The following list is a collection of readings that have influenced and shaped my thoughts as a young man seeking to gain knowledge and understanding of the world around me.  I believe these great literary works will do the same for you.

Cornel West is at the forefront of thinking about race. In Race Matters, he addresses a range of issues, from the crisis in black leadership and the myths surrounding black sexuality to affirmative action, the new black conservatism, and the strained relations between Jews and African Americans. He never hesitates to confront the prejudices of all his readers or wavers in his insistence that they share a common destiny. Bold in its thought and written with a redemptive passion grounded in the tradition of the African-American church, Race Matters is a book that is at once challenging and deeply healing.

With choices come sacrifice, and in Dick Gregory's book, Callus On My Soul , he tells the story of his life and shares with readers both the positive things he gained and the things he has had to forgo as a result of his decisions. He tells of his childhood, which included a life of poverty, racism, and an absentee father. But more importantly, Gregory shares how he learned as a child to use humor as a way to transcend his difficult life experiences and gain peer acceptance. This would serve as an omen for the important role that comedy would play in his later life. A great portion of the book is dedicated to Gregory's experiences and commitment to social causes. He relates to readers his experiences in the civil rights and human rights struggles, and tells of his personal experiences with both noteworthy and little known social activists. He tells of how he and other activists sacrificed their careers, physical safety, and time with family in order to stand up for what they believe in.

The Mis-Education of the Negro is one of the most important books on education ever written. Carter G. Woodson shows us the weakness of Euro-centric based curriculums that fail to include African American history and culture. This system mis-educates the African American student, failing to prepare them for success and to give them an adequate sense of who they are within the system that they must live. Woodson provides many strong solutions to the problems he identifies. A must-read for anyone working in the education field.

Six years' worth of symposiums come together in this rich collection of essays that plot a course for African Americans, explaining how individuals and households can make changes that will immediately improve their circumstances in areas ranging from health and education to crime reduction and financial well-being. Each chapter outlines one key issue and provides a list of resources, suggestions for action, and a checklist for what concerned citizens can do to keep their communities progressing socially, politically, and economically. Though the African American community faces devastating social disparities—in which more than 8 million people live in poverty—this celebration of possibility, hope, and strength will help leaders and citizens keep Black America moving forward.

In Make It Happen, Liles -- named one of America's Most Powerful Players Under 40 by Black Enterprise -- offers his ten rules of business success, which range from "Find Your Will" to "Don't Let Cash Rule" and "Play Your Position." As he outlines these and other strategies for success, Liles shares his own hard-won wisdom about his journey to the top, along with career advice from the various music artists, industry professionals, mentors and friends he has known along the way. No matter what version of the American Dream you choose to explore, this book will help you to empower yourself and Make It Happen.

Inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, Harper, a young black actor and graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School, offers similar inspiration to young men clamoring for advice and encouragement at a time when popular culture offers little positive direction. He devotes separate chapters to school and work, sex, and life aspirations, tackling such issues as single parenthood, sexually transmitted diseases, the allure of materialism, and the power of words and faith. He views the youth of today as an evolved species, like the latest model car, with improvements that come from the experiences of those who came before. Although aimed at young black men, this book, with its contemporary language and approach, should have appeal for youth of both sexes and all races.

This piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention--grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers. Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and many demand the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real life. Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, P. T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded--or been victimized by--power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

An absolutely brilliant analysis of the ways in which individuals and organizations of the media are influenced to shape the social agendas of knowledge and, therefore, belief. Contrary to the popular conception of members of the press as hard-bitten realists doggedly pursuing unpopular truths, Herman and Chomsky prove conclusively that the free-market economics model of media leads inevitably to normative and narrow reporting. Whether or not you've seen the eye-opening movie, buy this book, and you will be a far more knowledgeable person and much less prone to having your beliefs manipulated as easily as the press.

A former Senate aide, presidential speech writer and assistant to Tip O'Neill, Matthews here offers an entertaining view of Washington politics. He covers much the same ground as Hedrick Smith's The Power Game but writes more informally and with amused tolerance of "the true believers in the power of political self-interest." The anecdotes illuminate rules for success in playing hardball, which Matthews defines as "clean, aggressive Machiavellian politics": keep your enemies in front of you. A Reagan example of savvy is among the most vivid: the president's remark during the debates with Mondale that he would not exploit for political purposes "his opponent's youth and inexperience." Matthews, who writes a column for the San Francisco Chronicle, turns unexpectedly stern in his discussion of a third rule: the press is the enemy. "Like policemen, they are always on duty. Don't trust any of them."

The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama's call for a new kind of politics—a politics that builds upon those shared understandings that pull us together as Americans. Lucid in his vision of America's place in the world, refreshingly candid about his family life and his time in the Senate, Obama here sets out his political convictions and inspires us to trust in the dogged optimism that has long defined us and that is our best hope going forward.