Nullius in Verba

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

My Top Thirteen Books - Mr. Roberts

1. The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Green
This book takes top spot without a doubt! Brian Green grabs you by the scruff of your neck and takes you on a mind-bending tour of the structure of the Universe. String theory, hidden dimensions, quantum mechanics, the beginning and end of the universe -- can there be any other topics more exhilarating? Every time I even think of this book I get goosebumps!


2. Dacing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav

This book makes intriguing connections between ancient oriental philosphy and modern quantum physics. It expanded my mind and allowed me to look at reality in new and fascinating ways.

An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth by Bertrand Russell

Russell was a man of staggering, unparalleled genius! He has influenced me more than anyone else. Only he can make abstract philosophical ideas accessible to the lay person. This wonderful book teaches you to question and doubt what know you think and what you think you know.

4. Climbing Mount Improbable by Richard Dawkins

Dawkins is a geneticist and ethologist and was recently voted one of the top three intellectuals in the world. In this erudite book he gives wonderful explanations of how complexity can arise in nature.

5. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

A bizarre title but based on a true story. Oiver Sacks, a renowned neurologist, discusses some of his more outlandish case studies. Here you meet real-life people who are afflicted with mental maladies that are absolutely mind-boggling. This book influenced the way I looked at the human mind.

6. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

Welsh is one of the best writers of fiction around at the moment. Trainspotting became a cult classic when it was released in the 1990s. It tells the story of Mark Renton and his brash nihillistic friends in Edinburgh who are trapped in a sub-culture of heroin abuse.

7. Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins

No one writes like Tom Robbins! If it's figurative language, quirky characters, and psychedellic descriptions you are looking for then welcome to the world of Tom Robbins!

8. The Yes Minister Diaries by Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn

These fictional diaries of Prime Minister James Hacker have given me more hours of delight than I can remember. Told in masterful English prose these diaries trace the machinations and deceptions that go on behind closed doors in the upper echelons of power.

9. The Complete Works of P. G. Wodehouse

It is impossible to pick just one book by Wodehouse - so I've chosen them all. Each story by the creator of Jeeves and Wooster is delightfully crafted and offers the reader hours of fun. Wodehouse truly is a comic genius unparalled in the world of English Literature.
10. The Letters and Journals of Lord Byron (Vols. 1-12)

Lord Byron was renowned for his satiric poetry but is now widely regarded as one of the best writers of prose in English. These deeply private and personal letters give the reader a wonderful insight into the complex and scandalous personality of the man referred to in his time as being " Mad, bad, and dangerous to know."

11. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Powerful story about the narrator's journey deep into the jungles of the congo and the hidden passions of the human mind. Dark, foreboding and haunting, this book will affect you profoundly.

12. The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris

Morris is an observer of Human behaviour. In this book he gives us a wonderful analysis of our place in the natural world and our relationship with other living creatures. This booked changed the way I looked at humans.



13. Practical Ethics by Peter Singer

Singer is a professor of bio-ethics at the prestigious Princeton University. In this book he explores controversial topics such as animal rights, euthanasia, abortion, and racism. Told with heartfelt sincerity and unflinching logic, this book will cause you to rexamine the way you think.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Sir you've forgot to add Khaled Hosseni - A thousand splendid Suns. Its such a fascinating book, i think in his book he explains part of his life experience what he has seen and how the women are treated in Afghanistan and how war has effected the country really badly. Once i started the book i couldn't stop reading it and till now I’ve read it like 6 times!!

Mo Nour El Din said...

I would like to read those books, especially "trainspotting". I've heard of the book before, and was wondering if it was available in the library to take out, otherwise i can just download it. Wide variety of books indeed...

Jurgienne said...

sir, have you read "A clockwork Orange"? i havent but based on the interesting reviews and summaries of the book, i think it would be an awesome read :)

Jurgienne said...

and the Catcher in the Rye too :)