because it's either do that or become homeless and die alone.
danielbroadbentAug 3, 2010
I'd put The Fountainhead in place of Atlas Shrugged. It's one of the few fictional books that explains why integrity is more important than money - and does it quite well.
But, then again, you can't really bring up Ayn Rand in public. Seems like 10's of millions of people read her stuff but nobody actually likes it. She's the only author I can think of who inspires relatively smart people to support outright censorship and / or distruction of her work. It's quite fascinating actually. If you want to witness a fear of ideas, just bring up her books in a public setting lol.
Personally I hated Atlas Shrugged, but it did place 2nd to the Bible in the Library of Congress's 1991 survey of the most influential books in American life. That should tell you something - since, based on public opinion, you'd think nobody's actually read it or liked it.
hetmanAug 3, 2010
I would like to know how they came up with that ranking. Anyways I do not want to ban Rands work. I however find them to be boring and full of misanthropy. Personally if you are going to choose one I would go with the fountainhead over atlas shrugged.
dalittleAug 3, 2010
people often use rand's principles of being ego centric to try and limit information and freedoms. It is on par with communism in it's destructiveness and should not be on a recommended reading list of books that would help you.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
danielbroadbentAug 3, 2010
@ Hetman - the top 5 books were:
1. The Bible (a bunch of dudes)
2. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
3. The Road Less Traveled (M. Scott Peck)
4. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
5. The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
It was a survey of over 2000 people - co-sponsored by the Library of Congress & Book of the Month.
http://bit.ly/Uq7gp
fillbaxAug 3, 2010
@dalittle
I don't know what freedoms would be limited by voluntary interaction but we can certainly see the destruction that's caused by a world based on the false idea of "social contracts".
netantAug 3, 2010
I loathe the book, but I'd never advocate burning it (well, maybe once, in a small gathering, for a cheap thrill).
1) It made me enjoy the Illuminatus trilogy that much more.
2) It a pretty good psychology metric. People who rave about it are generally not that bright, and are egotistical tools. (They emotionally relate to the characters, and it heightens their appreciation for the claptrap.)Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
braskyAug 3, 2010
To me Fountainhead had spirit and was truly expressing ideals through good storytelling. I see Atlas Shrugged as being hit over the head with blunt ideology over and over again.
emmeronAug 4, 2010
netant,
Rand never bothered with the psychology. She just plain didn't get it. If that is the only thing you can get out of the book, it shows a lack of all other intellect. Seriously, I'm *not* a fanatic. The very fact that most people love or hate the book makes a clear point -- if you love it, you're missing the fact Rand was totally useless in regards to psychology. If you hate it, I wish you wouldn't vote.
Lastly, people tell me "Rand was heartless." Or better: "I liked it until I grew a heart." What about the passage with Dagny (worst name ever) on the train with the homeless man? Everyone conveniently misses that this passage is consistent with everything else: you deserve nothing, but you may ask if you need.
I know, it makes socialists sick. But then, so does thinking.
shmefAug 3, 2010
Really? 2000 pages of boring? Besides, "Anthem" and "We the Living" are far more enjoyable Rand works that a) aren't beyond the length of the Bible and b) actually aren't a painful experience to read in terms of style.
ireneattoliaAug 3, 2010
We the Living is the most incredibly _sad_ book I have ever read. I cannot think of it without feeling sad. I've read The Fountainhead twice, Atlas Shrugged four times (the first time took me four days, the week after I graduated from high school. I wished I'd read it years earlier.)
From Anthem:
"I shall merely point out that the slogan "Production for use and not for profit" is now accepted by most men as commonplace, and a commonplace stating a proper, desirable goal. If any intelligible meaning can be discerned in that slogan at all, what is it, if not the idea that the motive of a man's work must be the needs of others, not his own need, desire or gain?
"Compulsory labor conscription is now practiced or advocated in every country on earth. What is it based on, if not the idea that the state is best qualified to decide where a man can be useful to others, such usefulness being the only consideration, and that his own aims, desires, or happiness should be ignored as of no importance?
"We have Councils of Vocations, Councils of Eugenics, every possible kind of Council, including a World Council -- and if these do not as yet hold total power over us, is it from lack of intention?
"Social gains," "social aims," "social objectives" have become the daily bromides of our language. The necessity of a social justification for all activities and all existence is now taken for granted. There is no proposal outrageous enough but what its author can get a respectful hearing and approbation if he claims that in some undefined way it is for "the common good."
"Some might think -- though I don't -- that nine years ago there was some excuse for men not to see the direction in which the world was going. Today, the evidence is so blatant that no excuse can be claimed by anyone any longer. Those who refuse to see it now are neither blind nor innocent.
"The greatest guilt today is that of people who accept collectivism by moral default; the people who seek protection from the necessity of taking a stand, by refusing to admit to themselves the nature of that which they are accepting; the people who support plans specifically designed to achieve serfdom, but hide behind the empty assertion that they are lovers of freedom, with no concrete meaning attached to the word; the people who believe that the content of ideas need not be examined, that principles need not be defined, and that facts can be eliminated by keeping one's eyes shut. They expect, when they find themselves in a world of bloody ruins and concentration camps, to escape moral responsibility by wailing: "But I didn't mean this!"
"Those who want slavery should have the grace to name it by its proper name. They must face the full meaning of that which they are advocating or condoning; the full, exact, specific meaning of collectivism, of its logical implications, of the principles upon which it is based, and of the ultimate consequences to which these principles will lead."
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
asilaydiningAug 3, 2010
@Irene Attolia
Thank you for wasting my time. All these overlong excerpts say about the same thing, and are just very blind and shallow extremist arguments against the phrase "sharing is caring."
runningflame570Aug 4, 2010
I too can scribe flamboyant, overly verbose quips; however, that does not mean that if I did so they might actually contain or convey any form of useful insight or valuable intuitions into the workings of the world. Instead, much as those quotes do, they would in all likelihood simply demonstrate a substitution of quantity of language in place of quality of thought.
fillbaxAug 3, 2010
Wow, so much bitching because someone like Atlas Shrugged.
satirenineAug 3, 2010
Dugg for dhtml paging.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
Not reading because it's in a slideshow
aquapeteAug 3, 2010
this was actually a painfree slideshow that didnt require a refresh of the entire page like pcmag.
urelAug 4, 2010
I wish they were all done this way. I miss out on a lot because I get too frustrated.
piratexAug 8, 2010
They get paid per click... .we have to suffer to go thru it :-(
cyrockerAug 3, 2010
I will wait for the movie
bigdoglj52Aug 3, 2010
'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'
tunaktunakAug 3, 2010
What did you call me?
I thought that was your name!
That's our word! You have no right using it!
...
Will you pass me the oar, N-word Jim?
Thank you!
joculatorAug 3, 2010
No.1 IMO
isuzu14bAug 3, 2010
Twain absolutely belongs on this list.
neville007Aug 3, 2010
I'm an Spaniard, and in the American literature class I took on college we read 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'. Our teacher, however, told us the book is controversial in the U.S.A. because of its portrayal of Jim. He said that he mentioned he was teaching the book when he was on a visit on the U.S.A. and was confronted by several of his homologues.
That sucks. It's a terrific book, and I don't think Twain was being racist at all.
bigdoglj52Aug 4, 2010
Racist? Portrayal or Jim? Twain portrays Jim as a Christ like figure.
cme884Aug 15, 2010
The only people that get upset about it are the people that haven't actually read it.
cride11Aug 4, 2010
I'm actually re-reading 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' right now. Very different take on it as an adult so far.
irvman21Aug 4, 2010
It's amazing how different that book is when you read it as an adult. It felt completely new to me.
dhellingAug 4, 2010
I understand that all lists are just one person's take and some great stuff must be left off, but this should be on anyone's "must read" list if it includes any writing about the American experience.
"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn." - Ernest Hemingway
abk0110Aug 4, 2010
That's a stupid thing to say.
