What you should be reading this summer
Tyler Cowen wrote a list of the books which influenced him the most. Others followed suit – yours truly included – and here’s Tyler’s round-up of the lists:
1. Peter Suderman’s “most influential” book list.
4. Michael Martin’s book list.
Matt Yglesias has one of his own, and adds:
There’s not a lot here that’s relevant, obviously, to my specific views on health reform or tax policy or climate change or mass transit. But that’s as it should be. The really important influences are on how you think about things. [emphasis added, EK]
Exactly right! It’s interesting how some of these lists are very heavy on poli-sci and economics, whereas others (like Suderman’s list, or my own) are much more steeped in fiction. My own list was purposefully a list of childhood books, because I think those books influence ‘how you think about things’ the most. And those stories and myths I read as a child still influence how I think about things more than any of the political works I read now. Also, I tend to read more short-form politics (blogs, essays, articles) and spend my long-form reading hours immersed in fiction.
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I Am The Cheese is indeed a masterpiece. I read all of Cormier’s books as a youngster — and had the pleasure of meeting him before I died. What a talent.
“before I died.”
LOL
I must remember to read comments before submitting.
I actually met Cormier before HE died.
Well, also before you died…
In response to another comment. See in context »I now had an idea why so few conservatives have a sense of humor…I fell asleep halfway through Martin’ list. Caplin…Nietzsche and Rand downright scary.
E.D…I think we could have a conversation about the real world.
It’s funny you’d phrase it like that, given that my list is almost all fantasy…
But I agree.
In response to another comment. See in context »Caught me there…but what better way to view and understand the world than to detach from it? Consider the bible…
In response to another comment. See in context »Definitely read Iain *M* Banks, Culture or not – he’s a skilled writer although his worlds and plots are an order of magnitude simpler than Erikson. Mieville hasn’t topped “Perdido Street Station” yet. “The City and the City” would be good for someone else, but I’d reread PSS before I’d read it the first time.
I’m about to embark on the Erikson saga for real now that the end is in sight. Been too badly burned by GRRM and RJ to fully commit to unfinished unlimited book series.
I was very pleased to see so many books on your list that would be on my own. No wonder I follow your posts!
Crime and Punishment was a brilliant novel, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy since it was assigned in school, Watership Down I long considered my favorite book (despite being teased by friends as I carried it to class in junior high for reading a “bunny book”), and I actually just re-read the Prydain Chronicles last summer for one last time before giving them to my nephew; I hope he’ll enjoy them as much as I did. As you say, The Lord of the Rings is a staple on the list of any fantasy reader and Narnia, Terabithia, Mrs. Frisby, The Last Unicorn and Wind in the Willows would all place high on my list.
The books that I would add would be Frank Herbert’s Dune series, and his The White Plague, Huckleberry Finn, and Tolkien’s Silmarillion. And more recently, Fight Club and High Fidelity (Both of whose companion movies did great justice to the books).
It’s hard for me to put any one of these above another, because they’ve all had an impact on me in one way or another, but there’s my top list for you.