A collection of books that I’ve read and found interesting in no particular order along with a short summary and my thoughts on it. I will keep adding to the list as I read more books.
Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond (Currently Reading):
Explores the reasons for domination of few cultures over others including resource availability, social organization and technological advancements. More detailed and descriptive than Sapiens. Will add more details once I finish reading it.
Siddartha - Herman Hesse:
Follows the story of a child prodigy as he embarks on a travel seeking spirtuality and meaning. He goes on to become an ascetic, then a bussinessman indulging in all the pleasures and again begins to lead a saintly life on a river bank where he was able to find peace. A classical piece of literature that explores the concepts of eastern philosphy.
Animal Farm - George Orwell:
A satirical novel on a bunch of farm animals taking over the control of a farm in hope of creating an equal and just place but slowly spirals into a totalitarian system. Contains phrases like “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” that are occassionally used in discussions as a reference to class inequality. A good read exploring the ideas of revolutions, authoritarianism and crowd manipulation in a satirical way.
Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari:
Explains many aspects for human development, evolution and formation of modern societies in an immersive way. An insightful book containing many thought provoking topics and a recommended read for interested people to get a general understanding of human history.
A Man’s Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl:
A memoir by Viktor Frankl on his life as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps and his psychotherapeutic method of finding a reason to live. Goes into details about the psychological effects of the camp on the prisoners and the importance of finding meaning in life. Similar to “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank, this books talks about the horros of he holocause but from a different prespective.
1984 - George Orwell:
A masterpeice by George Orwell. A dystopian novel set in a totalitarian society where the government has complete control over the people. Highly thought provoking and draws parallel to the current world in many aspects. Like Animal Farm, references from this book are often used in political discussions.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy: J.R.R Tolkein
Absolute banger of a fantasy novel with exceptional world setting containing different races, languages and cultures with detailed descrption about them. Follows a story line spanning thousands of years and morally distinct sides where the charcters are generally either good or bad instead of the modern grey characters. A must read for any fantasy fan.
The Silmarillion - J.R.R Tolkein
Explores the history of the middle earth and the creation of the world where LOTR takes place. A bit hard to read due to the complexity of the world and the number of characters. The story mostly revolves around elves and their history as oppossed to the race of men in LOTR.
The Hobbit - J.R.R Tolkein
The prequel to the LOTR series. A light hearted adventure novel with a simple story of a hobbit going on an adevnture with a group of dwarves. Recommended read before starting the LOTR series.
Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
a Dystopian novel similar to 1984 and Brave New World. The story is set in a future where books are banned and firemen are employed to burn any books found. A simpler story compared to 1984 but still a good read.