Influential writing

Scott Cowley on Twitter posits that “You don’t earn the title of ‘well-read’ by reading blog posts and news articles.” I mostly agree with his premise. Long-form printed literature is still instrumental in shaping the way we think and act as individuals and as a society. But modern evolutions of writing—blog posts, essays, ebooks—also have intellectually shaping capabilities. They both have place in the library of an educated, well-read citizen.

Here are some of the books that have profoundly influenced my thinking:

In the short-form category, these pieces have had a similarly powerful effect on my life:

A book, a play, a poem, a short story, an article, two blog posts, and three novels. Plenty of variety.