Good Books You Want To Introduce!!!!

Do you have any book want to introduce to others? Then this thread can help you to do it!!! Follow the list below to introduce your books!

Title:
Auther:
Type:
How do you get this book: option-please list out the price if you buy the book from bookshops.
Rating: All age, above 6, above 12, above 16, above 18.
Introduction: A short essay (minimum 50 words) about the book.
Reasons of introducing: Another short essay (50 words again) about why you want to introduce this book.

Now, feel free to introduce books you think is good!!!! (no violence and sexual things)

Title: War and Peace
Author: Count Leo Tolstoy
Type: Philosophy, war, romance
How do you get this book: Any bookshop should have it
Rating: Anyone with a mature mind
Introduction: War and Peace tells of the lives of several Russian families during the Napoleonic era. (I reckon that's enough)
Reasons of introducing: Because everybody should read it once during their lives.

Title: Gulag
Auther: Anne Applebaum
Type: Non-fiction
Rating: 10/10 EDIT: Those interested.
Introduction: It's a fooking Pulitzer winner! And there's never been anything so tautly well written about the Russian prison camps as this book, it really is a great read for those interested in learning, to their utter amazement, about the ridiculously corrupt prison system.

Title: America (the book), Democracy Inaction
Auther: Jon Stewart (and others)
Type: fiction (for the most part)
How do you get this book: there's this thing called a bookstore
Rating: 15+
Introduction: hi-larious
Reasons of introducing: It doesn't matter if you're conservative or liberal or somewhere in between, it's just funny as hell, even funnier than the "Daily Show"

I'm also a lover of Octavian's choice. I also suggest:

Title: The Brothers Karamazov
Auther: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Type: Fiction. A philosophical and psychological crime-scene drama, with a variety of other side themes as well.
How do you get this book: Library. If not, Amazon. It costs between $8-15 for a hardcover.
Rating: anyone with a mature mind, though it's preferrable to read it when one is 15 and above. It's really up to the reader's interests.
Introduction: I will not say anything about the plot, because I hate giving it away. It is Dostoevsky's death-bed book. He died a year after it was written. He wrote tBK as a staple of his life's beliefs. It covers pretty much all intellectual genres, from religion, to existentialist philosophy, to criminal psychology, to moralism.
Reasons of introducing: It has become my living guidebook. I model my life after the character Alyosha.

Title: The Unexpected Universe

Author: Loren Eiseley

Type: I guess its philosophy

How to get the book: Online, i suggest amazon, and its priced 10-15$. This book is rare enough that it wont be found in stores, maybe, and just maybe if its a large book store like borders.

Rating: late teens and up, needs to be a patient and mature reader

Introduction: 10-11 short anecdotal essays that progress through the psychological history of man. Very informative and though provoking.

The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho

Dreams, symbols, signs, and adventure follow the reader like echoes of ancient wise voices in "The Alchemist", a novel that combines an atmosphere of Medieval mysticism with the song of the desert. With this symbolic masterpiece Coelho states that we should not avoid our destinies, and urges people to follow their dreams, because to find our "Personal Myth" and our mission on Earth is the way to find "G*d", meaning happiness, fulfillment, and the ultimate purpose of creation.

The novel tells the tale of Santiago, a boy who has a dream and the courage to follow it. After listening to "the signs" the boy ventures in his personal, Ulysses-like journey of exploration and self-discovery, symbolically searching for a hidden treasure located near the pyramids in Egypt (Kemet).

When he decides to go, his father's only advice is "Travel the world until you see that our castle is the greatest, and our women the most beautiful". In his journey, Santiago sees the greatness of the world, and meets all kinds of exciting people like kings and alchemists. However, by the end of the novel, he discovers that "treasure lies where your heart belongs", and that the treasure was the journey itself, the discoveries he made, and the wisdom he acquired.

"The Alchemist", is an exciting novel that bursts with optimism; it is the kind of novel that tells you that everything is possible as long as you really want it to happen. That may sound like an oversimplified version of new-age philosophy and mysticism, but as Coelho states "simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them".

Title - The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the 14th Century
Author - Dr. Ross Dunn
Type - History
How to get it - I got my copy from Amazon. I taught under Dunn as a TA, so I probably could have just borrowed a copy from him as well.
Rating - College age readers will be able to grasp it better

Intro - This book isn't just a biography of Ibn Battuta's life. It also illuminates the fact that the Islamic world was one of the most cosmopolitan in history. As Dunn describes Ibn Battuta's travels through Africa, the Middle East, India, and China, he points out the Islamic influence throughout most of Eurasia.

Why I want to introduce it - We're interested in history here, and I'm sure most of us would want to read about a traveler who traveled further than Marco Polo.

Title: Baudolino
Author: Umberto Eco
Type: Historical Fiction, Philosophy
How to get it: Bookshop, available in paper-back so quite cheap
Rating: Perhaps late teens and up, or anybody knowledgeable in Medieval History

Introduction: It is set in 1204 (at the sack of Constantinople), but is mostly the narration of the life of the main character Baudolino to the Byzantine Historian Niketas Choniates. His tale is a fantastical autobiography, incorporating the mythological tales of Medieval Europe, such as Prester John, the Holy Grail, the Magi, and mythical beasts. But it also draws upon history, following the campaigns of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (who adopts Baudolino), and speaks of the Hashishin, the Mongols, and the Byzantine Empire (on the many travels of the main character). Eco, being both a Medieval historian and a philosopher (among other things), fills this tale with various discussions on science and metaphysics, and how these would be seen by Medieval thinkers. It is very well written (originally in Italian, but available in many languages), and is overall a very enjoyable read.

