For me reading the Tao Te Ching was a game changer. Some of the ideas in that book really changed my perspective on things.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar was a game changer for me. Mind.fucking.blown. The plot arc was a tour de force and the twist at the end was sensational.
"Speaker for the Dead". Despite the authors horrendous personal views on a lot of issues, this book has a profound impact on me as a young teenager with an interest in philosophy. What really stood out to me was the way complex philosophical concepts were made easily accessible. I also liked the reckoning journey Ender went on and how it took his personal struggles in the first book to their extreme (though imo logical) conclusion.
I've only finished recently, but: 'Walden' by Henry David Thoreau. I've read a few books about simple living/minimalism but 'Walden' is something special. Many patient observations of simple natural phenomenon are wonderful meditations and potent lessons. It seemed just as relevant to present times as to when it was written. I feel like there's a lot to extract from that book, I'll definitely read it many more times!
It is in the public domain in the US (published 1854) so you can get the ebook or audiobook for free from Project Gutenberg!
Walter Moers "Die Stadt der Träumenden bücher" unique Humor and Style of writing. The newer obes by Moers are Not as good thought.
I'm reading the Kathasaritsagara now! Reading those kind of collections of tales makes me feel like I'm living among the ancient/medieval villagers of India, an interesting perspective shift to say the least
I'll check it out! Thanks for the rec
And about the Indian stories, I think you'll find a rhythmic pattern. Maybe the translations can ruin it, I can't confirm or deny this.
I think you're right, I'm probably missing out on certain contexts and linguistic play reading the English translations. It adds to the melancholy in a way though, knowing there's more beneath the surface of the words I can only barely grasp
Not exactly one that I love, but it's probably The Prince by Machiavelli.
For me, definitely this essay:
https://redsails.org/masses-elites-and-rebels/
But if you demand a book:
https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/Engels_Socialism_Utopian_and_Scientific.pdf
Two completely different books: the animal farm by Orwell and Schopenhauer's the art of being right
John Wyndham's The Chrysalids turned me into a going-on-thirty-years sci-fi reading machine. Thankfully, I did not take the ending to heart and have since realized the horribly hypocritical mess it is. Still, a great book.
