5 Books That Made A Difference to David Duchovny
The sexy bad boy of Californication —Agent Mulder, to X-Files fans—enjoys brilliant essays and American authors with provocative conspiracy theories.
By Karen Holt
Photo: Philip Friedman/Studio D
3 of 5
Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson
410 pages;
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press
David Duchovny calls Emerson the American Nietzsche. "I think he's kind of
underrated as a philosopher." His essays provide a counterbalance to
today's shrill public discourse. Also, they fit into a busy schedule.
"Emerson's Collected Works is
what I would call a bathroom book, because he writes aphoristically and
you can sit down for your couple of minutes and pick it up anywhere. He
says the same thing a thousand times from different angles, and one is
going to resonate with you." Duchovny's favorite? "'Self-Reliance' is
the only self-help essay one ever needs to read."
— As told to Karen Holt
Published 03/25/2011
