And all you have to do is read them!
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
This heartbreaking memoir, written by Jean-Dominique Bauby, follows the life of a narcissistic editor turned ward of the hospital after a sudden stroke leaves him paralyzed and unable to communicate. It'll make you realize how important the people in your life are, and how precious every moment really is. Did I mention you might weep through the whole thing?
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Need a little more impetus in your life?
Read this philosophical novel, and Robert Pirsig will help you realize how important it is to actually care about what you're doing. In other words, if you're fixing a motorcycle, then really fix it. Don't listen to music, or do something else simultaneously. Do what you need to do, and take pride in it.
Cat's Cradle
Of all the Vonnegut you could possibly read, this is the one that will raise the most questions — in a great way. Jonah, our narrator, wants to write a book about the inventor of the atomic bomb, Dr. Frank Hoenikker.
This book will make you question whether or not there should be a limit to the pursuit of knowledge. And it'll get you to think about the power of weapons, and how even the most competent people can make mistakes with them. Plus, with all of that science comes the exploration of religion, or the futility of it, really.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
This book is special because it gives voice to a type of person that often isn't written about in fiction. That narrator is a 15-year-old boy named Christopher John Francis Boone, and he's a brilliant mathematician who also happens to suffer from a behavioral disorder. (Some say Asperger's, others suggest autism, but author Mark Haddon is adamant that it's not about any one specific disorder.) Either way, this will help you think about prejudices and preconceived notions.
