Recommended by Margaret, a patron of the Canton Public Library.

Check our other Fave Five lists, too!

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel
Yann Martel is great because it is a witty and engaging illustration of its own theme. I love a story when everything comes together.

Stay Fit and Healthy Until You're Dead

by Dave Barry
This book is outrageously funny because Barry uses language to lead to unusual and unexpected (and perhaps false) conclusions which feel, nevertheless, familiar. This book got me through a divorce.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

by Jane Wagner
Jane Wagner uses language and a multitude of thoughtful sources to explore compelling inconsistencies in human behavior with disarming humor. "I always wanted to be somebody. I see now that I should have been more specific."

The Republic

by Plato
The Republic is an instructive demonstration of the power of words to add clarity to life. You can't get there if you don't know where you're going.

An Alchemy of Mind

by Diane Ackerman
This book is a fascinating (to me) discussion of the adaptive and protective qualities of the human brain that explains a lot about how and why people act the way that they do.