What single book was most influential in your life?
Posted at 5:00 AM on April 18, 2011
by Eric Ringham
(75 Comments)
Filed under: Culture
This weekend saw the premiere of the film treatment of "Atlas Shrugged," a book that many readers say was influential in their lives. Today's Question: What single book was most influential in your life?
Comments (75)
- Pillar of Sand: Can the Irrigation Miracle Last? by Sandra Postel (sadly we still value plastic more than water).
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach (when we lose someone before their time)
- Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" (the first book I heard read on Chapter a Day, a wonderful 30 min public radio program I wish MPR would carry instead of so much Canadian programming.)
Charles Darwin's Descent of Man. It changed how I see all life on the earth and my place in the scheme of things.
Jane Eyre. read it when I was about 12 and many times later. A strong woman who lived by her convictions
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig. This book opened up my mind to the importance of careful thinking and asking the right questions.
The End of Nature by Bill McKibben changed my life; reading that book is what caused me to pursue a degree in environmental sciences.
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk -- an amazing and amazingly accurate portrayal of the future with the corporate/religious right pitted against an absolutely perfect utopia.
Besides the Bible, I would say Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis.
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.
The 4 book series - The Sea of Fertility by Yukio Mishima
I read it in high school, and it is a multi layered look at life, love, and relationships
The Power of Now by Eckert Tolle. It lead to other readings about the Eastern traditions of leading life in the present.
The Emperor Wears No Clothes, by Jack Herer.
Quite revealing of 70+ years of disinformation.
Angel-Tech: A Modern Shaman's Guide to Reality Selection, by Antero Alli.
A real life choose-your-own-adventure.
Info-Psychology: Instructions on the Use of the Human Neural System * according to the manufacturers
quite unique and clarifying
The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. By Ralph Metzner
A must for anyone over 18.
A Course in Miracles,even though some say it may have been created by the CIA.
"Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson.
'" The Pet Goat"
Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart Ehrlman.
It changed how I looked at the Bible and organized religion.
Bernard Goldberg's "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America? And Why?"
No one single book.
The Narnia (Lewis) series jump-started my reading life
High and Wild by Galen Rowell inspired me to climb mountains and intensify my interest in photography
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey for its writing and its rejection of industrial tourism and virtual "life"
Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon inspired me to world travel
The Selfsih Gene by Richard Dawkins crystallized biology for me.
Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins provided a lot of motivation.
"Why Christianity Must Change or Die: a Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile" by John Shelby Spong. It affirmed some of the things I was struggling with in my church life.
Freakinidiots Unite: published buy whatever shit-wit think tank has the best "pension" plan this month. Eat well, Laffer.
Cosmos, byt Carl Sagan.
Aztec, by Gary Jennings.
Without question: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, by James Agee with photos by Walker Evans. Gave me my first serious view (this was MANY years ago) into the lives of those without means. Made me a political liberal.
Ishmael, and all the other books by Daniel Quinn. Glad to see other people are mentioning these too. :)
Richard Dawkins, "The God Delusion". Opened my eyes to the reality of the natural world and the hypocrisies and toxicity of the world's religions.
E. F. Schumacher's "Small Is Beautiful" knocked the sleep from my eyes. The subtitle is "Economics as if People Mattered," and the first five hundred fifty words or so -- about capital and income -- ought to be memorized by school children.
The Diary of Anais Nin, it was 1972.
Soren Kierkegaard's "Works of Love" - big on personal responsibility and patience
Bother Karamazov - Taught me that humanity is inter-connected and our actions do effect others. In this context, religion serves an important purpose of maintaining and protecting these connections. In short, taught me to respect the existence of religion. While religion may be fairly summarized as people seeking answers to the ambiguities of the world, this function is admirable.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel was a great book that made me read more, A Shore Thing by Snooki might make me stop reading.
In addition to several others already mentioned, The Screwtape Letters.
Thanks to my mom's "books are our friends", so many books and authors that I can't begin to choose.
The Great Gatsby. Sorry there is not room for Moby Dick, Hemmingway's In Our Time, and Leslie Marmon Silko's Almanac of the Dead.
The HitchHikers Guide to the Galaxy. Relax ... the answer is 42.
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London. This was the first chapter book I remember reading as a child. Solidifed the value of reading for me.
Oddly enough, it was Frank Herbert's Dune series. The Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear got me through two marathons as well as several more serious exeriences in my life.
