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TOP IDEA: Tariq West I'm putting together my reading list for the next 6-12 months. Here is what I have so far: http://bit.ly/dmI6dn | Which books do you think are essential to the well-rounding/grounding of a young mind?

99 weeks ago from Brazen Undergrads, Nonprofiteers, Entrepreneurs, Washington D.C. and Bay Area Bunch 3 more

Laura McCallum: Wow, Tariq- that's a lot of books. I only read the first page. What you have there will keep you busy until you are 100. LOL Blink and Tipping ...MoreWow, Tariq- that's a lot of books. I only read the first page. What you have there will keep you busy until you are 100. LOL Blink and Tipping Point are both on my shelf to be next - my hubbie loved them. First and foremost if you want to be successful, start with "Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill"- updated 21st Century Edition. Make that #1. Most is between your ears, so you have to get that right. To your success!
99 weeks ago

Scott Asai: I'd go with all 4 of the Gladwell books, 2 of the Ferrazzi books & Mere Christianity...you do have a large list!
99 weeks ago

Mary Going: What an interesting list! How did you create it? What were your criteria?

The question you ask about shaping a young mind... What do you want to ...MoreWhat an interesting list! How did you create it? What were your criteria?

The question you ask about shaping a young mind... What do you want to know or do on the other side?

99 weeks ago

Laura McCallum: Yes, it is good to know what it is that you are trying to learn. Reading is only half of the equation- you must implement and apply what you read ...MoreYes, it is good to know what it is that you are trying to learn. Reading is only half of the equation- you must implement and apply what you read for it to benefit you. Knowledge is not power until it is "applied knowledge" - that involves taking action. Applied knowledge is wisdom, so Wisdom is Power. I wish you much success!
99 weeks ago

Joe McReynolds: I think this blog-post handles Think and Grow Rich quite nicely, allowing you to skip it and devote your time elsewhere:

MoreI think this blog-post handles Think and Grow Rich quite nicely, allowing you to skip it and devote your time elsewhere:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/21/review-think-and-grow-rich/

As for 'Mere Christianity', both Christians and non-Christians I've talked to agree that it's essentially preaching to the converted. For the skeptical reader, it makes a rather weak case.

Gladwell's books are also better digested in synopsis form, IMHO. He's a fascinating writer but has a tricky habit of playing fast and loose with the facts in his anecdotes. Reading reviews and synopses of his work online, you can get a better sense of which case studies in each book hold up to peer scrutiny. (This is the same reason you're best off not reading SuperFreakonomics, but rather reading *about* it online.)

As for books that are "must reads", in my opinion:

"The Discoverers" by Daniel J. Boorstin

"The Eastern Origins of Western Civilization" by John Hobson

"The Golden Gate" by Vikram Seth

"The Education of Henry Adams" by Henry Adams

Hope this helps! :)
99 weeks ago

Joe McReynolds: Oh, and you can save yourself a lot of time by skipping Atlas Shrugged and reading Whittaker Chambers' very famous (and rightly so) dismantling of ...MoreOh, and you can save yourself a lot of time by skipping Atlas Shrugged and reading Whittaker Chambers' very famous (and rightly so) dismantling of it in the pages of the National Review over fifty years ago:

http://old.nationalreview.com/flashback/flashback200501050715.asp
99 weeks ago

Ciara: It looks like you have some good picks in there. I rated The Poisonwood Bible. It's in my top 3. It's a big book but it keeps you interested. VERY ...MoreIt looks like you have some good picks in there. I rated The Poisonwood Bible. It's in my top 3. It's a big book but it keeps you interested. VERY EXCELLENT!

good luck with your list! I wish I had the time to read like that. Maybe this summer.
99 weeks ago

Mehul Kar: @Jon skip Atlas Shrugged? heck no!
i'm reading the review you posted, and it's well argued and thought-provoking, but Rand's work is still one of ...More@Jon skip Atlas Shrugged? heck no!
i'm reading the review you posted, and it's well argued and thought-provoking, but Rand's work is still one of my favorites.
99 weeks ago

Joe McReynolds: That's precisely the problem, though -- Atlas Shrugged is in no way well argued or thought provoking.

