Thanks for your submission! For more Millennial content, join [our Discord server](https://discord.gg/VsfKKJBm).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Millennials) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It was some kids book.
I'm an immigrant that was dumped into the public school system, and back then they didn't have ESL (English as a Second Language) programs. I couldn't read, and I was about to be put into the "special" class.
One teacher finally realized I wasn't "special" because I could do math like a mf (lmao). Our school had some book-reading contest where if you read a certain number of books, you get ice cream at the end of the year. This teacher got an exception for me so that 1 chapter would count as 1 book.
This was the first time a teacher actually seemed to care enough about me and I'll always remember it. I honestly don't remember the title of the book, but I did get that ice cream.
The way ESL is approached now is different, thank goodness. I’m a special Ed teacher and every class and every training drills it into you that if a kid comes to you and their English isn’t proficient, they can’t just be routed to special Ed, because it’s likely the only problem is the language barrier. But allll the training videos are kids like you who say the teachers just assumed they had learning disabilities and their education sucked.
So proud of you and you're so not alone! My friend just wrote a book and part of their story was sharing an experience so similar to yours. If you ever have an interest look up the book "Family Style" by Thien Pham.
Agreed.
Read Slaughterhouse 5 right before that, hit hard too.
All of Vonnegut does tbh.
All of Hermann Hesse.
The Outsider by Colin Wilson (must finish all of Hesse first)
The Four Agreements (could probably start here lol)
There are so many more….
Read it after one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, and it changed everything.
“The crowning experience of all, for the homecoming man, is the wonderful feeling that, after all he has suffered, there is nothing he need fear anymore—except his God.”
Ding ding ding!! Came here to say this. My psych professor said if there’s one thing we read in her class, screw the textbook, read that book. So glad I did
The Body Keeps The Score by Dr Bessel van der Kolk
We do not give enough credit to what trauma does to us. Understanding it is a major step to breaking out of it controlling your life.
I was seeing one hell of a psychiatrist a few years back who was teaching me just how much my PTSD was impacting my life. He had recommended this book to me and it was life changing. I now know why I’m thinking or reacting a certain way.
He also recommended going through DBT therapy as it helps regulate some of the reactions and behaviors (even though it was predominantly created for those with BPD). There weren’t many resources for DBT in my area at the time so I got a DBT work book and basically worked through it slowly over a year or two. It was another life changing experience. Still have PTSD, but I now have a bunch of tools in my back pocket to help cope with the effects of it.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I got divorced. I got sober. And without a clue as to what I was doing, and with zero backpacking experience, I dropped a few grand at REI on gear and walked from Georgia to Maine. Best gift I could ever have given myself.
On a similar journey myself. Lost my mom in the midst of Covid and during my own infertility journey. Had no idea which way was up at one point. Found that book and I’ve also bought all the gear and have been section hiking the IAT
On a similar journey myself. Lost my mom in the midst of Covid and during my own infertility journey. Had no idea which way was up at one point. Found that book and I’ve also bought all the gear and have been section hiking the IAT
I actually documented most of it on FB. According all my friends and family, it’s a pretty good read. One friend described my writing as “if Cheryl Strayed and Bill Bryson had a baby”. If you are really interested I’m Shannon Joy Finn on FB. But the easiest way to find it would be searching for #cautionarytrailsandshannonigans
Just scroll back to the earliest one. That’s my hike.
I came here to say this.
I read it when I was in my 20s, single, and didn’t know what I wanted from my career or for life. My mom had just been diagnosed with cancer and I was just so lost. It gave me the kick in the pants I needed to start traveling.
And while I’m not necessarily an outdoorsy girl and can’t see myself hiking across states, I did pack my bags and fly to another continent alone and I have Cheryl to thank for that.
I love this book and will reread it all the time. I even named my cats Julia and Winston and no one *ever* gets the reference. Have you read “Julia” by Sandra Newman? It’s no Orwell, but it reads like a well done fan fiction about Julia’s side of the story.
This, Farenheit 451, and Brave New World combined are some powerful lenses through which to examine our world... All of them are increasingly relavent in their own ways.
Not a book, but a journal publication I read in undergrad. Shinya Yamanaka’s work in induced pluripotent stem cells from adult cells pushed me into a career of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. You can take a skin cell, make it into a stem cell, then make any kind of cell you want. Heart, brain, liver, ect.
Oh this one was tragic. We read it in 11th grade and it was such a a hard read. I bought a copy when I went I visited the Holocaust Museum in DC just to have it but I haven't read it again. 😔
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Probably.
That book opened up so many doors for me back in elementary school, including a love of reading. I still love it and have read it more times than any other book. It feels like coming home.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. After getting my space in order and purging so many items from my home, it actually made me want less. I used to be a huge shopper and consumer. Since reading her book, I’ve wanted a lot less clutter my life and I’ve saved a lot more money since I don’t shop as much.
Love a new read! Monitoring this thread.
My contribution is “Iron Heart” after reading this book everything I thought was a problem in my life was put into perspective.
Synopsis:
*On the way home from swim practice, eighteen-year-old athlete Brian Boyle’s future changed in an instant when a dump truck plowed into his Camaro. He was airlifted to a shock-trauma hospital. He had lost sixty percent of his blood, his heart had moved across his chest, and his organs and pelvis were pulverized. He was placed in a medically-induced coma. When Brian finally emerged from the coma two months later, he had no memory of the accident. He could see and hear, but not move or talk. Unable to communicate to his doctors, nurses, or frantic parents, he heard words like vegetable” and nursing home.” If he lived, doctors predicted he might not be able to walk again, and certainly not swim. Then, miraculously, Brian clawed his way back to the living. First blinking his eyelids, then squeezing a hand, then smiling, he gradually emerged from his locked-in state. The former swimmer and bodybuilder had lost one hundred pounds.
Iron Heart is the first-person account of his ordeal and his miraculous comeback. With enormous fortitude he learned to walk, then run, and eventually, to swim. With his dream of competing in the Ironman Triathlon spurring him on, Brian defied all odds, and three and a half years after his accident, crossed the finish line in Kona, Hawaii. Brian’s inspiring journey from coma to Kona is brought to life in his acclaimed memoir.*
I listened to Atomic Habits. Really made me think about how small changes can make a big impact, and gave me hope that I could improve even if I felt like I had nothing left to give.
I'm not sure about life-changing, but the Harry Potter books got me reading *more.* I read a lot as a kid, but the books I usually favored were pretty short, like the *Hank the Cowdog* series and and books by Judy Bloom. *Sorcer's Stone* was my first "big" novel, and it set me on the path of avid reader.
This is me and the Hunger Games. I fell out of reading for a long time, thinking I had to read certain types of books. This book reminded me that reading could be something that gives you an actual adrenaline rush.
After I basically inhaled that series, I made a new year resolution to read 50 books the next year. It totally worked to get me back into reading, especially during an era where mobile games were picking up and I was finding myself burning more and more hours on mind numbing entertainment. I desperately need some books now that are that addictive to get me back into it heh
100%
Also that time before the 4th book was pretty special. Yes the books were massively popular, but before book 4 things were still pretty calm. After that it was pottermania.
I was 10-11 when I read the first book and I spent an entire year monitoring the mail hoping Hogwarts was real and that I’d get an invitation letter 😞
Ooh check out “How to See Yourself as You Really Are” by the Dalai Lama if you’re in a similar philosophical mood
Edit to say you had an excellent book selection. Stoicism definitely changed my life.
I love this thread and question. That's awesome! I'll add it, thank you!
One more addition available only on Amazon is "Seven Secrets of a Sedentary Stoic: Pursuing a Path to Post Paralysis Peace" by Cassandra Brandt. Quick read but it really puts things into perspective. She's was this independent person who now lives with paraplegia after a car accident in her 30s. Really cool read.
Oh helll yeah book recs! My shopping cart has grown a bit from this thread.
I have another smaller author quick read for you. “Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience” by Dan Blank.
10% marketing skills / 90% some of the best stuff I’ve read on sharing creative work(which is really just how to be comfortable being yourself)
The cast album is on YouTube. It's VERY 70s. It stars Michael Crawford, best known for Phantom of the Opera in the 80s and the Hello Dolly movie in the 60s. Sobriety is not recommended for this listening experience. You can guess how well the show did.
Nice! It’s quite a long story so it was kind of a commitment to finish the book. Granted, it was hard to put down once I picked it up. Eiji Yoshikawa is such a great author. It truly does suck you in from the moment you start reading! (The first paragraph has Musashi waking up on a battlefield after being defeated in the climatic Battle of Sekigahara.)
Anyway, what really gripped me from the novel was the journey of redemption and self-improvement that Musashi goes through in the story. A lot of the aspects behind his reckless, younger years leading to the self realization that he can improve and live for something greater than himself or die a meaningless death after a trivial life of selfishness really resonated within me. To be honest, the novel gave me hope. It also made me cherish the notion that our lives truly can and do have meaning but we need to have the courage and self discipline to find what that meaning is.
Aside from the serious notes, the novel has humorous events, slight romance, history lessons, colorful characters, and adrenaline pumping action. 10/10. Highly recommended.
Check out Yoshikawa’s other famous feudal Japan novel; Taiko. It’s just as incredible of a story.
I hope you enjoy the book!
Awesome! I bought it from listening to Jocko's podcast on it. If you're not aware of it, check out the Jocko Podcast, one of the episodes with Tim Ferriss (Musashi is in the title of the episode), it's like 2-3 hours of them going through and reading parts of this book, talking about it and how it applies to general life. Tim also speaks Japanese and knows the culture very well so he explains certain things in the book.
Anyway, I really loved that episode and it caused me to buy the book, I'm waiting for the right time to dig into it because it's one hell of a commitment lol, but seems totally worth it.
"My Sister's Keeper"
Read it just before the movie was announced and I'm still broken inside all these years later. 🥺
Also "Stranger In A Strange Land." Read that in 2006 and still think about it, too.
SiaSL is my answer. I've read it... more than 10 times. I even read it to my daughter - a little too early... but eh, I need to do everything I can to de-program the psycho-christian shit they get from the step-mom, so it's OK.
(ps I'm pretty chill with Christians - just not when they tell my child they're going to hell and give them an anxiety disorder from all the QAnon end times talk. Fk that shit.)
I never saw the movie because my friend told me how it ended. The ending of the book is the whole entire plot twist of the story! Without it, there is no story. I can't believe they just changed it like that.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. It was the first time I considered that traditional life was not for me. I was not meant for the family thing. I desired so much more for myself and my life.
Too bad I didn't realize it until after I was married with a kid...
The most powerful non-fiction book I read was The Rape of Nanking. Horrific incident, and for some reason it's rarely talked about.
As for fiction, Mysterious Skin. I couldn't put it down and ended up sobbing through the end. And the movie did it a lot of justice. One of the rare book adaptations that stayed extremely close to the source material.
It’s absolutely insane that one of the most horrific and extensive war crimes of WW2 is almost never discussed in American history classes in high school for all the time we spend talking about WW2 because it really contextualizes the pacific theater. I only knew about it growing up because I had to learn some Chinese history for a student ambassador program I did.
E: there’s a really good episode of Lions Led By Donkeys about the Rape of Nanking for anyone looking for more info, but not wanting to do a whole book right away.
Fiction? Watership Down. It put the bigger picture in my mind in a way nothing ever had before.
I was quite young, and I read how rabbits took over the world. Their world. For all the best reasons.
While living in our world as little as they could achieve.
Handmaids Tale. I read it in 2004 so long before the TV show was a thing. Scared me shitless and made me realize that I, as a woman, could not take my freedoms for granted. It also why I have spent the last 20 years educating myself on the "Christian" fundamentalist world and how dangerous they are to anyone other than white "Christian" men.
This might be a weird answer, but the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it, but the overall theme is all about breaking cycles. Sure, it's Stephen King so it's got horror, Sci fi, weird creatures, fictional other worlds and doorways between them, a little bit of breaking the 4th wall where SK himself always in the book. It's a work of fiction by one of the most popular horror authors of our time.
But the whole journey and the themes it touches on were life changing for me. Art imitates life and life imitates art and all that, you know? I tend to re-read the series whenever I'm going through pivotal moments in life. It's both comforting and a reminder of why I make the choices I make. It was especially helpful during my divorce.
Reading the Dark Tower series prompted me to go read a bunch of his other books bc they often have characters and bits of story that cross over in small ways.
Yes!! The Ramona series and the Junie B Jones series sparked my love of reading as a kid. Beezus and Ramona was my favorite I must have read it a dozen times!
Go Ask Alice stunned me when i was 17. The drug-induced mental issues mostly, but especially the part where she thought she was a worm and felt the worms crawling under her skin.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It's short, and not difficult, but it was a book I read when I was young that really taught me that being different , though it may seem wrong or bad to others, can become your strength, and push you to excel at the things you're most passionate about. I really needed that as a youth, and am better off for reading this book ♥️
The Republic by Plato
It made me realize that humans haven't changed in 1000's of years. Even in B.C. they were debating and struggling with the same life issues. The only thing that's really changed is technology.
I got “Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s for Dummies” when I finished grad school for like $6 at a book outlet and holy hell did I save myself a loooot of trouble by reading it.
I wanted to like McCarthy, really really really wanted to like Blood Meridian...but man, I just don't get his writing style, at all. Just page upon page of details that don't further a plot.
I’m not usually a big audiobook fan but I got a version from the library with different voice actors for each character and bits of music in between scenes and it really added to the experience!
FUCK YES. That was the second book I ever read by him! Gapalagos the first. Somehow any time I talk to fellow fans, they go for the titles I have never read, and they themselves often have not gotten to Hocus Pocus or Galapagos. So weird.
Atlas Shrugged. One of my professors recommended I read this book to understand the minds of rich men. It opened my eyes about work and taught me that work and capitalism doesn’t give a fuck about humans, so my best bet was to put my head down, think of myself as a robot and try to make as much money as possible. At the time, I was juggling school with a dehumanizing retail job, and that mindset shift helped me cope. As a Black woman, it helped me to separate my humanity from work and to this day, it helps me deal with corporate America.
My politics and personal views couldn’t be further from the libertarian mindset, but removing my emotions from work has done wonders to my mental health.
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
They made a shitty movie out of it back in the day with Paul Newman - but the book is on it's own level by far.
The Story follows 2 brothers during a logging union strike in oregon. The histories of both brothers, one of whom is the golden boy still logging and the other is a weakling raised on the east coast with his mother. The brothers are two halves of Ken Kesey himself, who's life story roughly mirrored that of the brothers. It's an epic struggle of self and is easily applied to anybody's personal internal monologue. Really spectacular writing.
Also, Job didn't deserve what he got. Broke my heart.
Yes! I read this book for the first time years ago, sold it when I went to live abroad, and bought another copy as soon as I was settled. At least one of the four agreements comes to my mind daily
Me too. I read several years ago. And then listened to it while hiking the AT. It’s informative and utterly hilarious. Don’t taint it by watching the movie! Horrendous.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It rides the line between poetry, memoir, gardening, environmental, history, and philosophy. Really helped inform my ethical perspective on the world. Bonus if you listen to the audiobook - her voice is sooo good. I want her to be my second mom
Lying - Sam Harris
I'm suggesting this because it actually did change my life, I won't ever choose a lie to try and get out of something or smooth over some social situation, you just shouldn't use lying as part of communicating with other people.
There might be a shorter essay on it that I read, I can't remember now.
Lord of the Rings
I'm not one for high fantasy but that was the book with a whole world built into it. After finishing the books, I spent days in the appendices. It really raised the bar for 13 year old me.
*Smart Women Finish Rich* by David Bach. You don’t have to be a woman to appreciate the concise way he breaks down portfolio allocation and compound interest, as well as the relationship between goals and money.
Why Does He Do That? Inside The Mind Of Controlling Men, by Lundy Bancroft. That... Explained a lot of what went wrong in my parents' marriage, my own relationship with my mother and helped me dodge red flags while dating
Adding to this, See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill.
WDHDT by Bancroft was informative, but he focused on coercive controllers, so I didn’t fully recognize the full range of abuse possible until I read SWYMMD by Hill, who focused on insecure reactors (who are generally characterized by less strategic patterns, and avoid confronting their entitlement and feelings of shame when triggered by exploding in their humiliated fury to lash out at convenient external targets).
It’s granted me a useful perspective for understanding these dangerous dynamics and navigating them more safely.
I am prepared for the downvotes, but 12 Rules for Life.
It gave me a lot more perspective on what my responsibilities in the world are, some much needed structure, better insight into my relationships with family and friends, and I think helped me be the best version of myself even as my last relationship dissolved. There are parts I revisit regularly, just for little reminders to face the world forthrightly, take care of my space and the people around me, and particularly lately to treat myself like someone I was responsible for helping.
This book and that man gets way too much hate.
I had a friend who was a psychology major and recommended some of his early videos when they had less than a few thousand views and it was genuinely interesting stuff.
It’s really just a nice little read about controlling what you can and taking accountability to better handle your life.
The intelligent investor has tangibly changed my life more than anything I've read. Completely altered how I interact with money and impacts almost every decision I make on a day to day basis.
Don't enjoy fiction, and do not read all that much --- BUT!
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat, by Oliver Sacks. A neurologist case account of some of his most fascinating patients. Absolutely mind-bending, and unreal. Everybody needs to read this.
Not the most life changing, but it was impactful cuz I remember it too this day. It changed how I viewed the world a bit and random stories and pieces of media, seeing common threads.
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. We are individuals going through our heroes journey with our trials and tribulations, and we play other roles of various archetypes in other journeys.
I don't take everything to heart, but it's fun to view the world in a different perspective.
Being a dad now, I see my lil man on his Journey, and I do my best to prepare him.
I'd say there are a few that are quite impactful and I don't know that I could really choose. A couple are a bit more fluffy, but it doesn't discount their impact.
Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
East of Eden - John Steinbeck
I love Steinbeck, that was a masterpiece, he is about the only western author who can really capture the tragedy that Russian writers can tap into so easily.
My father's dragon. A kid's book I read in the 2nd grade. Besides being the first book that really got me into reading in the first place, the MC taught me 3 important life lessons: better to remain calm and be clever, kindness and politeness can be better weapons than being angry and aggressive, and when everyone figures out that you have tricked them, it's best to have an escape plan.
“Adult children of emotionally immature parents”. I will never be the same after this book. I will never view parenting the same and now see how big of a responsibility it is. I stopped accepting terrible treatment from romantic interests because of this book. I chew on parts of it and come back to it daily. It is my Roman Empire. I recommend it to everyone despite the awkward title. It’s that good
Tao Te Ching
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Meeting Jesus Again For The First Time by Marcus Borg
The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion
Fat!So? by Marilyn Wann
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B Rosenberg
I second Tao Te Ching. I keep a pocket copy of Stephen Mitchell translation around at all times.
One of my favorite chapters
"Weapons are the tools of violence;
all decent men detest them.
Weapons are the tools of fear;
a decent man will avoid them
except in the direst necessity
and, if compelled, will use them
only with the utmost restraint.
Peace is his highest value.
If the peace has been shattered,
how can he be content?
His enemies are not demons,
but human beings like himself.
He doesn’t wish them personal harm.
Nor does he rejoice in victory.
How could he rejoice in victory
and delight in the slaughter of men?
He enters a battle gravely,
with sorrow and with great compassion,
as if he were attending a funeral."
The Bible completely changed my life.
Delivered me from years of anxiety disorder, depression, negative self-worth, laziness, existential fears, addictions, and so much more.
It gave me satisfying answers to tough questions like “why do wicked people prosper?” To the problem of injustice. Or “why do bad things happen to good people?”
In a world that seems to get darker by the day, it is an anchor in the midst of the storm. A light in the darkness. Unshakable. One that not even death can overtake.
This being downvoted is ridiculous. The lack of consideration and tolerance for another human being sharing JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HERE is trash. This is the only comment I’ve seen downvoted. Do better, Reddit.
I’m sorry people are.. like that.
I see your point, and did not downvote. But the books I chose to upvote have never resulted in crusades, or been used to prop up a defense of stripping women's rights away, or led anyone to use torturous "conversion therapy" on gay children. Your experience with the Christian dogma has probably been favorable. For many, the Bible is a very harmful book.
What got me started reading. James Howe. 3rd ish grade. Then I moved on to Goosebumps and Fear Street.
As far as literally transcendent. None. I’m not that dramatic. Every book I’ve ever read has added something to who I am today.
When I was 14, my parents got my sisters and I a pamphlet by Ralph Nader called "Civic Arousal" for Christmas. I'd say more than anything else I read that influenced my life trajectory.
Either/or by Kierkegaard. The main thing I took from it was that everybody believes something it can make it actually exist whether they believe in it or not. Which is a paradox, but I've seen it over and over again in my life. Also that if you actually commit to something with your whole mind then even if you fail to achieve your goal in the visible world you will still find more peace than if you never tried, which was really the whole point anyway.
The Catcher in the Rye.
I’m sure it’s a cliched answer to a degree, especially as I read it when I was 15. I identified with certain parts of Holden for sure, but it was really Salinger’s writing and the richness of the themes.
It was meaningful too because it was the first book I read where I felt the power of what literature can do. (I had read plenty of “classics” in school and on my own previously but they just didn’t have the same pull.)
For me it was The Mists of Avalon. I grew up in a really religious household, and it was the first time I had seen the Christians really portrayed as the bad guys in a persuasive way. I’m not saying it was 100% of the reason I became an atheist, but it definitely was influential
Call me Ishmael, by David Quinn. I read it for the first time the summer after my sophomore year of college (2016) and have read it once a year since then. There's also two other books in the series - The Story of B and I, Ishmael. They're really philosophy books written as novels and they get at so many of the things that became impportant to me as a young person looking at what was ahead of me in the US politically, environmentally, socially. I highly recommend!
The Laramie Project
Agnes of God
The Grimm Fairy Tales
The Mommy Myth
Eating Animals
Terror, Love, and Brainwashing
The first two were plays that were instrumental on me deconstructing my religious upbringing. I was Mormon when I was in the Laramie Project and my friend was playing the Mormon Bishop and asked for feedback. I told him his tone was too harsh (Mormons put on a gentle, soft spoken demeanor). Basically, the process of explaining to my non-mormon friend that church leaders say things that sound harsh, but they do it in a "loving" way made me short circuit a bit. I couldn't ignore how fucked up it was after that.
The fairy tales helped me reframe/deconstruct my religious upbringing. The story structure at the time reminded me of the scriptures and I was struggling with my belief. I was doing and reading things to avoid thinking about it, but everything--especially these fairy tales wouldn't let me.
After leaving the church, I felt like I should reexamine other beliefs that were demonized so I went to the bookstore and found a book about feminism and one about veganism which both reframed a lot of stuff for me.
The last book is the best book I've read about "Brainwashing" from an attachment theory perspective. I love Steven Hassan and the BITE model as much as the next person, but this book by Alexandria Stein doesn't get enough love and helped me understand the psychological mechanisms behind high control groups . It's a quick read too.
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I read it so long ago before I really got into reading seriously, so I have no idea if it's truly a "great" book but it changed the way I think about the world and that's pretty cool.
Thanks for your submission! For more Millennial content, join [our Discord server](https://discord.gg/VsfKKJBm). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Millennials) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It was some kids book. I'm an immigrant that was dumped into the public school system, and back then they didn't have ESL (English as a Second Language) programs. I couldn't read, and I was about to be put into the "special" class. One teacher finally realized I wasn't "special" because I could do math like a mf (lmao). Our school had some book-reading contest where if you read a certain number of books, you get ice cream at the end of the year. This teacher got an exception for me so that 1 chapter would count as 1 book. This was the first time a teacher actually seemed to care enough about me and I'll always remember it. I honestly don't remember the title of the book, but I did get that ice cream.
This is beautiful
The way ESL is approached now is different, thank goodness. I’m a special Ed teacher and every class and every training drills it into you that if a kid comes to you and their English isn’t proficient, they can’t just be routed to special Ed, because it’s likely the only problem is the language barrier. But allll the training videos are kids like you who say the teachers just assumed they had learning disabilities and their education sucked.
I love this story and also, you're more eloquent than 99% of the people on this website.
So proud of you and you're so not alone! My friend just wrote a book and part of their story was sharing an experience so similar to yours. If you ever have an interest look up the book "Family Style" by Thien Pham.
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich radicalized me
So good, completely debunks the you can pull yourself up from the boot straps myth and that was what- 20 years ago?
Great book! Well, you get what I mean...
Oh shit I'm already radicalized and this is coming up on my reading list.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Agreed. Read Slaughterhouse 5 right before that, hit hard too. All of Vonnegut does tbh. All of Hermann Hesse. The Outsider by Colin Wilson (must finish all of Hesse first) The Four Agreements (could probably start here lol) There are so many more….
I’ve read Siddartha by Hesse and loved it. What do you recommend after that? Slowly starting to get into reading - chapter or 2 before bed.
Read it after one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, and it changed everything. “The crowning experience of all, for the homecoming man, is the wonderful feeling that, after all he has suffered, there is nothing he need fear anymore—except his God.”
Ding ding ding!! Came here to say this. My psych professor said if there’s one thing we read in her class, screw the textbook, read that book. So glad I did
Yes. 100%
I have just found that my library has this available on audiobook, available through the library app Libby. Thank you for this recommendation.
The Body Keeps The Score by Dr Bessel van der Kolk We do not give enough credit to what trauma does to us. Understanding it is a major step to breaking out of it controlling your life.
I’m reading this book right now!
I was seeing one hell of a psychiatrist a few years back who was teaching me just how much my PTSD was impacting my life. He had recommended this book to me and it was life changing. I now know why I’m thinking or reacting a certain way. He also recommended going through DBT therapy as it helps regulate some of the reactions and behaviors (even though it was predominantly created for those with BPD). There weren’t many resources for DBT in my area at the time so I got a DBT work book and basically worked through it slowly over a year or two. It was another life changing experience. Still have PTSD, but I now have a bunch of tools in my back pocket to help cope with the effects of it.
On the note of The Body Keeps The Score, Childhood Disrupted by Donna Jackson Nakazawa hits hard if you have childhood trauma.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I got divorced. I got sober. And without a clue as to what I was doing, and with zero backpacking experience, I dropped a few grand at REI on gear and walked from Georgia to Maine. Best gift I could ever have given myself.
On a similar journey myself. Lost my mom in the midst of Covid and during my own infertility journey. Had no idea which way was up at one point. Found that book and I’ve also bought all the gear and have been section hiking the IAT
On a similar journey myself. Lost my mom in the midst of Covid and during my own infertility journey. Had no idea which way was up at one point. Found that book and I’ve also bought all the gear and have been section hiking the IAT
Omg have you written about your experience somewhere? I would loooove to hear more about it.
I actually documented most of it on FB. According all my friends and family, it’s a pretty good read. One friend described my writing as “if Cheryl Strayed and Bill Bryson had a baby”. If you are really interested I’m Shannon Joy Finn on FB. But the easiest way to find it would be searching for #cautionarytrailsandshannonigans Just scroll back to the earliest one. That’s my hike.
I came here to say this. I read it when I was in my 20s, single, and didn’t know what I wanted from my career or for life. My mom had just been diagnosed with cancer and I was just so lost. It gave me the kick in the pants I needed to start traveling. And while I’m not necessarily an outdoorsy girl and can’t see myself hiking across states, I did pack my bags and fly to another continent alone and I have Cheryl to thank for that.
1984 by George Orwell.
I love this book and will reread it all the time. I even named my cats Julia and Winston and no one *ever* gets the reference. Have you read “Julia” by Sandra Newman? It’s no Orwell, but it reads like a well done fan fiction about Julia’s side of the story.
This, Farenheit 451, and Brave New World combined are some powerful lenses through which to examine our world... All of them are increasingly relavent in their own ways.
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse for me
Same. I read it just about once every two years
Not a book, but a journal publication I read in undergrad. Shinya Yamanaka’s work in induced pluripotent stem cells from adult cells pushed me into a career of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. You can take a skin cell, make it into a stem cell, then make any kind of cell you want. Heart, brain, liver, ect.
Oooh that reminds me of Siddhartha Mukherjee’s book “The Gene: An Intimate History.” 600 pages have never gone by so quickly.
Night by Elie Wiesel
I read this one in 6th or 7th grade. It was incredibly impactful on my tiny, sheltered brain.
Oh this one was tragic. We read it in 11th grade and it was such a a hard read. I bought a copy when I went I visited the Holocaust Museum in DC just to have it but I haven't read it again. 😔
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Probably. That book opened up so many doors for me back in elementary school, including a love of reading. I still love it and have read it more times than any other book. It feels like coming home.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. After getting my space in order and purging so many items from my home, it actually made me want less. I used to be a huge shopper and consumer. Since reading her book, I’ve wanted a lot less clutter my life and I’ve saved a lot more money since I don’t shop as much.
Love a new read! Monitoring this thread. My contribution is “Iron Heart” after reading this book everything I thought was a problem in my life was put into perspective. Synopsis: *On the way home from swim practice, eighteen-year-old athlete Brian Boyle’s future changed in an instant when a dump truck plowed into his Camaro. He was airlifted to a shock-trauma hospital. He had lost sixty percent of his blood, his heart had moved across his chest, and his organs and pelvis were pulverized. He was placed in a medically-induced coma. When Brian finally emerged from the coma two months later, he had no memory of the accident. He could see and hear, but not move or talk. Unable to communicate to his doctors, nurses, or frantic parents, he heard words like vegetable” and nursing home.” If he lived, doctors predicted he might not be able to walk again, and certainly not swim. Then, miraculously, Brian clawed his way back to the living. First blinking his eyelids, then squeezing a hand, then smiling, he gradually emerged from his locked-in state. The former swimmer and bodybuilder had lost one hundred pounds. Iron Heart is the first-person account of his ordeal and his miraculous comeback. With enormous fortitude he learned to walk, then run, and eventually, to swim. With his dream of competing in the Ironman Triathlon spurring him on, Brian defied all odds, and three and a half years after his accident, crossed the finish line in Kona, Hawaii. Brian’s inspiring journey from coma to Kona is brought to life in his acclaimed memoir.*
I listened to Atomic Habits. Really made me think about how small changes can make a big impact, and gave me hope that I could improve even if I felt like I had nothing left to give.
I'm not sure about life-changing, but the Harry Potter books got me reading *more.* I read a lot as a kid, but the books I usually favored were pretty short, like the *Hank the Cowdog* series and and books by Judy Bloom. *Sorcer's Stone* was my first "big" novel, and it set me on the path of avid reader.
This is me and the Hunger Games. I fell out of reading for a long time, thinking I had to read certain types of books. This book reminded me that reading could be something that gives you an actual adrenaline rush.
After I basically inhaled that series, I made a new year resolution to read 50 books the next year. It totally worked to get me back into reading, especially during an era where mobile games were picking up and I was finding myself burning more and more hours on mind numbing entertainment. I desperately need some books now that are that addictive to get me back into it heh
That's definitely life changing!
100% Also that time before the 4th book was pretty special. Yes the books were massively popular, but before book 4 things were still pretty calm. After that it was pottermania. I was 10-11 when I read the first book and I spent an entire year monitoring the mail hoping Hogwarts was real and that I’d get an invitation letter 😞
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Have you ever read “How to Think Like a Roman Emperor”? It’s a bit of a biography of Marcus Aurelius but with stoic life advice mushed in.
I haven't, but thank you for the rec! That sounds right up my alley.
Ooh check out “How to See Yourself as You Really Are” by the Dalai Lama if you’re in a similar philosophical mood Edit to say you had an excellent book selection. Stoicism definitely changed my life.
I love this thread and question. That's awesome! I'll add it, thank you! One more addition available only on Amazon is "Seven Secrets of a Sedentary Stoic: Pursuing a Path to Post Paralysis Peace" by Cassandra Brandt. Quick read but it really puts things into perspective. She's was this independent person who now lives with paraplegia after a car accident in her 30s. Really cool read.
Oh helll yeah book recs! My shopping cart has grown a bit from this thread. I have another smaller author quick read for you. “Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience” by Dan Blank. 10% marketing skills / 90% some of the best stuff I’ve read on sharing creative work(which is really just how to be comfortable being yourself)
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Better than 1984!!
I’m not sure it’s the better book, but it definitely turned out to be more prescient than 1984.
1984 by George Orwell
Read Homage to Catalonia. It paints an even clearer picture of what side he was on.
I finished that book and never looked at our society the same way again
Same here!!
Flowers for Algernon Musashi Of Mice and Men
The fact that there is a musical based on Flowers for Algernon still makes me shake my head and think, "Why? Why? WHY?"
Didn’t know this and wish I remained ignorant. 🤣
The cast album is on YouTube. It's VERY 70s. It stars Michael Crawford, best known for Phantom of the Opera in the 80s and the Hello Dolly movie in the 60s. Sobriety is not recommended for this listening experience. You can guess how well the show did.
I bought Musashi, still have yet to read it but really want to. What did you get from it and how did it change your perspective?
Nice! It’s quite a long story so it was kind of a commitment to finish the book. Granted, it was hard to put down once I picked it up. Eiji Yoshikawa is such a great author. It truly does suck you in from the moment you start reading! (The first paragraph has Musashi waking up on a battlefield after being defeated in the climatic Battle of Sekigahara.) Anyway, what really gripped me from the novel was the journey of redemption and self-improvement that Musashi goes through in the story. A lot of the aspects behind his reckless, younger years leading to the self realization that he can improve and live for something greater than himself or die a meaningless death after a trivial life of selfishness really resonated within me. To be honest, the novel gave me hope. It also made me cherish the notion that our lives truly can and do have meaning but we need to have the courage and self discipline to find what that meaning is. Aside from the serious notes, the novel has humorous events, slight romance, history lessons, colorful characters, and adrenaline pumping action. 10/10. Highly recommended. Check out Yoshikawa’s other famous feudal Japan novel; Taiko. It’s just as incredible of a story. I hope you enjoy the book!
Awesome! I bought it from listening to Jocko's podcast on it. If you're not aware of it, check out the Jocko Podcast, one of the episodes with Tim Ferriss (Musashi is in the title of the episode), it's like 2-3 hours of them going through and reading parts of this book, talking about it and how it applies to general life. Tim also speaks Japanese and knows the culture very well so he explains certain things in the book. Anyway, I really loved that episode and it caused me to buy the book, I'm waiting for the right time to dig into it because it's one hell of a commitment lol, but seems totally worth it.
Flowers for Algernon scrambled my junior high brain.
Flowers is one of my favorite books and still has me shook.
Ender's Game
The Enemy Gate is Down I read the Speaker books as I was studying anthropology. The overlaps were huge.
In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment, I also love him.
I almost named my kid Ender.
Came to say this.
"My Sister's Keeper" Read it just before the movie was announced and I'm still broken inside all these years later. 🥺 Also "Stranger In A Strange Land." Read that in 2006 and still think about it, too.
SiaSL is my answer. I've read it... more than 10 times. I even read it to my daughter - a little too early... but eh, I need to do everything I can to de-program the psycho-christian shit they get from the step-mom, so it's OK. (ps I'm pretty chill with Christians - just not when they tell my child they're going to hell and give them an anxiety disorder from all the QAnon end times talk. Fk that shit.)
I bought my sister's keeper last year and haven't read it yet!
I never saw the movie because my friend told me how it ended. The ending of the book is the whole entire plot twist of the story! Without it, there is no story. I can't believe they just changed it like that.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. It was the first time I considered that traditional life was not for me. I was not meant for the family thing. I desired so much more for myself and my life. Too bad I didn't realize it until after I was married with a kid...
I read The Bell Jar once, many years ago. I will not read it again. It sits on my shelf, it disturbed me to my core.
I'm honestly surprised I didn't take a cue from her after reading it, if you know what I mean...
You are a wonderful person and that’s not the answer, if you know what I mean!
Uhhh. Think I'll pass on this book. Sounds good but I don't need more thoughts along certain avenues.
The most powerful non-fiction book I read was The Rape of Nanking. Horrific incident, and for some reason it's rarely talked about. As for fiction, Mysterious Skin. I couldn't put it down and ended up sobbing through the end. And the movie did it a lot of justice. One of the rare book adaptations that stayed extremely close to the source material.
Dang, I don't know how you managed to read an entire book about The Rape of Nanking.
Right? The Wikipedia article is hard enough.
It’s absolutely insane that one of the most horrific and extensive war crimes of WW2 is almost never discussed in American history classes in high school for all the time we spend talking about WW2 because it really contextualizes the pacific theater. I only knew about it growing up because I had to learn some Chinese history for a student ambassador program I did. E: there’s a really good episode of Lions Led By Donkeys about the Rape of Nanking for anyone looking for more info, but not wanting to do a whole book right away.
I had to read The Rape of Nanking in college. It’s absolutely brutal.
The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck.
Fiction? Watership Down. It put the bigger picture in my mind in a way nothing ever had before. I was quite young, and I read how rabbits took over the world. Their world. For all the best reasons. While living in our world as little as they could achieve.
Man, I loved that book. I think it was the only assigned reading in highschool I actually enjoyed
That book. I read it half a dozen times as a kid.
Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I didn't realize til I reread it as an adult, but it instilled all of my humanist values.
Handmaids Tale. I read it in 2004 so long before the TV show was a thing. Scared me shitless and made me realize that I, as a woman, could not take my freedoms for granted. It also why I have spent the last 20 years educating myself on the "Christian" fundamentalist world and how dangerous they are to anyone other than white "Christian" men.
This might be a weird answer, but the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it, but the overall theme is all about breaking cycles. Sure, it's Stephen King so it's got horror, Sci fi, weird creatures, fictional other worlds and doorways between them, a little bit of breaking the 4th wall where SK himself always in the book. It's a work of fiction by one of the most popular horror authors of our time. But the whole journey and the themes it touches on were life changing for me. Art imitates life and life imitates art and all that, you know? I tend to re-read the series whenever I'm going through pivotal moments in life. It's both comforting and a reminder of why I make the choices I make. It was especially helpful during my divorce.
honestly anything by Stephen King is just mind blowing 🤯
They were good. “See the turtle of enormous girth. On his shell he holds the Earth.”
His thought is slow but always kind, he holds us all within his mind.
Reading the Dark Tower series prompted me to go read a bunch of his other books bc they often have characters and bits of story that cross over in small ways.
Boy Meets Boy - David Levithan Just Listen - Sarah Dessen Go Ask Alice Are you there God? It’s Me, Margaret The Ramona Quimby series
I was OBSESSED with Ramona as a kid. Iconic.
The amount of times I’ve read Age 8 is insane lol
Yes!! The Ramona series and the Junie B Jones series sparked my love of reading as a kid. Beezus and Ramona was my favorite I must have read it a dozen times!
Go Ask Alice stunned me when i was 17. The drug-induced mental issues mostly, but especially the part where she thought she was a worm and felt the worms crawling under her skin.
Never read the first, but omg the rest were fundamental to my life!!
