- The Bible (eBook) – ‘to learn that it’s easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself.’
- The System of the World by Isaac Newton (eBook) — ‘to learn that the universe is a knowable place.’
- On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (eBook — Audio Book) – ‘to learn of our kinship with all other life on Earth.’
- Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (eBook — Audio Book) — ‘to learn, among other satirical lessons, that most of the time humans are Yahoos.’
-  The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (eBook — Audio Book) — ‘to learn how the power of rational thought is the primary source of freedom in the world.’
-  The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (eBook — Audio Book) – ‘to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself.’
-  The Art of War by Sun Tsu (eBook — Audio Book) – ‘to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art.’
-  The Prince by Machiavelli (eBook — Audio Book) – ‘to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.’
From a Reddit question posed to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The site Open Culture provides links to readily accessible versions of each.