She's Not There : A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
In fact, Atlas Shrugged. But I must distinguish, it is most influential to me not by political or social philospohy, but by the strength of its characters.
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown.
It forever changed my way of thinking. Until I read that book, I had NO idea. My eyes were opened.
The Four Agreements. I intigrate it's lessons in nearly every day of my life.
I am surprised to say "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn was the single most influential book in my life. It spurred many changes and further influences that continue to this day.
The End of Faith by Sam Harris.
Helped crystallize my nascent thoughts on religion, namely that the Abrahamic religions are inherently violent and unnecessary. Fantastically written, and well argued. I recommend the book to everyone I can.
The Holy Bible
The Bible - An amazing book of history as well as a daily source of wisdom, inspiration & truth ~ particularly regarding mankind's rebellious nature and God's forever-loving pursuit of our heart's affections. Out of His great love for us, He executed a redemptive plan ~ knowing we would need one from the foundation of the world ~ giving us His most precious gift, that of His beloved Son, Jesus, who willingly & obediently lived an exemplary life and then suffered a torturous death on our behalf to keep us out of hell . . . IF we accept this sacrifice and embrace our Creator God's sovereign plan for our salvation. The result? A purpose-filled life now and later, eternal life in Heaven with Him. Easter!
"The Hobbit"
It seemed to tell some interesting life lessons I needed to hear as a kid. And it did it in a exciting way along with this. Plus it was more complex then what one was typically reading as a kid, so it really engaged me.
I'd say the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy...I never forget my towel.
I can happily say no SINGLE book has been most influential. I can cite over a dozen powerful books, biographies, political, philosophical, and religious/anti-religious treatises: I'm reading "Unbroken" right now and that ranks up there.
"Where the Red Fern Grows". Hands down one of the most striking "growing up" stories in American literature.
The Art of the Deal, by Donald Trump
It gave me motivation and insight into putting deals together and I have launched many companies since reading the book. Great insight into Mr. Trump and opens your mind to what you can do.
If I Ran the Circus by Dr. Seuss. Seuss's genius goes well beyond his rhymes. The frame his books create for parents reading to children teaches something profound about the essence of parenting—and humanity.
When my older brother started first grade, he would come home from school and teach me what he was learning in school. I was 4 at the time. I think the first book I read was Dick, Jane and Sally. I have loved reading ever since. Every book after that has been due to his influence.
this is a great question-i have read so many great books so it is hard to pinpoint one book
but one book that encompasses the whole gamut of history, drama, a classic, and totally submerses the reader into the period and romantic it would have to be "jane eyre"!
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Cry of the People by Penny Lernoux.
Easy...The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien
It showed me that books could open the minds imagination and make it hungry for more...
Thank you Mr Tolkien for opening my imagination and minds eye to worlds unattainable anywhere else.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
It's helped to bring peace and perspective to my life.
Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"
"The Cost of Discipleship" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Howard Zinn: A People's History of the United States of America
"The Prophet" and "Of Human Bondage". I am more than a bit surprised by the recent interest in Rand's work. For me, the issue is less political and more about the nature of man. Or maybe that is political also.
It would have to be The Cat in the Hat. It showed me that reading could be fun and opened the door to everything else I've read.
I find myself mystified by people who claim to be influenced by both the Bible and Atlas Shrugged. A consistent thread through the whole Bible is that we are indeed supposed to be our brothers' and sisters' keepers; Ayn Rand's consistent theme is that we are not.
To Kill a Mockingbird. Changed the way I saw the world, opened my eyes to meaning of justice and love.
Yay! A nice fluffy question that won't make people respond with name calling and anger.
My book would have to be The Lord of the Rings
George Orwell's 1984. It changed how I saw human nature and convinced me of the need for a free liberal society (in a way that philosophical/political arguments had not).
Rudolf Steiners' "Occult Science: An Outline".
Nothing less than a complete reshaping of perspective on every level of reality. A little influential - if you can get through it!
I can' t pick just one. The entire Bible, Henri Nouwen's writings and Cry the Beloved Country.
... can't choose just one, but some suggestion engine wants me to say The Revelation, since it's the only book of the Bible I read from end to end. Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf was formative, but then again his Siddhartha influenced me more deeply. Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged goes deep, too. Who can deny Laozi and Sunzibingfa a mention?
On the Road - Kerouac
The Ismael trilogy by Daniel Quinn changed my entire life.
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet changed how I saw God and love.
Three, actually. The Foundation Trilogy
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