grey-area

Godel, Escher, Bach by Hofstadter - an exhilarating skip through the wonderland of western maths, art, music and philosophy.

a wonderfully simple explanation of what is truly important in life.

characters that Tolstoy was not particularly sympathetic to

Anna Karenina by Tolstoy - a complicated set of love stories set in 19C Russia - brilliantly observed.

Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston - a great insight into the first computer revolution - interviews with a lot of very interesting people.

Funny, subtle, and provocative by turns, it is one of his better sci-fi novels, and far above much of the genre in plot and character.

I also liked Madame Bovary from the same period

The Order of Things or Madness and Civilisation by Michel Foucault - a look at how our culture and time limit the horizons of our world view.

The Order of Things or Madness and Civilisation by Michel Foucault - a look at how our culture and time limit the horizons of our world view.