After seeing Saving Private Ryan I was speechless. And when I found out that it was "based on a true story" from Stephen Ambrose's D-Day book, I just had to read it. Ambrose is one of the best military history writers around. In this book, he collects actual stories of from the soldiers who were there. And in their words it becomes all too real, like the opening scenes from the film.

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Also by Stephen Ambrose:
American's At War
Citizen Soldiers : The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Pegasus Bridge
Eisenhower : Soldier and President

This book along with, "The Fountainhead" are seminal pieces of 20th Century literature dealing with the worth of the individual and the role of government and society. Both influenced me enough to rethink my political, economic, and social views. Though, I'll be honest, Rand's writing can often be bombastic, preechy, simplistic and not nearly as "intellectual" as people attribute, but it's still worth reading.

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One of my favorite birthday gifts. I never knew that Winnie the Pooh was a Toaist master, but they this childhood character was always in touch with his inner bear. This book has spawned many imitators, but this is the best by far. Simple is best.

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"To win without fighting is best," Sun Tzu said. Written 2000 years ago by China's famous philosopher-general, it provides helpful strategies and insights that can be used in day-to-day life, business, deals, as well as on the battlefield. I think Bill Gates read this book.

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It's amazing to think that Warren Buffet started from scratch. He studied business at Columbia, scraped and saved his money and by astutely picking stocks he eventually was able to buy whole companies. Now he is the 2nd richest man in the world (toe to toe with Bill Gates), with a personal net worth of over $10 billion and counting! Being a novice investor myself, I couldn't pick a better role-model.

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While I don't believe in Astrology, I do find my friend Susan to be a funny, charming and entertaining writer. And for those of you who are believers, she is the nationally renowned Astrologer, featured in regular columns in Self Magazine, McCall's and Modern Bride magazines. She also has a wonderful website.

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Chilling. A memoir by the former head of the FBI's "Profiler Unit", which specializes in creating psychological profiles of violent criminals. Like his earlier book, "Mindhunter", these are all true stories. It opens on a rape/murder as told from the killers mind. I was really creeped by it. And it ends with his profile of the Simpson/Goldman murderer based on the evidence. Guess who the most likely suspect is?

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Professor Pagels newest book details the history and concept of the biblical character known as Satan. From early Hebrew stories to modern Christian text. Like her books "The Gnostic Gospels" (on the forces that shaped the early Christian church) and "Adam, Eve, and the Serpent" (on the evolution of the concept of sex in the early church) this book further elucidates on the forces that shaped the early Christian church and in turn the evolution of our concept of "Sin" and "Evil".

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The first unauthorized biography of the richest geek, er, man in the world. Whether you admire or hate Bill Gates, it's still fascinating to read about how this middle-class nerd and his geek friends, discovered computers and built the biggest software company in the world. It's also offers a glimpse into the history and development of the personal computer and software industry.

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A translation of the "manuscript" of Ibn Fadian, a Persian ambasidor living in A.D. 922, of his experiences traveling and living with the Northman ("Vikings"). So interesting, I was fooled. It turns out that this is a fictional novel, written as a non-fiction translation. Based on Beowolf, Crichton manages an interesting and very original take on the "boring" classic.

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A wonderfully blasphemous, ribald and funny revisionist tale of the early Christian church. Told from the eyes Saint Timothy, as scientists and TV execs from the future go back in time to vie for St. Timothy to "host" their "live" broadcast of the crucifiction of Jesus.

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If you loved the films, then you should read the books that inspired them, because they're even funnier. Roddy Doyle is a brilliantly funny writer and his command of dialogue is exceptional. I'll make it easier for you, all three books are in this one volume.

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Funny. Touching. Heart wrenching. Frank McCourt tells the tale of his family's emigration to Limerick, Ireland and his childhood growing up in the poverty and cruelty of Depression-era Irish slums. My friend Harris can't keep talking about it.

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The characters and dialogue are about as deep as a Mod Squad episode, but it's a compelling portrayal of turn of the century New York. The end of the Victorian era and cusp of the 20th century and with it a new type of criminal: the serial killer. Any book that can makes you realize how much worse New York was in the 1890 than the 1990's has got to worth buying.

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Acclaimed director of such movie masterpieces as "Singing in the Rain", "Charade" and "Two for the Road" (and the list goes on), there are few living legend as Stanley Donen. This book is a close up portrait of this great director as told through the eyes of 100 of Donen's contemporaries, including Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Cyd Charisse. He received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1998. He is also the ex-husband of my friend Pam, which for that reason alone I would include him on my must-read list.

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