(Not to mention horribly written and ...MoreThat's precisely the problem, though -- Atlas Shrugged is in no way well argued or thought provoking.

(Not to mention horribly written and overlong, considering the total lack of depth; Galt's monologue is what, 70 pages?)
99 weeks ago

Mehul Kar: I can understand that you disagree with her philosophy, and I can understand that you may find the length deterring, but can we at least ...MoreI can understand that you disagree with her philosophy, and I can understand that you may find the length deterring, but can we at least appreciate her skill in writing?

PS. I read a few years ago when I was young and naive, but I was sold. Do you have the same opinion of the Fountainhead?
99 weeks ago

Juliana Brodsky: You're an undergrad, so I would recommend choosing which books to read based on whether or not you want to them to be related to your classes. ...MoreYou're an undergrad, so I would recommend choosing which books to read based on whether or not you want to them to be related to your classes. Either a continuation of an idea/theme, or a palate cleanser to get away from all the school crap. I would highly recommend either Plato's Dialogues (with footnotes if you read it by yourself) or the Iliad, The Thin Man (Dashiell Hammett), and Passage by Connie Willis. Good luck!
99 weeks ago

Jay Hepner: Tariq, Read Emerson's "Self-Reliance," greatest single piece of literature in American letters, the ethos on which all American literature is ...MoreTariq, Read Emerson's "Self-Reliance," greatest single piece of literature in American letters, the ethos on which all American literature is based.

"Whoso would be a [hu]man, must be a non-conformist."
99 weeks ago

Joe McReynolds: Don't want to hijack a very interesting thread, so this will be my last reply, but to Mehul: I lean pretty strongly libertarian on most issues, so ...MoreDon't want to hijack a very interesting thread, so this will be my last reply, but to Mehul: I lean pretty strongly libertarian on most issues, so I'm somewhere approaching the target audience for her philosophy (though I admit I don't think too highly of it - let's keep in mind, her attempt to apply her ideas in her own life led her to develop a hilariously crazed personality cult).

But here, what I'm trashing is precisely her utter lack of skill as a writer. It's a poorly written story, and offers up virtually nothing in the "Huh, never thought of that before!" department.

There's a reason that (much like, ironically, Howard Zinn's uber-left People's History of the United States) the people who preach the mind-expanding power of Atlas Shrugged tend to have first read it in high school.
99 weeks ago

Raina: I was a die-hard Rand devotee, but have been shaking off the brainwashing. Her arguments are logical, but they exclude so much information in ...MoreI was a die-hard Rand devotee, but have been shaking off the brainwashing. Her arguments are logical, but they exclude so much information in order to make points that are hardly defensible.

Tariq--Check out www.philosophersnotes.com. The guy who runs it condensed 100 of the all-time most important self-development books into 6-page PDFS and 20 min audio summaries. I'm a subscriber, and I LOVE it.
99 weeks ago

Jay Hepner: Thanks for the tip, Raina. Sounds great! Tariq, go with Nietzsche and Emerson in the portable versions, though for Emerson I think you get all ...MoreThanks for the tip, Raina. Sounds great! Tariq, go with Nietzsche and Emerson in the portable versions, though for Emerson I think you get all you need with Self-Reliance, though he's undeniably the seminal influence in establising an American ethos in letters and literature. Will look over the rest again...
99 weeks ago

Jay Hepner: Don't miss 100 Years of Solitude, 1984, Catcher in the Rye. Have you read Huckleberry Finn? Yes, the n word is omnipresent, but it's still the ...MoreDon't miss 100 Years of Solitude, 1984, Catcher in the Rye. Have you read Huckleberry Finn? Yes, the n word is omnipresent, but it's still the greatest American novel ever written. Farewell to Arms is classic Hemingway, but "Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and Old Man and the Sea will get you there. A Moveable Feast is a must-read. Guessing you've read Gatsby? Any Dostoeyevsky? Notes from Underground is essential and C & P. The Metamorphosis is chilling. The Trial by Kafka, even more so.
99 weeks ago

Tariq West: Thanks all for your suggestions and thoughtful comments! I'm glad this query sparked such a lively back and forth.

