How and why?
List below.
*Purchased a kindle during the eBay sale and could do with some inspiration.
The book (or books) that changed your life - What titles do you hold close?
AFC 23 on 07/10/2015 - 15:41
Comments
Not much of a reader but I've liked the following:
Fiction:Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe - Pretty interesting look at colonialism through the eyes of Nigerian tribesmen.
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald - Nice look at the roaring 20s and the views of those who have inherited their money as opposed to those who have earnt it.
- 1984 and Animal Farm - George Orwell - As others have said, pretty solid look at a dystopian world where the government controls peoples lives. cough Soviet Union cough
Non-Fiction:
- Poor Economics - Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo - an look at the lives of the world's poor any why they choose to do some things that experts would tell them not to.
- Why Nations Fail - Daron Acemoğlu and James A. Robinson - going through some of the reasons why some countries are prosperous (eg West Europe, USA, Australia) while others are not (Africa, South America).
- Escape from Camp 14 - Blaine Harden - it's about this North Korean guy who was born in a prison camp and escapes when he is 20. Lines up with 1984 if you're in the mood to be depressed at how shitty North Korea is to its people.
I've read a few of the other 'classics' like Catch 22 and Catcher in the Rye, but I didn't really get what the big deal was. I guess each unto his own.
Have you read the The River Between by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ? Colonialism through the eye of a Kenyan tribesman.
Mostly self-help/improvement books:
Awaken The Giant Within - Tony Robbins
4hour body - Tim Ferris
Naked Warrior - Pavel Tsatsouline
The new Earth - Eckhardt Tolle
The Game - Neil Strauss
How to win friends and influence people - D. Carnegie
Losing my virginity - Branson
Millionaire next door - Stanley/Danko
…
The Game is a good read but I wouldn't take it as gospel, some of it seems a little far fetched too.
Did you ever read the message boards? They are fascinating in itself.
Indeed. What is quite well described is the body language, peacocking, dates on multiple places etc… Some of that actually worked for me and I find the whole "scene" fascinating.
OK I will throw a few more:
The Mystery method - Mystery
Six pillars of self-esteem - Nathaniel Branden
The Multi-Orgasmic Couple - Chia/Abrams
Way of the superior man - David DeidaIf I was to pick one book it would be the last one. It's a book every girl should buy for her boyfriend. It's a book that literally changed my life !!!
How to win friends and influence people - D. Carnegie
Great book!
Germs. Guns and Steel - Jared Diamond. Good base understanding of how and why history unfolded the way it did.
What's a book?
It's one of those things I have a few thousand of hanging around, taking up room in my home. Thinking of hanging a shingle outside the front door that reads "Public Library".
It sounds fun. Can you eat it ?
I know you can digest it.
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics - David J. Griffiths
What? Not "DuckTales" ?
I am disappointed.
The act of reading it changes the outcome though…
personality plus by Florence Littauer. Great eye opening on basic human psychology and interactions
The Bible.
Although, I do use some lines inappropriately like "An eye for an eye" so I get to punch my friend back or "He is without sin may cast the first stone" to get away with a few of my misdeeds.
Never got around to reading the Bible, even though many people (non religious) tell me it is a good read. Something about the size of it and the thin pages that makes me worried it will take forever. It probably won't, the way I read, but still. Also worried I'll rip it and burn in hell :).
How do you use "1 Timothy 2:12 - I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." ?
When your wife is showing you why you're doing the dishes wrong?
its a misinterpretation lol, the true meaning of that phrase is the opposite lol
or its in the old testament lol did you update your bible to v2.0 yet? lol
or if that passage is still in bible v2.0, we can just ignore it lolI must be reading wrong, I was reading it from left to right… how should I read it?
Also wait… is the old testament not the bible? Or are you one that considers it a allegory??? How would you interpret that part then?
Shit they got another version out? is it free or does it cost money to upgrade? Is it IOS or does it work on Android too?
I must be reading wrong, I was reading it from left to right… how should I read it?
