What book would you force people to read?

[mirkwood]

Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghost series.  Some of the best sci fi written.

[mrmarklin]

Fiction I would pick Shōgun. One of the great novels of last century. 

 

Non Fiction I would pick Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman. 

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Hands down...The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute. If we could all learn to see one another as people rather than objects the world would be a better place.  I think you would like this book, MG. 

Edited October 23, 2018 by LiterateParakeet

[SilentOne]

I'll have to ask my mother if there were particular books I more or less forced her to read to me as a child, despite her urging me to choose something different.

[Connie]

On 10/21/2018 at 7:23 PM, Anddenex said:

I couldn't just choose one book, so I will provide multiple I would "force" (I have the power!) people to read for entertainment:

1) White Fang by Jack London

I've never read it. I didn't really care for Call of the Wild. Convince me, @Anddenex. Why should I read White Fang?

[Connie]

On 10/21/2018 at 11:01 PM, Vort said:

I would force everyone in the world to read the collected works of Akkadian literature, starting with the myths and Hammurabi's Code.

In the original cuneiform.

This would provide no immediate benefit to anyone. But it would make everyone learn cuneiform, which would be kind of cool, and it would force people to get a basic understanding of an ancient Near Eastern culture that underlies a lot of our thinking today. And people would have to learn the difference between the Babylonian Empire and the Assyrian Empire, which always trips me up.

Not that those are the reasons I would do it. It's more like, if I get to make everyone read something, I'm sure as heck not going to settle for some book written in Europe or the Americas in the last few centuries. Nosiree Bob. If I have the Ultimate Power to make every person in the whole world read something, we're going to read something off the beaten path. Ancient Akkadian literature FTW!

Way to think outside the box, @Vort!

[Connie]

On 10/22/2018 at 9:53 AM, NeuroTypical said:

Well, 'force' is a bit strong for me.  But I'm on record several places saying something like "When they make me Emperor of the restored church, everyone will have to read these before they can get baptized". 

Valley of Sorrow: A Layman's Guide to Understanding Mental Illness by Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy

“Judge Not” and Judging by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, August 1999 Ensign

 

I figure if everyone just read those two things, the church would be at least 20% cooler. 

 

 

I see what you did there, Rainbow Dash.

[Connie]

On 10/22/2018 at 10:34 AM, anatess2 said:

None.

As I've experienced with my then 13-year-old, being forced to read How To Kill A Mockingbird totally ruined the book for him.  It wasn't until lately that he picked up the book on his own and appreciated it.

Well, actually... I'm gonna force everybody to read Divergent and Twilight so they will hate it as much as I do.

I read the first Divergent and thought it was okay, but pretty much had no desire to continue the series. Twilight holds no interest for me at all. I did read The Host. It was interesting...

[Anddenex]

10 minutes ago, Connie said:

I've never read it. I didn't really care for Call of the Wild. Convince me, @Anddenex. Why should I read White Fang?

Well, if we recognize the title of this thread "Force" I don't have to convince you, I just make you!

As I have never been very good at sales, White Fang was the first book I read that was that long, and I loved the story of a boy, a dog (wolf), and how each of them were each others' hero. As a boy who loved dogs, this was a great book. But I liked Call of the Wild, so I am not sure I am going to convince you very well.

[anatess2]

1 hour ago, Anddenex said:

Well, if we recognize the title of this thread "Force" I don't have to convince you, I just make you!

As I have never been very good at sales, White Fang was the first book I read that was that long, and I loved the story of a boy, a dog (wolf), and how each of them were each others' hero. As a boy who loved dogs, this was a great book. But I liked Call of the Wild, so I am not sure I am going to convince you very well.

If you haven't yet, check out the movie Alpha.  I loved that movie.

[LadyGator]

On 10/22/2018 at 6:29 AM, askandanswer said:

I'd force everyone to read all the books that gator hates

I wish you luck finding books that he hates, I have yet to do so. He might dislike some, but haven't found one that he hates yet.

[Vort]

16 minutes ago, LadyGator said:

I wish you luck finding books that he hates, I have yet to do so. He might dislike some, but haven't found one that he hates yet.

Has he ever read Mein Kampf?

[Guest MormonGator]

11 hours ago, Vort said:

Has he ever read Mein Kampf?

I asked for your copy but you said you don't like loaning out your favorites....understandable. 

[Midwest LDS]

On 10/22/2018 at 8:03 PM, mirkwood said:

Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghost series.  Some of the best sci fi written.

I love that series. I'm re-reading The Founding right now.

[Vort]

1 hour ago, MormonGator said:

I asked for your copy but you said you don't like loaning out your favorites....understandable. 

I actually married into a copy, an English translation that seeks to preserve many of Hitler's grammatical idiosyncrasies. I've never actually read it, but it's been on my list for years. My wife bought it for some class she took before we met, but I'm not sure how much of it she actually read. If and when I read it, I'll come back here and give a review.

[Connie]

1 hour ago, Vort said:

I actually married into a copy, an English translation that seeks to preserve many of Hitler's grammatical idiosyncrasies. I've never actually read it, but it's been on my list for years. My wife bought it for some class she took before we met, but I'm not sure how much of it she actually read. If and when I read it, I'll come back here and give a review.

I look forward to that. I remember reading The Communist Manifesto years ago. My take away was that it was very emotionally driven, not much actual logic.

[Vort]

Just now, Connie said:

I look forward to that. I remember reading The Communist Manifesto years ago. My take away was that it was very emotionally driven, not much actual logic.

Ha! I read that as a freshman at BYU. What I remember most about it was that it was booooooring. But that wouldn't have anything to do with my callow nature at 18, now would it?

[Anddenex]

14 hours ago, LadyGator said:

I wish you luck finding books that he hates, I have yet to do so. He might dislike some, but haven't found one that he hates yet.

I think I have found two @MormonGator:

1) Twilight (Tatoos and long hair just doesn't fit with Edward liking )

2) "The Audacity of Hope" - Barack Obama - 😭

[Guest MormonGator]

7 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

I think I have found two @MormonGator:

1) Twilight (Tatoos and long hair just doesn't fit with Edward liking )

2) "The Audacity of Hope" - Barack Obama - 😭

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That's awesome. Literally laughed out loud 

[askandanswer]

22 hours ago, LadyGator said:

I wish you luck finding books that he hates, I have yet to do so. He might dislike some, but haven't found one that he hates yet.

 How about "The extraordinarily amazing adventures, exploits, anecdotes and achievements of askandanswer", soon to be ghost written by @zil?

[Guest MormonGator]

Just now, askandanswer said:

 How about "The extraordinarily amazing adventures, exploits, anecdotes and achievements of askandanswer",

I like reading books longer than two paragraphs. 

[askandanswer]

You can do that all by yourself?

[Guest MormonGator]

4 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

You can do that all by yourself?

Oh, I'm sorry. It's math that they don't teach in Australia. My bad. 

[askandanswer]

3 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

 My bad. 

Another one to add to the very rapidly growing, endless list

[Guest MormonGator]

Just now, askandanswer said:

Another one to add to the very rapidly growing, endless list

And still, the list showing reasons why I'm wonderful is still longer.