Has a book you have read ever changed your life?

[zubby01]

Besides the Bible, I'm not sure I have ever read a book that has changed my life or had too significant an impact. However, I'm not too avid a reader either.

 

Just wondering if a book has changed your life and is so, in what way?

[ZAP]

Chop Wood Carry water

Pound the Stone

Twelve Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.

Smile at Fear

 

All for different reasons.

[MtlJeff]

I've read a lot of books, none have ever changed my life. I have really enjoyed reading critical thinking books as they have helped me with a lot though.

[shoot4par]

Season of Life, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Man's Search for Meaning (profound in a scary as s**t way.) Listen to Jordan Peterson's podcasts, have 12 Rules for Life on the shelf and should be getting to it in the next month. Really articulate, smart guy. Likewise the implementation of ideas change ones life but a book itself no. Words of Christ are pretty high on that list as well.

[Wriggles]

I've read a lot since I was young. Used to love the Sherlock Holmes stories, read them all in the 1970's. Maybe, those stories gave me the desire to finish a college degree and become an accountant. In one of the stories, I believe it was the "Stockbroker's Clerk", Holmes claimed to be an accountant in need of a job. Watson claimed he was a clerk, looking for a position, with the fraudulent company Holmes was investigating.

 

Back in the 1970's, if you squinted, you could see a small remnant of the Holmes era. Today has no resemblance whatsoever.

 

Haven't read any of those stories for decades.

 

PS: My first business cards were printed "Consulting Accountant" in honor to the world's first "Consulting Detective."

[scomac2002]

Season of Life, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Man's Search for Meaning (profound in a scary as s**t way.) Listen to Jordan Peterson's podcasts, have 12 Lessons on the shelf and should be getting to it in the next month. Really articulate, smart guy. Likewise the implementation of ideas change ones life but a book itself no. Words of Christ are pretty high on that list as well.

 

While I'm not a fan of Kiosaki's franchise: his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad did get me thinking differently about money and that did have a fundamental impact on my life. Following that came The Intelligent Investor and A Random Walk Down Wall Street and my path was set.

 

I've read some interesting philosophical treatises: Being Mortal, Killing Sacred Cows and Living in the End Times. Can't say they've changed my life, but they do make you think.

 

For Golf it would have to be Harvey Penick's Little Red Book and Moe and Me.

 

A couple of others that stick out from an historical perspective are The Greatest Generation and 1491.

[highergr0und]

Define life changing.... Most books do a little course correcting that can lead to meaningful change, but I'd imagine it's more one's willingness and desire to change that is the key.

 

Some examples for me..... I had some issues with negativity that led me to some books by Jon Gordon, an author that focuses on positivity. The Energy Bus and Power of Positive Leadership are both excellent, and he has way more that I haven't dabbled in. Dabo Swinney and Gordon are excellent friends and you can really hear it in any talk Dabo gives. These books had a positive change on me.

 

Focus is another area.... I run a smallish software company and I'm always pulled in a million directions and it's really easy to get lost. Essentialism by Greg McKeown has been great for me. Rhinoceros Success is another fun, easy read that focuses on hard charging towards a goal without getting distracted.

 

 

There are lots of others of course. Basically, when I find myself feeling deficient or wanting to improve an area, I find a book and it generally helps me implement change in a way. I don't know if any have ever been like "OMG this came out of left field and I'll never be the same"

[KAndyMan]

Growing up in a mostly blue collar environment/town books werent really talked about much. Most conversations were more likely to involve deer hunting and beer drinking (which yea i can see people have fun with those im not judging). Until one day i was fortunate to cross paths with a VERY successful man and he suggested i read:

-7 Habits of Highly Effective People

-How to win Friends and Influence People.

 

Those 2 books just blew my mind and with my OCD/curiosity opened up a whole new wormhole into reading. Guess you could say those 2 books changed the direction of my life 180*. I went from the hard headed "books are useless" mindset to reading a couple books a week for the last few years.

[Imhappyinthe80s]

As a teen I read a lot of Steinbeck, grapes of wrath, east of eden, tortilla flats, of mice and men...all the classics. It definitely shaped the way I see the world. Everyone has a good and bad to them, everyone faces struggles and the importance of the battle inside ones self and relationships. Just really opened my eyes and thoughts.

 

Just my .02

 

Also anyone who experienced loss, the 5 people you meet in heaven.

[shoot4par]

Season of Life, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Man's Search for Meaning (profound in a scary as s**t way.) Listen to Jordan Peterson's podcasts, have 12 Lessons on the shelf and should be getting to it in the next month. Really articulate, smart guy. Likewise the implementation of ideas change ones life but a book itself no. Words of Christ are pretty high on that list as well.

 

While I'm not a fan of Kiosaki's franchise: his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad did get me thinking differently about money and that did have a fundamental impact on my life. Following that came The Intelligent Investor and A Random Walk Down Wall Street and my path was set.

