CRRL Guest Picks: David Anthony SamLike this list

15 items

• The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

  Dickinson, Emily, 1830-1886

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  "One of the first two great American poets, Emily Dickenson wrote poems that were compressed and emotionally complex. She is Yin to Walt Whitman’s Yang."

• The Concrete Blonde

  Connelly, Michael, 1956-

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  "How about a detective for the 21st century? Bosch is recognized by police veterans and other crime writers as perhaps the most realistic portrayal of the job."

• Cosmos

  Sagan, Carl, 1934-1996

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  "I struggled to select just one science book, but Carl Sagan’s popular science work stands the test of time. It is challenging yet accessible. He helps us see the wonder in our universe."

• Fahrenheit 451

  Bradbury, Ray, 1920-2012

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  "Another powerful sci-fi novel, this one about banning books. Of course, it is being banned itself again."

• I, Robot

  Asimov, Isaac, 1920-1992

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  "I developed a love for sci-fi and speculative fiction in my teens. Asimov’s exploration of artificial intelligence and morality is even more relevant today."

• John Adams

  McCullough, David G.

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  "John Adams was opinionated, 'obnoxious' as he himself said, and made many mistakes. But some of that came from his high moral standards. He is perhaps our most underappreciated president, and David McCullough’s biography is well worth reading."

• King Lear

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  "William Shakespeare remains one of the great poets and dramatists in English. He was also a businessman who wrote, acted, directed and managed to make money, so he wrote some clunkers. King Lear keeps its strength and relevance today. Family and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Leaves of Grass

  Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892

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  "When Whitman’s Leaves of Grass appeared, it shook the world of poetry and beyond. Banned in Boston, his poetry dealt openly and honestly about the physical body. While he 'sang myself,' he also demonstrated that 'what I assume you shall assume,/For…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mr. Midshipman Hornblower

  Forester, C. S. (Cecil Scott), 1899-1966

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  "My mother bought me the whole collection and I have reread all of the Hornblower series multiple times. As a teenager, reading about another teenager struggling to gain confidence and identity during the wars that arose from the French Revolution…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Narcissus and Goldmund

  Hesse, Hermann, 1877-1962

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  "As a child of the 60s, I guess I just had to read Hermann Hesse. I found all of his novels valuable, and it is hard to just pick one. But Narcissus and Goldmund came to me at just the right moment when I was struggling to choose between a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes

  Doyle, Arthur Conan, 1859-1930

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  "I first read all the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories during summers between college years and have reread them several times. Doyle created a character with so much power that many still believe he was a real person."

• Tao Te Ching

  Laozi

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  "I have found the philosophical wisdom of this ancient book relevant and influential in my life as a person and as a leader. 'When the work of the leader is done, the people say, "We did it ourselves."'

• Ulysses

  Joyce, James, 1882-1941

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  "This experimental novel, banned when it was first published, is not an easily accessible read. But I learned more about the power of the English language from this novel than from any other sources."

• War and Peace

  Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910

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  "I first read a translation of what may be the greatest novel ever over the summer between my seventh and eighth grade years. The story, the characters, the issues of power, love, war and peace all resonate."

• Watership Down

  Adams, Richard, 1920-2016

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  "This is supposed to be a 'children’s book,' and children certainly will enjoy it. But adults will appreciate both the story and its themes of power, leadership, courage, and teamwork."