5 Non-Fiction Books You Must Read

I have read a lot of books, especially non-fiction. Five of these books seem to stand the test of time and continue to inspire and awe me. I would like to share these with you. A few you have probably read and some you may have never heard of. These books are guaranteed to change your life or, at least, change the way you think about certain things.

1. The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Dr. Julian Jaynes. This book is by far the most important book ever written, in my opinion. Dr. Jaynes' research into the human consciousness is a work far superior to any ever written on the subject. His work has never been given the importance by his peers that it deserves. I parallel this to Copernicus' heliocentric cosmology and the reaction of that time period. One day in the far future Dr. Julian Jaynes will be regarded as the real starting point of Psychology. This book is heavy reading and not for the faint of heart. Read it at your own risk, especially if you are a Psychologist.

2. How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne. This is another excellent, must read, book. Harry Browne wrote a lot of books. All of his books are good reading, but this one stands out as one of the best I have ever read. He has an unique way of stating the obvious and clarifying your thinking on the many things he hits on in the book. Harry Browne is known as an investment genius and ran for President of the United States under the Libertarian Party. Harry is one of the least hypocritical humans I have ever spoken to. He lived his life for the betterment of mankind and I can think of no one to be a better role model to our children.

3. Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution by Dr. Robert C. Atkins. This is the original book he wrote in 1972. All other editions don't count. If you haven't read this original version then you don't really know the real diet he developed. He was under tremendous pressure from his peers to change a lot of the concepts contained in the original book. I guess he gave in to them under the guise of "improving" the diet. I was on the original diet and have read the modifications to it in his later books. I can tell you, first hand, that the original is the best and purist form of the low-carb diet.

4. Aerobics by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper. Read only the original book to get the real story. Dr. Cooper came out with this book in 1968 and he was the one that originated the term "aerobics". He developed the concept as a project for the U.S. Air Force. It is still valid today more than any of the fads developed from it.

5. Wealth 101 - Wealth is Much More Than Money by John-Roger & Peter McWilliams. This book is part of The Life 101 Series. I keep this book handy and have read it many times. It seems to find greater and greater meaning as you develop on a personal level. This book, as with all the books listed above, should be required reading in high school and college.