Hemingway, not you
mrmowenAug 4, 2010
... I found "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" more accessible to modern kids that Tom or Huck
Although I'm Australian, and so pronounced it "connecty-cut" until I was corrected (or as you connecticutters presumably say it: corretted :) ).
wagnerianAug 4, 2010
Absolutely.
poonchowAug 4, 2010
Twain was a satirist, stand up comedian, entertainer, and legendary writer. The man could breathe controversy into anything, and almost any chapter in 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' can be interpreted with a different set of literary techniques. If you are interested in how to write, how to interpret writing, or to just gaze upon the immense wonders of Twain then you should definitely read that book.
cme884Aug 15, 2010
I love how he wrote that book as a spin-off to Tom Sawyer and it wound up being seen as his greatest book ever.
dalittleAug 3, 2010
Great list.
factsahoyAug 3, 2010
But why by 30? Nice arbitrary cut-off.
garrett9339Aug 4, 2010
If I haven't read to Kill a Mockingbird by the time I reach 30 I might as well call it quits
ieatcatfoodAug 3, 2010
Brave new world?
...fightclub?
thatsmyaiboAug 3, 2010
Eh, Palahniuk is over rated. I read all of his books years back but Fight Club was one of the few movies that was better than the book.
semisarcasticAug 3, 2010
The Big Sleep?
The Adventures of Sherlocke Holmes?
cptbuckAug 4, 2010
Interesting you'd put those two together, Chandler hated Doyle because he thought that Holmes was unrealistic garbage. Check out The Simple Art of Murder. He rips on virtually all of the English detective authors.
volacideAug 3, 2010
I don't know how overrated Chuck is, I don't really hear people celebrating his writing all too often, but I'd have to say that out of all of his books Fight Club is definitely not the best from my perspective. In fact I thought Choke and Invisible Monsters were way better. Fight Club is good but it's a way better movie and I think the reason that is because of David Fincher, he made that story a visual tour-de-force as he tends to do with most of his films.
confoundedjoeAug 4, 2010
Fight Club was great but I wouldn't put it here. Brave New World surely should be on this list.
cptbuckAug 4, 2010
If you're trying to make a list of just 30 books, do you really need 1984 *and* Brave New World? I mean one or the other surely has the dystopian aspect covered.
They're both great books, but within the confines of the list I don't think you need both.
daltonzAug 4, 2010
They cover completely different aspects of two completely different dystopian futures.
ieatcatfoodAug 7, 2010
Brave new world wasnt *about* the distopian, it just had that in it
sjbeechAug 4, 2010
never saw this before very cool
dopreAug 4, 2010
WTF!!!
No Twilight?
No Eat Pray Love?
No Secret?
No Llama Llama Red Pajama?
This is bulls**t man.
lamblikeawolfAug 4, 2010
No Are You My Mother?
No Goodnight Moon?!
WTF man!
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
I was hoping for Everybody Poops to be on this list.
ciarAug 4, 2010
alas babylon
spydr101Aug 18, 2010
Brave new world was awesome. I wish they would make a movie about it, because the show from the 70s sucked.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
Not to toot my school's awesomeness (it has some severe flaws), but Providence College's Development of Western Civ program basically uses a majority of these books to teach. And every student is required to have four semesters of DWC so you leave with a pretty awesome education from these guys, if you actually read them.
Oh and did I mention we're ranked number #10 in Beer and #1 in Hard Alcohol by Princeton Review?
acknotswAug 3, 2010
I wish more schools did that, I can't believe how many people come out of school having not read much of anything.
You don't have to turn the students into elitist snobs, but hell, at least make sure they are exposed to several different viewpoints of culture, history, politics, and religion.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
It's one of the reasons why I picked the school. And I'm a biology and economics doublemajor. This stuff isnt my bread and butter, but it makes me think and see everything in a new light.
zb757Aug 3, 2010
So we know who is #1 in liquor, who are #2-6? OU is disappoint
msteczzAug 4, 2010
you must have never been to OU...
zb757Aug 3, 2010
How many of the students actually read the book and actually got something out of it instead of reading Spark Notes or reading it and then immediately forgetting it
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
Congratulations on your college's over-reliance upon the western canon while most academics have moved beyond it.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
It's not as if we don't study eastern religious, philosophy, literature, or theology, its just we focus primarily on its impact on western culture.
neondeliAug 3, 2010
So, you essentially spend two years rehashing what you should have learned/read with a solid high school education? Is that really to be celebrated?
pharmaphoxAug 3, 2010
I wish schools would go the opposite direction and cut the crap so we can get more courses relevant to our degrees and graduate with less debt.
eh123Aug 4, 2010
Most of these are books you should have read in junior high or high school. College is the new high school.
satirenineAug 3, 2010
How about Ender's Game?
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
What about a crappy Mary Sue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue) wish-fulfillment narrative for nerds that feel persecuted?
toxicityjAug 3, 2010
Definitely on MY list. That book opened me up to the world of sci fi and to the world of Orson Scott Card, which is an awesomely mormon and well-written place.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
The enemy's gate is down
netantAug 3, 2010
That is such a horrifically overrated book for OSC.
Speaker for the Dead was by magnitudes a better book.
morpheousmartyAug 3, 2010
It was lame... ooh I'm tiered of playing the game and kicking ass, wait, I won a war no one knew about? f**k I didn't want to do that. Speaker for the Dead is way better.
I'm just playing, Ender's Game was ok, but I thought Speaker for the Dead was way more interesting. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
kinggorillaAug 3, 2010
It should be required reading for everyone before 10. All kids should aspire to be like Ender Wiggins and have nothing but hate for the bugger species.
rachy88Aug 4, 2010
it's been a while but i thought ender's deal was that he grew to love and understand the buggers and was never able to forgive himself for committing xenocide against them. no?
trigonometronAug 3, 2010
Yeah, you should read Ender's Game before you're 15, but after that, you'll find various incarnations floating throughout pop culture, so might as well move on to something else.
generalstarAug 4, 2010
f**k yeah.
blackhalozAug 4, 2010
Not sure I would go with that one.
Mote it God's Eye is a better representation of SF and has some pretty good themes to it. What is the theme of Ender's game?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender%27s_Game#Critical_response
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Scott_Card#Personal_views
tankintheair315Aug 4, 2010
Too bad Olsen Scott Card is an assh**e to the max in real life.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
I'm not clicking 32 times.
bigdorkaramaAug 3, 2010
It's probably a list of a bunch of crap anyway. These lists always exclude anything in verse and anything pre-1850 or so, the sole exception to both cases always being Shakespeare.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
maxxellAug 3, 2010
This is the only exercise I'm getting today.
tommaszAug 3, 2010
It's a sad attempt at inflating site stats, and it's like everyone's doing it now.
jorisbAug 3, 2010
It's using ajax, so there's no stats being inflated. It's almost justified in this case. It would have been more useful if they listed all the books on the right and made them clickable to see the covers and description.
silentspyderAug 3, 2010
we're constantly clicking, it's not that bad. If it was the type that refreshed the whole page for each, then I'd agree with you.
densetsu23Aug 4, 2010
You'd rather use the scroll wheel 100 times?
drgmdpAug 4, 2010
PgUp PgDn
chuckdontsurfAug 4, 2010
Now if it were 32 cumshot pics....
speedyrevAug 4, 2010
Go ahead and try it. It doesn't load the whole page. Almost no load time. DHTML for the Win!!!
serif69Aug 3, 2010
What about [book I haven't read but want to impress people with]?
sideshowslobAug 3, 2010
That one was meh.
chuckdontsurfAug 4, 2010
For me this would have to be "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Neitzsche. For years I kept that book around, thinking that one day I'd actually read it but secretly just hoping people would see it and be impressed. When I eventually tried reading it, I gave up after about 20 pages.
scattermouseAug 4, 2010
I always finish every book I start - except this one. Thus Spake Zarathustra is unreadable. If anyone says they've read it, they're lying.
thedamnbatmanAug 3, 2010
Siddhartha By Hermann Hesse
1984 By George Orwell
To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
A Clockwork Orange By Anthony Burgess
For Whom The Bell Tolls By Ernest Hemingway
War And Peace By Leo Tolstoy
The Rights Of Man By Thomas Paine
The Social Contract By Jean-Jacques Rousseau
One Hundred Years Of Solitude By Gabriel García Márquez
The Origin Of Species By Charles Darwin
The Wisdom Of The Desert By Thomas Merton
The Tipping Point By Malcolm Gladwell
The Wind In The Willows By Kenneth Graham
The Art Of War By Sun Tzu
The Lord Of The Rings By J.R.R. Tolkien
David Copperfield By Charles Dickens
Four Quartets By T.S. Eliot
Catch-22 By Joseph Heller
The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger
Crime And Punishment By Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Walden By Henry David Thoreau
The Republic By Plato
Lolita By Vladimir Nabokov
Getting Things Done By David Allen
How To Win Friends And Influence People By Dale Carnegie
Lord Of The Flies By William Golding
The Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck
The Master And Margarita By Mikhail Bulgak
Bonus: Honeymoon With My Brother By Franz Wisner
essarAug 3, 2010
Thanks, 30 slides is a joke. I f**king hate this trend.
akairennAug 3, 2010
f**k Your Slides, Webpages Scroll Motherf**ker by Me.
