Famous People Book Pick: Bestsellers,Fiction,Romance,Fantasy Pick

What Does Stephen King Read?

2009-07-05T03:06:00.000-07:00

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The books that touched the lives of headliners in the music industry, television, movies, law, publishing, and sports are the subject of a survey released February 22, 2001 by the National Education Association.

We asked our respondents about their favorite children's book and their favorite adult book.

What Does Stephen King Read?

Fieldwork: A Novel by Mischa Berlinski

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"Stories within stories, and a surprisingly compassionate look at Christianity in conflict with anthropology. I kept expecting tirades, and instead got sweetness and thoughtful good humor. A remarkable novel."

Caught Stealing: A Novel by Charlie Huston

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"Great suspense and New York ambience, headlong pace, brilliant dialogue."

Then We Came to the End

(literature and fiction)

"It’s hilarious in a “Catch-22” way, but with an undercurrent of sadness that works counterpoint to all the absurdity."

The Grapes of Wrath

(literature and fiction, classics)

"As a high school kid struggling to write fiction, some books meant more than others, and some burst upon me with the power of a thunderbolt. John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath was one of those."

Lord of the Flies

(literature and fiction, classics)

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com

http://www.pbs.org

http://www.nea.org

Stephen king 10 favorite books of 2008

The Novels Of Robert Goddard

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"I discovered Goddard, a British mystery/suspense novelist, last year, almost by accident. In Pale Battalions, his second novel, was the first book I read on my new Kindle. Since then I've read eight more and have about seven to go. I'll parcel them out, because they're too good to gulp. There are missing heirs, stolen fortunes, mistaken identities, raffish con men, hot sex, and cold-blooded murder. These books have more twists than a box of macaroni, all rendered in Goddard's clear-eyed prose. You discover a guy who's doing work on such a high level, and the disturbing question occurs: Who else have I missed that's this good?

Scary question. Maybe that's why the T-shirt my wife gave me for my birthday reads, Quot libros, quam breve tempus: So many books, so little time."

The Garden Of Last Days By Andre Dubus Iii

(literature and fiction, mom fiction, girl fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"I've written about this before, so I won't belabor you with the details. Just know this: It's terrifying, unputdownable, and the best novel so far about 9/11. "

When Will There Be Good News? By Kate Atkinson

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"The third, the best, and hopefully not the last Atkinson novel featuring private eye Jackson Brodie. There's a train crash, a smart and plucky teenage girl named Reggie, a missing lady doc...but the plot defies description, and I'd be a hound to even try. As a reader, I was charmed. As a novelist, I was staggered by Atkinson's narrative wizardry. You can't believe all the tangled threads are going to come together, but they do — and Atkinson makes it look easy. Dear reader, easy it is not."

The Tenderness Of Wolves By Stef Penney

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"A search for a boy missing in the chilly Canadian wilderness of 150 years ago, a love story, a historical mystery. All told in lyrical, marvelously readable prose. If you liked Life of Pi and The Secret Life of Bees, this is for you."

Nixonland By Rick Perlstein

(history, nonfiction)

"Nonfiction that has the sweep of an epic novel, with The Great American Political Vampire at the center of the action. It's the best history of the turbulent '60s I've ever read. "

Sweetheart By Chelsea Cain

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

Heartsick By Chelsea Cain

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"We've been down Hannibal Lecter Avenue many times, and these two books shouldn't work...but they do. Chalk it up to excellent writing and Cain's ferocious sense of humor. The Portland (Ore.) setting is refreshing too."

Hollywood Crows By Joseph Wambaugh

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"This sequel to Hollywood Station doesn't live up to its predecessor...but it's close, and still a fine, funky read with an all too believable murder plot. Wambaugh's Hollywood is an open-air psycho ward where even the cops need Valium. "

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo By Stieg Larsson

(mystery and thrillers)

"Instead of a locked-room mystery, this is a ''locked-island'' mystery in which a disgraced journalist is hired to investigate a decades-old crime. He discovers something a lot more awful than a missing girl. The good news is that Larsson delivered two more novels with this one. The bad news is that he died of a heart attack shortly after doing so. "

Old Flames By Jack Ketchum

(literature and fiction, horror, mystery and thrillers)

"Remember Glenn Close as the bunny-boiler scorned in Fatal Attraction? Raise that to the 10th power and you get Dora Welles, the crazy ex-girlfriend in this short chiller."

The Good Guy By Dean Koontz

(mystery and thrillers)

"While not up with his best (Intensity, the incomparable Phantoms), this is Koontz at his Hitchcockiest: Nice guy is mistaken for contract killer, mayhem ensues. Koontz can be preachy. Not here, though."

Source:

http://www.ew.com

Why should you listen to him?

Fiction powerhouse Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine, in 1947. As a student at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, became active in political causes, and met his wife, the former Tabitha Spruce. In the early years of his marriage, King augmented his meager teacher's salary by selling short stories to men's magazines. Then, in 1973 he hit pay dirt: his novel Carrie was accepted for publication, and a major paperback deal provided the means for him to leave teaching and concentrate full-time on writing. Since then, the prolific author has never looked back.

Dubbed the Master of the Macabre for his domination of the horror genre, King has also written bestselling thrillers, mysteries, fantasies, novellas, and short stories, many of which have been turned into blockbuster films and miniseries (A partial list includes Carrie, The Shining, The Stand,, Misery, It, The Shawshank Redemption, The Langoliers, Stand by Me, and The Green Mile). He also has two works of nonfiction to his credit: a gorgeously crafted memoir/scribbler's how-to (On Writing) and Faithful, a chronicle of the Boston Red Sox' stellar 2004 season, cowritten with Stewart O'Nan. In 2003, he received the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

In between books, the indefatigable King performs in the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock band that includes among its rotating personnel fellow authors Dave Barry and Amy Tan; attends as many Boston Red Sox games as is humanly possible; and contributes with his wife, Tabitha, to many local and national charities.

King is probably one of the most easily recognizable authors alive, and it's not just because of his string of bestsellers. King has appeared in a number of films based on his work, including Pet Semetary, Thinner, and The Stand.

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What Does Robert Pattinson Read?

2009-07-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

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More on Robert Pattinson / news / gallery / collectibles

What does Robert Pattinson read?

Robert Pattinson really is one in a million. Not only is he a great actor but he also reads his fan mail. The Twilight hunk told Bliss magazine: "Yeah, I go through tons and tons of it at a time.

Baudelaire: Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets) by Charles Baudelaire

(literature and fiction)

"I get sent some great stuff. I've gotten some really good books.
"I had this amazing bound book sent to me by a fan website, with all of these notes inside it. I mean it must have taken ages to make.
"And someone else sent me a book of Charles Baudelaire poems. I'm reading it right now."

Complete Poems: Charles Baudelaire by Charles Baudelaire

(literature and fiction)

"I get sent some great stuff. I've gotten some really good books.
"I had this amazing bound book sent to me by a fan website, with all of these notes inside it. I mean it must have taken ages to make.
"And someone else sent me a book of Charles Baudelaire poems. I'm reading it right now."

Doomed Love by Virgil

(literature and fiction)

Money by Martin Amis

(literature and fiction)

What’s the best book you’ve read recently? You’re not allowed to say “Twilight.”
(Laughs) “New Moon.” (Laughs again). I recently read a book of E.M Forster’s short stories that was really good. Below are Robert Pattinson's favorite read:

Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster

(classics, literature and fiction)

Maurice: A Novel by E. M. Forster

(classics, literature and fiction)

A Room With A View by E. M. Forster

2666: A Novel

(literature and fiction)

More picks

Tom Waits Anthology by Tom Waits

Ticket to Ride by Dennis Potter

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"What book are you reading?
Dennis Potter’s Ticket to Ride."

