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What are three books that had a major influence on your life? How/why did they deeply affect you?

graesvol 6 Mar 2
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7

Animal Farm and 1984.

It made me realise the importance of free speech as well as precursors to totalitarianism (things to look for).

6

Jordan Peterson's Maps of Meaning: the Architecture of Belief.
I'm an atheist who majored in Psych as an undergrad and, for this and several other reasons, found incredibly compelling Dr. Peterson's interpretation of our archetypal religious/mythological narratives. His application of psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, history, alchemy, and wisdom ad astra, in the deciphering of our ancient stories will shake your model of the world.

Les Mis - Victor Hugo.
An archetypal tale of heroic redemption and sacrifice set against the backdrop of revolution. Need I say more?

Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Dream of a Ridiculous Man.
This tour de force of the Russian literary titan should be read by everybody. It reminded me of that which we all know innately - although it may be a fool's errand, the right thing is still worth doing.

Les Mis. Top 10 for sure!

5

The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck - the importance of truth and brutal honesty with oneself for mental health and spiritual well being.

Tribe by Sebastian Junger - the importance of family and community and people with whom we share experiences.

12 Rules for Life - Jordan Peterson - how to get it right in life and build a worthy life and mold worthwhile children.

4

Three??? out of thousands? Here goes:

Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland And Through The Looking Glass - Alice is thrown into an absurd world but rolls with the punches, never loses her sense of self or her sense of wonder or, more importantly, her common sense. But above all, Alice has courage. I believe much of what I unconsciously learned in the MANY reading of the book when I was a child helped me through two manic-depressive episodes in my 20's. So the world is suddenly upside down and crazy? OK, let's take it all in stride, just like Alice, and wait for the lost mind to return home.

Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights"- at 17 made me realized if I didn't study English Literature I would die. I've only read two other books that so strongly combine story, characters and setting to evoke a mood so palpable it is the one thing most remembered. The others are "Ethan Frome" and "The Road".

Scott M. Peck's "People Of The Lie: Towards a psychology of evil". He confirmed what I've known all my life - there is evil, it is called Lie (Lucifer), it lives in hell, a state of delusion and illusion, and we all have the free will to choose to live in a world of lies or a world of truth (reality).

Since I've already cheated...the Holy Bible goes a long way to teach us the difference.

Amen but the Bible consists of a library of books, 66 (?), I think. I believe I like reading the book of James the most. I just love to read and pray that what I enjoy is never censored. Writing, to me, is one of the greatest artforms.

4

Bible: gave my life to Christ. Walking with HIM and living for Him!
The Great Divorce: great description of BS and letting it all go.
Atlas Shrugged: someone described it as the Conservative Manifesto. It did not disappoint.

4

The Bible - I'm deeply interested in religion, but I'm agnostic
12 Rules for Life - definitely changed the way I now respond to situations and the way I self reflect
Fishing: Tips and Tactics - the ultimate guide to make anyone a better fisherman.

3

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, this man survived the Holocaust and shared his experience going on to create Logotherapy and the will to find meaning in life.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate, MD, this book helped me to form my view on drug addiction and is my reason for favoring complete decriminalization of drugs. Mental health over prisons.
The Drifters by James A. Michener I read this last book during my turbulent teen years in the 1970s as I watched our troops return from Vietnam and absolute chaos happen in the country with the sexual revolution and the introduction of recreational drugs.

I almost included "Man's Search For Meaning". I gave me quite a different perspective as to how some people did not survive the Holocaust as well as some survivors did like Primo Levi (?), Simon Weil, and many others who wrote about their experiences. Anyone who reads any of these books of survival has to wonder if he or she would come out of it with an intact sense of self.

My sister just mentioned she has "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" and tomorrow I plan to borrow it. Although I tried weed (twice), hash (twice), LSD (once, against my will) when I was young, I've been very intolerant of drug users. I see them as weak, bored, unmotivated, lazy, etc. etc. especially if they let drugs take over their lives. I know some self-medicate; my boyfriend did it when he was young and suffered from anxiety but in his 20s he became really paranoid and stopped smoking. He says the only drug that made him feel what he thinks is normal was Valium but they took it off the market.
But prescription drugs are another matter altogether. I'm still not sure weed should have been legalized here in Canada. It does stunt at least emotional growth. I have an addicted brother who is extremely immature...at the age of 56. It also causes psychosis. I'm really worried about the young people whose brains are not developed yet. Anyway, the book may change my mind.

