The Web is grand. With its fame for hosting informative, easy-to-skim textual snippets and collaborative written works, people are spending more and more time reading online. Nevertheless, the Web cannot replace the authoritative transmissions from certain classic books that have delivered (or will deliver) profound ideas around the globe for generations.
The 30 books listed here are of unparalleled prose, packed with wisdom capable of igniting a new understanding of the world. Everyone should read these books before their 30th birthday.
- Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse – A powerful story about the importance of life experiences as they relate to approaching an understanding of reality and attaining enlightenment.
- 1984 by George Orwell – 1984 still holds chief significance nearly 60 years after it was written in 1949. It is widely acclaimed for its haunting vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive, 24/7 surveillance tactics to manipulate all citizens of the populace.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – The story surveys the controversial issues of race and economic class in the 1930’s Deep South via a court case of a black man charged with the rape and abuse of a young white girl. It’s a moving tale that delivers a profound message about fighting for justice and against prejudice.
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – A nightmarish vision of insane youth culture that depicts heart wrenching insight into the life of a disturbed adolescent. This novel will blow you away… leaving you breathless, livid, thrilled, and concerned.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway – A short, powerful contemplation on death, ideology and the incredible brutality of war.
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – This masterpiece is so enormous even Tolstoy said it couldn’t be described as a standard novel. The storyline takes place in Russian society during the Napoleonic Era, following the characters of Andrei, Pierre and Natasha… and the tragic and unanticipated way in which their lives interconnect.
- The Rights of Man by Tom Paine – Written during the era of the French Revolution, this book was one of the first to introduce the concept of human rights from the standpoint of democracy.
- The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau – A famous quote from the book states that “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” This accurately summarizes the book’s prime position on the importance of individual human rights within society.
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez – This novel does not have a plot in the conventional sense, but instead uses various narratives to portray a clear message about the general importance of remembering our cultural history.
- The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
- The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton – A collection of thoughts, meditations and reflections that give insight into what life is like to live simply and purely, dedicated to a greater power than ourselves.
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham – Arguably one of the best children’s books ever written; this short novel will help you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. It’s most notable for its playful mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie.
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu – One of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It’s easily the most successful written work on the mechanics of general strategy and business tactics.
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – One of the greatest fictional stories ever told, and by far one of the most popular and influential written works in 20th-century literature. Once you pick up the first book, you’ll read them all.
- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
- Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot – Probably the wisest poetic prose of modern times. It was written during World War II, and is still entirely relevant today… here’s an excerpt: “The dove descending breaks the air/With flame of incandescent terror/Of which the tongues declare/The only discharge from sin and error/The only hope, or the despair/Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre–/To be redeemed from fire by fire./Who then devised this torment?/Love/Love is the unfamiliar Name/Behind the hands that wave/The intolerable shirt of flame/Which human power cannot remove./We only live, only suspire/Consumed by either fire or fire.”
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller – This book coined the self-titled term “catch-22” that is widely used in modern-day dialogue. As for the story, its message is clear: What’s commonly held to be good, may be bad… what is sensible, is nonsense. Its one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. Read it.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Set in the Jazz Age of the roaring 20’s, this book unravels a cautionary tale of the American dream. Specifically, the reader learns that a few good friends are far more important that a zillion acquaintances, and the drive created from the desire to have something is more valuable than actually having it.
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – This novel firmly stands as an icon for accurately representing the ups and downs of teen angst, defiance and rebellion. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable teenage mindset.
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – A smooth-flowing, captivating novel of a young man living in poverty who criminally succumbs to the desire for money, and the hefty phychological impact this has on him and the people closest to him.
- The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – This book does a great job at describing situations of power and statesmanship. From political and corporate power struggles to attaining advancement, influence and authority over others, Machiavelli’s observations apply.
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau – Thoreau spent two years, two months and two days writing this book in a secluded cabin near the banks of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. This is a story about being truly free from the pressures of society. The book can speak for itself: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
- The Republic by Plato – A gripping and enduring work of philosophy on how life should be lived, justice should be served, and leaders should lead. It also gives the reader a fundamental understanding of western political theory.
- Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.
- Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
- How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – This is the granddaddy of all self-improvement books. It is a comprehensive, easy to read guide for winning people over to your way of thinking in both business and personal relationships.
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding – A powerful and alarming look at the possibilities for savagery in a lawless environment, where compassionate human reasoning is replaced by anarchistic, animal instinct.
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – Steinbeck’s deeply touching tale about the survival of displaced families desperately searching for work in a nation stuck by depression will never cease to be relevant.
- The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – This anticommunist masterpiece is a multifaceted novel about the clash between good and evil. It dives head first into the topics of greed, corruption and deception as they relate to human nature.
