Adult

Short anecdotes of inspiration, humor and philosophy

Before he wrote that religious book with the volcano on the cover, L. Ron Hubbard was a pretty good science fiction writer.  I read this book when the cover advertised the quote “the scariest book I’ve ever read” by a guy named Stephen King.

Okay, so it’s a little over 200 pages.  This book will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think.  One of the most banned books in America because he uses the “f” word once.

His only book written based on a screenplay, Asimov almost inspired me to become a surgeon with this fascinating tale that takes place inside the human body.

So what if I included another book that is over 200 pages?  This book about a twentysomething’s search for enlightenment made me appreciate the world around me, and I enjoyed the writing even more than Krakauer’s excellent Into Thin Air.

The ultimate in bathroom literature.  These fake headlines are hilarious.  The Onion’s website is my favorite news source, as its insights are far more interesting than CNN or Fox News Channel.

Made into an Oliver Stone movie with Tom Cruise in 1989, the book is pretty grim.  If you’re too lazy to read it now, check it out over Memorial Day next year.  If you’re still too lazy, rent the video at Blockbuster.

I read this in the bookstore while I waited for my wife to get her nails done.  Very easy to read, and a great reminder of the power of freedom.

This book, probably more than any other, defines modern politics.  Even though it was written in the 16^th century, it is amazing how much of it applies to the 21^st century.  Not the most interesting book to read, but people are impressed when you say you’ve read it.

July represents the middle of the summer, and one of the best forms of summer relaxation is fishing.  I encourage everyone to read this book, as the writing is simply beautiful.  Robert Redford’s movie is grand, but the book is sheer poetry.

I just read this book last month, and it is delightful.  Madame Esme gives all sorts of humorous anecdotes, practical teaching tips and heartfelt observations, all based on her teaching experiences.

While I am recommending inspirational teaching stories, there’s none better than this classic.  Great movie adaptation, as well (sorry, Twiggy and Poitier do not appear in the book).

While Oprah has made Steinbeck’s East of Eden the second best-selling book of the summer (a young boy wizard occupies the top slot), it is over 600 pages.  This is much more manageable for lazy readers.  Besides, I always loved reading about the relationship between George and Lennie.

Now that I have reverted to classics, I cannot say enough about this RL Stevenson page-turner.  It is part of a series of classics you can buy on Amazon for a buck a book.

You can read this book in two hours.  It is small, with big print.  That captures the gist of this small person who had a big impact.  I think this book has been on the bestseller list for around 200 weeks.