Our American culture is a compilation of great thoughts and ideas that originated from the great thinkers of our times. Many visitors are often puzzled at the way the American culture functions. All societies around the world are in a constant state of flux, often incorporating many thoughts and ideas that seem right for that time, the "zeitgeist". American society as with other societies are continually evolving and hopefully improving with time. We gain better insights and knowledge of ourselves through our experiences. The great thinkers of our times reflect on the experience and record their thoughts. The works listed below have been time tested thus illustrating their enduring value. Yes, it is true; the pen is mightier than the sword. It is a generally accepted fact that a well educated person should have at least a basic acquaintance with some of the more important authors, books, essays and ideas that have shaped our values. If you want to gain a better understanding of why Americans think the way they do, it is important to know the roots of western thoughts. For those interested in knowing more about Western Culture, here is a list of those books and essays that have influenced us. The recommended book selection below was adapted from the Western Civilization course at the University of Kansas. This list is by no means a definitive list. Regardless, this list will get you started on gaining a better understanding of Western Culture and America. Epic of Gilgamesh - "The Story of the Flood" "Song of Isis: from Egyptian tablets The Hebrew Bible Genesis 1-25, Exodus 1-20. Sophocles Antigonein the Three Theban Plays Plato Apology, Crito, Phaedo and the Trial and Death of Socrates Aristotle The Politics Virgil Aeneid Seneca Letters from a Stoic The New Testament: The Gospel According to Mark; The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians Augustine Confessions The Koran: The Cow, Women, the Table, Thunder, Abraham, the Prophets, Man Moses Maimonides The Guide for the Perplexed St. Thomas Aquinas On Politics and Ethics Geoffrey Chaucer "The Wife of Bath, Prologue & Tale" and "The Pardoner" from the Canterbury Tales. Christine de Pizan The Treasury of the City of Ladies Niccolo Machiavelli The Prince Martin Luther "An Appeal to the Ruling Class of the German Nation Concerning the Reform of the Christian Estate" John Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion Galileo Galilei "The letter to the Grand Duchess Christina" Rene Descartes Discourse of Method Jean-Jacques Rousseau A Discourse on Inequality John Locke Second Treatise of Government Edmund Burke Reflections on the Revolution in France Thomas Paine Rights of Man Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Women John Stuart Mill On Liberty James Madison and Alexander Hamilton The Federalist Papers Charles Darwin The Origin of the Species and the Descent of Man T.H. Huxley The Struggle for Existence in Human Society Augusta Comte The Positive Philosophy Albert Einstein Ideas and Opinions Jacob Bronowski Science and Human Value Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations Andrew Carnegie Wealth Charlotte Perkins Gilman Women and Economics W.E.B. Du Bois The Soul of Black Folk Octavio Paz The Labyrinth of Solitude John Neihardt Black Elk Speaks Aldo Leopold The Land Ethic Friedrich Nietzsche Twilight of Idols Fyodor Dostoevsky "The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor" from the Brothers Karamazov Sigmund Freud The Future of an Illusion Simone de Beauvoir The Second Sex Virginia Woolf A Room of One's Own Elie Wiesel Night Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail Gerda Weissman Klein All But My Life Bob Chudy Program Director International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) Office of Global Affairs University of Connecticut Rowe Center Room 126 Storrs, CT 06269 phone: 860-486-6653 email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> web: www.isss.uconn.edu<http://www.isss.uconn.edu>