The second five of a list of 10 books that made lasting impressions on me are:

6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

            Someone out to skirt the rules and have a little fun can be sucked dry by The Man!

            A painful story, but you’ve got to love Chief. He made it! If he made it using a quieter kind of intelligence, others could too.

7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

            There are so many elements to this novel; humor, romance, difficult relationships -- and irony that I love. But the fact that Jane Austen pushed back against the rules of the day and became an author is extremely inspiring.

8. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

            I have always been curious about religions. The spirit of hypocrisy and almost joyous viciousness cast upon the only-human Hester Prynne sadly seems more true to life than fiction.

9. 1984 by George Orwell

            This novel was disturbing on so many levels. I read it when I was young and feel sad when I see what appears to be “group think” during elections, apathy and a lack of interest in history that can make events really happen like those described or alluded to in the novel.

10. On The Shoulders of Giants - My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance – By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld

            There is so much information; it really could be several books in one. It is entertaining and absolutely fascinating! I kept putting the book down to give myself time to absorb what Kareem was telling me. I found myself pissed off that my teachers did not even mention events, milestones and some extraordinary people critical to U.S. History and Black culture in America.

             With this book as my guide, I saw Harlem with different eyes, and heard Jazz with new ears. Oh yes, I also learned about the beginnings and growth of professional basketball, which occurred under extremely difficult, even dangerous, circumstances to be sure. I highly recommend this book by Kareem, who is a gifted historian, and his writing partner on this project Raymond Obstfeld.