Exemplary Literature: The Best Books You'd Recommend Others to Read

Finals- What about the Slaughterhouse five did you like? I read it a year or two ago and I guess I missed something. It was an entertaining story and well written, but what makes it special? I have a friend who cannot enunciate why she loves Kurt V so much and any insights would be appreciated.

As for my list,
The Quiet American - Greene
The Great Gatsby -Fitzgerald
Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance - Pirsig

A also read a book of Graham Greene's short stories and they are collectively great.

 

A couple of good ones from recent memory :

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
Where Have All the Leaders Gone? (Lee Iacocca)

Books that I have that I need to start :

The Fabric of the Cosmos (Brian Greene)
From X-Rays to Quarks (Emilio Segre; one of the first great books on the history of physics I read as a kid - I want to re-read it)
The Man Who Knew Infinity : A Life of the Genius Ramanujan (Robert Kanigel; I bought this a couple of years ago and still haven't read it. Arrgggh!)

 

If you want basic books on saving money and spending wisely, I bought these 2 a few years ago and have recommended it to others who have said it opened their eyes. If you know how to save already, you'll probably be beyond these. Both are by Thomas Stanley.

The Millionaire Next Door
The Millionaire Mind

The first one is the better book, in my opinion.

 

As far as exemplary literature goes my favorite book is Moby Dick.

But there are lots of great fiction recommendations already so I will stop there and go the other way with nonfiction. The Omnivore's Dilemma, which is not necessarily exemplary literature, is fascinating, well written, and incredibly relevant to anyone who cares about our environment and what they actually stick in their potato trap.

[size=-2]I just wanted to say potato trap.[/size]

 

A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson.

I couldn't put it down.

 

I was just about to post this, unbelievable book.

Timeline by Michael Crichton is a fun read.

Longitude by Dava Sobel. Her book The Planets is also a great.

Anything by Carl Sagan or Michio Kaku

 

I've never read this, but have always wanted to. Thanks for reminding me. I just added it to my Amazon wish list.

 

Has anyone mentioned Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck? Thats a short/quick great read imo