These books have contributed greatly to my human becoming and I thank their respective authors for sharing to the world such beautiful stories: 1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling made my growing up years really enjoyable and truly memorable. Reading HP books was also therapeutical. 2. Sputnik Sweetheart, Kafka on the Shore and South of the Border, West of the Sun were all written by Haruki Murakami, a unique and inspirational author who leaves you with more questions than answers. On the bright side, though most of his stories have cliff-hanger endings, one cannot help but feel in awe of Murakami's rich prose and heart-wrenching prose. His words have the power to change the way you see this world. 3. House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende taught me the real essence of humanity and the importance of posterity. 4. Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote One Hundred Years of Solitude to give us a glimpse of the joys and horrors of living in this world. What books have changed your life for the better?
Lord of the Blings! Err, I meant, Lord of the Rings - the Hobbit and Silmarillion too. J.R.R. Tolkien's writings, in my opinion, will be the future sagas for many generations of humans to read, enjoy and learn from, much like the old myths and legends of old. Tolkien's books have helped me understand history in a different perception, than dry historical textbook, and the language he conceived was marvelously done. The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts, was another great read that has changed my understanding of myself and everything external to me. A must read, for those interested in understanding oneself. Flower for Algernon, which I read in high school, was a good read. It dealt with a man named Charlie, who was born mentally challenged, who agreed to a experimental surgery that made him very intelligent but ultimately failed to retained that level of consciousness, and he eventually became less of what he was prior to the surgery. A sci-fi drama, is all I can generalize this book to be. Wish I can name some more on top of my head, but there's so many books, novels, and texts I've read in my short life, I've forgotten their names, but I know all of them have changed me in some way. Also, never stop reading, because one's lack of knowledge will always be a detriment to one's growth.
The one Book that has an impact on my life is THE BIBLE. It's a book isn't it?Others may have different opinions regarding it's usefulness. But I had to be honest. All other books I read didn't change me in any way. I simply read, enjoyed the stories and soon after forgot about them. But the teachings of the Bible stuck in my mind and hope that as I read more of it, I can get to be a better person.
The Prince by Machievelli changed how I saw the world. It was a history text book I loved because it was so thin, but later when I read it as a philosophy book, I see why he wrote what he did. You have to be ruthless to succeed at times and to protect yourself. Don't think of others when they could be plotting against you. The Chronicles of Narnia also changed how I saw life and time, that people can betray and then become loyal. Forgiveness is important, but so is trust and to know that things happen for a reason. There are more, but they are quite heavy books!
The book that made the greatest impact in my life is probably one called Hardwiring Happiness. It's a self help book that literally shows you how to remain as happy as you can even in the face of adversity. I was a very pessimistic person before and I was looking for something to make me have a different mindset about things. After I read this book I started being more positive in everything I did and this affected my life for the better.
The Fault In Our Stars. Before anyone reacts to this, I really do mean it when I say that this book changed me. The movie, however, did not. Reading this book made me see the fragility of life and how even if we find the love we were meant to have, there is never a guarantee that it will last for as long as we would have wanted it to. It wasn't just a love story with a twist, as the movie version seems to suggest. It's more of a testimony of strength of those experiencing illnesses and their intersecting difficulties as they face losses in their lives.
Agatha Christie books. I can't choose one because I love everything she writes. Tolkien books. He's a master storyteller. He writes in such a way that immerses readers in the world he created. Self-development books: The Power of Habit, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Bird by Bird, The War of Art.
The book that changed my life the most is "The Master Key System" by Charles Haanel. It is a self help book that explores the mind. Charles Haanel teaches you how to take control of your mind and then ultimately your life. This books has touched me in a way that no other book could compare, except the Bible. You can find the book here for freeLog In
I was obsessed with The Artist's Way when it came out and did all of the exercises religiously. And do you know what? I actually saw a difference in myself and in my outlook and in my writing ability! I also loved The Harry Potter series. Yes, I know it's Young Adult Fiction, but the writer's ability to pull me into this crazy world was such a great lesson in story-telling. JK Rowling gave me a lot of hints on how to do the same thing in my own non-fiction writing.
Self-help books, power of positive thinking books and financial planning books are all life changing reading. Self help books can help you change the way you think and live your life to become a better person-take your life and dreams to the next level. The power of positive thinking will help you to go far in life with thoughts of hope and faith, motivation and the strength to move forward. Financial planning books will teach you how to plan for the future, save automatically and invest your money so that you can retire early. If that isn't life changing, I don't know what is!
I don't know if it changed my life, but it is certainly a book that has stayed with me since I first read it years ago. The book is Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. It is an autobiography about McCourt's impoverished childhood in Ireland and all of the things his mother had to overcome in order to survive with her children since their father was either drunk or gone most of the time. Other than that, I enjoy reading self-help books that can teach me to look at things in a different way. I may not agree with them or follow their principles necessarily, but it is good to think about things differently from time to time.
For me it has been a series of philosophical books that mostly impacted on my life. Even from an early age on I have always been interested in finding answers to certain questions that are not easy to define. So, some of the books that have changed my understanding and outlook on life are by Krishnamurti, Harvey Spencer Lewis, Alice Bailey, and many more.
I can't speak to any "self-help" book that ever made a significant impact on how I lived my life. I have to be honest, I fancy myself a little bit above the often trite advice of self-help authors. That said, The Triple Whammy Cure did shed some helpful insight on some health issues I've been experiencing and led to me to see a doctor who was more open-minded about women's hormones than most. I also believe that Taking Charge of Your Fertility should be required reading for high school girls. Both of these books taught me things about my body that as a 30 year old mother of 3 (at the time) I am embarrassed to admit I never knew.
