Books Every Person Should Read

We all learned in school that there are literary classics and that if we wanted to be knowledgeable about books, those were the books to read. Subsequently, you will often see questions about these writings on trivia shows such as Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and most recently 1 vs. 100.

That's all well and good, but what do we learn from those books? That should we ever aspire to win money on television, it would be necessary to know the words contained within frontwards and backwards.

Such classics include Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, The Iliad, etc. etc. I will be honest and let everyone know, I have never read these books. They may be on my list of things to read, but the reason I continue to push them down is that I keep discovering lesser-known books that absolutely astound me.

Although I believe there are many who enjoy classic literature (and personally know them), I also think everyone would benefit from stepping outside of the box and jumping into a book they might otherwise have never known existed.

This brings me to my recommendations. The following books have given me so much insight into my own life and myself as an individual. I strongly encourage everyone to read these books.

Kahlil Gibran - The Prophet

Years ago, during one of many quote searches, I discovered the following by Kahlil Gibran and immediately fell in love with it: "And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."

More recently, a friend recommended this book to me, and I recognized the author's name as having said this quote I have cherished for so long. Of course, the book immediately went onto my Christmas list, and it was presented to me on the holiday along with many others.

Written in the format of parting words from a man who must leave those who look up to him for knowledge, The Prophet never ceases to amaze me. Within the short period I have had this book, I have read it many times over. It's poetic and inspiring. And short. Only ninety-six pages.

Written on the back cover is the following regards of the author from Claude Bragdon, "His power came from some great reservoir of spiritual life else it could not have been so universal and potent, but the majesty and beauty of the language with which he clothed it were all his own."

James Redfield - The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure

This one is longer, but make sure you get the adventure parable. There were a number of books written afterward intended for use as guides or expansions to this one.

This book regards a new spiritual awareness within the first years of the current century (right now). The most important thing to remember when reading this book is not to rush through. It is most useful when the reader takes his or her time, stopping when they no longer feel motivated to read. Beginning when they get the sudden urge to know what is happening to the main character.

I know, I'm with you. I like books that I can read front to back and never get bored. It isn't like that. It doesn't bore you. It makes you want to experience what the narrator experiences. It's hard to explain, but you need to trust me.

Take your time, think about the adventures, and you will begin to notice your own similarities to the main character. This book has made me much more aware of myself and my goals.

These two books should be enough to appease your hunger until the next installment gets published, so get reading.