"i wish that i knew what i know now , when i was younger" -book help

[mattaasen]

I am a fairly intelligent 20 yeard old dude sort of lost in the world. After some self reflection i realized how narrow my view of the world is and woudl really like to educate myself on a number of different topics. What books/words of wisdom did u wish you had when u were 20, or what books really changed the way u looked at the world? Money isnt an issue and plan on buying a lot of books recomended by you guys and i would really like some help with what to read. Im basically on a quest to broaden my idea of the world and educate myself at the same time. PLease help!

[Nielsio]

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[diebitter]

Wisdom?

1. Politics isn't that important. You can spend a lot of time on it, get angry about it, but talking about it doesn't change a damn thing. If you want to be political, action, not words, otherwise don't bother

2. In your career, if you get into a scrape or there's one coming, ALWAYS take the moral high ground. Even if you're wrong, you're right.

3. If you got a good life, and your health, but no peace of mind, you got nothing.

4. Life is what happens while you're making plans.


maybe more later...

[Copernicus]

My worldview changed so gradually over time that its hard to pinpoint any one book that had more influence than others. From a social/historical perspective I would read "On the Road", "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", non-fiction views of the 50s and 60s, the first two with a common character, Neal Cassady, the last with a most uncommon character, Hunter S Thompson. They give a great picture of how America changed from Korea to VietNam, and are helpful in understanding the state America has gotten itself into now.

From a philosophical perspective popular physics books such as "A Brief History of Time", "The God Particle", and "The Holographic Universe" are three that stood out.

And for very quick reading, and then good listening while youre reading the above, three Pink Floyd albums, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and Animals. Three gems on the human condition.

[diebitter]

Some of the suggestions in this thread are pretty solid.

[CityFan]

TBH only experience, not books, can change the way you look at the world. However, in my opinion...

Philosophy came to a conclusion with Nietzsche: I recommend "Beyond Good and Evil".

Communism was a great idea: Though I haven't done so yet, I intend to read "Das Kapital".

Understand who you are and where you come from: Listen to music and read books from your home town.

Read the New Testament: At least you'll know what it says.

Read Camus: The Outsider and The Fall.

Read the Theory of Poker again.

Finally, get out and live your life, instead of reading all those books.

[AceofSpades]

I guess it really depends on which way you are lost, and what way your viewpoint is narrow. But I'd recommend a couple I've read recently that are good.

Doubt: A History : The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson (Hardcover)

Influence: Science and Practice - Robert Cialdini

The faith of a heretic - Walter Kaufmann

Also Books about Male-Female relationships/attraction are something I wish I had discovered much earlier in life.
There are lots of different ones, the one I read recently was:
How to Make Anyone Fall in Love With You
by Leil Lowndes

[SineNomine]

Great question, knowing that you are “lost” and seeking wisdom is a great start. Here are a few thoughts I have.

1) Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now by Gordon Livingstone ---- This is a collection of psychotherapeutic truths that I certainly wish I knew when I was twenty. The advice is somewhat generic and certainly will not take you as far as a few years of exploratory psychotherapy. On the other hand it retails at $18 and a good analyst is upward of $150 an hour. Another book in this area is “The Road Less Traveled” by M. Scott Peck. Not for nothing was it on the NY Times bestseller list for the better part of a decade.
2) Are you in college? If not, get there. Don’t focus solely on taking classes that will make you money. Take history of western civilization, art history, music appreciation, history of philosophy, a couple literature courses.
3) Read a little Plato. He records conversations that Socrates had with a variety of others. Socrates plays the role of questioner to people who think they know it all. He discovers that they really don’t know that what they think they know and that he is the wisest of all because he knows that he doesn’t know. If you buy a modern translation of say The Apology of Socrates, you will find that it reads very easy. No previous knowledge is needed. You don’t need to know any special jargon. And Plato is a great writer. Better yet splurge and buy the complete works of Plato. It is a single volume. Many of the dialogues are brief and can be read easily in a single session. You can pick and chose what interests you. The Crito, Phaedo, Apology are good starts
4) The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance by Anthony Gottleib. --- This is an easy to read history of philosophy, which has been described as “a persistent effort to think clearly.”
5) The Teaching Company (teach12.com) markets college level courses on CD and DVD. They are very well done, and not expensive. I am currently in “Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition.” I highly recommend it. Also see:
Books That Have Made History: Books That Can Change Your Life, Great Authors of the Western Literary Tradition.
6) Hawkings, A Brief History of Time, is a must read.
7) Biographies are great reading for young folks. (Even for old guys like me who are still trying to figure things out.) David McCullough’s Truman and John Adams; as well as James Gleick’s, Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman are great to start.
8) Go to a good used book store. One near a university is good. “The Strand” in New York is the ultimate. Wander around. Let your curiosity lead you. For a $100 you can buy more than you can carry.
9) The most important decision you will make is your life partner. Don’t do this quickly. Physical attraction is important but a decision based solely on this will be regretted. It is best to be well on your way to figuring out who you are and what you want from life before you make this decision.
10) Lastly is spirituality. There is more to life, I believe, than the physical and intellectual. But it is my experience that you do not find spirituality, it finds you. I was overtaken in the crypt of the Washington Cathedral. That’s my path. Stay open to yours.

Thanks for a good question.

[Nate.]

[ QUOTE ]
Philosophy came to a conclusion with Nietzsche: I recommend "Beyond Good and Evil".

[/ QUOTE ]

Believing that philosophy is dead is harmful and wrong. But read Nietzche and other philosophers.

One guy who doesn't get recommended enough is Bertrand Russell. His writings are diverse, brilliant, and accessible. He thinks more clearly than most scientists and writes better than most novelists. Reading him will improve your life.

--Nate