This is a page (that will be updated regularly) of books that I recommend reading. Although expanding population, increasing literacy, improving ease of communication, and benefit of history would seem to cause (by simple probabilities) most of the best books of all time to have been written fairly recently, you will also find a few classics (of various ages) here.
General Reading
The Bible
Why do I recommend the #1 bestseller of all time? Outside of the possibility of profound spiritual connection, the Bible underlies an enormous portion of contemporary discussion of morality and philosophy. For example, the Bible contains the first recorded statement1 of The Golden Rule (“do to others as you would have them do to you” - Matthew 7:12), a description of totally altruistic compassion (1 Corinthians 13:4-7), and a call for the equality of rulers and common people under the written law (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). The Bible also reflects a broad array of genres in ancient literature, and tracks multiple threads of cultural history across centruries. That said, the Bible is not for the faint of heart; for readers in all regions of philosophical standing, distance from the culture and context of the original audience(s) turns many of the more opaque passages into massive exercises in confirmation bias on the part of the reader.
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
How do I describe Victor Hugo’s masterwork? Intricate, authentic, and emotional. I first encountered the story of Les Misérables through the award-winning musical, but catchy musical motifs struggle to capture the rich capacity of the book. Although Hugo’s observations on justice and government are anchored in his time, his portrayal of the diversity of human nature and the interwoven nature of society are timeless. One of my favorite moments is when Gavroche, a street urchin, witnesses (from concealment) Montparnasse, a young criminal, who attempts to mug Jean Valjean, an escaped and reformed criminal who appears to be a member of the gentry. Valjean overpowers Montparnasse, lectures him, and then gives him money freely. Gavroche steals the money from Montparnasse and leaves it for the nearby Father Mabeuf, an elderly man struggling to care for a friend of his. Mabeuf, an honest man, turns the unidentified money over to the police. In dire financial straits, he eventually dies in the midst of a populist revolution. In the end, none of the characters get what they wanted, nor what they deserved.
The Three Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Death’s End by Cixin Liu (Chinese: 刘慈欣 Liú Cíxīn)
Cixin Liu’s award-winning and widely translated science fiction trilogy stands apart for its broad scope, examination of the intersection of technology and society in the context of a vast universe, and poetic reflection on human rationality in the face of irrational tragedy. I don’t agree (or at least, don’t want to agree) with the series’ representation of the strength of collective human envy as a self-destructive force, but I deeply appreciate the way that the events of the books are informed by (and in some cases directly driven by) the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the Cold War. The books present some intriguing ideas around the Fermi Paradox (and Drake’s Equation), the serendipity of technology, and the fate of the universe.
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky
Bear with me, here. Imagine an exploration of a soft-fantasy universe by a cold-minded rationalist that serves as an object lesson in empiricism, cognitive bias, and human nature. Further imagine that this work contains well-written characters that grow over time, have understandable weaknesses, and reason authentically through differences in opinion. Finally, imagine that this 1800-page work is a fan-fiction based on the wildly popular Harry Potter series, and effectively leverages the source material to tell an entirely novel story. This is Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. Although this book requires a fair amount of investment and cultural context to fully appreciate, I consider this book universally recommended reading.
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Why was there such an asymmetry between the Spanish conquistadors and the Aztec or Inca when they collided in the 1500’s? This is the question that Guns, Germs, and Steel attempts to answer systematically. It presents a compelling argument that the ultimate cause was primarily geography — the land area and length of contiguous zones with compatible climates in Eurasia drove many of the natural advantages that led to faster development of population, technology, urbanization, infectious diseases, and access to historical information. Although the validity of the argument doesn’t depend on the conclusion, it also happens to be very uplifting, offering a clear rationale for dramatic inter-cultural imbalances of power that does not depend on luck or unfounded assertions about regional differences in intrinsic human characteristics.
The Evolution of Everything by Matt Ridley
The Evolution of Everything attempts to apply the principles of evolution by natural selection to draw conclusions in a broad array of disciplines and on a broad set of ideas. As an example, the information present in a given piece of technology can be copied and reproduced with modification. Whether due to market forces or natural causes, only some instances of technology survive to inspire imitation, leading to better-adapted design over time. The oceans themselves drive innovation in boat-making.
Although I think some of the claims of the book may be overreaching (or even logical non sequitors), where else can you find specific predictions for education, technology, economics, eugenics, personality, and the internet all in one place? A book that I value for its provocative and thoughtful speculation.
Specific Topics
See my list of Books on Doing Good for recommendations with a practical angle.
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As with just about any statement about the Bible, this claim tends to attract opposition and qualification. For readers interested in a broader historical survey of reciprocation in ethical maxims, there are many indices available upon a quick search for “Golden Rule”. ↩