Books that inspired you

[Ken Leung]

The other day I remembered someone talked about a book call Altas Shrugged, he said that book has influenced his world view more than any other book he have ever read.

Today I went to the book store just to get that book. Boy it sure is heavy! I look forward to reading it.

My trip to the book store inspired me to create this thread. Figure its an ok thread to post in General forum since its summer time. Anyway, here is what I want to know from you:

What book(s) inspired you the most when you were growing up?

I am looking for books that changed the way you think when you were going up, books that shaped the person you are today. It could be books like the one above or a philosophy text book, basically something that left a mark after you read it.

Thanks!

[Collin Fultz]

The Bible taught me how to live, whether you agree or not, it does have some good advice in it...and it is rather action-packed.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a good one. It has inspired some deep thought on late nights (funny how deep thoughts happen in three main places, while driving, while sleeping-trying to, while on a phone call with nature )

Tale of Two Cities made me want to be a better person and stand up for myself.

Rocket Boys taught me how to dream.

[Lisa Perez]

I read It's Not About the Bike, by Lance Armstrong, two years ago. After doing so, I changed my attitude on life pretty much as a whole.

I saw that obstacles could ALWAYS be overcome, no matter how huge (as demonstrated by Mr. Armstrong in his victories after recovering from cancer). I guess I had always known this.. but seeing what he had been through really made me rethink how I reacted to the slightest problems. My views all depend on how I choose to interpret something, like the saying "Do you see the glass as half-full, or half-empty?"

I also realized that I needed to surround myself with people I care about both in and out of my times of need, because, in the end, they would make any situation turn into a good one.

[mtrawls]

Originally Posted by Ken Leung

Today I went to the book store just to get that book. Boy it sure is heavy! I look forward to reading it.

Try Fountainhead! (Ayn Rand can get pretty extreme at points, but I will concede as much as that she raises some interesting points.)

For me, though, I always liked To kill a mocking bird (and that's saying something, since they shove all sorts of coming-of-age novels down our throats as children, that than one stands out).

So far as philosophical, On liberty (J.S. Mills) really inspired me, and has influenced a lot of my political thoughts.

[Ben Lauer]

One book that inspired me, or at least made me take another look at the world is Kaffir Boy . It is about Mark Mathabane (the Author) and his struggles with aparthied in South Africa.

It is very realistic and graphic, due to the fact that is a true autobiography.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

I'd have to say I'm extremely inspired by the book "The Decameron" by Giovanni Bocaccio. On the surface, it reads as an eccentric comedy about Florentinian and other Italian life during the Plague. It is basically a set of 100 short stories with various lessons. But when you read into each story, there is so much more. You want to be telling characters what to do, what to say, instead of what they end up doing. It is just interesting to read and get into.

Another powerful favorite is Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre." I'd have to say this is a love it/hate it book, but I adored it. The depth of emotion and description is phenomenal, and you get a feeling for what this woman goes through as she grows up being thrown from one tough aspect of life to another.

The most inspiring books I can think of include: Shakespeare. That's about all I can say. These books are fantastic: no matter who you are, no matter what you believe in, there will be something here, be it romance, tragedy, action, or humor that will inspire you or touch you. These are stories that you have to think about and understand, and while they may be difficult at first, after the first book you will grow to enjoy Shakespeare's language.

[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

[Billfred]

"Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

We read the French version in French III (who'da thunk?). I'll give you the haiku:

Plane crash in desert
Dude's parched, meets a little prince
Prince tells life story.

Or in a few more words, the narrator crashes in the middle of the sahara due to an engine malfunction. While there, he meets up with this little prince, fresh off a trip from Asteroid B612. He then tells the tale of his home, the rose on the asteroid (when you first hear about her, take that like you took Dave's (or was it Woodie's?) hint hint with IR at kickoff), how he left the asteroid and met all of these characters, which pretty much caricatureify adult culture.

It's a short book, but it'll flip your mind around a few times.

[J Flex 188]

The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

by far, one of the best autobiographies ive read. race relations are always a thorny issue, but taking it back in time really gave a sense of just how dramatically a person can change, and it also dispels some myths about the nation of islam and his own beliefs.

Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
Romeo Dallaire

L.Gen Romeo Dallaire was an UN force commander in Rwanda during the genocide of the early 1990s and this book gives first hand his frustrations in dealing with the monolithic UN, but also chronicles the effects that those events had on himself.

[Joshua May]

On of the most influental books I have read is "The War In I Corps" by Richard Guidry, my history teacher. It's an autobiography about his tour of duty in Vietnam, it's a real eye-opener on some aspects. I'll also be reading "Heart of Darkness" this summer for an assignment, I hear its a good book.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by dlavery

The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe.

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. A very close friend gave this to me in high school.

Time Enough For Love: The Lives of Lazarus Long, by Robert Heinlein.

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.
-dave

It was a little scary when I started to read Dave's list and realized mine was very close.
Follow the "Right Stuff" with Gene Kranz's "Failure Is Not An Option", it is possible for man to think he has thought of everything only to have Murphy come along and screw things up. Backup the backup to the backup.

I like Robert Heinlein a lot and have read everything I could but my favorites are "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" (kind of a hokey title now but still a great book) which taught me anyone can make their dreams a reality. "Door Into Summer" taught me that high school students when presented with real world problems can find workable solutions even under adverse conditions.

"Red Giants and White Dwarfs", sorry I don't remember the author, an astronomer as I remember, who describes the life span of an average sun, like our own, as it ages. I find it a humbling experience to put life in perspective. No matter how good a job you think you are doing, in the big picture (geologic time that is) your life is a micro-microsecond.

"The Prophet", I read in college at the prompting of a friend. I finally saw in print some of the emotions and deep feelings I was experiencing at the the time. (yes, I am a child of the sixties and so-called hippie) Scary thing was this prompted some interesting discussions with my uncle who had also read it and as I learned later, people of different age brackets read different aspects into some of the passages.

As to the Bible and other religious books, these are tributes to living your life in a manner that makes you and those around you happy. The belief in the presence of a supreme being and all that goes with that concept is what guides me through life's tribulations. I am not saying I am good at it, but I am trying.

"The Boy Scout Handbook" (any edition) has a lot of tips for everyday living. Just getting from here to there can be tricky, and cutting yourself along the way is a problem that can be overcome. I am quite sure I would not be writing on this forum if not for the Scout Law, "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, reverant."

The collected adventures of Sherlock Holmes which taught me that things are not always what they seem and different people see things differently. You need to broaden your horizons to see the world but have the ability to narrow your focus down to one detail at a moment's notice, to find a solution to a problem.

For electrical guidance, "The Radio Amateur's Handbook" is the one book I have repeatedly picked up and thumbed through since I was in grade school. I have four editions from the early sixties to the present and now on CD.

[Devin L.]

One book that changed the way I view the world would have to be the 2003 and 2004 Competition Document. This "book" was what got me addicted to FIRST, and also changed my view on robotics in the world. It also allowed me to meet people from all over the world who had similar interests. It is filled with controversial rules and is filled with action! It leaves you on the edge of your seat for 6 weeks because you are waiting to find out how other people interpreted their thoughts of the "book". I'm sure you all have read them before, and some of the "books" released earlier (1992-2002). If not, I suggest that you join/create a team and find out what "book" the authors will make next year!

I wanted to post this sooo bad as soon as I saw the name of the thread

[Ryan F.]

Two books left a mark on me, "time", and "space." by Stephen Baxter. They're really hard to explain, but they've definely got me interested in engineering etc. and what I want to do with my life. I would recommend them to anyone.

[Ken Patton]

"The Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder. It documents the development of a new computer by Data General. Its not the computer stuff thats interesting, though, its the people dynamics. An inspirational book if you are interested in things like product development.

Kidder tells about the concept of "pinball" as applied to a company developing new products. If you do a good job, get a high score, they let you play again!

Ken

[OneAngryDaisy]

I've read so much, its tough to pick just a book... A pair comes to mind, though- in the summer of my junior year I had to read 2 American autobiographies and write a compare/contrast essay. Most of my peers read about two presidents, two first ladies, etc, but I took a different path..

Monster- written by Kody Scott/Saniyaka Shakur. A autobiography of an L.A. gang member, and a very graphic novel. What hooked me was his transformation into the religious and spiritual novel. He served so much time during his young years, found religion, and is now ironically serving time for beating up a neighborhood crack dealer who refused to stop. Really heavy stuff..

To Hell and Back- Audie Murphy. (the most decorated WWII soldier)- and he was only 5'2''.. Real courage and guts, this book was about his experiences in WWII..

It was tons of fun comparing those two books, both of them showed the epitome of brotherhood and teamwork, they really drove me to become better friends with everyone on my team. Needless to say, my AP US teacher was rather surprised when sifting through papers about Abe Lincoln to see a essay about a gang member.