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Started By
Message
Name Your Top 10 Most Influential Books
Posted on 7/25/17 at 6:33 pm
Posted on 7/25/17 at 6:33 pm
Personally influential that is...and why. I will go first:
I read mostly Non-Fiction, so it’s tough to say most of my fare would be widely “influential”, so I will intersperse some books that I just put down afterward and said “wow... that was a damn good read”, or put down and was speechless, or that simply influenced me in some other way. Here we go:
1.) Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) – I don’t align with Rand 100%, but her overall (and looooong-winded) philosophy resonates with me generally. Not practical in real world, but a worthy discussion. Hint: get the abridged version...it's ok
2.) The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkein) – Where I found my love for reading as a young man. I liked Lloyd Alexander and C.S Lewis a lot then too, but these were unquestionably more influential to me. Tolkein was a genius.
3.) Kane & Abel (Jeffrey Archer) – Fiction, but Archer is an absolute master at twists of plot. One of my favorite reads ever.
4.) The Exorcist (William Blatty) – Influential? Um, yeah. As a Catholic, I finished most of this one on Orange Beach, AL in broad daylight, under an umbrella, with a beer in my hand. I was scared shitless.
5.) Liberty & Tyranny (Mark Levin) – My political philosophy in a nutshell. Pretty easy read, too
6.) The Lords of Discipline (Pat Conroy) – What a great coming-of-age story for young men. Women may love it too, I don’t know, they should. But guys will get it. Really get it.
7.) The World According to Garp (John Irving) – Okay, it is obvious Irving’s childhood was six different kinds of messed up if you’ve read him. But this was a great story, and he tells it well.
8.) The Language of God (Francis Collins) – Captures what I have generally believed about creation, evolution, and the origin of man for a long time. I just didn’t think about it that much before I read this book
9.) To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) – Do I need to say anything? I can’t add to this masterpiece. Just read it. (eta Go Set a Watchman was...meh)
10.) The Winds of War/War & Remembrance (Herman Wouk) – If you want to learn about WWII while enjoying a wonderfully told story of a military family…read these two books. They cover it all.
Honorable mention goes to:
11.) The Godfather by Mario Puzo
12.) Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy
13.) The Stand (or It) by Stephen King
14.) The Haj by Leon Uris
Your turn...
I read mostly Non-Fiction, so it’s tough to say most of my fare would be widely “influential”, so I will intersperse some books that I just put down afterward and said “wow... that was a damn good read”, or put down and was speechless, or that simply influenced me in some other way. Here we go:
1.) Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) – I don’t align with Rand 100%, but her overall (and looooong-winded) philosophy resonates with me generally. Not practical in real world, but a worthy discussion. Hint: get the abridged version...it's ok
2.) The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkein) – Where I found my love for reading as a young man. I liked Lloyd Alexander and C.S Lewis a lot then too, but these were unquestionably more influential to me. Tolkein was a genius.
3.) Kane & Abel (Jeffrey Archer) – Fiction, but Archer is an absolute master at twists of plot. One of my favorite reads ever.
4.) The Exorcist (William Blatty) – Influential? Um, yeah. As a Catholic, I finished most of this one on Orange Beach, AL in broad daylight, under an umbrella, with a beer in my hand. I was scared shitless.
5.) Liberty & Tyranny (Mark Levin) – My political philosophy in a nutshell. Pretty easy read, too
6.) The Lords of Discipline (Pat Conroy) – What a great coming-of-age story for young men. Women may love it too, I don’t know, they should. But guys will get it. Really get it.
7.) The World According to Garp (John Irving) – Okay, it is obvious Irving’s childhood was six different kinds of messed up if you’ve read him. But this was a great story, and he tells it well.
8.) The Language of God (Francis Collins) – Captures what I have generally believed about creation, evolution, and the origin of man for a long time. I just didn’t think about it that much before I read this book
9.) To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) – Do I need to say anything? I can’t add to this masterpiece. Just read it. (eta Go Set a Watchman was...meh)
10.) The Winds of War/War & Remembrance (Herman Wouk) – If you want to learn about WWII while enjoying a wonderfully told story of a military family…read these two books. They cover it all.
Honorable mention goes to:
11.) The Godfather by Mario Puzo
12.) Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy
13.) The Stand (or It) by Stephen King
14.) The Haj by Leon Uris
Your turn...
17
Posted on 7/26/17 at 12:46 am to DaGarun
1. Pierre the boy who didn't care. First book I can remember reading. Like preschool.
2. Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Bc it's the first book of my favorite series and by my favorite author, and led me to read more of his books.
3. The Little Prince. I just have always liked it.
4. Grendel. By John Gardner. One of my favorites. Deep, I know.
5. Fox in Socks by Dr Suess. Was my favorite book to read to my daughter.
6. Kama Sutra. Used to sneak peaks of this at the bookstore as a kid. Not sure that I learned much, but I sure appreciated the helpful photos.
