5 Important Books
Important: of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success, survival, or well-being.
I had earlier listed 10 classic books worth reading:
https://fradesh.medium.com/a-10-classic-books-worth-a-read-8a6c60471175
They were classics that had an impact and were important to me.
Now, I have come up with a list of 5 more books. They are not necessarily classics but are nonetheless important to me.
Here is my list of 5 such books.
5. Republic: Plato
Constant struggles with Modern Western Philosophy had made me realize early on that if I wanted to go deep, I had to enter through the Republic.
Later, I proved myself correct.
It showed me the root of western philosophy, especially by clearly distinguishing Rational Principles with Irrational and Passion. It’s methodology I understood and foundation grasped. Every other philosopher or school, I could then approach with the learnings from this book.
The rational argument it presents for pursuing knowledge/truth and the importance it gives to thinkers, provided me a direction and a solid foundation for my inner urge to know.
It made me look at society and politics as things that are controlled by the intellect and that ideal solutions are explorable if not practical!
IMPORTANT MOSTLY BECAUSE: It will make you realize the power of rational thinking.
4. The Futurological Congress: Stanlislaw Lem
Lem is at his skeptic and satirical best.
This is a short novel about a character trapped in a chaotic future where technology has gotten better and politics crazier.
He is attending the Eighth Futurological Congress in Costa Rica which is intruded by a revolution. This results in the authorities placing hallucinogen in the water system for control. The protagonist falls victim and what follows is his journey into a further future dominated by psychem. But is that really a journey or a fragment of his imagination? You have to read it to guess it!
IMPORTANT MOSTLY BECAUSE: It will relieve you from taking all the ongoing big-visionary-talks seriously.
3. Hard-Boiled Underground and The End of the World: Haruki Murakami
This is a novel with alternating chapters that flow equally beautifully. On one hand we have a practical world with a character who wants sex, likes to drink and listen songs, while on the other we have a confused consciousness in an isolated world with golden beasts and skulls.
Murakami has delicately woven an anticipation which I do not want to spoil. All I will share is that this book mentions neuroscientific shufflings, psychology, philosophy, art and everything else that connects with a thinking- modern person and makes s/he stare and turn pages!
IMPORTANT MOSTLY BECAUSE: It resonates with the modern thinking person + It provides a perspective on what might happen to our brains soon!
2. Laxmi Nibandha Sangraha: Laxmi Prasad Devkota
It is a essay-collection of Laxmi Prasad Devkota, a Nepali Poet and Writer. Known as the Great-Poet of Nepali Literature, Devkota wrote decent prose.
This book was written and published in Nepali and contains Devkota’s musings on life, world, art, literature, philosophy and more.
I was influenced by this book to such an extent that I created a Wikiquote page mostly publishing translated lines from this book:
Laxmi Prasad Devkota — Wikiquote
Here are some of the highlights:
- ..Difficulty doesn’t imply depth. Difficulty doesn’t imply Art. Incomprehensibility doesn’t have a value.
- I enjoy gambling for I find ample opportunity there to engage my mind and study.
- I want to see what is there in the heart — Natural curiosity!
- Art is the beautiful illustration of Truth from the creative imagination. The truth is in our lives and unless it comes from the formlessness to the form, we do not realize it.
- Science cannot satisfy his curiosities and Man searches for glimpses beyond the Sciences through the magic of emotional and imaginative world; where man feels self-satisfied as if he is near the truth.
IMPORTANT MOSTLY BECAUSE: It provides a poet’s epistemology, view of life and the world.
1. Darshan Digdarshan: Rahul Sankrityayan
This is a History of Philosophy and Philosophers, written from a Marxist viewpoint by the Indian scholar Rahul Sankrityayan. It is in a semi-chronological order and addresses almost every significant philosopher from both West and the East.
It begins with Ionian philosophy and gradually moves towards Greek. After that comes Islamic Philosophy which culminates at its impact on Western Renaissance and the rise of Science and Philosophy. Rahul then talks about almost all major western philosophers upto the 20th century before moving to Indian philosophy and finishes the book with Sankaracharya.
Each philosopher is briefly described and the ideas are also expressed in short. Apart from Buddha’s which is treated in great detail.
It is biased in a Marxist way and I am in no regards a Marxist.
But it at least manages to be free from the tiring East-West dichotomy bias and even in it’s Marxism, it is so obvious that you can easily see through the game. There you can bask in a wonderfully organized book of philosophical history with practical context. Which is a rarity. This is what does the trick for me.
IMPORTANT MOSTLY BECAUSE: For once, it makes you rethink history and the history-of-ideas!
I am not sure if this book has been translated to English.
Since I am ineligible for MPP. I wouldn’t mind a Ko-fi:
Here’s my list 10 Classic books you might like:
