Stop & Think Question: What book has had the single biggest influence on your life?

[MoeFOH]

Whatever that influence equates to: lifestyle, art, business, philosophy, etc.. 

This one could be a tough one for those who read a lot, but keep it to a single text if you can... 

It's got me thinking 🤔

[CuriousObserver]

I can't answer this correctly because I have too many running through my head for different use cases. So to keep it short I'm taking the way back machine. RL Stine's Goosebumps. Because they taught me reading could be fun in middle school.

[LaoFan]

Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Why don't we learn about money in school? Dropped out and never looked back.

 

 

[cnov]

In recent times - Ultra Processed People. It's about ultra processed food and what is doing to us. I'm not the most health conscious, but it really gave us a kick up the arse to think more about the food we eat, we still eat the odd bits of rubbish here and there, but we're pretty well converted.

[Lucas Buck]

MRN

[FOHgetaboutit]

Everybody poops. 

[Li Bai]

Tough question... Short list of books that influenced me the most:

- "On becoming a person" Carl R. Rogers

- "The brothers Karamazov" Dostoïevski 

- "Shang Han Lun" Zhang Zhongjing

 

[MrBirdman]

The Great Transformation - Karl Polanyi 

[Ruggerpgh99]

Howard Zinn - A People's History of the United States

Close Second - Doris Kearns Goodwin - A Team of Rivals.

[joeypots]

One? Fugetaboutit. 

Being from the Boston area one title stands out, Common Ground by J Anthony Lukas.

Quote

"A book of such force and clarity that its just praise would require language long rendered empty by jacket blurbs. To say that Common Ground is about busing in Boston is a bit like saying that Moby-Dick is about whaling in New Bedford." —Robert B. Parker, Chicago Tribune

[Dr vonPuffenberg]

The Bible 

[gormag38]

Good question; the two the jumped out to  me first were

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M Pirsig

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

It would be interesting to go back and read them again; as it has been close to 15 years since I last did!

[Chas.Alpha]

A Tale of Two Cities.

[Puros Y Vino]

The Good Earth and The Grapes of Wrath.  For you SCTV fans The Grapes of Mud. 😁

Both books illustrate that today's problems were yesterday's as well and ZERO progress has been made. We're doomed.

[Havanaaddict]

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas written by Hunter S. Thompson

[bmac]

The Big Book written by Bill Wilson and Dr Bob.

[El Presidente]

[El Hoze]

Man, I feel like a shallow person! 

“Margin of Safety” by Seth Klarman. It’s an investment book by probably the most revered legendary investor most people have never heard of. The concepts of that book shaped everything for me careerwise. 

Seth is a big horse guy and the owner of Klaravich Stables. I had the chance to shake his hand up in Saratoga one year and I totally wimped out. Didn’t have the nerve. 

[Ford2112]

2 hours ago, bmac said:

The Big Book written by Bill Wilson and Dr Bob

Been reading that one going 30 odd years. 🫡

[Ford2112]

As a kid it was Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. 

[bmac]

48 minutes ago, Ford2112 said:

Been reading that one going 30 odd years 🫡

20 years for me last month.🙏

[JohnS]

The Bible

The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer

1984 by George Orwell.

[ImTripN2]

Atlas Shrugged.

 

[Chibearsv]

Jaws

[NYGuido]

2 hours ago, Ford2112 said:

Been reading that one going 30 odd years. 🫡

14 years, 10 months, 20 days for me. It works if you work it.