10 Books That Shaped My Life, and 40 Others I Love
Reader Ed from Ireland recently asked:
I’m still really only a beginner into the Zen Habits lifestyle and your site as given me a great deal of helpful information instantly. Do you think there are any books, sites you could suggest that really made an impression on you?
That’s a tough one. I’m a book lover, to be honest, and to choose just a few books that have influenced me is like choosing among your babies. However, I’ve decided to share a few books that have shaped the way I think, and that I would highly recommend. These are not in order:
- Simplify Your Life
and Living the Simple Life
by Elaine St. James. I listed this first because it is one of the books that most influenced the simple philosophy behind this site. I began simplifying my life when I first read these books a decade ago, and though I’ve had some ups and downs, I credit my love for simplifying to these books. They’re an easy read and there are some great tips in there.
- Your Money or Your Life
by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robins. No book on money is more important. If you haven’t read this book yet, you must. It’s simply life transforming, and takes the way most people look at money and turns it on its head. My philosophy about money stems from this book.
- Getting Things Done
by David Allen. This is not a surprise for people who read this site. When I first read about GTD, I overhauled my organizational and productivity habits, and have been refining them ever since. This book’s methods guide much of the writing on this site, even if I’ve adapted them to suit my needs.
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey. I was highly enthusiastic about this book when I first read it about 15 years ago, but then I kind of forgot about it for a long time. Until recently, when I was looking for ways to fill in gaps in GTD, and realized that Covey’s concepts are perfect. Now, my productivity/goals system is a blend of GTD, Covey, simplification and a few others.
- The Art of Happiness
by the Dalai Lama. Taught me more about compassion than any other book I’ve read. For that alone, the book is worth its weight in gold.
- Manufacturing Consent
by Noam Chomsky. This was a hard book to swallow when I was a journalist, as it cuts to the heart of the mass media (also known as corporate media). Chomsky’s writings awoke in me, as they did in many others, an awareness of the political and corporate machine that affects all of our lives. When people ask me how I can boycott reading and watching the news for two years (”You need to be aware of the world around you!”), I would point them to this book. The reading is a bit dense, but it’s powerful.
- Tender Is the Night
by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although Gatsby is more highly regarded, I think because it is more compactly written and touches on themes considered more important, Tender is the book I read first and it is the book that truly awed me with the unmatchable beauty of Fitzgerald’s writing. He writes poetry and music in the form of prose, and his ear for rhythm of language is unmatched. My heart aches when I read this book.
- Dubliners
by James Joyce. I think this book changed me because it taught me how powerful literature can be. I went on to read even more powerful stuff from Joyce, but this was the first, and it made all other literature I read before it seem like light reading. And Joyce captures beauty and sadness and humanity in the smallest things, and his mastery of the language is unmatched except by Shakespeare.
- Cat’s Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut. I love everything by Vonnegut. I wanted to write something on this blog when he died, but I couldn’t put my feelings into words. He became a close friend, through his books, and he was able to make fun of some of the most horrible things — things we don’t normally want to think about — and thus making them more digestible, and more absurd at the same time. Cat’s Cradle is simply my favorite, but Slaughterhouse 5 and the rest are awesome too.
- The Essential Gandhi
. A great man captured in one little book. His words are profound and his actions even more so. Gandhi, more than anyone else, shaped my thinking about violence and politics and simplicity and the power of our actions.
Those are just the ones that I can think of that have had the most impact. Of course, there are many others.
Other books I’ve loved with all my heart: Gatsby, Watership Down, Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Shibumi, anything by Joyce or Vonnegut or William Gibson or Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams or Shakespeare or Dostoyevsky and most of Hemingway, Harry Potter, books by Lloyd Alexander and Shel Silverstein, the Unbearable Lightness of Being, Ann Patchett, Nick Hornby, Steinbeck, Chekhov, Beckett, Time Traveler’s Wife, Nabokov, Twain, Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, Ken Kesey, Heinlein … I’m sure I could think of 50 others if I took the time.
What are your favorite books, or those that have changed your life? Let us know in the comments.
- Posted on 22 June 2007 in Books |
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Comments (115)
Kishor Gurtu Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 5:20 am
1. Tao Te Ching
2. The Bhagavad Gita as it is.
Stephen Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 6:07 am
The “Impact” books, in no particular order:
Atlas Shrugged and Anthem by Ayn Rand
Driven to Distraction by Dr. Edward Hallowell
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Distraction by Bruce Sterling
These Charming People by Michael Arlen
First Things First by Stephen Covey
Getting Things Done by David Allen
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Book of Five Rings by Musashi
Authors I love: Hemingway, Tolkien, Jordan, Stirling, Poe, Brodsky, Aasimov, Lewis, oh the list goes on and on.
Arjun Muralidharan Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 6:21 am
Those are some great reads for the summer beach, Leo. Wonder if students can profit form it (i’ll be sure to blog about if so).
I’d personally add one book to that list that gave me a lot of perspective to human thinking and decision-making:
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s about spontaneous decisions, and how thinking too much can mess up your actions.
Mike Mahaffie Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 6:25 am
Great lists. I’m a fiction reader, and your choices in that realm resonate with my experience. I’ll explore some of your non-fiction choices.
Robert A. Heinlein changed me early in life.
Patrick O’Brian became a passion later in life.
Mark Helprin is a writer I return to often.
Alexandre Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 6:26 am
there’s also “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. I loved it, so simple and easy to read.
Steve Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 7:03 am
Excellent list, but like any list of great books it’s too short! I think it’s a tough task since if you asked me a year ago I might give a different list than I would give today.
I know a lot of people will roll their eyes, but I think “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” is a great book. Not so much for Kiyosaki’s philosophy or investment advice, much of which I think is a little off, but simply because that was one of the first “personal improvement” books I read that really made me reevaluate some of the things I had always thought about finance and investing.
I could think of a million others, though! Good idea for a blog post soon…
Arif Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 7:03 am
I’ve been meaning to do a personal post on this for a very long time and probably will do it shortly too. But if i were to list five books that have changed my life the ones that first come to mind are:
Getting Things Done
Word Power - Norman Lewis
How to read Faster and Better - Norman Lewis
Be Happy - Andrew Matthews
There were some tapes of Zig zigler and Ed Foreman that I would hear fairly regularly which have made quite an impact on me too.
William Mize Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 7:24 am
The novels that changed my life: “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving, and “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. A perennial favorite to get me out of a bad mood - “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole.
Non-Fiction that impacted me greatly - “Awaken The Giant Within” by Tony Robbins, ‘The Perfect Power Within You” by Jack Addington, “The Art of Living” by Sharon Lebell (an Epictetus translation) and “The Stoic Art of Living” by Tom Morris.
Enjoy!
- Bill
http://modernbadmovies.com
Mike Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 7:31 am
Excellent list! A couple of my favorites include:
- Anything by Ayn Rand but especially Atlas Shrugged
- Of Human Bondage
- Getting Things Done (of course!)
Peter Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 7:52 am
Great list. I’d add The Bible. Regardless of beliefs, I think that the information in that one book changes more lives than any other.
Sometimes people ask me what one book more than any other has had an impact on my life, and I say that one. I daresay that there is no other book in which every lead character is known throughout most of the world as a “household name.”
Peter
mikebdot Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 8:12 am
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham
Why I am not a Christian by Bertrand Russell
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Lectures on the Foundation of Mathematics by Ludwig Wittgenstein
Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut (he was amazing)
Janna Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 8:24 am
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It’s an amazing book.
John Gault Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 8:49 am
Atlas Shrugged
Laura Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 8:53 am
I second “Confederacy of Dunces”, “A Prayer for Owen Meany” and “To Kill A Mockingbird.” They all moved me in big ways.
I also loved:
“The Fountainhead” Ayn Rand
“Jesus Land” Julia Scheeres
“A Wrinkle In Time” Madeline L’Engle
“Write It Down, Make It Happen” Henriette Klauser
“The Artist’s Way” Julia Cameron
“Collapse” Jared Diamond
“Under The Banner Of Heaven” Jon Krakauer
“The Secret Garden” Frances Hodgeson Burnett
Some of these are “kids” books, but worth a re-read to see the message in a whole new light as an adult.
Great post!
