Niall Ferguson's most important books

Niall Ferguson is the Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University and William Ziegler Professor at Harvard Business School.

He told Newsweek about his five most important books. And addressed two related issues:

A book you hope parents will read to their kids:

J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit." There is no greater work of fiction for young readers.

A classic that, upon revisiting, disappointed:

Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." I've lost that youthful exuberance that once made me tolerant of his monumental self-indulgence.

Read more about Niall Ferguson's five most important books.

--Marshal Zeringue