Amazon Listmania: The Essential Man’s Library Part IV
Written in 1890, the American Boys Handy Book is filled with different activities a boy can do during each season. Activities include kite making, how to make to make blow guns, and bird watching. This book is an excellent resource for dads who want to provide their sons entertainment that doesn’t involve video games.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
This book details the author’s fateful ascent up Mt. Everest in which eight other climbers were killed in a storm. Perhaps the most inspiring story is that of one climber who was left for dead, but awakened 12 hours after being abandoned and hiked back to camp in sub-zero weather. This man is an example to all men that when the will of survival is strong enough, a man can overcome any obstacle.
King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard
The author wrote King Solomon’s Mines specifically for boys. The story follows English explorers who penetrate the deepest part of Africa to find the treasure of King Solomon. A great book to read with your son at bedtime. You’ll both be entertained and instill in your son a sense of manly adventure.
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Our protagonist here, Myshkin, is an example of a selfless love, moving to marry a woman to save her from falling into the arms of Rogozhin, who represents darkness. Remind any of you good ol’ boys of that girl in high school who kept running back to the man who didn’t deserve her affections? Well, in this case, the girl runs back to Rogozhin, who, in spite of and perhaps because of his deep passion, rewarded her by…killing her. Myshkin is considered the “idiot” because of his innocence and trust in the best of humanity as it could be, and in the end, his optimism and love for humanity are his undoing in the face of a dark, materialistic society. The lesson: don’t marry a woman to save her from another man…although, come to think of the end of Super Mario Bros…
A River Runs Through It by Norman F. Maclean
You’ve seen the movie, now read the book that inspired it. This book is an American classic. A River Runs Through It follows an older brother’s attempt to save his talented brother from self destruction in one last fly fishing trip. Set in Montana’s beautiful Blackfoot River country, the author fills the story with vivid descriptions of fishing and nature that engages the reader to ponder important life questions. From the story we learn that sometimes the people we love the most are the hardest to help.
“So it is…that we can seldom help anybody. Either we don’t know what part to give or maybe we don’t like to give any part of ourselves. Then, more often than not, the part that is needed is not wanted. And even more often, we do not have the part that is needed.”
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
The haphazard discovery of scientifically engineered half human-half animals on a remote island is an experience that has the potential to put some hair on your chest. Living with the “Beast Folk” for a year then returning to life as normal in London proves to be exceedingly more difficult for the protagonist.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Malcolm X is quite possibly one of the most controversial public figures from the Civil Rights Movement. His autobiography shows what a complex individual Malcolm X was. We see his transformation from ignorance and despair to knowledge and spiritual awakening. His emphasis on the principal of self-reliance and taking a stand for your rights resonates with every man.
Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris
Theodore Rex is a biography of Teddy Roosevelt that covers his eight years as President. From this book we learn what a man can do if they have unwavering determination. During his eight years as President of the United States, Roosevelt created the national parks system, saw the completion of the Panama Canal, and went after unethical trusts and monopolies. TR created the modern presidency. If only we had more leaders like him.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The ultimate tale of betrayal and revenge, and perhaps one of the best stories of all time. Edmund Dantes, who shortly after being promoted to captain of his ship, and just days before his marriage to his beloved fiance Mercedes, is brutally betrayed by those he trusts, arrested for treason and consequently taken to a prison on an island off the French coast. The story goes on to tell of his life after escape from prison, his finding the greatest treasure in all the world, and re-entering the society as a wealthy, educated and sophisticated Count. He plots his revenge, which he ultimately denies himself when forced to decide between it and his love for his Mercedes. Through this choice his justice is ultimately served. It is a great novel that you most likely won’t be able to put down until you have it finished, even if you have already seen the movie.
All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarq
A classic war novel that depicts how war can destroy a man. The book begins with young, idealistic German men, going of to fight in WWI believing their cause is just. After experiencing the horrors of trench warfare and shell shock these young men leave the war disillusioned and numb.
“I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another.”
