Reddit reviews Stranger in a Strange Land

Try Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. It offers a really interesting look at human culture from an outside perspective.

Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, both by Robert Heinlein; both amazing reads. "Stranger" being possibly on of the greatest Sci-fi novels ever written.

In no order:

The Gunslinger

Stranger In A Strange Land

Siddhartha

Ender’s Game

East of Eden

The Stranger

In no particular order:

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions - Edwin A. Abbott

Everyone should understand that crazy people aren't always crazy. This book explains that (while skewering certain social mores the author considered wrong-headed). Oh, and it's free. Edit: and it's about a two-dimensional shape being introduced to the third dimension. It makes you think a bit. :)


Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke

This book blew me away. There are a lot of alien encounter books out there, but this one describes things that seem truly different. It's worth reading just to get a sense of something "other". A fun book, it's great for coffee breaks and such.


Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

If you haven't read this then, well... go read it. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, no matter their preferred genre of literature. While it is technically science fiction, It's more of an examination of philosophy and religion. Perhaps human nature as well. Bonus: after reading, you will understand (and/or find annoying) people who say "grok".


The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It took me ages to finally get around to reading these books/stories. After I read the first story though, I was hooked. Holmes has a style, wit and drug addiction that makes him a completely compelling character. I mean, how can you dislike someone who says "On the contrary, it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine." and then proceeds to solve a crime, beat the crap out of someone, and play violin nonchalantly? Oh those silly Englishmen. Read this.

Sci-Fi Starters:

Starship Troopers by Heinlein

Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

The Foundation series by Asimov: Foundation -> Foundation and Empire -> Second Foundation

The Robot series by Asimov: I, Robot...

http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278976774&sr=8-1
Stranger in a StrangelLand, doubt any cinematographer/screenwriter would do it justice- plus the movie going world isn't ready for man from Mars starts a religion

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.


By far one of the most thought-provoking, entertaining and just downright excellent books I've ever read. It literally changed how I think about certain things and made me more open minded about others.

There are two substantially different versions. The longer (and from what I can tell, better one), looks like this.

Don't forget these fiction/non-fiction works too:

Stranger in a Strange Land

The Red Queen

The Harrad Experiment

Open Marriage

What are your top five must-own books?

Mine, in no real order are:
(I'll put in links when I get home)

1. Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
   
2. Neuromancer - William Gibson
   
3. Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson
   
4. Larousse Gastronomique - Prosper Montagné
   
5. Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein
   
   edit: with amazon links

You sure are getting defensive now, but I'm okay with everyone having their own opinion on matters. I would suggest reading Stranger in a Strange land if you are looking for some more philosophy from Heinlein (it's not boogey man fascist communist killing material I swear).

Also check out Forever War, which is probably the harshest criticism of SST from one of Heinleins peers, which ironically became Heinleins favorite book of all time.

I'm very interested in your copies of Your Inner Fish, Anatomy of an Epidemic, and Evil Genes. I would love to be able to take all three off your hands. I have several books that I can offer you in exchange, all of which I've read and highly recommend! What I have that might match your interests are:

• Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body, Armand Leroi
  
  
• We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
  
• Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
  
  
• Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
  
  
• Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes
  
• I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
  
  And seeing that you had a Steve Berry novel up for trade, I also have these two excellent Brad Meltzer thriller novels:
  
  
• The Book of Fate, Brad Meltzer
  
  
• The Millionaires, Brad Meltzer
  
  If any of my books peak your interests, I'd love to make a trade!

> We are all God. We are all animal. We are all human.

All that groks is God. Thou art God. I am God. -- Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert A. Heinlein, 1961. The book also spawned a short-lived cult. Funny. The church still exists. Perhaps you should join.

Try some of Martin's literary influences:

1. Roger Zelazny's Amber series is fantastic - http://www.amazon.com/Great-Book-Amber-Complete-Chronicles/dp/0380809060/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319117304&sr=1-1
   
   
2. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, one of my favorite Heinlein books - http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319117340&sr=1-2
   
   
3. If you haven't tried reading any historical fiction, you should, as its also a big influence of aSoIaF. Try Bernard Cornwell's series of books on King Arthur, starting with The Winter King - http://www.amazon.com/Winter-King-Arthur-Books/dp/0312156960/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1319117665&sr=8-9

I'm reading Time Enough For Love by Robert Heinlein right now. It takes place in the year 4272 in an interplanetary human civilization with "the Senior", who's been alive since the 1940's (and who's genes aided research into 'rejuvenation clinics' for the wealthy and connected), giving his life stories and wisdom to the leader of a planet who wants to leave and colonize a new world. It's a fascinating read, and gets into some decent scientific detail too. Heinlein also wrote Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers.

Yeah I read a lot of Fantasy and Sci-fi. Umm, if he likes more Military Scifi I would recommend:

• Dauntless It's the first in a really cool space/naval series about a fleet of spaceships far from home and fighting through enemy territory to get home. All the while the Fleet Commander is acclimating to being 100 years in his own future (without "timetravel")
  
  
• Starship Troopers Is a classic scifi by Heinlein and has very little to do with the movies. Similar war ideas, giant bugs, but totally different feel. No cheesyness.
  
  
• Ender's Game of course is a classic Scifi book. Young boy growing up in a Battle School where they train kids to be soldiers. Very deep, very perspective changing.
  
  
• Stranger in a Strange Land Is another Heinlein book. A human boy grows up being raised by an alien Martian race on Mars. Brought back to Earth as an adult human, but again raised and taught everything by Martians. Has no concept of earth, our beliefs, our morals, our actions, anything. An amazing story that gives a great perspective for a WASP like me to see what it's like to integrate into a society where nobody is like you, and you understand nothing.
  
  If he likes "high fantasy" (elves, wizards, knights, etc) then let me know and I throw out a few of those too.
  
  EDIT: Also I'll plug Audbile.com here because these all also have great Audiobooks with GREAT narrators and I love listening to my books on my Android phone all the time. And of course Amazon owns Audible! discounts for buying the audiobook and the kindle book (often cheaper than outright buying the audiobook!)

• Ursula K Le Guin's Hainish Universe books: Worlds of Exile and Illusion, The Word for World is Forest, and The Left Hand of Darkness
  
• Iain M Banks' Culture Series
  
• Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series
  
• Vernor Vinge's Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky
  
• Charles Stross' Singularity books
  
• Robert A Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, and Have Space Suit, Will Travel
  
• Michael Marshall Smith's Only Forward and Spares
  
• Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age and Cryptonomicon
  
• William Gibson's Neuromancer
  
• Larry Niven's Ringworld and The Mote in God's Eye
  
• Frank Herbert's Dune series
  
• John Scalzi's Old Man's War series

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Political
Iraq Research

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Congress Related

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Health & Exercise
Green Tea

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Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are - Alan Watts

Working - Studs Terkel