I'm shopping around for a publisher as we speak.
kadioAug 3, 2010
it's those tasty advertisement dollars!
grindelwaldAug 3, 2010
The Elegant Universe- Brian Greene.
hydesAug 3, 2010
the slideshow didn't refresh the entire page i went through it in about 2 minutes on a slow connection
fractalAug 3, 2010
Usually I hate the slideshow also. This one loaded quickly and didn't refresh the entire page. It was convenient to leave my mouse in one place and click for the next slide. It would have taken more time to scroll.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
@hydes The page didn't refresh...but notice how the ads refreshed after every slide
ryanissosuperAug 3, 2010
@ Deathsting
What ads?
essarAug 3, 2010
@Hydes & Fractal
You're missing the main point here though. There really is no advantage to the user in having this sort of set-up, no matter how fast it loads.
If I want to go back to a previous slide how on Earth do I remember which one it was if there are 30 of them? Hell, in this case it wouldn't even matter because they aren't numbered; you just have to click next or previous a zillion times. With scrolling, on the other hand I can just go up and down the page and if it catches my eye, I'm there. Or even better ctrl+f.
Sure, reading may be mostly a linear process, but that doesn't mean people don't like to skip up and down through the text/article occasionally.
morpheousmartyAug 3, 2010
Talk with your clicks, every time you go to the first page and close it 2 seconds later, you let them know you left because you saw it was bulls**t and didn't even read page 1
nikorf11Aug 4, 2010
whatever man, people are so lazy these days. no wonder people don't read books.
And as for web revenue what's wrong with businesses making money on ads?
essarAug 4, 2010
People being lazy does not justify making things inconvenient by intentionally poor design, when you could go for much simpler and established ones. Also, the page in question has the titles in text form as well as the book covers; seems like someone was being a bit hypocritical about laziness and not reading.
gfailAug 4, 2010
Atlas Shrugged.
atomictheoryAug 3, 2010
I read a few of these in high school or college, and half of those were crap.
zarenAug 3, 2010
Beat me to it, you did. Darn this job for interrupting me :p
And here I am, 40+, and I have yet to read ONE of those books. (Well, I read some of Art of War, but not the whole thing.) I even managed to avoid reading 1984 in high school in... 1984. I suppose I'm going to have to see how many of these are in Project Gutenberg...
persiyanAug 4, 2010
Dugg for 1984 comment, I laughed.
poonchowAug 4, 2010
"read a f**king book," as an English teacher from a highschool in Florida once stabbed to his car bumper.
allstroxAug 3, 2010
thx for the compilation. Helps keep it around for future reference.
I want to at least find out more about the books I haven't already read.
russ3Aug 3, 2010
saving for later thank you
boyprodigy1Aug 3, 2010
Likewise
thatashguyAug 4, 2010
possibly the same.
brisktAug 3, 2010
Project Gutenberg actually has quite a few of these. I compiled a list of the ones they have with links to their respective download pages.
Siddhartha By Hermann Hesse
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2500
War And Peace By Leo Tolstoy
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2600
The Rights Of Man By Thomas Paine
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/3742
The Origin Of Species By Charles Darwin
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2009
The Wind In The Willows By Kenneth Graham
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/27805
The Art Of War By Sun Tzu
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/132
David Copperfield By Charles Dickens
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/766
Crime And Punishment By Fyodor Dostoyevsky
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2554
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1232
Walden By Henry David Thoreau
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/205
The Republic By Plato
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1497
Another one suggested by people in this forum:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/76
factsahoyAug 3, 2010
Thanks!
Tom Sawyer's way better than Huckleberry Finn, though.
mr0nine2fiveAug 3, 2010
Dugg and saving links. THANK YOU!
/laziness
jshhmrAug 3, 2010
Never mind me. Commenting for the save.
/crawls back ninja style
livewiredAug 3, 2010
I wouldn't have to comment if I could find comments I dugg.
fredpilotAug 3, 2010
you are f**king awesome.. thanks
mongolaiAug 3, 2010
Thank you!
shaftscaliberAug 3, 2010
Awesome, thank you!
factorof13Aug 4, 2010
Thanks! I've been wanting to read The Rights of Man for some time. Now I don't have any excuse to put it off.
ra2bkAug 4, 2010
Time to learn why War is an art and not a science.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
comment
eam5210Aug 4, 2010
Thanks
saving links
cockofdoodieAug 4, 2010
bamp
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Holy crap, how did I not know about Project Gutenberg? Thanks for the links, good sir.
mnorteiAug 4, 2010
*saving*
quillrootsAug 4, 2010
Good day to you sir.
ringo0309Aug 4, 2010
Commenting so I can come back later.
doctorlexusAug 4, 2010
Project Gutenberg is great and all, but come on, don't people spend enough time looking at some kind of screen (computer, TV, movie, cell phone)? Go out and borrow these books at your local library, if you have an opportunity. It's free btw.
sjbeechAug 4, 2010
never saw this before, very cool
blaculasfroAug 4, 2010
Another bookmark. Move along.
complex13Aug 4, 2010
we should be able to favorites comments.
pootpootAug 4, 2010
snottlebocketAug 4, 2010
Great post, marking it for later perusal.
pikagrueAug 4, 2010
Comment.
dawnraid101Aug 4, 2010
also saving.
rotzooiAug 4, 2010
bookmark
ketchup176Aug 4, 2010
saving
atarioAug 4, 2010
Yay for books written before Mickey Mouse was created, which f**ked up copyright expiration forever!
alexddnAug 5, 2010
What all the other guys said about the saving
nashrebelAug 5, 2010
Thanks.
becuzitAug 6, 2010
Saint
metis2Aug 15, 2010
marked for later
toolsinashedAug 16, 2010
Gratitude.
rzr42Aug 3, 2010
You missed: BONUS: How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
phychAug 3, 2010
Commenting for reference.
pyrophileAug 3, 2010
The republic is horrible. Bertrand Russel knows what hes talking about.
pyrophileAug 3, 2010
http://books.google.ca/books?id=FhVkvujdvWIC&lpg=PP1&ots=xhsHSe1e4d&dq=bertrand%20russell%20philosophy%20and%20politics&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=falseComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
jeffgchristAug 3, 2010
Thank you, you are a gentleman and a scholar.
v3rtex7740Aug 4, 2010
SIR. it's SIR.
feitclubAug 3, 2010
Only read five of these, but I did so before I turned thirty. Too late to read the rest?
maybemableAug 4, 2010
Yup I'm on seven but that's it. No point now.
Books are all blurry these days anyway.
roguebladeAug 4, 2010
Ones I've read mostly as a result of High School:
1984 By George Orwell
To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
The Wind In The Willows By Kenneth Graham
The Lord Of The Rings By J.R.R. Tolkien
The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger
Lord Of The Flies By William Golding
endomlikAug 4, 2010
http://www.readprint.com/ is a pretty good site for finding free reading. I just discovered the site after I installed jolicloud.
dopreAug 4, 2010
http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/ is good for recommendations too.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
My score is 24.
Haven't read:
One Hundred Years Of Solitude By Gabriel García Márquez
The Wisdom Of The Desert By Thomas Merton
The Tipping Point By Malcolm Gladwell
Four Quartets By T.S. Eliot
Getting Things Done By David Allen
The Master And Margarita By Mikhail BulgakComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
mogdorAug 4, 2010
Thanks for the list.......I take it you must have read How to Win Friends And Influence People?
buckygradAug 4, 2010
Bookmark comment.
tenioAug 15, 2010
bookmark +1
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Thank you for the posting the list.
lamblikeawolfAug 4, 2010
I read Master and Margarita by Mikhail BULGAKOV this summer.
(You forgot the "ov.")