@Laura - thanks for the ...MoreThanks all for your suggestions and thoughtful comments! I'm glad this query sparked such a lively back and forth.

@Laura - thanks for the suggestions, have the Gladwell books on my list already and will add Napoleon Hill. Good point on application, I'll be doing some of that too :)

@Mary - i've been keeping a list in a gdoc for a year or two and whenever someone tells me about a book I add it. Also, goodreads lists are great for finding the books that are central to the western canon. I'm no completely sure what I want to do on the other side per se - I'm really just trying to get the raw materials/grounding in the best thought around so that I have something to build on.

@Joe - thanks! all items duly noted. thanks also for your passionately argued case around Atlas

@Clara - thanks for suggestion! added to my list

@Juliana - appreciate the advice! adding your suggestions to the list.

@Jay - Thanks, I have a feelin I will love that piece, I've loved everything I've read by Emerson so far

@Raina - Great tip on PhilosopherNotes! Thanks, I think I will get a subscription.

Also, I'd like to plug my latest blog post, hope you don't mind - "Walt Whitman, Jeans and the Ethos of Gen-Y" - http://bit.ly/b2AEar
99 weeks ago

Tariq West: @Jay I've read a couple of those, the others sound great! Thanks again.
99 weeks ago

Jay Hepner: Whitman and Jeans? Gotta love it. Dan Pink's Whole New Mind also a must.
99 weeks ago

Tariq West: @Jay - I will never forget my first and only meeting with Dan Pink - he spoke at my high-school and stuck around after to chat with my econ class. ...More@Jay - I will never forget my first and only meeting with Dan Pink - he spoke at my high-school and stuck around after to chat with my econ class. If I could change anything, I wouldn't have been a smartass and told him he looked like Bob Sagit - he gets it all the time and he is not amused by it. I'm gonna have something redeemingly smart to say next time I meet him.
99 weeks ago

Naomi Williams: Just visited Dan Pink's website. Whole New Mind seems interesting, so I just ordered it from Amazon. I'm always looking for a good read. His new ...MoreJust visited Dan Pink's website. Whole New Mind seems interesting, so I just ordered it from Amazon. I'm always looking for a good read. His new book Drive also seems to be a must buy. I also plan on reading Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner.
96 weeks ago

paulmacp: @naimi I just posted a presentation (and my thoughts of it) that Dan did at Ted... 18 minutes worth watching.

"What Motivates You?" More@naimi I just posted a presentation (and my thoughts of it) that Dan did at Ted... 18 minutes worth watching.

"What Motivates You?" http://bit.ly/ck1BIh
96 weeks ago

Stephanie: I'm surprised no one has suggested "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, especially since it pertains so much to the ...MoreI'm surprised no one has suggested "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, especially since it pertains so much to the workplace! I would also recommend anything in the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" series by Richard Carlson.
96 weeks ago

Laura McCallum: Stephanie, those are both excellent reads, both in my library. Much depends on what Tariq wants to learn, since the list of books available out ...MoreStephanie, those are both excellent reads, both in my library. Much depends on what Tariq wants to learn, since the list of books available out there are truly endless!
96 weeks ago

Sean Cook: Career Renegade, by Jonathan Fields. How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of Your Career by Jason Seiden. #entryleveltweet by ...MoreCareer Renegade, by Jonathan Fields. How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of Your Career by Jason Seiden. #entryleveltweet by heather huhman
96 weeks ago

Ed Barrientos: Mark Twain's, The Innocents Abroad, Hemmingway's, The Sun Also Rises, Stephenson's, Snow Crash, everything from Emerson, Great Expectations, I ...MoreMark Twain's, The Innocents Abroad, Hemmingway's, The Sun Also Rises, Stephenson's, Snow Crash, everything from Emerson, Great Expectations, I have to also agree with Jay on the Catcher in Rye and for fun, read all the Rabbit books from John Updike.
96 weeks ago

