Libraries Of Leaders: Books That Inspired TV’s Most Popular Hosts

On this week's Libraries of Leaders, we take a look at what three leading television personalities Larry King, Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres, read and recommend.

Larry King

Larry King has conducted over 60,000 interviews in his broadcast career. He is best known for his show Larry King Live, which aired on CNN between 1985 and 2010. Known for his direct and non-confrontational style, his guests have included top politicians, actors, conspiracy theorists, and prison inmates on death row. Here are a few of the books he recommended on reddit.com

1) One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson

The book is a look at life in America in the year 1927 when the famous gangster Al-Capone ruled the mob and the first trans-Atlantic flight was on the horizon.

2) How To Overthrow The Government by Arianna Huffington

The book is a critical and stinging analysis of what is wrong with American politics. It explores the moral decay that has crept into government and dwells on issues such as civil disobedience and campaign reform.

3) Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger

Considered a modern classic, the book is the story of a complex young teenager, who is thrown out of school and goes underground in New York for three days. The book was on Time Magazine's list of the 100 best books published between 1923 and 2005.

Oprah Winfrey

Best known for the popular “Oprah Winfrey Show”, which aired between 1986 and 2011, Winfrey also runs a popular book club. Forbes estimated her personal fortune at $2.9 billion in 2016. Here are some of her favourite books according to her website.

1) Night by Elie Wiesel

The book is a thought-provoking account of a teenager's experience of a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. The book won the author the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Oprah said that the book was horrifying and uplifting at the same time.

2) A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

The book is set in an unnamed Indian city by the seaside and tells the story of a young widow, a student from the hills, and two tailors who have left their village owing to caste violence. The four end up sharing a cramped apartment during the turmoil of the emergency. It brings out the essence of India in a very realistic manner.

3) East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Regarded as one of the Nobel Prize laureate's most ambitious novel, the book tells the story of the two families in the Salinas Valley in California, and how they re-play the vicious rivalry that existed between Kane and Abel, through the generations.

Ellen DeGeneres

DeGeneres is a comedian and actor, popular for her role on the sitcom Ellen (1994-1998) and The Ellen Degeneres Show. She received the Medal of Freedom, U.S.' highest civilian honour, on November 22 this year. She has the rare distinction of hosting the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards and the Emmy Awards. Here are some of the books she recommended on her website ellentv.com.

1) The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

The book is based on the wisdom of the Native American Toltec tribe and tells of how to achieve true peace, harmony, freedom and happiness.

2) This Is A Book For Parents Of Gay Kids by Daniel Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo

Written in question and answer format, the title of the book makes the content self-explanatory.

3) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

The story of a young boy who discovers a mysterious key in his dead father's closet. It leads him on a journey into history, the lives of strangers and the path towards a semblance of peace.