Chapter 1 3. What Happened To Atticus' First Two Clients: Fill & Download for Free

Step by Step Guide to Start Writing a BookStep 1: Pick a GenreTake a quick glance at your bookshelf. What do you see? Mills and Boons historical romances? Charles Bukowski’s Dirty Realism? Paperbacks straight from the NYT Bestsellers list? Anne Rice vampire rip-offs? The complete Dune and Foundation series?Picking a genre is the first step in writing a book. Don’t base this choice on what genres sell best, but what you like to read. A hardcore sci-fi fan writing a ‘new adult’ novel is only going to produce a shoddy book – if she finishes it at all.In other words, write for yourself, not the market. Stephen King puts it best:“When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.”Step 2: Start from the EndEndings are the hardest part of any story. Don’t take our word for it; just ask any writer buddy of yours. Most beginners start out strong but find themselves flummoxed by the time the ending draws near. It doesn’t help that the ending is also the thing that stays longest with readers.So before you put a single word to paper, figure out how your story ends. Not how it begins – that can be redrawn and revised indefinitely – how it closes. Work your way backwards. How does the character(s) reach his/her ultimate fate? What are the catalysts that lead to the close? What was their origin? And so on. Your plots will sound much more plausible and you’ll avoid the dreaded Deus Ex Machina that plagues so much fiction.Step 3: Create Your CharactersCharacters, not plots, are the soul of good writing. You don’t recall the story from Henry V; you recall Falstaff. The plot of Catcher in the Rye is mostly superfluous. It’s Holden Caulfield who holds your attention. Same with Sherlock Holmes, Atticus Finch, and Hercule Poirot. Characters stay with readers for generations, the stories are mostly forgotten.This is why you must draw out your characters before you start writing the book. These tips should help:Write a Character Biography: When was the character born? What is her name? Who were her parents? Was she rich, poor, or middle-class? Where did she go to school? What did she study in college? Answering questions like these will help draw a deep portrait of the character and make her more convincing.Understand the Character’s Motivations: What does your character want? What are her motivations for doing what she does?Understand Character Arc: Character arc refers to the character’s development through the story. The essential quality of every good character is change. For example, Harry Potter starts off naïve and ends up a steely eyed adult, while Frodo Baggins is a nobody from Shire who ends up as the savior of Middle Earth.Understand the Struggle: “Character A wants B, but C stands in the way”. How A manages to overcome C and get B is the heart of any story. For example: Rocky wants to be a champion, but crushing poverty and Apollo Creed stand in his way. How he overcomes this is the meat of Rocky, not the final fight itself.Step 4: Make an OutlineOnce you have your characters firmly in place, start creating an outline of the plot. This is meant to serve as a very rough guideline to hold the plot in place. You don’t have to follow it word for word; feel free to improvise while you write.Chiefly, the outline should:Give a brief overview of what happens in each chapter.Delineate the primary struggle in the novel.Show how different events and characters interact and affect each other (A murders B, C takes the fall, etc.)Allow plenty of room for improvisationStep 5: Write the First Draft“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed”-Ernest HemingwayThe first draft is where you discover the story by yourself.As you write, you’ll find characters and plots growing in directions you’d never thought possible. The outlines you wrote earlier will often be discarded as you experiment with characters, plots, styles and forms. This is a place for you to break the mold and push yourself creatively. Don’t bother being perfect; the faster you can jot down ideas on paper, the better. Eventually, this rough collection of thoughts, ideas, and plotlines will come together into a comprehensible book – after due editing and countless revisions of course. For now, focus on writing – anything.Step 6: Get Yourself a DrinkNow that you’re done with the first draft, head over to the nearest watering hole and grab yourself a drink. You’ve earned it.Step 7: RewriteThis is the part where most writers fail. Slinging out a rough draft is easy enough; turning that incomprehensible mess into something readers would want to read takes time, patience and practice.Ideally, you should give yourself a few months between first draft and first rewrite. This gives you the creative distance necessary to analyze the writing dispassionately.Ask sharp, pertinent questions – does the plot make sense? Are the characters convincible? Is the pace too slow? Too fast? Is the writing crisp and creative enough? Is the story fun to read?The first rewrite should take you considerably longer than the first draft. Don’t worry about getting every word right – you’ll take care of