Books that inspired you

[Vin211]

Hey Guys,

Are we forgetting one of the most informed books........Codename Ginger by Stephen Kemper? I'm in the middle of reading it now. Its pretty good and interesting. Don't spoil it for me if you have already read it though.


Thanks!

[Chris Fultz]

Some repeats here, but a few new titles as well -
new ones are in Bold -

These are some pretty diverse selections but each has had an impact -

1984 - racey when I read it as an 8th grader in 1973.

Bible - as others have mentioned, excellent stories and lessons to live by, regardless of your faith.

Boy Scout handbook - lessons and information for your lifetime.

Tuesdays with Morrie - a focus on what becomes important late in life.

I, Rivethead - a view of GM during the 1980's from a man on the assembly floor. It helps you see this perspective of the manufacturing process.

The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart - a collection of poems and stories for that softer side.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey) - Lessons to learn and live by. Practical advice for everyone. This book spawned several "7 Habits of" books.

Harry Potter - just for the fun and adventure of it.

Green Eggs and Ham (Dr. Suess).

The Soul of a New Machine - PRoduct Development and People.

And, a must for every home -

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader - Several titles in the series -
A book full of short stories, trivia, quizzes, history, science, etc.

[akaria]

The Story of B by Daniel Quinn is a book that will make you question society today , it is a mind boggleing philosophical story that shines a whole new light on how we live, and how to deal with the problems faceing society

[RoboMom]

I was a very shy kid and one of the biggest gifts my parents gave me was to expose me to all sorts of books. I still read like crazy and very much look forward to my book club each month.
In no special order and by no means complete, but these are books that probably will not be on anyone else’s list. An eclectic mix. I agree with many of the previous postings.

EB White. His children’s books are wonderful and his essays are too.
Edward Abbey. Lots of non-fiction nature writing but among his very irreverent fiction titles are The Monkey Wrench Gang (actually I see that Dave Lavery has listed this one too!)
Letters to a Nation. Famous and not-so-famous letters about and by Americans.
Barbara Kingsolver. A gifted storyteller.
Thomas Friedman. Lexus and the Olive Tree. Understanding globalization.
Anna Fadiman. The spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong child, her American doctors and the collision of two cultures. Required reading for anyone working in the health care field and/or interested in cross-cultural issues.

[MissInformation]

Round 2! You didn't really think I would list so few, did you? The following are books I've read in the past year that have impressed me.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. A 16 year old boy from India, who practices Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, gets trapped in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450 pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker (it quickly gets down to him and the tiger). I bought the book thinking it would be a whimsical little tale and was completely amazed at how ugly and beautiful, how stark and cold and warm and wonderful the whole thing was. I hope everyone could do so well against their tigers in life.

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. Scissors is a memoir of a man whose mother gave him to her crazy psychiatrist when he was 12. It's another abusive childhood story, but one of the weirdest ones I've ever come across, and the fact that this man survived the chaos of his life with such humor and grace is astounding.

Children in the Holocaust and WWII their secret diaries various authors, some never to be known. It's not a book for everyone, it is dark and heartbreaking, I can't think of a single book that has ever made me cry as much as this one. Never forget.

Finding Fish by Antwone Quenton Fisher. Another memoir of a childhood gone wrong and the man who bravely overcame it.

Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi. The memoir of a teacher in Iran who secretly gathered 7 of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. This is a book that will warn you to never take for granted the smallest, most insignificant freedoms you have. And personally, for me, it's renewed an interest in reading "forbidden" books, books that our own country has banned at various times.

[tiffany34990]

i think this is one of the coolest posts and had to post ofcourse-- i totally love to read and well lots of books simply just well make a whole difference in my life i know

just a few...well for me

had to say about--Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values-- i have to read it for class over the summer-- i really do like it makes u really think about lots off stuff.

other books that a interesting-- like kids books do affect u i know-- just have to say --like readign the lorax in bio class makes u think of those little values that we all have been taught

to kill a mockingbird-- i read it in 7th grade and really even more opened my eyes to racial issues

oh i wish i could could say more but i have to run-- so sad :tear:

books simply rules!! go read a book--all can change u'r life u never know-- from the books whten we were younger to books reading as teens for school and growing up



enjoy y'all!! happy trails


-tiff

[Will Hanashiro]

hmmm, books that inspire me huh? well lets just say that there are simple too many books that have had an impact on my life... but here a few i've read recently...

Life of Pi by Yann Martel- simply my favorite book ever written. what other book starts out with "i have a story that will make you believe in god"... yet only sparingly talks about god throughout the book? if you havent heard of it yet, you will, its still relatively new.

Illusions by richard bach- very fun book to read, yet it gives readers a great way to look at life.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad- the anti-war book that says, if your going to do something, go all the way with it, and be sure to do it right the first time.

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri- makes readers want to do good by scaring the **** out of them with punishments for bad deeds.

SIDDHARTHA by Hermann Hesse- another book with another prospective at life.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley- not the kiddy version, the real one. makes you realize the importance of having relationships in life.

well, those are te books i've read this past semester that i've really enjoyed... of course Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence has really caused many deep thoughts... and is still one of my favorite deep thought books. really emphasizes that if you want to bring about a change from something, you must change the fundamental thought process behind it.

[Amanda Morrison]

Word on the Street: Debunking the Myth of a "Pure" Standard English - John McWhorter
This book will make you stop and think twice about what you're saying, why your language has adapted the way it has, and the image you produce by the words you arrange. True, it is kind of a nerdy English-y book, but after taking a basic Linguistics course, this type of English Philosophy appeals to me.

On Love - Alain De Botton
Contrary to title, this book isn't a romance novel (well, at least not in the ordinary sense). This is a philosophical view of courtship, relationship, and ultimately, breaking up. From detailing the odds that the main character and his later-girlfriend meet, to the significance of her leaving a toothbrush in his bathroom, this will make you think twice about any relationship for the rest of your life. Any of De Botton's books have heavy emphasis on the philosophy of the situation, and are excellent. I have also read Kiss and Tell, and am working through How Proust Can Change Your Life and others.

The Complete Works - E. E. Cummings
While I am a huge 'underappreciated' poetry nerd, Cummings is the all-around reference poet. You can talk about the Xiape and ViVa editions with classmates over coffee, or casually mention a poem in conversation with professors. Cummings' work is universal. I also recommend Eliot, Yeats, and Berryman.

Middlesex: A Novel - Jeffery Eugenides
The Virgin Suicides - Jeffery Eugenides
Both of these are fiction, but guilty pleasures. Eugenides carves his characters into the parts so carefully, and so flawlessly, that you immerse yourself in their lives. The books are also somewhat fact-based; for example, Middlesex has heavy emphasis on Detroit in the twentieth century. I also got to read about the Ambassador Bridge not a day after I was on it (yay Wonderland!).

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig
So it's already been mentioned twenty times or so. I read this at sixteen, and at that point, it was the hardest book I had ever suffered through. The first time through, I hated it. Now, I have dog-eared passages I read through frequently. The person who gave this to me wrote in the back that this was a book that should be passed on. I wholeheartedly agree - go buy your own copy and read this, if you haven't already.

more later.

[GeorgeTheEng]

I don't know if this is fully inspiring, but definitely interesting and thought provoking for anyone involved in FIRST...

Codename Ginger: The Story Behind Segway and Dean Kamen's Quest to Invent a New World by Steve Kemper

[Ben Lauer]

Another great book is....

The Places You'll Go , by Suess, The Doctor.

- yeah it may not be really deep, or thought provoking, but it is one awesome book.

[Adam Y.]

Faust(Don't know if this is the name of the book)- I read it in English. It's about a guy who wants to learn everything about the world and ends up making a pact with the devil.

[Amanda M]

Y'all are going to think I'm nuts..

read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews/Edwards. It really teaches you to look at the world around you. I read it when I was very young and it taught me to appreciate the world. And it has a really cute story to go with it.

[Dorienne]

Originally Posted by Amanda M

Y'all are going to think I'm nuts..

read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews/Edwards. It really teaches you to look at the world around you. I read it when I was very young and it taught me to appreciate the world. And it has a really cute story to go with it.

If a book inspires you and touches you in some way, you're not nuts...no matter the book. I don't think you're nuts..I just might read the book myself! It sounds good.
--d0ri

[Ken Loyd]

[quote=mtrawls]Here's one: Who is John Galt?

Over the past seven years I have come to believe it might be Dean.

[Ken Loyd]

Ken;

Congrats! I just finished reading "Atlas" for the 40th time (I first read it during the summer of 1964.) It is a great tune-up for the brain and soul. Alan Greenspan (the Federal Reserve Chairman) was a friend/follower of Ayn.

"The Fountainhead" and "Anthem" are also great reads.

May I also suggest; "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown, "The War Prayer" by Mark Twain, and "Summa Theologica" by Thomas Aquinas.

Have a safe summer!