Deb Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 8:55 am
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma is one book that has helped me change my life. Megaliving also by Sharma gives you the tools to implement the principals in the first book. Both great reads
Dominic Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 8:59 am
Too many to name them all, but top of the list (in no particular order) are:
-The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand
-Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
-All of the Callahan’s books by Spider Robinson
-Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
-The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov
-The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers
-Not a book, but a short story: And Then There Were None by Eric Frank Russell
Tara Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:06 am
Great list. I always seem to swing from a great story to good non-fiction reading. For me, I would add:
Abhorsen series by Garth Nix
“Now, Discover Your Strengths” Marcus Buckingham
“Fierce Conversations” Susan Scott
Harry Potter
“Howard’s End” EM Forrester
“A Prayer for Owen Meany” John Irving
There’s many others but these are the first that pop into my head.
Danielle Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:17 am
Well a few of the books that have influenced me have been:
The Odyssey by Homer
Mark Turpin’s poetry
The Temple of my Familiar by Alice Walker
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
I am glad I stumbled upon this peaceful site.
Be well and enjoy the day
Tom Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:20 am
Nice list. I would add
A Course in Miracles
“A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving
“A Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson
“Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein
Anything by Hunter Thompson
“The Confession of Mason Young” by yours truly
Dennis Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:29 am
“Gödel, Escher Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid” by Douglas R. Hofstadter
“Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert A. Heinlein
“Time Enough for Love” by Robert A. Heinlein
“The Forever War” by Joseph Haldemann
“Mohn und Gedächtnis” by Paul Celan
“Postwar” by Tony Judt
“Der Richter und sein Henker” by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
“Paul Celan: Poet, Survivor, Jew” by John Felstiner
“L’Œuvre” by Zola
Diane Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:34 am
Wonderful post. I’m surprised to find so many of the books I love on all of your lists. I’m bookmarking and taking that others I haven’t read as suggestions.
Here are some books I don’t see on the lists that had major impact for me:
a tree grows in Brooklyn
lost horizon
franny and zooey
the remains of the day
ariel collection by sylvia plath
the book of longing
night
frauen
I never promised you a rose garden
old path white clouds
jos Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:39 am
im sad that i have read NONE of them :( i have a lot of summer reading to do
Dennis Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:40 am
@MikeBDot: If you loved Frankl, you might be interested to see what has happened to Norman Finkelstein, a prominent poet, professor and son of Holocaust survivors. He’s taught at Xavier here in Cincinnati and then moved on to DePaul…
Morgan Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:45 am
I’ve lost count of how many times I have read the following:
Joyce’s Dubliners (Especially the selectons, “Araby” and “Eveline”
Windhams’ The Chrysalids
Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird
de Beauvoir’s Le Sang des Autres
And in non-fiction
Margaret Lock. Twice Dead.
de Beauvoir. The Ethics of Ambiguity.
Edward Stein. The Mismeasure of Desire.
Thomas Laqueur. Making Sex.
Nelly Oudshoorn. Beyond the Natural Body.
I also like to read stage-plays as well as see them and include among the most brilliant here:
Anne-Marie MacDonald. Good Night Desdemona; Good Morning Juliet.
Noel Coward. Fallen Angels.
David Henry Hwang. M. Butterfly.
And a colleccted narrative with illustrations detailing the days before this young Viennese girl was deported to Auschwitz:
Charlotte Solomon. Life or Theatre?
Craig Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:53 am
Wonderful list! Two that move me and I reread every few years:
Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis
The Razor’s Edge - Somerset Maughm
These are in addition to many already listed.
Jason Brooks Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 9:55 am
The Crack in the Cosmic Egg
The Power of Now
Seat of the Soul
Tao Te Ching
Flow
Getting Things Done
The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll
The Complete Poems of William Blake
The Varieties of Religious Experience
The Now Habit
The Essential David Bohm
The Holographic Universe
Gerry Power Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 10:09 am
The Power of Now
Jacinta Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 11:03 am
A beautiful and inspirational book:
If you want to write by Brenda Ueland
HopefulGirl Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 11:08 am
Books that changed my life:
Unbearable Lightness of Being- Kundera
Fahrenheit 451- Bradbury
A Grief Observed- CS Lewis
The Alchemist- Coelho
The Fountainhead- Rand
The Count of Monte Cristo- Dumas
Ragamuffin Gospel- Manning
Michael E. Johnson Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 11:21 am
Wow! The most influential books in my short life time. Well in no particular order: Beloved by Toni Morrison, one of the greatest horror novels of all time.
