My "top ten" books every student of International Relations should read Last week Tom Ricks offered us his "Top Ten list" of books any student of military history should read. The FP staff asked me to follow suit with some of my favorites from the world of international politics and foreign policy. What follows aren't necessarily the books I'd put on a graduate syllabus; instead, here are ten books that either had a big influence on my thinking, were a pleasure to read, or are of enduring value for someone trying to make sense of contemporary world politics. 1). An all-time classic, which I first read as a college sophomore. 2). Combines biology and macro-history in a compelling fashion, explaining why small differences in climate, population, agronomy, and the like turned out to have far-reaching effects on the evolution of human societies and the long-term balance of power. 3). He's a Nobel Prize winner now, so one expects a lot of smart ideas. 4). 5). 6). 7). Why do bad things happen to good peoples? 8). 9). So what did I miss?
74 Books to Read if You Love the Hunger Games If you haven't read the Hunger Games you really should! They're pretty awesome. Check them out: If you're already a fan of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins... You should add these books to your to be read pile! (The recommendations are in no particular order.) Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie In a world where Officials pick your perfect mate, what happens when you’ve two choices? Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner A boy wakes up in a Glade with other boys knowing only his name, not how he got there, or how to escape the enclosed walls. Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry A young boy is given the job to retain the Community’s memories and to advise them using that knowledge, but he doesn’t like what he sees when he knows the past. Books of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau A city of light amidst the darkness begins to go black and survival means finding a way out by going through the unknown. Uglies Quartet by Scott Westerfeld Selection Trilogy by Kiera Cass UPDATE: Novellas added to series: The Prince , The Guard
The Cult's 'Top 10' Books of 2010 It's that time of year again at The Cult when we appropriate Valentine's Day (close enough) for our own celebration as book smitten fiends. That of course, means publishing our second annual Top Ten list of books from the previous year. It's not only fitting to post this on V-day, but pragmatic too, as I get a lot of books in December and need a month or so to finish up my year-end reading. These go to eleven. Or rather, this list goes to eleven, but let me explain. Caveats: This list is based on my own highly personal and promiscuous reading habits and does not necessarily reflect our other voracious readers at The Cult, nor are they Chuck’s personal favorites or recommendations. (In alphabetical order!) "Sunset Park" by Paul Auster I enjoyed this nostalgic paen to a Brooklyn neighborhood with its topical but understated observations on the American housing scandal- but with some reservations. Read More On 'Sunset Park' Here "Slut Lullabies" by Gina Frangello "Great House" by Nicole Krauss
20 Best Websites To Download Free EBooks Ebooks have revolutionized the way book enthusiasts engage with literature. With the ability to read on ebook readers or mobile gadgets, the convenience is unmatched. Moreover, the internet is flooded with platforms offering free or discounted ebooks. For those in search of the finest sources to download free ebooks or even market their ebooks online, here’s an exhaustive list detailing their respective formats and downloading procedures. 20 Places to Sell and Publish eBooks 20 Places to Sell and Publish eBooks "If you are good at something, never do it for free" is the most famous dialogue from movie... Project Gutenberg More info: Genre: VariousCompatible with: Kindle, .epub, .htmlSign-in required? Project Gutenberg is an esteemed online library offering complimentary public domain books. Hart’s inspiration for this library sprouted when he discovered the print copy of the Declaration of Independence was priced at $1.50, which he deemed excessive. ManyBooks Free-eBooks eBookLobby Smashwords
50 Most Influential Books of the Last 50 (or so) Years In compiling the books on this list, the editors at SuperScholar have tried to provide a window into the culture of the last 50 years. Ideally, if you read every book on this list, you will know how we got to where we are today. Not all the books on this list are “great.” The criterion for inclusion was not greatness but INFLUENCE. All the books on this list have been enormously influential. The books we chose required some hard choices. We also tried to keep a balance between books that everyone buys and hardly anyone reads versus books that, though not widely bought and read, are deeply transformative. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 45.
The 100 Essential Books You Should Have Read in College For many, college is a place to explore great literature and some of the most important writing that has shaped the way society thinks and functions. Of course, many students simply don’t have time to read all the great things they’d like to or should, especially while working or trying to take all of their required courses. Whether you’re in college now and are looking for some quality reading material or have already graduated and want to keep learning, these books offer a chance to be entertained, educated and emerge a much more well-read individual. Ancient These texts are old to be sure, but still have a lot to offer the modern reader. Beowulf, Anonymous: While many will have read this in high school, if you didn’t try picking it up in college. Classics 1984, George Orwell: This dystopian novel explores the idea of “Big Brother,” a governmental system where citizens are monitored and controlled at all times. Fiction Based on History Beyond the Standards Philosophy and Religion Art
10 great science fiction novels that have been banned @djscruffy: And that's why you're a heathen and should be burned at the stake. @djscruffy: In defense of public schools, I would suggest that the reason many of these books are challenged so often is that they're frequently included in school curriculums and libraries. I grew up in a state that, according to these links, engaged in book-burning less than a decade before my birth. That makes me shudder. I suppose I've wandered a bit. @djscruffy: To be fair, it's not usually the schools that want to ban the books, but the few overprotective parents who make wild assumptions about the books we try to teach. Most of us really try to teach the kids to think, rather than becoming nice little automatons.
Best Classic Books to Read Reading classic books can boost your learning experience. There are some reasons why classic books can do that: they have stood the test of time, they give you different “lenses” to look through, and they will most likely be relevant even to the far future. Reading the classics is an excellent intellectual exercise which will arm you with a lot of powerful intellectual tools. To find good classic books, there are trusted recommendations that can help us. The recommendations are found in the books How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. While I believe a book which is recommended by any of them is good, I think it’s safe to say that a book which is recommended by both of them is great. So without further ado, here are the recommended classic books along with the Amazon and free download links (if any): Novel Autobiography and Memoir History Drama Poet
13 Business Books That Will Blow Your Mind Having never taken a business class in college I find that I read and listen to a lot of business books to round out my education. The books usually aren't "How to Manage Your Cash Flow" but rather get me to rethink the way I run my business, which--despite no business classes or diploma--continues to be in business 13 plus years after I started it. In that time, here are 13 of the books that had the biggest impact on how I run my business (in no particular order): Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink: If you supervise anyone in your business, this book is a must read. The Knack: How Street-Smart Entrepreneurs Learn to Handle Whatever Comes Up by Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham: I wanted to have at least one book that was dedicated to small business and the entrepreneurial spirit. The beauty of this list is that I get to leave off a whole bunch of mind-blowing business books that you can't believe didn't make the list.