Open Mike: More Books from the Great List

Five more categories from my magnum opus "225 Books by Genre" reading recommendation list:

Pastoral

John Steinbeck, The Red Pony  [1933]
Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine  [1957]
James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small  [1972]
Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [1884]

Science

Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything [2003]
John McPhee, Annals of the Former World [1998]
Lewis Thomas, Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher [1974]
Richard Dawkins, River Out Of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life [1995]
Edward O. Wilson, On Human Nature [1978]
Henry Petroski, To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design [1993]
Eve Curie, Madame Curie: A Biography [1937]
Sylvia Nasar, A Beautiful Mind [1998]
Carl Sagan, Cosmos (book / television series) [1980]

UPDATE: The new "Cosmos," host by Carl Sagan protégé Neil DeGrasse Tyson, begins on the Fox channel here in the USA tonight at 9/8C. Thanks to Simon Griffee and Chuck Holst for pointing this out.

Romance

Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind [1936]
Craig Thompson, Blankets (graphic novel) [2003]
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre [1847]
Elizabeth Gaskell, Mary Barton [1848]
William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet (play) [1597]
Ivan Turgenev, First Love (novella) [1860]

Adventure

Beryl Markham, West with the Night [1942]
Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth, Treasure Island (young adult) [1883]
Jim Tully, Beggars of Life [1924]
Jack London, To Build a Fire (short story*) [1903]
Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, The Odyssey (epic poem) [c. 700 B.C.]
Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail [2013]
Jon Kracauer, Into the Wild [1996]

Crime

Truman Capote, In Cold Blood [1966]
Mario Puzo, The Godfather [1969]
Richard Wright, Native Son [1940]
Joseph Wambaugh, The Choirboys [1975]
Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City [2003]

It's been nearly a year now since I wrote about my unpublished book about books and its accompanying list of recommended reading called "225 Books by Genre." I published only one "genre" in that original post, "Money and Finance," comprising seven titles. Which didn't get us very far, considering there are 36 genres and 225 books on the list.

The list was originally targeted at "bright teenagers." It consists of recommendations, not personal favorites; and enjoyment potential is ranked as highly as edification in the selection process. It's not a "greatest books" list in the usual sense, but more of a collection of good reads, not all of them difficult and none too much so. And it has taken an inordinate amount of research to compile it—it's a good thing I enjoy the work! I even went so far as to find a professional mathematician to see if he thought A Beautiful Mind gave a reasonably accurate picture of the practice of mathematics for laymen. (He thought that it did, as far as it goes.)

I should add that I don't necessarily agree with all the authors, politically or otherwise. The list is not meant to be a reflection of my prejudices and preferences, although of course in some senses it cannot help but be. Oh, and the list is Americentric, because I'm an American, although I don't think that disqualifies too many titles.

The goal of the list as a whole is to give an ambitious teenager or an adult autodidact a rounded and thorough grounding in cuture and intellectual cultivation—a sort of substitute education if need be—within a managable, varied and not overly punitive program of reading. The choices are meant to provide a sampling as well as a sort of "thumbnail" overview of the category, insofar as such a thing is possible.

Regarding Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (note that most publishers get the title wrong; there's no definite article), the version to have is the facsimile of the first edition published by First Edition Library, which can be found at abebooks.com and sometimes on eBay. It reproduces all the original illustrations and chapter heads, which I think increases the enjoyment of the experience. There's a sorta-kinda good enough Kindle version which patches in the illustrations and reproduces the whole page on which chapter headings appear. Crude, and barely serviceable, but, like many too-popular books in the public domain, there isn't a readily available, wholly recommendable edition. You're on your own there.

(I do wonder if the "Crime" list is as strong as it could be.)

Also, if anyone finds any bad links, I hope you'll please let me know. It's a lot of fiddley work to build so many links, and my mind tends to wander.

Mike

*Entire story is at the link.

"Open Mike" is the editor's outlet page at TOP and our weekly jaunt off-topic.

Original contents copyright 2014 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

R. Edelman: "Beryl Markham's book West with the Night is one of my favorites. It reads like Hemingway but without the machismo."

Comments

[Rob Atkins]

The Waukesha Canon.

[Jim]

I am ambivilant about recommending "great literature" from the early to mid 20th century to younger readers. John Steinbeck, for example, is my favorite author of all time (I'm 63, so that makes some sense). But, I think books written in the 1950's about events that occurred even earlier are of little interest or value to modern young readers. That world hasn't existed for so long that I see no way 20 or 30 something can conceptualize it, much less understand it. And Huck Finn is even farther removed from anything comprehensible to younger readers (and probably best so).

I think it far more useful for them to read modern literature that tries to make sense of their world, and not struggle through the detritus the 20th century.