It was a hoot. I wanted to read more of his stuff, but there's a limited selection of translated works available at the University Library. It was a surprisingly awesome story. And what I learned in my gen ed. russian fairy tales class that I took a couple of years ago helped a little, but it would make perfect sense to just about anyone.
runningflame570Aug 4, 2010
Plato's Republic is full of s**t. All I'm sayin'.
lcllamAug 4, 2010
Whoa! It'll take me 30 years to read all of those.
Better get started...
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
But I wanted to click!
rbean44Aug 4, 2010
Where's the Bible?
/s
fotomanAug 4, 2010
more people should read the bible, their would be less christians around to spout it's divinity.
mapekzAug 15, 2010
Commenting for future reference.
skeloothAug 3, 2010
That's cool, anyone who's been through highschool and college has already read a good deal of these books.
acknotswAug 3, 2010
You would be surprised at how many schools don't require much reading to graduate. I went to what was an considered an excellent high school, the only book on that list that I was required to read was To Kill a Mockingbird. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized how inadequate my high school was.
zb757Aug 3, 2010
My school had some requirements, but I don't think anyone actually read the books
llanowarAug 3, 2010
It's inadequate because they don't make you read a book you are more than likely not interested in and will in many cases ruin your every desire to ever read any "classic" again?
Schools need to change. There are plenty of great books out there that students would be willing to read with pleasure. And the reading with pleasure will certainly enable them to do much much better in school.
Let students themselves eventually decide if they want to read the classics or not. If they prefer to not read them, I'm sure their lives won't suffer under it.
factsahoyAug 3, 2010
Well how are you going to choose "classics" that EVERY student likes and therefore doesn't run this supposed risk of ruining their taste for classics?
I will say that Bonfire of the Vanities is a great book, and so timeless that I was shocked to find it was written relatively recently.
llanowarAug 3, 2010
@factsahoy
How about there are no obligatory reads? No list of classics.
Let the student pick out the books themselves.
As long as the book is properly written (so no twilight crap), and of a certain length what does it matter? Why is there such a need for people to be reading books that others have deemed worthy?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
asilaydiningAug 3, 2010
@Lianowar
How could you objectively ever define 'properly written' books? Have the teacher read every single one ever brought to him/her by a student? I see the reading requirements in HS as merely a sampler platter of classic literature that has the ability to pique students' interest in other works, at the risk of being overanalyzed and shoved down the throats of some of the unwilling. A few classics will always end up being fed to the dogs, but don't tell me that most students, perhaps not you yourself, would have a grasp of what 'proper writing' is without having been given a few tried and true examples and context in the form of lectures. People certainly don't seem to have a grasp of what good cinema is despite voluntarily going to the movies every week, so what would make literature different?
llanowarAug 4, 2010
It's okay for teachers to do some work. Students mention which book they want to read, and the teach can (with the internet it's oh so easy now) look up if it's a decent book or utter crap.
poonchowAug 4, 2010
The problem is most of the required reading is determined by the collective teaching body or administrators + principal. My school had tons of older female teachers and so one summer we had to read "The Poisonwood Bible" which is some of the most godawful 600 pages I've ever endured. Honestly, if anything has an "Oprah Seal" of suggestion, avoid it.
cyclonusripAug 3, 2010
*Anyone who's been through high school and college has read the cliff notes for a good deal of these books.
pradaaddictAug 3, 2010
that sucks, I read most all of these books for high school and university. you should really catch up and see what you have been missing. 1984 was required reading for my school in GR10 for example.
frisbinatorAug 4, 2010
As if 90% of most high school/college students could comprehend these books
ciarAug 4, 2010
f**king saddest/truest comment ever
magnesAug 4, 2010
In USA maybe. But there are other countries, you know. ;)
maddhoppsAug 6, 2010
Nope. I went to a public high school.
williemainAug 3, 2010
bulls**t list. If you're going to mention classics you should really include Candide, I had to read it in a western civ class my sophomore year as an undergrad and it was hilarious and also really interesting. And if you're REALLY going to include classics it is impermissible to leave out On the Road by Kerouac.
I also think In Cold Blood should be included too.
That was a seriously dumb f**king list.
random314Aug 3, 2010
calm the f**k down.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
If it's passion about books (books?) then I approve.
pradaaddictAug 3, 2010
I could name dozens of books that were great and greatly changed my perception of life, but it's harder to get people to read a list of 100 books people should read and put it in 100 slides.
rsm33Aug 3, 2010
I think you are kind of missing the point of making a list. Part of it is choosing what to leave out.
After all, this is pretty useless:
"List of Books Everyone Should Read..."
1. Every book ever written, ever.
pilzburybizkitAug 4, 2010
Dugg for On the Road.
ciarAug 4, 2010
this list isn't about classics, obviously. just books you should read while you're young or somethinggggggggggggggg achacha
aliken14Aug 4, 2010
Candide really sucked, satire was horrible back then.
zyceAug 4, 2010
shut up, you've still got 20 years left.
poonchowAug 4, 2010
It wasn't a dumb list but I agree with your suggestions. Candide was incredibly hilarious and really is a true masterpiece of satire; it is funny and makes a point. Kerouac is good for exploring how society changes and what changes society, but is it really good literature? Don't know. Personally, I feel I could write "On the Road" if I took some drugs and abandoned some of my life obligations (which, to me, seems really selfish and immature) but any of the beat poets are great reads if you're interested in the social aspect of what defines a man living in a world that doesn't define him.
mbraynardAug 3, 2010
TL;DR version (x marks ones I've read):
siddhartha
1984 - x
To kill a mockingbird- x
A clockwork orange - x
For whom the bell tolls
war and peace
Rights of MAn
The Social Contract
One hundred years of solitude
The origin of species
The wisdom of the desert
the tipping point
the wind in the willos - x
the art of war - x
the lord of the rings
david copperfield
four quartets
catch-22
the great gatsby - x
the catcher in the rye
crime and punishment - x
the prince - x
Walden - x (partial)
The Republic - x (partial)
Lolita
Getting Things Done
How to win friends and influence people
Lord of the Flies - x
grapes of wrath - x
the master and margarita
how to cook everything
honeymoon with my brother
---
A failed list because it is missing Atlas Shrugged, Anthem, and The Fountainhead.
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
mbraynardAug 3, 2010
wow - saving all the clicking but liking Ayn Rand still gets you buried
shawngreenAug 3, 2010
I actually liked Anthem. Even though I thought 1984 was a better book, I think Anthem would have been better if it was longer. It had a lot more mystery to it than 1984 thus leading to more shocking revelations.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
@shawngreen I quite agree with you. Anthem was an amazing novel. If she hadn't shown how bat s**t crazy she was with Atlas Shrugged, I think Anthem would get a lot more recognition.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
Both that and the fact that someone beat you to it.
Don't worry though, despite the obvious snub from this article and the approval of your typical digger, Ayn Rand has more influence on todays world than any of those authors.
rain12913Aug 3, 2010
Wow, somebody who suggests Ayn Rand books would put little x's next to the one's they've read on the list =)
boeremaAug 3, 2010
All your little x's tell me is that you went to a high school with a halfway decent English curriculum. And reading part of The Republic earns you your Barnes & Noble shopper badge.
mbraynardAug 4, 2010
haters gonna hate.
And yeah, the high school English was cracking.
This list missed a lot of other great novels, too, like Anna Karenina, Great Expectations, Heart of Darkness, Rebecca, and a recent gem I discovered, This Side of Paradise.
sizzzzlerzAug 3, 2010
Anybody under 30, or any age, actually, with the patience to plow through War and Peace, I salute you. Its a very difficult read.
semisarcasticAug 3, 2010
You know I'd rather read that book again than Atlas Shrugged. Why Ayn Rand needed sixty pages to write John Galt's radio speech is beyond me.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
I don't know, I kind of like how Rand never (ever) shuts up. I don't subscribe to her economic theories, but I still find her work a joy to read.
acknotswAug 3, 2010
Books on CD is a great way to catch up on your reading list.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
The problem with book on CD is that you get an interpretation of the book. You get the reader's tone with the book, instead of interpreting the text yourself.
fredfredricksonAug 3, 2010
I'm 28, and when I saw that on the list I figured there was no possible way I could ever read the books on this list that I haven't read by the time I'm 30.
joculatorAug 3, 2010
What's difficult about it? It's long, but not difficult reading.
babywookieAug 3, 2010
I read the whole thing when I was 13 and liked it quite a bit too.
chris15118Aug 3, 2010
I'm sure there is a good summary out there somewhere :)
dollar0dot02Aug 4, 2010
I salute anybody who made it through the 32 pages book list.
frisbinatorAug 4, 2010
Right here baby. Great book, although pretty slow at times.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
I plowed through The Fellowship of the Ring and half of The Two Towers; War and Peace will be a cakewalk.