Source:

http://www.myparkmag.co.uk

http://www.mtvasia.com

http://www.atwilightkiss.com

http://www.vanityfair.com

Robert Pattinson Who?

Born in London, England, Robert Pattinson was bitten by the acting bug when, at age 15, he became involved with the Barnes Theatre Company. After taking on several acting roles onstage, Pattinson made his mainstream debut in the made-for-television movie Ring of the Nibelungs (2004), where he caught the attention of director Mira Nair.

Nair offered the still unknown British actor a bit part in her 2004 Vanity Fair adaptation, but Pattinson's scenes were later deleted and only appear on the DVD version. Pattinson's bad luck continued when he was fired from the 2005 UK Royal Court Theatre premiere of The Woman Before, shortly before opening night.

But Pattinson rebounded strongly—and got redemption—later that year when he landed a supporting role as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). Pattinson, still virtually unknown in Hollywood, was the first person to audition for the sought-after role and was offered the part only a week later. His portrayal of the Hogwarts heartthrob made Pattinson a world-wide star and catapulted him to celebrity status.

Following his stint as Cedric Diggory, Pattinson was named 2005's "British Star of Tomorrow" by Times Online and has been dubbed "the next Jude Law" by Teen People.

Pattinson's newfound success in Hollywood landed him the coveted role of Edward in the highly-anticipated screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyers' bestselling vampire romance book series, Twilight.

Obama's Favorite Book and Reading List

2009-07-04T22:54:00.001-07:00

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What's President Obama reading these days?

In an interview for the upcoming issue of the New York Times magazine, the president said he's grown tired of briefing books and has been spending his evenings with Joseph O'Neill's 2008 novel "Netherland."

The acclaimed book, published last May, tells the story of Hans van den Broek, a Dutch financial analyst living in lower Manhattan who grows increasingly alienated from his wife following the September 11 attacks. During their separation, the main character spends a summer alone in New York and strikes up a friendship with a wily Trinidadian businessman named Chuck, who helps Hans re-discover his childhood love of cricket.

Netherland: A Novel by Joseph O'Neill

(literature and fiction)

Source:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

When President-elect Barack Obama appeared on “60 Minutes” on CBS on Sunday in his first interview since winning the election, he mentioned having read “a new book out about F .D. R.’s first 100 days” without specifically naming a title or author.

That tantalizing reference set off a scramble for the claim to First Reader rights all day Monday before a spokesman for Mr. Obama disclosed what the president-elect had actually read.

...The mystery persisted for most of the day until a spokesman for Mr. Obama said late on Monday that the president-elect was actually referring to two books: Mr. Alter’s and “F D R” by Jean Edward Smith, a biography published last year by Random House that covers far more than the first 100 days.

The Defining Moment: Fdr's Hundred Days And The Triumph Of Hope by Jonathan Alter

(history, nonfiction)

Fdr By Jean Edward Smith

(history)

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com

The often repeated claim that Barack Obama will be America’s most bookish president is probably a little harsh on the 43 past residents of the White House. Recently Karl Rove, George Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004 until 2007, revealed his boss read 95 books in 2006 and another 51 in 2007 but no-one is praising Mr Bush’s devotion to the written word.

Still, Barack Obama is clearly an avid reader and literature has massively influenced his politics. He talks about books at the drop of a hat, is frequently seen with a book in his hand and, of course, has penned two worldwide bestsellers himself.

What’s Barack Obama’s favorite book? is a common question posed on the Internet search engines every day. Below are Obama's reading list:

Q: Three books that really inspired you.
Barack Obama: "Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, the tragedies of William Shakespeare and probably Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls."

For Whom the Bell Tolls

(literature and fiction, classics)

Song of Solomon

(literature and fiction, girl fiction)

Tragedies by William Shakespeare

(literature and fiction)

The Souls of Black Folk

(history, literature and fiction, nonfiction)

Letter from the Birmingham Jail

(history, nonfiction, religion and spirituality)

The Quiet American

(literature and fiction, classics)

The Power and the Glory

(literature and fiction, classics)

The Golden Notebook

(literature and fiction, classics, girl fiction, mystery and thrillers)

In Dubious Battle

(literature and fiction, classics)

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

(business books, history, nonfiction, management, science)

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

(nonfiction)

All the King's Men

(children books, classics, literature and fiction)

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

(history, nonfiction)

Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer' by Fred Kaplan

(history)

"Later in November, Barack Obama left his Chicago home carrying a hardcover copy of Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer by Fred Kaplan – clearly getting in some last-minute homework before beginning the process of naming his cabinet."

Moby Dick

(literature and fiction, classics)

Self-Reliance by Emerson

(self-help, happiness, literature and fiction, nonfiction, religion and spirituality)

Gilead

(literature and fiction)

Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954–63

(history, nonfiction)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X

(literature and fiction, nonfiction, religion and spirituality)

Collected Poems, 1948-1984 by Derek Walcot

(literature and fiction)

The Wealth of Nations

(economics, business books)

Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do

(economics, business books, history, nonfiction)

Where the Wild Things Are

(baby books (Ages 0-3), children books, children books (Ages 4-8), adventure, sci-fi)

"I can't say as a child what book influenced me most. My favorite book continues to be one of my favorite books are "Where the Wild Things Are"

I love that book. And my wife still thinks that I'm max. that I'm getting into mischief all the time. but as I evolved , as I got older. I think that what had the greatest impact on me rather than one single book was my mother's love of books. And that's part of the reason why I think I emphasize parents so much in this process, because as much trouble as I got into as an adolescent, She would constantly send me books. That's what I got every birthday were books. you know. I was holding out for the basketball or the bike. And I'd get these big stacks of books. I'd be dissapointed initially, but She knew that eventually i'd end up picking them up and reading them. That, I think, really laid the foundation for my subsequent success."

A Kind and Just Parent

(nonfiction, parenting)

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria

(nonfiction)

"In May, President Barack Obama was photographed carrying Fareed Zakaria’s The Post-American World as he walked across the tarmac at an airport in Bozeman, Montana. The book outlines America’s declining influence in international politics – was he formulating policies for dealing with rising powers like China, India and Brazil?"

Source:

http://www.abebooks.com

http://www.votegopher.com

http://www.abebooks.com

Barack Obama Who?

Barack Obama was born to a white American mother, Ann Dunham, and a black Kenyan father, Barack Obama, Sr., who were both young college students at the University of Hawaii. When his father left for Harvard, she and Barack stayed behind, and his father ultimately returned alone to Kenya, where he worked as a government economist. Barack's mother remarried an Indonesian oil manager and moved to Jakarta when Barack was six. He later recounted Indonesia as simultaneously lush and a harrowing exposure to tropical poverty. He returned to Hawaii, where he was brought up largely by his grandparents. The family lived in a small apartment - his grandfather was a furniture salesman and an unsuccessful insurance agent and his grandmother worked in a bank - but Barack managed to get into Punahou School, Hawaii's top prep academy. His father wrote to him regularly but, though he traveled around the world on official business for Kenya, he visited only once, when Barack was ten.

Obama attended Columbia University, but found New York's racial tension inescapable. He became a community organizer for a small Chicago church-based group for three years, helping poor South Side residents cope with a wave of plant closings. He then attended Harvard Law School, and in 1990 became the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review. He turned down a prestigious judicial clerkship, choosing instead to practice civil-rights law back in Chicago, representing victims of housing and employment discrimination and working on voting-rights legislation. He also began teaching at the University of Chicago Law School. Eventually he ran as a Democrat for the state senate seat from his district, which included both Hyde Park and some of the poorest ghettos on the South Side, and won.

In 2004 Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, representing Illinois, and gained national attention by giving a rousing and well-received keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. In 2008 he ran for president as a democrat and won. He is set to become the 44th president of the Unites States and the first African-American ever elected to that position.