Getting Things Done by David Allen, what else needs to be said about this book.
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jarred Diamond, Nothing short of an excellent history of civilization.
Parable of The Sower by Octavia Butler, I always read this one in one sitting. It’s just so excellent.
Peoples History of the United States by Howard Zinn, why can’t all history books be this well researched and entertaining.
Neuromancer by William Gibson, Stand on Zannzibar by John Brunner, The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson three great novels on similar themes.
The Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley, still powerful reading after all these decades.
I think I’ll stop now because more and more titles are popping into my head.
Britt Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 12:06 pm
Candide by Voltaire
Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
Black Power by Charles V. Hamilton and Kwame Ture
Nathaniel Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 12:14 pm
I will echo “The Forever War” by Haldeman and “Starship Troopers” by Heinlein; echoes of that era that any of this would be remiss not to understand.
But I will put forth the following as well;
“The Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler
“Feynman’s Lectures on Physics”
sunny Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 12:26 pm
“Nothing Left Over: A Plain and Simple Life” by Toinette Lippe.
I loved the book and think of it often. It’s a little paperback but each chapter provides something to mull over and apply.
For instance, Ms. Lippe talks about the right time to do something… That if you are putting of doing something, maybe it’s simply not the right time to do it. When it’s the right time, details will fall into place.
Or the idea of watching yourself - as in being in a conversation, hearing something you don’t like or aren’t used to, and listening, being an observer of the conversation..and then thinking it over later. [I liked this one because I tend to jump in and react strongly...thus ruining a calm, logical conversation.]
I sent the author a letter and she emailed me. She’s quite personable.
Chuck Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 13:29 pm
Here are a few that came to mind that I didn’t see in the comments:
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin
The Empty Pot by Demi
Also, if you like Harry Potter, I bet you’d like the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman or the The Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursula LeGuin. Both are superior to Harry Potter, in my opinion.
mikebdot Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 13:52 pm
@Dennis: Thanks, I’ll be sure to check it out…when I finish the plethora of books I got for X-mas! :) Seriously, thanks.
David McIntosh Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 14:02 pm
‘Your Erroneous Zones’ by Wayne Dyer. I’m actually reading it right now for the first time.
chica with issues Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 14:26 pm
I just checked out #2 on your list at the library today! You’re not the first I’ve seen praising it, and I’m excited to read it.
I read #4 in a Leadership class in college - what a great book. It should be a necessary read for everyone in college!
great list!
Bill Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 14:52 pm
“Dianetics” by L. Ron Hubbard.
…
…
…
Just kidding :)
Leo Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 15:21 pm
Great books, guys! This is one of my favorite comment threads ever.
md5 Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 15:27 pm
Profound titles for me:
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Inferno, Dante Alighieri
Favorite titles for me:The Long Run, Daniel Keys Moran **The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Robert A. HeinleinEnder’s Game, Orson Scott Card
** Every Sci-Fi/Technology fan should read this one — out of print, so hard to find
md5 Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 15:28 pm
oops…formatting issues, The Long Run is what I recommend everyone read. :)
Mardee Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 16:44 pm
A lot of your books are on my list (and thank you for mentioning the Harry Potter books - I’m so tired of people disparaging them without ever having read them). But I have to add a few others:
Greenwillow (B.J. Chute) - one of the most charming and beautifully-written fantasies I have ever read.
Traveling Mercies (Anne Lamott)
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
Diet for a Small Planet (Frances Moore Lappe)
The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova)
The History of Woman Suffrage (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, et al.)
The Feminist Mystique (Betty Friedan)
Jeff Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 16:52 pm
On the Road by Jack Kerouac has always been one of my favorite reads
Debting Thomas Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 17:00 pm
One of my favorite money books is: How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt and Live Prosperously by Jerrold Mundis.
Another book I love is called: The Spirituality of Imperfection.