(Yes, I think lord of the rings sucks balls, though I actually liked The Hobbit.)
killerkabutoAug 4, 2010
I loved the Hobbit, but the first time I tried reading LOTR I barely made it past Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday. I kept wondering who this Frodo-homo was and when the dwarfs would show up. I picked it up again a year or two later and loved all thousand-some pages of it. I think I just didn't have the patience necessary on that first attempt. Maybe you'll try it again sometime, I found it worthwhile.
poonchowAug 4, 2010
jcs1, you sir, are a douchelick. That is all.
gregloireAug 3, 2010
What happens when I turn 30? Will I forget how to read? s**t, no one told me about this... :(
acknotswAug 3, 2010
No, but you will probably find that you rarely have time anymore depending on your job, family, lifestyle, etc.....
sythliaAug 3, 2010
Lastday...
See Logan's Run.
hydesAug 3, 2010
Logan's Run is really under appreciated
factsahoyAug 3, 2010
I have the LaserDisc if you want to borrow it.
roebeetAug 3, 2010
spoiler......
.......there...is...no....sanctuary....
cfuseAug 4, 2010
I'm 35 and I haven't read a physical book in years. I rarely read fiction, I've probably read less than 10 books in the last 6 years. I don't have the time to commit, and sadly, I find that the Wikipedia summary is usually sufficient a precis to avoid reading most of the 'must read' books out there.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
piieerrrreeAug 4, 2010
Books are about the voyage not the end
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
You should make the time. I'm 35 and I try to read two to three novels a month. I feel I'm a better person for the effort.
cfuseAug 4, 2010
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that I got dugg down for a statement of fact (about myself) that espouses little in the way of actual opinion on books.
@piieerrrree - I'd argue that works of fiction (like any works of art) are ultimately about appreciation (which usually boils down to enjoyment). It doesn't matter how lavish or long the journey is if you aren't enjoying it. Much like I rarely go to galleries, I rarely read fiction - that doesn't mean that I hate either art form (if anything, I think that it is better to abstain than commit to either as a tourist with a pokemon-esque 'gotta catch them all' mindset. Books shouldn't be scalps to collect).
@edwartica - The last occasion I had the time to read solidly was when I was in a mental hospital (2-3 books a day, I managed over 24 all up. The nuthouse is an awesome place to first read 'Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said' by PKD) . I don't have the time to do that now - I often don't know where I'll be or what I'll be doing, so having the time to read is difficult to come by. Having screaming children hanging off you doesn't help either.
piieerrrreeAug 4, 2010
cfuse: I didn't bury you if that helps. What I meant was that if you just read summaries about books you're only getting a very small part of what the book is all about. Even the greatest of novels can be boiled down to a line or two, but to truly appreciate (or enjoy) a work you would have to read it in its entirety. Your first comment makes it sound as though you're implying that reading a summary = reading a book, that's what I'm disagreeing with.
cfuseAug 5, 2010
There's only so much time about - summaries are about getting by, about having enough of a grasp of shared cultural language to participate in the conversation. I don't pretend that this is the same as reading the book (I use the words I, I've, and I'm frequently in my post. I never refer to anyone else or make any claims other than those that are specifically about my own person. You'd think readers would actually, you know, actually *read*) .
I do this with other media too. I didn't ever watch Lost (because I knew it would have been a time sink) but I gladly read summaries and recaps. It's all about compressing a larger portion of time into a smaller one, I can spare 5 minutes, not 60.
quillrootsAug 4, 2010
What happens when I turn 18? Overnight you don't turn into an adult, but society says that by the time you are 18 you should have enough life experience to be responsible for your actions.
What happens when I turn 21? Not much has changed in the months approaching 21, but now suddenly you're allowed to purchase alcohol. This is society saying by the time you are 21 you should be able to make wise enough decisions to handle alcohol consumption.
What happens when you turn 30? This list is essentially this person's expectations of 30 year olds in our society. He/she is implying that you are behind the curve if you haven't at least learned the lessons these books have to offer by the time you're 30. It's like being 21 but not being able to handle the responsibility of alcohol consumption.
krinkovAug 4, 2010
Im 32 so I guess all these books are somehow irrelevant to me now? :(
calber1111Aug 3, 2010
One flew over the Cukoo's Nest
netantAug 3, 2010
Yeah, but does it really impart life wisdom or a new appreciation for an idea or culture?
rain12913Aug 3, 2010
Um, yes. Have you read it?
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
holy hell i hate Nurse Ratchett.. i reeeeeaaaaly want to give that bitch a frontal lobotmy with my own hands
nick041Aug 3, 2010
What the hell does it matter if I read those books after 30? Will they suddenly not be available to read after 30? How God damn retarded.
jspegeleAug 3, 2010
Because the sooner you read them, the more time you will have to put what you have learned to use.
On a side note, if browsing Digg tends to cause so much stress and pain in your life that it causes you to go on pointless commenting rants like the one above, you should probably take a break. I'm only saying this for your own good.
benroyAug 4, 2010
I agree that Gatsby was a terrible book. I hate absolutely everything about it and anyone who claims that it's a classic probably hasn't read it.
lolcoelacanthAug 3, 2010
No Carl Sagan? s**t list
s8m3gAug 3, 2010
read pale blue dot 2 weeks ago.
lolcoelacanthAug 3, 2010
Cool, now read Demon Haunted World and Billions and Billions
shmike9Aug 3, 2010
Demon Haunted World was brilliant
magnesAug 4, 2010
And no Dune
cowboy1015Aug 3, 2010
I'm 30 and never read any of these.
bimtottAug 3, 2010
Well, you're past their deadline, but I would recommend reading them anyway. You still have time!
wrath017Aug 3, 2010
http://librivox.org
Some are here in audio form. Your best bet are the older and foreign ones.
War and Peace, The Art of War, The Republic, The Prince... those are there.
rain12913Aug 3, 2010
That's quite a shame. While I don't claim to have read most, I have indeed read quite a few books on that list and they provided me with some of the most enjoyment I've experienced and encouraged me to grow in many different ways. Pick up a few of them and you won't regret it.
nmanguyAug 3, 2010
How can this list not have Ender's Game, but it has TWO self help books?
s8m3gAug 3, 2010
I couldn't agree more with this statement.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
The self-help books are dumb, but Ender's Game is only really important to a small subset of people. Primarily nerds. It's also a total Mary Sue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue
Ender is poorly written as a flawless creature. It resonates with nerds so much because it is wish-fulfillment. Ender defeats his bullies and saves the world with his genius, just like every picked on nerd wishes they could.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
So you've never read Ender's Game then.
Because if you'd read it, you'd remember the parts where he cries a lot / almost dies / contemplates suicide / is banned from earth / has his childhood ruined, etc.
To see a TRUE Mary Sue, read "Twilight."
ubernickAug 3, 2010
I've never heard of Mary Sue before, but now I know why I hated Alyosha from Brothers Karamazov so much! Thanks for the link.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
"So you've never read Ender's Game then."
Totally read it. His crying and suicidal contemplation do not make him illegible to be a Mary Sue. His moral compass is always true and he is mighty in the face of opposition. Pretty classic Mary Sue writing, to the point that I'm far from the first person to point this out about Ender's Game.
Twilight is certainly worse in this regard, but that fact doesn't absolve Orson Scott Card of poor writing.
ltetheAug 3, 2010
Uh...
Perhaps I don't understand the rules of a Mary Sue, but he seems like a pawn, albeit a charismatic brilliant one. His internal conflict, and Graff's internal conflict make the story interesting. If we're talking Mary Sues, Bean and his story seem more fitting of the mold.
