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Book recommendation: something that blew your mind

24

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8 borderline girl


    oki doki, here's my 'blew my mind' books

    non fiction - the power of now and a new earth, eckhart tolle, the infinite self, stuart wilde. great books :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 435 ✭✭Gordon Gekko


    The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Absolutely blew me away, left me feeling like I'd done 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. I always feel that I'm in the presence of true genius when I read Steinbeck.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,976 ✭✭✭profitius


    Law of attraction - Micheal Losier

    Its short and very straight forward but more importantly it worked for me. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭Pablo_


    Bit disappointed that this is a 'whats my favourite book' thread .... and not mind blowing, really out there books that deserve such an adjective.

    Ps . i'm not trying to be a git with this post :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    Pablo_ wrote: »
    Bit disappointed that this is a 'whats my favourite book' thread .... and not mind blowing, really out there books that deserve such an adjective.

    Ps . i'm not trying to be a git with this post :D
    You might look like like less of a git if you post your own suggestion. :P :pac:


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 148 ✭✭Pittybitty


    Life of Pi - Yann Martel
    The end of Mr. Y - Scarlett Thomas
    Room - Emma Donoghue
    The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
    The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson
    Hellfire - Mia Gallagher
    Star of the Sea - Joseph O'Connor
    Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

    These are all fantastic books and very different from your usual run of the mill stories :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭celticcrash


    Have to agree, Eckhart Tolle, The power of now.
    It can slice through all the bulls**t and get to the essence of who we truely are.


  • Registered Users Posts: 573 ✭✭✭rgt320q


    While not affecting my life in any direct, or immediately apparent, way, reading Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre and Marcus Aurelius' Meditations has had an effect on my way of thinking, particularly in how I view and perceive the external world. Both fantastic in their own ways, Nausea is one of those that I'd recommend getting your head completely into by reading in large bursts, or one sitting even if you have the time; whereas, with Meditations, I'd say take the time to just sit back and have a good think about things.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,775 ✭✭✭Fittle


    This book didn't change my life persay, but I couldn't put it down and sat up till 4am recently to finish it...One Day by David Nicholls. I just couldn't put it down...:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,821 ✭✭✭18AD


    Tao Teh Ching by Lao Tzu
    Anything by Alan Watts. The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are.
    The Psychopath's Bible by Christopher Hyatt.
    Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson.
    The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot.
    Liber Null by Peter J. Carroll.
    Food of the Gods by Terrence McKenna.
    Anything by David Icke for the fun of it.

    Loads more. But especially these books blew my mind!

    Best.
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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,976 ✭✭✭profitius


    18AD wrote: »
    The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot.

    Brilliant book!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,791 ✭✭✭JJJJNR


    Ecstasy by Irvine Welsh blew the head off me.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,378 ✭✭✭Duffy the Vampire Slayer


    Above post reminded me of this book... E is for Ecstasy is a brilliant book on Ecstasy and its effects, its legality, and the culture surrounding it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 564 ✭✭✭cue


    Awareness - Anthony de Mello, for cutting through all the crap we believe about ourselves.
    Tortilla Flats - John Steinbeck, hilarious account of a group of ne'er do well drinkers who inherit a house
    The Illuminatus Trilogy - Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea - a wild trip through every conspiracy you can imagine


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 746 ✭✭✭Starokan


    Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock is a great read.

    It uses evidence and powerful arguments to make you consider the possibility that there has been civilisations on earth as advanced or more advanced than we currently are.

    well worth checking this out


  • Registered Users Posts: 7 Biker3


    The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Jackanackanory


    These were definitely life altering and, in some cases, mind blowing books for me:

    1) The Alchemist - Paolo Coelho
    2) The Holographic Universe - Michael Talbot
    3) The Divine Matrix - Gregg Braden
    4) You can heal your life - Louise L. Hay
    5) The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield (although written in a slightly annoying fictitious style but don't let that put you off!)


  • Registered Users Posts: 152 ✭✭variety


    I read a book last year that blew my mind - one of those that you have no idea what's going on until the very last chapters, and then you just have to read it again immediately once you know what's going on and all the nuances in it are astonishing.

    Jasper Fforde: Shades of Grey

    I've since read all his books and he's fast becoming one of my favourite authors of all time. Mostly they're light-hearted fiction, and a great thing to fall back on when you've finished reading one of those epic 'enlightenment' and 'soul-bettering' reads that leave you pondering the purpose/value of everything.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29 SecurityGuy


    The Age of Absurdity: Why Modern Life Makes It Hard to Be Happy by Michael Foley
    Light and profound at the same time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,938 ✭✭✭mackg


    Stephen Hawking- A Brief History of Time. Really good book.

    Also anything by Haruki Murakami, strange stuff but really enjoyable. I will definitely read them all again.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭pourquoi


    I adored Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    Tuesdays with Morrie is very uplifting, makes you examine your relationships with those close to you and makes you look at life slightly differently.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10 Acheron3


    The Age of Absurdity: Why Modern Life Makes It Hard to Be Happy by Michael Foley
    Light and profound at the same time.

    +1 to this. Really enjoyed it, much more than a sacastic coffee table book.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,724 ✭✭✭jaqian


    DS333 wrote: »
    "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. I know she's pushing her philosophy but they're both a damned good read, different to anything else I've read.

    I've heard "Atlas Shrugged" mentioned many times on the web and decided to give it a go but really struggling to finish it. When they're not having sex (like something out of Mills & Boon) her characters are giving looong speeches. Determined to finish it to see where its going but not enjoying as much as I was.


  • Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭noserider


    A million little pieces James Frey.
    Don't let the controveresery around the book distract you from what is a pure page turner. I dare you not to read it!!

    Also if you like it, try My Friend Leonard, same author.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

    Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris (frikkin' awesomely written)

    Catcher In The Rye by J D Salinger


  • Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭Borboletinha


    noserider wrote: »
    A million little pieces James Frey.
    Don't let the controveresery around the book distract you from what is a pure page turner. I dare you not to read it!!

    Also if you like it, try My Friend Leonard, same author.


    Omg, I hated that book so much still beating myself up for wasting time reading it!:( And that was before i found out he made up most of the rubish!:mad: A million little lies would be a more siutable title

    Having root canals without anestesia, yeah right...:pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Woodward


    Everything by Farren Farrell, especially the myth of male power. It really opened my eyes and completely changed the way I see the world


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,570 ✭✭✭Elmidena


    Shelley's Frankenstein... reading it my mind was absolutely blown. The book in all honesty couldn't be further from any of the films made of it (Branagh's was closest, but Christ that was tripe). I really longed for there to be a spinoff book from the monster's POV, because I felt there was a segment that desperately needed expanding and gave a whole different dynamic to the book. No spoilers here, go and read it!

    Clavell's Shogun. Total page turner, and though it was (loosely) based on historical fact so not all *that* much was a surprise, I found the humanity and emotions portrayed amazingly. Also, his King Rat was also a great hard-to-put-down read, and the ending shows a deep shock of cold as the roles are lost in the bite of release.

    Orwell's 1984. Not long finished this myself, and it was on my to-do list for a long time. I found most of it underwhelming at best, but jeez, the anger/pity it brought out in me to read the last few pages.... very powerful stuff. Ended in a way I completely did not see coming... to me I always think that's the highest compliment you can pay a writer!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,087 ✭✭✭Clanket


    Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig. I've been fascinated with the idea of quality since. I've recently bought it for my wife and I bet she will get something different from it than I did.

    Ayn Rand - Atlas shrugged has been mentioned also. It's a bit drawn out at the times but some of the ideas are great.


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