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Wow! Very interesting question!
A couple of people have already mentioned books/authors that I really like, and that made an impact on me in an abstract sense--like Watership Down and Essays in Existentialism, by Sartre.
I hope I don't offend anyone who thinks this ought to be considered a religious book, but I think the biggest impact in my life was made by Herman Hesse's Siddhartha.
The book was given to me during a difficult time in my life, by someone important to me. The message I took home from that book was that we all need to find our own way to achieve enlightenment, and what constitutes enlightenment is unique for each of us.
I didn't do any Googling to see if people agree with me as far whether or not that's the books' message, but I've changed a lot of the ways I think about people, things, and behaviors as a result. I certainly think its had the longest lasting impact on me of any book I've read, and I find myself turning back to it again and again.
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