And for "The Drifters"...I read this book as a teenager and felt totally disgusted by the spoiled rich kids who bummed across Europe feeling sorry for themselves (my memory might be defective). During my last year of university I went to Spain and decided to read it again but never did. However, I did read "The Source" three times and I know I will read it again someday. If I still have "The Drifters" drifting around in my many boxes of books I just might speed read through it to see if my initial impression was correct!

@acadian Thank you for responding to my comment. I would also recommend the book, "Chasing the Scream" by Johann Hari. I am currently reading "The Right Side of History" by Ben Shapiro and so far it is excellent.

@PatriciaBurger - I am on this website because of Shapiro who appeared on Dr. Phil two days ago. I was impressed by his ideas and will order "The Right Side of History". I will also check out the Jordan P. book "12 Rules For Life". I will also look up "Chasing the Scream". I may have to make a 2-hour trip to a used book store to look for all these books that intelligent people recommend. NONE of my many acquaintances or family read except one sister and my boyfriend and he's into light reading like Louis L'Amour right now.

3

Flowers for algernon - the feels
Harrison bergeron - the cautionary tale of it
Enders shadow - makes me cry

...flowers for algernon! I'm mad at myself for not putting this high enough on my list!

2

The Bible, Khalil Gibran’s the prophet, Dune. The Bible because while all Faith’s have merit, they also all exclusively claim be “the Truth”. Therefore, only one of them must be the Truth. Since God came down us because of his love for us all, I choose the path of love and Jesus Christ’s example of what real love and faith is supposed be; while all other faiths requires some “works” in order for us reach up God’s Holiness. The Prophet because of the real wisdom that has inspired me pursue making good decisions. Dune because it teaches more about mankind’s true nature in its fictional allusions than most non-fiction stories. Namely in order to grow we must suffer through trials and challenges in our life. Too often it is because of some others actions that force is from our comfortable prisons we call Jobs, homes, etc.

2

Atlas Shrugged is the greatest piece of fictional (non-fictional) literature ever written.

I've read that distinction goes to "Hamlet".

I stand corrected.

2

Johann Hari
chasing the scream
Pretty much connected the dots in the human condition as to how someone is a slave to their own mind. Through a literal global exploration of the human experience "Johann Hari Fans" Group

1

Gulag Archipelago
The Road to Wigan Pier
The Bible
Brave New World
1984
Animal Farm

1

Thanks for asking this question. I'm going to answer it as soon as I spatula my jaw of the floor. Am I dreaming or did a hominid on a social media site just mention Robert Anton Wilson?

When did you read Quantum Psychology and how did it impact you? I was eighteen and beginning undergraduate work.

1

KJV 1611 changed my life and answered all my
questions.
Brave New World. I read it in school many years
ago and again quite recently.
Uncomfortably relevant in many
ways.
The Outsider. About a man who believed that all
That you do is exist, going through
the motions and who felt nothing
for anybody or anything. Very sad.

1

Bible, Atlas Shrugged, The Road to Serfdom. All have an appeal to freedom and liberty.

1

1984
Animal Farm
Mila 18

1

Atlas Shrugged -
1984
Animal Farm

There are better answers than any that I could formulate listed below.

You all have given me a list of reading material that will last a year at least.

Thank you graesvol for posting my favorite question yet, reading these answers makes me very happy to be a part of this group.

1

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Gone With the Wind got me to thinking about the struggle we all face in life and the need for resiliency and adaptability. To Kill a Mockingbird awakened in me the horror that is racisim and that it isn't simply a black and white issue. Little Women provided an idealistic standard for family relations, particularly between siblings, and something I would try to emulate in my own family. The first book helped me with the striving for that standard in making the adjustments necessary to make peace with, and accept, the reality of what I actually accomplished. Mockingbird was a window into prejudice and the culture of the deep south that was very valuable when I found myself transplanted from the northern city in which I was raised to a city on the Gulf coast of north western Florida. It was like moving to a different country!

I read Gone With The Wind when I was 15 or 16, night and day, on the school bus, while eating, in the dark, etc. I have Scarlett's spirit and will to survive but in life, I've been Jo and torn between extreme independence (like working in Africa for Can. Gov't) and staying close to my large family. My family won out.

