Books that changed your life.. - Page 2

Dulin's Books · 12-08-2010, 11:22 PM

The 1978 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. My parents bought it as a Christmas 1977 present . Each time a new volume came (once a month one letter at a time) I read it cover to cover. I have since read each one beginning to end at least 6 times. Even now every once in a while I will just pick one up and read it.

I still have the whole set including the "Science Year" and "Year Book" volumes for '79 and when ever my oldest has a question about something we break out the world book..

John Carroll · 12-08-2010, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

The 1978 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. My parents bought it as a Christmas 1977 present . Each time a new volume came (once a month one letter at a time) I read it cover to cover. I have since read each one beginning to end at least 6 times. Even now every once in a while I will just pick one up and read it.

I still have the whole set including the "Science Year" and "Year Book" volumes for '79 and when ever my oldest has a question about something we break out the world book..

. . . . . . . . . *mumbles* overachiever . . . . . . . . .

Dulin's Books · 12-08-2010, 11:42 PM

hahahahahahaa

RW2112 · 12-09-2010, 01:10 AM

Robert E. Howard's Conan series and also the Doc Savage series. Discovered them early in life and they made me the avid reader I am today!

HappyMartin · 12-09-2010, 01:56 AM

The Grapes Of Wrath Steinbeck of course.
Awakening The Buddha Within Lama Surya Das

Luke King · 12-09-2010, 04:10 AM

Plenty of books have changed my life, but there are two in particular. The first I won't mention, in case anyone reads it. The second - The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand - gave me some perspective on what the first idiot had to say.

I can't say I'm an Ayn Rand fanatic, but I certainly appreciated hearing a different side of the story at an important time in my life.

Taken together, I've been left without political allegiance.

peaceridge · 12-09-2010, 09:23 AM

Mine was H. Rider Haggard's "She". My father read it to me when I was too small to read it myself - it started me on a love of books and reading.

Toxaris · 12-09-2010, 09:41 AM

More than one book changed my life. However, the first book that made a major impression is probably 'Lord of the Rings'. I first read it when I was about 10 years old and it had a major impact on my reading and view of the world. I soon read the letters, which put his stories in a different setting with regards to his youth, WW1 and so on.

montsnmags · 12-09-2010, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bearymore

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Godel Escher Bach

Zen... was my first thought too.

I'd also probably have to include the Thomas Covenent Chronicles and Lord of the Rings as they started me early down the reading path.

In more recent times, I'd say If This Is A Man and The Truce by Primo Levi.

Cheers,
Marc

Worldwalker · 12-09-2010, 12:37 PM

Venus Boy, by Lee Sutton. It was the first SF I ever read (my parents tried to keep me from reading the stuff). I have been trying to buy a copy for a decade or more, but it was apparently only sold to a few libraries, and prices are obscene. As in "could buy three or four whole ebook readers" obscene.

Star Man's Son by Andre Norton. It was the first SF I ever owned (despite parental oversight; it came from the Scholastic Book Club) and it made all the difference in the world.

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. The movie is nothing at all like the book, by the way. It will make you think. A lot of my beliefs about honor and duty came from that book.

Silverlock, by John Myers Myers. It changed my life not so much for itself, but by introducing me to a whole world of literature. I'm still following up allusions, decades later.

There are more, a lot more, mostly SF and fantasy. Andre Norton's books, especially the early ones. The Robert Heinlein juveniles. Tom Swift and a few other products of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Horatio Alger. Hugh Walters. H. Beam Piper. There are more that I'm not thinking of right now (one word: Cataclysm) but they contributed, too. Every book I read adds a little, pro or con. I think that's what being a reader, instead of just someone who happens to read books, is all about.

44Dave · 12-09-2010, 05:59 PM

The Fountainhead.

david_e · 12-09-2010, 06:30 PM

The Persian Boy

CazMar · 12-09-2010, 06:46 PM

Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose". Somehow stimulated a long dormant desire to relearn Latin, which lead to Ancient Greek, to ancient and medieval philosophy, to modern philosophy....
Funny how that happened!
(And for some personal philosophy - Seneca's letters)

JeremyZ · 12-09-2010, 11:12 PM

The Hobbit got me really interested in reading. I never realized how engrossing reading a book could be until that one.

A Tale of Two Cities made me appreciate all the things we take for granted today. Mostly, not being persecuted unfairly. (at least not to that degree, hehehe)

Sherlock Holmes has caused me to think things through and notice details that are telling in things.

nursedude · 12-10-2010, 09:13 AM

I wouldn't say that there is any one book that changed my life. I think acquiring the love of reading at an early age is what had a great impact my life.

There are books that have opened my eyes to new ideas and challenged my perceptions of the status quo. Examples would be:

The Pity of War - Niall Ferguson - made me realize just what a colossal waste WW1 was

1919 - Margaret McMillan showed me how the seeds of WW2 and many of the other conflicts that occurred in the latter part of the 20th century were sown at the peace tables for WW1

Why we Act Like Canadians - Pierre Berton introduced me to an interesting perspective on why two countries that have peacefully shared a common border differ so greatly in some things. NB: I don't always agree with him but it was interesting.

12-09-2010, 11:12 PM	#29
JeremyZ Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 1000702 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chicago Device: Nook ST, Kindle 2, Samsung Galaxy Stellar phone	The Hobbit, A Tale of Two Cities, Sherlock Holmes The Hobbit got me really interested in reading. I never realized how engrossing reading a book could be until that one. A Tale of Two Cities made me appreciate all the things we take for granted today. Mostly, not being persecuted unfairly. (at least not to that degree, hehehe) Sherlock Holmes has caused me to think things through and notice details that are telling in things.

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12-08-2010, 11:22 PM	#16
Dulin's Books Wizard Posts: 2,806 Karma: 13500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Portland, OR Device: Boox PB360 etc etc etc	The 1978 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. My parents bought it as a Christmas 1977 present . Each time a new volume came (once a month one letter at a time) I read it cover to cover. I have since read each one beginning to end at least 6 times. Even now every once in a while I will just pick one up and read it. I still have the whole set including the "Science Year" and "Year Book" volumes for '79 and when ever my oldest has a question about something we break out the world book..

12-08-2010, 11:42 PM	#18
Dulin's Books Wizard Posts: 2,806 Karma: 13500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Portland, OR Device: Boox PB360 etc etc etc	hahahahahahaa

12-09-2010, 01:10 AM	#19
RW2112 Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 32172 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Device: iPad 2	Robert E. Howard's Conan series and also the Doc Savage series. Discovered them early in life and they made me the avid reader I am today!

12-09-2010, 01:56 AM	#20
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	The Grapes Of Wrath Steinbeck of course. Awakening The Buddha Within Lama Surya Das

12-09-2010, 04:10 AM	#21
Luke King Member Retired Posts: 173 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle 2	Plenty of books have changed my life, but there are two in particular. The first I won't mention, in case anyone reads it. The second - The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand - gave me some perspective on what the first idiot had to say. I can't say I'm an Ayn Rand fanatic, but I certainly appreciated hearing a different side of the story at an important time in my life. Taken together, I've been left without political allegiance.

12-09-2010, 09:23 AM	#22
peaceridge Wizard Posts: 1,029 Karma: 4407864 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: North Carolina Device: Kobo Aura1, Nexus7.2, Galaxy Tab A 8.4, Ipad Air & Mini 6	Mine was H. Rider Haggard's "She". My father read it to me when I was too small to read it myself - it started me on a love of books and reading.

12-09-2010, 09:41 AM	#23
Toxaris Wizard Posts: 4,520 Karma: 121692313 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Heemskerk, NL Device: PRS-T1, Kobo Touch, Kobo Aura	More than one book changed my life. However, the first book that made a major impression is probably 'Lord of the Rings'. I first read it when I was about 10 years old and it had a major impact on my reading and view of the world. I soon read the letters, which put his stories in a different setting with regards to his youth, WW1 and so on.

12-09-2010, 12:37 PM	#25
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	Venus Boy, by Lee Sutton. It was the first SF I ever read (my parents tried to keep me from reading the stuff). I have been trying to buy a copy for a decade or more, but it was apparently only sold to a few libraries, and prices are obscene. As in "could buy three or four whole ebook readers" obscene. Star Man's Son by Andre Norton. It was the first SF I ever owned (despite parental oversight; it came from the Scholastic Book Club) and it made all the difference in the world. Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. The movie is nothing at all like the book, by the way. It will make you think. A lot of my beliefs about honor and duty came from that book. Silverlock, by John Myers Myers. It changed my life not so much for itself, but by introducing me to a whole world of literature. I'm still following up allusions, decades later. There are more, a lot more, mostly SF and fantasy. Andre Norton's books, especially the early ones. The Robert Heinlein juveniles. Tom Swift and a few other products of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Horatio Alger. Hugh Walters. H. Beam Piper. There are more that I'm not thinking of right now (one word: Cataclysm) but they contributed, too. Every book I read adds a little, pro or con. I think that's what being a reader, instead of just someone who happens to read books, is all about.

12-09-2010, 05:59 PM	#26
44Dave Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 3266 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Nook	The Fountainhead.

12-09-2010, 06:30 PM	#27
david_e Seriously? Posts: 529 Karma: 3347562 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Mini, iWhatever	The Persian Boy

12-09-2010, 06:46 PM	#28
CazMar Book Geek Posts: 596 Karma: 1499085 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Adelaide, Australia Device: Kobo Touch, Asus MemPad 7" tablet, Nexus 5, Asus 10" tablet	Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose". Somehow stimulated a long dormant desire to relearn Latin, which lead to Ancient Greek, to ancient and medieval philosophy, to modern philosophy.... Funny how that happened! (And for some personal philosophy - Seneca's letters)

12-10-2010, 09:13 AM	#30
nursedude Zealot Posts: 131 Karma: 17102 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo (Original), KT, iPad 1, iPhone 4S, iPad 3rd gen	I wouldn't say that there is any one book that changed my life. I think acquiring the love of reading at an early age is what had a great impact my life. There are books that have opened my eyes to new ideas and challenged my perceptions of the status quo. Examples would be: The Pity of War - Niall Ferguson - made me realize just what a colossal waste WW1 was 1919 - Margaret McMillan showed me how the seeds of WW2 and many of the other conflicts that occurred in the latter part of the 20th century were sown at the peace tables for WW1 Why we Act Like Canadians - Pierre Berton introduced me to an interesting perspective on why two countries that have peacefully shared a common border differ so greatly in some things. NB: I don't always agree with him but it was interesting.