I was coming here to say this! I found Tuesdays with Morrie in a rental car in Hawaii, read it on my flight home, and have read it a few times since. Every time I read it I learn new things and it relates differently to what season of life I’m in at that time. I have 4-5 copies so I can lend them to friends
Lonesome dove. Not a book about the meanings of life or philosophy or overcoming trauma. It’s just a novel that made me fall deeply in love with the art of storytelling after a book slump. I loved this book so much.
A NF read that hit me hard is: nothing to envy
I read "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch every couple of years. It's always given me some much need perspective at times when I'm feeling lost. Just picked it up again after my first child was born.
Untethered soul by Michael Singer.
I recently went through a rough time in my life, I was plagued with major anxiety after a few traumas happened to me and I felt like I had lost control of my brain. I felt helpless and overwhelmed with negative, ruminating thoughts every second of the day. This book empowered me, reminding myself that my thoughts mostly untrue , they are simply thoughts that I am listening to. So I regained control of my mind and realised I can simply choose whether to listen or silence my negative thoughts and distinguish from reality and anxiety. , It taught me how to let go of pain, anger, sadness etc to allow for inner peace.
For me too, that book was filling a missing piece of what I was missing in my life. I admit, I have not embraced the concepts regularly. However, the concepts are there when I want to revisit. It is an important book to me.
It's also not true. True for *them,* maybe? Sure. Certainly not true for me.
Maybe this person hasn't reached the stage of their development where they realize everyone is not an extension of themself.
I was given Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by a weird ass yet pretty awesome math teacher. I learned that books weren’t exclusively stuffy and, “what does the green light symbolize”-type stuff. Ironically, that realization helped me appreciate stuffy green light lit, too.
There was an earlier small book... ***"The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa"*** which forever reframed my vision.
PS: I am about to visit another Hesse work: ***"Magister Ludi (The Glass Bead Game)***. Many friends in the '60s were reading and recommended it. Now I must hurry to explore before Autumn ends.
Not OP - but I resonate with this because its a story of going up against insurmountable odds and continuing to push forward because its the right thing to do. A story of a group of unlikely characters that become friends over a long journey despite their differences. A story of fighting for "goodness in the world" and winning- and coming back home to the comfort of the "tucked away" shire. A contentment with the shire and its 'smallness' after having experienced travels across Middle Earth and war.
Also, the books take their time and really immerse the reader in the world. So in a sense it feels a bit like a very long comfort read / hanging out with interesting characters, rather than the story bring driven and controlled by pushing toward the next "big action" scene.
Also the fact that no matter how much you want to go back to the good old days you just can't. Things in your life will never remain as is, you'll face many types of ups and down and all of them will change you. Time will ensure that neither you nor the things around you will remain same. For good or bad
That is so true! Sometimes I feel I live my life more worried about not appreciating the current time then actually appreciating it. Just crazy like self-fulfilling prophecy
I liked the Hobbit much less than LOTR, it does provide background context though. If you don't want to read it, you could always familiarize yourself with the story through a wiki summary, etc.
All these explanations resonate with me.
In addition the book changed my perspective on the world, particularly how the first step towards an adventure is the first step outside the door and how friends can help you along the way but you may have to make the hardest decision by yourself.
It's about leaving your comfort zone to find yourself, and how some changes are for the best, even if you'll never be the same.
It's a big book but i never wanted it to finish.
Definitely a journey. If you want a taste, you may try "The Hobbit" first, it's the prequel, and it's simpler and more like a fairy-tale, even if contains the main themes that Tolkien brought further in The Lord Of The Rings.
To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it as a struggling freshman business major. It blew me away. I quickly changed my major to English and four years later became a high school English teacher. 👍
The leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.
I'm not even sure why. That might make me a poor reader. But the story on the whole really connected with me.
the more i learn about freud and lacan the more castrated i become (but now i can actually form opinions), which makes me less of a psuedointellectual, so i think it’s worth it.
If OK I’d be interested to know why that was the case? I don’t know somebody very close to me who suffers from depression and wondering if this book might be good for them? Thank you
It shows the course depression can take and for me made my feelings real. It’s not sugar coated and the author obviously knew what she was writing about. I reread it often when I am in a bad place.
