The Myth of Sisyphus

I wonder whether The Myth of Sysiphus wouldn't be more apt for something like that. But I'd pick an academic text too, though I'm not sure which one. There are many textbooks outside of my expertise that could be just as interesting as more physics or mathematics, e.g. ship/boat construction. Edit: For a fiction book I would probably pick Fiasco by Stanislav Lem, it contains some parables and allergories that are interesting to think about.

The Myth of Sisyphus, by A. Camus If a single book, it would be this one.

The Myth of Sisyphus was so helpful to me when I was a young person.

• "Laws of Form" by George Spencer-Brown, a little book that describes how to bootstrap the Universe from nothing. Louis Kauffman [1] has a lot of papers/writeups on it, from knot theory to quantum physics. If you ever wanted to make a pancake truly from scratch, this is a place to start. • "The Unconscious as Infinite Sets" by Ignacio Matte Blanco. Reformulates Freud in logico-mathematical terms and establishes a formal system (bi-logic) to describe unconsciousness phenomena: in case you ever wanted to apply category theory to study yourself. • "The Protracted Game" by Scott Boorman. Interprets Maoist's revolutionary strategies during 1927 - 1949 period as a game of Go. Interesting both from historical, military, and game-theoretical perspective; raised an appreciation of Eastern wisdom and 'board games as a tool of thought' [2] for me. • "The Unwritten Laws of Engineering" by W. J. King. Written in 1944, but the advice is still relevant, more so to the software engineering field. Should be at least skimmed at any part of your career.…

They aren't all self help. Some just shook my world view so much that I couldn't help but introspect, reviewing everything I believe from a new angle. I find the experience I had with each fairly intimate. I hope others may have the same experience with any book, but think that these may do it. 1. This Is What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami Murakami talking about his decision to become an author and also his lifelong hobby of running. 2. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls - David Sedaris Made me laugh for the first time in awhile. 3. The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus Absurdity.

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus.

L'etranger - Albert Camus Le mythe de sisyphe - Albert Camus

The Watchmen, although technically a comic book Alan Moore tackles a lot of complex existential issues. Also, The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. How does one find meaning in life in a meaningless world? www.goodreads.com has a lot of great reviews/suggestions as well

Couple that with Camus' <i>The Stranger</i> and <i>The Myth of Sisyphus</i> and you've got enough satisfying "thinking material" for a nice long while. One more suggestion for fiction: Rohinton Mistry's <i>A Fine Balance</i>. This will FOREVER change your perspective on hardship while giving one a fantastic appreciation for living. I'm always giving copies of this rare gem as a gift and I have heard nothing but rave reviews from those who have been touched by its power.