Top 10 books for every intellectual!

I will only be recommending from what I have read so far, obviously- but then again I read a lot, so there was good competition to arrive at these ten.

1. The Devotion of Suspect X – by Keigo Higashino

The Devotion of Suspect X is the third book in the Detective Galileo series. It is a crime/ mystery novel- and as it is required of a crime novel, it keeps you engaged the whole time. It is one of the best crime/ mystery novels I have read so far.

Keigo Higashino is a genius in the way he has written this book. There are plenty, pleasantly surprising ‘What the fuck’ moments in the book. If you pick this one- prepare to have your jaw dropped.

2. Sapiens- by Yuval Noah Harari

Sapiens is a eye-opener and discusses the events of history in a completely unbiased manner. The author does not shy off from discussing at length about many controversial topics such as religion, imperialism, capitalism and even questions the character of humans. The reasoning and logic behind the authors advocacy and/or contest is prudent. This one is for the thinker because it stimulates thoughts like no other book I have read.

I am so impressed by the book that I feel it should be the 9/10th standard history textbook. Our students deserve for once, a history textbook that is not neatly structured to suit the political atmosphere and which is less of a propaganda.

Follow this book up by the Homo Deus by the same author.

3. The Alchemist – by Paulo Coelho

This book is probably the most recommended one among peers. It is a small book and page count is just below 200 pages, I reckon. It is a philosophical book and tells us the story of a shepherd who desires to travel to different lands. It correctly portrays the thought process of a teenager who is required to face the world and still stand true to his dreams.

Consequently, if you are an ambitious lad/girl, especially in your teens- this book will give you hope and direction.

4. Predictably Irrational- by Dan Ariely

Man, was this book a revelation. In ‘Predictably Irrational’, the author argues that we humans are irrational and also systematic about it- this makes us predictably irrational. Furthermore, he is an advocate of using this predictability to predict economic behavior- this lead to a separate branch of study called Behavioral Economics.

This book is full of interesting experiments and provides immediate evidence to each of the author’s claims. A must read especially for psychology geeks.

5. Outliers- by Malcolm Gladwell

I don’t think Malcolm Gladwell needs any introduction. Outlier is my favorite Malcolm Gladwell book.

We all want to know how one can attain success. Well, the author has done exactly that- and has stayed very realistic while he was at it. In the book, he literally traces back from the success of an individual to uncover all the factors that often go unidentified.

The case studies in the book and other stories of outliers are very engaging and make this one a must read for all.

6. The Republic -by Socrates

Socrates was known for his love for learning. He maintained that for all his time on Earth, he knew nothing, and this ironically made him a wise man.

While ‘The Republic’ is heavy, it is good food for thought. The narration is conversational- like someone has penned down various conversations between peers, one after the other.

The book discusses society at large and ponders upon what would be an ideal society,

7. Daily Rituals: How Artists Work- by Mason Currey

If you ever wanted a peek into the odd idiosyncrasies and work rituals of popular artists- this book is for you.

The Daily rituals of Charles Darwin,Benjamin Franklin, Leo Tolstoy, Jane Austen, Pablo Picasso are all discussed. There are many more of course.

8. The subtle Art of not giving a Fuck – by Mark Manson

It is technically a self-help book but not like any other conventional self-help book. This book introduces us to very counter-intuitive approach to living a good life.

The lessons are put wittily and could offend the easily offended. The stories are very interesting and engaging.

9. Norwegian Wood- by Haruki Murakami

Norwegian wood is funny and lively. The story is about teenagers- about books, music, love, booze, sex and choices. I for one related to only a few parts in the book but it was nevertheless an entertaining read.

10. Into Thin Air- by Jon Krakauer

Now, this one is specifically for mountain lovers and climbing enthusiasts. The book itself is an account of the 1996 tragedy on Everest, when many climbers died atop the mountain, including Rob Hall and Scott Fischer.

This book presents you the insides of a mountaineers mind. How they make sense of all the pain and struggle to achieve something that most consider unnecessary.

Well, I hope you read these books. Happy Reading. Have a nice.