The following is a list of select works, organized by category, that have conditioned my understanding.

[Know a book I must read?  E-mail me!]

Civilization & History

Society in the 21^st Century

Development + Economic Globalization

Biosociopsychology

Philosophy

Eastern Thought

Nature & Environment

Fiction

A highly original and ambitious approach to civilizations.  Fernández-Armesto emphasizes the degree to which control over the environment shapes the nature of civilizations.

Inspired by a controversial Foreign Affairs article, Huntington sets out to frame the future of conflict in terms of broadly categorized 'civilizations' largely delineated by religion.

A worthwhile study of the causes for societal collapse in the past, with an eye to the present environmental trends facing our planet.

No comment.

An excellent thesis on the importance of environmental domination during the colonial period.

The best single-volume treatment of the subject that I know.

Important background material for anyone wanting to understand the historical context of today's conflicts in high Central Asia.

A relatively comprehensive, but ultimately incomplete, look at the roots of European technological, military and political dominance.

An astoundingly courageous look at U.S. exploitation on both the domestic and foreign fronts.

A classic and humbling dissection of European attitudes towards the Middle East.

A depressing account of the social, political and economic evolution of the post-Lenin Soviet Union.  A convincing case is made that true Communism was never achieved in the U.S.S.R., and judgement of its' validity as a political and economic system should be sought elsewhere. 

A comprehensive treatment of the European colonization of Africa.

An essential read for anyone concerned about social transformations impacting western society.

A classic formal foundation to understanding the reasons for the success or failure of institutions.

Icarus, Bertrand Russell

An early warning of the threats posed by future technology.

Medicines out of Control, Charles Medawar & Anita Hardon

An eye-opening exposure of the pharmaceutical industry's role in the marketing and legalization of anti-depressants.

A fear-inspiring look at the impact of branding and advertising on Western existence.

A fascinating reflection on American identity in the post-9/11 world.

The best work on the near-complete corporate high-jacking of the American democratic process that I know.

An insightful, albeit outdated, look at today's AIDS epidemic.

FINALLY a sober account of how non-neoliberal policies, such as strong protectionism, allowed for the establishment of First World wealth.  Very simply written.

Self-proclaimed former 'economic hitman' John Perkins recounts his experience as a fabricator of economic forecasts for the purpose of funneling 'loans' ostensibly destined for 'development' into the hands of Western contractors.  A lack of detail makes for an unsatisfying read.

Discours sur l'origine et les fondements de l'inégalité parmi les hommes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau

[Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men]

The End of Poverty, Jeffrey Sachs

Considered a keystone textbook on poverty, Sachs argues that 21st century phenomena such as sweatshop labour are the price to pay for joining the Industrial World.  Characteristically, lacks humility.

A collection of case-studies indicting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

A worthwhile critique of the World Bank by a former insider.

The world is desperately ready for a rigorous and theoretical foundation to economics that views the Economy as a subsystem of the Earth system.  'The Growth Illusion', unfortunately, is not it.

A similar thesis to that of Ha-Joon Chang, but presented more philosophically and less concisely. Although dense and repetitive at times, this erudite and diverse discourse makes for a highly satisfying read.

The Limits to Growth, Donella Meadows et al.

The classic 1972 modeling exercise that was the first to investigate the limits to growth in earnest.

One World, Ready or Not, William Greider

An outstanding and detailed study of the emerging Global Economy.

A damning indictment of the 'Unholy Trinity' - the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.  Varies greatly in quality from chapter to chapter.

When corporations rule the world, David Korten

Of all books listed in this section, this is the most important read.  A sober account of the corporatization of our planet.

The best work dealing with the subject that I know.

Recommended in particular are volumes VI ('Psychological Types'), IX(i) ('The Archetypes and The collective Unconscious') and XVII ('The Development of Personality').

Calm and collected, this short and personal treatise on the attainment of happiness has much to recommend it.

One of the few decent comparative studies of violence in apes: orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and, of course, humans.

A good starting point for delving into the neuropsychological nature of human consciousness.

A splendid contrast of oriental and occidental thought.  Richly illustrated with studies drawn from psychology and linguistics.

Wilson argues convincingly that significant behavioral differences between the sexes are rooted in biology, not culture.

The best, most up-to-date book on happiness available!

With characteristic eloquence, Bertrand confidently sketches a conceptual framework on Power.

A classic global study into the perceived roots of well-being.

A highly original and penetrating journey into seeing and believing.

Important ideas, poorly communicated.

