Book that had a profound effect on your life

BroomBurner

I did a quick search for similar titled threads on Boards and couldnt find one, but apologies if it exists.

I was wondering what book had an effect on anyone, be it made you decide your career, help you get through a bad time, make you feel better as a person?

It doesn't have to be your favourite. For example, the book that has so far made me feel different after reading it is The Last Days of Socrates, by Plato (translation of said). I just feel slightly smarter (maybe even enlightened) having read it. Can't explain why, or even how, but there you go. Has anyone else had similar experiences with other books?

Cadet?

'The Selfish Gene'


I actually remember gasping while reading it- it was like an epiphany.

BroomBurner

Cadet? wrote: »

'The Selfish Gene'


I actually remember gasping while reading it- it was like an epiphany.

oooh, is that good? Recently read a Prof. Winston book, he referred to that book a good bit.

staker

Don't think it's classic literature,but The Easy Way To Quit Smoking had a profound effect on my life for obvious reasons.
I suppose JRR Tolkiens The Hobbit really enlightened my imagination to think outside the box,but I'm not sure whether that was natural progress as I was about 7 or 8 when the teacher read it to us or the book; I like to think the latter.

Dades

^^

Now you mention it, The Hobbit would have been one of the first real books I read over and over again as a kid. A kickstarter for the habit I guess!

Later on, Cosmos by Carl Sagan got me thinking!

Cadet?

BroomBurner wrote: »

oooh, is that good? Recently read a Prof. Winston book, he referred to that book a good bit.

I think it's excellent and it most definitely has had a profound infuence on my life and the way I think.

That being said, it's not for everyone and some/a lot of people will not agree with it and find some of the ideas very disconcerting. However, I do think anyone with an open mind and an interest in science and the 'big questions' will enjoy it.

buck65

Anything about Bruce Lee
I have read 5/6 books on him and each makes me redouble my efforts in Taekwondo training and in life.

BroomBurner

Cadet? wrote: »

I think it's excellent and it most definitely has had a profound infuence on my life and the way I think.

That being said, it's not for everyone and some/a lot of people will not agree with it and find some of the ideas very disconcerting. However, I do think anyone with an open mind and an interest in science and the 'big questions' will enjoy it.

Cadet, I'd highly receommend reading Human Instinct by Winston, he cites The Selfish Gene a good few times, but he also offers good counter-arguements.

Cadet?

BroomBurner wrote: »

Cadet, I'd highly receommend reading Human Instinct by Winston, he cites The Selfish Gene a good few times, but he also offers good counter-arguements.

Yeah, haven't read any of Winston yet. He's been on my 'to read' list for a while.

I'll give it a whirl.

pwd

David Gemmel books always made me feel better about stuff in general. Inspirational in a way that lots of stories about heroism try to be. They're not to everyone's taste but I think a fair few people take similar things from them.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull I also found inspirational to an extent, and also Papillon.

Books that influenced my thinking for at least a while after reading them would include The games people play (psychology), The Outsider by Camus, Steppenwolf and other Hermann Hesse books to a lesser extent, most of orwell's writing, Island and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

The Light of Other Days by Arthur C Clarke also influenced me in that it made me much more aware of possible invasions of privacy. Not to the point of paranoia or anything just to a sensible level.

o/t: I wouldn't read Winston myself just because I met him and got a pretty negative impression of his personality. Simon Singh, on the other hand, was sound.

raah!

War and Peace had quite a heavy influence on how I spend my free time and also on my choice of future reading. Also had some bigger affects.

Tupins

Not exactly renowned in the literary world but I have to say that Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown, really influenced my way of thinking especially in relation to the paranormal and general social psychology.

He comes across as much less 'showy' than his tv persona, can actually be quite self deprecating.

Trained Monkey

Anybody here read the diceman, I did and it changed my whole outlook on life and society in general. Thought provoking...:)

IronMan

Cosmos by Carl Sagan. Big Bang by Simon Singh.

Both highly readable, entertaining and educational accounts of the cosmos, the origins of the universe and our place in it. Cosmos is now heavily outdated, having being written in the early 80's, but I can think of no other book that potrays the enormity of the universe and the beauty of evolution with such clarity and warmth.

electrofilth

No Logo by Naomi Klein
Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron

Amongst others I would highly recommend any or all of these.More No Logo than the rest, this impacted my life on a bigger degree than any book or song I ever heard. They each tap into raw human feeling or common human experience. Would explain them in detail but hey, isnt that what wikipedia is for?

Valmont

raah! wrote: »

War and Peace had quite a heavy influence on how I spend my free time

Is it because it took so long to read that you really appreciated all the time you had when you finished it? Kind of like being released from a long jail sentence with a renewed vigour for life:D

Valmont

electrofilth wrote: »

Would explain them in detail but hey, isnt that what wikipedia is for?

Amen.

Atlas Shrugged definitely has had a big impact on me since I read it. Mainly by fostering an anti-communism sentiment. Honestly though, it gave me a great deal to think about regarding achievement, personal freedom and individuality... and railroads.

Into the Wild had the most overt influence on my life in that it spurred me on to have some fantastic adventures. I traveled solo around Europe in Winter for 5weeks last year and just this summer I visited the infamous bus in Alaska and had all sorts of adventures involving mountains, wolves and bears. The book just made me realise I had to get out there before it's too late.

Good thread.

TelePaul

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. And maybe Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. Also, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and the Harry Potter series.

Lucifer31

Just wanted to add Carl Sagans Cosmos, thinking it wouldn't be mentioned already, but I was wrong!! What a pleasure it was to read that. Opened my mind and eyes and helped me see that some things we perceive to be important, actually are not, and I like that. If you liked that book, and haven't read anything else by him, I can recommend Pale Blue Dot, Billions & Billions and Demon Haunted World.
Another example of a book that had an impact on me is Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonnegut (RIP), and recently: Saturday by Ian McEwan.

metrovelvet

The Little Prince, St Exupery.

Peter Rabbit [as I learned to read on that book]

oponodon

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut.

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonneghut

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman.

chalad07

'The Client' by John Grisham. It really changed my whole perspective on love and life.

Tara45

The Bible. I never realized quite how f**ked up those people actually were.

Moses was the Hitler of his day ...

PS: the koran is even worse

tubedude

The Hidden Messages in Water, masaru emoto.

This book brought me out of depression, really changed my attitude.
Also touches on a very interesting theory of the afterlife.

HalloweenJack

Cancer Ward by Solzhenitsyn.

It gave me a new look on life and has convinced me to get on with living, no matter what's going wrong in your life.

BossArky

Wonderland Avenue - Danny Sugarman (manager of The Doors)

Shivers26

Angels in my Hair - Lorna Byrne (I cant even verbalise the effect it had on me but it is a good one)
All the Harry Potters & Adrian Mole
Marian Keyes - comes across as chick-lit but when you actually read them her books contain many frank accounts of alcoholism, abuse etc as well as being hilariously funny

Chalad - I have read pretty much every John Grisham and The Client was probably my least favourite. What did you like about it? It was a good book just not my favourite.