Has a book ever changed your life?

the five people you meet in heaven.

teaches you that no matter what you do, you have a profound affect on others.

How to Raise an Emotionally Intelligent Child. by John Gottman.

it makes you realize how people can affect how you think emotionally from birth.

And

YOu just Don't Understand: Conversations between Men and women.

It really clears up some discprencies in points out why the sexes often feel frustrated with each other. It details how society encourages it. Fascinating stuff.

[edit on 24-12-2009 by nixie_nox]

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind

This did much for me...I am not even a Bhuddist but this taught me how to clear myself...almost like resetting me every time I meditate

-Kyo

Hmm, the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy definately changed my life. Since I was 7 years old I've wanted to be an author, and that was because of Jaws, but the film not the book. Then again, it was the revelation that films could be made from books that changed my life, so it was Peter Benchley's brilliant book that changed everything.

Jaws started me off, and then Douglas Adams came in to my life and showed me a different way of writing; but it was Lovecraft's short stories that brought out my imagination. Before that all I wrote about were stories involving ginormous sea monsters killing hapless victims on their boats, or things about the funny side of fate and luck. Once Lovecraft came to me, all of a sudden my imagination changed and I began thinking above and beyond what was normal to me and now I write about anything (as long as it's horrific ).

Rama D. Filofax on stories that influenced him

Oh by the way it would be 'Call of Cthulhu', 'Horror in the Museum' and 'from beyond' of Lovecraft's that sparked me off.

The Art Of War
The Code Of The Samurai
The Book Of Five Rings
Plato The Republic
Plato The Cave Or Cave

These books are really deep in meaning. You can learn so much about life, strength, confidence, business, and a better meaning of death.

there was a time frame where no individual book but a grouping of books taken together as a whole helped me evolve.

holographic universe - michael talbot (reality is illusion)

full catastrophe living - jon kabat zinn (meditation/stress)
-and his guided meditation cds

journey of the soul series - sylvia browne (reincarnation/afterlife/prelife)

lot of theory and speculation in these books but they really resonate with something within me.

reply to post by round_eyed_dog


nice post.. i like it hmmm ill pick books from your thread friend!!

yeheayyyy...

How To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

It is simply just a great book that manages to evoke every possible emotion and feel as if you truly know the characters and can completely feel what they are feeling.

On the polar opposite, a book which had no effect on me and that I had to re-read just to make sure the book was not as bad as I thought but still ended up with the same conclusion: The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Apologies if I have offended anyone, but it really isn't a great book.

Hello All

Had to chime in on this one ...

1) Every-book-Enid-Blyton-ever-wrote.
She started me on my paranormal fascination at the tender age of 7 (all those witches and fairies)

2) The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You by Dorothy Bryant.
A must read

3) The Stand - Stephen King
But haven't been able to read anything of his since "Gerald's Game"

4) Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

And there would be dozens more ...

- Hermit

Martian Chronicles and a compilation of short tales of Asimov that my mom had.

I would have to say that there are a number of books that changed my life, at the very least some have changed my perspective of things.

The Animorphs Series I reader as a child, apart from the lame-ish dialogue, were very addictive, and I grew so attached to the characters; it also made me think about animals in a different way, how they worked, and what was going on inside their minds. Animorphs pretty much stole my childhood. It also taught me about the human condition especially under pressure.

It was the same with the Tomorrow, When The War Began series, by Australian author John Marsden. It was a great set of books about war in a small local town.

One more, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series made me question the nature of religion (not an outright atheist, but still seeking answers). Not to mention it's funny as hell.
Once I read that last series, I've since become obsessed with Sci-Fi books.

Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters//Seymour: An Introduction--by JD Salinger

The Screwtape Letters--by CS Lewis (and I'm not even Christian)

The Ground Beneath Her Feet--Salman Rushdie

House of Leaves--Mark Z. Danielewski (I read it right after I got a severe concussion and had to lay around awhile. Mind-bending and frightening even on a second reading with a "clear head".)

I was thinking about this thread, and I have to add another one. "The Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks. It isn't anything profound, like many of the others in the list here, but it is a great fantasy book. The reason I mention it is more personal; it was the fantasy book that got me hooked on fantasy in general. I have literally read hundreds and hundreds of fantasy novels and devoted at least as many hours to fantasy games, movies, TV, and so on, all because a friend back in grade 7 recommended that book to me.

[edit on 16-4-2010 by DragonsDemesne]

Reading "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" by Robert Tressell, definately turned me into a Socialist and strengthened my Anti organised religion standpoint.

For me ken macleod's star faction fits the bill, it awoke me to the world of politics and is ultimately the reson im here on ats.

On a side not I have to express my extreme hatred of the book 'to kill a mocking bird' mentioned earlier, I detest it with every atom if my existance. But it did change my life it made me realise why so many people dont like reading - because from an early age schools fource THE WORST BOOKS THEY CAN FIND on pupils. while harper lee's morals are sound she forgets that to get it across a book needs a Plot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The book that has made the biggest impact in my life has to be the grade- school primer about Dick and Jane. I remember being in kindergarten and just learning how to read. I have read thousands of books over the course of my life and don't plan on slowing down anytime soon. I have always said that I am happiest when I have a book in my hands.

The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea really opened my eyes up to the world around. It kind of helped me keep a sense of humour about my paranoia, which used to be REALLY bad. The creative narrative in the novel also really opened me up to a lot of new ideas and ways of thinking about things.

Also I would have to mention House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, it was really one of those books for me where I felt more entrenched in the story than anything that had come before it. It was a pretty crazy trip.

Night by Elie Wiesel

Thanks for bumping the thread and reminding me of it, I have another to add.

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. I think it inspired a more realistic view of 'revolution' and 'politics', and helped me come to a better understanding of how/why people compromise on their ideals in such situations. I look forward to reading it again.

Originally posted by Tifa62354i
Night by Elie Wiesel

I remember reading that one for an english class sometime in grade school. For those who might not know what it is, it's a personal account of a Holocaust survivor. I don't remember it very well anymore, but I think it was one of the first books I read that made me really realize just how bad the Holocaust was; before that, it was hard as a young teenager to really grasp such a thing.

This one is an easy read, but impacted my life and has continued to since I've read it. It's a mix of a memoir/philosophy book written while the author was dying of cancer.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

What really changed my life was in a section of the book Randy is describing one of his children's utter passion and happiness in life. He compares his son with the Winnie the Pooh character Tigger, saying that every person has a choice in life to either go through it as an Eeyore like many of us do, or we can be Tigger. Since reading it, I've made a conscious effort to be a Tigger because I know I've been an Eeyore most of my life.

A little bit sappy but books can change us positively.