Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0300087012 I read this after listening to the following lecture: http://arc-tv.com/inspiring-heroes-great-leaders%E2%80%94fre... (http://arc-tv.com/inspiring-heroes-great-leaders%E2%80%94frederick-douglass/). His strength of character allowed him to escape slavery and abolish the practice in the United States. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand: http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0452011876/ Don't buy the mass-market paperback, the writing and margins are so small that it is a pain to read. Spend a little extra for the larger version I linked to.
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