It´s a hard to make reading recommendations because everyone have their own preferences, history, sci-fi, drama...
If you haven´t read it yet I´d recommend Tom Sharpe´s classic Wilt. It´s really funny, also very easy and fast to read (even in english). Most of the people who read this book liked it, but it is fiction, so I don´t know if it match with your criteria.

Well you didn't give us a lot to go on! But given that you're a member of GOG I can at least assume you like video games so you might be interested in reading about them too.
I really enjoyed "Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time". It deals with 25 games that the author considers the most important in the history of video games. I think it's very well written and informative and I more or less agree with his selection of seminal games though that will always be a matter for debate.

Nation of rebels;
This book touches on why being a rebel is ultimately bad for the society and self-defeating in a sense. I have to warn you though, the authors can come off biased and narrow-minded. But its still an interesting read.

Another relevant book is No Logo.

Didn't read through all the previous entries to see if it's already been recommended but you could try The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Basically just about all stories/movies/video games have their motifs, or their roots so to speak, in past, very old writings. It will be curious to see which motifs can be found in Thr Witcher 2 :)

Sorry if someone already suggested this but I recomment Frank Herbert's classic Dune.

I don't want to say too much about it because it's a story that has to be read instead of told.

In a very very quick and minimal explanation the story revolves around a fued between two royal families who rule over seperate planets. It soon delves deeply into long fortold propehecies and intergalactic politics. The book is riddles with plans within plans and is so layered it's hard not to get something new out of it with each reading.

It's a classic for a reason. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Pim van Lommel: Endless consciousness

Het nederlansk cardiologe Pim van Lommel describes his study of people who had a total disfuntion of heart and sometimes brain (without any electrical energy being measured at ECGs) and describes what they reported from their Near-Death experiences.


Alexander George: What would Socrates say?

Professor George takes you to a journey into philosophical questions, based on real questions and answers on his website http://askphilosophers.org/ (or rather he selected the best to present in the book) - oh, and the second book is out now. :-)


If you want fiction books, you should get something from Wolfgang Hohlbein, especially the Magic Moon series.

EDIT: Saw you are German, so here's the translated works' names:
Pim van Lommel: Endloses Bewusstsein
Alexander George: Was ist das Gegenteil von einem Löwen?
Wolfgang & Heike Hohlbein: Märchenmond, Märchenmonds Kinder, Märchenmonds Erben

There's this if you want to read about the death penalty here. I won't say more. It's banned and I won't be held incumbent for anything I say online. I will only say that it's difficult to acquire. Is it a must read? I don't know. Reviewers say it's thought-provoking. Here are a few links to get you started off:

http://www.amazon.com/Once-Jolly-Hangman-Singapore-Justice/dp/9675832002/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305628759&sr=8-2

http://sgdeathpenalty.blogspot.com/2010/07/where-to-buy-alan-shadrakes-once-jolly.html

(I believe the author is still on bail, but his passport's impounded. No news of the trials have been made in the local printed press as far as I know, though I may be wrong on this; you'll find most information online. If I'm not wrong there's no news on the results of his appeal against his jail term too)

A review: http://politics.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/407366

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For fiction, I wholeheartedly recommend Robert E Howard's Conan stories. Forget those pastiches written by the later authors like Robert Jordan, REH's Conan is where the action is at. His stories are brimming with energy, and are very easy to read. You can hear the cries of battle and the clashing of steel on steel, and the sound of the sword whistling through the air to brain an enemy; stay, breathe, and smell the cool mountain air of the Nordheim mountains as Conan battles Wulfhere in an epic duel to the death before falling prey to the spell of lust cast by Atali.

Those are the true Conan stories, savage, brutal, grim, bloody, and romantic. Conan's roots actually stem from Howard's interest in Celtic history, so there is a very strong semblance between Hyboria and the era where the Celts, Gaels etc lived and fought savagely. Of course this doesn't make it any more non-fiction than Dune or the Tarzan series, but your reading habits won't be the same again after you've read Hour of the Dragon.

Oh yeah I also recommend the first two Tarzan books and A Princess of Mars, which someone else earlier had also mentioned. Howard's writing style is heavily influenced by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and ERB's books are nothing short of exciting and heart-racing too. I like ERB almost as much as Howard, though both authors have their inconsistencies (some stories are *perfect*; others are only above average)

Lastly I also recommend Jack London's White Fang and Call of the Wild, which were influenced by the pre-1900 gold rush (or around there, sorry I did not make an effort to memorize the dates). Call of the Wild is pretty good, but White Fang is epic. It personifies the animal and makes the reader empathize with it. It's not hard to see why that's a classic.

This.

And "Rainbow's End" by Vernor Vinge - one of his fictional works set in the near future. It's technological 'forecasting' reminded me of Jules Verne novels a lot. :)

Also, "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson. Can't say much without spoiling the story, except that it's a coming-of-age story about a girl in a nanopunk setting.

Oh, and i'd recommend anything by William Gibson and Terry Pratchett. Just because i'm a fan, i suppose. xP

I had a quick scan through and didnt spot it if I missed it then sorry if not... well im not going into that.

