Stumble It!
Sep 09 2008
A List of Great Books to Stimulate Great Minds
Gladwell’s The Tipping Point
Here is a short but loaded list of great books to read!
As a Man Thinketh (1902) and The Heavenly Life (Year N/A) both books by James Allen
James Allen presents both works a as testament to both wonders and horrors of human thought. In As a Man Thinketh he talks of how or every thought shapes our every action and that a person is the sum of what and how he thinks. In the Heavenly Life he makes goodness a reality to be found through everyday things and helps the reader to see the divinity of each moment as it comes.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
This New York Times best seller explores how ideas spread. Everything from Hush Puppies to Sesame Street and major crime is broken down into smallest terms. Gladwell examines why certain people can spread ideas better than others and which ideas work and why. It’s a great read for anyone in Business and marketing and anyone who looking to better understand the motives of people.
1984 by George Orwell (1949)
In today’s age of unpopular wars, wiretapping and political fervor, 1984 (also written as Nineteen Eighty-Four) tells the story of Winston Smith a historical fabricator for a the totalitarian government of Oceania who sets out to find the truth and finds only manipulation in the process. It’s a classic sci-fi horror story of thought control and what can result from it.
Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings by Edited by Marcus Borg (1997)
This book is A awe-inspiring look at how Jesus Christ and the Buddha while separated by 500 years and huge geographical barriers were nearly identical in their life stories and views on humanity. Jesus and Buddha is a great starting point for anyone interested in comparative religion.
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (1794, 1795, 1807)
In this Age of Enlightenment piece, Paine takes sharp, decisive aim at the notion of Biblical Infallibility citing lapses in mathamatics, logic, proofreading and overall continuity. Even religious folks can digest some of Paine’s views with a proverbial grain of salt. Paine claims that nature is the truest Word of God.
A Clockwork Orange (with the 21st chapter) by Anthony Burgess (1962)
Young Alex is a teen with a taste for Beethoven, rape an murder who is placed in a Government reform treatment program at the price of his free will. The story examines the importance of free will in becoming a “good” person.
Read waxfully!
Hi, There:
Just wanted to say congrats on putting a Clockwork Orange in your list. I’m sure most people are familiar only with the movie — which was especially disturbing, and still is, to watch — but the book is, in many ways, more powerful than the film.
Dan
http://indycomics.today.com
I agree: the book is a great read. It used to be really hard to get in Ireland, due to the controversy over the movie, but I believe they’ve calmed down now.
Thanks for the list of good suggestions.