Books for the Graduate

Back in the early nineties, H. Jackson Brown, Jr.'s Life's Little Instruction Book was a huge hit. At first I balked at the sappy little gift book, but I went ahead and read it anyway. It's been seventeen years since I first read the book, and I still find myself following the author's advice.

I'm especially grateful for the following tips:

"Carry stamps in your wallet."
"Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did."
"Regarding furniture and clothes: if you think you'll be using them five years or longer, buy the best you can afford."
"Learn Spanish. In a few years, more than thirty-five percent of all Americans will speak it as their first language."

Here are some more great books for graduates:

This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women
edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
by Lynne Truss.

The New York Public Library Desk Reference.