- BONUS: How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
- BONUS: Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.
Teejay says
I’ve actually read a few of them and will continue to read ’em all before I’m 30. haha…
Anyway, thanks for the recommendations.
AEH says
The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula LeGuin.
It’s on every other list of the great books of the 20th Century.
Lloyd Leiderman says
Add “Om, The Secret of Ahbor Valley” by Talbot Mundy. Read it and read it over and over! Such a joy.
And for sheer depth of the English language: “The Hours” by Michael Cunningham. He definitely deserves his Pulitzer for it.
Andrew says
Hmm. I think I’d rather have Brave New World up there instead of 1984.
Anti Vigilante says
Women have to choose whether they want relevance (real credit) or recognition (browser impressions).
I would have thrown Anthem by Ayn Rand into the pot.
Here’s an idea, ladies… Write a book. Even better how about imitating the style or content of one of your favorite authors. I hear most authors do that anyhow even as try not to.
I don’t care about the gender of who got on the list. That’s being truly unbiased. We’re living in an age where fumbling towards a visible eternal niche won’t cut it. We need women, teens, old fogies, and men to write some real whoppers right now, because politicians, political parties, nation builders, and armchair generals have lost their minds.
So how about it ladies? Have something to say? Write it and don’t look back. Surely celebrities aren’t the only ones capable of generating print on dead tree.
Anti Vigilante says
Brave New World is vague and wishy washy enough for some tastes (especially instead of 1984 which is much blunt about the message).
See Aldous Huxley’s bro Julian was in the thick of it imagining that horror as a possible solution.
On the other hand 1984 is a confession by the man who ran the “memory hole” at the BBC, who joined the Communist “Brotherhood”, and discovered both sides were corrupt.
One is a David Lynch style drunken romp through scientific dictatorship. The other dispenses with such illusions (of apologetics for monumental mistakes) and blows the machine (made of actual crimes) to smithereens.
I say include both, but for crying out loud don’t show your snobbery by picking the comfortable one.
Trevor says
A great list of books to read. I can’t believe that I have not read but one of them. Now I have a new list.
Le Mystique says
Great list for someone who will be 30 in around 14 months!
I would recommend ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ and ‘Life of Pi’. Although I understand your stress seems to be on classsics…
worldthreat says
For real insight and a total mind-bender… see the predictions of 1984’s, Georger Orwell’s teacher, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World
detroit reader says
Yeah, the women writers are clearly under-represented on this list. I would certainly add The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Beloved, by Toni Morrison, Possession, by A.S. Byatt, A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf, The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Gates to Women’s Country, by Sheri Tepper, and eat, pray, love, by Elizabeth Gilbert.
And because I find they are just overly self indulgent male drivel…(my opinion as a man) I would remove The Art of War, 100 Years of Solitude, The Prince, Walden, A Clockwork Orange, The Social Contract, Lolita and the Lord of the Flies. I know nothing about “How to Cook Everything,” but have carried my 2 book Joy of Cooking everywhere I have moved in the last 20 years and it is my go to cookbook for everything.
Julia says
Thank you very much for this great list of classics!
I highly recommend “Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership” by Joseph Jaworski and “The Art of Loving” by Fromm.
Absolute must reads before 30, although am sure are enjoyable and insightful at any age!
Catherine says
I’ve read most of these books and the proposed “must read” list was excellent for me personally. HOWEVER- As a teacher, I hope I have the expertise to strongly disagree that “everyone” should read these books before their 30th birthday.
Why?
“EVERYONE??”
Various readers are impacted in numerous ways by books.. Factors such as where they grew up, the type of family they had, their religion, their race etc. all contribute to how books will influence them. It is far too ambitious and arrogant a project to identify what “everyone” should read. There are just too many people that would be unable to benefit from this specific list. A few examples:
BOOKS SELECTED ARE TOO ACADEMIC- Considerable intelligence is required to understand the concepts being communicated in most of these books which a good 40% of average readers just simply don’t have.
SELECTION IS EXTREMELY DATED- Catcher in the Rye, or Lord of the Flies (I’m only naming a few) are indeed excellent for their ability to remain contemporary… As wonderful as they are though, most of the books on this list express ideas that no longer fit (or soon won’t) in today’s society.
SELECTION IS A TAD MATURE- Julie said it well.. a number of these books are more likely to be enjoyed and absorbed by those older than 30…
By the way… (and I’m sure many of you don’t give a hoot)…. BUT DK- I loved… loved…loved “The Life of Pi.” I don’t know why…but I just did… I cried when the tiger walked away at the end!!