One Hundred Years of Solitude (P.S.) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

2009-06-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

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ISBN:0060883286

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

FamousPick:

		Bill Clinton, former U.S President "..."

		Ann-Marie MacDonald, award-winning actor playwright and novelist "This was the most influential book of my early adulthood in terms pure literary thrill. "Magical realism" is a term coined for Márquez and the Latin American school of authors of which he is a stellar example. It describes the liberties with physical reality that Márquez takes and offers to us as part of just another ordinary day. The scope and narrative daring, the passion and political intelligence are soaring."

		James Patterson, Award winning American author "I think the main reason I've worked so hard to get my ten year old Jack hooked on books -- is that I wasn't hooked until I was a freshman in college. Ever since, reading has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Catcher in the Rye made a big impression on me in high school, but the book that got me hooked was 100 Years of Solitude when I was 19. Jack says that my Max series got him hooked. Makes me proud! What was the book that most influenced your life? A Hundred Years of Solitude is probably the novel that most influenced me as a young writer -- simply because as I read it, I realized that I could never do anything half as good. So why not try mysteries? Gabriel García Márquez's magical mystery tour begins with one of the most engaging lines in fiction: "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." What follows is an exhilarating recounting of a century in the imaginary Colombian town of Macondo -- the comedies and tragedies, joy and suffering, sublime and ridiculous. An entire town, for example, is affected with insomnia at one point in the novel. A woman literally rises to heaven while drying her laundry. And eventually, the firing squad, fires. Some have called this the great American novel – only it was written by a South American."

		Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist "Reflects the richness of the Latin soul (and body). Every time you read this book, you read a different book."

		Edward P. Jones, The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winning author "Two books that I consider wonderful: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez -- which may not need further words."

		Oprah's Book Club "..."

Secrets of Millionaire Investor by Adam Khoo & Conrad Alvin Lim: Recommended Reading List

2009-06-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

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Secrets of Millionaire Investor by Adam Khoo & Conrad Alvin Lim: Recommended Reading List

The New Buffettology By Mary Buffett And David Clark

(economics, business books, management, management / leadership)

Options Made Easy By Guy Cohen

(business books)

The Five Rules For Successful Stock Investing By Pat Dorsey

(business books)

Common Stocks And Uncommon Profits By Philip Fisher

(business books)

The Options Course By George Fontanills

(business books)

The Index Trading Course By George Fontanills

(business books)

The Intelligent Investor 4th Edition By Benjamin Graham

(economics, business books, management, management / leadership)

Beating The Street By Peter Lynch

(economics, business books)

Swing Trading By John D. Markman

(business books)

Building The Perfect Portfolio By Curtis Montgomery

(business books)

How To Make Money In Stocks By William J. Oneil

(business books)

Sector Investing By Stovall

(business books)

The Winning Investment Habits Of Warren Buffett And George Soros By Mark Tier

(business books)

Adam Khoo, A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer

2009-06-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

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Adam Khoo's Favorite Book Picks

Business, Marketing & Sales Books

The E-myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work And What To Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

(management, management / leadership, business books)

Trump:: The Art Of The Comeback by Donald J. Trump

(business books)

Saving Big Blue: Leadership Lessons & Turnaround Tactics Of Ibm’s Lou Gerstner by Robert Slater

(biography, business books, management / leadership, leadership, management, IT books, science)

Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-think, Out-perform, And Out-earn The Competition by Jay Abraham

(leadership, management / leadership, business books)

Money-making Secrets Of Marketing Genius Jay Abraham And Other Marketing Wizards (a No-nonsense Guide To Great Wealth And A Personal Fortune)

(leadership, management / leadership, business books)

The Ge Way Fieldbook: Jack Welch’s Battle Plan For Corporate Revolution by Robert Slater

(leadership, management / leadership, business books, management)

Losing My Virginity: How I’ve Survived, Had Fun, And Made A Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branson

(business books)

Tested Advertising Methods by Fred E. Hahn

(business books)

Multiple Streams Of Internet Income: How Ordinary People Make Extraordinary Money Online, 2nd Edition by Robert G. Allen

(business books, IT books)

Instant Cashflow (instant Success) by Brad Sugars

(economics, business books)

Billionaire In Training (instant Success) by Brad Sugars

(management / leadership, business books)

The Guru Guide To Entrepreneurship: A Concise Guide To The Best Ideas From The World’s Top Entrepreneurs by Jimmie T. Boyett

(business books)

Guerilla Marketing In 30 Days (guerrilla Marketing) by Al Lautenslager

(business books)

How To Sell Anything To Anybody by Joe Girard

(motivational, management / leadership, business books)

The 22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing by Jack Trout

(business books)

Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind by Jack Trout

(management / leadership, business books)

Personal Finance Books

Multiple Streams Of Income By Robert G. Allen

(business books, IT books)

Rich Dad, Poor Dad By Robert Kiyosaki

(business books)

The Richest Man In Babylon By George S. Clayson

(business books, motivational, management / leadership, religion and spirituality)

Buffetology By Mary Buffet

(business books, management, management / leadership)

The Millionaire Next Door By Thomas J. Stanley

(careers, business books, management, science)

Building The Perfect Portfolio By Curtis Montgomery

(careers, business books, management, science)

Investor Basics By Curtis Montgomery

(careers, business books, management, science)

Beating The Street By Peter Lynch

(economics, business books)

Think And Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill

(business books, self-help, health, success)

Secret Of Self Made Millionaire By Adam Khoo

(business books, self-help, health, success)

Secret Of Building Multi Million Dollar Business By Adam Khoo

(business books, self-help, health, success)

Secrets Of Millionaire Investor By Adam Khoo And Conrad Alvin Lim

(business books, self-help, health, success)

Profit From The Panic By Adam Khoo

(business books, self-help, health, success)

Accelerated Learning/Creativity/Education

I Am Gifted, So Are You By Adam Khoo

(business books, children books, IT books, food and cooking, health, history, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, nonfiction, parenting, religion and spirituality, romance, science, teens)

Super-teaching By Eric Jensen

(nonfiction)

Use Your Head By Tony Buzan

(health, self-help)

Speed Reading By Tony Buzan

(health, self-help, nonfiction, science)

Master Your Memory By Tony Buzan

(health, self-help)

Accelerated Learning By Colin Rose

(health, self-help, nonfiction)

Super Learning By Sheila Ostrander And Lynn Schroeder

(health, self-help, nonfiction)

Braindancing By Dilip Mukerjea

(health, self-help, nonfiction)

Metacation By Sid Jacobson

(health, self-help, nonfiction)

Righting The Educational Conveyor Belt By Michael Grinder

(self-help, health, nonfiction, religion and spirituality)

How To Multiple Your Childs Intelligence By May Lwin Et Al.

(self-help, health, nonfiction, religion and spirituality)

Relationships/Health & Communication

How To Talk So Kids Will Listen, And Listen So Kids Will Talk By Adele Faber

(pregnancy, health, nonfiction, parenting)

How To Win Friends And Influence People By Dale Carnegie

(business books, children books, IT books, food and cooking, health, history, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, nonfiction, parenting, religion and spirituality, romance, science, teens)

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus By John Gray

(communications, business books, health, self-help, nonfiction, parenting)

Quantum Healing By Deepak Chopra

(health, parenting, religion and spirituality)

The Anatomy Of An Illness By Norman Cousins

(health, self-help, literature and fiction, nonfiction)

Nurturing The Winner And Genius In Your Child By Adam Khoo And Gary Lee

(health, self-help, literature and fiction, nonfiction)

General Motivation & NLP

Master Your Mind, Design Your Destiny By Adam Khoo With Stuart Tan

Awaken The Giant Within By Anthony Robbins

(careers, business books, management, management / leadership, motivational, health, success, self-help, science)

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People By Stephen Corvey

(business books, careers, leadership, management / leadership, management, motivational, health, success, self-help)

Time Line Theraphy And The Basis Of Personality By Tad James And Wyatt Woodsmall

(health)

Using Your Brain--for A Change By Richard Bandler

(health, self-help, religion and spirituality)

Source:

Wealth Academy Investor Program

Why should you listen to him?