Peace
DT
http://www.debtingthomas.com
Melanie Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 17:17 pm
Winnie-The-Pooh
Getting Things Done
The Seven Habits (and other books by S. Covey)
Books about Zamonia by Walter Moers
Superfoods RX by S. Pratt/K. Matthews
Gayle Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 18:01 pm
I am delighted to see so many of the books that changed my outlook on life already mentioned. To this list I would add:
Behaving as if the God in All Life Matters by Machaelle Small Wright
The Kin of Atta are Waiting for you by Dorothy Bryant
The Shiva Trilogy by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami - I looked for 15 years for a good English Translation of the Upanishads - this is the purest. The Upanishads are much older texts than the Bhagavad Gita - and are the basis of Hinduism and therefore Buddhism.
The American Book of the Dead by EJ Gold Original Edition (no longer available)
Enjoy!! and Thanks I will enjoy reading some of the books mentioned in your posts
Sean Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 19:50 pm
Check out anything by Dan Millman.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior and Everyday Enlightenment will change your life
Jeff Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 22:43 pm
The Chosen - i forget the author (very highly recommended)
Snowblind
Flowers for Algernon
Crime and Punishment
Kink, Strange Angels - Kathe Koja (recommended)
Borrowed Time - Paul Monette (highly recommended)
Daniel Koontz Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 22:59 pm
“How to Want What You Have” by Timothy Ray Miller
“A Year to Live” by Stephen Levine
And I’m a huge fan of “Your Money or Your Life.” Good call on that book. A life-changer.
Great post.
JMac Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 23:05 pm
razor’s edge
siddhartha
scott Says:
June 22nd, 2007, 23:19 pm
Wow. Impressed to see Shibumi. I haven’t met many people that have read that book. It was huge in my life - started my interest in GO for sure. Very nice to see….
Kenny King Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 1:17 am
Great list. I love reading and there are many books that have changed the way I think, feel and even believe. But there are always those that stand out:
The Fountianhead by Ayn Rand
Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
They just get better the more you read them…
Hobo Stripper Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 1:33 am
Books that have changed my life:
Endgame, by Derrick Jensen
Politics of Experience, RD Lang
Masculine Domination, Pierre Bourdeau (sp?)
Women Who Run With The Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Language Older Than Words, Derrick Jensen
Megan64 Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 2:51 am
Wow…what’s with all the Ayn Rand? Do admit I couldn’t put down Fountainhead about 20 years ago.
More recent loves include:
Last of the Just by André Schwarz-Bart - Words? Useless in describing.
Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor - I tell everyone I know about this one.
Binthaire Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 3:59 am
For the pure joy of reading contemporary fiction, I suggest THEM, Joyce Carol Oates and American Pastoral, Philip Roth. These books are life changing in that they deepen one’s understanding of humanity and thus oneself.
Missouri Tiger Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 8:19 am
IMHO
Greatest living American fiction writer: Cormac McCarthy
Masterpieces: Blood Meridian (#1), Border Trilogy, Suttree
Runner up: John Updike
Masterpieces: Rabbit series, In the Beauty of the LIllies
Greatest non-fiction works in last 20 years:
What it Takes, by Richard Ben Cramer
Into Thin Air, Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer
A Civil Action, Jonathan Harr
Life Changers:
7 Habits
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Power of Positive Thinking
fossfor Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 8:26 am
this is a good post! mine would have to be Ursula le Guin’s the Dispossesed
fp64 Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 10:35 am
two of my faves not mentioned:
On the Road - J.Kerouac
It’s Easier Than You Think - Sylvia Boorstein
Leslie Erentreich Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 11:02 am
I saw that someone already mentioned it but I can’t even begin to describe how awesome this book was for me…on such a personal level…I keep it on my nightstand like people keep their bibles…
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
Debbie Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 11:43 am
‘On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious’ by Douglas Harding, ‘I Am That’ by Nisargadatta Maharaj
nancy Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 16:35 pm
My most influential book is from my childhood - The Spotted, Dotted Puppy by Steffi Fletcher.
In my more recent reading, Mastery by George Leonard, and The Not So Big House by Susan Susanka (excellent for rethinking how much house you actually need. The 2 of us + pets live comfortably in just over 800 SF; never would have considered living in less than 1200 before this book.)
Ashana Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 19:37 pm
the book that has truly changed my life and my outlook on it is The Giver by Louis Lowry. It is definately a must read for everybody, and it’s a very easy and short book to read. You can do it in a night or two.
