A discussion over in the "Your profession" thread got me thinking about this. What are the books you think would have the greatest benefit to read, and why? Sort of like favorite books, but ones that aren't just for enjoyable reading.
Some of my list follows.
"Basic Economics," by Sowell, or if that one seems too long, the shorter "Economics in One Lesson," by Hazlitt. These are books about economics, but at the level of governmental policy -- things like are wage limits good or bad, is automation good or bad, are tariffs good or bad, does rent control help create affordable housing, and so on. If more people read either of these two books, countries could be spared many economically disastrous policies. If a person would read only one of my book recommendations, this would be it.
"How to Win Friends and Influence People," by Carnegie. This book's title has been a cliché, which is why I didn't read it for so long. However, that was a mistake. It is an excellent book on how to interact with people. It is a book that can help you advance more quickly in any career and, importantly, interact more smoothly with people in non-work environments as well.
"You Can Negotiate Anything," by Cohen. Excellent, practical techniques on how to negotiate, which is enormously useful in business and non-business contexts.
"The Power of Habit," by Duhigg. A large majority of what we do in our lives is done out of habit, not by conscious decision making. This book talks about how this process works and how to get control over it, to steer it in directions you want instead of having it operate in directions that you don't want.
"With the Old Breed," by Sledge. If a person reads one book about war, this should be it. It is marvelously well written and describes what war really can be like.
"Why Government Doesn't Work," by Brown. How governments operate has an enormous impact upon people's lives. This book lays out an argument in favor of a way different from how governments have been evolving.
"The High Frontier," by O'Neill. Spreading humanity out from Earth would be a major event in the development of the human race. This book is an explanation of how human colonization of space is achievable with current technology.
I would also pick books in a few other areas, but I don't have single books to recommend there yet. I'll work on it.