[While I can respect your opinion, I think the opposite. I think young people (now and in any era) are all too wrapped up in the moment, as if it is all that matters, and need encouragement and guidance to think backward and forward with more mental flexibility. And a broader reach through a wide range of subject matter brings a grounding and a foundation that can be calming and increase fortitude. Just my take. --Mike]

[Tom Robbins]

Absolutely wonderful list, Mike. As has been noted before by many through the years, one of the advantages of growing old is that rereading books tends to seem more and more like first time reads.

McPhee's Annals of the Former World is a classic. The account of Love's ranch in Wyoming is not to be missed by anyone at any age.

[Winsor]

Thankfully we are not all the same. I would like to recommend audio books for those on the list that I find just unreadable like Huckleberry Finn and The Odyssey. A really tedious book like the too cute Huck as Twain talks down to the common folk, or the serious and humorless Homer are somehow made more bearable if only part of your attention is engaged.

Glad you included Beryl Markham's little classic.

Could I recommend an addition? Origin of Species by Darwin is the clearest exposition of natural selection and it is surprisingly an easy and engaging read. Go to the source.

[Simon Griffee]

Good to see Carl Sagan in the list. The successor to Cosmos premiere's today: http://hypertexthero.com/logbook/2014/03/cosmos/

[David Dyer-Bennet]

It would not have occurred to me to combine fictional and real adventure stories under one category, but I suppose I can kind of see the reason. However, I far prefer The Mysterious Island to Treasure Island (but still with the Wyeth illos).

I actively despise Romeo and Juliet, and in particular consider it to be an example of a horribly dysfunctional relationship that hurts everybody involved.

[Mike Anderson]

One recommendation, Science category: Gregory Bateson's "Mind and Nature".

http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Nature-Necessary-Advances-Complexity/dp/1572734345

[Chuck Holst]

I haven't read them all, but it looks like a good selection overall. John McPhee is one of my favorite writers, particularly on geology and geologists, and the Petroski book I read not long before the I-35W bridge across the Mississippi fell. By the way, the new version of Cosmos, presented by Neil Degrasse Tyson, premieres tonight on the Fox networks.

[Nigel]

Richard Rhodes' "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" ought to be on the science list - unless you have it in your history section.

And Primo Levi's "The Periodic Table" an automatic pick.

[Hi Nigel, The Richard Rhodes book is on the list in a different category, and thanks for the recommendation of the Primo Levi book. --Mike]

[Anders Holt]

Well, If you have Shakespeare, it should be Hamlet (although Romeo & Juliet is also a minor must) :-) . By the way, as drama is on the list - fabulous - how about Ibsens Peer Gynt - all about finding yourself, or more about escaping from one self: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_Gynt

But above all: Keep the site going, it is a mercy, a blessing and also about photography.

Best regards,
Anders H. (Norway).

[sebastian]

as for "crime" - you want strong? try:
dashiell hammett: red harvest.

[John Buie]

I love Cosmos, but I think I would go with Demon-Haunted World for Sagan. An exceedingly well-written appeal for science and scientific thinking.

[Steve Rosenblum]

Under "Science" I would add "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot--a remarkable book that describes the birth and adoption of the HeLa cell line as a human laboratory surrogate, reads like a mystery/thriller and exists at the intersection of science, ethics, medicine, racism, family, and the rights we do or do not have to control our own genes. It is the most remarkable science book for the "general public" I have read in the last decade.

[expiring_frog]

I read "A Beautiful Mind" many years ago, but my recollections are not positive. It struck me as rather breathless and overwrought pop-sci journalism. It was better than the movie, but that's not saying much.

I'd suggest, instead, Robert Kanigel's extremely readable "The Man who Knew Infinity", a biography of Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Author's page: http://bit.ly/1nyLav2
Amazon: http://amzn.com/0671750615

(Coincidentally, Kanigel has also published a list of (80) books to read -- http://bit.ly/1qo0QE3 -- though probably with a somewhat different audience in mind.)

[Will]

For Crime, I'd add some James M. Cain. Really, any of it, but I'm partial to The Postman Always Rings Twice.

And William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying makes any list of books I could hope to make. There's no other book I enjoy revisiting quite so much.

But you put Blankets on your list (representing Wisconsin in the process, I recognize), which is enough to convince me that the list as a whole must be worth my while.

[Paulo Bizarro]

Nice list. As for crime, I think that James Elroy should be on the list, especially his LA series of books. Talk about grit...

And glad to see that Dashiell Hammett has been mentioned already by another poster.

[Ray Bullen]

Hi Mike,

Good to see Robert Louis Stevenson on your list, but might I suggest that "Kidnapped" is even better than "Treasure Island".