Steven Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 19:53 pm
A Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Martin Eden by Jack London
Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
If the Buddha Got Stuck by Charlotte Kasl
Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
BJP Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 19:54 pm
As a Man Thinketh.
Brandie Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 20:10 pm
Wow! Loving this post! Here’s a few more:
- The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Secret (ok, so maybe this is beating a dead horse, but it’s a great book!)
- Sweeping Changes, Gary Thorp
- Inspiration, Getting In The Gap, both by Dr. Wayne Dyer
- The Right To Write, Julia Cameron
Dick Rivett Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 20:46 pm
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
PsychoCybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
These are the original personal development books that all the others are derived from.
Steve Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 20:54 pm
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
White Teeth - Sadie something
Brandon Fields Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 21:00 pm
The Age of Reason, Thomas Paine
west Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 21:29 pm
from your list, i get te feeling that you are
1. lonely,
2. has a low self-esteem
3. needs to be constantly reminded of your worth
4. needs to read more fiction
west Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 21:31 pm
james joyce???
now that is a writer to read when you are really low…
i could not get past the first few pages of the “Book of the Century”…
mark Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 21:35 pm
I second Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig
Also The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins as well as The Selfish Gene, Unweaving the Rainbow, and others.
aurora Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 21:58 pm
I Ching
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying ~ sogyal rinpoche
Joan of Arc ~ mark twain
Man and His Symbols ~ carl jung
Spring Snow ~ yukio mishima
PaperJesus Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 22:08 pm
Ender’s game is definitely my favorite book. It was what got me into science fiction. His Dark Materials series.
david Says:
June 23rd, 2007, 22:52 pm
I read The Art of Happiness, and though I liked it, I would have to give higher marks to Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill by Mathieu Ricard (trans. by Jesse Browner). Ricard is one of the Dalai Lama’s translators, and I found his book both more approachable and deeper than The Art of Happiness. I encourage everyone to give it a look.
Michael Says:
June 24th, 2007, 0:00 am
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon and Robert Crumb comix aren’t on anybody’s list?
Eric Says:
June 24th, 2007, 0:48 am
“In Watermelon Sugar” by Richard Brautigan
“Godel Escher Bach” by Douglas Hofsteader
Emily, 16 Says:
June 24th, 2007, 3:00 am
Books that changed my life:
* Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury–my favorite book of all time
* To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
* The Giver by Lois Lowry
* The Bible–(okay so it’s cheesy but true) even though I’m not a Christian, this book has a lot of life-changing ideas about human nature and relationships
Other favorite books:
* The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
* The Harry Potter books
* The Hitchhiker’s Guide trilogy by Douglas Adams
* Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
* House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Doug Says:
June 24th, 2007, 8:28 am
Beau Geste
The Healing Road - Neil Peart
Powers of Ten
Foundation series
Galileo’s Daughter
Flutie
The Tao of Pooh & The Te of Piglet
tattoo-bob Says:
June 24th, 2007, 10:50 am
The Turner Diaries
tattoo-bob Says:
June 24th, 2007, 10:51 am
Also, Lucifers Hammer
Nate Says:
June 24th, 2007, 12:04 pm
The Alchemist is amazing.
anything written by Thich Nhat Hahn (sp?)
David Says:
June 24th, 2007, 14:03 pm
I had to mention this one b/c I was surprised not to see it.
The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch.
James Says:
June 24th, 2007, 14:32 pm
The Lucifer Principle
Howard Bloom
ron hopkins Says:
June 24th, 2007, 18:27 pm
To everyone who enjoyed this post
I would like to recommend a web site
called librarything.com, they have many
posts similar to this one.
Jeyowsuka Says:
June 24th, 2007, 20:57 pm
1984; I think every school curriculum should be required to read this book simply for the fact that it’s a book that has flat out predicted our future thus far.
Mark Gallagher Says:
June 24th, 2007, 20:58 pm
Read lots of whats been mentioned, so here’s what hasn’t been;
Franz Werfel - Star of the Unborn.
Best Sci-Fi ever, and I’ve read them all.
Mark Twain - Roughing It. He burned down the forest at Lake Taos.
Crazy, huh?
John Hersey - My Petition for More Space. Yeah, more sci-fi, the social mind-trippy kind.
