Although the media seems dedicated to portraying men as oblivious to anything other than sport, tools and sex, the truth is that until a few decades ago any man worth his salt was expected to have a wide range of knowledge. “I have taken all knowledge as my domain,” says Bacon, while Marlowe encourages us to have “aspiring minds” and climb “after infinite knowledge.”
To this end, we offer a book for each of the ten categories with which the whole man should have at least some familiarity.
1) Adventure: Resistance: Shackleton’s Incredible Journey by Alfred Lansing
It’s not often that we celebrate failed explorers, but Shackleton’s disastrous third attempt to lead a party to the South Pole is a story so amazing and inspiring that it has come to be honored as a success in its own right. Stranded on a frozen island 1,200 miles from the nearest human settlement, Shackleton’s leadership and courage carried his crew through one of the worst trials imaginable without a single life being lost.
Further reading: Shackleton’s Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorerby Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell.
2) Classics: VillageWilliam Shakespeare
It is impossible to find a work that can encompass all the merits of classical literature, but Shakespeare’s Village, which wraps a ghost story within a murder mystery and a play within a play, comes surprisingly close. It is so influential that even the least educated English speakers regularly quote it without knowing it. Every time we mention our “mind’s eye,” do something “more sad than angry,” or feel we must be “cruel to be kind,” we are echoing the words of the tormented Danish prince.
Further reading: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are deadby Tom Stoppard
3) Science: The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNAby James D Watson
From biologists exploring the mysteries of life to criminalists tracking down the killers destroying it, one of the most important tools of the modern world is DNA. In the double helix, Watson offers readers an intimate look at the frantic race between competing teams of researchers as they attempt to reveal the nature of our genetic code. With breathless narration and clearly explained scientific principles, Propeller is a Boy’s Own adventure story about this remarkable chemical that makes us who we are.
Further reading: the selfish geneby Richard Dawkins
4) Religion: A Story of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and IslamBy Karen Armstrong
Where do we get our idea of God? How can the God represented in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam be so different to his various followers, and how has our view of him changed over the millennia? In this meticulously researched and ambitious book, Karen Armstrong traces the evolution of God over the past 4,000 years to answer the question, “Does God have a future?”
Further reading: The Varieties of Religious Experienceby William James
5) Women Authors: holy maybeby Anne Tyler
Weather Accidental Tourist is probably his most famous novel, a better introduction to his work is holy maybe. This story about a young man who is indirectly responsible for his brother’s suicide and his sister-in-law’s fatal overdose is hilarious, as Tyler’s refreshingly honest observations about men and women touch on the quirks and foibles of all of us. . She remains one of the few female authors to treat men as human beings rather than villains or comic relief.
Further reading: mr sandmanby Barbara Gowdy
6) detective: The Murders in the Morgue Streetby Edgar Allan Poe
Considered by many to be the first crime novel, The Murders in the Morgue Street features the brilliant theoretician, C. Auguste Dupin, who solves crimes in the seclusion of his own home. There he is attended by an assistant who, prefiguring Dr. Watson, also narrates the story. As an added bonus, this book also has the distinction of giving us one of the most peculiar killers in the history of the mystery novel.
Further reading: Ring rangeby Rex Stout
7) Policies: The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli
Despite his reputation for endorsing cold-blooded manipulation, the underlying principle of Machiavelli’s most famous work is that a population enjoys more freedom and personal security under a stable government than under one that is always in conflict. Other books may give insight into this or that specific political situation, but with Princereaders gain an understanding of the fundamental complexities of nation building.
Further reading: The Art of Warby Sun Tzu
8) Humour: Thurber’s Carnivalby James Thurber
Thurber set standards for humor writing that have occasionally been equaled, but rarely surpassed. His stories, often factual, convey the most extraordinary events in the most mundane ways. No matter how hard the bed falls on dad, how many shoes mom throws out the neighbor’s windows, or how many miles the townspeople run before realizing that, in fact, the damn thing hasn’t broken, Thurber will. he recites everything in such a calm way that the reader can’t help but feel that this is part of normal life.
Further reading: The best of Robert Benchleyby Robert Benchley
9) Philosophy: The History of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Great Philosophersby Will Durant
With the clarity and brilliance that made him one of the world’s greatest philosophical writers, Durant takes the reader on a journey of philosophy through the millennia. Beginning with Plato and ending with Nietzsche, The history of philosophy is an eye-opening look not only at the major philosophical schools that have influenced Western civilization, but also at the minds of the philosophers who founded them.
Further reading: simplified philosophyby Richard H. Popkin
10) Crime: The criminal history of humanityby Colin Wilson
Using Maslow’s hierarchy of values as a starting point, Wilson traces criminal motivations as they progress from simple needs (assault and murder for profit), through sexual gratification (Jack the Ripper), to the murderer in self-actualizing streak (Ted Bundy). . Careful scholarship, intelligently passionate writing, and a clear and provocative thesis make this one of the most compelling crime books he has ever read.
Further reading: thinking about the crimeby James Q Wilson