If the thread is about books one should have read before, I am reminded of Tom Stoppard's remark that he read Madame Bovary too late in life.

Books that would have saved one a lot of grief or time that I should have read before include:

The top would be a music theory book (had I read one in my teens, my life would have been different).

Next, would have been a serious book on female sexuality -- a lot of amateur lust would have been avoided.

In a related vein, Carol Gilligan's "In a Different Voice" or Deborah Tannen's books would have been a big help.

yours,

Peter T.