I love to read. Books are the training weights of the mind. Through them you can learn to think better and be a more discriminating and reflective person. It is not about internalising the content though but to put into practise what you've learned. There are three books that I would consider a must read to everyone. Siddharta by Hermann Hesse, The Art Of Loving by Erich Fromm and The Art Of Living by Epictetus.

I read a lot of non-fiction as well and Hesse and Fromm are my most famous authors as I like their profound philosophy.

My recommendations for successful living:

Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Love in the time of cholera / Die Liebe in den Zeiten der Cholera
One Hundred Years Of Solitude
Strange Pilgrims

Hermann Hesse
Steppenwolf
Narcissus and Goldmund / Narziss & Goldmund
The Glass Bead Game / Das Glasperlenspiel

Erich Fromm
The Art of Loving / Die Kunst des Liebens
To Have Or To Be / Haben oder Sein
Die Furcht vor der Freiheit

Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Der kleine Prinz / The Little Prince
Man sieht nur mit dem Herzen gut

Paulo Coelho
The Alchimist
Veronika decides to die

The first really important book I read was the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This was in 2001 and it was the first time that I discovered what an impact powerful books can have on ones life. This is by far the best of his books and I really liked the simplicity and the message.

Epictetus
The Art of Living

Sergio Bambaren
Der Traum des Leuchtturmwärters
The doplphin / Der träumende Delphin
Das weiße Segel

Susanna Tamaro
Follow your heart / Geh wohin Dein Herz dich trägt

Kahlil Gibran
The Prophet

His Holiness the Dalai Lama
The Power Of Buddhism

Osho
Courage, The Joy Of Living Dangerously (My recommendation!)

Günther Grass
Die Blechtrommel

Thomas Mann
Die Buddenbrooks

Martine Batchelor
Zen