Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 11

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

Subscribe by RSS Subscribe by Email

your email address

Home

Companies Community

Join

Coachology

About

Forum Blog Topics

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday


08.11.08 Print This |

Marc Chernoff

Email This

The Web is grand. With its fame for hosting informative, easy-to-skim textual snippets and collaborative written works, people are spending more and more time reading online. Nevertheless, the Web cannot replace the authoritative transmissions from certain classic books that have delivered (or will deliver) profound ideas around the globe for generations. The 30 books listed here are of unparalleled prose, packed with wisdom capable of igniting a new understanding of the world. Everyone should read these books before their 30th birthday. 1. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse A powerful story about the importance of life experiences as they relate to approaching an understanding of reality and attaining enlightenment. 2. 1984 by George Orwell 1984 still holds chief significance nearly 60 years after it was written in 1949. It is widely acclaimed for its haunting vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive, 24/7 surveillance tactics to manipulate all citizens of the populace. 3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The story surveys the controversial issues of race and economic class in the 1930s Deep South via a court case of a black man charged with the rape and abuse of a young white girl. Its a moving tale that delivers a profound message about fighting for justice and against prejudice. 4. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess A nightmarish vision of insane youth culture that depicts heart wrenching insight into the life of a disturbed adolescent. This novel will blow you away leaving you breathless, livid, thrilled, and concerned. 5. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway A short, powerful contemplation on death, ideology and the incredible brutality of war. 6. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy This masterpiece is so enormous even Tolstoy said it couldnt be described as a standard novel. The storyline takes place in Russian society during the Napoleonic Era, following the characters of Andrei, Pierre and Natasha and the tragic and unanticipated way in which their lives interconnect. 7. The Rights of Man by Tom Paine Written during the era of the French Revolution, this book was one of the first to introduce the concept of human rights from the standpoint of democracy. 8. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau A famous quote from the book states that Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. This accurately summarizes the books prime position on the importance of individual human rights within society. 9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garca Mrquez This novel does not have a plot in the conventional sense, but instead uses various narratives to portray a clear message about the general importance of remembering our cultural history. 10. The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind. 11. The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton A collection of thoughts, meditations and reflections that give insight into what life is like to live simply and purely, dedicated to a greater power than ourselves. 12. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global

Recent Comments Popular Post


Fousheezy on 30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday Anonymous on 30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday Anonymous on 30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday Anonymous on 30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday NAB on 30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday Ryan Paugh on What My Frat-Guy Years Taught Me About Building Community zak on Personality Type Tendencies of Democrats and Republicans

30 Books Every Should Read Be Their 30th Birth Engaged? Why Getting Married Any Purpose Th Days? My One Problem Gay and Lesbia Marriage McCain's or Ob Healthcare Plan The Immorality Fighting Univers Healthcare Crystal Ball: 10 Generation Y W Change the Wo Universal Health The Moral Argu

1 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

13.

14. 15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26. 27.

sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham Arguably one of the best childrens books ever written; this short novel will help you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. Its most notable for its playful mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie. The Art of War by Sun Tzu One of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. Its easily the most successful written work on the mechanics of general strategy and business tactics. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien One of the greatest fictional stories ever told, and by far one of the most popular and influential written works in 20th-century literature. Once you pick up the first book, youll read them all. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to ones emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart. Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot Probably the wisest poetic prose of modern times. It was written during World War II, and is still entirely relevant today heres an excerpt: The dove descending breaks the air/With flame of incandescent terror/Of which the tongues declare/The only discharge from sin and error/The only hope, or the despair/Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre/To be redeemed from fire by fire./Who then devised this torment?/Love/Love is the unfamiliar Name/Behind the hands that wave/The intolerable shirt of flame/Which human power cannot remove./We only live, only suspire/Consumed by either fire or fire. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller This book coined the self-titled term catch-22 that is widely used in modern-day dialogue. As for the story, its message is clear: Whats commonly held to be good, may be bad what is sensible, is nonsense. Its one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. Read it. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Set in the Jazz Age of the roaring 20s, this book unravels a cautionary tale of the American dream. Specifically, the reader learns that a few good friends are far more important that a zillion acquaintances, and the drive created from the desire to have something is more valuable than actually having it. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger This novel firmly stands as an icon for accurately representing the ups and downs of teen angst, defiance and rebellion. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable teenage mindset. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky A smooth-flowing, captivating novel of a young man living in poverty who criminally succumbs to the desire for money, and the hefty phychological impact this has on him and the people closest to him. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli This book does a great job at describing situations of power and statesmanship. From political and corporate power struggles to attaining advancement, influence and authority over others, Machiavellis observations apply. Walden by Henry David Thoreau Thoreau spent two years, two months and two days writing this book in a secluded cabin near the banks of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. This is a story about being truly free from the pressures of society. The book can speak for itself: I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. The Republic by Plato A gripping and enduring work of philosophy on how life should be lived, justice should be served, and leaders should lead. It also gives the reader a fundamental understanding of western political theory. Lolita This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful. Getting Things Done by David Allen The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie This is the granddaddy of all self-improvement books. It is a comprehensive, easy to read guide for winning people over to your way of thinking in both business and personal relationships.

2 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

28. Lord of the Flies by William Golding A powerful and alarming look at the possibilities for savagery in a lawless environment, where compassionate human reasoning is replaced by anarchistic, animal instinct. 29. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Steinbecks deeply touching tale about the survival of displaced families desperately searching for work in a nation stuck by depression will never cease to be relevant. 30. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov This anticommunist masterpiece is a multifaceted novel about the clash between good and evil. It dives head first into the topics of greed, corruption and deception as they relate to human nature. 31. BONUS: How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and youll be a master chef by the time youre 30. 32. BONUS: Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner Franz Wisner had it all a great job and a beautiful fiance. Life was good. But then his fiance dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery. For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles, subscribe to Brazen Careerist. Share and Enjoy:

Read this author's blog.

Danielle

120 RESPONSES TO "30 BOOKS EVERYONE SHOULD READ BEFORE THEIR 30TH BIRTHDAY"

Most of these I read before I was 15. Great list.


posted August 14, 2008 9:04 am

michael thompson

The Bible, Old and New Testament At the very least, the gospels. In an age of post modernism, every-one should be familiar with the claims of Christianity from the original source.
posted August 14, 2008 3:57 pm

Andy Patmore

Oh dear! I celebrated my 40th birthday in February of this year and I have read 5 of these! I guess I have some catching up to do!
posted August 14, 2008 8:05 pm

Covarr

A few good books on the list, but quite a bit of it is pretentious crap. Sure, you COULD read War and Peace, or Walden, but your time would be better spent reading even a childrens' book such as Ramona the Pest (a masterpiece, by the way). It really bugs me how so many lists of this sort are full of books that are important rather than good. You never see recent fiction books on these lists, you never seen anything with decent humorous value, etc. I'd rather read anything by Donald E. Westlake than any of the "socially relevant" novels on the list. I'd rather read C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" than "The Tipping Point".

3 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

I'm not saying this is a bad list. In fact, it's quite a bit better than most such lists, as it skips by the truly horrible "Heart of Darkness" that I so often see on lists like this. It's just that it's too much significance, and not enough entertainment.
posted August 16, 2008 4:18 pm

Olivia

1. This is a high school level reading list. 2. Why? Read these books and you will astonish your friends with occasional answers to Jeopardy trivia. You will ennoble your mind with mediocre conversation pieces that could have been gleaned from glancing at a wikipedia synopsis. 3. Specialize. Don't homogenize your mind so that you can impress... uh, your little brother's girlfriend at Thanksgiving. 4. Read things that specifically interest you-otherwise, you won't remember them anyway. Example--even though I've read all of the books and essays on this list, the only one I can recall well is One Hundred Years of Solitude. However, I can quote from American Dreamtime. 5. Take every opportunity to promote your passion. Don't bog yourself down with things you 'should' do. Haven't read Walden? I'm more impressed that you've been to Fenway park!
posted August 16, 2008 6:17 pm