How To Read The Bible
Step 1: Turn off your brain
Step 2: Go to church and "read the bible" indirectly by listening to your pastor and assume everything he says is true
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit (for the churches)Wait, real Christians/religious people talk/post like I just did?
Faith in humanity lowered even more
Also, this must be the first time you read my comments
I'd have to say choose your own adventure series opened the doors to fantasy and having friends that play dnd, shadownrun and so forth.
The great war by Les carlyon.
I have to say this has to be my book of hero's, men young and old and very young sacrificing their lives for king and country.
Does bring a tear to my eyes especially the chapter called 'known unto god'…really does put things in perspective for me, and really I can't do what they all did.
Also I have to say the Germans are people too and as such should be respected as well.Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. When politicians and governments get too greedy, let's see how they go when the people and businesses they consistently rape and pillage just pull up stumps.
Your sentence and thought process makes my brain hurt. I'll give you a hint why.
Governments and politicians have a symbiotic and corrupt relationship with an other entity. Which entity is that?
Officer BarBrady said it sucks ass.
Possibly the best micro-review I've seen of Atlas Shrugged:
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year-old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."
People still read book ??!!!?!!?!
Yes, especially dictionaries, that's how they know the plural version is "books". ;)
Just kidding, it's obviously a typo.It's many book.
Pride and Prejudice
Oh yes this was the book that started me off on the 'female' classics. Still love it too. Another fave is Emma. Not life-changing for me though.
Bronte sisters have to be the most overrated authors ever.
Maybe, but not Jane Austen.
As a kid I loved Charlie and the chocolate factory and also the lion the witch and the wardrobe
The best books are the ones that make you question your assumptions, rather than confirm them.
Reading Friedrich Nietzsche is extremely liberating from the modern ideological straightjacket. Walter Kaufmann is the best translator into English. Perhaps the best books to start with are Beyond Good and Evil, Twilight of the Idols, The Gay Science (before gay meant queer), and On the Genealogy of Morality.
"Our Enemy, the State" by Albert Jay Nock is a good book on libertarianism.
Nietzsche…wow. Deep stuff.
1984 was very good and raised a lot of questions about how I view life.
MAD magazines from the 70's.
80's for me.
Catch 22
I just checked the review for this book, i will buy and read it, sounds interesting, thanks for sharing :)
Night - Elie Wiesel
Run baby run - Nicky Cruz
Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
Euripides
Tomorrow series - John MarsdenLove John Marsden too.
Life changers incoming:
4 Hour Work Week + 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
Animal Farm by George Orwell
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
Choose Yourself by James Altucher
Outliers + The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemann
Simplicity by Edward De Bono was very useful for me. Talks about how to design processes and structure things to make things as simple as possible/necessary. It's cleverly structured, easy and interesting to read, and is just one of those books that I haven't stopped thinking about in the decade since I read it - as it is very widely applicable.
The Art Of War is like that as well; surprising how often that comes up in strategy and life.
Someone already said To Kill A Mockingbird but it's worth saying again. That book shaped my moral compass more than the sum total of my religious classes, church visits and youth grouping. I'm afraid to read Go Set A Watchman in case it destroys the original.
You should read Go Set A Watchman.
As I said, not interested. From what I read pre release, it seems like someone taking advantage of Harper in her old age for a quick buck and at the expense of her legacy.
I'll keep my idealised Atticus Finch, thank you very much.
That way you will never grow. Even Scout grew up and saw the world as it really was.
…
I liked the book. Mockingbird is a child fantasy. Watchman is the world as it really was.
Harper knows very well what is she doing. She wrote two books in her life. Maybe both of them deserve to be read?!?
Pretty sure I'll grow just fine if I decide to keep my favourite childhood book untarnished by not reading the first draft of it. I'll get my fill of the crushing realities and disappointments of the world by continuing to live in it.
Speaking of the crushing realities and disappointments of the world, the Lemony Snicket series is a good (and very quick) read as well. You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll change your life.
Betsy Byars, The 18th Emergency. I was 10. Taught me a lot about adversity and bullying. Also how to write silly things on walls.
Anything David Eddings.