And WHAT is my problem? Why do I hate Margaret Atwood… I think her books are boring, stupid and so unrealistic…
IceNine says
3 more to add:
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Sundowner says
Too Loud A Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal
The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe
Anas al' Hourani says
Well, there are some other books that have been overlooked in the list, and they’re equally important (I guess):
– The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
(A great book about relationships and the unbearable depth of human psychology that has been embedded in one of the saddest sweetest novels European Literature ever gave birth to)
– The Road, Cormac McCarthy
(Frightening, compelling, wild and amazing. This post-Apocalyptic tale of survival and love will touch even a stone’s heart)
– A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle
(Simply life changing)
hc1 says
It seems that these books have in common (at least for the most part) themes of war and injustice. These can be productive to contemplate, but may or may not appeal to someone. If not, simply reading a book is a very honorable activity no matter what.
stephan says
you can’t put the ludicrous Sidartha without at least also its opposite, Atlas Shrugged
Frank Hayden says
Interesting list. I’m 40 and read most of those books in high school and college. There are about 6 that I haven’t but will now. Thanks for the list, Frank Hayden.
trevor says
Gravity’s Rainbow and other novels by Thomas Pynchon should be added to the list.
Wes says
It would be great to read ALL of these books at some point or another. Luckily, I have my whole life to do it.
Another goal on the “to do” list for me!! How will I ever find the time…
LukeSF says
Well, 12 out of 30… Guess I could have done better… Hopefully will have these 30 done by end of the next 30 period 🙂
Dave Johnson says
All lists are subjective. There is no definitive list of “musts” unless you consider “One thing you must do to live”…breath. This is simply a list of books the author of the blog believes made a significant impact in his/her life before the age of 30-nothing more and nothing less. To get worked up and emotional about books that were included or not seems like a tremendous waste of time and energy. If you don’t like the list, start your own blog and write your own list. If people would look at things more from a logical perspective rather than an emotional one, I imagine there would be far less strife in the world. To those that simply recommended other books, thank you. I agree that the 30 books on this list do not comprise my “30 books everyone should read before their 30th birthday” but it is a good list of books that should certainly be considered for reading. In fact, every book mentioned on this post should be considered for reading. I find it interesting that people continually let their egos get in the way of being objective. Maybe I don’t like the color blue but I am not going to criticize Crayola for putting a blue crayon in the box.
amirah says
thank god i have 15 more years to go.. 😉
Seymour G. says
Can I be the first one to say the list is great as it is?
I like these people who come through advocating Gravity’s Rainbow and Ulysses. Honestly, for the average person below thirty? I can hear them now, proclaiming Finnegans Wake to be their favorite ever. It’s literary elitism in a nutshell.
Either way, let’s be happy no one’s asked why twilight isn’t listed
Lo says
I agree with many of the books on the list but I wish this list included more female writers…
Ben Koshkin says
I would think that a couple of how to books with practical applications to help people get by would have been included with possibly a spiritual book.
Ben Koshkin
Jennifer WOo says
I just added this site for rss/email its great. 1 suggestion unless its there and I just missed it. A printer friendly version for list type blogs. It would make tips easier to put to use. For this and the ‘things to know how to do” it would really come in handy!
anechoic says
‘The Tipping Point’? are you serious?
I’d substitute that with Gaddis’ ‘The Recognitions’
forget the pop-sci crap from Gladwell – except as an airport purchase
Ksenia says
It’s an interesting list, but don’t you think those “must do/read/watch” things depend a lot on a region where a person was born/is living? Many things grow from our background. Many things will be difficult to understand and to relate to for those who belong to a different culture. Others are hard to translate because of the unique language patterns, and not all of us can read in as many foreign languages as we’d want to. So, I believe, the title should be “30 Books Everyone Should Pay Attention To”. Otherwise, I liked the list, and will probably read a couple of books from it which I didn’t manage to read yet.
Tori says
Moby Dick, Oliver Twist, Heart is a Lonely Hunter?
Elaina says
Great list! However, I think that The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a book that everyone should read. A book so eloquently written from Death’s point of view – how can you resist?
Anthony James says
32 here, but at least I did read 10 of them. Some very nice suggestions indeed. Off to Amazon to place an order 🙂
WellHung says
I was forced to read some of these, two or three in the list, in high school.
I have about 11 years to read the rest!
idk, but also something I would add to the list would be Atlas Shrugged…
Alex says
I think The Fountainhead is a much better and more accessible read than Atlas Shrugged. I mean, Atlas literally has a 50 page diatribe that drags on forever.
I think The Fountainhead is much more succinct and to be honest if you’ve read one Rand work you’ve read them all. I would add Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy and The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey to this list as it’s one of my favorites.
tgk says
great list! i’m working on this list myself! i guess since everyone is adding a few they think should be on here, i’d like to add The Stand by Stephen King and The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey. fascinating reads.