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
As boys, men often have romantic and idealized visions of war. The reality of war, though, is hard and brutal. In order to survive and thrive in war, a man must transform himself into something bigger. The Red Badge of Courage follows a teenager’s enlistment into the Union Army during the Civil War. He enlists with dreams of glory, but soon those dreams are replaced with doubt and fear. In the end, the young protagonist digs deep and finds the courage and confidence he needs to be a successful soldier.
They gazed about them with looks of uplifted pride, feeling new trust in the grim, always confident weapons in their hands. And they were men.
Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans by Plutarch
If you wish to be a great man, you must learn from great men. One of the best ways to do that is through reading the biographies of great men. Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans lets us into the lives of some of histories greatest men. From these writings we learn the importance that a man’s character can have on influencing the world around him. His biography on Alexander the Great is especially inspiring.
A Strenuous Life by Theodore Roosevelt
A Strenuous Life is a collection of speeches and essays by Roosevelt on the importance of building the character of men and women in order for the American Republic to succeed. From it we learn that eschewing the life of ease and luxury are necessary for a country to thrive.
The Bible
Despite being one of the most religious Industrialized nations, America’s religious literacy is horrible. If asked to name one of the Ten Commandments or one of Jesus’ apostles, many Americans wouldn’t be able to do it. The problem is half the books on these lists make Biblical references that must be known by the reader for them to understand the message of that book. If a Western man desires to understand the culture that surrounds him, he needs to have a thorough understanding of the Book that has shaped that culture.
In addition, the Bible is full of ancient counsel and advice that is applicable to today’s man, whether you’re a believer in God or not.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things. – I Corinthians 13:11
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove is quite possibly the greatest Western novel ever written. The story follows two-long time friends on a cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana. Along the way they encounter outlaws, Indians, and old flames. Be warned. This book is a best, but reading it is definitely worth it. After you read the book, make sure to watch the mini-series.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
There’s nothing more manly than a good hard-boiled detective novel. The Maltese Falcon is filled with ambiguities in morality. Sam Spade, the main character in the book is a hardened and cynical man. But underneath his rough exterior is a man with a sense of idealism. Is it possible to do good even if you’re a bad person? It’s a book that will entertain as well as make you think.
“When a man’s partner is killed, he’s supposed to do something about it. It doesn’t make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you’re supposed to do something about it.”
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
The Long Goodbye is the last book in the Phillip Marlowe detective series. Like any good hard-boiled detective novel, this one is full of gangsters and beautiful femme fatales. In The Long Goodbye, Marlowe befriends a down-on-his law war veteran and helps him back on his feet. Little did Marlowe know that his relationship with this man would wind him up in trouble. This book makes for great weekend and bed time reading.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Atticus Finch embodies all the traits that a noble man should have. Atticus teaches us to fight for what’s , even when everyone else around you thinks you’re wrong. He teaches his children to never judge a man until you’ve walked in their shoes; that we should recognize that people have both good and bad qualities, but focus on the good more.
“Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It’s knowing you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden
This is a great book if you have a son. It’s filled with activities and skills that all boys should know. Even if you don’t have a son, you’ll spend hours flipping through the pages reminiscing about summer days as a boy. You might also learn a few things, too. Subjects include the histories of famous battles and how to make a bow and arrow.
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War. The Killer Angles recounts this great battle from the the men who played a key role in it. The author attempts to get in the minds of General Lee and Colonel Longstreet and decipher their thoughts and motivations leading up to the fateful battle. After reading this, you’ll understand why many historians say the Civil War was the last romantic war ever fought.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Ben Franklin’s Autobiography is on the list. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is considered by many historians to be America’s first self-help book. In edition to sharing his life’s story, Franklin explains how a man can make himself a success. His story begins with Franklin as boy walking around barefoot and with rolls in his pocket and ends with him being a successful businessman, scientist, and statesman.
Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world, and having gone so far through life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means I made use of, which with the blessing of God so well succeeded, my posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them suitable to their own situations, and therefore fit to be imitated.