that during editing. For now, focus on pulling the rough ideas in the draft into a narrative that actually makes sense.Step 8: Edit“Write Drunk; Edit Sober”– Ernest HemingwayDone with the first rewrite? Don’t start partying yet. There is still lots of work to be done.Editing is the opposite of creative writing. Instead of spinning beautiful metaphors and creating lush imagery, you have to actually delete linguistic flourishes. The amazing adverb you found after an hour’s search in the thesaurus? Gone. Those long-winded, poetic asides? Deleted.This is where, as Stephen King puts it, you must “kill your darlings”.To make this murder slightly easier, follow these tips:Minimize Adverb Use: Adverbs are the lazy man’s writing crutches. They reduce into a single word what should generally be conveyed by context. “He walked quickly to the door as Lily pulled into the garage” is not bad writing, it’s lazy writing. Try being more descriptive – “He rushed to the door as soon as he heard Lily’s car pull into the garage”.Use Plenty of Synonyms: This quote from Dead Poet’s Society says it all:“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.”Tighten Up: A book is no place for lazy writing. Take out words and passages that aren’t absolutely crucial to the story. Your book should be half its original length after a solid round of editing.Get Outside Help: Most writers don’t have the critical distance to edit their own books properly. Consider getting outside help – a professional editor or a friend – to look over your manuscript.Step 9: Party!Congratulations – you’ve now written your very first book. This is the time to hit the clubs and party hard. Then wake up next morning and start working on your second book!Source : UdemyEdit : Thanks a lot guys for your upvotes. I am sharing a small guide on how to write a book in 2018. Lets have a look on it too.How to Write a Book in 2018: A Definitive Guide for WritersSo you want to learn how to write a book in 2018?I think you'll agree with me when I say learning to write a book for the first time is a challenge.Let’s tackle that.Over the past few years, I’ve written a 60,000+ word book about productivity, a novella and several short stories. I’ve also recently completed a 60,000+ word book about creativity.I’ve faced a lot of painful mistakes while writing books, and I’ve also learned a little bit about how to write a book.In this post, I want to explain exactly how to write a book based on what I’ve learned.I also want to reveal some of my mistakes and some proven book writing tips, so you can get started writing a book today.Caveat:Although I write fiction and non-fiction, my specialism is non-fiction writing.In this guide, I focus on how to write a non-fiction book in 2018.That said, you can still use some of the lessons from this post if you want to learn how to write a fiction book.GET A SPREADSHEET FOR TRACKING YOUR WRITINGContents [hide]Commit to Writing Your BookWhat You Need to Know About Writing a Book for the First TimeDetermine Why You Should Write a BookResearch Your AudienceEstablish What Your Book is AboutDecide What Type of Writer You AreBudget for Self-Publishing Your BookResearch Your BookInterview Experts for Your BookKnow When to Stop Researching and Start WritingOrganise Your Ideas and Outline Your BookSet a DeadlineWrite That Messy First DraftManage Your Writing Time Like a ProTrack Your ProgressLet Your Work SitWrite Your Second and Third DraftsHire an EditorHire a ProofreaderFormatting and Publishing Your BookKnow When You’re at The EndCommit to Writing Your BookCan anyone write a book?Writing your first book is a time-consuming creative project that demands months (or even years) of your time.Before you decide to write one ask yourself if you have the mental resources, the creative energy and the time to do it.You do?Great.You’re going to have to write almost every day and sacrifice other things in your life or rearrange your day so you can put writing first, if only for a little while.When I wrote my first book, I gave up playing Call of Duty and Halo because I didn’t have the time to write and to play games.In other words, like anything worth doing, you must stick to your commitment when times get tough, when you feel like you’re not progressing as fast as you’d like or when the writing is more like work and less like something you’re passionate about.You must adopt the mindset of a professional writer who doesn’t call in sick or give up because he or she doesn’t feel like doing the work, you must become a professional writer who goes in and gets the job done.What You Need to Know About Writing a Book for the First TimeThis is because you may be unsure of what a book should achieve and how to publish it. Book writing, like any skill, takes time to develop. You need to learn skills like writing the first draft, self-editing, arranging your ideas and son on.Stephen King, for example, threw a draft of his first book in the bin. His wife fished the book Carrie out of the trash and encouraged him to finish and publish it.It took me three years to write my first novella, and it took me a year to write my second book.Determine Why You Should Write a