Rather than list all the classics like Plato, Aristotle, Hume, etc., I always suggest that those new to philosophy pick a book that will “shock” them, so to spe

Rather than list all the classics like Plato, Aristotle, Hume, etc., I always suggest that those new to philosophy pick a book that will “shock” them, so to speak. Something that makes the reader go, “Wow, I had never considered the world from that perspective before.” For this purpose, I recommend some of the following: - Max Stirner. Sort of a proto-anarchist that critiqued everything and denied the authority of everyone. - Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morality. The concepts in this book will radically shake up your understanding of modern ethics and values. - A work about Zen Buddhism. Zen in particular is very focused on the everyday moment, in a way distinctly opposite from the common YOLO / carpe diem idea we’re all familiar with. - Spinoza. HN’s especially will appreciate the complex, mathematical nature of his metaphysics.