 

I've read some interesting philosophical treatises: Being Mortal, Killing Sacred Cows and Living in the End Times. Can't say they've changed my life, but they do make you think.

 

For Golf it would have to be Harvey Penick's Little Red Book and Moe and Me.

 

A couple of others that stick out from an historical perspective are The Greatest Generation and 1491.

 

Likewise to the above quoted. Regarding Golf- Hogan by Sampson and I have a special place in my heart for the Legend of Bagger Vance which is equally matched only by my dislike of the film minus Will Smith and Kiawah Island.

[tswieto]

His Dark Materials trilogy.

 

The very first night I met this girl, she had the book sitting on her bed. It kickstarted a long conversation and our first kiss.

 

Fast forward 9 years, and we have been happily married for over 3 years.

[Matt J]

I've read a lot of books. I'd say they've all changed my life at least a little. I think you're referring to big paradigm shifts, radically changing the way you see the world.

 

Just off the top of my head:

 

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

Siddhartha and The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse

The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

everything that Tom Robbins ever wrote, okay maybe everything written before Invalids Home from Hot Climates

Pat Conroy books hold a special place in my heart as one of his friends was my first writing coach

Another big vote for Steinbeck re-read East of Eden recently such a special novel

My Antonia by Willa Cather

the transcendentalists although I don't know if I could stomach it all this late in life I loved it when I was in my twenties

 

Books are a one-way conversation with the greatest minds the world has ever known. Can't imagine my life without access to books.

[bscinstnct]

Of course, many. Incrementally, everything that we read that has meaning gains importance. For example,

 

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.

“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”

 

-F. Scott Fitgerald

[Imhappyinthe80s]

Of course, many. Incrementally, everything that we read that has meaning gains importance. For example,

 

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that Ive been turning over in my mind ever since.

Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world havent had the advantages that youve had.

 

-F. Scott Fitgerald

I don't think there is a better opening to any book. With respect to Ethan Frome, I don't think any opener is more relevant to everyday living.

[shoot4par]

Of course, many. Incrementally, everything that we read that has meaning gains importance. For example,

 

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.

“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”

 

-F. Scott Fitgerald

I don't think there is a better opening to any book. With respect to Ethan Frome, I don't think any opener is more relevant to everyday living.

 

I just wish anything else he wrote lived up to the quality of that novel. Anyone else read Winter Dreams? It's kind of golf-related. Also no its possibly the finest introduction in 20th century literature.

[billyhandsomeface]

Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance

 

Mindset by Carol Dweck

[shakey]

Besides the Bible, I'm not sure I have ever read a book that has changed my life or had too significant an impact. However, I'm not too avid a reader either.

 

Just wondering if a book has changed your life and is so, in what way?

The Bible is the top of the list for sure. Just an amazing impact on my life.

 

On the other end of the spectrum...the early books I read by Stephen King (I know that doesn’t match up with the Bible). Just being enthralled with his stories made me want to be a writer.

[Jacob37]

Chop Wood Carry water

Pound the Stone

Twelve Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.

Smile at Fear

 

All for different reasons.

 

I’ve heard several people mention “chop wood carry water”. I’m going to look into this

[BB28403]

Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes.

From the Hobbit I took you just have to not doubt yourself and we are capable of great things. And food is freaking delicious.

In the Lord of the Rings the Good Vs. Evil aspect was amazing and the fact that friends can mean you harm while they extend the hand, was eye opening.

Sherlock Holmes, that novels or (articles at the time ) so accurate to human behavior could have been written so long before I or even my grandparents lived, well that was just amazing.

[Mych]

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah changed me as a parent. To see a clear picture of a lost childhood, violence, strife, poverty, and ultimately survival made me think more about my responsibility as a father and not take for granted the impact that I have on the lives of my kids.

 

Any time I start feeling sorry for myself, it's also a great reset button to remind me how fortunate I am to have the life I have.

[ohioglfr]

The Bible would be the book that's influenced me the most. My mom made sure I went to church when I was young, and I fairly loathed it. When I turned eighteen, I stopped going, and didn't return until I started reading the Bible in earnest . . . fifteen years later. It helped that I have always loved history and antiquity. Along those lines, I've read, Ancient Testaments of the Patriarchs and Ancient Prophecies Revealed (Ken Johnson), Temple (Bob Cornuke), Between the Testaments (C.F. Pfeiffer) and currently, The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus (transcribed by W. Whiston).

 

Growing up with boats, I took a course with the United States Power Squadron and read Chapman's Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling. Kipling's Captains Courageous was my favorite childhood book. I love the Aubrey-Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian and have read that whole series. I've just finished, Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailor (J.D. Hornfischer), an account of the Battle off Samar, the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.