BookMost people leave out how lonely the writing process feels when you’re starting off.You have to spend hours researching your book, writing and rewriting it, and sitting alone in a room with only your words and ideas for company.If you’ve never written a book the isolation is difficult to get used to but don’t worry, it’ll pass as you get into the process of writing a book.Now the people close to you may understand what you’re doing, but don’t count on it!Listen to this: one new writer struggling with his book emailed me to say:“One of the reasons I have not gone farther with writing is because family sees me working at a computer, or like today with a cell phone and thinks I’m goofing off.”You’ll be able to handle isolation, other people’s judgments and keep motivated if you know why you should write a book in the first place.Here are some questions to ask yourself:Is my book a passion project?Am I writing this book to improve my craft?Will this book help me advance my career or become an expert in my field?How will I serve existing or new readers with my book?Is a book the best medium for me to express my ideas?Do I want to generate a side-income from my book and if so, how much?Do I have a plan for the marketing, promotion and distribution of my book?Will this book help me advance my dream for writing full-time?Have at least four to seven reasons for why you’re writing a book in the first place because they will help you keep motivated when you feel isolated or when others question what you’re doing.Why do I write books?To practice writing and improve my craftTo help other writers and readersTo deepen my knowledge of various topicsTo earn a side-income from book salesResearch Your AudienceAs a savvy, writer it’s your job to find out what your audience wants, likes and dislikes.Spend an hour or two browsing Amazon and finding Kindle books about your topic. Look for books in your niche with a sales ranking below 30,000.Typically, these books sell at least five copies a day, meaning they’re popular with readers and earn a return for the author.Read at least five of the books in your niche, taking note of the titles, categories and ideas behind each book.So, how do you get new ideas for your book? Study the good and bad reviews for these books, so you can see what readers liked and disliked and how you can do better.One great way to do this is to combine several different ideas from different books and then remix them with your writing.Figure out what you’re going to say that’s different because if you want to add value for readers, you must offer something other writers (your competition) don’t.Establish What Your Book is AboutAlthough you may have a vague idea of what you want to write about, you’ll save a lot of time if you clarify your idea before you start writing.So how do you get ideas to write a book?Get a blank piece of paper and spend an hour asking and answering questions like:Who is this book for?What’s the big idea behind my book?What am I trying to say?How is my book different to everything else that’s out there?Why should people spend their money (or time) reading my book?What can I offer that no one else can?Nobody has to see your answers, so be as honest as you can.You might know what your book is about, but does your reader?Unless you’re writing fiction or literary non-fiction, craft a positioning statement for your book, so you know what it’s about in one sentence.Here are three templates:My book helps ________________ who ________________ get ________________.My book teaches ________________ how to ________________.My book helps ________________ who ________________ achieve ________________.And here’s my positioning statement for my book about creativity. “My book helps people who don’t think they’ve any ideas become more creative.”Doing this extra work upfront will help you avoid spending hours writing a book, only to find you hate your idea. And if you’re self-publishing your book, your answers will also help you market your book so readers care.Decide What Type of Writer You AreThere’s two types of writers: pantsters and plotters.Pantsters are writers who sit down in front of the blank page with only a vague idea of where they are going or what the story is about. They write from the seat of their pants inventing things as they go along and are happy to see to see where their characters take them. They write with a connection to God, their muse or their sub-consciousness. Stephen King is a pantster.Plotters are writers who spend weeks or months organising their ideas, deciding what they want to write about in advance. When plotters sit down to write, they have a strong idea of what they’re going to say and they’ve the research to back it up. Robert Greene, the author of Masteryand the 48 Laws of Power, is a plotter.I’ve tried both approaches, and there’s nothing wrong with either.You’ll discover what type of writer you are (and your voice will emerge) if you turn up and do the work.Remember, as Seth Godin says, everybody’s writing process is different.After years of painful rewrites, unfinished manuscripts and pulling my hair out, I found out that I’m a plotter. I like to know what I’m