@acadian My first reading of GWTW was around the same age! I couldn't put it down! I admired Scarlett, and thought of Melanie as weak. Through the years I have read and re-read the book and seem to get something different out of it each time. In Little Women, Jo's character was the one I channeled most. Being from a family with nothing but sisters, and the eldest at that, it was her character with whom I most identified. I went on to have a married relationship with a second husband who was very much my Prof. Bhaer -- someone who believed in me enough to encourage risk taking and constructive advice that improved who I am. I understand about the family situation. I lived in the deep south for 25 years. Eventually, my studies led me to Washington D.C, an area I found very stimulating (even for such a staunch conservative as myself, enrolled in the liberal bastion that is Georgetown University). I also was torn between reuniting with my family in Cincinnati and staying in a wonderfully fulfilling position in a metropolitan city. My son's diagnosis of leukemia propelled me back with blinding speed. It's interesting how something like that can help -- in a nanosecond -- establish one's real priorities. We beat the leukemia, and enjoyed 5 years together before he succumbed to a completely unrelated, and extremely rare, form of brain cancer. I have the great good fortune to have a wonderful relationship with my daughter-in-law and his son as comfort. Thank you for your comment!

@mdm2255 I'm sorry about your son but happy you were able to be with him. The reason I did not wander too far from home in my 20s was because I did not have money and worried about not being able to go home if someone became sick or died. I was only offered my first credit card when I was in my 30s. I've always felt poverty limited my options but really, in the end, it was my heart. And in the end, I'm glad my family relationships were more important than money or success.

Little Women probably made more of an impression on me than I realized.

1

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
The Razor's Edge by William Somerset Maugham

@graesvol Quality

1

Captains&Kings by Talyor Caldwell, a historical novel that caused me to learn more about political power and it's influence on average citizens, Once an Eagle, the bible

Taylor Caldwell's "Dialogues With The Devil" really spooked me 40 years ago. I like some of her other books as well.

1

This is mostly an American perspective, but I argue these are books all people should read and I'll state why.

Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater;
Fantastic summary of the conservative movement through the twentieth century and tenets on how to promote liberty for all and a stronger economy. It was also one of the most striking early examples of media assassination. Barry Goldwater could have been an amazing president had the media not character assassinated him. This has been going on for quite awhile.

The Naked Communist by W. Cleon Skousen
A great primer on Communism, what it is, where it started, why it appeals to so many and why it is arguably the greatest threat to mankind.

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey;
Many political and life problems boil down to an underlying economic issue. Improving your financial literacy is key to escaping debt slavery, learning to build wealth, save for retirement and become a generous person capable of giving and helping others and not living with your hand out expecting governments to step in like Santa Claus to save you.

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay;
Civics is a class no longer taught. My Dad had it in the 60's and laments that we (my brother, sister, and I) did not learn the value of American history and our Constitution. Our young people would not be so glibly in favor of socialist politicians who promise free stuff and virtue signal the moral superiority of their positions if they understood why America is great and what makes our system unique and a New Order for the Ages.

The Anti-Federalist Papers by Dewitt, Henry, Brutus et al
During the period after the end of the Revolutionary War and before the adoption of the Constitution, there were several years of uncertainty. The States were arguing for and against the policies which should become part of the fabric of the new Constitution. There were the Federalists who argued that we needed a central government to regulate certain things and to guarantee a host of inalienable rights to the citizens. There were also the anti-federalists who argued that America had just fought a bloody revolution to escape the tyranny of a large central government. Our American Republic is the great compromise between these two opposed parties. They came together and agreed on a system of checks and balances that became the current Constitution and Bill of Rights. We need to understand both sides.

I've never heard of "The Naked Communist" and must read it. I find it strange that possibly the only "communist" communities which thrive are those who are small and serve a higher purpose like God. Monasteries and convents are communes and they are still successful today for the few who are inclined to serve God in that manner.

@acadian If you like: [amazon.com]

@Linnaeus Thank you for the link! I have just finished reading the Kindle "preview" and will likely buy the book. The preview alone cleared up a lot of questions I had about communism. I still believe it will ultimate fail because many of its theories are against human nature.

@acadian Along with that, I highly recommend to get the words directly from the Donkey's mouth. There's a decent Librivox (free) audio version of the Communist Manifesto. It's not terribly long (3 hours), but then you can hear exactly what their philosophy is. Remember SunTsu: 'Know Thy Enemy.'

[librivox.org]

@acadian One more--in many ways the work of Frederic Bastiat is a critical response to Marx's work and he was a contemporary. He's also one of the people Ayn Rand looked to in the formulation of her applauding views of Capitalism as the only moral system of economy and society.

