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100 Must-Read Books: The Essential Man's Library

There are the books you read, and then there are the books that change your life. We can all look back on the books that have shaped our perspective on politics, religion, money, and love. Some will even become a source of inspiration for the rest of your life. From a seemingly infinite list of books of anecdotal or literal merit, we have narrowed down the top 100 books that have shaped the lives of individual men while also helping define broader cultural ideas of what it means to be a man.
Whether it be a book on adventure, war, or manners, there is so much to learn about life’s great questions from these gems. And without further ado, this is our list.
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The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
The Great Gatsby
1
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Prince (Niccolò Machiavelli)
The Prince
2
Niccolò Machiavelli
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)
Slaughterhouse-Five
3
Kurt Vonnegut
1984 (George Orwell)
1984
4
George Orwell
The Republic (Plato)
The Republic
5
Plato
The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
The Brothers Karamazov
6
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
The Catcher in the Rye
7
J.D. Salinger
The Wealth of Nations (Adam Smith)
The Wealth of Nations
8
Adam Smith
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway)
For Whom the Bell Tolls
9
Ernest Hemingway
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
10
Oscar Wilde
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
The Grapes of Wrath
11
John Steinbeck
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
Brave New World
12
Aldous Huxley
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
How to Win Friends and Influence People
13
Dale Carnegie
The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
The Call of the Wild
14
Jack London
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Edmund Morris)
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
15
Edmund Morris
The Swiss Family Robinson (Johann David Wyss)
The Swiss Family Robinson
16
Johann David Wyss
The Dharma Bums (Jack Kerouac)
The Dharma Bums
17
Jack Kerouac
The Iliad and the Odyssey (Homer)
The Iliad and the Odyssey
18
Homer
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
Catch-22
19
Joseph Heller
Walden (Henry David Thoreau)
Walden
20
Henry David Thoreau
Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
Lord of the Flies
21
William Golding
The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov)
The Master and Margarita
22
Mikhail Bulgakov
Bluebeard (Kurt Vonnegut)
Bluebeard
23
Kurt Vonnegut
Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
Atlas Shrugged
24
Ayn Rand
The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka)
The Metamorphosis
25
Franz Kafka
American Boy's Handy Book
American Boy's Handy Book
26
Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer)
Into Thin Air
27
Jon Krakauer
King Solomon's Mines (H. Rider Haggard)
King Solomon's Mines
28
H. Rider Haggard
The Idiot (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
The Idiot
29
Fyodor Dostoevsky
A River Runs Through It (Montana)
A River Runs Through It (Montana)
30
The Island of Dr. Moreau (H.G. Wells)
The Island of Dr. Moreau
31
H.G. Wells
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Alex Haley and Malcolm X)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
32
Alex Haley and Malcolm X
Theodore Rex (Edmund Morris)
Theodore Rex
33
Edmund Morris
The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
The Count of Monte Cristo
34
Alexandre Dumas
All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque)
All Quiet on the Western Front
35
Erich Maria Remarque
The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane)
The Red Badge of Courage
36
Stephen Crane
Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans (Plutarc)
Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans
37
Plutarc
The Strenuous Life (Theodore Roosevel)
The Strenuous Life
38
Theodore Roosevel
The Bible (Anonymous)
The Bible
39
Anonymous
Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry)
Lonesome Dove
40
Larry McMurtry
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