Which books changed your life or mind?

[Carusmm]

I am not kidding, you've got to be a genius.

[Jp1978]

Ok, I'll bite. How do you figure?

[Carusmm]

I just didn't get that out of it. In fact, I was pretty confused by the ending.

[Jp1978]

Haha, oh ok.

[Janbeiker]

I also would recommend God in Bed. The title doesn't sound too challenging but the book is worth it.

Jan

[Aspasia]

Cosmos by Carl Sagan, followed by Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion shortly thereafter opened my eyes to a scientific and rational worldview. Sagan was a brilliant, brilliant man. After reading his book, I've been chest deep in books about science ever since. It caused me to see the beauty of reality in an entirely new light.

I give this book the credit for setting me on the path to being a Biologist.

I <3 Sagan. I need to read Demon Haunted World.

[Carusmm]

Cosmos by Carl Sagan, followed by Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion shortly thereafter opened my eyes to a scientific and rational worldview. Sagan was a brilliant, brilliant man. After reading his book, I've been chest deep in books about science ever since. It caused me to see the beauty of reality in an entirely new light.

I give this book the credit for setting me on the path to being a Biologist.

I <3 Sagan. I need to read Demon Haunted World.

I too love Sagan, he was truly successful whereas Dawkins is truly woeful.

[SteveSo]

@Jp: I also like The Little Prince, but I think I'll have to read it again, it's been a long time since I read it.

One of the books that influenced me strongly was "Night Train to Lisbon" by Pascal Mercier. It sort of opened my eyes, and I really liked the ideas that came up in the little essays within the book. Even though not all of them fit for me, a lot of them do, and in general the book made me more thoughtful.

[Dodge]

I read a lot of metaphysical type books in my early twenties. One that really stood out was Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda.

This may sound strange to some but it was quite expansive (mentally) and even dangerous. By dangerous I mean by one who lives within a manufactured reality (as we do) and then taking perceptions, beliefs, and outlook beyond that construct. It was pretty good. And it certainly help set me on a course of exploration when I was younger.

Check it out if you're up to it.

[Jp1978]

@SteveSo

I read it every few years.

[Shaysmommy5810]

The book that changed my way of thinking was Stephen King's "On Writing". As a writer myself, I found his book truly inspiring and reading it taught me that just because I'm not making money selling my work doesn't mean I'm not a success. Now, every rejection letter I get makes me smile because that's one letter close to a "yes"!

[Dreamcatcher]

Definantley Hike your Own Hike by Francis Tapon. He uncovers very usefuul skills to take life less seriously, how to improve our eating habits, how to deal with the finances, how to get rid of job that makes our everyday life misery. How to deal with problems. Soo many good tips, that can improve our lives and can be applied very easily. That´s why this is one of the books that changed my life. I am more balanced. More calm. I improved my way to deal with problems.

[Lapssone]

Try A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It will leave you breathless.

[Jennyfields]

Try A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It will leave you breathless.

This. Exactly. I also feel this way about The World According To Garp but more so because it was the first John Irving I read.

[Kilgore-trout]

I've always felt catcher in the rye to be a book that changed my mentality. I didn't think much of at first, just another book off my to read list, but after a few months it started to sink in. I feel I live a much more real life now after reading it.
It's the only book I make a habit of reading every year.