The Stranger

- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Pirsig) - Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid (Hofstadter) - Shadows of the Mind: A Search for the Missing Science of Consciousness (Penrose) - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Suzuki) - Demian (Hesse) - The Stranger (Camus) - Slaughterhouse-Five (Vonnegut) - Another Roadside Attraction (Robbins) I have read many books that have had an impact on me for a time, but these are the books that have had an enduring impact going on now for decades. And yes, one of these books, Another Roadside Attraction, is unlike the others. You can substitute any Tom Robbins book, or read them all!, but this is the book that started it all for me. Tom Robbins' books taught me to not take life so seriously. Demian and The Stranger may be fiction, but let's just say their purpose is to get across a philosophical point. Finally, with regards to Slaughterhouse-Five, you'll just have to read it. Enjoy!

For some reason i can't get the stranger, Camus out of my head. I had it on my desk for at least 10 years at one company as a sign that I never quite fitted in there, but I never felt like I fitted anywhere else either. I enjoy books you can easily read in a single sitting as you could really get into a zone with the story. Old man and the sea and several Iain Banks books fell into the same category.

Heart of darkness is very short and fits into those great books like L'Etranger and the Old Man and the Sea that can be usefully read in an afternoon and give back way more than they demand from you. Republic is quite long but very approachable and I really enjoyed it. Again the mythical man month still holds true and it very readable. It's interesting for anyone interested in computing history as well as for it's key points on management.

The Stranger by Camus

Probably the trial (kafka) or the plague (camus) but the one book I struggle to put down to put down is l'etranger as it's so easy to read in a single sitting and do compelling.

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

I read The Stranger, great indeed. Mind giving some overview of Steppenwolf?

Siddhartha is great--if you like Hesse I would also recommend that you check out "Steppenwolf" (same author), and if that also appeals to you, then "The Stranger" by Camus

The Stranger, Catch-22, Cat's Cradle

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.

Brave New World, 1984, The Metamorphosis, The Stranger, and...possibly Les Miserables if you have A LOT of free time.

The Stranger - Albert Camus