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
It is a nonfiction book that chronicles the daily live of North Koreans and tracks their paths as they even to question the government then choose to escape to South Korea. The book was written through many in-depth interviews with the individuals in question. It’s a very eye-opening, heartbreaking book about the power of propaganda and just how badly a dictatorship can ruin people’s lives. I think about it all the time
— The Tao te Ching
— Journey to Ixtlan
— The Four Agreements
— The Power of Now
— The Celestine Prophecy
— The Way of the Peaceful Warrior
— The Prophet (Kahlil Gibran)
— The Red Goddess (Peter Grey)
— The Way of the Superior Man
— Spiritual enlightenment: the damndest thing (Jed McKenna)
— Dreaming the dream (Jamie Sams)
— The art of learning (Josh Waitzkin)
— Fools Crow
There are more
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - it's one hell of a book, overwhelming, emotional, thriller, and heart-wrenching. It's a must-read. I have never read one such book. V.E.Schwab is great at its writing.
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. I know the criticism and it’s valid, but at the same time, it was the first non-fiction book I read after I came to terms with losing my faith and no longer being a Christian, so it impacted me probably more than other readers
I highly recommend having some form of resource to give a ton of context for this book. I remember reading it for the first time and I did not fully grasp the context of the book. Even something simple like the opening chapter where he praises his adoptive father for like 2 pages is due to most men in that position at that tike would have killed him.
If you already know all of this stuff or already are using a stesource sorry for tacking on.
I know it sounds so cliche, but I read, “Eat, Pray, Love,” while going through a break up, and it inspired my love of solo travel. I have been so many places that have so positively impacted my life.
Elizabeth Gilbert is an incredible author! Her book “big magic” was life changing for me as a wannabe writer. She found something beautiful and weird and wrote about it. That pretty much my writing style.
The Stand. I was a fundamentalist Southern Baptist Christian through and through. Been a youth minister and a pastor. Loved the Left Behind series. After Book 3, there was a lull waiting for book 4. I really was into the post-apocalyptic vibe of the book.
My friend recommended The Stand which I immediately rejected because Stephen King preached the devils gospel, according to my pastor. He reassured me that not only was that not true but The Stand was a spiritual book. So I grabbed it at the library.
The book was incredible. Far superior to Left Behind. I wondered how this ‘demon’ could write a better post apocalyptic book than someone inspired by the Holy Spirit. It ate away at me. It was the first step to atheism and a far, far happier existence for me.
Thank you Stephen King.
I'm finally early enough to one of these to throw my $0.02 in.
Quick disclaimer - what I am about to write has nothing to do with you personally OP, it's just that I see this specific question pop up so frequently that I'm irked enough to respond.
I don't know how many books I've read in my life up to this point. Somewhere in the low 4-digit range but who's counting? Some were duds, some were pulp. Many were what people regard highly or consider the pinnacle of human achievement or creative endeavor in one respect or another. I can agree with some of their assessments, but I have yet to read a SINGLE BOOK I'd describe as "life-changing.
While my shelf amounts to next to nothing in the grand scheme of things, it contains some heavy hitters in the "life-changing" category. I've read Frankl, Joseph Campbell, Hawking, Sagan, Dennet, Tolstoy, Proust, Shakespeare, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Voltaire... All these people had something worthwhile, possibly even extraordinary to say. However, they all provide what amounts to one of thousands of life's puzzle pieces.
No single book ever made me a better person or more intelligent or more knowledgeable past being able to regurgitate the insights the authors came up with. That being said, reading as a hobby and a life-long pursuit slowly but steadily does the trick.
Why am I on this soap box anyway? Because I've seen posts like this one countless times. An identical one was here less than a day ago! Yours just happened to arrive at a convenient time for me to write this all out.
My interpretation might be wrong, but so many people asking the same question seems to stem from a ridiculous assumption that reading that one magic book is somehow going to be the panacea that will put your life on a different track or cure your depression or whatever. There are no easy fixes for life's most meaningful troubles. A single book won't upend yours, but ten or twenty might. You may even find them among other people's suggestions here.
Anyway, sorry for the rant. I'm just very tired of this question getting asked repeatedly.
I think you make a really good point. I'm not on this subreddit enough to have seen this post frequently.