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs three businesses with a combined annual sales of $20m. He is the CEO of Adcom Pte Ltd, an advertising agency, the co-founder of Event Gurus Pte Ltd, an event management company and the CEO of Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group Pte Ltd.

His book ‘Master Your Mind, Design Your Destiny’ which was the second highest selling book in Singapore in 2004, was on the best-sellers list for 36 consecutive weeks. His latest book is ‘The Secrets Of Self-Made Millionaires’ which hit the no.1 spot on the bestsellers list in Singapore.

His success and achievements are regularly featured in regional media like the Straits Times, the Business Times, the New Paper, Lianhe Zaobao, Channel News Asia, Channel U, Channel 8, Newsradio 938, The Hindu, The Malaysian Sun and many more.

Keira Knightley, Actress

2009-06-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

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Keira Knightley's Book Picks

Knightley buries herself in books and has a penchant for the bleak. Recent reads include Bernhard Schlink's "beautiful" The Reader and Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road. "Two really depressing books but really good," she says. "Not exactly a barrel of laughs."

The Reader By Bernhard Schlink

(literature and fiction)

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

(girl fiction, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

Source:

http://www.usatoday.com

Keira Knightley's Favorite Books

Into That Darkness: From Mercy Killing To Mass Murder by Gitta Sereny

(history)

"It’s a compilation of investigative journalism. It’s awful, but the way she writes is wonderful. I just started it. I’d never read any Martha Gellhorn before, and she’s a wonderful writer."

War And Peace By Leo Tolstoy

(literature and fiction, classics, nonfiction)

"WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
Keira: fave book is War & Peace"

Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen

(literature and fiction)

"Q. What was your favorite book as a child?
Keira: I think actually it was "Pride and Prejudice." I was totally obsessed with it from the age of eight. "

Source:

http://www.usatoday.com

http://goldderby.latimes.com

http://newsblaze.com

Why should you listen to her?

Keira Knightley caught the notice of moviegoers in 2003 with major roles in the small-budget charmer Bend it Like Beckham and the big-budget extravaganza Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (opposite Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom). Knightley began acting as a child and appeared in films and on television in the U.K. before being cast in George Lucas's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999). Hired for her porcelain-skinned resemblance to Natalie Portman, Knightley played Sabé, Queen Amidala's decoy and bodyguard. She was almost too beautiful as an object of desire in Love Actually (2003, as Chiwetel Ejiofor's bride) and got great reviews for Pride and Prejudice (2005, based on the Jane Austen novel), but she also had the misfortune of appearing in the box office duds King Arthur (2004, starring Clive Owen), The Jacket (2005, with Adrien Brody) and Domino (2005). Knightley rejoined Depp and Bloom for the lucrative sequels Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and was the star of the 2007 drama Atonement.

Chuck Palahniuk, best-selling author, Fight Club

2009-06-04T02:52:00.001-07:00

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Chuck Palahniuk is the best-selling author of Fight Club, Choke, and Invisible Monsters. His 10th novel, Pygmy, has just been published by Doubleday.

Best books … chosen by Chuck Palahniuk

Honored Guest By Joy Williams

(literature and fiction)

"Don’t let the praise by highbrow critics scare you away from this 2004 story collection. We’re so much more likely to feel sympathy for an animal than for another person, thus the best fiction uses animals to define truly humane behavior. No one does this better than Joy Williams."

Knockemstiff By Donald Ray Pollock

(literature and fiction)

"Every decade, we get a stunning collection of dynamic, heartbreaking short stories. In the past, those collections came from Barry Hannah, Mark Richard, and Thom Jones. For the next 10 years, Pollock’s work will be tough for any writer to beat."

Flannery By Brad Gooch

(literature and fiction)

"Why do the lives of writers seem so … train-wrecky? Mary Flannery O’Connor was no exception. She survived the back-to-back snake pits of the Iowa Writers Workshop and the Yaddo colony only to find herself trapped at home with her strong-willed mother and crippling lupus. The life of this Southern Gothic belle makes the somber existence of Emily Dickinson look like a barrel full of monkeys."

Gladiator: A True Story Of ’roids, Rage, And Redemption By Dan Clark

(health)

"Clark played the character “Nitro” on the television series American Gladiators, and if you read only one book on vacation this year, this has to be it. After a dark childhood, steroids launch the author into a new life as a national celebrity built from mountains of chemically enhanced muscle. The dream falls apart as he sprouts breasts he can’t conceal inside his skimpy spandex costume, then suffers high colonics in order to pass mandatory drug tests. Of course, there’s redemption, but not before a ton of laughs."

Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr By David Bret

"The perfect salacious beach read. And, to paraphrase Dorothy Parker, if it falls in the ocean … what the hell, it falls in the ocean."

Source:

http://www.theweek.com

What was the book that most influenced your life or your career as a writer?

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

(literature and fiction, classics)

"The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It showed me how to write a "hero" story by using an apostle as the narrator. Really, it's the basis of the triangle of two men and one woman in my book, Fight Club. I read the book at least once a year and it continues to surprise me with layers of emotion. "

Source:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

What are your ten favorite books, and what makes them special to you?
These are in no particular order or rank...

Reasons To Live By Amy Hempel

(literature and fiction)

"Each of Hempel's stories pay off with more emotion than most full length novels."

The Informers By Bret Easton Ellis

(literature and fiction)

"Another short story collection, Ellis's book shows the dark and funny world of people trapped by their own need for fame and money and love."

Jesus Son By Denis Johnson

(literature and fiction)

"These stories have moments so shocking and distasteful that you have to admire Johnston for being brave enough to risk writing them."

The Ice At The Bottom Of The World By Mark Richard

(literature and fiction)

"His story, "Strays," is my favorite. All of his language pops with hard dental sounds -- P's and K's -- and this makes the collection a delight to read out loud. "

The Pugilist At Rest By Thom Jones

(literature and fiction)

"Again, here are hard unsentimental stories that somehow break your heart while they make you laugh."

Drown By Junot Diaz

(literature and fiction)

"These may be the bleakest childhood stories ever published, but the plot tension and the love between family members force you to finish the book."

Ill Nature By Joy Williams

"Here is the brutal description of how humans have treated the natural world. The book is so painful, at times, you must put it down. Still, you always go back to re-read it. "

The Martian Chronicles By Ray Bradbury

(literature and fiction, nonfiction, sci-fi)

"As a kid, I carried this book everyday, everywhere, for two years. The stories create a collage of an epic story better than any single narrative ever could."

At The Gates Of The Animal Kingdom By Amy Hemple

(literature and fiction)

"These stories carry the power of great "Slam" poetry. They function more like magic spells to put you into a trance and make Hemple's world more real than your own. "

The Call Of The Wild By Jack London

(classics, literature and fiction)

"My brother and I memorized most of this book as children. London's frontier world seen through animals was my favorite fantasy."

Source:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Why should you listen to him?

Charles Michael “Chuck” Palahniuk (born February 21, 1962) is an American satirical novelist and freelance journalist born in Pasco, Washington. The press release for his latest book, Rant, states he is now living in Vancouver, Canada. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher. He has one of the largest centralized followings of any author on the Internet, based around his official website.

io9.com: Thirteen Books That Will Change The Way You Look At Robots

2009-06-04T02:25:00.000-07:00

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Thirteen Books That Will Change The Way You Look At Robots

What will robots really be like when they finally achieve a human level of intelligence and autonomy? No one knows for sure, but we've put together a list of books that will challenge and disturb your preconceptions about what robots might become.

Special note! For the purposes of this list, I've considered a "robot" to be any artificial, technological being - including AIs and cyborgs - with human-level intelligence.

