Rob's Guide to Books That Should be Read by All Educated Humans (In Rob's Humble Opinion)

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Sometimes I read to learn something, like a new computer language or photographic technique. Sometimes I read to entertain myself. And sometime I do it just to improve my cultural literacy so I can better understand the jokes on the Simpsons.

The following is a list of those books that I have found useful to me in some way. If you're looking for something more substantial to read after you've finished the latest Grisholm bestseller, starting here may be a good idea. I'm a voracious reader -- I read EVERYTHING. It has made me too smart for my own good. By scoping through the selections on this list, perhaps you can become too smart for my own good as well.

Organization: I know, what a weird thing to see on this site -- things organized in a rational fashion. I have categorized the books by their use -- education, entertainment, etc. Some may fall into more than one category, some don't seem to fit anywhere at all. But, trust me, it all makes sense when you look at it.

Sponsorship: The titles of the books are linked to their respective entries at Amazon.com. You guessed it, this site is an affiliate at Amazon. Therefore, if you click on the title of one of these books and BUY THAT BOOK DURING THAT SESSION, I'll get a tidy little kick-back that will go toward further maintenance on this site. It's important to note that, in order for this site to receive money for the transaction, you must purchase the book during that session. If you go to the site, look at the book, go to ANOTHER site then return to Amazon WITHOUT going through this page, I get zip. Of course, you may be bitter at me and have every intention of wanting to gyp me of my kickback. In which case, you can just send your money directly to me.

Categories
Entertainment
Cultural Literacy
Literary Merit
History
Web Development
Technical

Entertainment:

Practical Demonkeeping, Blood Sucking Fiends, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, by Christopher Moore.
Published by several houses

When I first met Danielle, one of the first things she did after getting a feel for my sense of humor was pass on a book titled, Island of the Sequined Love Nun. Now, how can you turn down a book with a title like that? And you know that old saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover?" Trust me, it falls apart here. It was so wacky, so drop dead funny and weird that I immediately sought out the author's first book, Practical Demonkeeping, just to see if it was as funny. I have since done that to all of his books but one (Coyote Blue is the only one of his books I have yet to read) and have not been disappointed once. If you want a good book that you can burn through in less than a week that provides solid laughs and pure entertainment, you can not go wrong with any of Moore's books.

Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
Penguin Books, New York

These are my two all time favorite books. Cannery Row is about a group of ne'er-do-wells who lived down in the cannery distric of Monterey, California, back in the thirties and forties. The characters find themselves in several odd situations. Many of the stories revolve around the character Doc Ricketts, based on Steinbeck's good friend Ed Ricketts. Sweet Thursday is the sequel to Cannery Row. I think I prefer this book over Cannery Row because Steinbeck develops the characters a little better and gives more structure to the plot. The stories and characters in these two books are loosely based on actual events and people who lived on Cannery Row, then known as Hovden Way (after one of the prominent canneries on the row), during Steinbeck's life. Those interested in visiting Cannery Row may do so, but will probably be dissappointed by what they find. The canneries are gone, replaced by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and several shops designed to attract tourists. Some of the original buildings are still there, including "Lee Chong's Heavenly Grocery" and "Pacific Biological", Doc's old lab. Many of the other buildings were destroyed during a huge fire that devastated the row. As you can see, I have a certain passion for these stories.

Youth in Revolt, by C.D. Payne
Doubleday, New York

These are the journals of fictitious teenager Nick Twisp. He's fourteen years old and goes from being regular, horny, non-descript teen to cross-dressing fugitive. I read it because it got pretty good reviews in the local papers. I found it to be one of the most hilarious books I've ever read. If I weren't afraid to write down my own sexual fantasies and if my mother were like his (the descriptions of his father, while a bit different, are very similar to my descriptions of my own father) then the first third of this book would probably be very similar to my own journals from when I was 14. He talks about sex, drugs, rock and roll, divorce, crummy step-parents, and many other things. He burns down half of Berkeley, helps a friend fake death, and is responsible, directly and indirectly, for several other events that are, ultimately, beyond his control. I'll warn you, if you are easily offended this may not be the book for you. He spend a lot of time talking about his erections and sexual fantasies in full graphical explainations, but the context is usually hilarious and it all fits into the feel of the book. I dare you to read the first two paragraphs and not feel a need to continue.

Cultural Literacy:

Bulfinch's Mythology, By Thomas Bulfinch.
Published by several publishing houses.

One of the best collections of myths and fables around. There are three volumes: The Age of Fable (concentrating on Classical Mythology and Norse Mythology), The Age of Chivalry (concentrating on renaissance mythology and the Arthurian Legends), and The Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages (Concentrating on the middle ages and European mythology). The author draws examples from classical literature to illustrate the myths. Not entirely complete, but very good for the individual seeking a guise to the more common myths. Many versions have all three volumes bound into one. Be sure to look for an unabridged copy.

On the Road, Big Sir, Dharma Bums, and Maggie Cassidy, by Jack Kerouac
Penguin Books, New York

Jack Kerouac is celebrated as one of the founders of the "Beat Generation". In fact, the term "beat" is attributed to him from an interview he had around the time On the Road came out. All of his books are part of a larger series he called "The Legends of Duluoz" which he meant to be similar to Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. Unfortunately, due to problems with the publishers, the names he uses are false and are inconsistent from book to book. He planned to go back someday and fillin all of the names with the real names and then set them on his bookcase too look at, but he passed away before he could. On the Road is probably the most important to read out of the three of these simply because it's the most widely read of his books and is the one most often referred to.

The Aeneid, by Virgil
Several publishers, several translations

If you get this book find an unabridged copy, preferably one written in verse since it originally was a poem. If you understand Latin really well, go get a copy in the original Latin and read it. I've read this three times: twice in english, once in Latin and I'll be reading it again in Latin before I graduate as required by one of my courses. It is a ltin poem written entirely in dactylic hexameter. It's about Aeneas, the fabled founder of Rome (the other story of the founding of Rome involves the twins Romulus and Remus who were raised by a she-wolf). It is about "Arms and a man who came first from Troy and then to Italy, a fugitive of fate and the wrath of angry Juno." (This is from memory so the actual wording may be incorrect, but you get the picture) If you read this you'll understand such phrases as "She is the Dido to my Aeneas." Actually, maybe not. This is supposed to mean that she is my girlfriend or something, but Aeneas ditches Dido because the fates are calling him to find Latium and, eventually, Rome so Dido kills herself. Go figure. Well, anyway, this was written during the time of Caesar Augustus, who claimed Aeneas as an ancestor. In Ancient Rome one's power and greatness was largely determined by one's ancestors. Virgil, hoping to gain favor with Augustus, wrote this epic which glorifies Aeneas and, in many ways, reflects the wisdom and political forthrightness of Augustus, as seen by Virgil. Can get boring and drawn out, but it's a good story that is referred to often in literature and media.

The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
Several publishers

The Divine Comedy is divided into three volumes: The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradisio. I've always thought that The Inferno would make a cool ride at Disneyland, but something tells me they wouldn't go for people mucking around in pools of excrement. The whole comedy is an allegory of Dante's journey to find God, religion, and himself. He starts off in Hell and goes through the many circles until he finally meets up with Dis (Satan) and leaves Hell to enter Purgatory. He again goes through many circles in Purgatory until he reaches Paradise, or Heaven, and meets with the angels and saints and with God Himself. The famous phrase "Abandon all hope ye who enters here" comes from the comedy, as do many other famous references. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
Several publishers, but try Vintage, New York

Those of you who were eagerly keeping track of the whole Amy Fisher/Joey Buttofuoco affair several years ago probably remember hearing Fisher being referred to as the "Long Island Lolita". This is where that came from. This is a book about a man who is sexually attracted only to prepubescent girls and actually gets married just so he can be close to one particular girl, who happens to be name Lolita. Yup, a pretty disgusting book. The book never really gets too graphic when describing sexual situations, but it leads the mind in the right direction. Just when you think the guy is OK and is not such a sicko he says or does something that completely throws you off. A very good book, much better than the first movie, though the second movie remained pretty faithful.

Literary Merit:

Historical Interest:

The Masks of God, by Joseph Campbell
Several publishers, but try Penguin Books, New York

There are a total of four volumes to this series which are titled, respectively, Primitive Mythology, Oriental Mythology, Occidental Mythology, and Creative Mythology. Joseph Campbell was one of the foremost folkloricists of his time and wrote several books about myths, folklore, and their meaning. These are not collections of myths but, rather, works that compare the myths of several cultures, looking for links through common psychology, proximity, etc. He does talk about several specific myths by means of example, but those looking for a myth encyclopaedia would probably be better off buying the aforementioned Bulfinch's Mythology or something like the Larouth Encyclopaedia of World Mythology. Those interested in comparative world mythology, like myself, will find this book fascinating but amazingly dense. He pulls on a lot of examples from psychology, anthropology, etc. to illustrate his ideas and the actual wording may confuse many, but if you can wade through all that it is a fascnating book written by a fascinating man (I have the entire "Power of Myth" PBS series with Campbell and Bill Moyers on tape. If you can get a hold of this at a library or something, be sure to watch it. It's incredible!).

John Steinbeck: A Biography, by Jay Parini
Henry Holt and Company, New York

As you probably know by now, John Steinbeck is my favorite author. He was born in Salinas, CA in 1902 and died in 1968. He led a facinating life (as far as I'm concerned) and this book chronicles it well. Parini gives us an inside look into the making of a Puliter and Nobel prize winning writer. If you like Steinbeck or just want to read a good biography, this is a must.

A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures, by Ben Bradlee
Simon and Schuster, New York

A fascinating look at the life of a man who had "a ringside seat at some of the century's most vital moments." I picked it up because recent events have caused me to take a different way to direct my life, namely from engineering to journalism. Bradlee was the executive editor at the Washington Post for several years. He was in the Navy for a while, spent time as a press attache for the American embassy in France, and worked as a writer and editor for Newsweek. During his time at the Post two writers, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, investigated a break-in at the National Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. The writers turned that break-in into national news almost overnight and the information that came out of the stories they wrote and the trials that followed led to the disgraceful resignation of then-President of the United States Richard Nixon. In the movie "All the President's Men," based on Woodward and Bernstein's book of the same name (This book is mentioned in the next entry), Bradlee is portrayed by the actor Jason Robards, who won an Academy Award for his performance. I think anyone, whether interested in journalism or not, could benefit from reading this book. Bradlee led a fascinating life and is a fascinating man as a result. If you are considering journalism as a career, this book is a must read.

All The President's Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
Simon and Schuster, New York

When I started this whole journalism thing a lot of people gave me suggestions of things I should do or read or, particularly, movies I should see. "All The Presiden't Men" was one of the movies suggested to me. It stars Robert Redford and Bob Woodward, Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein, and Jason Robards as Ben Bradlee. I was fascinated by the movie and, the next day, found myself working my sources a little harder for information. It inspired me to become a more aggressive reporter and made the whole journalism thing that much more appealing to me. I read the book, as I usually do after I see a good movie based on a book, and was even more fascinated. On June 17, 1972, five men broke into the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. The men had bugging and other surveillance equipment that they were installing in the room. On two of those five men were address books, each containg a reference to a staff member at the White House, then controlled by the republican Richard Nixon administration. Woodward and Bernstein were eventually both placed on the assignment and began an invesitgation so indepth that even the FBI didn't dig up as much information as they writers had. They found a cover up leading all the way to the top of the Whitehous, though Nixon used his executive privilege to keep information that could have implicated him in the burglary from getting out to the public. Woodward and Bernstein's persistance eventually led to Nixon's resignation, the only time in American history when a president has had to resign in disgrace. Another must read for any potential journalist. It's a fascinating inside look into one of the most famous inestigative reporting ventures in the nation and gives readers a good look at what real journalism is like.

Web:

Technical:

Code : The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software, by Charles Petzold
Microsoft Press

The computer has saved civilization as we know it. Without the computer, we'd all be dead. Got a problem? The computer will solve it! The computer will save us all! Long live the computer!

Man, am I sick of that bullshit. The computer is an elegant machine, built by Mankind for Mankind. It is a tool, originally meant to save us from the tedium of calculation long, tedious math problems (the first computers were intended to create logarithm tables without the inevitable human errors that crept in when done by hand). That it has also revolutionized communications and information technology is impressive, but it isn't a panacea. In the end, the computer is still nothing more than a tool. It is how we use it that makes it so special.

What is most impressive about this tool is the fact that, really, it doesn't do all that much. To most people, the computer is a mysterious black (or beige, to be more precise) box that can do anything from blowing away virtual monsters to completing one's taxes. The fact is, all a computer REALLY does is generate small pulses of electricity, representing 1s and 0s, and keep track of them. That's it. Nothing else. All of the cool things a computer does with those abilities are due to a few brilliant men and women who figured out a way to harness that power and use it in increasingly clever ways.

Petzold's book celebrates all of this while ripping open those black boxes to demonstrate precisely what's going on inside. He begins by introducing the reader to the concept of a code, which is simply a representation of information. He goes on at length about the development of various codes, such as the Morse Code and Braille. He then eases us into number systems, eventually focusing on Binary and Hexadecimal, and show how these can also be used as codes. By the time you're finished with the book, you've constructed a computer and learned a great deal about programming, electrical engineering and information science. And all with very little effort

Petzold is probably best known for his definitive book on the Win32 API, upon which all Windows programs are built. He has an easy writing style that facilitates understanding and guides the reader into the murkier technical waters with relative ease. I expected the book to get extremely dry -- and there are places where I found myself slogging through -- but, for the most part, it was lively and interesting, shocking, when you consider the topic.

Code is very much like a watered down text book -- lots of information and theory, but not enough to teach an advanced class -- but may very well be the most interesting text book you read.

As I remember them or read more books I'll add other pieces of great literature to this list. Not everyone will enjoy all of these books, after all I'm quite a unique individual, but I hope you do find something to your liking in this list. If you do and want to discuss the literary merit of the book, drop me a line at rzazueta@excite.com and we'll chat.