Oh NOES

OH Noes!!!! YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THE BEST BOOKS EVER!!! How could you make such a sin?!! Terry Pratchett [just search fo this author.... any book he writes is AMAZING!!!] and Aldous Huxley [Brave new world]!!!! << If you have not read any of these books.... DO IT NOW!!!! ALSO.... "Catcher in the rye" is for retards!
posted August 17, 2008 12:46 am

Justin

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Should be on that list. It's part of a series. My Ishmael is a sequel to the first, and there's also Story of B. Read Them!
posted August 17, 2008 8:07 am

Nestor

Great list, what I liked the most is the authors mix (Europe, Latam, US, Asia). I will add the "Book of 5 rings" (Miyamoto Musashi - Japanese) to learn about strategy, honor and principles. I really liked the list because has books that will help people to have a holistic view of life.
posted August 17, 2008 3:46 pm

TheChazJaz

Like most communities and blogs, someone will always take offense and find a reason to discredit another's opinion, ideas or statements. This i a great list for ANYone choosing to broaden their perspectives. There are all sorts of books I would add, but those are relative to MY experiences and interests. Because they are not included by no means invalidates this list. Seems to me a couple of misandrist's took the angry short-sighted path instead of finding a pleasant way to include authors of their own and enlighten us. Anger is just another mask for fear...
posted August 17, 2008 3:56 pm

Dedwarmo

Those that complained that there were no female authors on the list did not recommend any. Certainly there are many great books written by women. Can you name a few?

4 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

So far Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, and Ayn Rand have been mentioned. Any others?
posted August 17, 2008 5:08 pm

luminositee

Female authors: Jane Austen. Austen is brilliant, and I have been saddened to see her incisive social satire and wit reduced to the simplicity of "oh la la love story" by recent film editions of her work (not to mention Austen's own life story...). For more modern prose, Sandra Cisneros (The House on Mango Street; Caramelo) is an excellent author who will open new linguistic doors for you... Whoever mentioned children's/ young adult fiction: I wholeheartedly agree with you! Also, many modern children's and YA books break formula and are very interesting, intriguing, and quick reads. It can also give you a sense of what it's like to be growing up right now; if you read them with your children or children you know, this can open pathways for great conversations about important life issues...
posted August 17, 2008 6:17 pm

luminositee

Other great female authors: -Virginia Woolf -Willa Cather -Edith Wharton -Sarah Orne Jewett -Irene Nemirovsky These ladies all wrote amazing works, some during the first wave and some at the gathering of the second wave of feminism. The issues they raise are persistently relevant, and their stories continually give me a renewed appreciation for women's current position in society and everything our foremothers did for us! (No, I am not an angry, man-hating feminist, and neither were any of these women. Rather, in a uniquely feminine way, they and many of their feminist sisters challenged the status quo with their prose and poetry written from women's perspectives on women's terms).
posted August 17, 2008 6:23 pm

justmewoman

I'm 25 and have read the majority of those books. Some I chose not to read because they didn't hold one ounce of importance to me. I do not agree with this list, but it is your opinion and I will respect that. AS for having a male dominant list, I would have to say that I agree with the person who said women write too much romance and not enough substance. I myself to not read books written by women because they tend to get off the plot line and more in the sheets.
posted August 17, 2008 7:13 pm

Roger Keeny

A few other books come to my mind... each of which might be considered "classic". "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William F. Shirer. A monumental narrative of Nazi Germany in its quest for world power. "Tom Sawyer" by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). One of the finest fictional books a young person could read. "The Bible", written by 38 known writers, which claims to be the word of God. If you believe that "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin is relevant, then this is a must. It presents the other side of the coin.
posted August 18, 2008 4:03 am

