Ishamel, My Ishmael, and After Dachau, by Daniel Quinn
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and LILAC, by Robert Pirsig Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle Pulling Through and The Chernobyl Syndrome, by Dean Ing
ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING by Robert Heinlein is worthwhile reading
Elizabeth Moon is another fine author I've recently discovered and highly recommend