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Conan Doyle. Modern British literature at its finest, these stories are exceptional.

25) "The Tale of Genji." A classic Japanese novel written around the year AD 1000, it is a work that is considered by Japanese scholars to be the mountain top towards which all Japanese literature aspires.

26) "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis. This work was brilliant as theology, philosophy, and fine non-fiction rhetorical literature, and should be required reading at the college level.

27) "The Sound and the Fury," by William Faulkner. Faulkner's most complex and ambitious work, this novel is incredible, and don't be surprised if you have to read it two or three times to fully appreciate the staggering complexity and genius behind this work.

28) "House Made of Dawn," by N. Scott Momaday. This little known Pulitzer Prize winning novel was written about a Native American's experiences after fighting overseas in the World War, and struggling to join back into a people and culture he feels permanently separated from.

29) "A Small Place," by Jamaica Kincaid. One of several great pieces of modern Caribbean literature, but this work is the best of them all.

30) "The Invisible Man," by Ralph Ellison. An incredible work describing the problems, plights, and struggles of post-Civil War black culture in America.

31) "The Souls of Black Folk," by W.E.B. Du Bois. An incredible work that is considered ground breaking in sociology, as well as African-American history.

32) "Their Eyes Were Watching God," by Zora Neale Hurston. An early work that was a breakthrough for both African-American and women's literature, paving the way for much later works by Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison.

33) "The Art of War," by Sun-Tzu. Still considered the Bible for military tactics and military history.

34) "The Second World War," by Winston Churchill. This six volume set is considered one of the best and most important modern histories ever written.

35) "The Wealth of Nations," by Adam Smith. It's a shame all the people screaming for unregulated capitalism don't read this work they so often claim to quote.

36) "Leaves of Grass," by Walt Whitman. This was Whitman's most brilliant poetic masterpiece.

37) "Le Morte D'Arthur," by Sir Thomas Malory. These are the original legends and stories that became the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

38) "One Hundred Years of Solitude," by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This is an incredible work blending history, fiction, and magical realism in a creative blend that makes this novel a one of a kind work.

39) "Siddhartha," by Herman Hesse. A story that became extremely popular 40 years after its writing, this search for enlightenment, peace, and fulfillment is a spiritualist classic to this day.

40) "Ideas & Opinions," by Albert Einstein. The musings, thoughts, and contemplations of one of the most brilliant men to ever live.

41) (Free bonus) "A Brief History of Time," by Stephen Hawking. Often called "the unread best seller," this book has sold millions of copies, but few have read the entire book all the way through. I have, and it's worth the time and effort.

These are just the beginning, but if you've read all the books on this list you can definitely consider yourself a well read scholar.

Learn more about this author, Shane Dayton.
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