7. Sphere. Was my favorite book for a long time.
8. Queen of Swords by Judith Tarr. First historical fiction I recall reading. Got me interested in the crusader period which eventually evolved into a lifelong passion for history in general.
8 is enough
2. Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Bc it's the first book of my favorite series and by my favorite author, and led me to read more of his books.
3. The Little Prince. I just have always liked it.
4. Grendel. By John Gardner. One of my favorites. Deep, I know.
5. Fox in Socks by Dr Suess. Was my favorite book to read to my daughter.
6. Kama Sutra. Used to sneak peaks of this at the bookstore as a kid. Not sure that I learned much, but I sure appreciated the helpful photos.
7. Sphere. Was my favorite book for a long time.
8. Queen of Swords by Judith Tarr. First historical fiction I recall reading. Got me interested in the crusader period which eventually evolved into a lifelong passion for history in general.
8 is enough
Posted on 7/26/17 at 8:04 am to DaGarun
1. The Grapes Of Wrath - Mainly because it's just a great story with great characters. But it also re-invigorated my love of reading when we were assigned to read it in high school. I had drifted away from reading middle school and early high school. I can't think of a time since I read it that I wasn't reading at least one book.
2. East Of Eden - Yes, another Steinbeck. My teacher that assigned Grapes Of Wrath was a HUGE Steinbeck fan, and she recommended East Of Eden to me when I told her how much I loved Grapes of Wrath. I read it in 3 days the summer after my junior year of high school, and have read it a few times since.
3. As I Lay Dying - it's hard to pick a favorite Faulkner, but this is the one where his writing clicked with me so I'm going with it. I actually like Absalom! Absalom! better, but this one was more influential.
4. Devil In the Grove - A recent non-fiction about the Groveland Boys - 4 black men accused of raping a white girl and their subsequent trials. Ugly, ugly part of our nation's history.
5. Ghost Soldiers - Another non-fiction about the Bataan Death March, and the rescue mission to free the prisoners of war in the Phillipines during WW2. A family friend was one of the guys written about it in the book, so it resonated a little more with me.
6. Babbitt - I first read this in college and it didn't really resonate with me. Recently re-read it, and it really hit home. If you live in the suburbs and sometimes feel like your keeping up with the Jones's, I can't recommend it enough.
7. I Am Malala - Amazed at the courage some humans are able to find. Malala's story is just incredible.
8. Atlas Shrugged - I actually hated this book, but it was influential. I was dabbling into some libertarian ideas at the time, and this book made me realize what a crock of shite it was. Awful book.
9. The Crossing - I think this was the 4th Cormac McCarthy book I read, and while I liked the others, this one was just beautiful. The imagery, the story, the prose, just loved it. I'm kind of a sucker for coming of age stories though.
10. The Orphan Master's Son - I am fascinated with North Korea, and this book is set there. Great, great book.
EDIT - Holy shite, I can't believe I left off To Kill a Mockingbird. I think it's the greatest American novel ever written, and it should probably be #2 for me.
2. East Of Eden - Yes, another Steinbeck. My teacher that assigned Grapes Of Wrath was a HUGE Steinbeck fan, and she recommended East Of Eden to me when I told her how much I loved Grapes of Wrath. I read it in 3 days the summer after my junior year of high school, and have read it a few times since.
3. As I Lay Dying - it's hard to pick a favorite Faulkner, but this is the one where his writing clicked with me so I'm going with it. I actually like Absalom! Absalom! better, but this one was more influential.
4. Devil In the Grove - A recent non-fiction about the Groveland Boys - 4 black men accused of raping a white girl and their subsequent trials. Ugly, ugly part of our nation's history.
5. Ghost Soldiers - Another non-fiction about the Bataan Death March, and the rescue mission to free the prisoners of war in the Phillipines during WW2. A family friend was one of the guys written about it in the book, so it resonated a little more with me.
6. Babbitt - I first read this in college and it didn't really resonate with me. Recently re-read it, and it really hit home. If you live in the suburbs and sometimes feel like your keeping up with the Jones's, I can't recommend it enough.
7. I Am Malala - Amazed at the courage some humans are able to find. Malala's story is just incredible.
8. Atlas Shrugged - I actually hated this book, but it was influential. I was dabbling into some libertarian ideas at the time, and this book made me realize what a crock of shite it was. Awful book.
9. The Crossing - I think this was the 4th Cormac McCarthy book I read, and while I liked the others, this one was just beautiful. The imagery, the story, the prose, just loved it. I'm kind of a sucker for coming of age stories though.
10. The Orphan Master's Son - I am fascinated with North Korea, and this book is set there. Great, great book.
EDIT - Holy shite, I can't believe I left off To Kill a Mockingbird. I think it's the greatest American novel ever written, and it should probably be #2 for me.