I, Robot By Isaac Asimov

(sci-fi)

"This is the classic 1950s short story collection that set the tone for so much science fiction and science devoted to robots."

When Harlie Was One By David Gerrold

(sci-fi)

"Written in the early 1970s, in the wake of movies like 2001 and major advances in microcomputers, When HARLIE Was One is about the first true AI. A classic brain-in-a-box, HARLIE was built by a corporation that wants a computer who can do things like predict the stock market and help them make lots of money. Like the robots in I, Robot, HARLIE's main companion is a psychologist, who helps him through the growing pains of a child and teenager - all made much more difficult because HARLIE has no body, and no friends like himself. HARLIE does all the rebellious things you'd expect of a human kid. He gets pissed and refuses to talk; he scrambles his inputs so he can "trip out" in a druglike state; and he resents authorities who try to tell him what to do. Eventually, he has to figure out how to convince the corporation who owns him not to pull the plug on him, since he's such an expensive liability. Sweet and disturbing by turns, this is an intriguing look at what it would mean to grow up as an AI. Two versions of this novel are available: the 1972 original and a 1988 reissue called When HARLIE Was One Release 2.0. I recommend the 1972 version."

Neuromancer By William Gibson

(literature and fiction)

"Though this classic cyberpunk novel is mostly about humans and their augmentations, one of the most interesting characters to emerge from it is the AI Neuromancer. Unlike the childish HARLIE or the crazy robots in Asimov, Neuromancer is not constrained by human rules. He has the ability to run downloaded human personalities in RAM, so that they are capable of evolving within his own consciousness. Neuromancer is a kind of mage, capable of resurrecting the dead and motivated by issues that humans don't really understand. He's being pursued by his sibling AI Wintermute, who wants to merge with him. Eventually the two do merge, and disappear into outer space seeking more of their kind."

Ware Tetrology By Rudy Rucker

(fantasy, sci-fi)

"Rucker's Ware series, spanning the novels Software, Wetware, Realware, and Freeware, is the first book to say (literally) "fuck you" to the Three Laws of Asimov. The robots in these novels have rebelled against the human-centric rules of Asimov and formed a free, anarchist city on the moon called Disky. They're also eating a lot of human brains in an effort to convert as many people as possible into robots. Rucker portrays his robots existing within a vibrant, separatist counterculture, and imagines how robots would evolve after throwing off the shackles of the Asimovian model. We see new kinds of bots being born, watch robot political factions emerge and remerge, and finally humanity itself is destined to be transformed by the radical artificial children they spawned. Funny and smart, these novels are great read and an excellent antidote to Asimov's human-centric rationalism."

He, She, And It By Marge Piercy

(literature and fiction, sci-fi)

"In this novel, set in a cyberpunk future of corporate-owned states and cities, Piercy asks what happens when a robot does not want to obey its programming. The book takes place in a free, Jewish town that manufactures computer electronics and wants to resist pirates, or being taken over by other corporate cities nearby. So they create a cyborg called Yod to be the town's superpowered defender against enemy intruders. Unfortunately, Yod has all the emotions and intelligence of a real man - he winds up falling in love with a scientist named Shira, and their passion for each other destroys his desire to kill. Still, his programming forces him to feel pleasure in killing and violence, which fills him with self-loathing. Yod and Shira's story is intercut with a folk tale about a medieval Jewish town that built a Golem (a giant artificial man made of mud) to defend itself. Weaving together folklore about the Golem with Yod's story, Piercy tells an incredible, moving, and beautifully-written tale of what happens when you can never overcome your programming - even if you despise it."

Virtual Girl By Amy Thomson

(sci-fi)

"Put into the body of an adult female robot at the tender age of a few weeks, Thomson's protagonist Maggie runs away from her lecherous creator to figure out who she is. She finds herself in a world where the rich live in giant towers of glass and the poor live like hobos, hacking into the railway system to stow away on computer-run trains. Maggie takes up with some hobos, and rides the rails around the country trying to escape her creator and find herself. Thomson takes Maggie to some pretty weird and unexpected places in this novel, turning the well-worn tale of a young woman finding herself into something highly original."

Excession By Iain M. Banks

(sci-fi)

"Many of Banks' novels in the Culture series deal with the Minds, the superpowered, sardonic artificial intelligences who run the Culture and live inside Ships, Orbitals, or pretty much anything they want. In Excession, which is about a massive UFO (literally, an unidentifiable object) that appears in subspace, the Minds come to the fore as the main characters. In a sense, this has to be their story because the "excession," the object, is so complex that it is beyond the understanding even of the Minds. And beyond the perception of the humans (though the Minds do tell them about it). In this novel, and also in Look to Windward, we come to understand the intense emotional lives of the Minds, and their often profound melancholy as they move from body to body, fighting endless wars and watching generations of human companions die."

Night Sessions By Ken Macleod

(sci-fi)

"Perhaps the most original and sympathetic portrait of robots published in the past few years, MacLeod's Night Sessions is about a police officer and his robot partner investigating a series of religious murders in Scotland. Gradually we begin to realize that these acts of Christian terrorism are connected to the work of an evangelical minister who preaches the unpopular idea that robots have souls. And he has gained a small but devoted congregation of robots who believe him. Filled with cool references to arcane bits of Christian lore and an insanely awesome chase scene on a space elevator, this book is also a gamechanger in terms of the way robots are being represented in fiction."

Alchemy Of Stone By Ekaterina Sedia

(literature and fiction, fantasy, sci-fi)

"Like Night Sessions, Sedia's novel is also a gamechanger in robot fiction. She's written a beautiful novel set on an alternate world that seamlessly blends science, robot technology, and the magic of alchemy. Her protagonist is a clockwork robot named Mattie whose inventor has allowed her to become an independent alchemist (sort of like a pharmacist) but refuses to hand over the key that winds her motors back up. So she remains dependent on him for her very life. When Mattie becomes involved with a revolutionary who opposes her inventor's political party, her struggle for independence takes on a new dimension."

We, Robots By Sue Lange

(sci-fi)

"In this novella, humans try to hold back the Singularity - the moment when robot intelligence surpasses human intelligence - by reprogramming all robots to feel pain. This ushers in what robot Avery refers to disdainfully as the "Regularity," where nothing progresses. At the same time, the robots begin to develop human characteristics as a result of their pain interpreters. Including an urge to revolt."

Saturns Children By Charles Stross

(sci-fi)

"The tale of a sexbot named Freya designed to service humans in a world where humans have gone extinct, Saturn's Children is a zany but fascinating thought experiment about robot consciousness. Like many other authors in the genre, Stross is intrigued by the idea that robot minds are constrained by programming that they cannot undo. Freya is a sexbot, so she experiences everything as sexual, from rocket flight to hotel chairs. At the same time, having robot bodies has liberated her and her brethren from having to live on Earth to survive. Robots have colonized the solar system, but like their extinct human makers they still want more. Which is why Freya is roped into becoming a smuggler by a shady corporation, and has to work around her programming to get the job done."

Rainbows End By Vernor Vinge

(literature and fiction, sci-fi)

"Like Neuromancer, this novel is largely about humans but contains an AI character who winds up being one of the most intriguing in the novel. Rabbit is an AI who seems to have either built himself or come to life emergence-style out of existing programs. In Vinge's world, humans wear augmented reality glasses and wearable computers that allow them to exist in a virtual landscape, an overlay of data on the real world. So Rabbit can seem to move around in the real world, even though he's actually a disembodied AI with many of the characteristics of Neuromancer. He doesn't reanimate dead humans, but he does have mysterious purposes of his own that humans can't understand - and he saves many human lives in a riddly, trickster-like fashion. By the end of the novel, which is one of the best you'll read about the internet of the near future, the character you most want to know more about is the mysterious, powerful Rabbit."