writing about in advance. I NEED to know what I’m writing about in advance. Today, I’m convinced being a plotter lends itself well to most types of non-fiction writing.Budget for Self-Publishing Your BookI’ve written before about the cost of self-publishing a book.Writing a book is free (unless you count your time) but publishing a book is not. So please, budget for hiring an editor, proofreader and a cover designer. Recently, I spent:USD2000 on an editor for a 60,0000-word book about creativityUSD500 on a proofreaderUSD250 on a cover designerAnd what else did I budget for?Well because I’m self-publishing this book I set aside several hundred dollars for Facebook ads and for various book promotional services on Fiverr. You can get all of the above for cheaper (which I’ll explain), but please understand that having an editor, proofreader and cover designer is non-negotiable.Here’s the truth: If you want to write a book readers enjoy, you must invest more than just time in your book.Research Your BookRobert Greene says he reads 300–400 books over the course of 12–24 months before he starts writing a book. He uses an analogue system of flashcards to record lessons and stories from each of these books and highlights what he reads. He says “I read a book, very carefully, writing on the margins with all kinds of notes.A few weeks later I return to the book, and transfer my scribbles onto note cards, each card representing an important theme in the book.”You may not be writing a book as dense as Robert’s but research is an important part of learning how to write a book. Have a system for recording and organising your research.You could use Evernote like I do, create a mind map or use index cards like Robert. I use my Kindle to highlight key sections in books I read. Once a week I review these highlights and record notes about them in Evernote. This way, I have a digital filing system of everything I’ve come across.Interview Experts for Your BookIn another life I was a journalist, and part of my job involved interviewing politicians, business people and even authors.Can I be honest with you?The interviews that caused me the most problems were over 60 minutes long because they took hours to listen to and transcribe.Don’t make my mistake. I recommend keeping your interviews between 30–60 minutes and working out what you want to ask interviewees about in advance.You can also save a lot of time by getting your interviews transcribed for a dollar a minute using Rev.Know When to Stop Researching and Start WritingSo, how much research is too much?Well, Robert Greene’s books are dense 500+ page non-fiction books filled with historical stories and psychological insights. In other words, research forms the backbone of what Robert writes.Your book might not depend on so much research up-front. There comes a point where research stops being helpful and transforms into a type of procrastination.Besides, you can always continue to research you book as you write… once you have a system for capturing your ideas as you go.Organise Your Ideas and Outline Your BookOutlining my bookI outlined my book about creativity in advance. I started by reading dozens of books about creativity over the course of a year before deciding to tackle this topic.Then, I free wrote about creativity for an hour or so.Then, I extracted the ideas I wanted to write about. I turned them into provisional chapter titles and recorded on them on twenty index cards, one for each chapter.On each card, I created a rough list of ideas in the form of five to ten bullet points. I also noted other books and stories to reference.Then, I pinned these index cards to a wall near where I write so I could live with this outline for a few weeks. I spent several weeks working on this outline before transferring it to my computer and expanding upon each of the bullet points.Why did I do this?I wanted to spend as much mental energy during the planning stage as I could so that when the time came to put words on the page, I wouldn’t have to worry as much about what I was saying.Outlining my book with pen and paper, and then later with Evernote, helped me figure out what I wanted to write about in each chapter, identify gaps in my research and problems in my work UPFRONT.Obviously, my outline and table of contents evolved while I was writing the book, but when I was starting from ‘Total word count: 0’, my outline served as a map. It saved me time and helped me beat procrastination.Set a DeadlineProfessional writers work to deadlines.A typical non-fiction book is between 60,000 and 80,000 words, and a typical novel can be anywhere between 60,000 and 120,000 words. (That said, there’s a case for writing shorter non-fiction books if you’re self-publishing)So, if you want to write a non-fiction book, and you commit to writing 1000 words a day, it will take you 60 days to write a first draft if you write every day.Do you need to write every day? If this is your first book, it’s unrealistic to expect you can write every day for several months. Instead, aim to write five or six days a week. If you haven’t written much before, set a more achievable target daily word count along the lines of 