Books that have helped me to change the way I look at the world.

The Winds of War - Herman Wouk.  Historical fiction about the 
United State’s involvement in the second world war.  The novel 
follows the family of Pug Henry, a United States Naval officer 
as the government watches what is happening in Europe and then 
reacts to Hitler’s march towards England.

War and Rememberance - Herman Wouk.  The sequel to The Winds 
of War.  The United States enters the war and we follow the 
career of Pug Henry and his family as they struggle to survive.  
These two books will help you to understand the dynamics of 
the politics that held this country captive and then allowed 
it to enter the war and defeat Germany.

Ishmael - Daniel Quinn.  Alan Lomax meets a teacher named Ishmael 
and starts to learn what is wrong with the way our civilization 
is trying to make us live.  You will see our culture in a light 
that you haven’t had available before.  What is pre-historic?  
Who are the Leavers and who are the Takers?  How can our species 
survive?  Are we willing to learn?

My Ishmael - Daniel Quinn.  A sequel to Ishmael in which a twelve 
year old girl, Julie Gershek, becomes a pupil of Ishmael and not 
only learns from him but helps him to find a new life.  Because 
of her age, perhaps, Ishmael is much more patient and helps her 
to learn the lessons that he was trying to teach Alan Lomax in 
the first book.  We all need to read this book and understand what 
it is saying if there is to be a future for our generations yet 
to come.

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand.  A novel of gigantic proportions that 
asks the question: What would happen to the economy if the 
capitalists that drive it started to "drop out".  These captains 
of industry are the driving force of employment and productivity, 
and yet the government continues to bleed them dry.  What if 
they all said "Enough is enough!"?  And yet, the story is told 
around real people who are involved in real problems and you 
will be sorry that the story is over when you read the last page.  
You will become a part of the book and will feel like you have 
lost a friend when you are done with it.

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand.  This is a novel about a young 
architect who wants to “buck the system” and design buildings 
that are not consistent with the 'trend'.  He finds himself 
going up against a wall of resistance and he is without support.  
Again this is the tale of one man against the world that is 
wound very tightly around the characters that are superbly 
developed.

Lay Down With Lions - Ken Follett.  Historical fiction about 
the war between Russia and Afghanistan in the seventies.  
Seen through the eyes of an agent of the Central Intelligence 
Agency of the United States, we get a view of this war that 
was previously unavailable.  It is a mystery, an adventure, 
a love story, and a great book.

Charm School - Nelson DeMille.  Adventure and intrigue behind 
the Iron Curtain after the end of the war in Vietnam.  This is 
one of the very best books that I have ever read and you won’t 
be able to put it down.

By The Rivers of Babylon - Nelson DeMille.  An airplane filled 
with diplomats is forced to land in what was once known as 
'The Fertile Crescent'.  A part of Iraq that lies between the 
Tigris and Euphrates rivers and was where civilization as we 
know it was born.  

Word of Honor - Nelson DeMille.  Twenty years after the end of 
the war in Vietnam, an American businessman is charged with 
crimes supposedly committed while serving as an officer in 
the U. S. Army.  The government, in it’s normal reaction to 
any news that might bring embarrassment to it, tramples over 
the rights of a private citizen and in the process, nearly 
destroys his life.  An excellent story that looks at the 
morals and ethics and memories of war.
 
The Gemini Contenders - Robert Ludlum.  Ludlum wrote a number 
of spy and intrigue thrillers.  I felt that this was one of 
his best.  Whenever anyone asked me which of Ludlum’s books 
I liked the best, this is the one that came to mind.

The Far Arena - Richard ben Sapir.  A Roman Gladiator is found 
frozen in a block of ice during an oil drilling expedition.  
Through the wonders of modern medicine, his body is thawed 
and his heart and other organs are found to be preserved and 
healthy.  And so he is returned to a living condition three 
thousand years after his presumed death.  This is a wonderful 
story of mystery and love among peoples of very different 
backgrounds.  I couldn’t put it down.

The Ritual Bath - Faye Kellerman.  This is the first in a series 
of stories about an orthodox Jewish woman whose husband has died 
leaving her with two young sons.  As a result of some very nasty 
crimes that have taken place at the Mikvah, she meets a police 
detective and together they solve the mystery while finding a 
very unusual romance.

The Firm - John Grisham.  This is the novel that made John Grisham 
famous.  A young law school graduate is recruited for a very 
wealthy prestigious law firm and is on the road to a fabulous 
career when he discovers that all of the money that is being 
made by this firm is not exactly kosher.  Others who have 
discovered the truth have not lived long enough to testify, or 
for that matter, to even raise a question.  

Exodus - Leon Uris.  Historical fiction that revolves around the 
struggle that led to the creation of the State of Israel.  Through 
his characters you are able to see and feel history in the making.

The Seven Minutes - Irving Wallace.  This book is hot!  It is about 
a novel and the censorship that takes place because of it.  Another 
book that I couldn’t put down.

