The Rabenstranger

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I was recently participated in a Facebook meme which directed it’s participants to list 15 books that have shaped the way they think. My list is reproduced below this post.

I received several comments asking for comment on a few of my choices and since I’m always glad to have an excuse to talk about books I will oblige.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt – This is the first volume of Edmund Morris’ trilogy on the life of our 26th president. It chronicles the shaping of a brilliant, strong-willed man as he prepared himself to become one of the most powerful men in the history of the world. I found the descriptions of his autodidactic habits, his work-ethic and personality to be not only interesting but in many cases inspirational.

The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Penned by English humorist, Douglas Adams, the Hitch Hiker’s Guide is a zany novel about a man traveling the galaxy after Earth has been destroyed to make way for a hyperspatial express route. I appreciate it for its humor but the more substantive effect it has had is the dozens of phrases and quotes that I commonly use  that came from its pages.

Free to Choose: A Personal Statement – Milton and Rose Friedman explain why governments should interfere as little as possible in the lives of their citizens. This is one of the books that has influenced me toward a libertarian political stance.

1. The Bible – Various Authors, edited and inspired by God
2. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress – R. A. Heinlein
3. Til We Have Faces – C. S. Lewis
4. The Pursuit of God – A. W. Tozer
5. Free to Choose – Milton Friedman
6. Starship Troopers – R. A. Heinlein
7. Dune – Frank Herbert
8. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt – Edmund Morris
9. Perelandra – C. S. Lewis
10. Let the Nations be Glad – John Piper
11. The Art of the Catapult – William Gurstelle
12. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
13. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
14. The Phantom of the Opera – Gaston Leuroux
15. The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien