[dlavery]

I will just add my list compiled during a recent similar conversation with some folks. These are the top dozen books that have had a real impact on me over the years:

The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe. Long before Dean Kamen, Tom Wolfe let me know that is was OK to have – and seek out – heroes that didn't throw a baseball or play a guitar. The characterizations of grace under life-threatening pressure, deep-seated fundamental values, and the true definition of "hero" documented by Wolfe were amazing. The realization that these were all real people and not fictional characters drove the point into my brain that solving hard problems is cool. I knew it before, but this book absolutely cemented my commitment to work for the space program as my life's calling.

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. A very close friend gave this to me in high school. To appease her, I read through it, struggling all the way. I didn't get it. I read it again. I still didn't get it. I have read it every year since then. I still don't get it. From all of this I have learned perseverance. But more importantly, I realized that just because there are some concepts that are currently beyond my grasp, I must never cease to search for understanding. I will keep reading The Prophet until I understand. I may never get to that point, but I will never stop trying.

Time Enough For Love: The Lives of Lazarus Long, by Robert Heinlein. The story of a man so in love with life that he refuses to die. This is the ultimate "find the silver lining inside of every cloud" lesson. And the whole thing is interspersed with snips of wisdom and life lessons that I still remember.

Bless The Beasts and The Children, by Glendon Swarthout. The emergence from childhood into adulthood. The discovery that your ethics and actions have an impact on a population much greater than yourself. All of us have pieces of John Cotton in us. By really trying to understand him, I learned how to stop before reaching the edge of the cliff.

A Book Of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho), by Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi was possibly the greatest swordsman to have ever lived. His trieste on the Way of the Sword describes his practice of cutting right to the heart of the opposition, in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible. Extended to a way of life, this philosophy teaches an approach to getting right to the central cause of a problem, and finding the most efficient understanding of the true nature of things as the first step in countering the issue.

Musashi, by Elji Yoshikawa. A massive biography about the real life of Miyamoto Musashi. A wonderful glimpse into the changes that Musashi experienced while reaching insights that allowed him to author A Book Of Five Rings. His life defined the term "single-minded pursuit of a goal." His absolute dedication to understanding of the Way of the Sword for his entire life had a purity and purpose that was both enviable and ultimately moral at a level I can only partially grasp.

Let’s Go Play At The Adams’, by Mendal Johnson. This is probably the most disturbing novel I have ever read. There are no look-at-the-fluffy-bunny moments, no wonderful characters with redeeming social values, and definitely no happy ending. This book gave me serious nightmares for months. But it was the best discourse on the pure evils of peer pressure and mob mentality that I have ever read. I have never come across a better counter-example of why you should never let someone else do your thinking for you. 25 years later, the images from this book are still burned into my brain – and they are not pleasant.

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I first read this while in high school, after a neighbor gave it to me for my birthday. It was the first book to seriously challenge me to think about my belief system, what I valued, and why. In many ways, the personal insight I achieved from this book formed behaviors that have stayed with me to this day.

Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values, by Robert Persig. The quintessential analysis of the value and significance of quality vs. quantity. The ultimate exploration of the idea "if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right." For me, and many others, this is a fundamentally life-changing book.

The Monkeywrench Gang, by Edward Abbey. My introduction to environmental issues, social activism, and going too far. A wonderful exploration of what people will do to advance "a cause" in which they truly believe, and what can happen when you avoid any attempt to understand the other guy’s viewpoint. This was the book that made me understand the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Nonetheless, Hayduke is someone that I would just love to hang out with for a while.

The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff. The first book that explained Taoism in terms that even I could understand. After going through it a dozen times, it is still a great bedtime read. There are few Taoist teachers better than Winnie the Pooh, and even fewer exemplars of the purity of simplicity.

The Bible, the Torah, and the Koran, (various authors). I don't care what your religious persuasions may be, and you may not care about mine. I won't get into any religious philosophical discussions on this forum. Setting aside all such discussions, there is still incredible value that I took from these. Independent of the spiritual discourse, the pages are full of lessons on morality and how to live in an honorable manner. I have read all these as a guide on how to live an ethical life. It doesn't matter what your religious beliefs may be - the basic concepts of "Don't kill. Don't lie. Don't steal. Don't cheat…" are all just plain good sense and great rules for building a society.

Some of us have observed that both Atlas Shrugged and books on eastern philosophy tend to show up on the reading lists of a lot of FIRSTers. How come so many of us resonate so well with books that challenge us to change society, and simplify the process of change? Is there a cause/effect relationship here? And which is which?

-dave