10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

[Ragnar]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

Yep, it is hard. Moby Dick is one of the worst pieces of writing ever published, the only thing I ever read that was worse than that was Billy Budd.

Everyone should Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, you will add it to your Top 10 list

 

[uscitizen]

I did not see the Cat in the hat in there anywhere.

 

[Ragnar]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

Yep, it is hard. Moby Dick is one of the worst pieces of writing ever published, the only thing I ever read that was worse than that was Billy Budd.

Everyone should Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, you will add it to your Top 10 list

Is your list the exact same as mine then, minus Moby Dick and plus The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by wassname?

On edit: Do you prefer the HuffPo list that included the ghastly farce Silent Spring?

 

[Oddball]

Yep, it is hard. Moby Dick is one of the worst pieces of writing ever published, the only thing I ever read that was worse than that was Billy Budd.

Everyone should Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, you will add it to your Top 10 list

I say the same about Atlas Shrugged.

I'd replace it with Road to Serfdom.

 

[Peach]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

Read all of them except all of The Anti Federalist Papers; ok, skimmed through a couple, read the rest. I liked Anthem better than Atlas Shrugged. The Communist Manifesto was as realistic as The Great Gatsby to me, i.e., not very.

 

[Douger]

I recommend hiring a Meskin to read it to them.

 

[Peach]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

Yep, it is hard. Moby Dick is one of the worst pieces of writing ever published, the only thing I ever read that was worse than that was Billy Budd.

Everyone should Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, you will add it to your Top 10 list

Moby Dick is an insomnia cure for me.

 

[Peach]

Add The Iceman Cometh, and The Grapes of Wrath. One play to go with one book of poetry, and always one Steinbeck.

 

[Ragnar]

I'm patiently looking forward to other USMB members lists. lol

Remember it's not your top ten books but the top ten books you think American's ought to read.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

Ayn Rand & Karl Marx? LOL!

Replace with

All The King's Men
Their Eyes Were Watching God


I might swap 1984 or Animal Farm for Farenheit 451. From a practical perspective Animal Farm is an easy read.

 

[hortysir]

I'll wait for the movie

 

[hortysir]

I'm patiently looking forward to other USMB members lists. lol

Remember it's not your top ten books but the top ten books you think American's ought to read.

One "must read" would HAVE to be Orwell's 1984

 

[Unkotare]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

Wow, that's a terrible list.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

This will sound odd coming from a lefty but I really enjoyed Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising". Its has very little redeeming literary qualities but its great mind candy. I'd put it on a top 10 pop novel list.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

I'm patiently looking forward to other USMB members lists. lol

Remember it's not your top ten books but the top ten books you think American's ought to read.

I don't think we should all read the same 10 books.

We're a diverse nation.

I think a list of 50 books that folks ought read at least 10 from would be better. People gain more insight from reading stuff they enjoy reading, its hard to force yourself through a list of books.

I had the fortune of having a high school senior english teacher who let us, the class, veto books that we thought we boring and sucked, so long as we gave them an honest go at it. Wuthering Heights got the fucking ax.

 

[hortysir]

I'm patiently looking forward to other USMB members lists. lol

Remember it's not your top ten books but the top ten books you think American's ought to read.

I don't think we should all read the same 10 books.

We're a diverse nation.

I think a list of 50 books that folks ought read at least 10 from would be better. People gain more insight from reading stuff they enjoy reading, its hard to force yourself through a list of books.

I had the fortune of having a high school senior english teacher who let us, the class, veto books that we thought we boring and sucked, so long as we gave them an honest go at it. Wuthering Heights got the fucking ax.

Wish I had that vote against Canterbury Tales

 

[Ragnar]

10 Books Every American NEEDS To Read

Not a terribly impressive list IMHO, however a decent argument could be made for all of the above minus Silent Spring. In the interest of full disclosure I haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gone With the Wind.

I think both I and most of the members of USMB could make a better list than Huff did so here is your chance. The difficulty factor is limiting the list to ten of course. Below, in no particular order, is my list. (subject to changes due to memory lapses, future reading and whimsey)

Remember this is not a top 10 list for greatness, history or literature but per Huff Po's guidelines, a list of the 10 books every American's should read.

The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates - Ralph Ketcham

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

The Communist Manifesto - Marx, Engels

Harder than it looks.

Wow, that's a terrible list.

So far it beats the snot out of yours.

 

[Ragnar]

I'm patiently looking forward to other USMB members lists. lol

Remember it's not your top ten books but the top ten books you think American's ought to read.

I don't think we should all read the same 10 books.

We're a diverse nation.

I think a list of 50 books that folks ought read at least 10 from would be better. People gain more insight from reading stuff they enjoy reading, its hard to force yourself through a list of books.

I had the fortune of having a high school senior english teacher who let us, the class, veto books that we thought we boring and sucked, so long as we gave them an honest go at it. Wuthering Heights got the fucking ax.

This is what I get for reading HuffPo. I should have known better.

I agree with everything you said above. However the point of this exorcise is to partake in the Herculean task of narrowing down a short list of must reads. Obviously there are literally thousands that deserve to be read by everyone American and otherwise.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

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