I've read a
lot of books. Many have been mostly a waste of time and energy, but
several have stood the test of time and have become my favorites. It
should go without saying that I would recommend these books, or rather
it would have had I not just said it, but I would not recommend them to
just anyone. You have to have a special kind of intellectual curiosity
in order to appreciate these eclectic titles. In fact, if you're a
complete geek you might even make a WEB PAGE about them! I've also
embedded links to Amazon.com so you can buy them immediately. If you buy
them from these links, I get a cut, so hook me up! ;)  |
Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson |
| My first introduction to modern fantasy literature. Donaldson uses big words very precisely. He gave me my first introduction to the benefits of a large vocabulary. |
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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams |
| Douglas Adams does for the English language what Mario Andretti does for cars; he shows you what they can do! This is an incredibly intricate yet excruciatingly funny series. |
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Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter |
| This book was my introduction to Cognitive Science and the beginning of the end of my faith in religion. It is an incredible blend of genetics, music, art, illusion, cognition, intelligence, and paradox. |
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The Mind's I by Douglas R. Hoffstadter and Daniel Dennett |
| Though this tome preceded the preceding tome on my list, I read it later. It contains many thought-provoking stories which illustrate the concepts and contradictions of consciousness. |
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Creating Short Fiction by Damon Knight |
| My introduction to the notion that not everything you think is always necessarily accessible to your consciousness! Damon Knight relates techniques of collaboration with "Fred," your creative unconscious. |
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The Moral Animal by Robert Wright |
| My introduction to the new field of Evolutionary Psychology. The model of human motivation portrayed by Wright may be pure conjecture, but it sure explains women! |
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Enter The Zone by Dr. Barry Sears |
| Dr. Barry Sears has revolutionized the science of human nutrition with his studies of hormone-control hormones, called "eicosanoids," and the effects of macronutrient intake on somatic eicosanoid concentration. It basically says to eat frequent small, balanced meals which are low in simple carbohydrates, such that you take in adequate protein to maintain your body's muscle mass. It's expensive, but it works! |
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Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings |
| David Eddings is the master of the stereotype! His characters attain an incredible depth by drawing heavily on our preconceived notions of character-types. He also does pretty good at writing cliffhangers so you have to get the next novel to find out how it all turns out. |