David Mackey

*Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a great read. Add to that John Toland's Empire of the Rising Sun and perhaps Toland's Hitler. *Two books on the list are over a thousand years (Plato/Sun Tzu)...and I always knew that cursing us out was a way to show superior intelligence. *Louisa May Alcott was a excellent female writer. I'm especially partial to Little

5 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

Men (the lesser known companion to Little Women). *Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is much better than 1984 in my opinion. *C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia are good. Also, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Also, Lewis' The Great Divorce.
posted August 18, 2008 5:09 am

Gabriel

Your list has the scent of English major all over it. I've read 23 of these. I would like to add Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This illustration of the ramifications of scientific hubris is particularly relevant these days with genetic modification and the LHC.
posted August 18, 2008 5:18 pm

Missa

Another great novel by a female author is Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar". The main plot surrounds the protagonist's move to a new city for her "glamorous" internship, and how she deals with managing her reality versus her expectations of what life in the "real world" should be like. Totally applicable for early-careerists!
posted August 19, 2008 3:42 pm

wob

Great list. I'm 32 now and just read Siddhartha. I thought it was excellent. I've read I'd say 3/4s of what's there so far. And whoever mentioned "A Brave New World", I completely agree on that one. I'll have to disagree with Atlas Shrugged. Way too long, way too rambling, and I want to kill John Galt at the end because he rambles on for waaaay too long. It was like beating that dead horse with a sledge hammer. :) The Fountainhead is a much better read, and much better written and I think is just as powerful as Atlas Shrugged.
posted August 19, 2008 11:32 pm

Watsh Rajneesh

Thanks for the list. I recently bought To kill a mocking bird and The catcher in the rye but am yet to read those. Of the few books that i have read and that are not in the list already or not already suggested - Papillon by Henri Charrier is what i will want to recommend.
posted August 20, 2008 6:28 am

Stephen

I agree with Olivia above. Am I less of a person because I slacked during high school and didn't read all these books? Fountainhead was a good read. Now that I'm almost 30, I am reading more specialized non-fiction. I've been to Fenway Park!
posted August 20, 2008 6:56 pm

Alaia Williams

@luminositee - great suggestion with Sandra Cisneros. I love her work. I did a couple of assistant teaching stints over the past couple of years and some of the most interesting reads have been kids or YA picks. And for pure entertainment, I definitely recommend Captain Underpants. Overall, interesting list. I didn't bother to count how many I've read, haven't finished, or haven't started. It doesn't matter. I love to read and yet there's no way I can read everything on everyone's list. Just not gonna happen.
posted August 20, 2008 9:57 pm

Tanya

These are some great suggestions,although I haven't read all of them. I'd recommend ' 100 Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garca Mrquez.
posted August 23, 2008 2:49 am

6 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...
Honey

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

I think you've left off a few: 1. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card 2. It, by Stephen King (or The Stand, which is also amazing) 3. Anthem, Ayn Rand (far better than Atlas Shrugged and slightly better than The Fountainhead) 4. The Boys from Brazil, Ira Levin (he wrote Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, but this is much better) 5. The Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean M. Auel (and I dare you to resist the rest of the series after that). These are probably the five books I have read the most...over and over and over...
posted August 23, 2008 4:46 am

harold chernofsky

I am in toronto canada and we have similar last names.do you know your genealogy?? harold
posted August 23, 2008 5:32 am

Durkin

Down and out in Paris and London - True classic


posted August 25, 2008 1:01 am

Abdo

How about me ? I am more than 30 :(


posted August 25, 2008 11:03 am

kpss kitaplari

George Arwin-1984
posted August 26, 2008 7:51 am

kpss kitaplari

1984 by George Orwell. Very impressive.


posted August 26, 2008 7:59 am

Rufus

Adding to the list.. books to read AFTER you reach 30.. before that, you probably really wouldn't get... 1. Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau 2. The Secret Sharer, Joseph Conrad 3. Heart of Darkness, again, Conrad 4. The Scarlet Letter (complete with The Custom House), Nathaniel Hawthorne 5. The Awakening, Kate Chopin 6. Sister Carrie, Theodore Dreiser 7. Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain That is it.. when you hit 30, your time for reading diminishes rapidly....
posted September 11, 2008 1:07 am

SEO Training

If you're going to read 1984 then it's probably a good idea to read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The truth is that the world has become a cross between the worlds described in the two novels.
posted September 3, 2008 3:07 am

dR dMO

These books contain wisdom & knowledge..that's why the Bible/Koran aren't

7 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...
on there.

