What books would you suggest? (vanity)

all of YOU freepers out there ^

[occam's chainsaw]

Most of the reading I have done over the years has been of science fiction/fantasy books read simply for enjoyment. Now that I am a little older, I am becoming more interested in finding books which are educational as well as enjoyable. I have not read very much classical literature (the small Arkansas public school I attended had little to offer in Literature) and would consider reading some as long as it wasn't too tedious.

I was hoping that some of you more experienced & educated (self educated included of course) readers could offer some suggestions for me. Biographies, classics, historical novels, fiction/non fiction, are all open to consideration. I did read Rand's "The Fountainhead" years ago and enjoyed it very much. Please give me your suggested titles along with a brief description and/or reason you are suggesting each. I know I still have a lot to learn and I appreciate any help I can get.

[occam's chainsaw]

Thanks in advance!
Occam's Chainsaw

[princess leah]

The Final Days and Hell To Pay are 2 books by the late Barbara Olson which are must reads!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I like Perretti and LaHaye. Also Gene Edwards has some nice writings, as well as Larry Burkett's "Illuminati".

[knews_hound]

Personally, I have long concidered Shogun, the long unedited version, to be a wonderful way to learn about Japan and its introduction to the West.

But really, I could go on for days.

BTW, love your screen name, I have used Occums Norelco in the past.

knews hound

[Texaggie79]

I just picked up John Adams -- by David McCullough. It is very good so far. And educational.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I got a Norelco for Christmas!

[hsmomx3]

This might sound kinda crazy but ABeka (a homeschool and private school curriculum publisher) history books are great. It is amazing how much we did not learn in govt. schools. These history books are great.

[Clifdo]

Try anything by C. S. Lewis - "Screwtape Letters" is very good. Also, there are several biographies of his life which are very informative and interesting.

[Paul Atreides]

I, Claudius and Claudius The God are great.

[AAABEST]

I think this one would be perfect for you:

[PRND21]

Citizen Hearst by W.A. Swanberg.
W. R. had his hands in everything, especially politics.
Those times aren't so different than these.

[Rodney King]

Unintended Consequences is the greatest book ever written.

[One More Time]

"Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand

[Doctor Doom]

Atlas Shrugged.

[Andyman]

Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin

Pilars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Saurum by Edward Rutherford

The Devil's Candy by Julie Solomon

Hollywood vs. America by Michael Medved

A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy

Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett (and another guy)

I could go on and on and sorry for the bad spelling.

[madprof98]

Just the other day I read that Myron Magnet's The Dream and the Nightmare: The Sixties Legacy to the Underclass is supposed to have influenced George W. Bush more than any other book except the Bible. Don't know if that is true, but it sure influenced me. I highly recommend it.

[Delta-Boudreaux]

Chuck Colson's Favorite Books

BreakPoint - The following are books identified by Chuck Colson as having been critical to his intellectual and spiritual development.

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (and anything else by Lewis, especially The Abolition of Man)

Francis Schaeffer. How Should We Then Live?

Francis Schaeffer. The God Who Is There.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The Gulag Archipelago.

G. K. Chesterton. The Everlasting Man.

Paul Johnson. Modern Times.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Cost of Discipleship.

Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Brothers Karamazov.

John Bunyan. The Pilgrim’s Progress.

Jerry Bridges. The Pursuit of Holiness.

Richard John Neuhaus. The Naked Public Square.

[IowaHawk]

"The Gallery of Regrettable Food," by James Lileks. The funniest book I have ever read.

[Bahbah]

You might enjoy Tim O'Brien. Three of my favorites are "The Things They Carried", "Going After Cacciato", and "In the Lake of the Woods". The first two are Viet Nam war novels and the third is a mystery with Nam connections. I was very taken with all three.

[Diver Dave]

I thought the Clintons improved the Arkansas school system.

Do you mean to tell me that the Clintons lied?

I'm absolutely shocked!