Anything Elizabeth H Boyer (similar to David Eddings stuff but for a younger audience).
Allan and Barbara Pease - Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps. Puts S&T into perspective in a funny way.
Anything The Far Side. Puts even more S&T into perspective.
Calvin & Hobbes. That is how I live my life now.+1 For calvin & hobbes. That kid has some deep philosophical insights into the world.
Really depends what you like!!
Mine is 'Cat's Eye' by Margaret Atwood.
A coming of age book set during WW2 in Canada (references war and the 40's but has nothing to do with war). Deals with bullying and freedom and growth.
I have read this book twice a year for 14 years.
Literary genius.
thanks for sharing,i will add this book to my list :)
Once you get around to reading it, please let me know your thoughts :)
ok, i will but how can i contact you when leaving Ozbargain?
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood too. Really made me think about the role of females and was the novel that made me start reading other books based on dystopian societies
To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm (because i hated the injustice and i couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after reading it), Les Miserables (although victor hugo rambles for so many chapters), Anne of Green Gables, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (comedy gold, don't b too proud to read a kid's book)… i can't remember anymore but there are tons! Books forever!
Shameless plug - My wife's first novel -
Harvest: Frankie Harlow Trilogy book 1
http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Frankie-Harlow-Book-1-ebook/dp…
It's got great reviews! :)
The fact she got a book published has changed her life to know she has a book on our shelf with her name on it, so proud!
Tuesday with Morrie by Mitch Albom.
For me I believe books that I read when I was very small made the biggest impact. We had a 2h/day TV schedule full of communist propaganda in Romania so I read most of my local library (2 rooms full of books).
Probably the biggest influence was The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain. My mom probably still regrets giving it to me :) I still kid that I blame her for making me think by myself.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance.
I read it as a young engineer travelling across the US, and it made an impact on my. Philosophical but also a story.I recommend it if you don't want something too preachy or non-fiction.
The diary of a young girl (Anne Frank)
If you are into "war / Nazi period" autobiography.+1 to How to win friends and influence people - D. Carnegie
It can also cynically be called, how to psychologically manipulate people.
Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion
the gospels accounts
1984Best book i read is 'Hockey: Not Your Average Joe'.
atlas strugged, animal farm, fountainhead
'The Power of One' - Bryce Courtenay
Inspirational coming of age story about a boy growing up in South Africa. I've read this book almost every year since I was 15 and it's still amazing.
'Inheritance Cycle' - Christopher Paolini
If you like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, this series of 4 books is a must read. Why? Because dragons.Hasn't been mentioned yet but here's one:
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho
Very short, simple, and radically opened my mind up to consider things greater and beyond the limited scope of my own life.
History books. I remember reading about the russian revolution 1917 when I was a kid and asking my dad about communism. He said, "It will never work out because people are selfish." I had a very sheltered childhood and that was life changing for me cos it was like a wake-up call.
Manage Your Pain by Michael Nicholas, Allan Molloy, Lois Tonkin and Lee Beeston. It changed my wife's life helping to fight against her chronic pain and gradually getting back to normal. She still struggles but is a lot better now than before she came across the book and started taking steps to fight the pain. If you suffer chronic pain or know someone who does, I highly recommend this book.
As for me, my life (sitting on the fence) was changed forever by reading the Bible (both old and new testaments), trans-literation of the Koran, the Bhagvad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and in parts: The Talmud and Confucian Analects. Then I read books by Richard Dawkins. It helped me made my mind and jump on the left side of the fence ;-)
Although not a book, but I found the original Cosmos by Carl Sagan very empowering. I think that particular tv series made me climb the fence (growing up in a rather religious family). It also made me realise how petty we were in this universe, very humbling experience at a young age. It got me interested in science and I felt encouraged to question everything (which is why the religious members of my family found it very hard to provide rational answers to all my questions about religious practices). I equally enjoyed the new or re-make of Cosmos by Neil DeGrasse Tyson but Carl Sagan's series was the most special for me.
Carl Sagan - A Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.
Should be required reading in early high school.
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
A Song of Ice and Fire by the legendary George RR Martin.
It'll change your life. Honestly. It gives me the strength and drive to live on as I need to wait till the next book is published only to wait for the next one. By the time the books' done, I might be 80 and ready.
Goosebumps
Animorphs!
definitely lifechanging…
Has any one mentioned any catalogues?
- Le Petit Prince - Antoine De Saint Exupery
- Jacob the Baker - Noah Ben Shea
- A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
- A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
- Lord of the flies - William Golding
- 1984 - George Orwell
- Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
- One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- The Stranger - Albert Camus
- Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
Most of these would be in my top 10 too! And the others I haven't read lol
Picture Magazine was the start of a revolution for me
The World According to Garp by John Irving…don't let the Robin Williams movie colour your impressions of this book either, it is but a pale shadow of what is ultimately a brilliant read.
I just remembered another… The Man Who Was Thursday by G K Chesterton. Probably won't change your life, but man it's a good read.
Maths Quest 11 Mathematical Methods CAS 3E TI-Nspire by Jacaranda. Taught me Maths, good worked examples.
Rich dad poor dad
I know there are positive and negative views about this book. I just thought it was an interesting read when i was younger. The first finance-ish book that I've actually read til the end. Definitely changed my views on money management. Maybe i wouldnt be here on OzB if i didnt read it back then lol
Books EVERYONE should have read already, but if they havent… READ RIGHT NOW! :
1984
Lolita
Crime and Punishment
The Catcher in the Rye
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Moby Dick
There's many more, the above books should be mandatory reading for everyone.
Start with 1984, Catcher, Huck Finn, and then Moby Dick.Terrific books. Young people these days rely on movies, but good books and your own imagination illustrating them is where the best entertainment comes from.
No need to start with 1984 anymore. Today's kids will be living it. :(
Its sad how accurate isnt it :(.
whats a book?
The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama :)
So mine are - The definitive guide to body language - by Allan and Barbara Pease - was put on to this by the person that teaches all the officials in the English Premier League. They also do a couple of others including the one I'm reading now - Body language in the workplace.
Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success - all about business management with reference to his time as a navy seal.
and SUN TZU the art of war
The Ringing Cedars Of Russia by Vladimir Megre changed my life.
The Gospel Of Essene and Life and teachings of the masters of the Far East were also good.
I read at least a book a week, sometimes up to three .. so I am something of a book worm. Off the top of my head, 10 favourites are:
- Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahnemann (an awesome treatise on behavioural economics and cognitive biases which makes you think about how you think)
- Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand (although I actually think the Fountainhead was better written - it's admittedly an unrealistic libertarian polemic but it drives home the idea that there are people in this world that produce stuff versus people who just leech off them)
- The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (this book allowed me to see just how arbitrary a lot of social rules are versus the simple biological foundations of why we actually exist as humans)
- Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevski (I read this when I was about 14 and I credit this book for my intellectual and moral "awakening")
- Power Why Some People Have it and Others Don't - Jeffrey Pfeffer
- Leadership BS - Jeffrey Pfeffer (helps you see just how pervasive misinformation and lies are when it comes to advice on becoming a successful leader)
- Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth also rocked my World too - it's basically about stripping the labels attached to your ego to get to the core of who you are)
- Black Swan / Fooled by Randomness - Nassim Nicholas Taleb (essentially these books are about just a few cognitive biases but his self satisfaction at sticking it to the "experts" is entertaining)
- Status Anxiety - Alain de Botton (this made me much more keenly aware of all the pointless things I do just to impress people)
- Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson (basically you got to be a stubborn asshole and detail orientated as hell if you want to create the World's most successful company)
Bonus recommendation:
- Co-opetition - Brandenburger and Nalebuff (I was made to read this for microeconomics in my MBA program. It's a very accessible and practical introduction to game theory ideas)
Please help, I have sore eyes, lol
Not being understood may be taken as a sign that there is much in one to understand.
-Alain de Botton.
I've met him. He's superficial and trite, on top of being a narcissist.
Very good, but brick not hit back…