Steve: I agree that religion and philosophy are under-represented but remember that this list is constrained by Everyman’s lists. I even had to add Augustine’s Confessions myself as it wasn’t on their 100 greatest!

Steve

Cheering you on~
Lezlie

Leroy:
I’m pretty happy with the list because of the way it’s challenging me to read things I wouldn’t otherwise bother with. I’ve tried to finish Moby Dick several times and failed and now I have to and while I’ve wanted to read Dante, Boswell and other wordy dead white males often the reluctance to start a long unfamiliar work has stopped me. Likewise I’m being forced to read lots of 20th century stuff that just doesn’t appeal to me but that I’m sure I’ll enjoy or at least learn from. As I’m a 21st century woman I think I have the most to learn from the male point of view and there are plenty of books by women on the list so there is balance there.
Anyway…I agree that a more perfect list could have been crafted (though we would probably differ as to what it would be) but I wanted the element of involuntary submission to someone else’s standard to force me out of my reading habits.
…so where do I go to find this free watermelon?

I am not real happy with your list. I think you could have found a better one. There are a lot of long boring books in the list and many are slanted toward a man,s point of view. For instance, “Moby Dick” is a man’s (or boy’s) book and it has too many words in it for the story, inspite of it being a classic. Another great story that is a real pain to read is “Doctor Zhivago”.

Try to put few light reading books between the heavy ones or you will go nuts.

I am a little disappointed that there are not more fantacy or science fiction stories in it and none by one of my favorite authors, Antoine de Saint-Exupery. You would think they would have had his classic, “The Little Prince” in the chidren’s section (It is more than a children’s book.) I like his “Wind, Sand and Stars” better.

In spite of the fact that “1984″ as written before the technology was available, I do not really consider it science fiction. It is a of how the government and special interests will try to control us when they have the technology (which is now available).

A really good fantasy to read is “Watership Down” by Richard Adams or “Johnathan Livingston Seagull” which is a quick read and will leave you sure that you can accomplish anything.

Another book that is an eye opener is “1421, the Year China Discovered America”. After reading that one, I believe it is almost a miracle that we do not speak Chinese instead of English. Did you know that both Columbus and Magellan were using Chinese maps during their explorations. China had colonies in the Carribean, Mexico, and California before Columbus. You can get it in some college bookstores.

If you want something light read Louis L’Amour, “Down the Long Hills”. I think it is almost as good as Tom Sawyer.

If you are in the area stop by and see my books. I have one pile that I haven’t even sorted yet that measures 9′ x 12′ x 9′ that I inherited from someone. If you come around the first week in Sept. I will probably give you a free watermelon.