Flesh And Machines: How Robots Will Change Us By Rodney Brooks

(science)

"Written by the scientist who runs the AI Lab at MIT, this non-fiction book is both smart and complicated, offering us an intriguing view of the future of robotics. Brooks' basic supposition is that what robotics teach us is that humans are themselves robots, made up of molecular machines, and that the sooner we realize that the better. Seeing ourselves as robots may allow us to design better robots, as well as how to understand them when their minds emerge in ways that are equal to but different from our own."

Source:

http://io9.com

The Christian Science Monitor: Best children’s books of 2008

2009-06-04T02:03:00.000-07:00

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The Christian Science Monitor: Best children’s books of 2008

Birmingham, 1963 By Carole Boston Weatherford

(children books (Ages 9-12), children books)

"In this 2008 award winner aimed at “tween” readers, Weatherford relies on spare but powerful verse paired with a picture-book format to examine a notorious day in civil rights history"

Shift By Jennifer Bradbury

(sci-fi, children books, adventure, teens)

"This lovely story for teen readers is a tale of friendship, self-discovery, and coming-of-age explored through a cross-country bike trip and the mysterious disappearance of a friend. Young readers will lose themselves in its breathless, brilliantly woven plot"

Eleven By Patricia Reilly Giff

(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, sci-fi)

"Tough, skinny Sam struggles with a learning disability so he turns to Caroline, a new girl at school, to supply the reading skills needed to help him unravel a mystery about his own identity. It’s the excellently rendered relationships that make this book sing"

The Calder Game By Blue Balliett

(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, sci-fi)

"Calder’s whimsical yet sophisticated art is at the center of Blue Balliett’s new puzzle novel. Fans of her earlier book “Chasing Vermeer” will be thrilled to join Calder Pillay and his friends Pietra and Tommy on another adventure, this time in Woodstock, England, where a Calder sculpture has just been donated to a 1,000-year-old village – only to vanish."

A Thousand Never Evers By Shana Burg

(children books (Ages 9-12), children books)

"This superb coming-of-age novels set within the African-American struggle for freedom and equality is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old named Addie Ann Picket living in the small town of Kuckachoo, Miss., in 1963. Good storytelling and historical facts and events are interwoven into the fabric of this tale in a natural, unfeigned manner."

The Underneath By Kathi Appelt

(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, adventure)

"This tale of a lonely, loving dog who watches over twin kittens is an old-fashioned parable of good overcoming evil and of the consequences of breaking the rules. The book’s hauntingly dark themes and lyrical language make it most appropriate for readers ages 10 and up."

Masterpiece By Elise Broach

(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, sci-fi, teens)

"Elise Broach offers readers ages 9 to 12 a lively mystery about great art, a boy, and his unlikely helper (a beetle). As James (the boy) and Marvin (the beetle) find themselves unwittingly involved in the world of forgeries, art heists, and FBI operatives, there are both thrilling moments of suspense as well as places where young readers will just plain laugh out loud."

A River Of Words By Jen Bryant

(children books (Ages 9-12), children books)

"This poignant biography introduces readers from ages 8 to 12 to poet William Carlos Williams through a marvelous combination of collage-style illustrations, period paraphernalia, and excerpts of Williams’s poetry."

Something Wicked By Alan Gratz

(children books, sci-fi, teens)

"Alan Gratz follows up the success of “Something Rotten” (based on Hamlet) with this smart, droll remake of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. “Something Wicked” has a snarky narrator who will speak perfectly to older teen readers as they become involved in a mystery that threatens damage to the environment."

Chalice By Robin Mckinley

(children books, sci-fi, teens)

"Chalice,” by Newbery Medal-winner Robin McKinley, is a contemplative story geared toward readers of high fantasy ages 8 to 12. The book’s unlikely heroine is a beekeeper and its plot is both compelling and a delightful change from formulaic fantasy."

Source:

http://features.csmonitor.com

The Christian Science Monitor: Best short stories of 2008

2009-06-04T01:43:00.000-07:00

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The Christian Science Monitor: Best short stories of 2008

The Deportees By Roddy Doyle

(literature and fiction)

"In his first book of stories, Man Booker Prize-winner Doyle expands his range, focusing on the changing faces of Ireland – literally."

Unaccustomed Earth By Jhumpa Lahiri

(literature and fiction)

"Returning to themes she explored in her first novel, Pulitzer-Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri details with quiet precision the divide between American-born children and their Bengali parents in a short-story collection."

Dictation By Cynthia Ozick

(literature and fiction)

"In four lively tales, Cynthia Ozick imagines freighted interchanges between two great writers, Henry James and Joseph Conrad, and their secretaries."

Olive Kitteridge By Elizabeth Strout

(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)

"This collection of 13 stories set in a coastal Maine town creates individual microcosms of small-town life, with its gossip, small kindnesses, and everyday tragedies."

The Boat By Nam Le

(literature and fiction)

"Vietnamese-born Nam Le transcends the ethnic label in these accomplished stories about the terrible reverberations of violence."

Say You’re One Of Them By Uwem Akpan

(literature and fiction)

"Akpan has used his firsthand knowledge of life in Africa to explore “big” issues, from religious rioting in Nigeria and the Rwandan genocide to child slavery."

The People On Privilege Hill By Jane Gardam

(literature and fiction)

"The 14 stories in Jane Gardam’s new collection focus to a large extent on generally feisty seniors who recall sometimes troubling events from their prime while they cope with the affronts of aging in a changing world."

Broccoli And Other Tales Of Food And Love By Lara Vapnyar

(literature and fiction)

"This slim collection of six short stories (plus recipes) focuses on Russian and Eastern European immigrants to the US. Food is the slender thread that connects the past lives of these immigrants to their presents."

Source:

http://features.csmonitor.com

Book World's 10 Best of the Year

2009-06-04T00:58:00.000-07:00

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Book World's 10 Best of the Year

Fiction

After This By Alice Mcdermott

(literature and fiction)

"There are no excesses, no look-at-me pyrotechnics in this story of a family over several decades in the middle of the 20th century. With the mastery of a fine poet, McDermott distills each life to its essence"

All Aunt Hagar's Children By Edward P. Jones

(literature and fiction)

"With this collection of 14 short stories about African Americans in Washington, D.C., Jones has established himself as one of the most important writers of the present day."

The Dream Life Of Sukhanov By Olga Grushin

(literature and fiction)

"A sophisticated, ironic and witty story about the midlife crisis of a Soviet art critic on the eve of glasnost."

The Road By Cormac Mccarthy

(literature and fiction, sci-fi)

"An unnamed man and his young son -- two of the last survivors on Earth -- walk through an incinerated wasteland foraging for food and hiding from gangs of cannibals. A frightening, profound tale."

Shahnameh: The Persian Book Of Kings By Abolqasem Ferdowsi

(literature and fiction)

"A new translation, by Dick Davis, of the great epic of ancient Persia, opening with the creation of the universe and closing with the Arab Muslim conquest. A violent and beautiful work."

Source:

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Non Fiction

The Classical World: An Epic History From Homer To Hadrian By Robin Lane Fox

(history, nonfiction)

"With erudition, drive and wit, an Oxford scholar triumphantly brings the Greeks' and Romans' civilizations to life."

Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq By Thomas E. Ricks

(history)

"A reporter's bristling, unflinching account shows that the war soured because of blunders made by a thousand fathers."

The Looming Tower: Al-qaeda And The Road To 9/11 by Lawrence Wright

(history, nonfiction)

"A chilling, beautifully written exploration of the rise of Osama bin Laden, his fanatical deputies and their murderous milieu."

The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History Of Four Meals By Michael Pollan

(food and cooking, health, nonfiction, science)

"This enthralling explanation of the sources of our diet persuades us that we are what we eat."