300 or 400 words.Then, with some basic maths and a calendar (I use Google’s), you can work out how long writing the first draft of your book will take and set yourself a deadline.Write That Messy First DraftWriting the first draft of a book is intimidating. You look at the blank page in front of you and you wonder how you’re going to fill this page and hundreds of other pages to come. Don’t overthink it.Instead, find somewhere you can write quietly for an hour and do all you can to get the words out of your head and onto the blank page.The first draft is sometimes called the vomit draft because you just need to get it out! Don’t stop to edit yourself, review what you’ve written or to see if what you’re saying makes sense.I find it helpful to set a target word count for my writing sessions. I usually aim to write 1500 words in an hour, set a timer and open Scrivener. Then, I keep my fingers moving until I reach the target word count or until the buzzer sounds.While you’re writing your first draft, keep your outline and notes nearby, to guide you through each section in your chapter.My writing isn’t good enough, I feel like I’ll never finish my first draft!A writer asked me this question a few weeks ago.First of all, the job of your first draft is simply to exist, so please don’t worry about the writing… that comes later. If you feel like you’ll never finish it, start writing in the middle of the chapter that’s causing your problems.Here’s why: Introductions explain what you’re about to say next, but how can you write an introduction if you don’t know what comes next?Similarly, conclusions wrap up what you just said, but how can you write one if you don’t know what you just said! Jumping straight into the middle of a chapter will help you gain momentum faster. Then, take your first draft chapter by chapter.Tip: Speech to text software will help you write faster.Manage Your Writing Time Like a ProI wrote my first book when I was working in a job I disliked, just after my wife had our daughter.I didn’t have enough free time to write eight hours a day. Even if I did, I lacked the mental discipline to do it.When I was starting out, I wrote every night after 9 PM when the kids were in bed. However, I quickly found that when I put writing last in the day, it was least likely to happen.Now, I block-book time in my calendar for writing every morning at 6 AM, and I do all I can stick to this. It helps that my daughter is now five. IIf you’re a new writer or you’ve never written a book before, you’re probably balancing writing your book with a job and family commitments. So, pick a time that you’re going to write every day, block-book it in your calendar and do all you can to stick to it.Managing your writing time also means saying no to other activities and ideas… if they take you away from the blank page.Did I ever tell you about the podcast I almost launched? Well, I had a great idea for a podcast, and I even bought all the audio equipment, but then I realised spending time on a podcast would have taken away from writing my creativity book.Track Your ProgressOne of the biggest tips I can give you for writing your first book is to track your daily word count and how long you spend writing each day.Ernest Hemingway recorded his daily word count on a board next to where he wrote, so as not to kid himself.Tracking your daily word count will help measure your word count and see how far you need to go to reach your target for writing your first book.Your daily word count becomes less important when you’re writing the second and third draft or editing your book.During these rewrites, you should be more concerned about shaping your ideas and working on the flow and structure of your book than an arbitrary word count.When you’re at this point, it’s more helpful to know long you spend rewriting or editing your book.No matter the stage of your book, you should be able to :Review your word count and how long you write forIdentify if you reached any milestones like finishing a chapter or sectionSee what’s holding you backFigure out what you need to write or research nextTrack your wordcount in 2018Remember, what gets measured gets managed and what gets managed, gets done.Source : How to Write a Book: The Seriously Ultimate Guide for New Writers

Reading has always been vitally important to me and as a teacher I am horrified at the illiteracy of our Public School students in the United States. For the international readers I have to apologize for the “American” bias displayed below; as a Physics teacher my excuse is that the Frame of Reference is all important! This list is not extemporaneous, nor is it as flippant as it might appear in places. It is in approximate ascending order of subjective importance.10) Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyYes, the book is riddled with humor. Yes, in some places it is downright silly. But an appreciation and practice of humor is paramount in this world, nay, this Universe! But beyond the belly laugh is the invitation to look at our world in a creative way, from unexpected directions. And the notion that Arthur Dent, the hapless protagonist, lives on an insignificant planet in