I had this book recommended to me by someone when I was in college; the person that recommended it to me thought I might very well go on to invent the Glass Bea

I had this book recommended to me by someone when I was in college; the person that recommended it to me thought I might very well go on to invent the Glass Bead Game... This summary kind of mischaracterizes the book, though. Far from "running the planet," Castalia, the society within which the Game thrives, rather pointedly does not concern itself with "worldly" matters, being singularly focused on the life of the mind. The Game itself is a reflection of this attitude, consisting of symbols put together to represent cross-linking through various intellectual fields, such as music, mathematics, philosophy, and the sciences.[1] It is the main character, Joseph Knecht, who has risen to become Magister Ludi (master of the Game), who sees Castalia's detachment from the outside world as a danger and a potential threat to its existence, and who ultimately leaves his high post to become the tutor for the son of a friend of his from school who is a "man of the world." Knecht's perspective comes from his rather unique background, not just his friendship with the outsider, but his studies of history (a very non-Castalian field of study) with a prominent historian during a "tour of duty" at a monastery. It's a very deep book, and one which you'll probably find new insights in every time you read it. On the subject of recommendations that bridge science fiction and philosophy, might I also suggest C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy ( Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength )? It's another work that works on several levels. That Hideous Strength, in particular, is almost entirely a fictional expression of the arguments Lewis presented in The Abolition of Man. There's also a fair amount of attention devoted to linguistics; the books' central character, Prof. Elwin Ransom, was based on J.R.R. Tolkien. And yes, there's a certain amount of Christian philosophy in there, but on a higher intellectual level than The Chronicles of Narnia. A bright 14-year-old would probably enjoy it. [1] Joseph Knecht's first annual ceremonial Game as Magister Ludi was based on the dimensions and structure of a traditional Chinese house, i.e., the principles of feng shui in Chinese philosophy. It was routinely cited thereafter as "The Chinese House Game."