A very readable and enjoyable book about a very important time in American history. This book is devoid of most of the self-consciousness that plague many fiction books about civil rights. Plus this book is considered a classic by many and will widen your connectivity to American culture. If you enjoy the book check out the movie by the same name (the black and white version).

I include this somewhat difficult book because I truly enjoyed it and it is an example of excellent writing. It is written in an older style so you have to give the author more time to develop his theme. It will take longer to get into the story than with a modern novel. Give it time and you will be greatly rewarded.

You probably have already read Tom Sawyer and Huckkleberry Finn so I won't recommend those books. This book is another great example of Twain's style and a good reminder of why he was so widely regarded. It is also a good example of a type of early science fiction and has been widely imitated. Again, it's good to go to the original source.

This children's classic is very readable. It is widely referenced and is a short read so you get a lot of cultural insight for a small investment.

I consider this extremely well written book a modern classic. It is devoid of the modern author's eagerness to vandalize their work with vulgarity yet the author creates an entirely authentic modern world. It is epic yet intimate, philosophical yet accessible, serious and humorous at different moments.

This book not only is very enjoyable but Coupland has an original voice and his style epitomizes a type of new writing, a more accessible, conversational style that is good to at least sample. This book still manages to embrace a lot of ideas while being extremely accessible to the average reader.

Self-help books are an American innovation and to be culturally rounded you need to be familiar with at least a few of them. This book is one of the best examples of its genre, and is one of the most interesting and helpful.

I genuinely liked this book that is regarded by many as tedious and pretentious. I enjoyed the austere writing and rich metaphor. Get the edition illustrated by Rockwell Kent for an added bonus.

Another prototypical book that is well written and a quick read. Inspired a slew of imitations in the non-fiction, adventure category.

Scientific Socialism was the 20th centuries worst experiment and Solzhenitsyn was one of its best chroniclers. This book is a quick read and will give you a glimpse of the intellectual basis of communism and the continuing infatuation by current intellectuals.

This detective is the most imitated and the genre one of the most popular. Doyle was hugely imaginative and wrote in a very readable style. His influence can be seen in works too numerous to mention. Read the original and if you enjoy that be sure to check out BBC's dramatized version starring Jeremy Brett.