The End of Uncertainty, Ilya Prigogine

A somewhat simplistic and unclear look at Time from a Dynamical Systems perspective.  Lacks detail where it's needed most.

Ilya's classic canvas on the arrow of time.

The best of very few available works dealing with the upcoming field of disequilibrium thermodynamics.

The Self-organizing Economy, Paul Krugman

A short and simple look at some examples of self-organization in economics.

Adventures of Ideas, Alfred North Whitehead

Against Method, Paul Feyerabend

A hugely entertaining and unique anarchistic philosophy of science.  To progress knowledge, "anything goes": propaganda, subterfuge, ...

The Astonishing Hypothesis, Francis Crick

A good argument in favour of the philosophy of Materialism.  The content almost makes up for what it lacks in humility.

Beyond Good and Evil, Friedrich Nietzsche

The Blue and Brown Books, Ludwig Wittgenstein

Hailed by some as the ultimate introduction to Language and Truth, I personally consider them boring and repetitive.

On the Genealogy of Morality, Friedrich Nietzsche

Is there anyone else?

Sein und Zeit, Martin Heidegger

[Being and Time]

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas S. Kuhn

Scientific knowledge evolves through paradigm shifts, argues Kuhn in this highly influential work.

A Treatise on Human Nature, David Hume

Collected Works, Plato

Collected Works, Aristotle

On the Concept of Nature, Alfred North Whitehead

Sets out to constrain as deeply as possible the absolute knowable nature of reality - especially time and space.  The best treatment of the philosophical implications of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity that I have come across.

Dreams of a Final Theory, Steven Weinberg

Essay on the Freedom of the Will, Arthur Schopenhauer

Schopenhauer's renunciation of Free Will.  Best understood in conjugation with Kant's metaphysics of transcendental freedom.

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke

What a classic!  The first persuasive case for a modular conception of reality.  Words signify ideas or complexes of ideas.  A vital introduction for those pondering the important question of Nominalism vs. Realism.

Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant

Although not recommended in translation, this work forms a good introduction to Kant's moral philosophy.  Read it before attempting Metaphysics of Morals.

The Hidden Face of God, Gerald Schroeder

A Physicists Conception of Nature, Werner Heisenberg

On Pragmatism, William James

The Problems of Philosophy, Bertrand Russell

A wonderfully relaxed introduction to the major philosophical quagmires.

Some Problems of Philosophy, William James

Another easy-going introduction to the major philosophical quagmires.

Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, Immanuel Kant

A tough but immeasurably satisfying read.  Very worthwhile for anyone considering delving into the Critique of Pure Reason.

Primates and Philosophers, Frans de Waal

By arguing that humans have many moral elements in common with primates, de Waal attacks what he calls 'vernier theory' - the theory that 'morality' is a superficial shell surrounding an essentially selfish human core.

The Road to Reality, Roger Penrose

An ambitious attempt at bringing the reader to the forefront of current understanding of the physical world.  Committing.

On the Principle of Sufficient Reason, Arthur Schopenhauer

An excellent and under-appreciated treatise on the possible sources of knowledge.

Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung, Arthur Schopenhauer

[The World as Will and Representation]  Schopenhauer's major work.  An astonishingly lucid, and satisfyingly self-consistent, integration of Western and Eastern thought.

The Book, Alan Watts

A whimsical introduction to transcending the Ego.

Buddhism, Christmas Humphreys

A good introduction to, and overview of, the main branches of Buddhism.  Intended for those willing to garner a historical understanding, but not designed with a view to aiding the practice of Buddhism.  Whatever that is.

Introduction to Zen Buddhism, Suzuki

In my opinion the best work available on the subject in the English language.

The Way of Zen, Alan Watts

Probably the second-best work on the subject in the English language.

Zen Buddhism, Christmas Humphreys

Probably the third-best work on the subject in the English language.

McKibben's stab at emphasizing the importance of society in the environmental struggle.  Offers nothing new.

A classic and passionate call for environmentalism.

From the man who spawned the 'Gaia hypothesis' comes a vision of a 21st century Earth dominated, at low latitudes, by lifeless oceans and continents.  Also noteworthy is Lovelock's pro-nuclear energy stance.

Remains to this day the classic work on the basic principles of ecology.

The finest naturalist writing I have ever encountered in the English language.  Although descriptive rather than formally philosophical, the Almanac represents the first call for the incorporation of our non-human environment into an overarching ethical framework that I know of.

A classic, original and fairly radical thesis on the important link forged between individuals and the territory they inhabit.

info@realfuture.org

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