This post was edited on 7/26/17 at 8:06 am
Posted on 7/26/17 at 10:23 am to The Spleen
Not sure how I got downvotes on a list like this, but whatevs
This post was edited on 7/26/17 at 7:37 pm
Posted on 7/26/17 at 6:16 pm to DaGarun
Pendragon and Harry Potter were influential for me.
Posted on 7/26/17 at 9:09 pm to DaGarun
Off the top of my head, and no special order:
Catch-22
Modern Times by Paul Johnson
The Day The Universe Changed by James Burke
America by Alistair Cooke
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Politically Incorrect Handbook by Henry Beard and Christopher Cerf
The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
Zany Afternoons by Bruce McCall
New Yorker Album of Cartoons 1925-75
Country: The Biggest Music in America by Nick Tosches
Catch-22
Modern Times by Paul Johnson
The Day The Universe Changed by James Burke
America by Alistair Cooke
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Politically Incorrect Handbook by Henry Beard and Christopher Cerf
The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
Zany Afternoons by Bruce McCall
New Yorker Album of Cartoons 1925-75
Country: The Biggest Music in America by Nick Tosches
Posted on 7/28/17 at 8:57 am to DaGarun
quote:my man :fistbump:
Atlas Shrugged
Posted on 7/28/17 at 2:08 pm to DaGarun
In no particular order
1. Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
2. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
3. Run with the Horseman - Ferrol Sams
4. A Miracle of Catfish - Larry Brown
5. The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living - Martin Clark
6. My Dog Skip - Willie Morris
7. Masters of Atlantis - Charles Portis
8. Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
9. Lords of Discipline - Pat Conroy
1. Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
2. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
3. Run with the Horseman - Ferrol Sams
4. A Miracle of Catfish - Larry Brown
5. The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living - Martin Clark
6. My Dog Skip - Willie Morris
7. Masters of Atlantis - Charles Portis
8. Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
9. Lords of Discipline - Pat Conroy
Posted on 7/31/17 at 11:40 am to DaGarun
All Is Quiet On The Western Front
The Lord of The Rings
Crime & Punishment
In Cold Blood
The Sound And the Fury
The Rise and The Fall of The Third Reich
A Bridge Too Far
1984 / Animal Farm
Treasure Island
The Foundation Trilogy
The Lord of The Rings
Crime & Punishment
In Cold Blood
The Sound And the Fury
The Rise and The Fall of The Third Reich
A Bridge Too Far
1984 / Animal Farm
Treasure Island
The Foundation Trilogy
Posted on 8/1/17 at 11:26 am to DaGarun
Below is my list no particular order:
1) Tale of Two Cities by dickens - first time really engaged in literary analysis and got me excited about reading.
2) All My Octobers by Mickey Mantle - bought at Cooperstown when I was a kid and first book I read for fun
3) Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Lawrence Bossidy and Ram Charan; Great business book on management
4) The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday: Awesome book on how to deal with life
5) Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Showcased how Lincoln dealt with different personalities and still achieve his goals. Another excellent read on Management
6) On the Shortness of Life by Seneca - Easy intro to Stoicism
7) Tao te Ching by Lao Tsu - Interesting to see crossover between Eastern and Western Philosophy
8) Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman - Fascinating study of the mind and decision making
9)Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - Great study on his creative genius
10)Five Days in London by John Luckas - Awesome study Churchill's leadership during the most difficult time in London's history
11) Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss - Learned a lot of good life hacks from some of the most successful people.
1) Tale of Two Cities by dickens - first time really engaged in literary analysis and got me excited about reading.
2) All My Octobers by Mickey Mantle - bought at Cooperstown when I was a kid and first book I read for fun
3) Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Lawrence Bossidy and Ram Charan; Great business book on management
4) The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday: Awesome book on how to deal with life
5) Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Showcased how Lincoln dealt with different personalities and still achieve his goals. Another excellent read on Management
6) On the Shortness of Life by Seneca - Easy intro to Stoicism
7) Tao te Ching by Lao Tsu - Interesting to see crossover between Eastern and Western Philosophy
8) Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman - Fascinating study of the mind and decision making
9)Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - Great study on his creative genius
10)Five Days in London by John Luckas - Awesome study Churchill's leadership during the most difficult time in London's history
11) Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss - Learned a lot of good life hacks from some of the most successful people.
Posted on 8/1/17 at 12:06 pm to jrenton
quote:
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman - Fascinating study of the mind and decision making
This is a book that everyone should read.
Posted on 8/1/17 at 4:17 pm to DaGarun
In no order (includes fiction and non fiction):
Berlin Diary - great insight into the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis
Dracula - creepiest story ever
The Making of the President 1960 - told a great story as well as taught history
To Kill A Mockingbird - humans interacting
A Confederacy of Dunces - my home town and relatives
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (trilogy) - larger than life epic yet real as today
The Holy Bible (both OT and NT) - spiritual home base
Animal Farm - human hypocrisy exposed
A Christmas Carol - pure redemption and the power of repentance
Christ and Culture - a study in terrific spiritual/cultural worldview models
Berlin Diary - great insight into the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis
Dracula - creepiest story ever
The Making of the President 1960 - told a great story as well as taught history
To Kill A Mockingbird - humans interacting
A Confederacy of Dunces - my home town and relatives
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (trilogy) - larger than life epic yet real as today
The Holy Bible (both OT and NT) - spiritual home base
Animal Farm - human hypocrisy exposed
A Christmas Carol - pure redemption and the power of repentance
Christ and Culture - a study in terrific spiritual/cultural worldview models
This post was edited on 8/1/17 at 4:25 pm
Posted on 8/4/17 at 9:32 am to DaGarun
1) The Outsiders - read it as a kid for school and has tremendous nostalgic value for me.
2) Harry Potter - the series that truly got me into one of my favorite genres, fantasy.
3) Redwall series - almost equally important in getting me into fantasy books, a book that really sparked my imagination
4) The Castle in the Attic - similar to Redwall, kept my imagination running wild.
5) ASOIAF - this is fantasy writing at its best and is truly epic. I am dying for another book.
6) Ender's Game - such creativity, prolonged my nerdiness and guaranteed I would like dorky books forever.
7) LOTR - self explanatory
8) For Whom the Bell Tolls - sparked my interest in history and historical fiction as well
2) Harry Potter - the series that truly got me into one of my favorite genres, fantasy.
3) Redwall series - almost equally important in getting me into fantasy books, a book that really sparked my imagination
4) The Castle in the Attic - similar to Redwall, kept my imagination running wild.
5) ASOIAF - this is fantasy writing at its best and is truly epic. I am dying for another book.
6) Ender's Game - such creativity, prolonged my nerdiness and guaranteed I would like dorky books forever.
7) LOTR - self explanatory
8) For Whom the Bell Tolls - sparked my interest in history and historical fiction as well
Posted on 8/4/17 at 5:12 pm to DaGarun
quote:
The Exorcist (William Blatty)
The scariest shite you will ever read. Goes down the rabbit hole much deeper than the movie... if anyone reading this never has.
Posted on 8/4/17 at 9:01 pm to JawjaTigah
quote:
Animal Farm - human hypocrisy exposed
Good call
Posted on 8/4/17 at 9:02 pm to TejasHorn
quote:
The scariest shite you will ever read.
Its one I won't be reading again
Posted on 8/4/17 at 9:25 pm to DaGarun
Hobbit and Lord of the Rings - read for the first time in 6th or 7th grade, what really got me into reading
Dune
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers
1984
The Art of War
The Bible
Chronicles of Narnia
Animal Farm
Undoubtedly these are the books that have shaped my reading habits, spiritual beliefs, and political beliefs.
Dune
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers
1984
The Art of War
The Bible
Chronicles of Narnia
Animal Farm
Undoubtedly these are the books that have shaped my reading habits, spiritual beliefs, and political beliefs.
This post was edited on 8/4/17 at 9:29 pm
Posted on 8/6/17 at 10:19 pm to ZacAttack
Capitalism and Freedom
The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as the Basis for Social Policy
The Bible
Ender's Game
Witness
The Road to Serfdom
The Gulag Archipeligo
Brideshead Revisited
Closing of the American Mind
The Price of Everything
The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as the Basis for Social Policy
The Bible
Ender's Game
Witness
The Road to Serfdom
The Gulag Archipeligo
Brideshead Revisited
Closing of the American Mind
The Price of Everything
Posted on 8/7/17 at 5:52 pm to biglego
quote:
7. Sphere. Was my favorite book for a long time.
Hell yeah
Posted on 8/7/17 at 9:10 pm to ZacAttack
quote:
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Yeah, that's one of mine. I read it when I was pretty young and Heinlein's take on politics really hit home. Much more influential to me than Atlas Shrugged which I read when older.
I'll add:
Slaughterhouse Five - Vonnegut and I differ a lot politically but we do overlap some and he might be the most influential author in my thinking, certainly helping to reinforce my opinion of mankind overall.
Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace: A very funny, very tragic book that is extremely insightful.
Illuminatus - Shea and Wilson: Very strange book that helped me to look at EVERYTHING with skepticism and think for myself. A lot of fun too.
Parliament of Whores - PJ O'Rourke.
Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins.
Stranger in a Strange Land - Heinlein again.
Catch 22.
Surely Your Joking Mr. Feynman - Richard Feynman fascinates me.
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