Any Good Encyclopedia - A to Z!
Frobeast Says:
June 24th, 2007, 22:25 pm
Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
It’s a hokey title with an amazing story
Jesus Christ Says:
June 25th, 2007, 13:26 pm
The Bhagawad Gita is a book for the intellectual. Unlike the Quran or the Bible it is for intelligent people who want to understand the spiritual through the lens of science.
For westerners who are not exposed to easter thoughts this is your gateway to conciousness and beyond.
Bill H Says:
June 25th, 2007, 14:14 pm
Everything by Jose Saramago, beginning with “Blindness.”
Carrie Says:
June 25th, 2007, 14:55 pm
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
The Hobbit.
Anything by Larry Niven and/or Jerry Pournelle
Asmov
Heinlein
Guilty Pleasure:
Modesty Blaise Books, comics and Graphic Novels
AgentSully Says:
June 25th, 2007, 20:45 pm
So man of your books are on my list too.
Some others:
Follow Your Heart by Andrew Matthews - one of the best self-improvement books out there and it is the quickest read too!
A great fiction book that I couldn’t put down was:
Red Azelea -by Anchee Min
Beautifully written novel about growing up in China’s Cultural Revolution. Excellent. Dramatic and powerful.
Funny fiction book:
Skinny Dip - Carl Hiaasen
Most skilled novelist! So funny. Best characters. A delight to read!
I’ll add more another time.
Mitch Says:
June 26th, 2007, 0:26 am
I have been debating doing the LibraryThing myself. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, but life-changing books would probably have to include (in roughly chronological order):
Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery)
Mythology (Edith Hamilton)
The More-With-Less Cookbook (Doris Janzen Longacre)
Blacks (Gwendolyn Brooks)
Our Mathematical Heritage (William Schaaf, ed.; Hempel’s essays were esp. important)
“I Stand Here Ironing” (short story by Tillie Olsen)
The Jukebox and Other Essays on Storytelling (Peter Handke)
Usability Engineering (Jakob Nielsen)
Metaphors We Live By (and other books by G. Lakoff except for Don’t Think of an Elephant)
Rules for the Dance (Mary Oliver)
Diagonally Parked in a Parallel Universe (Signe A. Dayhoff)
The Gift of Fear (Gavin de Becker)
I think Jeff above is refering to Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. I went on a Potok kick in middle school; it was fun.
Sean in Seattle Says:
June 26th, 2007, 0:54 am
Helen Schucman’s ‘A Course in Miracles’
William Gibson’s ‘Neuromancer’
Betty Crocker’s ‘Picture Cookbook’
Robert Pirsig’s ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’
Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’ (yes, read it as a book)
James Clavell’s ‘Shogun’
Anthony Trollope’s ‘Palliser’ novels
Andre Schwarz-Bart’s ‘Last of the Just’
Elie Wiesel’s ‘Night’
Carmen Says:
June 27th, 2007, 3:05 am
Three books that have been influential for me:
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Gestalt Therapy by Perls, Hefferline and Goodman
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
Niels Says:
June 30th, 2007, 18:29 pm
Louis-Ferdinand Celine: Journey to the end of the night.
“A dark, nihilistic novel of savage, exultant misanthropy, leavened, however, with an ebulliently cynical humor”
focsa Says:
July 9th, 2007, 8:52 am
i recommend Don Miguel Ruiz - The four agreements.
this book make me better person
Steffenwolf Says:
July 26th, 2007, 1:30 am
Sophie’s world, Siddartha, Crime and Punishment were the books I enjoyed so mcuh….
Amosz Says:
September 6th, 2007, 17:41 pm
The most inspiring book for me:
The Old Man and the Sea - Hemingway
Walden - Thoreau
Crime and Punishment - Dostoevsky
Seven Years in Tibet - Harrer
The Chosen - Potok
Beyond Good and Evil - Nietzsche
Nice blog, thanks.
BTP Says:
October 8th, 2007, 23:02 pm
Carl Sagan:
‘Demon-Haunted World- Science as a candle in the Dark’
It should be in every classroom.
