1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

This should keep me busy for a while.

1. import list into Excel.
2. Sort by size.
3. Mark books read.
4. Read, mark, read, mark...
4. Weep like my brother during the "lava-roasted Annakin" scene when there are no worlds left to conquer.

All lists like this have their biases. In my hardcore sci-fi days I was frequently told, "you're not a REAL sf fan unless you've read [x]." Sometimes, I enjoyed the book recommended; other times, I wondered what the dude was smoking to think it was worth anyone's time.

There are many reasons to read a book: entertainment, nourishment, knowledge, wisdom, inspiration, distraction, titillation, self-justification, outrage, etc. Some reasons are better than others, but I know I couldn't survive on an exclusive diet of classics - every so often I need a technothriller or a farce.

What would you add/remove on this list, and why? I don't see the Bible listed, for example - a ridiculous omission for anyone hoping to understand Western culture, whether or not you're Christian. Ditto the Koran; who would fight - or oppose - the philosophical front of the War on Terror without understanding a foundational text of the enemy?

Consider: 1001 books works out to one book every month for 83 and a half years, or two a month for 42 years (approximately). At my age, that's the latter. Do I really want to commit the totality of my free time to this list?

In a word, no. So I'm accepting suggestions.