[wrd]

I read three books in 2014 that I've been recommending to everyone I know:

1. The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker

A treatise on how humans' awareness of their own mortality is the driving force behind their behavior. Artfully written and incredibly thought-provoking. Completely altered my conception of what it is I "want" out of life and why.

2. Escape from Evil by Ernest Becker

The sequel to The Denial of Death that expands Becker's thoughts on how awareness of mortality influences individual psychology to society in general, ultimately getting at the question of why individuals and societies are violent and oppressive.

3. Moral Mazes by Robert Jackall

A sociological and anthropological account of the worldview and moral systems of middle managers in large American corporations. Moral Mazes paints a clear portrait of how bureaucracy and the hierarchical structure of a corporation create a deeply toxic environment for both employees and consumers.