My Top 5 Favorite Books

In no particular order, these are my favorite books that I have read to date. A common theme they all have in common is they are all 'page turners'. Another theme they share, which I just thought of is that characters in each book are hard workers, determined and never give up. Some of them being over 500 pages and I read in a few days. All are non-fiction except Dan Brown's Deception Point. I guess I have an interest in books more about life, geography, travel and adventure. But still love a good story. I never really used to be a book reader. But once you get a good book in your hands it's hard to put down.

• Outliers (2008) by Malcolm Gladwell

  This was the first book I read by Malcolm Gladwell and I can say that it is my favorite book  I've read to date. How he takes little details, almost seemingly so (UN)important details of peoples lives and explains how these certain details will shape that persons life. And possibly generations of that persons family for years and years to come. It is amazing. Things such as what month hockey players are born in, in Canada. How Bill Gates becomes so wealthy. Gladwell, hardly talks about Bill Gates' Microsoft. All he talks about is what Gates did from 8th grade till he dropped out of Harvard. But my favorite portion of the book, I guess some could call it the theme, how Gladwell talks about opportunity. And what people do with a small opportunity and how with plenty of hard work, a little luck, they can literally put themself where they want to be.
Awesome book.

• Guns, Germs and Steel (1997) by Jared Diamond

This book was insane. Insanly awesome that is. If I start to TRY to describe it I will undoubtedly fail. But if you are interested in who mankind evolved over the bast 10,000 years to what we are now, then read this book. It is in no way about creationism v. evolution, I could care less about that topic (evolution). So if you believe in humans and want to know why some countries developed into world dominators and others were stuck defending themselves with sticks this is a great one.

• Deception Point (2001) by Dan Brown

 

I began reading the Dan Brown novels in an odd order. You would think I read his most famous novel, The Da Vinci Code, first. But I did not. I actually wasn't really planning on reading this book because I actually bought it for my dad. I think that I was bored one night and saw the book sitting on the shelf so I decided to flip through the pages. After reading the prologue and seeing that Dan Brown was quotting Bill Clinton I had to read on. The thing that I love about Browns writing is that he keeps the chapters short and your adrenaline pumping. So when I began this book it was hard to put down. It starts off with a man and his dog sled team in the arctic that are approached men with weapons and told to get on a helicopter. Soon the man and his dogs will be dropped from the chopper and the novel begins. The novel races through election season in Washington D.C. This being the only fiction book in my top 5, it covers all my interests: Mystery, Adventure, The Arctic and quick snappy chapters. Can't beat it.

• Mans Search for Meaning (1959) by Viktor Frankl

Hard to put yourself in Viktor Frankls shoes in this book, since he probably did not have any. This is about his experience being in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp of WWII. This book was an assignment to read in my General Psychology course in college. It is a rather short book. No more than 200 pages. But those 200 pages are moving. If you dont feel anything by the way Frankl describes what goes on in Auschwitz and how the Nazis totally demolish a human mind layer after layer, then there is something wrong with you.

It is a sad book but I am glad my Psychology Professor made us read it.

I am lazy right now so here is the wiki page that describes it all...Man's Search for Meaning

• Born to Run (2009) by Christopher McDougall

This book was the most recent book that I read. And it was great. Starting off searching for some guy named, "Caballo Blanco" in the Mexican desert. What was this going to be even about? I had to read on. Another thing that drew me to the book was the short description on the front, it reads: "A hidden tribe, Super Athletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen." So obviously these also drew me to the book. In short, the book is about an almost unknown tribe of super ultra endurance athletes that live deep in Mexico. They are named "Tarahumara" and they kick ass. They know how to run and run and run. And it is not jus tthat they can run, they are running in the 100 degree heat in the Mexican desert with little water and food. Caballo Blanco makes them seem as they are invisable. Another thing that is great about this book is that its peppered with little chapters about great runners in history and how they got there. Shorts about great endurance athletes across the world that no one seems to know. Even if you are not a runner or an endurance athlete this is a great book with more than one great story inside. ALSO on many occasions after putting this book down I went for a run. And in some way I think this made me a better runner...I think.

Runners up:

• In Search of Captain Zero
• Dawn
• Flawless
• Into Thin Air
• Lake Wobogon: Summer 1956
• Into the Wild