In any case, as much as I love Ender's Game, Peter has always been my favorite character. Brilliant and FUBAR, a little more like me then Ender ever was.
nmanguyAug 3, 2010
Okay, first off, you gave the wrong link. Wikipedia? For a trope? Really? http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue
Also, Ender is not perfect, and in case the first book wasn't clear enough for you, if you read any of the sequels, you'd see it carved in stone on every other page. And "his moral compass is always true and he is mighty in the face of opposition"? Seriously? He murders two kids because he's scared, a good amount of the battle room fights are him going "screw it, just go the gate, I can't deal with this s**t" , and accidentally exterminates an alien race because he doesn't want to have to keep playing games.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
"Okay, first off, you gave the wrong link. Wikipedia? For a trope? Really?"
Haha, what? Wikipedia's credibility on literary topics is no good, instead use this pop culture crap website!
bookantAug 3, 2010
I really don't get the Ender's Game obsession. (And, yes, I've read it.) It's a decent sci-fi story, nothing special.
Of the books featuring the character "Ender" I place it about 4th. Top 30 list? Not even if it was specifically a top 30 sci-fi list.
jezsikAug 3, 2010
1984 by George Orwell
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Rights of Man by Tom Paine
The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas MertonThe Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
The Republic by Plato
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Getting Things Done by David Allen
How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgak
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
bimtottAug 3, 2010
Thank you for not also boasting how many of these you read. Seriously.
jezsikAug 3, 2010
Sheesh! A little love for simplifying the list? Yeah, someone else hit "Save Reply" before I did, but c'mon. A little encouragement?
dwatchAug 20, 2010
You probably got dugg down because you missed one book... the first one on the list: Siddhartha
enantiodromiaAug 4, 2010
I've noticed Digg doesn't like it when people do this anymore for some reason, which is why we can't have nice things.
The problem with your comment, is that no where do you call someone a retard and/or homo.
carousellerAug 3, 2010
ANYTHING but Ayn Rand.
sloiAug 3, 2010
I disagree.
Everybody should read THE FOUNTAINHEAD and ATLAS SHRUGGED.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
I agree that they should at least read one of the two to see how terrible a writer Rand was. You can learn a lot of good about writing by reading her bad prose. For example: I learned that hundreds of pages of exposition are boring and preposterous.
silverback101Aug 3, 2010
I have to politely disagree Sloi but after suffering through Atlas Shrugged (after so many people were telling me it changed their way of seeing the World) with its unrealistic characters, preposterous idea of industry and work...and then on top of that trying to ply her philosophy that this is how one should have society be pissed me off to no end...I have never ever disliked a book so much that I now purposely use it as a door stop.
technolinguistAug 3, 2010
I read both of them in my teens.The Fountainhead was good, but Atlas Shrugged sucked ass.
And then, I grew up!
bonosAug 3, 2010
I was never able to read AS to the end; the farthest I came was when i-forgot-her-name landed n the Rockies. Had I read Galt's speech I'd had probably done something stupid.
Greatest asinine waste of my time, so bury me you Randian pinheads.
ltetheAug 3, 2010
Fountainhead good. Atlas Shrugged bad.
janineeeAug 3, 2010
The person above kinda has a point, everyone should read and see how full of s**t Ayn Rand really is.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
Now on that, I'm with you. Sad to see so many close minded liberals slamming Ayn Rand when they're going on nothing more than the word of mouth from like-minded individuals.
Atlas Shrugged is a monumental work that requires a large investment of time, but The Virtue of Selfishness is a brilliant outlay of the Objectivist philosophy and can be read in a single sitting.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
Read "The Fountainhead". You're perceptions of Ayn Rand might be changed.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
How so?
jambyAug 3, 2010
@Janineee
Whatever commie
/frivolous reply to frivolous insult
ronintetsuroAug 4, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
cptbuckAug 4, 2010
The trouble with that is that Rand's world is so lacking in anything that could be called humor that its tough for a person who has that sense to slog through it without constantly reaffirming how cold, sexless, and humorless a bitch she really was.
poonchowAug 4, 2010
Ayn Rand has some weird cult following that I don't think entirely understands the novels.
chemdivaAug 4, 2010
Best abriged version of AS out there:http://www.spudworks.com/article/66/2/
1000 words, best for anti-randroids like me.
pabstyloudmouthAug 3, 2010
I am not sure if this should be on the list but Paul Auster's "New York Trilogy" was pretty damn good. Check it out if you have never read it.
jennadickesAug 4, 2010
Agreed, I haven't read a book of his I didn't love. Danielewski's 'House of Leaves" is great too.
cloudberriesAug 3, 2010
By thirty? What? s**t. I wonder how many of the remaining 26 I can get through in the next four months...
Coming soon: "THE TOP TWENTY CAKES EVERYONE SHOULD EAT BY THE TIME THEY'RE THIRTY THREE AND A HALF"
metyuAug 3, 2010
Nah, "The Top Twenty Cakes Everyone Should Eat by Three Thirty"
tglasAug 4, 2010
Thirty three and a third.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Pshh, that list would just be Funfetti 20 times in a row.
unfriendlyfireAug 3, 2010
This will get me dugg down, but what about the Bible? You don't have to believe every thing it says in order to get wisdom out of it.
blunt7raumaAug 3, 2010
Agreed. My school made us read excerpts from the Bible to better understand it as an influential piece of literature in Western civilization.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
Uh, no. The Bible is an incomprehensible mishmash of poorly translated stories whose subtext and wisdom was long ago left on the dustpile of history. Trust me, I had to read the whole damn thing 3 times during my private-school upbringing.
Only hard-core Christians would ever claim to enjoy reading the Bible, and most of them would be lying, excepting some kind of quasi-spiritual self-satisfaction they may get from the act of convincing themselves that they like it. But the fact remains that the book itself is a sprawling, incoherent and practically unreadable text, with no effort made for consistency of message or story.
As for wisdom, Siddhartha crams more into a hundred pages than the Bible can eke out over 3000. There may be some "widsom" in the Bible, but you most definitely DO have to be a believer to get that wisdom from it, thus your statement is fundamentally false. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
bibliophageAug 3, 2010
It's still worth knowing about since so much OTHER literature references it.
Siddhartha is lame. It's all about giving up this world and material satisfaction. Same bulls**t message every other serious religion tries to impart.
diggduggtrioAug 3, 2010
I enjoy the bible as an atheist scholar that recognizes its historical importance. The greek myths are equally as nonsensical, but they are also invaluable as a part of human history and the use of analogy and metaphor.
jsutherAug 3, 2010
So you'd rather people be ignorant of the book that much of western cultured is based on?
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
I'm no Christian but I've read the bible when I was around 14-ish. It's a fun read imo. If you read it like a story, there are moral lessons to be learnt, and yeah I hazily remember there were some parts which are plain stupid to implement in todays world.
Tragically I've not read the Bhagavad Gita.
TLDR: Read the Bible as a self help book rather than a religious book it'll all be fine
hubrisAug 3, 2010
If you're going to include the bible, you might as well include some of the religious texts from other ancient and significant religions. Each are followed by many, and would yield understanding towards the attitudes and beliefs of others.
jambyAug 3, 2010
I disagree.
The Bible was written by many different authors, over a much longer period of time (1600 years more or less). No other religious text really compares as a combination of literature, history, and poetry.
Basically with other texts you have one author who promotes himself as the new connection to the divine, little to no history, less readership.
Take it or leave it, the Hebrew scriptures, and to a lesser extent, the 'New Testament' are a wholly unique text, and are referenced, or at least respected, by so many religions that it's influence is greater than more obscure texts.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
rhydebleAug 4, 2010
I disagree for a different reason then Jamby.
Like it or not, western civilization and its morality is heavily influenced by the bible. Reading about Hindu mythology is certainly interesting, but far less relevant.
acknotswAug 3, 2010
It should be required reading, once per year all the way through, for anyone calling themselves a Christian.
I personally don't consider it anything other than fiction, but if you condemn your fellow man for things you believe the bible says are against god, you should damn well know what the book actually says.
llanowarAug 3, 2010
But, it's suits their needs far more if they only memorize (out of context often) certain passages that will allow them to life their lives the way they want it.
acknotswAug 3, 2010
True, still, I might give it a go here on digg and start challenging people calling themselves Christians to read the bible every year to be considered "true" Christians. Not that I expect any real results, but I might get some entertaining responses.
jambyAug 3, 2010
Once a year seems rather arduous. I do agree it would clear up things for a lot of so called 'Christians' to actually know what the hell they are talking about.
acknotswAug 4, 2010
@jamby
If there was a book that I believed held the rules I had to follow to avoid going to the christian version of hell, I would read it monthly so in fear I would I be of violating the most minor tenet and condeming myself to an eternity of fire and pain.
randomstuff42Aug 6, 2010
acknotSW- thanks for showing that you have no clue about the bible -- maybe you should try reading it?
esb82Aug 3, 2010
Yes, read the Bible.
