Some of my favorite books from over the years...

A brilliant history of man's evolution minus the arrogant assumption that the sole purpose of evolution was the production of mankind. This book is intelligently written, yet humorous and it helps if you understand some of the basics of evolutionary biology but do not let this put you off.

Dawkins traces our origins back through hundreds of millions of years marked by 34 'rendezvous' or staging points where common ancestors join the tree. These 'concestors' cover numerous species all the way from the Chimpanzee back to the Rotifer.

A great exploration of the nature of human language. I was particularly inspired by the chapters on the creation and destruction of lingustic structures. New language is created from metaphors which over time are shortened and abbreviated. Such a process might make you worry that languages disintegrate back into grunts but of course new metaphors are always created.

If you think about it, there are numerous examples of this process happening. The expletive metaphor 'bullshit' is often shortened just to 'bull' as in 'what a load of bull'. The old phrase 'is it not', is currently used more commonly as 'isn't it' and to the offense of many snobs - 'init' or 'innit'. There is no reason to be worried, this is the natural reconstruction of the language occuring. This book would make a great introduction to a linguistics or foreign language course.

An epic classic set in the squalor of 19th Century London by the modern author Sarah Waters. This author's work always includes an element of the sapphic in her works but whether that offends you or not you cannot deny the beauty of her prose.

Sarah Waters' other works include Tipping the Velvet, which was made into a BBC drama featuring Keeley Hawes. Other works include Affinity, set in a women's prison and her latest novel called The Nightwatch.

Perhap an obvious classic but Of Human Bondage is a hugely powerful novel about the destructive power of love and infatuation. The main protagonist is a medical student who had a fixation for a local waitress who is clearly not interested in his advances. Despite this, the waitress takes advantage of the unwanted attention to the detriment of the medical student's life.

If you don't fancy the read, a fine film of the same name was made back in 1934 starring Bette Davis which is pretty close to the book.

I believe this was Thomas Mann's final book and is unfortunately unfinished but it is a great yarn of a read which I would highly recommend. It is basically the story of a young man's sexual awakening and all the women he 'meets' and learns from over the years, beginning with his nanny. The story starts around the time his father, a failed businessman, commits suicide allowing his son the opportunity to travel and experience more of life.