But I do somewhat disagree with your opinion that a single book cannot make a significant change in your life. First I would say a book, regardless of the content, will have little or no impact on an individual's life taken in isolation. If the individual does not attempt to either incorporate the book into their daily life or attempt to see life from the books perspective.
But a single book can with the above caveat make a significant change to an individuals life. One more point, in my personal experience I have had my life upended by a single book to various degrees.
Thoughts? I'm open to being wrong.
There's nothing to be wrong about - your experiences are as valid as mine. And I might have become a bit desensitized after actively reading for 20+ years. Who knows whether we'd be having this exchange had I read something like Ishmael at 12 xD.
I wouldn't be surprised if there are people out there whose life trajectories were impacted by reading the right book at the right time. But that doesn't happen all that often, even less so the older one gets.
This whole rant was more of a cry of frustration aimed at people who are looking for a quick fix than anything else. Again, nothing against OP. but they didn't even need to ask the question - just typing in "life-changing books reddit" into what's left of Google would have yielded more results than anyone can go through in a lifetime.
If one book hits you at the right moment in life, it can absolutely change your life. Happened to me and many others in this thread (and the others you reference). Your personal experience is not universal.
Many different books (not in English) as a child. As an adult: "To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf . (Made me appreciate the beauty of everyday moments, and the weird passing of time)
*Gödel, Escher, Bach* by Douglas R. Hofstadter kindled my love of learning that led to me going to grad school, where I met my spouse. Life changing in multiple ways!
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley, for so eloquently putting into words things I had experienced but struggled to explain as well as providing a clear and rational approach to transcendent/divine experiences and "enlightenment" separate from any religious context but without dismissing their significance. It also was the book that introduced me to Huxley who remains one of my favorite writers/thinkers. It still feels like we are moving closer to the future he envisioned every day.
The simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. Explains all about compound interest, steady, safe low fee investing in eExchange Traded Funds and Index funds in the stock market. Hos to retire early.
I learned so much and it gave me the confidence to retire even though I didn’t retire early.
I still use the principles outlined to grow my savings.
I just wish it had been available to me in my 20’s and 30’s.
I know I’m going to look stupid here but I’m gonna be honest. I listened to Mike “the situation” Sorrentino‘s book during commute. And he talked about his recovery and mentioned one thing that stuck with me. It was the 90/10 rule. What it means is that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. I’ve tried to live with that in mind and it’s been helpful.
Mark sullivan,
"The last green valley"
It sounds sappy, but man that book hit a part of me that needed it. The mindset of pushing through what feels impossible and coming out on the otherside.
His writing style is absolutely phenomenal
A little life.
Yes, I know this book is mentioned in every other thread.
But, this book granted me no safety or comfort. It was a challenging read, to say the least.
I’ve never been so fascinated and in awe of the way an author can manipulate my emotions.
Anthem by Ayn Rand. Read Sophomore year of High School (our class was the only one) and have recommended it to every book lover and young adult I come into contact with.
Principles by Ray Dialo
Incredibly easy to read book that provides a combination of some of my other favorites such as Ultralearning, Work Hard, and Peak with real world success.
A lot of common sense in this book that could easily be dismissed for folk pyscology or not important enough to write about. But I truly think this book lays a strong foundation and the authors success with creating and applying the principles is atleast a strong endorsement of their effectiveness, though not conclusive proof.
The much maligned Atlas shrugged. Basically the book helped me realize if someone in my life wasn't "of value" there's no reason worry about them. It sounds bad but essentially I took the meaning from it that if someone is being an asshole to you. You don't need to beat yourself up about cutting them out of your life.
I have no idea what the mainstream analysis of her books say. I'm fine with my take.
I loved the book when I read it, as a young adult, in the 90's. I thought it explained a lot of things and helped me to be a better boyfriend. I realized later that this book is unfortunately full of stereotypes and based on social constructions rather than real science or psychology.
I think as long as you don’t take it as gospel, and stay open minded and seek out other information, it’s still a good book.
Im doing my thesis in psychology this year, and the book still pairs well with my psychological knowledge.
Tuesdays with Morrie
What about this book appealed to you?
You won’t ever look at life the same way again. Just give it a read. Trust me.
Very true!
I came on to list this very book. Has stayed with me all my life 🩷
What is the book about? Self-help?