: I just finished "The Image" by Daniel Boorstin and it changed the way I look at the modern world. You've got Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to ...MoreI just finished "The Image" by Daniel Boorstin and it changed the way I look at the modern world. You've got Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" in there, which is also great-- and which takes a lot from Boorstin, so I would read him first. Overall, GREAT LIST!
96 weeks ago

: I started an Ayn Rand thread over at the 'Book Shelf' network if anyone is interested in continuing it; I know I'm finding all this back and forth ...MoreI started an Ayn Rand thread over at the 'Book Shelf' network if anyone is interested in continuing it; I know I'm finding all this back and forth on Rand to be pretty engaging.
96 weeks ago

Stephanie: Good luck reading all these books! It seems you're set for life now, Tariq.
95 weeks ago

Tariq West: Thanks for the entries @Stephanie, @MOlly , @Sean and @Ed. I really wish I had the time to read now like I did in elementary/middle school. I used ...MoreThanks for the entries @Stephanie, @MOlly , @Sean and @Ed. I really wish I had the time to read now like I did in elementary/middle school. I used to read 150-300pgs a day pretty much everyday - I'd finish all of these in short order.
95 weeks ago

Stephanie: I would say just to take 15 minutes every day to read and relax a little bit, Tariq, whether it be just before bed, on the Subway, at lunch by ...MoreI would say just to take 15 minutes every day to read and relax a little bit, Tariq, whether it be just before bed, on the Subway, at lunch by yourself, whenever.
95 weeks ago

Mike Ambassador Bruny: Great sharing. Here is review I did of Emerson's Self Reliance: MoreGreat sharing. Here is review I did of Emerson's Self Reliance: http://bit.ly/self-reliance-blog

Your Ambassador,
Mike Bruny
93 weeks ago

Mike Ambassador Bruny: Oops, I forgot to add, "The Science of Getting Rich" It's the precursor to "Think and Grow Rich." Short read. I just finished reading it on ...MoreOops, I forgot to add, "The Science of Getting Rich" It's the precursor to "Think and Grow Rich." Short read. I just finished reading it on Google Books.
93 weeks ago

Jennifer Koren: I've only read Memoirs of a Geisha but what a fantastic book it was.
93 weeks ago

Tameem Qazi: i would recommend Paulo Coelho's Brida.
93 weeks ago

Doug Mitchell: Very interesting exchange and that's quite an exhaustive list of great books, Is the list there so you can pick and choose as you go through life?
93 weeks ago

Stacyann Forrester: I second Brida and readable in one day
93 weeks ago

: Two easy and quick reads, but what I consider essential.

1. "The Art of Living" by Epictetus. I can't say enough about this book. Stoic ...MoreTwo easy and quick reads, but what I consider essential.

1. "The Art of Living" by Epictetus. I can't say enough about this book. Stoic philosophy at its best.

2. "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint Exupery. This is a "childrens" book that is chock-full of philosophy. There is no better book out there that drives self-reflection like this book.

I usually revisit these books a couple times a year. They are always really good reality checks for me.
93 weeks ago

Mike Ambassador Bruny: @Scott R. - I going to check out your two referrals. I think i've heard of "The Art of Living" as referred to by Tim Ferriss in one of his blogs ...More@Scott R. - I going to check out your two referrals. I think i've heard of "The Art of Living" as referred to by Tim Ferriss in one of his blogs on stoicism http://bit.ly/9fm3iC

Your Ambassador,
Bruny
93 weeks ago

: @Mike B. - Didn't know that the Ferriss had popularized Epictetus. It's a great book. I had a college professor give me a copy about several years ...More@Mike B. - Didn't know that the Ferriss had popularized Epictetus. It's a great book. I had a college professor give me a copy about several years ago and told me that book would change my life. It has.
93 weeks ago

Mike Ambassador Bruny: @Scott R.: I'm looking forward to checking it out.
93 weeks ago

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