Books

On a recent occasion, a friend of mine asked me to list 10 books that have stayed with me and changed my thinking or way of life in profound ways.

Here is my list, in the order that I read them:

1. Records of the Grand Historian (史記) by Sima Qian (司馬遷)
2. The Freezing Point  (冰點) by Ayako Miura (三浦綾子)
3. The World as Will and Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer
4. The Castle by Franz Kafka
5. The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and EB White
6. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
7. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
8. Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
9. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
10. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

PS. Unlike most people, I have the habit of throwing away (not giving away) books that I finished reading. The first 6 titles in this list have the same story with me: I read it, throw it away, then buy it some time later and keep it forever.