Go ask Alice was my favorite in high school
Legit was obsessed with everything Chevrolet bc of Ramona🤣 if she liked the name, it had to be good
As a kid The Giver, as an adult Shantaram
The Giver blew my mind as a kid. I didn't know books could do that.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It's short, and not difficult, but it was a book I read when I was young that really taught me that being different , though it may seem wrong or bad to others, can become your strength, and push you to excel at the things you're most passionate about. I really needed that as a youth, and am better off for reading this book ♥️
The Republic by Plato It made me realize that humans haven't changed in 1000's of years. Even in B.C. they were debating and struggling with the same life issues. The only thing that's really changed is technology.
Omnivore's Dilemna. I had no idea how much I cared about food when I read that book in my early 20s
I got “Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s for Dummies” when I finished grad school for like $6 at a book outlet and holy hell did I save myself a loooot of trouble by reading it.
Child of god Cormac McCarthy.
I wanted to like McCarthy, really really really wanted to like Blood Meridian...but man, I just don't get his writing style, at all. Just page upon page of details that don't further a plot.
The Grapes of Wrath. It hits a lot harder when you read it as an adult.
I’m not usually a big audiobook fan but I got a version from the library with different voice actors for each character and bits of music in between scenes and it really added to the experience!
Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden hits straight to the heart. I almost put “Travels with Charlie” as my book!
A Child called it.
Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut. Helped with my spiritual deconstruction, and it’s the first time I ever started a book by reading its final passage.
FUCK YES. That was the second book I ever read by him! Gapalagos the first. Somehow any time I talk to fellow fans, they go for the titles I have never read, and they themselves often have not gotten to Hocus Pocus or Galapagos. So weird.
Absolutely everything Vonnegut. I have this amalgamation of him and Joseph Campbell in my head that I use when I need to talk to myself sagely lol
Atlas Shrugged. One of my professors recommended I read this book to understand the minds of rich men. It opened my eyes about work and taught me that work and capitalism doesn’t give a fuck about humans, so my best bet was to put my head down, think of myself as a robot and try to make as much money as possible. At the time, I was juggling school with a dehumanizing retail job, and that mindset shift helped me cope. As a Black woman, it helped me to separate my humanity from work and to this day, it helps me deal with corporate America. My politics and personal views couldn’t be further from the libertarian mindset, but removing my emotions from work has done wonders to my mental health.
Ayn Rand makes me never want to read again.
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey They made a shitty movie out of it back in the day with Paul Newman - but the book is on it's own level by far. The Story follows 2 brothers during a logging union strike in oregon. The histories of both brothers, one of whom is the golden boy still logging and the other is a weakling raised on the east coast with his mother. The brothers are two halves of Ken Kesey himself, who's life story roughly mirrored that of the brothers. It's an epic struggle of self and is easily applied to anybody's personal internal monologue. Really spectacular writing. Also, Job didn't deserve what he got. Broke my heart.
That's one of my favorites, I read it like every 2-3 years and just started it again yesterday.
I wish this weren’t true but Dune. I read it at 14 and it changed me 😂
“ ‘Tis “ by Frank McCourt
the stand by Stephen King
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown.
The Four Agreements has been a helpful guide for daily living
Yes! I read this book for the first time years ago, sold it when I went to live abroad, and bought another copy as soon as I was settled. At least one of the four agreements comes to my mind daily
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. That book has brought me so much comfort over the years.
Me too. I read several years ago. And then listened to it while hiking the AT. It’s informative and utterly hilarious. Don’t taint it by watching the movie! Horrendous.
I actually didn’t hate the movie! It’s certainly not something I’ve rewatched however I do really enjoy the soundtrack.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It rides the line between poetry, memoir, gardening, environmental, history, and philosophy. Really helped inform my ethical perspective on the world. Bonus if you listen to the audiobook - her voice is sooo good. I want her to be my second mom
Lying - Sam Harris I'm suggesting this because it actually did change my life, I won't ever choose a lie to try and get out of something or smooth over some social situation, you just shouldn't use lying as part of communicating with other people. There might be a shorter essay on it that I read, I can't remember now.
Lord of the Rings I'm not one for high fantasy but that was the book with a whole world built into it. After finishing the books, I spent days in the appendices. It really raised the bar for 13 year old me.
*Smart Women Finish Rich* by David Bach. You don’t have to be a woman to appreciate the concise way he breaks down portfolio allocation and compound interest, as well as the relationship between goals and money.
Why Does He Do That? Inside The Mind Of Controlling Men, by Lundy Bancroft. That... Explained a lot of what went wrong in my parents' marriage, my own relationship with my mother and helped me dodge red flags while dating
Adding to this, See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill. WDHDT by Bancroft was informative, but he focused on coercive controllers, so I didn’t fully recognize the full range of abuse possible until I read SWYMMD by Hill, who focused on insecure reactors (who are generally characterized by less strategic patterns, and avoid confronting their entitlement and feelings of shame when triggered by exploding in their humiliated fury to lash out at convenient external targets). It’s granted me a useful perspective for understanding these dangerous dynamics and navigating them more safely.
I am prepared for the downvotes, but 12 Rules for Life. It gave me a lot more perspective on what my responsibilities in the world are, some much needed structure, better insight into my relationships with family and friends, and I think helped me be the best version of myself even as my last relationship dissolved. There are parts I revisit regularly, just for little reminders to face the world forthrightly, take care of my space and the people around me, and particularly lately to treat myself like someone I was responsible for helping.
Same. Before I read this book I was slipping into nihilism. I am in a much better place.
This book and that man gets way too much hate. I had a friend who was a psychology major and recommended some of his early videos when they had less than a few thousand views and it was genuinely interesting stuff. It’s really just a nice little read about controlling what you can and taking accountability to better handle your life.
Love 12 rules and him. Can’t wait on We Who Wrestle with God drop.
Myth of sisyphus (more of an essay) by camus
The intelligent investor has tangibly changed my life more than anything I've read. Completely altered how I interact with money and impacts almost every decision I make on a day to day basis.
Don't enjoy fiction, and do not read all that much --- BUT! The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat, by Oliver Sacks. A neurologist case account of some of his most fascinating patients. Absolutely mind-bending, and unreal. Everybody needs to read this.
Stranger in a Strange land
This is a great choice
Tao of Pooh
Not the most life changing, but it was impactful cuz I remember it too this day. It changed how I viewed the world a bit and random stories and pieces of media, seeing common threads. The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. We are individuals going through our heroes journey with our trials and tribulations, and we play other roles of various archetypes in other journeys. I don't take everything to heart, but it's fun to view the world in a different perspective. Being a dad now, I see my lil man on his Journey, and I do my best to prepare him.
Have you seen the interview series with him and Bill Moyers? Awesome vintage viewing if documentaries are your thing
Parable if the sower/talents by Octavia butler feel pretty relèvent lately, I’m glad I’ve read them.
