p2an, excellent point ;)

Jonathan Livingston seagull by Richard Bach is one of my all time favorite books. Probably the best summery of my religious beliefs and will forever be a source for my constant drive to learn more about everything.

You can also read it in an hour or so and it has pictures.

The Wuggie Norple Story

Max Stirner - The Ego and His Own

the bible, and out of that, the books of job, jonah, the psalms and john's gospel speak to me most directly.

what about the ones by philip and mary that were left out because they say things the rulers of the church didn't like similar to what the arians(of egypt who got burned out) and jews said that jesus was not special beyond anybody else and that we all are.

bible a book of violence and lies, engineered for best social control much like the koran

Antisthenes: you are of course free to your beliefs, which I respect and ponder.

My view of the bible is that it is not a church document so much as a collection of legends, myths, poems, and stories. I read it as literature as one might read Joyce or Proust: taking the good and rejecting the rest. I suppose I wd read the koran in the same way. I tried to read it once but gave up as it was so boring and repetitive. It is possible to be an atheist I think and still appreciate the magnificence of the language of john's gospel. I look on it as a question of taste and personal preference, that's all.

wow. definitely a life-changer! at least when i was fourteen it was.

On The Road

The Dharma Bums

Desolations Angels

Visions of Cody

Big Sur

Dr. Sax

Tristessa

by Jack Kerouac

and almost anything by William S. Burroughs or Norman Mailer

The Omnivore's Dilemma , Michael Pollan
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly , Anthony Bourdain
south beach diet

thanks for the explanation farmer, and yes do look into the gnostic scripts if you want them i have them

thanks Antisthenes: that's very kind of you. I really ought to look into the gnostic scripts. the apocrypha are also sort of interesting.

The Magic Mountain is good, but I thought Robert Musil's The Man Without Qualities is without peer.

the alchemist

Recently, Ana Karenina. Its an incredible introspection on self discovery, emotional responses, and the aspect of ambition to better society or an aspect of society.

Also, the Tao of Pooh is one of my most most favoritest books ever. It gives a really good explanation of taoist thought, and uses winnie as an example. Incredible!