Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Richard Bach's allegorical fable in novella form follows a seagull who cares more about flying than about the daily squabbles over food that occupy the rest of his flock. Jonathan experiments with his own body and the air in pursuit of ever faster flight, and his refusal to conform sets him against the Flock. The story is about freedom, self-realization and doing something well for its own sake. Black-and-white photographs by Russell Munson illustrate the text, and a later complete edition added a fourth part. With little advertising, it climbed to number one on bestseller lists largely on readers' recommendations.

Peter Attia said he would encourage young people to read it, and Tyler Cowen gave it an honorable mention on his list of books with a hidden influence on him. My Morning Routine co-author Benjamin Spall said it taught him that flying against conventional wisdom is fine.