Best introduction to grownup sci-fi: Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein. Paul Allen and I fell in love with Heinlein when we were just kids, and this book is still one of my favorite sci-fi novels of all time. It tells the story of a young man who returns to Earth after growing up on Mars and starts a new religion. I think the best science fiction pushes your thinking about what’s possible in the future, and Heinlein managed to predict the rise of hippie culture years before it emerged. Best memoir by a rock star: Surrender, by Bono. This book came out this month, so it’s the most recent one I’ve read on my list. If you’re a U2 fan, there is a good chance you already plan to check it out. Even if you’re not, it’s a super fun read about how a boy from the suburbs of Dublin grew up to become a world-famous rock star and philanthropist. I’m lucky enough to call Bono a friend, but a lot of the stories he tells in Surrender were new to me. Best guide to leading a country: Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I can’t read enough about Abraham Lincoln, and this is one of the best books on the subject. It feels especially relevant now when our country is once again facing violent insurrection, difficult questions about race, and deep ideological divides. Goodwin is one of America’s best biographers, and Team of Rivals is arguably her masterpiece. Best guide to getting out of your own way: The Inner Game of Tennis, by Robert Gallwey. This book from 1974 is a must-read for anyone who plays tennis, but I think even people who have never played will get something out of it. Gallwey argues that your state of mind is just as important—if not more important—than your physical fitness. He gives excellent advice about how to move on constructively from mistakes, which I’ve tried to follow both on and off the court over the years. Best book about the periodic table: Mendeleyev’s Dream, by Paul Strathern. The history of chemistry is filled with quirky characters like Dimitri Mendeleyev, the Russian scientist who first proposed the periodic table after it allegedly came to him in a dream. Strathern’s book traces that history all the way back to its origins in ancient Greece. It’s a fascinating look at how science develops and how human curiosity has evolved over the millennia.
Thanks for the information. I discovered these 3 interesting websites. You may be also interested in: Favorite books of celebrities - authors, leaders, actors and entrepreneurs! See what they read and get inspired. Read More. Get inspired. - FavoriteOf.com 9,500+ book recommendations from the most successful and interesting people in the world. Good Books | Books recommended by successful people We spend countless hours on the internet looking for authentic book recommendations from people we look up to. Browse our constantly evolving database below. Every single recommendation has been verified and includes a quote and/or a link to the source. Read This Twice - Books Worth Reading Twice.
Strathern’s book is indeed pretty interesting. I read the Heinlein as a teen...not my fave by him. The rest I can probably do without. Team of Rivals was more of a hagiography than a serious analysis of Lincoln's numerous strengths and weaknesses. The 'Lincoln cult' soldiers on (lol).
I’m a big Heinlein fan but never really liked Stranger in a Strange Land. I think he wrote many better books: Double Star; Red Planet; Have Spacesuit, Will Travel; Citizen of the Galaxy; The Door Into Summer; The Moon is a Harsh Mistress I think Doris Goodwin is a mediocre historian and plagiarist. I have no interest in reading her books.
