Cheryl Strayed thought she’d lost everything at 22. Then, her mother’s passing, family trouble, and divorce drove her to an impulsive decision – to walk more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Wild will inspire you to see your true self-worth and capabilities. History and Biography Books Worth Reading 37. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Having read this and several other works by Watts while still in high school, I am unsure of a proper rating. At the time he was very influential, but then I knew so little and was so very unhappy. It is one of the cliches of parenthood that the behaviour which comes most easily (a reproving tone of voice, say, or an attitude to your child’s tears) reflects what your parents did with you. It takes a while to realise that what feels like instinct is often an inheritance, that just because something comes “naturally” it is not necessarily constructive. It may get in the way, first, of the relationship between parent and child, and then, because this relationship provides the foundation for all future relationships, of how the child will get on in the world.

One last note for those who listen to the audiobook. The reader is quite competent, but if you are already familiar with Alan Watts, and have listened to recordings of him delivering his own material, you may find it jarring. Watts was a master speaker with a distinctive style. He had a voice you could say twinkled with a perpetual grin hidden in its cadences. No voice, however competent, sounds quite right reading Watts’ work. If you have never listened to Alan Watts, here’s a clip: Children are not problems to be fixed’ … a trip to the naughty step. Photograph: Elva Etienne/Getty Images Orwell tells a fairy tale of a revolution against tyranny that ends in even more unjust totalitarianism. The animals on the farm are rife with idealism and desire to create a world of justice, equality, and progress. However, the new regimen attempts to control every aspect of the animals’ lives. 13. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray BradburyThe Book Thief is a story of bravery, hope, and friendship in a time of Nazi tyranny. Narrated by Death itself, this novel will have you holding your breath for chapters at a time. 9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

In Notes From a Small Island, Bill Bryson shares a hilarious commentary of his jaunt through the United Kingdom – from the center of government at Downing Street, London, to the Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. 35. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts Letters to my Daughter - Letters to my children - Letters to my Son - Letters to you As you Grow - Personalised Journal - Letters to my Baby It's like, man, you know, we are all just totally sort of like the various colors of Fruity Pebbles in a bowl -- sure we are individual, but we are all One, in that cosmic Milk, bound by Bowl, crunchy, then soft, then edible, then digested..." Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is said to be the quintessential novel of the Jazz Age. Set in 1922 amongst unfathomable indulgence and decadence, the novel highlights a man’s struggle to earn the love of the woman he’s obsessed with. Business and Money Must-Read Books 20. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill First published in 1936, Dale Carnegie’s classic self-help book has stood the test of time. How to Win Friends and Influence People will teach you straightforward methods to improve your relationships – and as a result, your business and personal lives. 26. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles DuhiggBefore her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few. He knows that we are thrown into a world and the world makes us and he wants us to question that. The author doesn’t quote Heidegger and there really seemed to be a lot of post ‘Being and Time’ Heidegger within this author. Most people probably won’t get that allusion, so I will elaborate. Heidegger hates how technology is separating us from ourselves and this author definitely has that floating around within his story, and Heidegger has a ‘spiritualism’ of sorts and this author seemed to have that too. An Authentic You that finally feels the solid ground beneath its feet again - on the day it sees its familiar and cozy world is in fact BRUTALLY DISHONEST.

The core of his argument is that Western society is plagued with an overabundance of ego. Which is not to say that we are overly full of ourselves (OK, that is kind of what it says), but that our confusion, frustration with life, and overall isolation from one another stems from this cultural meme that the individual exists wholly separate from everything else.Think of fads, peer pressure, endlessly distracting breaking news releases, keeping up with the Joneses, inane pop-up ads, family demands... the list is endless!