Carolina Says:
October 9th, 2007, 22:14 pm
Carole Maso- The Art Lover, Ava, Ghost Dance, The American Woman in the Chinese (language explored to it’s fullest possibilities, she’s simply brilliant)
Marguerite Duras- The Lover (Duras said more with a single coma than most writer do in entire tomes)
Virginia Woolf- To The Lighthouse (a book that requires its reader to occupy the present moment more than any other I’ve ever read)
F. Scott Fitzgerald- The Great Gatsby (as is the case with Maso, every sentence is a master piece)
Paul Auster- New York Trilogy (introspection raised to an art form, each is an meditation on the notion of reality and on the self)
Italo Calvino- Invisible Cities (an extended conversation between Kubla Khan and Marco Polo that leaves them, and the reader, completely transformed)
Italo Calvino- If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler..(all I can say is read it…genius)
I could go on and on.
Alex Says:
November 30th, 2007, 5:12 am
The Dune saga changed absolutely my vision on the world. Another extraordinary book is: On Heroes and Tombs by Ernesto Sabato
paul Says:
January 6th, 2008, 19:03 pm
Suttree - Cormac McCarthy
The World of Violence - Colin Wilson
Hunger - Knut Hamsun
Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - Hunter S Thompson
Barrow’s Boys - Fergus Fleming
Watchmen - Alan Moore
Wise Blood - Flannery O’Connor
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism - Chogyam Trungpa
The Turner Diaries - Dr William Pearce
Ham On Rye - Charles Bukowski
ag Says:
February 8th, 2008, 9:51 am
Wow. So glad I stumbled upon this while googling “life changing” books.
Mine:
Siddhartha - oh. my. god.
Atlas Shrugged & Fountainhead
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Perelandra
The Art of Seeing
Walden
Diet for a Small Planet
Thanks so much! I could kiss you guys! *whistles off to amazon*
Oliver Says:
May 16th, 2008, 4:30 am
Life of Pi by Yann Martel - amazing book!!!
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
The Little Prince - Saint-Exupery
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
love: TC Boyle, Dostojewskij, Philip K. Dick (i loved Valis!), Haruki Murakami
Moran Atias Says:
June 20th, 2008, 1:13 am
Hello…I found your site via Yahoo! when i was searching for tony moran, and this post regarding s That Shaped My Life, and 40 Others I Love | zen habits really sounds very interesting to me.. Thanks
Abhimanyu Grover Says:
July 1st, 2008, 12:02 pm
Its almost an year now, when I ordered few books included in this list. Today, I thought that I should share my feedback… Some of these books totally shaped my life in less than year and had a deep impact on me and way I work.
Because of these books, I am having a vision of future, which a lot others can not experience. Because of these books, Not only my personal but professional life has been improved.
Thanks for the wonderful post.
Helen Keller Says:
August 1st, 2008, 2:57 am
I just read this post because I’m browsing your “Quick Start Guide” and I’m so glad to see that the two books that have been the most influential in my life are listed first (St James and “Your Money or Your Life). It’s like meeting old friends ! Plus, I’m a huge fan of Watership Down, it is one of my favourites ever.
Thanks for this post.
Leonard J. Waks Says:
August 1st, 2008, 11:37 am
I was very glad that Walden finally appeared. I was getting worried!
Two other life changers I don’t see so far are:
Ken Keyes Jr.: How to Enjoy Your Life — Inspite of it All
and
Moundi Sadhu: In Days of Great Peace
The second of these is not frequently mentioned; I wonder whether it has fallen under the radar. It is a rare gem.
Taryn C Says:
August 1st, 2008, 20:18 pm
well I am about a year late here, however I have to ask if you have read Life of Pi? (Not a clue who wrote it sorry). It didn’t change my life but it certainly made me understand the way I think - I strongly recommend it to everyone!
I was very happy to see Harry Potter in your second list (and Douglas Adams!) - the emotions that series stirs in me and the basic messages in the writings are both beautiful and intense.
As well as Life of Pi I would like to give an honourable mention to:
Plato’s cave story (for making me seek truth above all)
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (for breaking my heart making me see the world in a whole new light and never letting me forget it)
Of Mice and Men (for strengthening my values)
My philosophy lecturer (for unintentionally making me an athiest - and becoming stronger for it)
Zen Habits (for empowering me to change my life, my habits and my thinking -I have never felt stronger or more capable - thankyou!)