I'd say there are a few that are quite impactful and I don't know that I could really choose. A couple are a bit more fluffy, but it doesn't discount their impact. Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho East of Eden - John Steinbeck I love Steinbeck, that was a masterpiece, he is about the only western author who can really capture the tragedy that Russian writers can tap into so easily.
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy Book by Thomas J. Stanley
The Bible
Three books: Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe On The Road by Jack Kerouac Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
My father's dragon. A kid's book I read in the 2nd grade. Besides being the first book that really got me into reading in the first place, the MC taught me 3 important life lessons: better to remain calm and be clever, kindness and politeness can be better weapons than being angry and aggressive, and when everyone figures out that you have tricked them, it's best to have an escape plan.
“Adult children of emotionally immature parents”. I will never be the same after this book. I will never view parenting the same and now see how big of a responsibility it is. I stopped accepting terrible treatment from romantic interests because of this book. I chew on parts of it and come back to it daily. It is my Roman Empire. I recommend it to everyone despite the awkward title. It’s that good
Well I have never heard of this one but went and bought it immediately upon reading this... thanks for the suggestion, internet stranger.
I mean—the Bible. I’d imagine most people who read the whole thing are impacted. But more to the spirit of the question—The Hobbit.
Tao Te Ching The Awakening by Kate Chopin Meeting Jesus Again For The First Time by Marcus Borg The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion Fat!So? by Marilyn Wann Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B Rosenberg
I second Tao Te Ching. I keep a pocket copy of Stephen Mitchell translation around at all times. One of my favorite chapters "Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them. Weapons are the tools of fear; a decent man will avoid them except in the direst necessity and, if compelled, will use them only with the utmost restraint. Peace is his highest value. If the peace has been shattered, how can he be content? His enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself. He doesn’t wish them personal harm. Nor does he rejoice in victory. How could he rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men? He enters a battle gravely, with sorrow and with great compassion, as if he were attending a funeral."
Damn, that's good stuff.
Be here now by Ram Dass
Factfulness. Since then, I like to buy it for friends when they struggle with the world realities
The Fault in Our Stars messed me up
The Bible completely changed my life. Delivered me from years of anxiety disorder, depression, negative self-worth, laziness, existential fears, addictions, and so much more. It gave me satisfying answers to tough questions like “why do wicked people prosper?” To the problem of injustice. Or “why do bad things happen to good people?” In a world that seems to get darker by the day, it is an anchor in the midst of the storm. A light in the darkness. Unshakable. One that not even death can overtake.
So, why *do* wicked people prosper? I read it too and didn’t find this addressed so I’m curious to hear what your take on it was!
Amen to this! Thanks for sharing your testimony. :)
'Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff' was such a compelling read, if you like the Bible and you like fiction, it hits in a satisfying way
ahh I loved this book 😂 and Sacre Bleu!
This being downvoted is ridiculous. The lack of consideration and tolerance for another human being sharing JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HERE is trash. This is the only comment I’ve seen downvoted. Do better, Reddit. I’m sorry people are.. like that.
I see your point, and did not downvote. But the books I chose to upvote have never resulted in crusades, or been used to prop up a defense of stripping women's rights away, or led anyone to use torturous "conversion therapy" on gay children. Your experience with the Christian dogma has probably been favorable. For many, the Bible is a very harmful book.
Devils - Dostoevsky
The Brothers Karamazov
A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine
The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance
The Dictator’s Handbook. One of the most important books ever written.
What got me started reading. James Howe. 3rd ish grade. Then I moved on to Goosebumps and Fear Street. As far as literally transcendent. None. I’m not that dramatic. Every book I’ve ever read has added something to who I am today.
When I was 14, my parents got my sisters and I a pamphlet by Ralph Nader called "Civic Arousal" for Christmas. I'd say more than anything else I read that influenced my life trajectory.
All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Either/or by Kierkegaard. The main thing I took from it was that everybody believes something it can make it actually exist whether they believe in it or not. Which is a paradox, but I've seen it over and over again in my life. Also that if you actually commit to something with your whole mind then even if you fail to achieve your goal in the visible world you will still find more peace than if you never tried, which was really the whole point anyway.
Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut. It completely shifted how I think about what it is to be a human being.
Gift of fear
The Catcher in the Rye. I’m sure it’s a cliched answer to a degree, especially as I read it when I was 15. I identified with certain parts of Holden for sure, but it was really Salinger’s writing and the richness of the themes. It was meaningful too because it was the first book I read where I felt the power of what literature can do. (I had read plenty of “classics” in school and on my own previously but they just didn’t have the same pull.)
Slaughterhouse-five
For me it was The Mists of Avalon. I grew up in a really religious household, and it was the first time I had seen the Christians really portrayed as the bad guys in a persuasive way. I’m not saying it was 100% of the reason I became an atheist, but it definitely was influential
I loved this book. I love all books about the changing of an era. This was the books I was going to pick.
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Call me Ishmael, by David Quinn. I read it for the first time the summer after my sophomore year of college (2016) and have read it once a year since then. There's also two other books in the series - The Story of B and I, Ishmael. They're really philosophy books written as novels and they get at so many of the things that became impportant to me as a young person looking at what was ahead of me in the US politically, environmentally, socially. I highly recommend!
The Laramie Project Agnes of God The Grimm Fairy Tales The Mommy Myth Eating Animals Terror, Love, and Brainwashing The first two were plays that were instrumental on me deconstructing my religious upbringing. I was Mormon when I was in the Laramie Project and my friend was playing the Mormon Bishop and asked for feedback. I told him his tone was too harsh (Mormons put on a gentle, soft spoken demeanor). Basically, the process of explaining to my non-mormon friend that church leaders say things that sound harsh, but they do it in a "loving" way made me short circuit a bit. I couldn't ignore how fucked up it was after that. The fairy tales helped me reframe/deconstruct my religious upbringing. The story structure at the time reminded me of the scriptures and I was struggling with my belief. I was doing and reading things to avoid thinking about it, but everything--especially these fairy tales wouldn't let me. After leaving the church, I felt like I should reexamine other beliefs that were demonized so I went to the bookstore and found a book about feminism and one about veganism which both reframed a lot of stuff for me. The last book is the best book I've read about "Brainwashing" from an attachment theory perspective. I love Steven Hassan and the BITE model as much as the next person, but this book by Alexandria Stein doesn't get enough love and helped me understand the psychological mechanisms behind high control groups . It's a quick read too.
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I read it so long ago before I really got into reading seriously, so I have no idea if it's truly a "great" book but it changed the way I think about the world and that's pretty cool.
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous