• Richard Dawkins- The Selfish Gene
• Paulo Coelho- The Alchemist
• Daniel Quinn- Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
• Bill McKibben- Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future
• William P. Young- The Shack

I’ll start off with The Selfish Gene. It is technical as hell, but worth it if you can get through it. Now, it is by Richard Dawkins, the author of The God Delusion, but don’t let that scare you off. He gives excellent examples of the Selfish Gene Theory. It is a theory that says at the basis of everyone human action is a selfish gene. However, not selfish in the way that you would think. Basically, genes want to live and reproduce, so they act selfishly to prolong their life. It is hard to describe, and can only really be done by Mr. Dawkins,so I don’t want to butcher the theory. He gives a wide range of examples involving strange animal practices, but in the last chapter he surprises you and relates it all to the human race. So, whether you are a devout catholic or an extreme agnostic, you can take something good away from this book. In my opinion, after reading this I felt as if I had solved a missing piece of the puzzle. Things just started to make sense. That is how I felt after most of the books that I am about to describe. It is definitely a scientific read, but can be easily related to the spiritual. But, if you are looking for a spiritual and inspiring read, the next books will definitely please you.

Next, The Alchemist. If you want to be inspired, if you want to feel hope, if you want to read something you will remember, then this is the perfect book for you. It follows the journey of a young man from Spain to Egypt. I feel like I can’t even give a good enough review of this book because it was written so well.When reading this, I actually bookmarked certain pages and highlighted the lines that I liked; there were many. It is not necessarily scientific or religious, but more spiritual. It sends a message for anyone and everyone to follow their dream and fulfill their personal legend. The fulfillment of the personal legend is the overall theme of the book. Warning though: After reading this you may feel an overwhelming urge to pursue a childhood dream and perceive the world in a more positive light.

Ishmael. Must Read. Absolutely must read. “Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person.” This is the statement and overall description on the back cover, and it describes the whole book perfectly. A student answers the ad in the paper and finds out that a gorilla will be his teacher. It may sound strange, but if you are looking to have your mind blown or completely turned inside out, only to find out that that is exactly how minds like to be, then this is the book for you. You will come across concepts and ways of thinking thawill change the way you see the world. I think that sums it up pretty well.

Deep Economy; isn’t it though? Take the three books I have described to you above, condense them into a well written and anecdotal, political essay, and apply each and every concept to the real world. This will give you the perfect recipe for Bill McKibben’s writing. If you are at all concerned about the economy, the environment, or the future in general, then this is a must read. He manages to prevent thought provoking ideas and solutions to our current environmental and economic problems. Mostly, he discusses way to localize the economy and save resources. He also manages to present the benefits and disadvantages of doing so in an unbiased manner. They may sounds like the ideas and methods of a Utopian society from far far away, but they are actually very feasible and inspiring to those who want to make a difference in the current environmental practices of the current economy.

The Shack: The title says it all, or does it? This is fiction, just so you know. After reading this I actually googled the main elements of the story to find out more. This shows just how well this was written. Young manages to write the most believable account of a spiritual journey I have ever heard. The story follows a man whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered during a camping trip. Sometime later, this man receives a letter from God telling him to go to the shack where they found her bloody clothes. This is where the books takes an amazing and fantastic turn that previously only had the potential to be created in a dream. He meets God. That is all I can really say. He meets God. This book is definitely more of a religious read, but anyone and everyone should read it. Talk about imagination. You will truly feel uplifted at the last page.

These are all great books to read. However, reading all of them will create a synergistic and fantastic mix of text and ideas that you will never forget. In fact, reading these will only create a greater desire to expand your mind and lsiten to what different people have to say. I just happened to come across all of them in the span of a year. It seemed that they were all written to help people connect and realize the message from each previous book. It is a strange and wonderful feeling to be able to relate and agree with books that present ideas on such different genres and ends of the spectrum. So, my suggestion: read one. Sit on it. See what you think. Repeat.

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