George Orwell: 1984

Again its Fiction however it is closer to life (atleast in the UK and probly the US + other nanny states) than that of some books that would be considered Factual (artistic license ect.)

If anyone hasnt read it I would suggest you do before the thought police get to you.


It isnt the easiest of books to read but its well worth it.

That's a great opportunity to promote a Polish author (who does not really need the promotion, but still...).

Since you like non-fiction, you might enjoy the books by Ryszard Kapuscinski. He has a unique writing style - it's solid fact-based journalism, spiced up with his own reflections, metaphores, etc. He usually touches the topics of politics and struggle for power in Africa, South America, Middle East - so you not only have a great time, but also learn quite a bit in the process.

Most of his books I've read were great, but here are some highlights (links to German translations):

Cesarz (DE - Koenig der Koenige, EN - The Emperor)

Szachinszach (DE - Schach-In-Schach, EN - Shah of Shahs)

Podróże z Herodotem (DE - Meine Reisen mit Herodot, EN - Travels with Herodotus)

I shed tears while reading it. His best book, without a doubt (ironically also his first). I also really like Morningstar a lot, another story that's very touching at several points. I've also heard that the Waylander series are excellent.

The Jon Shannow books aren't great, but they're not bad, if rather inconsistent, for post-apocalyptic fantasy theme. I also like the Hawk Queen series, even though Sigarney (the main character) only takes center stage in the first book.

Oh yeah I also recommend Charles Saunders' Imaro series, set in a mythical Africa. The later stories aren't really good though. Book 1 still remains the best.

Well I am currently reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov which you've likely already read/heard of of but incase you haven't, It is a recount i suppose of a middle aged man who is facing a trial of some sort, whom is a pedophile and obsessed with a 12 year old girl named Lolita. It's quite an uncomfortable read but I'm liking it so far.

I would recommend the death gate cycle from Maragareth Weiss and Tracy Hickman...

these authors have written the first books of the dragonlance saga (best ones) and later they wrote this magnificent saga!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Gate_Cycle

This is really worth reading. For me it s at same level if not more than R.A. Salvatore (very good books on night elves and forgotten realms AD&D world) and Eddings.

It s some kind of heroic fantasy world, but so different and so strange at the beginning that you are really puzzled and want to read more to know more about it. Very good characters, very funny (there is even a strange mage called Zifnab, who will remind people of the Fizban mage in dragonlance ;) )

I only have good memories, and I know not everybody know about this serie.

Dragon Wing (February 1990)
Elven Star (November 1990)
Fire Sea (August 1991)
Serpent Mage (April 1992)
The Hand of Chaos (April 1993)
Into the Labyrinth (December 1993)
The Seventh Gate (September 1994)[url=][/url]I would recommend the death gate cycle from Maragareth Weiss and Tracy Hickman...

these authors have written the first books of the dragonlance saga and later they wrote this magnificent saga!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Gate_Cycle

I haven't read too much non-fiction other than art history books (boring for most people). Good idea for a thread, though. I might come back here for ideas of my own! Here are two recommendations I have.

Killer Angels
Author: Michael Shaara
Genre: Historical Fiction

I know, I know. This is required reading in some high schools here in US. However, I appreciate how it tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg. War sucks especially when the weather becomes your enemy as well. It's an accurate telling of the events and details with the added benefit of humanizing the history with personal fiction.


Conqueror's Pride, Conqueror's Heritage, Conqueror's Legacy
Author: Timothy Zahn
Genre: Sci-Fi

Ok, this is actually a series but it's a fantastic one. A huge space armada is attacked and destroyed (within minutes) by alien no one has ever seen before. A famous/wealthy/powerful man finds out one human (his son) was taken captive. It tells the story of humans dealing with problems but also learning about the alien race.

I'm doing a disservice to the book by not being able to give a good synopsis. However, Timothy Zahn is an amazing fiction writer. He carries multiple threads and weaves extravagent (but readable and enjoyable) tales.

Sorry if these books have been mentioned before, but even though I continue to think about the technologies described by Vinge in the above book, as far as stories go, I found the book lacking - which doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it immensely. Still, I'd recommend Deepness in the Sky for a great story with brilliant characters and genuinely well written aliens. One thing to note: Vinge does NOT hold your hand. He describes something new as if it had always existed (i.e. time travel is as common as, say, a chair), so you are required to make some leaps in imagination. Probably the best place to start with Vinge would be "The Peace War" or the volume "Across Realtime".

On the subject of SF: Dan Simmons! Namely "Hyperion", the first book in the Hyperion Cantos and, for me at least, by far the best. Also, if you enjoy horror, grab "Song of Kali", also by Dan Simmons. You'll wrap it up in no time.

My favourite SF author, however, is by far Isaac Asimov. His short stories are awesome. Perhaps start with "Nine Tomorrows", since it's lighter SF to see if you'd enjoy it. His robot mystery novels are amazing as well.

Outside of SF: Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead", F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" are all excellent choices.

Wow... I just rambled on and on... :(