a vast expanse helps us appreciate proportion and place. And humility.9) Tale of Two CitiesEveryone should read Dickens for his appreciation of the Human Condition. For Citizens of the United States this particular effort is a lesson in what could have gone wrong with our Revolution, the inspiration of the French, and what could still happen if we do not control both elitism and populism. Stricken by boredom in my Freshman English class in High School I started reading this book, which was in the appendix of my textbook unabridged, and was taken immediately by the introductory paragraph, that lyric study of economic and political contrast, which is a gem of innovative wordcraft; I had no idea that classic literature could be so bright, so uplifting, in it’s crafting. I thought all that stuff had to be stodgy and dusty, boy was I wrong!8) Lord of the RingsYes, of course, Tolkien’s epic. I can think of few books currently as inspiring to as many people as this cycle of good versus evil. It was certainly the engine of ingenuity to the Baby Boomer generation. Biblical in its scope and scale, there are tales and lessons enough for anyone. The most important, perhaps, is the toil and suffering of Frodo to discharge his crushing burden. And a testament to the importance to the youth inthe 1960’s is the graffito “Frodo Lives!”7) The StrangerOne of the most important books of the 20th Century, another is later in this list. It’s a slim volume presenting the absurdity of modern society. The main character is an anti-hero, and only his last name is given; he is the inspiration for the existential westerns done so well by Sergio Leone. Meursault is considered a social deviant, he is indifferent to his surroundings and seen as unsympathetic in French Colonial Africa. The book covers imperialism, racism, and existentialism; lessons all to encourage mindfulness. And has a stinger ending worthy of O’Henry or Bierce in a deep mental aspect.6) To Kill a Mockingbird'I simply wanted to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them.’With this insightful explanation for Atticus’ children Miss Maudie displays the kernel of the novel: that there are things that cannot be avoided and it falls to righteous people to carry them out. This book reflects the deepest, most complicated chord in United States history. Produced by the dark cord that vibrates from the initiation of the Republic and its expensive compromise to our day; passing through the Southern city of Maycom, which occupied the most strategic antinode of its length and temporal moment, on its way to us and the price to be paid. Of all the glory of the Nation, this is the tragic counterpoint to be settled at the cost of time, treasure and blood to achieve our More Perfect Nation.The relation of cryptic brutality is eased through a tale of children learning the right way to address the world around them, despite ugliness and violence, to establish a secure posterity with the guidance of an enlightened parent. A parent that might have been born into ignorance but appreciated how to defeat bigotry and intolerance for his shy neighbor and his dangerous culture.5) The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnYes, the predecessor of Atticus Finch, perhaps even the successor of Sydney Carton. A young man from difficult circumstances who negotiated them with an outlook that might have saved Meursault’s life. And the product of our authentic home grown genius - Samuel Clemens. At first glance it is a children's book. It is not a children’s book, the mischievous Mark Twain was having a joke. And it is the sequel to a book that is also ostensibly a children’s book.It starts as a youthful fantasy, at one point Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn get to attend their own funeral. But in short order we learn of Huck’s abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father and his difficulties that result from what we now call “economically disadvantaged.” Twain starts with some wonderful humor about Jim the slave and his relationship with Huck; Jim begins stereotyped as superstitious and simple minded. But as the book proceeds the impression of Jim complicates. The book translates through some very adult themes and transitions, and eventually takes us to young Finn deciding to accept eternal flame and damnation to help Jim gain his freedom. This is without a doubt the storied Great American Novel, contemplating our great promise and our specific betrayal for humanity.4) The Peloponnesian WarThis book is difficult to read, especially if you, as I did, opt for the Hobbes translation. It does not really matter which translation you pursue. I am a bit snobby and think the more contemporary the style the more of the essence is diluted. This History is, perhaps, the greatest ever written when considering the progression of civilization and the Human Condition. Whether by design or providence, Thucydides provides us with a largely objective relation of fact - contrast this with Herodotus’ gossipy and rambling, though more comprehensive, methodology. For example, Thucydides dispassionately describes his symptoms and survival of the Plague in Athens, and