[imported_mark_r]

Small is Beautiful (Economics as if People Mattered) - E. F. Schumacher

And although no longer in print - any of the Whole Earth Catalogs - they pointed the way to many new ideas/discoveries for me; sounds strange to say, but in a way they were almost like print-version precursors of the Internet.

 

[Coltrane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_baseball_08 It's true, there are. Which is why you should read Bill O'Reilly's Culture Warrior.

I'm sorry, but shouldn't an author actually read some books before he writes one? Regardless of one's politics, there is absolutely no denying that Bill's writing style and knowledge of his topic is precarious at the very best.

Surprised nobody has mentioned On the Road yet. That book is tailor made for any 15-18 year old who is trying to come to terms with reality. It certanly helped me see the beauty of all existence, and help inspire me to seek more out of life. Another book which has a similar affect was 'The Stanger' by Albert Camus. A great short little book about existence and man;s place in the world.

Another cliche is Vonnegut. Taken as a whole, his philosophy is pretty much dead on with how i see the world. And funny too!

Finally, for non-ficiton, its hard to beat Howard Zinn's A Peoples History of the United States. A great book to blow you away and reveal some of the lesser known details about America's past. A fairly flawed book overall, but, along with Manufacturing Consent, a great starting point.

 

[denl82]

The Holy Bible.
That, and God has made me change my behaviors, some of which I've had since I was a baby, until God came into my life in 2003 and I began reading the bible in 2005. I probably follow 1% of the Bible's rules though, lol=]

 

[10068]

[size=small]The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World[/size]
Amit Goswami
I disagree with him on a few points, but overall he helped shaped my spiritual and intellectual understanding of reality. Which is frickin sweet.

This book is essentially a meshing of Quantum Physics and Mysticism. Sort of.

[size=small]Zig Zag Zen[/size]
Various Contributors
Collection of ideas and opinions on why/how hallucinogens relate to spirituality, and Zen Buddhism specifically. An interesting study on the spiritual and practical differences between substance-induced and traditional spiritual experience.

[size=small]Intensity[/size]
Dean Koontz
Interesting look into a madman's mind. I find that I relate with about 80% of his (the madman's) beliefs and observations. Thus, this book has quite a great impact and makes me meditate on normalcy quite a bit.

 

[litlharsh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sgt-Pluck Brave New World is a book I read probably 20 years ago and still think about regularly. Pluck

Absolutely. I was about to post that. It was required reading for Soph. English, and I don't think a week's gone by that I haven't pondered the concepts brought forth by it. Brilliant stuff.

 

[cerbie]

The Republic
1984
Dune
The Book of the Law

 

[10068]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cerbie 1984 Dune

Classics.

I need to re-read both of these post-haste!

 

[chadbang]

All the works of Bukowski. He strips away the bull. We're all in it for a buck or a lay, and there's barely a "sane" soul on the planet.

 

[F1GTR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang We're all in it for a buck or a lay

I think one can only reach this conclusion once they have lost all faith and optimism. A sad existence really.



Some of my personal favorites:

Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai - Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

1984 - George Orwell

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - John Perkins

The Creature from Jekyll Island - G. Edward Griffin

Armed Madhouse: Who's Afraid of Osama Wolf?, China Floats, Bush Sinks, The Scheme to Steal '08, No Child's Left Behind, and Other Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Class War - Greg Palast

 

[Nasir]

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

 

[floydenheimer]

The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

 

[PinkFloyd]

Haynes car manuals, they are my bible.

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

"The Illuminatus! Trilogy" by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson - proof that every conspiracy theory is true. Or not.

One that I read every few years just because I love it so is Heinlein's "Time Enough for Love".

A_Sr.

 

[CMacDaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coltrane Surprised nobody has mentioned On the Road yet. That book is tailor made for any 15-18 year old who is trying to come to terms with reality. It certanly helped me see the beauty of all existence, and help inspire me to seek more out of life

Glad to see someone else got alot out of this book. It was definatly the most influential book on my life to date.

 

[GlorytheWiz825]

The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Both by Ayn Rand.