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

Can't believe they left out Calvin & Hobbes though!


posted September 8, 2008 10:22 pm

Pledger

Excellent list! However, if there's one book that I would add to that, its Tim O'Brien's 'The Things They Carried'. Its a book that not very many people read, but that I fully believe that everyone should. It puts your mindset into that of a drafted U.S. soldier during Vietnam. It is an amazing piece of fiction based on real events.
posted September 9, 2008 5:33 pm

YogaforCynics

Great to see Siddhartha at the top of the list...though based on my own experience it's one best read between 20 and 30. I first read it as a teenager and thought "what the hell, the guy wasted his life...." I suspect a couple of major disillusionments are necessary before it's going to make any sense at all....
posted September 9, 2008 8:08 pm

kellyg

Sounds like a list for the regular conformist. I do not intend to read most of these books, because they are "classics." Guess I'm not an elitist.
posted September 9, 2008 9:41 pm

Beth

Trying to figure out why you only have one book written by a woman listed? There are many incredible pieces of literature written by women. How about A Handmaiden's Tale, Silent Spring, or The Good Earth.
posted September 12, 2008 1:53 am

Ben Overmyer

A good portion of those books would bore me silly if I tried reading them. My recommended reading list is much more adaptable to the average person: 1-30) Read a "major" book from every genre before you're 30, including everything from trashy romances to centuries-old classics.
posted September 18, 2008 2:01 pm

sangeeta

The list is great and so are the additions from fellow readers...I have read quite a few of the books mentioned and I am 40...but why cant some people just take some things at face value? If Marc thinks that these books should be read, then so be it...thats his opinion and nobody is really forcing anyone...and then the question of the Bible...religion does not give you a complete perspective to life...religious texts are stark and one can rarely question them...unlike books written by mere mortals...so get off your condescending back sides and prepare a few lists for yourself...excluding the Bible.
posted September 19, 2008 8:46 am

Alaia Williams

I just came across this list of 10 books to NOT read before I die: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/...
posted September 19, 2008 5:19 pm

Nichole

Just want to mention to anyone still reading, I HIGHLY recommend A Brave New World to most of the other classic dystopian novels; it's even more relevant every day, and deeply disturbing if you think about it. Thanks for the list; good reminder that I want to re-read To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies before I'm 30, or maybe when I'm 30. Remember to take

8 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

a look back at the classics you read when you were 14 or 15, a little perspective can add quite a bit to the mix.
posted September 22, 2008 11:19 pm

Anonymous

Whoever suggested "The House on Mango Street" is a fucking retard. That was the worst book I've ever read. Your "minority" selections weren't picked for this list, not because of racism, but because those books are awful.
posted September 24, 2008 2:08 pm

aimomo

If you're not reading the Bible in its original languages, then you're doing wrong. There are so many mistranslations, but you run around calling it "truth." On another note, I'm particularly fond of kids' books, like Harry Potter (oh, yes, I went there). I'd suggest The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (Lewis Carroll), Matilda (Roald Dahl) and The Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum). More adult books: The Firebrand (Marion Zimmer Bradley), The Giver (Lois Lowry), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain), and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Gregory Maguire). I'd also suggest Shakespeare and other such authors, but most people already know them. If you're interested in fairy tales: Hans Christian Andersen (though his don't usually end happily), Brothers Grimm (though they're quite grim and violent), and One Thousand Nights and a Night (otherwise known as Arabian Nights or One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, etc.). 'Course these aren't really considered novels...
posted September 27, 2008 11:57 pm

just me

Any time a person makes a list people are going to agree or disagree, but it does seem people want to argue just for the sake of arguing. The fact is nvels become seen as canonical because they are excellent books. I probably wouldn't enjoy every book on this list and would probably recommend other books that people would disagree with. For example, I would add the bible and the koran, because even though I am an atheist I feel these two books as essential to understanding a lot of other literature, as well as the world in which we live. I'm a huge fan of African literature too, so would probably include novels such as The Heart of Redness or Things Fall Apart. At the end of the day lists like these are valuable because they give people an idea of where they might like to look next time they are going to read a novel. There's no need to get abusive about it.
posted October 3, 2008 3:39 am