Check out the "Sophisms of the Protectionists"--it's fun to hear this right after the Communist Manifesto. It's as if Bastiat is answering the Manifesto with direct rebuttals and deeply thought provoking.

[librivox.org]

@Linnaeus I have the Manifesto and Das Capital but didn't understand some of his ideas like his theory of history. The Naked Communist seems like it will make everything gel together and I will listen to Bastiat as well when I get a chance. I have so many new books to read!

@acadian Fantastic. I agree Marx is really dense. Part of the problem I realized was in reading Marx, it's just diving down a convoluted rabbit hole of his delusions.

For example, in "Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal" by Ayn Rand, she has an extensive list of sources cited in the back of the book, the bibliography. In Roger Eatwell's "Fascism: A History" he has something like 30 pages of source citations of where he did his research and got his information.

Marx had only Marx and cited only himself.

1

The Bible, God's Word, by which I know that I am saved.

How Shall We Then Live, by Francis Schaeffer, the first book I ever read that laid out a real case for living as if the Bible is true.

The Closing of the Liberal Mind, by Kim R. Hughes, a recent redux of Dr. Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind, that lays out a coherent explanation of the destruction that post-modern progressivism is wreaking on Western culture.

All great books.

1

"The Portrait" by Ian Pears...I just felt each word as a brushstroke. Each character is someone I have known. All the insecurity and discovery and fuckall felt by the artist os 100% accurate. Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged was an incredible work hinting at a possible and plausible future distopia. Lastly, I have to give credit to Vonnegut in a general sense. He made reading fun for me with his articulate, satirical, off the cuff expressions of society.

0
  1. The Naked Communist by W. Cleon Skousen - As a recommendation from my mother who "understood" the lure and the total destruction of communism. It made me see what a cancer it was becoming (and now is) and how easily so many are sucked in. One can so easily see the path it has taken from Woodrow Wilson through my personal memory of Kruschev pounding his shoe and telling us we will destroy ourselves from within to today where it is out of the closet completely. (I highly recommend watching videos of Yuri Besminov - a former KGB officer who defected to Canada and then the USA. The videos are from the Reagan years and he demonstrates the infiltration progress at that time)
  2. Witness by Whittaker Chambers - What a brilliant and brave man - going from a born and raised communist to the realization of the false belief when he witnessed the miracle of his daughter. Then to go against the monster that was growing within our government and stand up to the Democrat golden boy Alger Hiss.
  3. Mafia Dynasty and The Kennedy Contract by John H Davis - starting with a morbid curiosity, I learned how a group following their own rules and principles, essentially forming their own governing body inside our country - How their influences were everywhere and how their tactics have been studied and used by other groups (Clinton).
0

I don't know that it's possible to narrow it down to three, as I've read so many and have been touched by many. However, there are a handful that have seemed to stick with me for decades after. If I had to choose just three, in no particular order.

  1. 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. Ironically, García Márquez was a committed socialist; often advocating for a different kind of socialism. Where have we heard that before? Regardless, 100 Years of Solitude is a stunning book.

  2. Homo Faber by Max Frisch. This book is like an elegant train wreck in that the reader knows early on something that the protagonist does not. Yes, this train is going to horribly crash, we just don't know the exact aftermath. Just the other day a young colleague of mine told me that they were needing to write a report about a literary character going through difficult times of self discovery and change for a college paper. She was thinking about using Catcher in the Rye. I promptly steered her away from that and towards Homo Faber. Walter Faber makes Holden Caulfield seem like a, well, petty little teenager.

  3. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. If you read this book, I highly recommend the translation by Jay Rubin. This book will hang over your psyche to one degree or another for, perhaps, the rest of your life.

I can't go without mentioning the following, though:

Jim Harrison: Farmer, Dalva, Brown Dog, Sun Dog, Legends of the Fall, The Woman Lit By Fireflies, and Julip. Julip is interesting in that it contains a story, The Beige Dolorosa, about a college professor who is putting his life back together after a sexual harassment scandal. It touched on the Me Too movement way back in 1994.

Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.

Neal Barrett Jr.'s Through Darkest America. A novel that takes place in the distant future after an apocalyptic event. The world is now a pseudo 19th century existence. It's against this backdrop that a young boy goes on an adventure to rival all others. This is a dark and brutal story.

And countless others ...

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