The Histories by Herodotus
If we don’t learn from the past, we’re doomed to repeat it. The Histories by Herodetus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. The Founding Fathers looked to Herodetus’ histories to learn from the mistakes that the ancient Greeks made with democracy. From the histories we get the best description of the Battle of Marathon. Despite being thousands of years old, many of the problems that ancient Greeks faced, we still face today.
From Here to Eternity by James Jones
This book isn’t about war itself, but rather the it’s about the life of a soldier in Hawaii before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The main character, Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt is a non-conformist in a profession that demands conformity. His rebelliousness slowly destroys him as the story progresses. The book takes a look at the effect military subculture can have a on a man.
The Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner
What makes American’s American? According to Fredrick Jackson Turner, it was the existence of the frontier that shaped America. While Turner’s thesis has been disputed, no one can deny the effect that the wide open frontier had on the American psyche. If you’d like to understand a part of what made the American man, read this essay.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
Quite possibly the most widely read book on philosophy. The book is set as a cross-country motorcycle trip by a father and son. The book focuses on the importance of quality in a culture obsessed with quantity.
Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of America’s greatest philosophers. In his essay, Self Reliance, Emerson stressed the importance of individualism and the importance of living by your conscious. A man should not conform or live a life of false consistency.They should march to the beat of their own drummer.
It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude after own own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
To see a list of just the titles and authors names for easy printing, click here.
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This is a very good list of books. However, I have to agree with some of the other commentors. There aren’t enough chink and raghead authors on the list. It’s too Americanized or maybe too Anglocized.
Great list. I wouldn’t delete any of these, but I do agree that many must-reads are missing, including two of my favorites, Naked Lunch by Burroughs and Johnny Got His Gun by Trumbo. Glad to see Catch 22 made it, though. That book changed my life.
I have read some (Fitzgerald, Tolkien, Heller, etc.), but now I feel quite ashamed. I could not for the life of me finish The Call of the Wild (wolves aren’t that damn interesting), and I still haven’t gotten to Homer yet.
I’m a girl, 14. I liked Camus, Doyle, Hugo, Steinbeck, Tolstoy, Hawthorne, and I LOVED A Separate Peace. Any suggestions? I don’t want to read anything too heavy (Aristotle’s Poetics began to slur after pg. 20), but I want something challenging once in a while. I’ve seen bits of The Republic and was pretty interested. Poetry is good, too. I have Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, and Dickinson is cool. I also enjoyed Shakespeare and Tennyson.
So, is there anything you guys think I might find interesting? I have loads of free time in the summer, and the library is reasonably furnished.
In response of A’s post. I suggest Hemingway, Salinger (The Short Stories) and if you are up for plays, Tennessee Williams.
What about Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein?
Nice list, though very American, perhaps some British and Czech writers? Somebody mentioned Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting, which I agree with. How about Milan Kundera (the unbearable lightness of being or immortality) or Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange?
If you want to understand why the world is falling apart and where we went wrong, there is one book that will help your understanding and help you look at old ideas in a new light.
Read “Ishamel” by Daniel Quinn
where is The Count of Monte Cristo
Just in case the proprietors of the Art of Manliness are still monitoring this comment thread and taking suggestions, here are a few authors/books I think should have been on this list over some of the ones listed (say, Vonnegut), or should definitely be on the second list of books 101-200. A few of them have already been mentioned above.
- William Faulkner – The Sound and the Fury
- Aristotle – The Nicomachean Ethics (should be read with the Politics)
- Carl von Clausewitz – On War (Clausewitz is to Machiavelli as Tolkien is to Harry Potter. I exaggerate only slightly.)
- Charles Dickens – David Copperfield (one of the greatest bildungsromans ever…how could it _not_ be on a list of books men should read??)
- Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities
- Victor Hugo – Les Miserables
- Graham Greene
- Joseph Conrad – Heart of Darkness (This story has three important levels. First is the literal journey into Africa. Second is the tale about colonialism. Third, and by far the most important, is the psychological drama, which has nothing to do with race relations or Africa.)
- Dumas – The Count of Monte Cristo
- Tolstoy – War and Peace (I mean, really. No Tolstoy??)
- Tolstoy – Anna Karenina
- Meditations of Marcus Aurelius + On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
- Tocqueville – Democracy in America (should be read alongside the Federalist Papers)
- The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer + The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek. Because every person should grapple with the problem of totalitarianism, and these authors experienced it.
The list is good but I don’t think there was a single Australian book.
Ouch
I’d give these a try as well
“Romulus, My Father” – Raimond Gaita
“Cloud Street” – Tim Winton
“A Fortunate Life” – A B Facey
“Tomorrow When The War Began” – John Marsden
“The Power of One” – Bryce Courtney
“Oscar and Lucinda” – Peter Carey
“For The Term of His Natural Life” – Marcus Clarke
Also Kipling probably should have been included what with “The Jungle Book”
Great selection I loved Slaughterhouse 5 and Lord of the Flies. I’ll have heard of a couple of the other ones on the list and will look into picking them up at some point! Thanks for the list!
“Thoreau spent two years, two months and two days writing this book in Walden, a cabin tucked deep in the woods…” Deep in the woods/half mile from Emerson’s house where he went to dinner a couple times a week… same difference right?
Of course, any list of 100 will have some glaring omissions. But to ignore the entire science genre on a list of manly books?
A few suggestions:
“Understanding Physics” by Isaac Asimov, for a well-written, thorough but accessible introduction to the development of modern physics
“The Elements” by Euclid, for a master-class in logical thinking, and an appreciation for why mathematics is the queen of the sciences.
“The Logic of Scientific Discovery” by Karl Popper, to understand the need for rigorous skepticism in science.
Speaking of philosophy, there’s nothing about existentialism to recommend it as an especially manly philosophy as compared to, say, pragmatism. So, how about dropping Camus in favor of “Pragmatism” by William James.
A man should be well-rounded. The high-school lit books, good as they are, take up too much space. Do we need both Machiavelli and Sun Tzu? And T.R. is way overrated. For just a little variety:
“The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham (it worked for Warren Buffet)
“The Story of Art” by E.H. Gombrich (nothing effete about it)
“Renovation” by Michael Litchfield (because a man’s home is his castle)
“Getting Things Done” by David Allen (an essential skill for every man)
I was going to make a wearily indignant comment about the near complete lack of women writers in this list, and THEN – then, I looked at the title of this blog.
Oh. Ok, it makes sense now.
Funnily enough, I’m a young woman, and I’ve read a lot of these books. I’m still quite womanly. I bet if you guys read Doris Lessing’s Sci-Fi (zomg good) or even “Jacob’s Room” by Woolf, you’d still be just as manly as you were before. And, maybe even a bit more attractive.
Just saying. :)
Also, re-read “The Great Gatsby”. F. Scott Fitzgerald may have been a brilliant writer, but he’s not exactly fond of women. I don’t think hating women is manly, or that you have to judge the writer by his prejudices, but wow. He didn’t like us, at all.
Also, there are a lot of Western authors here. Naguib Mahfouz is the most famous Egyptian writer, and for a reason. He writes with equal sensitivity about the frustrations of young men trying to become something in a hostile world and stay decent, and the women whose lives are subjugated to men. It’s a cool glimpse into a different culture.
Anyway. Stay manly.
You guys need to give Chuckie Dickens some more props!
Great Expectations should at least be listed.
Also, throw in some shakespeare while your at it!
a few things.
1. Glad the Bible made it on here. It really cannot be overstated how influential the Bible has been or how often it is referenced
2. I would have taken Camus’ The Fall over The Stranger
3. I may be wrong, but I don’t see any poetry on the list. Poetry may not seem manly, but I believe it certainly is important to be able to read (and if lucky, perhaps understand) poetry.
Well done list though. Truly a great start.
Also, add Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet.
Great list……except you missed my favourite book. “To kill a Mockingbird” I think you”ll find i’m not the only one who’s spotted that!