Scruffy

Down and Out in Paris and London is an excellent book, I remember reading it in one night it was that good. I can recommend Orwell's Homage to Catalonia also.
posted October 3, 2008 4:42 am

dwindle

I consider "Catcher in the Rye" to be one of the most annoying, pointless, and repetitive books I have ever read. I always thought it was old age that made old people so depressing and repetitive, turns out people just had really lousy personalities back then.
posted October 3, 2008 6:35 pm

Anonymous

I'm going to forego the hyperbole, and just add the couple of books i would recommend as "must reads". 1. Dune-Frank Herbert

9 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

2.charlie and the chocolate factory-Road Dahl 3.charlie and the great glass elevator-Road Dahl 4.where the red fern grows-dont remember. the last 3 were ideas i came up with after reading through some of the comments. all 4 were books i greatly enjoyed, and will read to my children when they are older. (yes i have the cajones to read Dune aloud). "children's" books can contain more depth and intelligence than some "adult" books. Ah, and i forgot The Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman. Yeah, i know, "its a comic book". If you haven't read it, you should and will, and you WILL rank it up there with your Steinbeck's and Mark Twains.
posted October 4, 2008 1:49 am

mrzero

There is no such thing as a "Good book"; there are only books meeting certain criteria(and usually this is sat by the, I suppose Intellectual Establishment or Other PeopleTM). That's it. Now, for the question of "What books should I read?" you should not read books because you "should" read them, for if you do you will not remember any of it's contents and this Gain you will get from a Curious Attitude will be killed off due to the "Should". This is why the "best book" is always the one that Gives You Most at any particular point in time. Now if we were to talk about Human Nature then presuppose we define Human Nature to a set of criteria, we could talk about books that talks well about this "Human Nature" :) (better guide than most iv'e seen though..)
posted October 4, 2008 4:34 am

Chris

While we're on the topic of Neil Gaiman, American Gods is an excellent book. (In my opinion) I also thoroughly enjoyed Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett. When it comes to children's books, Are you There God, It's Me Margaret is a must for all Pre-Teens. And Judy Blume's Tiger Eyes is still, to this day, on my top ten list of books.
posted October 4, 2008 4:49 am

Keith Johnson

GREAT list here, and indeed I agree with the author of this post that these books will help one to take on life in many ways, and all will ultimately contribute immensely to the development of the individual into fullness and completeness, at least academically. Keith Johnson http://ommeditation.info
posted October 4, 2008 7:42 am

Renaissance

If you compile a list of 30 finance books to read before age 30 - these should be in that list: Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds The Wall Street Jungle The Zurich Axioms Economics in One Lesson Reminiscences of a Stock Operator And a monthly read of the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament Bible.
posted October 4, 2008 10:25 am

10 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday | Brazen C...
dyoder

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/08/11/30-books-everyone-shoul...

...Harper Lee IS a woman. Surprised all the people that seem to think they can make a better list didn't catch that. Great list by the way. I just turned 30 this year and have some catching up to do.
posted October 4, 2008 11:54 am

first previous 1 2 3 next last

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?


Your name: *

Anonymous

E-mail: *
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Homepage: Comment: *

Math Question: * 2+1=


Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Publish
Home | About | Consulting | Coachology | Join | Contact | Advertising | Subscribe | Forum | Generation Y Copyright 2008. Brazen Careerist. All Rights Reserved.

11 de 11

6/10/2008 10:00

Вам также может понравиться