A fine manual on how language effects our world perceptions - both in conscious and unconscious ways. Excellent foundation for developing one's critical thinking skills.

The search for meaning by a Buddha-like character - from asceticism to indulgence - and how those experiences guide him to a deeper understanding of life's meaning.

Best listened to than read (in my opinion), this delves deeper into the individual religious traditions of humanity and how those traditions inform our lives today. Good Companion pieces: Any of Joseph Campbell's other works. He was the expert in the field during his life, and his teachings shed a great deal of light on the common threads of humanity.

Steinbeck's excellent story of the limits of human decency and compassion.

Probably Camus' most famous work about facing the absurdity of life without deluding oneself. Good companion piece: Camus' "The Stranger".

An excellent companion for when life gives us lemons: de Botton shows us how our greatest thinkers have handled the doldrums, and how their insights can help us to escape them. Good companion piece: de Botton's "How Proust Can Change Your Life".

The controversial story of a boy with no real motivation in life (the original Gen X'er!). Not all readers "get" this story - but for those who understand the antagonist from both a young adult's perspective and a parent's perspective, this is an unsettlingly powerful text. Good companion piece: Saul Bellow's "Seize The Day".