This list of books undoubtedly were popular in their day, but the list only seems to have books that have been written many decades ago or longer. What about any current books? May I suggest a recent book that just came out called: The Masseur by author john m martin. It’s a story about sex as an addiction that needs to be addressed as an addiction. A current story that is very viable and realistic in our times that offers real questions, and even possible remedies too! Great book!
I am going to suggest tuesday with morrie and nichomean ethics. for a dash of sensitive, touching story, and a look and the morals of mankind
diary of a wimpy kid was the coolest book i read . I theink you should read it.
I am going to read ninth grade book i hoe you injoy the book. i hop i like the book.i hope you read the book soon.
Your blog and the contributions of others have helped me work my way through a divorce, a long layoff from work, improved fatherhood and into manhood during the past couple of years. But you’ve missed what I consider THE book about being a man ….. “Iron John” by Robert Bly. It’s an amazing study of how a man becomes a man, and it helped me to define my weaknesses and pointed me toward my own self-discovery and formation of new manly goals.
As this list suggests, no single thought or book or relationship will make a man. A man is comprised of years of experience and knowledge and wisdom. Stay the course, Brad. Your work has been very helpful to a lot of us. The first step is realizing that you may not be the man you could be. The second is to man up and do something about it. Reading any of these books would be a good next step.
Fire in the belly – Sam Keen is a must read for all men who have not read it. this site is great. Keep up good work!
A great list. I found your site today. Very interesting, in a sea of ….. well not interesting.
Keep up the great work.
I would suggest two from C.S.Lewis the great Divorce and the Four Loves!
Rock on…..
Kerouac?
He wasn’t a man. Why are you including him?
I honor Ti Jean – he is one of my final heroes, but, he does not fit at all into your stories and definitions of a “man”.
Why include him?
Way to ruin the final sentence — the absolute best part — of Nineteen Eighty-Four
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
The Old Man and the Sea by Hemmingway
The Red Badge of Courage by Crane
The Stranger by Camus
The Trial by Camus
What a clown . . . you’ve got four goddamn books on Teddy and yet you don’t have the Jon Lee Anderson’s biography of Che Guevara (who was MUCH more of man than Teddy) or Vladimir Lenin.
very good! i m very happy with russian classics choises. I d recomend Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, Michel Hoellebecq’s books are all written for men in my opinion:) in short —great list
Have you actually read Atlas Shrugged? The book tries to use a man holding on to stolen property as a parable about the right to [someone else's] property, and said character is such a marty stu that he has to teach his captors how to torture him. The plot is more holes than matter, and the characters are shallow attempts to deify the author’s opinion while vilifying all who disagree with her.
I find it questionable that you would put such things as Animal Farm and Hamlet on this site. It would have been very funny if Walt Whitman’s work was posted on here. Another thing is that you put Ralph Waldo Emerson’s lit. on here. I’m just going to go out there and say it. WTF? (not thaaaaaat manly, my dear…)
Excellent list, hope I don’t offend by adding one more. It came to mind as soon as I read the title. John Grisham’s ‘The painted house’. Entertaining read as well as plenty of practical knowledge.
No Mao. You forgot Mao-sedung on Gurilla warfare. You also forget the Big red Book. And no mention of Marx
If I could add two to the list:
“Last of the Mohicans” Possibly the first ‘western’ novel ever written, and a tremendously great read!
“Beau Geste” A beloved aunt, three brothers, a diamond, the French Foreign Legion, and Taureg raiders. Perfect recipe for a book that kept me up late many nights growing up.
Very nice list for the most part, but without a single Bradbury novel, I struggle to take it seriously. Fahrenheit 451 and/or Something Wicked This Way Comes should certainly be perused by anyone who desires to be deemed “well-read”.
