Highly Recommended Books

Emotional Intelligence by  Daniel Goleman.
Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our "two minds"—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart. The best news is that "emotional literacy" is not fixed early in life. Every parent, every teacher, every business leader, and everyone interested in a more civil society, has a stake in this compelling vision of human possibility.

Families and How to Survive Them by Robin Skynner and John Cleese is generally acknowledged as being one of the best books for the lay person on family relationships and the social development of children. It was and remains a huge success, and is viewed as being both educational and amusing, as well as making a significant contribution towards the demystifying of psychological illness. The British Journal of Psychiatry described it as being "of paramount importance".People who read the book often speak of it as being "a complete eye opener" and of a desire to rush out and buy a dozen copies for their friends. Many people who have read it have identified it as being indispensable in giving insights into their own lives, and providing a better understanding about how to bring up happy and well balanced children.



Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki:
"The main reason people struggle financially is because they have spent years in school but learned nothing about money. The result is that people learn to work for money...but never to have money work for them." So says Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad in this New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and USA Today best seller. Rich Dad, Poor Dad will: explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich; challenge the belief that your house is an asset; show parents why they can't rely on the school system to teach their kids about money; define once and for all an asset and a liability; and teach you what to teach your kids about money for their future financial success.

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.
If you're interested in philosophy, then Sophie's World is a perfect book. The book has references to at least 17 great philosophers of the entire course of history. Sophie's World is truly a novel about the history of philosophy. It can easily be used as an instructional book keeping students interested in the plot while learning and understanding the history of philosophy.Fantastic philosophy lesson elegantly disguised as a wonderful novel.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson 
Bill Bryson has the magic touch. You will laugh aloud, page after page, reading a textbook on the history of science! With an eye for anecdote and the frail human ego, Bryson deftly dissects the minutiae of the culture, politics and quirky personalities of the scientists who have changed our world over the centuries. Bryson tries to do what most school textbooks never manage to do, explain the context of science in a way that is relevant to the average person. 

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell 
When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. This book is absolutely, brilliantly funny. The wit and unique characterizations are woven with great descriptions of the animals and plants of Corfu. That Durrell can hold the attention of readers who have no interest in biology simply demonstrates what a fine work this is. Gerald's depiction of a larger-than-life expatriate family on a larger-than-life Greek island is a tremendous celebration of life. The variety of different Greek characters parading through this book rivals the variety of Corfu's flora and fauna. Absolute great read! 

The Little Prince (French: Le petit prince),
Published in 1943, the Little Prince is French aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry's most famous novella. The book has been translated into more than 180 languages and dialects so far. To date it has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. It is one of the top 50 best-selling books. Ostensibly a children's book, it makes several profound and idealistic points about life and human nature.The essence of the book is contained in the famous line uttered by the fox to the Little Prince: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye). There are also two other main points in the book, both spoken by the fox. They are: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and "It is the time you have spent with your rose that makes your rose so important."

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (1982)
The novel examines how siblings may share the same events yet experience them differently. Eg. Cody remembers his childhood as a harsh time. He blames himself for his father abandoning him and considers himself left to the mercy of an angry mother who favours Ezra. Meanwhile Ezra remembers his childhood fondly and creates a nostalgic family-themed restaurant.Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is Anne Tyler's ninth novel. It was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1983. Anne Tyler considers it her best work.

The Zahir by Paulo Coelho (2005)
The Zahir means 'the obvious' or 'unable to go unnoticed' in Arabic. The story revolves around the narrator, a bestselling novelist's search for his missing wife, Esther. He enjoys all the privileges that money and celebrity bring. He is suspected of foul play by the authorities and the press of having a role to play in the inexplicable disappearance of his wife from their Paris home.Thereby, the protagonist is forced to re-examine his own life and marriage as well. The narrator is unable to figure out what led to Esther's disappearance.

The Orange Girl by Jostein Gaarder.
A smooth and short fairy tale with a twinge of thrill that becomes engaging both for teens as for adults. It is an entertaining and easy to read story with its undelaying big questions about the meaning of life and the universe. A positive thinking tale, of those that leave a thoughtful smile on ones mouth when turning the last page.
 
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960 - Pulitzer Prize)
This novel was instantly successful upon its release and has become a classic of modern American fiction. The novel is loosely based on the author's observations of her family and neighbors, as well as an event that occurred near her hometown in 1936, when she was 10 years old.The book is widely taught in schools in English-speaking countries with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice. 

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (Play)
Acomedy of manners on the seriousness of society.Set in England during the late Victorian era, its primary source of humour is based on characters maintaining fictitious identities to allow them to escape from social obligations.Wilde's plays had reached a pinnacle of success, and anything new from the playwright was eagerly awaited. The press were always hungry for details and would pursue stories about new plots and characters with a vengeance.

Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Importance of 

A Thousand Splendid Suns (Persian:دو صد خورشیدرو) by Khaled Hosseini (2007)
Thisi sthe author's second novel, following his bestselling debut, The Kite Runner (2003).Incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love. Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them --- in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul --- they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival. A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.