MY FIVE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS
“The Rebel” by Albert Camus. A stirring defense of artistic and political freedom, in the face of all the thugs and nihilists.
“The Jewel in the Crown” by Paul Scott. Wrenching portrayal of thwarted love between colonizer and colonized in WWII-era India.
“The Philosophy of Money” by Georg Simmel. Lays bare the anatomy of Western life turned blasé from overstimulation.
“In Search of Lost Time” by Marcel Proust. Funny, grim tribute to human consciousness—not nearly long enough.
“Summer in Baden-Baden” by Leonid Tsypkin. Pure poetry.
A classic book that, upon rereading, disappointed: “The Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann. The grand debates about the meaning of the 20th century have gone flat and musty.
A book you hope parents will read to their children: “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien. Read it slowly. This is no trifle.
