100 Must-Read Books: The Essential Man’s Library

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/05/14/100-must-read-books-the-essential-mans-library/

by nickb • 18 years ago

10 20 18 years ago

ojbyrne2• 18 years ago

The Top N lists feel so much like digg. Books are pretty personal decisions - the first page included a few large, challenging books that personally I couldn't be bothered with, and it really felt like stuff was shoehorned in just because it was "supposed" to be there. But I have read other large challenging books and been rewarded, so maybe that's just me.

Personally I'd recommend

- read more than 100 books.

- read "Catch 22" - the blurb here does not do justice to how funny the book is. I still remember how much my sides hurt.

thaumaturgy2• 18 years ago

Yay, I'm going to model my library after someone else's opinion of what I ought to read! Literature ought to be a popularity contest!

I think I've read over half of the volumes mentioned there, and disliked a lot of them. I thought "The Grapes of Wrath" was awful, and never did figure out why anybody was ever impressed by "The Catcher In The Rye". To me, both of those were good examples of books that people read because other people read them, and nobody can really describe why they're so profound, but since everybody else has read them, they must be. And, among all these "profound" works, they included "Into Thin Air". I enjoyed it, and I used to be a climber, but what's it doing on that list?

Then, there are the many titles not found on the list. How about "The Decameron", for one? "Pale Blue Dot"? "A Brief History of Time"? "Cosmos"? "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam"?

And, I'd argue that reading should be done as much for enjoyment as for edification. So, why not some "Calvin and Hobbes"? Or "Words I Wish I Wrote"? Or some Neil Gaiman or Greg Bear or George RR Martin?

I'm not ranting at you; I agree with you 100%. Your comment just seemed like an appropriate place to attach a rant against the article. :-)

ojbyrne2• 18 years ago

Just to illustrate the gist of what both of us are saying, I loved "Catcher in the Rye." It was my disaffected youth, so I identified strongly with Holden Caulfield.

menloparkbum• 18 years ago

I hate to agree with "artofmanliness.com", but aside from the obligatory Ayn Rand bullshit, the list wasn't too bad.

aaronblohowiak• 18 years ago

Why is Ayn Rand bullshit?

mikedouglas• 18 years ago

You don't need to write a 600 page book to convince people to be selfish.

nazgulnarsil5• 18 years ago

most hackers are already anarchistic and or libertarians so it isn't surprising that we think Ayn Rand is bullshit. We're already individualistic and questioning of the status quo. But for people whom aren't like this Ayn Rand can be an important author to read. For example women tend to be more caring and communal instead of selfish and rational. It doesn't surprise me that successful business women really like Atlas Shrugged. They need to hear a justification for the pursuit of selfish aims moreso than a libertarian does.

The things that hit close to home but are slightly off bother people a lot more than things from left field. evangelical christians touting their creationist museum bothers me more than muslims beating women, even though the latter is worse. The evangelicals are in my backyard. Likewise libertarians are bothered by Rand because she espouses some of our ideals but horribly twists others.

as• 18 years ago

Can you elaborate on the differences?

mattmaroon5• 18 years ago

Hackers are more liberal than libertarian. Rand embodies libertarianism. I assume that's what you meant?

nazgulnarsil5• 18 years ago

what definition of liberal and libertarian are you going on?

mattmaroon5• 18 years ago

Wow is that the worst website I've ever seen. It's like someone took this Skin Bracer advertisement and turned it into a blog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9znxZRWQc4

gabriel• 18 years ago

I never liked long lists of books, they tend to freak readers out too much. I think someone should pick one and if that one is any good, then it will lead you to the next, whatever it may be. Repeat as necessary :)

maurycy• 18 years ago

Fiction books are overrated. I've read most of the books listed there and I don't have an impression that they've changed my life or my way of thinking. The only reason why I did so was social pressure to be an erudit. 100 of these books will change you less than Blackswan etc.

100 Must-Read Books: The Essential Man’s Library

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