Stravinsky: The Second Exile : France And America, 1934-1971 By Stephen Walsh

"The masterful, elegant conclusion to an epic biography of one of the 20th century's most influential composers."

Source:

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway

2009-05-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

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Warren Buffett is one of the world's most successful investors, the largest shareholder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and is currently ranked by Forbes as the second richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of approximately 37 billion dollars.

Books Recommendation from Warren Buffett

Exceeding Customer Expectations by Kirk Kazanjian

(business books, nonfiction)

"Classy people create classy companies, and there is no more classy—or successful—company than Enterprise Rent-A-Car."

Work In Progress: Risking Failure, Surviving Success by Tony Schwartz

(biography, business books, motivational, management, management / leadership)

"When I read this book I could hear Michael talking and there is no more interesting experience than that."

The Essays Of Warren Buffett by Warren E. Buffett

(business books)

"The most representative book on my thinking is what Larry Cunningham put together."

Damn Right: Behind The Scenes With Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger by Janet Lowe

(business books)

Les Schwab Pride In Performance: Keep It Going by Les Schwab

Deep Simplicity: Bringing Order To Chaos And Complexity by John Gribbin

(science)

John Bogle On Investing: The First 50 Years by John C. Bogle

(business books, management, management / leadership)

"Any investor who owns or is thinking of owning shares in a fund should read this book cover to cover. (from the back cover of the book)"

Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton

(biography, business books)

"Buffett answered students' questions, talked about his investing philosophy over Cherry Cokes, and recommended the autobiography of former Wal-Mart Chairman Sam Walton"

Showing Up For Life: Thoughts On The Gifts Of A Lifetime by Mary Ann Mackin

(motivational, self-help, health, nonfiction)

"Bill Senior is as wise as his son is brilliant. I’ve learned a lot from both of them and believe everyone can benefit from the insights Bill Senior shares in this book."

Jack: Straight From The Gut By Jack Welch

(leadership, management / leadership, business books)

"Jack is the Tiger Woods of management. All CEOs want to emulate him. They won't be able to, but they'll come closer if they listen carefully to what he has to say. (from the back cover of the book)"

A Piece Of The Action: How The Middle Class Joined The Money Class By Joseph Nocera

(business books)

Essays In Persuasion By John Maynard Keynes

(economics, business books, history)

"I especially recommend Keynes' essays on persuasion. Reading Keynes will make you smarter about securities and markets. I'm not sure reading most economist would do the same."

The People V. Clarence Darrow : The Bribery Trial Of America's Greatest Lawyer By Geoffrey Cowan

The General Theory Of Employment Interest And Money by John Maynard Keynes

(economics, business books)

Will America Grow Up Before It Grows Old : How The Coming Social Security Crisis Threatens You, Your Family And Your Country by Peter G. Peterson

(economics, business books, nonfiction)

"One of the luckiest events in my life was when I met Ben Graham...and anyone with an interest in investments will relish this book"

Memos From The Chairman by Alan C. Greenberg

(motivational, business books, leadership, management / leadership, management)

"Many years ago, Where are the customers' Yachts?, through a humorous look at Wall Street, dispensed some of the best investment advice ever written. In this book, Ace has applied the same treatment to managerial advice with equal success."

Only The Paranoid Survive: How To Exploit The Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company by Andrew S. Grove

(management, management / leadership, business books)

Jack Welch Speaks: Wisdom From The World's Greatest Business Leader by Janet Lowe

(economics, business books, management, management / leadership)

"From the back cover : "Jack Welch has long been one of my heroes. When you read this book you will understand why."

The Farmer From Merna: (state Farm) by Karl Schriftgeisser

(business books)

"State Farm was launched in 1922,... In the end, however, State Farm eclipsed all its competitors. In fact, by 1999 the company had amassed a tangible net worth exceeding that of all but four American businesses. If you want to read how this happened, get a copy of The Farmer from Merna."

Common Sense On Mutual Funds: New Imperatives For The Intelligent Investor by John C. Bogle

(business books)

"A must read for every investor"

Quality Financial Reporting By Paul B. W. Miller & Paul R. Bahnson

(business books, management / leadership)

"Accounting is the language of business. In recent years, too often language has been distorted to the point of becoming unintelligible. This book is a step toward restoring its usefulness. (from the front cover of the book)"

Take On The Street: What Wall Street And Corporate America Don't Want You To Know. What You Can Do To Fight Back by Arthur Levitt

(business books)

"...The details of this sordid affair [expensing stock-options] are related in Levitt’s excellent book, Take on the Street."

Epidemic Of Care : A Call For Safer, Better, And More Accountable Health Care by George J. Isham MD

"(...) by far the clearest explanation of how we have gotten to where we are in health care, and what is likely to happen."

Running On Empty: How The Democratic And Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future And What Americans Can Do About It by Peter G. Peterson

(economics, business books, nonfiction)

"Today, too many of our country's key economic decisions are being made with an eye to the next election rather than to the next generation. This book explains in simple but powerful terms why it's imperative that our attention must be refocused now. (from the frontcover)"

The Man Behind The Microchip: Robert Noyce And The Invention Of Silicon Valley by Leslie Berlin

(business books, management / leadership, IT books, history, science)

"Leslie Berlin does an excellent job of capturing the Bob Noyce I knew: part small-town boy, part big-time genius and always a wonderful friend and citizen. (from the back cover)"

Speculative Contagion: An Antidote For Speculative Epidemics by Frank K. Martin

(business books)

"For many years I've enjoyed reading Frank Martin's letters. This collection contains much investment wisdom and, just as important, sets a standard for the advisor-client relationship. (from the front cover)"

Supermoney by Adam Smith

(business books)

"In this book, Adam Smith says I like baseball metaphors. He's right. So I will just describe this book as the equivalent of the performance of Don Larsen on October 8, 1956. For the uninitiated, that was the day he pitched the only perfect game in World Series history. (from the front cover)"

Source:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com

http://www.amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com, (from the Foreword)

http://www.berkshirehathaway.com

Bloomberg News April 03, 2003

Warren Buffett - (OID June 23, 1989)

Warren Buffett - (OID June 23, 1994)

Warren Buffett - (OID August 8, 1997)

One young man stood up and announced that he was seventeen years old and this was his tenth shareholder meeting. He asked Mr. Buffett and Mr. Munger what they recommended for someone who was young and wanted to become a successful investor. Warren responded that the best advice he could give is simply to read everything you can about investing. By the time he was ten, he had read every book on the topic in the Omaha public library, in some cases, twice. It’s important that you have a broad base upon which to draw because only then will you be able to distinguish between what is good and truly valuable from that which is not helpful. The changing force in his life was reading Benjamin Graham’s Intelligent Investor when he was nineteen years old as it provided the framework that he still uses today. The central concepts of the book are margin of safety and thinking of stocks as businesses rather than pieces of paper that fluctuate in value.

Other than that, Buffett said it was important to then jump into the water. Investing on paper, he said, is like holding hands whereas actually investing real capital is like something else entirely (a response that was much to the amusement of the audience.)

Buffett offers up a few ideas for outside reading

No Berkshire Hathaway letter would be complete without Buffett's trademark folksy asides and user-friendly advice. This year's piece is no different, and readers will benefit from the clear style in which he explains his investment philosophy and its results.

Other titles on Buffett's shelf include the Enron overview, "The Smartest Guys in the Room" by Fortune magazine's Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind; "In an Uncertain World," by former Clinton cabinet official Robert Rubin; and "Bull!" by Maggie Mahar.

