Geek read. That may surprise some folks, but it shouldn't come as a total shock. In between getting to the next level of World of Warcraft and handling complaints on the help desk, there is some down time. I'm giving my list of 10 books for summer geek reading. I've divided it into three geek classics you can get from your library, three business books you should read if you ever want to get a promotion, three thought books to give you something to talk about on the forums and one blatant self promotion.

Three Geek Classics available for free at your library. You can't really call yourself a geek unless you are conversant with:

1. The Foundation Series, by Isaac Asimov. OK, this may be the start and end of your reading list for the year. It is not one book (although you can start by one story, one book or one series). I don' think you can really call yourself a Trekkie unless you've at least read the Series. If you make it through all the prequels, sequels and associated other writing, you can start to write your own grand sweep series. If you read it all, you can get an honorary degree in psychohistory.

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. This selection may also take up the whole summer. You could get into this by listening to the radio series upon which this trilogy in five parts was based. Anyway, HHGG (as it is sometimes tagged) proves that not all science fiction has to be dour aliens attacking Earth; comedy is possible.

3. From the Earth to the Moon, by Jules Verne. We are talking classics here. In this case we are talking one big cannon blasting a three-man crew from Florida in a capsule about the size of the Apollo module.

Three business books. One for free, two you have to shell out a few bucks.

1. Concept of the Corporation, by Peter Drucker. You can get this from the library. This was published in 1946 and reflects the time management guru Peter Drucker was given full access to General Motors. How did GM go from being the king of the automobile industry to struggling for survival? The story really starts here.

2. The New Language of Business, by Sandy Carter or The New Language of Marketing 2.0 by the same author. Not the defining books about how Twitter and social nets apply to the business world, but a good introduction. You need to know how to answer the question of how your company will participate in the social networking space.

3. Inspire! Why Customers Come Back, by James Champy. You should read one of the business books from the popular business culture this summer. There are lots of choices, but Champy has a track record and this one is about as easy reading as it gets.

Three think books that are interesting to read.

1. A Distant Mirror, by Barbara Tuchman. You can get this at the library. All about the 14th century in Europe. Read this and realize how nice we have it.

2. Alan Turing, The Enigma, by Andrew Hodges. You can get this one at the library. English mathematician breaks secret German Enigma code in World War II, saves world. Good read.

3. The Travels of Marco Polo, Latham Edition. You can order this in the library. I included this on a list of the 10 best business books of all time. 

I'll just say if you are grumpy about having to work the weekend, read this.

And now for one more. How about an easy reading yet provocative high-tech mystery? It is all about what happens when the bad guys get involved in a high-tech high flier. Maybe you should buy about 10 copies and copies for all your friends also.

1. Red's Query, by Eric Lundquist.