Reason for introducing: Many people here are interested in history (in particular Medieval and Byzantine history), and this is certainly not run-of-the-mill historical fiction. It is filled with so many references and allusions, and a both fantastical and historical tale, which make it a well-rounded book and an overall joy to read for those who have a love for all things Medieval.

Title - Ship of Magic
Author - Robin Hobb
Type - Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Hot to Get It - I got mine in a second habd bookshop....
Rating - 5/5
About - This is the first part in a series of books about "Liveships" ships whose figure ehads come to life after three people from the family of the owner die on board. :There are several differant characters each with totaly differant life styles who end up meeting up with each other un-expectedly, and a really good bit where one of the main characters fathers makes his son a slave :laughing:

Intro - A couple of paragraphs about the wood the ships are made from.

Title: Exodus
Author: Leon Uris
Type: Semi historical reportage
How to get it: You can buy it via Amazon. I borrowed my copy from my grandmother.
Rating - 5/5
About - An epic describing the holocaust and the later birth of modern Israel.
This book is modestly a good read. From various Jewish, Muslim and British perspectives, it shows how the British and Muslim tried to stop Israel and the Jewish emmigrants.
The Jewish terroist actions, the subesquent war with all the Arab nations, how freindships become impossible due to religion.
A must read.

Title: Foucault's Pendulum
Author: Umberto Eco
Type: Historical Fiction, Philosophy
How to get it: (in translation) Bookshops, etc
Rating: 12+ (providing they are relativly mature)

explores the foibles of those who believe in conspiricy theories and how fiction can devour your life and that of those around you.

Written in flash-back style and covering many years of the central characters life it shows how a puzzles and lies can take on lives of their own.

Reasons: I believe it to be well written, a slower read for those who what a change of pace from 'pulp' is the best seller lists.

Not one for the grail hunters....

R

Title: The Domination
Author: SM Stirling
Type: Alternate History with a purpose
How to Get it: Amazon, your nearest available book franchise
Rating: 16 and Up
About: A huge three part book describing the exploits of a Drakan family/families from 1942-1999. From the Caucausus and battles against the Nazis to a spy thriller (against the Americans). Those are the first two. The last one describes the rise to power of a certain member, who leads the Domination to war against the Alliance for Democracy.

Plausibility issues are in order. However, it is written spectacularly well.

Title- I, Claudius and Claudius the God
Author- Robert Graves
Type- Historical Fiction
How do you get this book- Go online and google it. Your bound to find it somewhere. And the price varies from place to place.
Rating- I'd put it at 15+
Introduction- Both books are based on Claudius, a member of the Julio-Claudian family in Ancient Rome. It is told from his point of view, and goes from early childhood (including some nice backstory to his family) to his death at the hands of his wife.
Reasons- Its a damn good read, and considering that this IS a site that has many people that love ancient history, I said 'why not'. Robert Graves is also my fav author, and I also suggest any of his other works, such as Count Belisarius and the Golden Ass.

Title - The World is Flat
Author - Thomas L. Friedman
Type - Non Fiction/ History/ Current Events
How Did You Get This Book? - Amazon Baby!
Rating- High School Seniors and Up

Introduction - The book as its title suggests, is about the flattening of the world, not literally of course. With the advent of globalization has come the ability for foreign countries to compete with Americans as never before. This book is both a warning and a cry for change in the American education system, as America continues to fall slowly but surely behind other countries. Friedman, as with all his books has lots of anecdotes which help the reader to better understand the forces that are changing this world for the better or worse.

Reasons- I feel it’s very important for people to read this book because it helps them to better understand the world of the 21'st century. It also helps to give motivation to individuals to stay ahead of the game when it comes to over seas competition for it is now a horizontal world, where the Big must act small, and the small can act big in the global markets of today. It's truly a must read for anyone wanting to understand the world that we are in today.

Title: The Diary of Samuel Pepys
Author: Samuel Pepys
Type: Historical diary
How to get it: Read it online (Hardback prob at library)
Rating: Anyone able to understand or comprehend early English (17th century) dialog.
about: This diary is HUGE. It consists of around 30 volumes, each volume at least 800 pages long. You can also get a condensed version in one volume of a little over a thousand pages.
It deals with Samuel Pepys (pronounced Peeps), day to day life as he rises in rank in English Parliment during the early to late 17th century. Everything is explained and detailed in his own words from the smallest of incidents such as going for a stroll with a friend and coming apon the queens carrige and finding her inside asleep and snoring loudly, to his adventures at sea around the time of the wars between England and the Dutch.
I can in no way give a big enough example in this limited space of the tens of thousands of narratives and insights he experienced firsthand dealing with the fire of London 1666, or the great plague of the same year.
Definately a must read for anyone wanting to know what 17th century life in England was like, straight from the horses mouth. (So to speak)...

Not light reading, and not for everyone, but I cherish it.

Title - The Story of Britain From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History (Originally published as A People's History of Britain)
By - Rebecca Fraser
Type - History
Get from Amazon or any of the larger bookstores
How should read, anyone wanting to take in a general history of Great Britain, High School and above, (may be a little thin for the already well informed brit)

While their is no shortage of reading material on British history what makes this book stand out from the rest is its superb readability. It never bogs down in minutae and seldom takes the the readers knowledge for granted, making it a very good read for those not already completely versed in the subject.You will learn what Piccadilly means and something about a crisis over someone's bedchamber.