While not as epic in scope as some of its apocalyptic peers, Fahrenheit 451 is set apart from other dystopian novels by it’s clear parallels to issues facing Soviet, and, particularly, American society at the time of its writing. Back then, censorship was at an all time high in the states. Today, the thought of the government telling us what we can and cannot read is absolutely ludicrous, something that could never happen, but from the start of the Cold War all the way to 1957, it was a very nominal thing. True, George Orwell’s 1984 uses many similar parallels, but herein the difference lies. 1984 tells us why communism won’t work for the Soviet Union, while Fahrenheit 451 tells us why communism in the Soviet Union won’t work for America, and, indeed, the rest of the free world. If its language could be understood by a literarily challenged three-year-old, its cultural significance would still warrant it’s placing on this list.
Unlike the afore mentioned Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes deserves recognition simply because it is a beautiful work of literature by one of America’s most beloved and renowned authors. The way Bradbury’s words flow together, along with his stunning use of imagery, turns what at first glance is an inaccessible, and, let’s face it, downright odd plot, into the foundation of a towering work of literary genius, a work worthy of kings, but to be read by all.
Please don’t mistake my passion for disrespect. I cannot claim to have read a third of the books on this list, and, assuming you’ve read them all, you are certainly more well-informed on the subject of “essential literature” than I. My arguments are based purely on what I know of the books I have read from this list, and on what I know of Ray Bradbury’s position on the hierarchy of American authors.
Two other omissions which I won’t take the time to defend:
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Missing from the list: Three Kingdoms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms
This is a big omission. Darwin’s “Origin of Species” changed the world and influenced much in the way that we see ourselves – where we’ve been, where we’re going, and the importance of struggle, and the purpose of our existence. It unleashed a storm regarding the history and destiny of humankind. It continues to stir debate in the fields of science, philosophy, and theology. “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond is a Pulitzer Prize winner that adds the importance of culture to such origins. Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time” is another readable essential on our origin from the perspective of the stuff found in star dust. All provide spiritual, scientific, and convincing explanations of what it means for a man or woman to discover what it means to be alive on all levels from personal to cosmic – with every other life form in-between.
Ah, great list of books. But really, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk is an essential for any man of the 21st century. Really questions what the male pysche goes through in it’s life.
No Dickens?
what about the anarchists cookbook?
seriously have to agree with Drew on Fight Club. I figured in the top 20
Some awesome books on this list. However, blatant American Christian bias. For example, The Bible. Seriously? That text is, with some notable exceptions, horrifically written. Not to mention the rampant sexism, racism, ignorance and advocacy of genocide. Frankly, the positive messages contained within are far outweighed by the outright evil.
“Of Human Bondage”
“The Razor’s Edge”
“Cakes and Ale”
“The Moon and Sixpence”
All by the great W. Somerset Maugham.
Great site. Just found it today!
These are all excellent. The autobiography of Malcolm X was a pleasant surprise. He would be labeled a fip-flopper today because he was very introspective and kept redefining himself based on the truths he uncovered during his life. I recommend Malcom X’s autobiography to all men. It will give you the courage to look at your deepest held believes, challenge them and then reinventing yourself accordingly.
One book I would like to suggest adding to the list is “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason. This is 144 pages of sound personal finance told through a number of individuals who reside in the authors imagination of ancient Babylon.
If one assumes the site is aimed at undergrads this list makes good sense.I read all but one of these by age 17. Old favorites are certainly worth revisiting. But for a mature man other works are more cogent.
You left out
Pimp: story of my life Icbergslim
48laws of power; r.greene
Ovid : Art of love
Meditations by Marcus aurelius
I think the Fahrenheit 451 or any other books by Ray Bradbury should be on here. Also Star ship troopers.
Here’s a good book for men: “The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay”. First of all, it’s a great book. Second, it’s about a duo of comic book writers in the 40′s and 50′s. Third, it contains war, sex, magic, revenge, violence, superheroes, religion, and…..wait for it…. a hot chick. That alone should be enough to put this book on any guy’s reading list — but this book is also about young men growing up and learning about teamwork, friendship, perseverance, excellence, leadership, responsibility, loyalty, acceptance, and family. I highly recommend this one.
Did I miss Tarzan? It has to be required reading! The book “Hell I was there” about Elmer Kieth! Pumping iron–about Arnold! Then last but not least “Beyond body building” by Pavel Tsasoline!
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