What books would you recommend reading? Why?

I enjoyed it so much I went through the rest of it on my own during Christmas break. Was probably the greatest experience I have had programming

Goedel, Escher, Bach was mind-blowing when I was 19. Four years (and some college) later it's a tedious bore.

It was a fun read, on the other hand, couldn't it be condensed down to five lines or so? OK, or maybe two pages? It seems to just put forward lots of variations of the same theme, which might be more confusing than clarifying in the end.

Also, I second GEB.

GEB (Godel Escher Bach : An Eternal Golden Braid )

How to Win Friends and Influence People

this is a book worth mentioning twice

Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People

It is arguably the most useful book I've ever read, albeit with the most embarassing title.

Zen and the Art of Motercycle maintenance

I was going to mention Dune. That series taught me an important lesson: the techniques of mind, and the mind-body interface, are a technology

Code Complete and the Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks. Timeless coding wisdom.

or Hitchhiker's Guide.

I would concur with Xichekolas with respect to both Ender's Game

I have probably read this about 10 times. All the other books in the series are good too, but it really stands apart from the rest.

Then, just for fun, Neuromancer.

Founders At Work - Startup advice straight from those who have done it and have been successful.

Lord of the Rings

For non-fiction, another vote for the Mythical Man Month.

Code Complete and the Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks. Timeless coding wisdom.

A little dated (it's directed at mainframe developers and their managers) but still relevant.