Quran

People read a lot of different things so I'm going to throw this one out there. I read the Quran. I read it continuously and it takes a while to finish but every time I read it I discover something new. People tend to discount a religious text as not for them but I think actually the translation or English narrative needs to fit the people and the times. Also the medium by which we read. I wrote an app to that effect to help me. To anyone interested not just in reading it but asking it questions here's the app I wrote https://reminder.dev

Start with the originals--Torah, Bible, Koran, Vedas, Buddhist Canons, Greco-Roman Mythologies, Avesta, Enûma Eliš--then work your way out toward commentaries, sects, cults, precursors, apocrypha, heresies, schisms, etc. The problem with any condensed "Grand Tour of Religion" is the inevitable editorial bias (i.e. adopting someone else's understanding instead of developing your own).

The Quran, away from the religion it self, its authenticity is out of this world, not even gpg can do anything near it.

If you have the time you could read the religions’ foundational texts (Bible for Christianity, Quran for Islam, etc.) before commentaries on them.

Quran

Quran for sure! The best ever book that you *must* read! See: https://quran.com/ (With Translations) https://tafsir.app/ (ARABIC)

I'm not surprised. There are a fair number of people here who are somewhat hostile to religion. Heck, you could borderline count me as one of them. I think religion is a blight on our world. But I wouldn't downvote somebody for mentioning a religious text in this context because - like it or not - these works tend to be HIGHLY influential, and if you want to "understand the world" I think that understanding absolutely has to incorporate some knowledge of religion and religious beliefs. I'm an atheist myself, but I have a whole shelf full of religious texts, including the Quran, several Bibles, Bhagavad Gita, Gnostic Bible, the Norse myths, etc. for just this reason. I doubt the historicity and literal veracity of a lot of this stuff, but knowing it has value when many other people do take it all literally.

Quran, a very superior all in one book, I have never seen a book as expressive as this one, I invite anyone just to "try" it ;) Freakonomics, is a good one about economy from a new angle of view