02297cam a22003133u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000060010610000350011224500800014726400510022730000470027833600260032533700260035133800360037750000310041350801160044452012470056053400450180765300390185265300320189185600430192399900170196612914UtSlPG20260610133315.0mcr n260607r2004||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aZ1 aPowys, John Cowper,d1872-196310aOne Hundred Best Books :bWith Commentary and an Essay on Books and Reading 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2004  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2004-07-15  aE-text prepared by Ted Garvin, Keith M. Eckrich, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreaders Team  a"One Hundred Best Books" by John Cowper Powys is a subjective guide to literature compiled in the early 20th century. The work stands as a personal selection of books that aims to encourage readers to indulge in the pleasure of reading, rather than solely focusing on canonical "standard learning." It emphasizes the importance of individual taste and reading for enjoyment, serving as a guide for those eager to embark on their literary journey.  The opening portion of the text sets the tone for this exploration, presenting the compiler's philosophy on reading and literature. Powys argues against conventional educational methods that encourage rigid adherence to a set curriculum, suggesting instead that reading should inspire personal growth and conversation. He encourages readers to cultivate their preferences for literature based on personal enjoyment rather than societal expectations or pretensions. This segment also introduces his criteria for selecting books, outlining that the upcoming list reflects his own taste and invites readers to grapple with their biases about literature. Overall, it is a passionate defense of reading as an art form and an adventure in self-discovery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aBooks and reading -- Great Britain  aBest books -- Great Britain40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12914  c54308d54308