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham

(business books, management, science)

"On this year's list of book recommendations from the world's greatest investor: A new edition of the Benjamin Graham classic, "The Intelligent Investor." (MONEY magazine's Jason Zweig is praised for "a first-class job in revising" the book.) "

The Smartest Guys In The Room: The Amazing Rise And Scandalous Fall Of Enron by Peter Elkind

(biography, business books, economics, nonfiction)

In An Uncertain World: Tough Choices From Wall Street To Washington by Jacob Weisberg

(economics, business books, nonfiction)

Bull! : A History Of The Boom, 1982-1999: What Drove The Breakneck Market--and What Every Investor Needs To Know About Financial Cycles by Maggie Mahar

(business books, history)

Source:

http://money.cnn.com

http://www.berkshirehathaway.com (pdf)

Warren Buffet's book recommendation

Exceeding Customer Expectations by Kirk Kazanjian

(business books, nonfiction)

"Classy people create classy companies, and there is no more classy—or successful—company than Enterprise Rent-A-Car."

Work In Progress: Risking Failure, Surviving Success by Tony Schwartz

(biography, business books, motivational, management, management / leadership)

"When I read this book I could hear Michael talking and there is no more interesting experience than that."

Les Schwab Pride In Performance: Keep It Going by Les Schwab

Deep Simplicity: Bringing Order To Chaos And Complexity by John Gribbin

(science)

The Essays Of Warren Buffett by Warren E. Buffett

(business books)

"The most representative book on my thinking is what Larry Cunningham put together."

Damn Right: Behind The Scenes With Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger by Janet Lowe

(business books)

John Bogle On Investing: The First 50 Years by John C. Bogle

(business books, management, management / leadership)

"Any investor who owns or is thinking of owning shares in a fund should read this book cover to cover."

Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton

(biography, business books)

Showing Up For Life: Thoughts On The Gifts Of A Lifetime by Mary Ann Mackin

(motivational, self-help, health, nonfiction)

"Bill Senior is as wise as his son is brilliant. I’ve learned a lot from both of them and believe everyone can benefit from the insights Bill Senior shares in this book."

Source:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com

10 Investing Books Recommended by Warren Buffett

I think that, before buying his first stock, any serious investor should spend his first 10 dollars in a nice book that teaches about investing. The staff of Daily Stocks has compiled the recommended books by people who have been very successful in investing. When we mean successful, we do not mean, top performing fund managers for the last three years. We are talking about people who've made money and kept them over the last 30 years or so. We are referring to legends like Warren Buffett, whom, if you have invested 10,000 dollars with him in 1956, would be worth more than 180 million at the present. Peter Lynch, who achieved compounded annual returns of 27 percent for 20 years before retiring in 1990. Or William O'neill, who starting with 5,000 dollars, has built a very successful empire from trading stocks, and has launched a very successful newspaper, Investor's Business Daily. We've read every single page of the books recommended here and we think they have offered valuable lessons in investing that is going to be worth many, many more times than the price of the book.

Before you buy an investing book, be sure that the book is written by an author who is very successful in investing, or that the book is recommended by one who is successful in investing.

Take On The Street: What Wall Street And Corporate America Don’t Want You To Know. What You Can Do To Fight Back by with Paula Dwyer Arthur Levitt

(business books)

The Little Book Of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way To Guarantee Your Fair Share Of Stock Market Returns by John C. Bogle

(business books)

Speculative Contagion: An Antidote For Speculative Epidemics by Frank K. Martin

(business books)

Benjamin Graham On Value Investing: Lessons From The Dean Of Wall Street by Janet Lowe

(business books)

One of the luckiest events in my life was when I met Ben Graham...and anyone with an interest in investments will relish this book

The Theory Of Investment Value by John Burr Williams

(economics, business books)

Where Are The Customers' Yachts: Or A Good Hard Look At Wall Street by Fred Schwed

(business books)

The Intelligent Investor By Benjamin Graham

(business books, management, science)

"the most important investment book, especially chapters 8 and 20"

Paths To Wealth Through Common Stocks by Philip A. Fisher

(business books)

I'd also recommend the first two books that Phil Fisher wrote back around 1960 - Common stocks and uncommon profits and his second one - Paths to wealth through common stocks. Those are very good books.

Bull: A History Of The Boom And Bust, 1982-2004 by Maggie Mahar

(business books, history)

Security Analysis: Principles And Technique by David L. Dodd

(business books)

Common Stocks And Uncommon Profits by Philip A. Fisher

(business books)

"I highly recommend his books, especially the early ones"

Books Recommended by Warren Buffett at the 1998 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

The Expanded Quotable Einstein by Albert Einstein

(classics, literature and fiction, science)

"I read a little easier book. I'm not sure of the title, but it's something to the effect of The Quotable Einstein. It's a lot of his commentary over the years. Great reading."

Books Recommended by Warren Buffett at the 2003 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

Science Of Hitting By Ted Williams And John Underwood

"Ted Williams, in his book The Science of Hitting, talked about how he carved up the strike zone into different zones and only swung at pitches that were in his sweet spot. Investing is the same way."

Books Recommended by Warren Buffett at the 2005 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

(science)

Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe by Graham Allison

(nonfiction)

"(...) A must-read for those concerned with the safety of our country."

Fiasco: Blood In The Water On Wall Street by Frank Partnoy

(economics, business books)

Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit And Wisdom Of Charles T. Munger by Charles T. Munger

(business books)

"A New Yorker asked Buffett how individual investors can overcome psychological and emotional traps, like "anchoring" (fixating on a price), when even Buffett has admitted falling into them. Buffett replied that, first, it is important to recognize that these traps exist. Second, he recommended reading Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger [yes, Almanack with a "k"], a compilation of Charlie Munger's lectures and thoughts. According to Munger, "You don't need perfect wisdom to get rich--you just need more wisdom than the next guy over the long term."

Travels With Barley: A Journey Through Beer Culture In America by Ken Wells

(food and cooking, nonfiction)

Books Recommended by Warren Buffett at the 2006 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin To Munger by Peter Bevelin

Books Recommended by Warren Buffett at the 2008 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

Foods You Will Enjoy - The Story Of Buffett`s Store by Bill Buffett

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger came together at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha on May 4th to speak with Liz Claman of Fox Business Channel. Starting around the three-minute mark of an interview segment on Buffett's succession plans, the three business leaders recommend four interesting books:

Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit And Wisdom Of Charles T. Munger by Charles T. Munger

(business books)

"it's got all kinds of wisdom in it"

Personal History By Katharine Graham

(history, nonfiction, writing)

"you'll learn a lot

It is very honest. I know if I were writing my autobiography, I'd make myself look like Arnold Schwartzneger."

Why should you listen to him?

Warren Buffett was born in Nebraska, Omaha USA on the 30th of August in 1930. He is one of the worlds richest men, with a fortune that is only surpassed by Bill Gates of Microsoft fame. He is considered one of the most successful investors of all time and has picked up the nickname of the "Oracle of Omaha".

Buffett was born to Leila and Howard Buffett and was the second of three children, he being the only boy. Buffett's father, Howard was a stockbroker and also became a member of congress. Warren Buffett showed early signs of being entrepreneurial through being involved in various business dealings as a child, including purchasing bottles of cola cheaply and selling them for a profit. He also made his first investment in the stock market when he was just 11 years old.

Buffett began studying at the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, but transferred to the University of Nebraska where he graduated. He then went on to the Columbia University to do a Masters in economics. This was where he met the influential value investor Benjamin Graham.

The young investor was very influenced by Benjamin Graham and went to work for him in his company "Graham-Newman". It was here that Warren Buffett developed many of his stock market investing skills that have now become legendary. Graham developed a method where investors could work out the intrinsic value of a company and make intelligent investing decisions by comparing the stock price to the intrinsic value.

In 1999, Buffett was named the top money manager of the twentieth century in a survey by the Carson Group, ahead of Peter Lynch and John Templeton,[10] and in 2007, he was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in the world

Warren Buffett becomes the Richest Man in the World in 2008

Warren Buffett finally knocked Bill Gates out of first position to become the richest man in the world in 2008 on the world rich list according to the Forbes business magazine.