If you want to understand your fellow man, be as openly observant as possible. If you want to understand yourself, read as much as possible.
Here are 8 books spanning several centuries from authors around the world to read before your thirtieth revolution around the sun.
1. What Strange Paradise (2021) by Omar El Akkad: Because what makes you a man is the example you set when walking through the flames of life.
2. Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley : In creativity, in work, and in everything we do, every man must know his own limitations. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.
3. Notes from Underground (1864) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Before online Reddit communities coined the term, this is the first ever documentation of what we now call ‘the incel’. Don’t let your negative thoughts consume you.
4. American Psycho (1991) by Bret Easton Ellis: Yes, we’ve all seen the movie, but long before the days of the internet, Patrick Bateman was the personification of the Instagram selfie. Be aware of your own vanity (and hashtags).
5. Ask The Dust (1939) by John Fante: Because some women don’t want to be loved, and you’ll never understand why.
6. The 48 Laws of Power (1998) by Robert Greene: Through historical teachings, it shows the dark side of human nature buried deep within us all: how to spot it, how to avoid it, and how to overcome it (it’s also been banned in prisons, which is pretty badass by our standards).
7. My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018) by Ottessa Moshfegh: There are probably healthier ways to deal with pain than trying to sleep your life away. And for any and all disreputable libertines, this is how you’re viewed in the eyes of modern women.
8. Anatomy of a Disappearance (2011) by Hisham Matar: When we lose a loved one, or they simply disappear, how do we deal with the effect of their absence? Especially if it’s what you secretly wished for?
For those looking to stock up on presents, the titanic Kinokuniya book store in the Dubai Mall has got you covered.