Jerritte says
Well, we certainly have secular, atheistic humanism covered here. Several have mentioned the Bible, to which I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, I would recommend reading it several times through before you’re 30 — you’ll gain more wisdom from that one book than you will from all of these (and many, many others) combined.
That being said, I fully support reading extra-biblical material as well. One commenter (“wade”) suggested “Why I am Not a Christian” by Bertrand Russell. That sounds like a good suggestion to me as well. Then follow that with “The Real Face of Atheism” by Ravi Zacharias.
Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” was mentioned several times. I would follow that with “Theonomy in Christian Ethics” by Dr. Greg L Bahnsen.
Additional books for those who are interested in solid biblical teaching:
— “Always Ready”, Dr. Greg L Bahnsen
— “Too Busy NOT to Pray”, Bill Hybels
— “Thinking Straight in a Crooked World”, Gary DeMar
— “He Shall Have Dominion”, Dr. Kenneth Gentry
— “The King James Only Controversy”, James White
— “Refuting Compromise”, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati
— “Institutes of the Christian Religion”, John Calvin
— “Augustine’s Confessions”, St. Augustine of Hippo
— “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, John Bunyan
— “America’s Christian History”, Gary DeMar
— “Mere Christianity”, C.S. Lewis
— “Sir William Blackstone & The Common Law”, Dr. Robert D Stacey
If patiently contemplated (and guided by the Holy Spirit), the confusion inherent in the humanistic books in the original list will be eradicated by the wisdom imparted by those within this list.
Realize that I don’t necessarily think the original list is “bad.” Many of those books give great insight into man’s longing for meaning, purpose and understanding in this life. Many, if not all of them, are written by extremely talented authors.
However, always keep in mind that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) Sound teaching and learning comes from sound instruction. Looking to fools for understanding will lead you down the path of foolishness. Unholy books should be read with the proper perspective in mind at all times.
Finally, one person mentioned that adding the Bible would bias the list toward Christianity. Though I would have no problem with that bias, I would say, fine…add others to the list as well. Put the Koran on here. Put the vedas on here. Add the Tripitaka. I’m sure there are several others that could be added. Do so, and read them. Then do internal critiques of them to see whether they are coherent and logically consistent. I highly doubt this could be done in detail before age 30, but you could certainly get a start.
Sadly, much of our culture has relegated books to the wasteland of dusty bookshelves and replaced them with video games, TV, movies and anything else we can do to ignore them. Hopefully this will change some day.
Indeshaw Adenaw says
Great list, thanks for putting it together. I’ve read about ten books from the list and they were all awesome. I’ll add the rest to my list.
Jared says
The mark of a great blog post is the quality of the discourse it generates. Well done.
Invisible Man, Native Son, and Mere Christianity are books that have changed my life.
Thanks for the list, and I will be adding several of the commenters’ suggestions to my reading list as well!
harriet says
what about mitch albom’s five people you meet in heaven? i loved that book. perhaps it’s not in the top 30 best books but i really loved it. and tuesdays with morrie
Wojciech P. P. Zieli?ski says
Every book list without “Tao Te Ching” is incomplete. This is the most important book of all.
C'est La Mode says
Wow, what a great list! But too bad there are more books i missed reading. Oh my! How I wish I have the chance to read Siddhartha.
Niko says
Yes to Siddhartha!! One of my favorite books of all time and profoundly changed who I am and the way I think. Made me appreciate the simple things in life much more clearly. A great list of other reads I’d pretty much agree.
You’re missing Don Miguel Ruiz’s books 🙂
Irene says
Nice compilation of male writers …
ranmac says
Stephen King’s “different seasons” featuring 4 different brilliantly themed stories or “novellas” and which includes the much talked-about( the movie ofcourse) one like “Rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption” about persistent hope and courage even in something like ‘hard-as-a rock’ prison life, and even though i haven’t read it, the book(heard a lot abt it) he published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, “Rage” (available as a collection named ‘Bachman Books’), a psychic examination into a disturbed, exploited adolescent’s mind which makes him to go on a shooting rampage, should have a place too in that elite list, IMHO.
will says
The bible?
Jessa says
So, it’s on my Day Zero List to read all of the books on this list. It will prob be on my next Day Zero List to read all of the comments on this post and pick out 30 new books to read based on these recommendations.
🙂 Good work sparking thought and argument though!
Rose says
I would recommend “Watership Down” by Richard Adams.
Sheryl says
A book to add to the essentials list: “One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding.” It is an essential life lesson on communication, how two people (a college student and a prostitute) in the same situation and “relationship” with each other see it from their own viewpoint and interpretation. After reading this book you will understand why people have such difficulty (if not impossibility) of understanding what the other thinks or wants.
AK says
Bravo mate. Bravo. What a list.