Books that inspired you

[Rich Kressly]

Warning: Do not read unless you're prepared to get an earful about books from an English teacher. Actually, the books that have had the most influence on me are more philosophical in nature than the stardard literature you'd expect to hear about from someone in my profession.

Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield: While some of the story in the latter stages is a little "out there" for some readers, the nine insights and the lessons learned along the way have taught me a great deal about history, world view, relationships, learning, living life, and making choices. I even had one student a few years ago compare the insights to Maslow's basic needs. We sent the paper out and Redfield's publicist read in and sent us a nice note.

Tuesday's With Morrie by Mitch Albom: True story. Morrie Schwartz is truly the finest example of a teacher and mentor I've ever come across (no offense to present company). I've used parts of the book and the movie in class. It's powerful and, even if you don't like books or read much, I guarantee you'll finish this in a few days at most.

Art of War by Sun Tsu: The most ancient and respected text ever written about war strategy and preparing for competition. Most of the great war generals throughout history had a copy on their shelf. The book has also been applied to athletics, business, competition of all kinds, and even FIRST Robotics (our whole strategy team got a copy in the mail last summer to read). I carried a copy in my back pocket when I coached baseball and have frequently referenced the priciples when making decisions and leading others in competition.

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: When Woodie spoke about this book at kickoff in 2002, I knew I had to read it. This book has definately influenced the way I make decisions and the type of people I surround myself with.

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn - Practical ways to mesh the best of eastern culture into our western lives. How I found out about Zinn and this book is quite an interesting story all by itself.

-There are others I could write about, but these are the five most influential in my life right now.

[MissInformation]

Okay, you started, now I get to play! I honestly have to say I don't think I would have survived my childhood without books. Most inspiring? Biggest impact? Here are a few off of the top of my head:

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer. Eric Hoffer was a stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s who wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. True Believer is a study of fanaticism and what personal failings lead people to willingly offer up their lives and the lives of others for a cause. An English teacher gave me this book when I was 15 after reading an essay I had written about the differences between my father’s and my views on patriotism. Right time, right mind frame, I don’t know, but no other book has ever hit me so hard.

A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. I read this when I was 12 because my much-adored older sister read it and loved it. I read every book she did and most of them were full of concepts that went over my head. Not this one. It’s about a man who’s ready to leave America because he’s disgusted by his country, when a friend of his suggests he gets to know his country before making that decision. So he decided to walk his way to its heart. Acceptance, and freedom and beauty in the ordinary.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. After reading this one I swore I would never, ever forget how magical the simpler things in life are.

To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. I’m having a really hard time describing why this book was so important to me… is it odd to have learned your morals from books? My family is a bit racist (not violent or anything, but it’s there) and I’ve always wondered why I was different, why I hated that side of them… reading books like this, and The Bluest Eye and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, as a young teen ingrained something in me that says it is completely wrong to judge by race, by gender, etc. It gave me insight into cultures that seemed so different, but when it came down to it, weren’t.

A Slipping Down Life by Anne Tyler. This book was my introduction to Anne Tyler’s writing and while it’s a really good book its true impact is that her books don’t have neat and tidy endings and this was a first for me when I read it in 1986. It frustrated me, her books would hook me, string me a long and leave me hanging at the end… I almost always threw her books against the wall when I finished reading them because of this, but eventually, I accepted it. And in accepting it, I accepted that life isn’t going to be wrapped up all neat and tidy and topped with a bow.

The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood. I read this book a year after I rather dramatically ended a relationship that was leading towards wedded blight. I have never identified with a character as much as I did with the main character of this book and I don’t think I ever will again (I also have to add that I am glad I am no longer this character). The guys I have convinced to read this book don’t find it funny, but this book will always make me laugh (oh my, the under the bed scene). Besides being funny, it also has a very powerful message about calling yourself back to you.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I was 13 when I read this and decided censorship was bad, very bad and that nothing would ever stop me from reading what I wanted to read…

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. “Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.” Do I have to say anything else about it? Well, there’s also “Everything on this list may be wrong.” which helped form my philosophy that every thing I believe in may be wrong, I chose to believe it because I feel its right for me, but I can’t prove that it’s right for you.

I am currently reading Atlas Shrugged and I’ve read other books people have mentioned: the bible (read it at age 13), Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance (27), Tao of Pooh (29), Jane Eyre, Tale of Two Cities, Shakespeare (all in high school), The Autobiography of Malcolm X (32), and while they were all good, I haven’t yet noticed their influence on my life. Some books I read that I resented having to read at the time but that I should go back and re-read are Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an age of Anxiety by Alan W. Watts.

Heidi

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"Nonconformists travel as a rule in bunches. You rarely find a nonconformist who goes it alone. And woe to him inside a nonconformist clique who does not conform with nonconformity." -Eric Hoffer

[dubious elise]

another great ayn rand book is "anthem" its short, don't worry, but very powerful! i think you'll enjoy it.

also look into pearl s. buck's "the good earth" and tom brokaw's "the greatest generation", both are excellent!

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Originally Posted by dubious elise

another great ayn rand book is "anthem" its short, don't worry, but very powerful! i think you'll enjoy it.

I second that all the way. Anthem is a story about the meaning of identity in a "group oriented" world. It is utopia failure, and the book flashes by, leaving the meanings for life. It won't take you even an hour to read probably, but it is immensely fascinating. Good choice, Elise.

[Karthik]

The Glass Bead Game - Herman Hesse.

This great story is a philosophical masterpiece. It's one of the few novels which shows great regard for all facets of intelligence, not just the conventional ones. It appreciates the challenge in bringing together art and science. It really explores the issues of whether the great intellectual has a special responsibilty to society. I read this book in my last year of high school, when I was quite a troubled kid. It really opened my eyes, and guided me through some rough situations.

Hey Nostradamus, All Families are Psychotic, Miss Wyoming, and Girlfriend in a Coma - Douglas Coupland

Coupland's last four novels. The author who first coined the term "Generation X". This man just gets it. His characterizations are so realistic it's scary. His novels deal with the lives and eccentricities of young adults. You can't read Coupland without feeling like you're a part of the lives of his characters. It's mesmerizing. Reading his novels is great for opening your mind to all sorts of new perspectives. In my opinion, he's the greatest writer of our generation. Hopefully by the time I have kids, they'll be reading him as part of their curriculum.

[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.

[RudimentaryPeni]

The books that inspired me are mostly all of George Orwell's books... Made me believe eventhough we are in 2004 it's starting to feel a lot like "1984". You'll have to read george orwell's 1984 to understand completly.

[Lisa Perez]

I'm in the middle of Life of Pi by Yann Martel right now. It's pretty good. The main character makes plenty of references to religion and to life, in general, and I'm happy to see that someone could set aside differences in belief systems to get the big picture.. what life's all about.

[Marc P.]

I saw Fahrenheit 451 mentioned a few times already. Great book on the social implications of censorship and information/free thought control. I'm a fan of Bradbury, and have also read The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man, both of which are a fantastic collection of short stories about the nature of humanity.

I also saw Flatland mentioned. Great examination of social order and acceptance of new ideas. I read it in 7th grade and loved it since.

I'll point to another Arthur Miller classic (besides Death of a Salesman, which is great to)- The Crucible. I worked on a production of this play senior year (having read it junior year), and this is a very powerful play. Between reading it and seeing it on stage, it's almost scary how easily people can be influenced and lied to, resulting in chaos and disorder at the whim of a select few.

And to add to the negative but influencing book list, White Oleander, by Janet Fitch. A rather disturbing book about the negative side of human nature- greed, revenge, etc, and the results thereof. It's a dark walk through the trials and tribulations of a young woman, and a side of humanity I've not forgotten (having read the book 4 or 5 years ago).

[Kims Robot]

So I tried to post a reply before with better explainations, but it logged me out for some reason... here they are in a much quicker fashion:

1. young - Anything Nancy Drew!
2. High School - Douglas Adams' "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" four part Trilogy and the Tao of Pooh (winnie the pooh)
3. College - Braitenberg's "Vehicles" and Issac Assimov's I-Robot (read for my undergrad thesis project on robotics)
4. Recent - "What Happy People Know" Puts things in perspective for peopled out in the hustle and bustle of corporate society, social stress, etc.

All of these are fairly fast reads, and none of them heavy, so if you are looking for fun and interesting books, givem a shot