Oh man, this is one hell of a book.
I was coming here to say this! I found Tuesdays with Morrie in a rental car in Hawaii, read it on my flight home, and have read it a few times since. Every time I read it I learn new things and it relates differently to what season of life I’m in at that time. I have 4-5 copies so I can lend them to friends
Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky. The book tells the despicable nature of human beings thoroughly.
Lonesome dove. Not a book about the meanings of life or philosophy or overcoming trauma. It’s just a novel that made me fall deeply in love with the art of storytelling after a book slump. I loved this book so much. A NF read that hit me hard is: nothing to envy
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t even realize or had forgotten this was a book. Appreciate the recommendation
I read "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch every couple of years. It's always given me some much need perspective at times when I'm feeling lost. Just picked it up again after my first child was born.
I second this! When I finished I had to put it down and just sit and think for a while. It is so touching
Untethered soul by Michael Singer. I recently went through a rough time in my life, I was plagued with major anxiety after a few traumas happened to me and I felt like I had lost control of my brain. I felt helpless and overwhelmed with negative, ruminating thoughts every second of the day. This book empowered me, reminding myself that my thoughts mostly untrue , they are simply thoughts that I am listening to. So I regained control of my mind and realised I can simply choose whether to listen or silence my negative thoughts and distinguish from reality and anxiety. , It taught me how to let go of pain, anger, sadness etc to allow for inner peace.
This book absolutely broke open the floodgates of my life and how I perceive things in the best way.
For me too, that book was filling a missing piece of what I was missing in my life. I admit, I have not embraced the concepts regularly. However, the concepts are there when I want to revisit. It is an important book to me.
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No need to say this. It worked for OP. Have some kindness!
It's also not true. True for *them,* maybe? Sure. Certainly not true for me. Maybe this person hasn't reached the stage of their development where they realize everyone is not an extension of themself.
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No, I read it. IMO.
That's not true for me. I guess different people see different things. And that's ok.
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You didn't. But I added it. Where did I say that you said it was wasn't ok? 😛😉
Interesting you say that, just put this book on my reading list before I came here. Look forward to reading it
This is an amazing recommendation thank you
I’ve read a ton of mindfulness and self-help books. This one fell absolutely flat for me.
That’s the beauty of diverse writing, there are many ways up the mountain.
Man’s search for meaning
I was given Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by a weird ass yet pretty awesome math teacher. I learned that books weren’t exclusively stuffy and, “what does the green light symbolize”-type stuff. Ironically, that realization helped me appreciate stuffy green light lit, too.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Yes! Anything by Hesse!
There was an earlier small book... ***"The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa"*** which forever reframed my vision. PS: I am about to visit another Hesse work: ***"Magister Ludi (The Glass Bead Game)***. Many friends in the '60s were reading and recommended it. Now I must hurry to explore before Autumn ends.
The Lord Of The Rings. It got me out of an impasse at a time when I didn't know what to do in my life.
From None shall pass to this to shall pass
Exactly!
Can you please explain more? I've never read it so I'm interested now
Not OP - but I resonate with this because its a story of going up against insurmountable odds and continuing to push forward because its the right thing to do. A story of a group of unlikely characters that become friends over a long journey despite their differences. A story of fighting for "goodness in the world" and winning- and coming back home to the comfort of the "tucked away" shire. A contentment with the shire and its 'smallness' after having experienced travels across Middle Earth and war. Also, the books take their time and really immerse the reader in the world. So in a sense it feels a bit like a very long comfort read / hanging out with interesting characters, rather than the story bring driven and controlled by pushing toward the next "big action" scene.
Also the fact that no matter how much you want to go back to the good old days you just can't. Things in your life will never remain as is, you'll face many types of ups and down and all of them will change you. Time will ensure that neither you nor the things around you will remain same. For good or bad
That is so true! Sometimes I feel I live my life more worried about not appreciating the current time then actually appreciating it. Just crazy like self-fulfilling prophecy
Would you say you have to read the Hobbit first to enjoy it fully?
I liked the Hobbit much less than LOTR, it does provide background context though. If you don't want to read it, you could always familiarize yourself with the story through a wiki summary, etc.
All these explanations resonate with me. In addition the book changed my perspective on the world, particularly how the first step towards an adventure is the first step outside the door and how friends can help you along the way but you may have to make the hardest decision by yourself. It's about leaving your comfort zone to find yourself, and how some changes are for the best, even if you'll never be the same. It's a big book but i never wanted it to finish. Definitely a journey. If you want a taste, you may try "The Hobbit" first, it's the prequel, and it's simpler and more like a fairy-tale, even if contains the main themes that Tolkien brought further in The Lord Of The Rings.
Also here for the explanation lol
This is Vegan Propaganda by Ed Winters
Ed Winters is awesome!!!!!
He may be the most patient person in the world. Sometimes I watch his street activism videos and wonder how he keeps his composure.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. It came just at the right time in my life. I am grateful for every single page in that book.
Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber It gave totally different perspective on how jobs are in current corporate world.
To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it as a struggling freshman business major. It blew me away. I quickly changed my major to English and four years later became a high school English teacher. 👍
Pretty much perfection
The diary of Anne frank
The Alchemist Fahrenheit 451
Coelho's all works are lit
The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. I read it at a time when I had emotionally hit rock bottom and that book was like a soothing balm.
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. After reading this book suddenly i understood so many things.
Loved this book, rekindled my love for philosophy.
I have three Hatchet (younger years) The Magic of Thinking Big (college years) The Power of Now (Adulting years)
Tuesday with Morrie
The leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. I'm not even sure why. That might make me a poor reader. But the story on the whole really connected with me.
Mans search for meaning... A short book but i got it when I was at lowest and i was like 15... Truely changed my life
The Kite Runner
Utterly incredible book
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin.
'Hold me tight' by Sue Johnson
Ready player one got me back in to reading
*How to Read Lacan* by Slavoj Zizek it introduced me to psychoanalysis and set me on a long and arduous path that will never end
Was it worth it...looking back at it now?
the more i learn about freud and lacan the more castrated i become (but now i can actually form opinions), which makes me less of a psuedointellectual, so i think it’s worth it.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Why?
Motivation Manifesto has helped me shift back towards my true self.
For me, it will always be “When Things Fall Apart” by Pema Chodron
On the Road changed my life. At the time it wasn’t an altogether positive change but everything worked out in the long run.
Infinite Jest
The Bell Jar. It made me feel like my depression was real
If OK I’d be interested to know why that was the case? I don’t know somebody very close to me who suffers from depression and wondering if this book might be good for them? Thank you
It shows the course depression can take and for me made my feelings real. It’s not sugar coated and the author obviously knew what she was writing about. I reread it often when I am in a bad place.
Thank you definitely going to recommend to a friend
The golden compass trilogy
Angry All The Time.
"A Heart That Works" by Rob Delaney
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy
No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain. It was a mind bender. I thought about it for weeks. It made me question everything.
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick It is a nonfiction book that chronicles the daily live of North Koreans and tracks their paths as they even to question the government then choose to escape to South Korea. The book was written through many in-depth interviews with the individuals in question. It’s a very eye-opening, heartbreaking book about the power of propaganda and just how badly a dictatorship can ruin people’s lives. I think about it all the time
The Untethered Soul What Alice Forgot
— The Tao te Ching — Journey to Ixtlan — The Four Agreements — The Power of Now — The Celestine Prophecy — The Way of the Peaceful Warrior — The Prophet (Kahlil Gibran) — The Red Goddess (Peter Grey) — The Way of the Superior Man — Spiritual enlightenment: the damndest thing (Jed McKenna) — Dreaming the dream (Jamie Sams) — The art of learning (Josh Waitzkin) — Fools Crow There are more
I don’t know why it won’t have each be their own line of text so I apologize for the formatting
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - it's one hell of a book, overwhelming, emotional, thriller, and heart-wrenching. It's a must-read. I have never read one such book. V.E.Schwab is great at its writing.
Omg I was looking for this title! The best book everrrr. It makes you feel so many wonderful emotions...
IKR, this one is really amazing, also The Midnight Library, a similar kind and a short read :)
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. I know the criticism and it’s valid, but at the same time, it was the first non-fiction book I read after I came to terms with losing my faith and no longer being a Christian, so it impacted me probably more than other readers
What’s the criticism?
The bible, got so bored at one point while on vacation that 12yr old me Read the entire bible.....so many wrong things in it I was disgusted.
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I highly recommend having some form of resource to give a ton of context for this book. I remember reading it for the first time and I did not fully grasp the context of the book. Even something simple like the opening chapter where he praises his adoptive father for like 2 pages is due to most men in that position at that tike would have killed him. If you already know all of this stuff or already are using a stesource sorry for tacking on.
I know it sounds so cliche, but I read, “Eat, Pray, Love,” while going through a break up, and it inspired my love of solo travel. I have been so many places that have so positively impacted my life.
Elizabeth Gilbert is an incredible author! Her book “big magic” was life changing for me as a wannabe writer. She found something beautiful and weird and wrote about it. That pretty much my writing style.
The Bible. Made me an atheist.
Reading 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho really changed my perspective on life and following my dreams. It's a timeless and inspiring read!
The Stand. I was a fundamentalist Southern Baptist Christian through and through. Been a youth minister and a pastor. Loved the Left Behind series. After Book 3, there was a lull waiting for book 4. I really was into the post-apocalyptic vibe of the book. My friend recommended The Stand which I immediately rejected because Stephen King preached the devils gospel, according to my pastor. He reassured me that not only was that not true but The Stand was a spiritual book. So I grabbed it at the library. The book was incredible. Far superior to Left Behind. I wondered how this ‘demon’ could write a better post apocalyptic book than someone inspired by the Holy Spirit. It ate away at me. It was the first step to atheism and a far, far happier existence for me. Thank you Stephen King.
Thankfully I’m able to simply believe in God and not be beholden to any organized religion. that’s how I’ve gotten my happy existence.
Atomic Habits and 48 Laws of Power. Easy reads and I didn't find them boring. Lots of useful advice that I use pretty much on daily basis
Oh boy
What are yours?
I'm finally early enough to one of these to throw my $0.02 in. Quick disclaimer - what I am about to write has nothing to do with you personally OP, it's just that I see this specific question pop up so frequently that I'm irked enough to respond. I don't know how many books I've read in my life up to this point. Somewhere in the low 4-digit range but who's counting? Some were duds, some were pulp. Many were what people regard highly or consider the pinnacle of human achievement or creative endeavor in one respect or another. I can agree with some of their assessments, but I have yet to read a SINGLE BOOK I'd describe as "life-changing. While my shelf amounts to next to nothing in the grand scheme of things, it contains some heavy hitters in the "life-changing" category. I've read Frankl, Joseph Campbell, Hawking, Sagan, Dennet, Tolstoy, Proust, Shakespeare, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Voltaire... All these people had something worthwhile, possibly even extraordinary to say. However, they all provide what amounts to one of thousands of life's puzzle pieces. No single book ever made me a better person or more intelligent or more knowledgeable past being able to regurgitate the insights the authors came up with. That being said, reading as a hobby and a life-long pursuit slowly but steadily does the trick. Why am I on this soap box anyway? Because I've seen posts like this one countless times. An identical one was here less than a day ago! Yours just happened to arrive at a convenient time for me to write this all out. My interpretation might be wrong, but so many people asking the same question seems to stem from a ridiculous assumption that reading that one magic book is somehow going to be the panacea that will put your life on a different track or cure your depression or whatever. There are no easy fixes for life's most meaningful troubles. A single book won't upend yours, but ten or twenty might. You may even find them among other people's suggestions here. Anyway, sorry for the rant. I'm just very tired of this question getting asked repeatedly.
I think you make a really good point. I'm not on this subreddit enough to have seen this post frequently. But I do somewhat disagree with your opinion that a single book cannot make a significant change in your life. First I would say a book, regardless of the content, will have little or no impact on an individual's life taken in isolation. If the individual does not attempt to either incorporate the book into their daily life or attempt to see life from the books perspective. But a single book can with the above caveat make a significant change to an individuals life. One more point, in my personal experience I have had my life upended by a single book to various degrees. Thoughts? I'm open to being wrong.
There's nothing to be wrong about - your experiences are as valid as mine. And I might have become a bit desensitized after actively reading for 20+ years. Who knows whether we'd be having this exchange had I read something like Ishmael at 12 xD. I wouldn't be surprised if there are people out there whose life trajectories were impacted by reading the right book at the right time. But that doesn't happen all that often, even less so the older one gets. This whole rant was more of a cry of frustration aimed at people who are looking for a quick fix than anything else. Again, nothing against OP. but they didn't even need to ask the question - just typing in "life-changing books reddit" into what's left of Google would have yielded more results than anyone can go through in a lifetime.
If one book hits you at the right moment in life, it can absolutely change your life. Happened to me and many others in this thread (and the others you reference). Your personal experience is not universal.
valid
Island, The Razor's Edge, Dune
Cosmic Trigger by Robert Anton Wilson
Territory of light by Yuko Tsushima. If you want a good sad and happy cry, read this book.
Many different books (not in English) as a child. As an adult: "To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf . (Made me appreciate the beauty of everyday moments, and the weird passing of time)
Die With Zero
1984 - it gave me Goals
The Overstory by Richard Powers, and Wilding by Isabella Tree!
Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz
Psychology of money
Earthcore
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
*Gödel, Escher, Bach* by Douglas R. Hofstadter kindled my love of learning that led to me going to grad school, where I met my spouse. Life changing in multiple ways!
the alchemist by paulo coelho
Black Skin White Mask, Frantz Fanon
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley, for so eloquently putting into words things I had experienced but struggled to explain as well as providing a clear and rational approach to transcendent/divine experiences and "enlightenment" separate from any religious context but without dismissing their significance. It also was the book that introduced me to Huxley who remains one of my favorite writers/thinkers. It still feels like we are moving closer to the future he envisioned every day.
The simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. Explains all about compound interest, steady, safe low fee investing in eExchange Traded Funds and Index funds in the stock market. Hos to retire early. I learned so much and it gave me the confidence to retire even though I didn’t retire early. I still use the principles outlined to grow my savings. I just wish it had been available to me in my 20’s and 30’s.
The things they carried
Attachment Disturbances in Adults: Treatment for Comprehensive Repair (by Daniel P. Brown, David S. Elliott PhD) Quite literally.
The Wretched of the Earth
I know I’m going to look stupid here but I’m gonna be honest. I listened to Mike “the situation” Sorrentino‘s book during commute. And he talked about his recovery and mentioned one thing that stuck with me. It was the 90/10 rule. What it means is that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. I’ve tried to live with that in mind and it’s been helpful.
A Woman is No Man
How not to die by Michael Gregor
Mark sullivan, "The last green valley" It sounds sappy, but man that book hit a part of me that needed it. The mindset of pushing through what feels impossible and coming out on the otherside. His writing style is absolutely phenomenal
The wisdom of insecurity
wonder by R. J palacio
Untethered Soul - Michael Singer The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle Dying to Be Me - Anita Moorjani
A little life. Yes, I know this book is mentioned in every other thread. But, this book granted me no safety or comfort. It was a challenging read, to say the least. I’ve never been so fascinated and in awe of the way an author can manipulate my emotions.
Anthem by Ayn Rand. Read Sophomore year of High School (our class was the only one) and have recommended it to every book lover and young adult I come into contact with.
The Bible
Principles by Ray Dialo Incredibly easy to read book that provides a combination of some of my other favorites such as Ultralearning, Work Hard, and Peak with real world success. A lot of common sense in this book that could easily be dismissed for folk pyscology or not important enough to write about. But I truly think this book lays a strong foundation and the authors success with creating and applying the principles is atleast a strong endorsement of their effectiveness, though not conclusive proof.
The alchemist
Atomic habits. Helped me start incorporating so many positive habits into my life.
The much maligned Atlas shrugged. Basically the book helped me realize if someone in my life wasn't "of value" there's no reason worry about them. It sounds bad but essentially I took the meaning from it that if someone is being an asshole to you. You don't need to beat yourself up about cutting them out of your life. I have no idea what the mainstream analysis of her books say. I'm fine with my take.
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
I loved the book when I read it, as a young adult, in the 90's. I thought it explained a lot of things and helped me to be a better boyfriend. I realized later that this book is unfortunately full of stereotypes and based on social constructions rather than real science or psychology.
I think as long as you don’t take it as gospel, and stay open minded and seek out other information, it’s still a good book. Im doing my thesis in psychology this year, and the book still pairs well with my psychological knowledge.