Eight Must Read Books

The Bible. Whether you believe it or not, the Bible is a very important book to read if you wish to exist as a successful individual in modern society. It's the source of a boatload of allusions that you will find in modern culture, even popular culture. It even teaches a good moral or two.

The Art Of War. This was pretty much the first book that said: "To hell with the honor, I want to live (and maybe even win)." The book relays to the reader the dirty side of victory; things that, during the time it was written, were considered very dishonorable to do or to talk about. The Art Of War encourages dirty tactics, subversion, and even guerrilla warfare. It has continued to inspire casual readers, thinkers, philosophers, and ruthless businessmen for thousands of years.

The Tao Te Ching. Written by Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching serves as the basic outline for Taoism. It teaches about the Tao by defining it through seemingly paradoxical poems and phrases. If you can find a good translation of the Tao Te Ching, I strongly suggest you buy it. If nothing else, it is a fascinating and beautiful read. If you study and examine it, you can certainly glean some great truths of life from it. In a way, it is an advocate of laissez-faire capitalism. The Tao Te Ching describes the wisest leader as the leader that does not lead.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Written by Friedrich Nietzsche, the great and infamous German philosopher, it is considered by many to be his magnum opus. It takes the form of a narrative and follows the protagonist, Zarathustra, on his travels. Zarathustra is a prophet and he sets out one day from his cave in the mountains to convey his message of enlightenment and power to the masses. The book is integral to Nietzsche's philosophy as a whole. It introduces the concept of Eternal Return, as well as the concept of the Ubermensch, which Hitler would eventually corrupt and use as propaganda in his war machine.

The Protocols of Zion. This is something quite seedy. It was written over a hundred years ago, and it allegedly describes the methods by which the world is being taken over by Jewish conspirators. Whether it is fiction or not, delusion, or not, it is an interesting read; it certainly does seem to describe, in detail, how one could go about taking over the world slowly and without notice over generations. In fact, many of the things it talks about seem to be in place even now. The patterns is seems to foreshadow are, indeed, unfolding. What could this mean for you and me? Time may tell. I, personally, doubt, however, that there is any conspiracy to take over the world--by the Jewish community at large, anyway.

Atlas Shrugged. Truly a masterpiece, Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is one of the most important pieces of literature in the past (I have to say) thousand years. With a compelling plot and a powerful message, Atlas Shrugged is a must-read book. It is also one of the longest books in the English language, though every word flies by. The book itself is a fantastic read. It follows Taggart Transcontinental in a near-future collapsing world economy, and the destruction that befalls several brilliant industrialists. Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and grew up as Socialsm was in full-swing. Having had extensive experience with Socialism, one must pay close attention to what her books tell us. Is America, nay, the world, headed towards Socialism? Who is John Galt?

The Unabomber Manifesto (The Future of Industrial Society). If ever there was a piece of writing that could instantly convert one into a militant environmentalist, this may be it. Written by Theodore (Ted) Kaczynski during the Unabomber bombings of the closing years of the century as justification for his acts of violence, The Future of Industrial Society talks of the psychology of mankind, what will be the results of mankind's continued interference, and more. It can be found online, for free. It is, at the very least, a fascinating look inside the mind of one of the most notorious killers in the nation's history.

The God Delusion. Why do we believe in God? What constitutes a religious experience? Why is the idea of divinity so wide-spread throughout the world? What makes us want to believe? In a compelling work by Richard Dawkins, these questions, and more, are examined. This book is great for skeptics and atheists, agnostics, and believers on the fence all the same. It exposes the psychology that is at work, how religion has proven itself an evolutionary advantage, why it propagates so well, and more. It is surely an eye and mind-opener.