
Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once

Books that encourage thought
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flag this list (?)
17,525 books · 81,694 voters · list created July 11th, 2008 by Deth Graham (votes) .
12669 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Deth 1385 books
78 friends
Sidney 18 books
12 friends
Gina 817 books
68 friends
Layne 278 books
6 friends
Randy 777 books
26 friends
Steven 16101 books
2196 friends
Julie (jjmachshev) 3169 books
302 friends
Eastofoz 3698 books
357 friends

More voters…


Comments (showing 1-50 of 756) (756 new)


message 1: by Debbie (new)

Debbie i dnot think you can get a copy of uncle toms cabin any more


message 2: by Mary Todd (new)

Mary Todd What a great list!


message 3: by Wendy (new)

Wendy Wanderer Of course you can get Uncle tom's Cabin... why wouldn't you be able to.? It's required reading in many school districts.


message 4: by [deleted user] (new)

Not only can you still get it, there's a handsome new illustrated and annotated edition, published in 2007, with an introduction by Henry Louis Gates Jr.



message 5: by Robbie (new)

Robbie I am absolutely delighted by this great list of books. A thousand thanks. I have read quite a few of these myself. Right now I'm into an Indian philosophy phase!

Try these Epic Indian philosophical books if you find the time> The BHAGAVAD GITA, The MAHABHARATA and RAMAYANA.

Keep on reading folks! It's the best way to be healthy and have a sound mind! Cheers to all!

Regards,
Robbie





message 6: by Tony (new)

Tony Willis About the tenacity and the strength of the human heart. About true courage and goodness in the face of horror and evil. About the reason for living, about life and love, about enduring rock solid faith tried to the limit of endurance and yet unshaken.


message 7: by Faera (new)

Faera I skimmed through this list and there are some very horribly written books on it. Like Twilight and the Bible for instance.


message 8: by Melynna (new)

Melynna Faera wrote: "I skimmed through this list and there are some very horribly written books on it. Like Twilight and the Bible for instance."

No matter your personal opinion about those books, there are good reasons why they're on this list. The fact is that both of them are very influential to people, and the Bible has been influential in shaping the way people and societies act for centuries. Even if you hate it the whole way through, it behooves you to read it at least once.

As for Twilight, I personally hate it. But it's at least something to be familiar with, since it's such a cultural phenomenon. I would agree with you, though, that Twilight is an abysmally written book. It and its sequels are some of the worst things I've ever read. I did read them, though, because I think I'm better off informed.


message 9: by Robbie (new)

Robbie Tony wrote: "About the tenacity and the strength of the human heart. About true courage and goodness in the face of horror and evil. About the reason for living, about life and love, about enduring rock solid f..."

Thank you Tony, I couldn't have put it better myself. I have found all these in the Books I recommended. It is pocket of fresh air to say the least. The mind behind these writings is fantastic! Cheers again for the great review!


message 10: by Maral (new)

Maral Espanol this list is so great! i'm gonna start reading them!


message 11: by [deleted user] (new)

Debbie wrote: "i dnot think you can get a copy of uncle toms cabin any more"

Um. Yes you can, I have one. Try going to Barnes and Noble.




message 12: by Mary (new)

Mary Animal Farm and Atlas Shrugged are absolutely books you must read AT THIS TIME in the USA before it is too late to change our path


message 13: by Melynda (new)

Melynda Yesenia Mary wrote: "Animal Farm and Atlas Shrugged are absolutely books you must read AT THIS TIME in the USA before it is too late to change our path"

I've been saying this about Atlas Shrugged to a lot of my friends for years and they seem to think i'm just trying to proselytise about objectivism but seriously. It's downright uncanny. You can practically use it as a play book now. It is both terrifying and uplifting to read this novel at this time in our history.



message 14: by arianna (new)

arianna This list is great! i hope people keep adding books to it!


message 15: by arianna (new)

arianna Melynna wrote: "Faera wrote: "I skimmed through this list and there are some very horribly written books on it. Like Twilight and the Bible for instance."

No matter your personal opinion about those books, there ..."


I have to agree with you on twilight and once again i would like to emphaisze the bile. I think the bible is one of the greatest worsk of fiction i have ever read, and has a lot of good moral stories in it. Killing people is bad, be nice to your neighbors, don't be a dickhead. All of these lessons are taught in the bible just like in Aseop's fables using rich enigmatic characters. It's just when you take it is Literal infallible truth no questions asked that the battle begins, you know?



message 17: by arianna (new)

arianna John wrote: "[b:The Name of the Rose including Postscript to the Name of the Rose|119073|The Name of the Rose including Postscript to the Name of the Rose|Umberto Eco|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I......"


when i click on this it comes up as an error...



message 18: by edna (new)

edna the book of mormon and twilight? you've got to be kididng me, now i do like twilight but not to be put aside with to kill a mocking bird or the catcher and the rye. shouldnt even be in this list, and dont get me started on the book of mormon, uuuuuughhh


message 19: by [deleted user] (new)

LOL! I agree with you about the book of Mormon! But altho I had to read To Kill a Mockingbird it bored me, however, I could barely put Twilight down!!! Much more entertaining IMO.

Then I had to buy the next 3 and I was never bored.


message 20: by Poe (new)

Poe Bird I love that Dr Suess made it onto the list, and more than once! And the Tao of Pooh. However I'm disappointed that One Hundred Years of Solitude made it onto the list, and not Love in the Time of Cholera. Ah well, different strokes.


message 21: by [deleted user] (new)

Poe wrote: "I love that Dr Suess made it onto the list, and more than once! And the Tao of Pooh. However I'm disappointed that One Hundred Years of Solitude made it onto the list, and not Love in the Time of C..."

Well, you can certainly add it, can't you?




message 22: by arianna (new)

arianna Canary Alice wrote: "Poe wrote: "I love that Dr Suess made it onto the list, and more than once! And the Tao of Pooh. However I'm disappointed that One Hundred Years of Solitude made it onto the list, and not Love in t..."


i'm adding it right now...



message 23: by Debbie (last edited Mar 30, 2009 06:11PM) (new)

Debbie James McBride's Song Yet Sung should be added to the list.

Regarding the books already on the list...it doesn't that they are necessarily well written or fiction/non-fiction...the group is "Books Everyone Should Read at Least Once - Books that Impact Thinking." Quality is not required...however, enlightenment might be, which does not require agreement. Live a little!


message 24: by arianna (new)

arianna Debbie wrote: "James McBride's Song Yet Sung should be added to the list.

Regarding the books already on the list...it doesn't that they are necessarily well written or fiction/non-fiction...the group is "Book..."



AMEN!



message 25: by arianna (new)

arianna Debbie wrote: "James McBride's Song Yet Sung should be added to the list.

Regarding the books already on the list...it doesn't that they are necessarily well written or fiction/non-fiction...the group is "Book..."



oh and i'm adding your book...



message 26: by Melissa (new)

Melissa Debbie wrote: "i dnot think you can get a copy of uncle toms cabin any more"

I just got a copy a few months ago at Barnes and Nobel in thier classic books for under $10.


message 27: by Caitlin (new)

Caitlin Is there a way to save a list so I can return to it without searching?


message 28: by Karen (new)

Karen From Beirut to Jerusalem
Thomas Friedman can take the most complicated subject (here the Arab/Israeli conflict) and make it read like a novel. This is my favorite of his books but all are worth reading.


message 29: by arianna (new)

arianna TURQOISE* wrote: "You must remove those comercial books, like HP and Twilight"

i don't think you can, once they are on there, they're on there.


message 31: by [deleted user] (new)

I have never read Twilight but I have seen the movie! Is the book better then the movie?


message 33: by Julie (new)

Julie Jamieson This is my favorite book of all time. But it didn't make the list:( booo



message 34: by Mandy (new)

Mandy Erg. Why does every one always feel the need to share how much they hate Twilight in these types of lists? All these books are so popular that there are tons of people who like and dont like them. Twilights popular. Get over it.


message 35: by Mark (new)

Mark Wendy wrote: "Of course you can get Uncle tom's Cabin... why wouldn't you be able to.? It's required reading in many school districts. "

in addition to uncle tom's cabin u might be interested in "To Master, A Long Goodnight" by Brion Gysin a bio ov josiah henson thee "real" uncle tom and on an unrelated matter read ANTICHRIST SUPERSTUD painless at scribd.com




message 36: by Vanessa (new)

Vanessa Debbie wrote: "i dnot think you can get a copy of uncle toms cabin any more"

Yes, you can get Uncle Tom's Cabin. My daughter had to read it last year in school. I got a copy from the library and then bought a copy as well at Barnes and Noble.




message 37: by Kitty (new)

Kitty Debbie, its probably at your local library





message 38: by Zeinab (new)

Zeinab Awesome list! :]


message 39: by Kristina (new)

Kristina Amazing list - I've realised, that I already read quite a few if them and that I have a lot of them on my to-read list.
But as many of you said before, it's weird which books also find their place in this list - Bible I understand and Mormon book also. But Twilight? Weird. I'm just waiting to find Asterix and Obelix up here...


message 40: by Angryy0uth (new)

Angryy0uth 41: Erg. Why does every one always feel the need to share how much they hate Twilight in these types of lists? All these books are so popular that there are tons of people who like and dont like them. Twilights popular. Get over it.

it's quite simple really. as long as there are people out there who rave and rant about how great twilight is (and nominating it for best book of ______), you're going to have a backlash. get used to it.

but to be fair, i agree that it should be on this list, so people can read it and realise how bad it is.


message 41: by Mml (new)

Mml Melynna wrote: "Faera wrote: "I skimmed through this list and there are some very horribly written books on it. Like Twilight and the Bible for instance."

No matter your personal opinion about those books, there ..."


I am glad someone else dislikes Twlight, I really hated it.


message 42: by Patrick (new)

Patrick Debbie wrote: "i dnot think you can get a copy of uncle toms cabin any more"

are you serious? check out some used-book stores



message 43: by Leslie (new)

Leslie I got a copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin, new from Books a Million


message 44: by Laikhuram (last edited Sep 07, 2009 07:53AM) (new)

Laikhuram Recently I went searching for this very enlightening book by Ivan Illich, Deschooling Society, only to find that it has been out of print for ages...


BTW, my friends here, please be very careful what you read. Books changes life and society. Reading books like Twilight will send the human mind back to the days of stones and cavalry, if not amoebas.


message 45: by Laikhuram (new)

Laikhuram m wrote: "Mary wrote: "Animal Farm and Atlas Shrugged are absolutely books you must read AT THIS TIME in the USA before it is too late to change our path"

I've been saying this about Atlas Shrugged to a lot..."


Same goes with Nineteen Eightyfour. This is the age of distortion, not reason. America and the world need another Thomas Paine.



message 46: by Jan C (new)

Jan C " I skimmed through this list and there are some very horribly written books on it. Like Twilight and the Bible for instance. "

Twilight somehow always makes every list. Along with The Book of Mormon.

What I objected to about the Bible being on the list was the version used - the MORMON version. Should have been the KING JAMES.





message 47: by Marianne (new)

Marianne I do not understand finishing a book ones finds abyssmal or continuing to read the whole series to be better informed. I read up to page 84 of Twilight and could get no further, it was so poorly written. I read for enjoyment, enlightment, new knowledge, self-growth or just plain escape. Twilight offered me none of those, I returned it to my very good friend who enjoyed it immensely. To each his own.


message 48: by Mary_z (new)

Mary_z Hay guys. Added "Anathema Rhodes: Dreams" to the list. Will add more soon.


message 49: by Margo (new)

Margo Debbie wrote: "i dnot think you can get a copy of uncle toms cabin any more"

im sure you can


message 50: by Margo (new)

Margo Melynna wrote: "Faera wrote: "I skimmed through this list and there are some very horribly written books on it. Like Twilight and the Bible for instance."

No matter your personal opinion about those books, there ..."


totally agreed with the other person


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