Book description
Novels which transform our ideas about human possibilities, biographies
which celebrate the achievements of extraordinary individuals, polemical
works of non-fiction which oblige us to alter our views of the world or
of human society: all of us can remember reading at least one book which
made us think about the world anew. Here, the author of the popular
Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide
, selects the very best books which may or may not have changed the
world, but which have certainly changed the lives of thousands of people
who have read them.
Some examples of titles included:
Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - a
poignant recording of the author's triumph over the obstacles of being
black and poor in a racist society.
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
Santiago's meeting with the alchemist opens his eyes to the true values
of life, love and suffering
The Diary of Anne Frank
Half a century later the story of a teenager coming to maturity in the
most terrible of circumstances remains profoundly moving.
Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Gibran's poetic essays reveal his thoughts on everything in life from
love and marriage to the enigmas of birth and death.
Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Pirsig's narrator creates a philosophical masterpiece that has the power
to change lives. Nick Rennison is a bookseller, editor and freelance
writer. He reviews new titles for Waterstones Books Quarterly
, and is the author of the Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide, 100
Must-Read Classic Novels,
and co-author of 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
and 100 Must-Read Crime Novels.