Also, how about a children's category? I'd start it off with "Children of the New Forest" by Captain F.Marryat.

Ray

[Jim Witkowski]

For those of us that get up early, Fox is showing Cosmos two hours earlier on Fox1 (their replacement for the Speed channel).

[Richard Osborne]

To ignore Chandler is a crime. IMHO.

Thanks for this site. Number 1 on the Great List in that category.

[Kusandha Hertrich]

As a 30 something, I don't think I could disagree more with Jim's comment about the usefulness to younger readers of books from the recent past and/or about the recent or distant past. And I say recent past because the early 20th century is very much the recent past when you consider that world history reaches back millennia.

I may be misunderstanding Jim's views or over generalizing from what he has said, but to me a good understanding of the past (as represented through fiction and non-fiction sources) is essential to understanding the modern world and its causes. I think a lack of this knowledge leads to views and opinions that are too narrow (not claiming that my mind couldn't use some broadening too).

[Nigel]

For the crime, I'd recommend something by Edward Bunker, who had the great advantage of having been a hardened criminal who could also write.

Scott Turow ? Possibly not for the target audience.

Two surprises:
No Conan Doyle ... and John Camp hasn't pitched in.

:-)

[robert e]

I consider it great luck to have encountered Bradbury's Dandelion Wine as a teen, along with his Martian Chronicles. Fahrenheit 451 didn't impress me as much at the time, possibly only because it was required reading.

Hard to comment before I've seen all the genres, but, given the intended audience, I'm surprised not to see any Dickens or Dumas so far. On the other hand, it seems I have some reading to catch up on!

Re science: have you read Einstein's "Relativity"? He wrote it to explain the concepts to a general audience, without the advanced math. I shouldn't say it's "easy", but neither is it difficult, and it's brief; in fact, I suspect "bright teens", or their teachers, may have been his target audience. One of the great minds of a century describing his greatest accomplishment in his own words is not to be missed.

Good stuff. I hope you'll keep sharing as you progress, and that there are science fiction and philosophy genres to come.

[Steve G, Mendocino]

Mike:

Interesting that crime should feature in so many of the readers suggestions. My suggestions would be "When the Sacred Ginmill Closes" by Lawrence Block and "In the Presence of the Enemy" by Elizabeth George.

[Chuck Holst]

Ahh... Red Harvest has one of my favorites opening paragraphs ever. It sets the mood for the entire novel.

[Another Phil]

Thanks Mike,
I like lists where I've already read several of the entries.

For an overview of how the geologic world works I'd recommend "The Earth: An Intimate History by Richard Fortey"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0002570114/

and 6 essays on late 20th century British science by Francis Spufford "The Backroom Boys: The Secret Return Of The British Boffin"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0571214967/

+1 on "The man who knew infinity" and "The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks"
best wishes phil

[Hernan Zenteno]

I don't know if The Long Goodbye of Raymond Chandler fits inside crime or adventure or other. Is a must have on any library, is literature, don't be fool by the label others put to Chandler, he was an excellent writer. What about poetry, I always think that poetry have a lot to do with photography.

[Mike Plews]

The inclusion of Lewis Thomas made me smile. I love his collections of essays and was happy to see them still in print.
I was less pleased to see that my favorite translation of Tacitus is now out of print and I don't know enough to recommend another although I suspect they are all going to be pretty good.
I would also like to recommend Cultural Amnesia by Clive James.
Like Tacitus James is a good traveling companion.

[AC]

Under "Science":

Karoly Simonyi, A Cultural History of Physics.

[Mark Sampson]

Peter Mattheissen's 'The Snow Leopard'. In whatever category you like.

[Fabio]

Very interesting and useful list! Regarding Science, probably the following is a fundamental title, which unfortunately might not be suited for a "bright teenager":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Structure_of_Scientific_Revolutions

Not that it is uncontroversial....

[Al Patterson]

A lot of good reads. I have read most of Carl Sagan, and I'd pick "Broca's Brain" as his best. Loved "A Short History of Nearly Everthing". Bryson is one of my favorite current writers. Who knew he could write science?

You need a Richard Feynman book though. Hard for me to pick one though.

[Fraser Brown]

Fascinating list. In the pastoral category I would suggest Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee.
I would also propose an additional Heading; "Political/Social" - or watch out, life can be tough young man:
Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck),
Of Human Bondage (Maugham),
1984 (Orwell),
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence (Dixon)

[Bron]

Kinda late, but ... Chandler, Stout, Richard Stark, and amongst contemporary crime authors, John Sandford, AKA John Camp.

[Beau Comeaux]

"The Disappearing Spoon" and anything by Oliver Sacks are worth looking into for the Science category