Bill Guttentag, filmmaker: “The Golem” by Gustav...

Bill Guttentag, filmmaker: “The Golem” by Gustav Meyrink (Dover).

“A beautifully written book which leads you into the dark, narrow streets of Prague’s ghetto before World War I. Here the strain and struggle of everyday life are mixed with the extraordinary and the supernatural.”

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Feroza Jhabvala, teacher: “Stones From the River” by Ursula Hegi (Simon & Schuster).

“This fascinating tale of a dwarf born in a little town in Germany recreates European village life in this century and tells the story of both world wars from the German point of view. “

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Joan Grabel Wolff, landscape designer; “Living Out Loud” by Anna Quindlen (Ballantine).

“Quindlen’s perceptions of childhood experiences and of her aims and roles as an adult woman remind us of moments and events that have shaped our choices and our lives.”

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Lawrence Schnapp, attorney: “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe (Barnes & Noble Inc.).

“Stranded on a desert island for years, surrounded by cannibals, Crusoe was able to keep his spirit alive in spite of all adversity. His resourcefulness provides a lesson that I think translates well to modern times.”