What book has had the biggest impact on your life?

[MillauFr]

The David Macaulay books. I read them as a kid and it sparked my interest in engineering.

 

[dish rag]

The Diary of Anne Frank, which led to the book written by Miep Gies detailing the time in the Annex.

You may be interested in a book by the title, Night.

 

[ronandannette]

I'll go with the Song of Ice and Fire series. It taught me that:
a) I know nothing; and
b) Winter is coming, which is something I though I actually did know quite a bit about - see a) above.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Death In The Long Grass

 

[Kitty 34]

In Cold Blood. Read it when I was 16 and there are images I will never get out of my mind.

 

[Meriweather]

I don't think any have impacted my life, which I guess is good, because I mostly read murder mysteries

 

[RangerPooh]

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Read it in the 10th grade.

It hasn't really made an impact in my life, but heightened my awareness about the animal products that I consume. That in itself has stayed with me.

 

[goofyernmost]

The first serious book I ever read. Up until then it was mostly James Bond novels. I happened to pick up a book that was laying around the house titled "Wind from the Carolina's" by Robert Wilder. It was a fictional/historical novel about the lives of one rich plantation owner in So. Carolina that was so upset when the rebels won the revolutionary war that he packed up his entire plantation (except the dirt) and moved it all to Great Exuma Island in the Bahama's. It followed the plight over 5 or 6 generations until all the remaining family basically returned to the Carolina's. Many adventures, successes and failures through the years. It was the first book where I was able to put myself in the story as an interested bystander and couldn't put it down. It is a very big book. I wore one copy out and found another one on e-bay. I have read it dozens of times. It really is what started my love of reading and my sense of adventure. I went to the Bahama's once and only common sense and my wife stopped me from exploring Great Exuma Island looking for the remains of the transplanted fictional mansion.

 

[Feralpeg]

To Kill a Mockingbird

 

[larissawbb]

The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar

 

[WorldWalker18]

I’ve read The Grapes of Wrath several times when I needed a reminder of how good my life is.

 

[MrsPete]

Lots of good books are mentioned here, but the most influential book in my life has been The Bible. Everything else is just fiction.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Steven Covey
7 habits of Highly Effective People.
Suggested by a Business Mentor...

 

[fla4fun]

The Owl and the Pussycat. It was the first book I learned to read when I was 2 1/2, and I have been an avid reader ever since. I read everything from the dictionary to cheesy romance novels, to classic literature to biographies to history . . .the only thing I won’t read is horror, but that’s because I like to read before bed, and don’t need those kind of dreams (I like mysteries though). Everything a person reads affects them in big ways or small. Never stop reading!

 

[a1tinkfans]

... thought I’d share this..
As a 5th grader ( amazing Mrs Rodriguez)
Had us write to an author... “The Hot Water Bottle Mystery” by Alan Delgado was my book.
Pearls went missing on a train , lol... I remember it vividly.
The author responded by letter ( ink /well) I’ll never forget reading his letter... I asked what he looked like as there was no picture on the jacket. Among other things.. He told me that I should Imagine him...

My love of books has not wavered.. my son
Is the same way... ( I actually tracked down the book when my ds was in elementary school .. alibri if I recall correctly )
We still have that copy! I hope to one day pass it along to his child/ren...
Reading... escape, imagine, learn..expand ur mind!

 

[aristocatz]

I don't have one book to put in this category, but I do have several that inspired and guided me through different phases of my life.

The Little House on the Prairie series and the Wizard of Oz series turned me on to a love of reading and getting lost in reading.

Beverly Cleary prepared me for childhood.
Judy Blume prepared me for falling in love lol.

Catcher in the Rye, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, and Diary of Anne Frank opened me up to the harsh realities of the world and emotionally cushioned me through the emotional toil of my teenage years.

Siddhartha, Tao of Pooh/Te of Piglet, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, The Natural Mind, Hope for the Flowers, and Letters to a Young Poet inspired me throughout college & continue to do so today.

 

[Toolulu22]

Brave New World- read in high school. Images of a genetically engineered society scared and saddened me, while the spirit of those willing to fight back held me.

As an adult I read a short book some time ago called The Four Agreements. The basic tenants - be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best. Remembering these and the ideas in the book have really helped me in my career.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.

About 5 years after I decided to read it (based entirely upon the recommendation of me seeing it sitting on my biology teacher's desk), I graduated from college with a triple major in Biology, Biopsychology, and Biological Anthropology.

excluding books of Religion cause they obviously have the most

It's interesting you say this, as no religious book I've ever read has had any meaning for me at all. Well, I did really like The Inferno, but I'm not sure that counts.

/Headed for the vestibule of the uncommitted
//At least I'm forewarned

 

[mco65]

well, i have read several fiction books that i loved and they had small impacts but the greatest impact in my life would have been reading;
Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins. I must have read that over 20 years ago and i specifically remember making small changes in my life, minuscule things that made a huge difference. As an example, i was working for a small IT company and there was an opportunity to advance and travel and under normal circumstances I would have simply applied and hoped for the best but Tony Robbins book gave me the motivation to take it a step further... i started calling my boss (he was in TX, i was in TN) on a weekly basis just to check on the status of the position. Eventually, my boss either got tired of hearing from me or maybe he was impressed by my persistence (not real sure) but after about 2 months of calls, he eventually gave me the job and within a week i was on a plane to Seattle. That move was absolutely life changing. I can't imagine where i would be today had i not pressed for that job and i know for certain i would never have pressed had it not been for Tony Robbins and Unlimited Power.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Very hard to say! I love to read, so tons of fiction books have worked together to broaden my understanding of people over years. For one book lately, though, I'll go with a non-fiction: The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz. It really has changed the way I make decisions.