One of the chief facts that keeps Christians, well, Christian is that they rarely read the wretched s**t in that book outside the Gospels and some Pauline epistles. Even rarer are Christians who actually think about it, rather than viewing it merely as a sourcebook to be cherry-picked for sermon-fodder. It's a litmus test to see how much your intelligence has been compromised, how much you have been programmed to overlook common decency and common sense.
On the other hand, if you're irreligious, informing yourself by reading it will give you a leg up on Christers who try to convert you.
Plus it's probably the most influential book in the West and will help you appreciate a lot of our literature, art, and history.
crculverAug 4, 2010
"One of the chief facts that keeps Christians, well, Christian is that they rarely read the wretched s**t in that tome outside the Gospels and some Pauline epistles."
Wrong. The Bible is read out in full over the course of a year in the liturgy of many churches.
esb82Aug 4, 2010
See the sentence immediately following the one you quoted. The kind of reading I'm talking about is active reading, not mindlessly droning out the words printed in front of you. Reading the scriptures in the context of a church, especially in the way you mention, is not the same as engaging with the text yourself. Ditto for possessing a copy; it's no guarantee that Christians are actually troubling themselves to think critically about the contents.
llanowarAug 3, 2010
I really want to read it sometime, I just can't be bothered.
I'm an atheist, and quite often get into discussions with religious people. While the discussions generally favor me anyway, if I read the bible I'm positive I could make far better arguments in my favor.
acknotswAug 3, 2010
Books on CD!
I can't remember the last time I even listened to the radio for more than one commute.
ltetheAug 3, 2010
Haha. Morgan Freeman reading the bible on CD would be ironic.
acknotswAug 4, 2010
@ Itethe
Not to mention, great! it's the only version I would direct christian nut cases to.
factsahoyAug 3, 2010
Wisdom? No. The best reason to read it (aside from a few truly entertaining stories) is to shut down the arguments of the dips**ts citing it in support of their corrupt agenda.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Agreed, and from a purely literary perspective. The amount of literature out there that is based on the bible, alludes to the bible, influenced by the bible, references the bible, etc. is astounding. If you've read the bible, you can get a LOT more out of your reading, including many of the titles on this list.
mrmowenAug 4, 2010
It didn't get dugg down?
I guess a list of 30 books doesn't appeal to the egotist?
aaronhoffmeyerAug 16, 2010
The Bible is definitely a Cliff Notes read. Once you read a summary of an entire book in the Bible, you will realize what a huge waste of time reading that "book" would be. For example, the book Joshua could be summarized as"
A war propaganda piece that serves only to justify Joshua taking over for Moses after Moses died. In the book, he creates a powerful army and goes around wiping out little tribes of people living in the desert if they do not give the Jews all of their stuff. The book tries to portray him as wise, but by today's standards, we would call him a terrorist or serial killer.
The book Numbers could be summarized as:
A census of the Jewish people and their relationships (the book with all the begets). A total waste of time to read.
Rather than reading the Book of Amos, you could read this and get a better understanding of it than most theological scholars.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070514224550AABkB4U
s8m3gAug 3, 2010
8/30..more than i expected honestly.
bruuksAug 3, 2010
8/30. damn. right there with you. i'll need a time machine to finish the list on time.
s8m3gAug 3, 2010
I don't think you stop aging when you go through a time machine, but I know what you're saying. haha.
kibblesnbittsAug 3, 2010
To Kill a Mockingbird is the reason I'm studying to become a lawyer.
allstroxAug 3, 2010
That book introduced me to the concept of white trash.
Before reading it, I assumed all white people resembled the cast of Jersey Shore.
dlan4327Aug 3, 2010
To Kill a Mockingbird is the reason I hate Black People.
Do I need the s?
spartarisingAug 4, 2010
You won't be so in love with the book when you graduate, realize that the legal field is collapsing, and there are no jobs. Oh, and have fun studying for the bar.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
robiczAug 4, 2010
It was an influence to become a lawyer for me as well. But what really stuck to me was the part when the women are raising money to send to Africa to help the poor, while just a few blocks down from the house poverty ruled, and they treated them like sh*t. I read this when i was in middles school and It's still so stuck in my head.
hetmanAug 3, 2010
Siddartha is awesome and is a very easy read. Anyone who has not read it should definitely pick it up.
shawngreenAug 3, 2010
I actually didn't like it. I had to read it for a vision quest english class I took. I actually hated that whole class.
wakkyweedAug 3, 2010
Dammit, I had that in my bookcase for ten years and never read it. Gave it to the Salvation Army long ago.
clawcAug 4, 2010
Siddartha was stupid. I was forced to read the piece of s**t by my flat-chested, secretly lesbian (yet married) Buddhist "New Age" teacher. Pfft. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
Confederacy of Dunces would be the top of my list.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
SOMEONE else read it? :D
wecanbfriends?
sfhandymanAug 3, 2010
Agreed. List needs some more fun reads.
sipsyrupAug 4, 2010
Another poor spin of Fortuna's wheel, and thus the book is not on the list.
skippymcgrawAug 4, 2010
Amen.
jollywalrusAug 4, 2010
Fortuna you vicious slut!
cjnewbsAug 3, 2010
Read 30 books in 7 years?? What am I superman?
neville007Aug 3, 2010
I've been reading a book per week for the last 15 years. Most of them are best-sellers, though.
ghatidAug 4, 2010
We read so many goddamn comments because of Digg, so there's no time to read real books.
calliganAug 4, 2010
No they didn't.
wateryouthAug 4, 2010
I was thinking "1 book per year for 30 years, I have a lot of internet to do"
garrett9339Aug 4, 2010
Ditto! Far too much meaningless banter to read on Digg... can't be bother with getting learned
osterhouseAug 3, 2010
Read? Books?
sloiAug 3, 2010
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
ATLAS SHRUGGED
anti404Aug 3, 2010
Atlas Shrugged and Rand's similar Anthem/The Fountainhead/whatever are some of the worst pieces of literature that I've ever read, to be honest.
completely ignoring the meaning behind her novels, they all lack character development, unique prose, semblance of an interesting plot, etc. she's a generically bland author who uses each of her novels as a medium to force her ideology down the reader's throats.
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
How can you force your ideology down someone's throat with a book? Unless you could force someone to read... but that seems difficult...
Also disagree with you about both character development and interesting plot. "We The Living" is entirely about the breakdown of a young couple in the USSR. Very different from her later books, made me feel sad in a way "The Grapes of Wrath" never did.
I guess an “interesting plot” is up to some personal preference.
sloiAug 3, 2010
The books are a vehicle for her philosophy. They're not supposed to be Nobel prize candidates...
anti404Aug 3, 2010
she masquerades her ideology in the form of a novel; if I wanted a lesson in objectivism, I'd read one of her non-fiction works about the subject.
also, The Fountainhead is a novel that can be read and then written about for a scholarship, hence why I read that. Atlas Shrugged was required in one of my reading classes, and Anthem in an English class.
'uninteresting' may not have been the best term to describe her plots... maybe too drawn out? I mean, 60 pages, if I recall, of John Galt preaching objectivism thrown into the middle of a semi-dystopian novel? NO THANKS. that's the most notable of her long drawn out monologues, but other characters had similar rambling sessions.
as for character development, I was only really inferencing AS/A/TF, as I've not read WtL and cannot comment on that. I felt that none of the character's had any real, erm, character in any of those three books. particularly AS, as the primary characters all seemed to just be genius billionaires capable of solving all the worlds problems and the antagonists all seemed to be complete bumbling idiots somehow in complete control of a country.
glendowerAug 3, 2010
Godel Escher Bach is worth reading simply for the puzzles. Its also a good introduction to the incompleteness theorems. That said, I didn't agree with the books conclusion and I don't think its something EVERYONE should read. However, I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in logic.
captainscarletAug 3, 2010
Being over 35, I only have one book to recommend...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0557090083/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0557087740&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0EGXBQAY9SNS1XWGDHZV
zb757Aug 3, 2010
My recommendation would be The Big Book of Jerkcity, but I like how you think
ledzep19752000Aug 3, 2010
This book is for guys who are not well endowed. No thanks, I'll pass
typedbiscuitAug 4, 2010
apparently being "well endowed" gets you dugg down....no wait, bragging about being well endowed when you most likely arent gets you dugg down
pivovyAug 3, 2010
Is there a prequel? I mean, how can one eat something he ain't got?
typedbiscuitAug 4, 2010
you should probably read that book before age 16, not 30
docbellsAug 4, 2010
I can't wait for what Amazon "recommends" now that I clicked that link. Thanks a lot...
