Ten books you should read
Why read bland books by poor writers when the opposite are readily available? Below are ten inspiring stories and treatises written by the best of us about the best of us - stories of exploration, escape, courage, political thought, maritime navigation, innovation, advocacy, theology, and flight. None will disappoint.
Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass - Brave, brilliant, self-educated. Escaped slavery and an instrumental figure in the abolitionist movement. His autobiography is less than one hundred pages. Read it and be moved by his steady mind and forgiving heart.
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough - Two brothers with a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio believed men could fly. Men of ingenuity, bravery, and persistence. What a story! Everything I have read from McCullough is great (RIP). P. S. - North Carolina claims “first in flight”, but everything the Wright brothers engineered and built was produced in Ohio. I roll my eyes every time I see that motto on a North Carolina license plate.
The Soul of Prayer P. T. Forsyth - A little book on prayer by a Scottish pastor from the late 1800s. Splendid! Less than one hundred pages, but one should take a month to read it. Deep and thoughtful. Take it in slowly. Don’t try to gobble it down. My favorite quote from this little gem, “The prayer within all prayer is “Thy will be done.”
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - An Irishman with a lust for the sea and exploration. He sailed to the South Pole where he and his crew had to abandon their ship in the grip of the ice (and watch it be crushed). They survive a harrowing and bitterly cold ordeal. The story is riveting.
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel - John Harrison tackled the biggest maritime problem of his day - measuring longitude. He solved it by building a magnificent clock. Yes, it was a clock that solved the problem of direction. Self-taught, persistent, and brilliant. He even built a clock, gears and all, out of wood. It is still ticking.
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - John Stuart Mill’s book On Liberty helped to form my political leanings. Limited government, freedom and sovereignty of the individual, etc. HIs arguments are compelling. Men like him are to be thanked for developing the arguments we use today to protect our freedoms. Best quote - “He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that”
Kon Tiki: Across the Pacific on a Raft by Thor Heyerdahl - Would you sail across the Pacific on a raft made of balsa wood just to prove a theory? Thor Heyerdahl would. A rugged Norwegian tested his theory that the ancient South Americans sailed to Polynesia. Learn about the Humboldt current and the westerly trade winds. A man of tremendous ingenuity. Fascinating story.
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas - I have never read a bad book by Metaxas. He is known for his book on Bonhoeffer, which is great, but I think this one is better. Britain ended slavery fifty years before the US thanks, in part, to William Wilberforce and John Newton (author of the beloved hymn, Amazing Grace). I really could not stop reading this book.
The Origin of Religion by Samuel Zwemer - Oddest book on this list. I found it in an old bookstore in Kerrville, Texas. Little did I know what I had picked up. It is not a book on the origin of religions (plural) rather a book on the origin of religion (singular). Zwemer contends and proves that all religions have something in common. This does not mean they are all the same rather it argues that God has put religion in the heart of man. This brilliant missionary makes a solid case for Paul’s argument in Romans. I am not sure it is still in print. Not easy. Good luck!
Anything by Jonathan Edwards - Edwards is America’s theologian. A missionary, pastor, professor, college president (Princeton) and prolific writer of the 1700s. He is a towering figure of Christian thought. Start with his sermon entitled “The Importance and Advantage of a Thorough Knowledge of Divine Truth.” You can’t imagine going to church and hearing anything like this. He is best known for “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” but the depth of his sermon on Divine Truth (Divinity) is even better.
Let me know what you would add to the list and why!