Raise The Titanic - Clive Cussler.  Cussler wrote a number of books 
centered on the character, Dirk Pitt.  I felt that this was the best 
of the series.  It was dramatic and exciting.  I couldn’t wait for 
the movie to come out but it was a disappointment.  The book, however, 
will not be a disappointment.

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell.  This book is set in the middle of 
the 21st century and depicts a life that is not so far fetched.  Radio 
transmissions detect civilized life on a planet outside of our solar 
system.  The Jesuits, long known for their exploration of our world, 
create a mission to go to this planet that is light years away.  This 
is the story of the people who made up the mission and what they 
discovered.  Through her book, Russell attempts to show us what life 
was like for the explorers from Europe who discovered the new world 
over 500 years ago.  This is a dark book in that all that occurs is 
not happy and up lifting – but it will make you think about the way 
our life is and maybe how we can go about making a difference.

Children of God - Mary Doria Russell.  The sequel to The Sparrow.  A 
lot of questions that were left unanswered in the first book are 
answered here.  As we follow the life of the lone survivor from the 
first mission we learn about the very nature of life on our planet.  
Together, these two books are a remarkable achievement.

A Thread of Grace - Mary Doria Russell.  Northern Italy near the end 
of World War II.  The government concedes to the Nazis and everything 
changes - what has been the hell of the war for Austria, Poland, 
Hungary, and all of the other European nations now comes to Italy.  
This is a story about the people of Genoa and the surrounding 
countryside - the Germans - the Resistance - the Jews - the Clergy - 
and what happened to them.     

If I Never Get Back - Darryl Brock.  A sportswriter in the 1980’s is 
on a train from Cleveland to Toledo and during a stop he steps out 
on the platform and falls and takes a pretty good knock to the head.  
When he comes to he finds that he has been pushed back in time to 
the 1860’s.  He is assisted by a young man who is a member of a 
barnstorming professional baseball team.  He knows that he is not 
in the right “time” but he is helpless to do anything about it.  
He catches on with the baseball team as an assistant manager, trainer, 
scorer, or whatever and we follow him around as we learn about life, 
love, and baseball during the last century.  The ending of the book 
is kind of weak in relation to the rest of it, but it is a great read.

Inside/Outside - Herman Wouk.  I almost think that you have to be 
Jewish to be able to enjoy this book.  It was supposedly an account 
of the life of William Safire during the Nixon administration.  Here 
was an observant Jew, a member of the intelligentsia, if in fact that 
exists, who was brought in to the inner circle as a speech writer to 
bring morality and credibility to an administration that had very 
little of either of those traits.  Wouk writes about the attempt by 
his main character, who may or may not be Safire, to have a life 
inside and outside of his home and religion.  I truly enjoyed this 
book while many others found it difficult to understand.

Replay - Ken Greenwood.  A young businessman in his mid 30’s has a 
heart attack and dies, or so it seems. Immediately after his death 
he finds himself reliving his life from a point within his life.  
He knows he has gone back in time and is going to go through a portion 
of his life once again, and so he makes the best of it.  As he once 
again reaches the age at which he previously died, he dies again, only 
to once again find himself back at another point a little later than 
the first 're-awakening'.  It is a fascinating concept and it is 
very well written.

Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean Auel.  This was the first of what was to 
have been six books in an “Earth Children” series depicting the transition 
of the cave man into what we began to know as the start of the modern 
'erect' man.  In this first book a young child of human parents is orphaned 
and adopted by a clan of cave dwelling people.  Her life from adoption at 
age three or four to young adulthood is the vehicle that is used to teach 
the reader of the way that the cave dweller lived.  

The World According To Garp - John Irving.  This is a wonderful book that 
is beyond description.  Easily one of the best books of this or any century.

Les Miserable - Victor Hugo.  Our hero, Jean Val Jean is arrested for 
stealing a loaf a bread.  He escapes and is pursued relentlessly through 
the streets and sewers of Paris.  I read this when I was about 15 and it 
made a terrific impression on me.  It is a long book and not the easiest 
to read but it is a tremendous story and should not be missed.

From Here To Eternity - James Jones.  One of the great novels about 
World War II that was made into a very good movie.  The book is much 
better than the movie and you will get a great feel about being a G.I. 
in the 30’s and the 40’s while the war was going on.   

The Source - James Michner.  Historical fiction that traces the very 
beginning of the peoples of the middle east.  This roving band of 
nomads who become the 'Chosen People' and the founders of modern day 
Israel.  The best work of an incredible author.
    
1984 - George Orwell.  This novel reflected Orwell’s view of life in 
the last half of the 20th century.  It was a scary place where 
everyone was constantly monitored by the government (known as Big 
Brother).  Basically, the issue had to do with personal privacy (or 
the lack thereof) and how that would affect life as we know it.   
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