And BTW - I already know - something about a lollipop
mike23wAug 20, 2010
damn you. now that's in my amazon history.
bimtottAug 3, 2010
Sorry, Ayn Rand fans. Her writing is petulant, whiny garbage. The characters are philistines and there is not a shred of ethos that would allow a rational reader to take any of it seriously. Compared to every other book on this list, and countless others not on the list, her books are crap.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
Must be fun to be on digg, amongst fellow diggers celebrating some nameless blogger who makes an obvious snub by not including Ayn Rand on their little list, but don't let the small gathering of like-minded individuals here fool you - Ayn Rand is more influential than just about any other author on that list. That's reality.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
ymegAug 3, 2010
More influential in the politics.
sloiAug 3, 2010
Indeed.
If anything, Atlas Shrugged was one of the most eye-opening and mindblowing experiences of my young adult life. It certainly helped push me into the right direction - intellectually speaking - as I wasn't making much use of my abilities then.
I may not agree with all of her ideas, but the woman was brilliant.
janineeeAug 3, 2010
Except the fact that he's getting dugg down at this point kinda screws with your little fantasy doesn't it.
"an obvious snub by not including Ayn Rand "
Seriously? You and Rand need to get over yourselves.
wrath017Aug 3, 2010
You know what author was also incredibly influential? L. Ron Hubbard.
isuzu14bAug 3, 2010
Mein kampf apparently had quite a bit of influence too. Was the influence to the benefit of mankind?
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
Janineee, Janineee, Janineee . . . never confuse the left-wing gathering here at digg with anything that resembles the larger reality outside of digg.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/141032/2010-Conservatives-Outnumber-Moderates-Liberals.aspx
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
jsutherAug 3, 2010
Influential to the easily influenced
tankintheair315Aug 4, 2010
More influential than Orwell....right....or Machiavelli, or Thoreau, or Plato, Tolstoy, Rousseau, sun tzu, Paine....yeah all of those people Oh also Darwin, more than darwin too.....Don't kid yourself buddy
Closed AccountAug 3, 2010
I'm kind of riding on the (maybe unfair) assumption that you've never read a full Ayn Rand book, only select snippets of "Atlas Shrugged" and some blogger's review about how dumb she is.
After reading "The Fountainhead" and its message of how personal integrity is more important than money, I was forced to reevaluate my employment situation.
I challenge you to read that book and the reexamine your above statement.
LosAlamosLabsAug 3, 2010
You have to love that even when the blogger drops the ball and fails to include a single book from Ayn Rand on the list *even when she's not on the list* she's still the topic more than all the other writers combined.
Now that's juice right there.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
lennybirdAug 3, 2010
Ayn Rand's arguments for capitalism are so contorted, it's unbelievable.
jennadickesAug 4, 2010
I second what Mariokartfever said, you should read 'The Fountainhead', it's still f**king grueling to get through because her writing just drags, but it is much better than her others. As an artist I related to the concept of professional integrity in a creative field (the protagonist is an architect). I get pretty annoyed with most of her other political statements too but I enjoyed the Fountainhead.
cptbuckAug 4, 2010
The trouble with Rand is that she basically just rehashes Nietzsche in s**tty fictional form.
Which is great if you're a douchebag who wants to go all ubermensch Napoleon over everyone. But terrible if you believe in morality, collective good, the alleviation of suffering, the social benefits of market capitalism, traditional society and government, religion, organization, history, values, upbringing, helping others, etc. etc.
But that's not so bad, the bad part is that she elevates herself and her followers to superhuman status, but her detractors to subhuman status (looters). If creative individuals basically have carte blanche and their opponents aren't even really human, the logical conclusion of any such system is Auschwitz.
Closed AccountAug 4, 2010
Yeah! Take that strawman down!
zomgorlyAug 3, 2010
I just turned 30 and have only read 3 of those books and cliff noted a lot of the rest. Does that count?
roebeetAug 3, 2010
Did you go to high school? I think I read at least 5 of these in my four years of English class.
neville007Aug 3, 2010
Well, the Cliff notes do count a bit more than not reading them at all.
cptbuckAug 4, 2010
No.
aaronhoffmeyerAug 16, 2010
Yes, it does. In fact, what you remember from the books is probably the same as people who read the whole books, both in the short term and the long term. In fact, sometimes the Cliff Notes are better, because it includes critical reviews of the book that can be more enlightening than the book itself.
For example, read the first 100 pages of The Sound and the Fury. At the end of that experience, you will know practically nothing. Read the Cliff Notes and it could be summarized as ...
Different events that occurred in the Compson household as told from the perspective of the retarded son of the family, Benjamin. The events are not told in chronological order, but rather, like a series of flashbacks. This section introduces the characters and the main events of the family's story, but is nearly incomprehensible. Read a page or two to get the feel of the thing, then skip forward.
There, I saved you 100 pages in hell.
hi808Aug 3, 2010
One book that should be handed to college graduates as they receive their diploma: "The Millionaire Next Door"
mburke1124Aug 3, 2010
I don't know why you're getting dugg down... its a good book. If more people would read it I wonder if we would have had the financial crisis.
hi808Aug 3, 2010
I think it's the title of the book. The book is essentially a book about how to save money; that the millionaires next door are people who are frugal. It's really not a controversial book.
irvman21Aug 4, 2010
On digg, it's assumed that all millionaires are evil and have only managed to become rich through racism and bigotry, hence you being dugg down for recommending a completely sensible book.
irvman21Aug 4, 2010
I have forcibly made several members of my family read that book as a pre-emptive strike against financial irresponsibility.
infinitysnatchAug 3, 2010
Boooooring
santeAug 3, 2010
A list of 30 shouldn't be all classics from decades ago. I know ther are a handful of newer titles in there but I'd make room for Henry Rollins' "Art to Choke Hearts" and "Pissing in the Gene Pool," or maybe something from Bukowski. Young men need some good "angry young man" writing to digest before they become cubicle dwelling lapdogs.
bibliophageAug 3, 2010
For a book that actually applies to anyone in their 20's, go read All the King's Men and pay attention to the parts about Jack Burden's life.
factsahoyAug 3, 2010
20s
bibliophageAug 4, 2010
Well, I'm assuming that the reason you should read these books before you're 30 is because they apply to your 20's. Oh wait, it's just some stupid arbitrary list....
displaylistAug 4, 2010
20s
skjalffAug 3, 2010
Dugg for Master and Margarita
babywookieAug 3, 2010
Seriously. That one is definitely one of my all-time favorites.
gasolineAug 3, 2010
You may then also enjoy "Heart of a Dog".
babywookieAug 3, 2010
@gasoline:
I have enjoyed it. :) Bulgakov was really lucky that Stalin personally had a soft spot for him. It's really incredible what he was able to get away with writing during the height of the Stalinist terror.
trigonometronAug 3, 2010
I had never heard of it, and thought it said The Master of the Margarita, which of course, would be Jose Cuervo.
jiggawattAug 9, 2010
You make s**tty margaritas
trigonometronAug 9, 2010
I never said I used Jose Cuervo, do not ever say that to me again. this is an affront to my sensibilities as a man.
current stock -
herradura reposado
corralejo anejo
cenenario azul reposado, just for drinkin'
some other 100%ag blanco that i cant remember right now
nothing crazy over the top, but definitely some good s**t. i could live on herradura rep for the rest of my life, but cenenario azul reposado is half as much and fools most people
jiggawattAug 11, 2010
I take it back, you have good stock. :)
abhorredAug 3, 2010
really? Tipping Point and GTD? tripe.
anti404Aug 3, 2010
I might have actually read all of these books already, but I'm not going to f**king click next thirty times to see.
shmike9Aug 3, 2010
That's a great title for a book.