A book of big questions, and big answers. It turned me from a historian of medieval warfare into a student of humankind.

The most prophetic book of the 20th century. Written in the days of Hitler and Stalin, it envisages a future dystopian world ruled by consumerism and biotechnology, in which happiness is the supreme value. Today many people would easily mistake it for a utopia. If you have time for just one book, this would be my top choice.

Humans are animals. That’s the first thing to know about us. This book will change your views of all apes, including Homo sapiens.

Do you want to understand how humans think? Read this book. It is one of the best starting points for exploring the tangled web of the human mind.