The Bible. I’m not a born-again Christian, but I am a Catholic. Reading the Bible gives me a great feeling. I’m a believer in righteousness. My favorite phrase is from Matthew 7:13-14: “Wide is the gate and broad the road which leads to destruction . . . But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life.” I try to go through that narrow gate in life, to do the right thing.
Dante’s Inferno by Dante Alighieri (Signet, $6). The story of a man’s journey to salvation. He begins his life at 35 and has to go through hell before he can get there. It’s incredibly well written and full of allegory. I named my son after Dante.
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (Dover, $2). I read this when I was very young. I think it was a wise guy who gave it to me. Machiavelli was one of the first to ask, “Is it better to be loved or feared?” My father used to say, “Money makes good people better and bad people worse.” You have to be aware of that evil.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Penguin, $8). This book is just so perfect and so wonderful. I read it a long time ago and need to read it again. I remember thinking, What a great piece of literature! With the story of George and Lenny, Steinbeck had captured the human spirit.
How to Know Higher Worlds: A Modern Path of Initiation by Rudolf Steiner (Steiner, $17). Steiner founded anthroposophy, which is the study of humans through spiritual means. This is a great work. Steiner teaches us that we have to suffer to learn; the world is only perfect because it’s imperfect. He said that most people go through life unconscious, and as soon as you become conscious, your life will change. That happened for me. I didn’t start writing until later in life, and once I did, I was finally conscious.
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Beth Macy’s 6 favorite books about living in a divided nationFeature The journalist recommends works by Nicholas Buccola, Matthew Desmond, and more
-
Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
-
Nathan Harris’ 6 favorite books that turn adventures into revelationsFeature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McGuire, and more
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytellingFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
-
Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficultiesFeature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is moreFeature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