tosses off his banishment from the city as a simple unemotional fact.There are great lessons to be learned from the heroic struggle between Athens and Sparta. Naked militarism, citizen soldiery, diplomacy, cruelty, bigotry, epic drama, sweeping tragedy and triumph…My instinct for this book is to write a synopsis, but that is not appropriate here. I will say that one of the most dramatic intercessions in history is contained therein, in which we learn of an island nation doomed to catastrophic retribution by democratic vote secured by a hateful demagogue, a passionate and successful appeal for mercy by a humanitarian’s efforts the very next day, and a race against time across the sea to prevent a massacre. It has an unscrupulous individual, a Shakespearean character, whose constantly changing opportunistic allegiances affected the war. And perhaps most heartbreaking, a war won and then lost by threatening the vanquished with annihilation thereby reviving their will to fight and turning a victory into a defeat. I do not understand why West Point graduates, surely having studied this, acquiesced (obedience notwithstanding) to modern wars that reflected the same situation in this ancient prototype.But the great jewel of this work are the words of one man. The wisdom of Pericles is undeniable. And his Funeral Oratory should make you want to stand up where you are and read it out loud!3) AnathemI cannot praise this book enough - its premise, its execution and it’s succinct conclusion (a bit of a surprise for its author, who tends to like the open ended, drift-off endings).Back again to Science Fiction in my list. And I think Stephenson should be honored that I think he just about beats out H.G.Wells and Jules Verne with this effort. This book, which includes a overt homage to Verne, is certainly as imaginative as his predecessors.Inspired by the fin de siecle a scant score of years ago, when the year, decade, century and millennium closed on the same day, Stephenson invented an earth-like world turned on its head. All scientists (particularly mathematicians) are secluded in “Covents” and isolated from the outside world; Government and Religion prevail there. The Covents are very much medieval walled structures, and each one of dozens on the planet Abre has a large clock that governs the gates to the outside world. On years ending in 0 the gates line up and allow the inhabitants to go outside for two weeks to appreciate the ‘real world’ and decide whether or not they want to continue to be “Avout”. Notice that the groups are Tenners, Hundreders, and Thousanders, how long they must stay in the domain of their Order before they can come out. Meaning some never will, or will they?A great many inventive science notions are included, and the main event, which I shall not spoil, is mind boggling. It was my introduction to the multiverse and some head-swimming revelations to possibility and the cosmos.The story centers around a world-threatening event, and the ‘secular’ powers on the planet have to turn to the Covents for rescue and redemption. While Stephenson tells the tale he teaches philosophy, Science, sociology and religion. The book is a bit of an investment of time and effort but so very well worth it.2) Gravity’s Rainbow“A screaming comes across the sky…”This is Thomas Pynchon’s masterpiece most properly described as an “encyclopedic novel”. Ostensibly about the V2 terror weapon employed by the Germans in the 2nd World War, gravity’s rainbow is a poetic description of that indispensable entity from Science and Mathematics called the parabola, but it spans so much more. The book is by turns profound and profane, salted through with silly songs and poetry, soaring philosophy and pornographic references, science and metaphysics, history and fantasy.The book defies description and because of its complexity it defies synopsis as well. It is one of the greatest books in the English language written in the 20th Century, and that’s not only my opinion. This is claimed by folks with more sophistication and literary experience than I. Currently on the fifth reading I get new things from it. With a cast of hundreds of characters and plot-lines and events that sweep in, sweep out, drudge along dull, pop up and never return or throw down a profound experience and then disappear without a trace in the chaotic narrative. This is an important book.1) Moby Dick“Call me Ishmael.”Like Gravity’s Rainbow part of Melville’s great book’s fame is it’s first line. Also like Pynchon’s book, it is one of the most unread great books; many folks have started but failed its ending.This book captures the sea, and the yearning for it, and the difficulty of a life on it. The story line alternates with chapters on the characteristics of whales an unusual, even awkward, approach to a novel contributes to the difficulty many have reading it. The temptation to only read the fictional narrative must be resisted. The many treatises on the whale, hence the sub-title of the book, contribute to understanding life at sea and the whaling profession altogether.It also need to be noted that there is a great deal of humor in the book, even Ahab throws in a few jokes as he gets closer to the end of his vendetta.But there is so much to this book. Like all great books it speaks to the Human Condition, to the temptation and defiance of Fate, and whether Fate exists or not. It invites us to question just how much a person haunted is actually haunted by their own actions. Ahab pursues a single minded vendetta, to the detriment of himself and all around him. He has a chart that would bring all the crew of the Pequod a fortune, yet he uses it for petty purpose. He denies his own existence as a whaler to get revenge on a mere animal, a dark intent for which his First Mate, Starbuck, points out the captain is “enraged with a dumb brute that acted out of blind instinct”, and charges him with blasphemy. Here we find yet one of many great ironies in the book; the owners of the vessel, and the leaders of the ship, are Quakers. Quakers are peaceful people, who eschew violence and adhere to Christian principles; yet, Ahab is driven to avenge his wounds on a being that has not the same faculties as he. He even employs a boat crew of “heathen” harpooners and lancers specifically to kill the whale, a contingent that sneaks aboard in Nantucket and hides from the crew and does no work to run the ship.He charges his sailors with passion, his oratory flows inciting, he invents rituals to bind them to his will in a near demonic frenzy to kill Moby Dick. Starbuck, in a brave moment, though pale, asks “how many barrels of oil will your vengeance yield, I ask you? ” And yet, after Ahab (in a scene quite anticlimactic compared John Huston’s film version) is killed Starbuck himself is affected by the blood lust, like a virus or some pathology.This book is full of philosophy, challenges to convention, analysis of religion, and symbolism. It concludes with a man driven to an end that costs the lives of all his comrades and the destruction of his ship by the self-preserving, though perhaps just as vengeful, actions of an underestimated leviathan. All his comrades, save one are lost, one who is saved by another ship that had suffered a encounter with Moby Dick and lost the very son of it’s captain, as ‘Ishmael’ floats alone in the sea, buoyed up by a coffin of his friend, he finally sees a ship approaching and “it was the devious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan.”

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak: This historical fiction is set in World War II, in Nazi Germany. Not your typical historical fiction, as it is a story driven piece, centered around the young girl, Liesel Meminger. After her brother died and her mother left her, Liesel is taken into foster care. Hence the title, Liesel is opened up to the world of books and becomes captivated by them. Along the way, a Jewish man named Max enters the story and is kept in the basement. Fearing the Fuhrer (Adolf Hitler), Liesel and her foster family try to protect Max by all means. This page-turner story immerses the reader into Nazi Germany, as you follow along with Liesel.The Stand - Stephen King: Being the first Stephen King book I read, it opened me up to the realm of Stephen King books. The Stand is a post-apocalyptic novel, where an extremely deadly domino effect commences, eradicating 99% of the world’s population. You then follow the story of the survivors, switching characters from chapter to chapter. When they are in need of a leader, the munificent Mother Abagail builds up a community. Although, representing the dark side, notorious Randall Flag builds up his own community as well. Which one will the survivors be lead towards?To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee: A modern-classic novel like To Kill A Mockingbird, puts you in the shoes of the little girl Scout. Scout enjoys to be around her brother, Jem, and they collaborate on nearly everything. Although, times change when they find out that their lawyer father Atticus is taking on the case of the defense for a black man. This capricious book leads the readers to be surprised by certain outcomes, and what is to come next.The Green Mile - Stephen King: Yes, another Stephen King book. Now this one, kind of messed me up. Paul Edgecombe is a prison guard at Cold Mountain Penitentiary, who meets a prodigious, black man named John Coffey. Along the way, Paul discovers an ability John possesses, of which was supernatural. Healing powers. Furthermore, Paul is resolute that John Coffey is innocent, and seeks ways to remove him from death row.The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins: This novelty context of an idea by Suzanne Collins leaves the readers wondering what will happen next with every page turn. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute to the Games after her sister Prim was picked. Along with the boy tribute Peeta, these two get prepped to the extent, from appearance, interviews, training's, and then into the arena. For a total of 24 tributes from the 12 districts, they are sent out into a large landscape, where they have to scavenge for materialistic items, food, and anything essential to survival. The Games go on until there is a victor, but there is a certain rescission in the process.