Seven Pillars of Wisdom

“But what I find fascinating was this desperate desire to create a hero in a war that had vanquished the entire mention of heroism. So when the British locked on Lawrence, as indeed Churchill and others did, as this romantic figure, I think it really disturbed Lawrence. Seven Pillars of Wisdom has one of the best opening lines in English literature: “Some of the evil of my tale may have been inherent in our circumstances.” He then goes on in the three or four subsequent paragraphs to basically say to the British public that if you want to make me a hero you’re going to have to deal with all of my perversities, all of my obsessions, all of my complexities. Then he goes on to write this incredible account.” Read more...

The best books on Legacies of World War One

Wade Davis, Anthropologist

“It’s a book about Lawrence’s experiences during World War I, when he was stationed in North African and the Middle East. He writes about some of the lessons that he learnt from the military leaders from the Allies, and the Bedouin and tribal leaders. The book was influential to me because I can see his contribution as an Arabist.” Read more...

The best books on Don’t Ask

Dan Choi, Nonprofit Leaders & Activist