If I had to choose three books that had the biggest impact on me intellectually, one would be Plato's Apology, another would be Kathryn Lasky's Elizabeth I, and the last wouldn't actually be a singular book but this series: Scholastic's Voyages of Discovery. I can't describe how much I learned from these as a child. Nowadays whenever I scoff at a person's lack of education, I realize I just know this shit because of this series.^* From the physics of a viola to triptych painting to different types of volcanoes, it covered a wide range of topics and didn't pull punches. You fucking learned shit. I mean, seriously, how many books for kids introduce them to Charlie Chaplin? I honestly pity any child who hadn't encountered these because I don't know what kind of a person I would be today without them.

^* And if it wasn't, I got it from Wishbone and Bill Nye the Science Guy