What Book did you read that had the most impact on your life?

[MightyGiants]

I think it might have been 1984, it was a reading assignment in high school and it changed my views in terms of truth and many things in general

[Bob In PA]

Good idea, Rich.  Mine (and several others, I suspect) will be the Bible. 

But putting that aside, mine is/was "Alice In Wonderland." 

I did not like to read as a kid (still don't, and now my diminishing eyesight is making reading even more of hurdle) but reading that book got me to read many books, despite myself.

Bob

[MightyGiants]

Bob,

If you are willing to get with the times (technologically speaking) there are solutions to the eyesight issues


https://www.audible.com/

You could listen to audiobooks from a smartphone.

Books can be read on tablets via Kindle or other apps and you can increase the text size


Of course computers can similarly help convert text to speech or allow you to hear books and text read to you

[Ed Vette]

Trying to gain a wide perspective in the order received...

Anthem- Ayn Rand
Your God Is Too Small- J.B. Phillips
The Celestine Prophecy- James Redfield

[Bob In PA]

Bob,

If you are willing to get with the times (technologically speaking) there are solutions to the eyesight issues

https://www.audible.com/

You could listen to audiobooks from a smartphone.

Books can be read on tablets via Kindle or other apps and you can increase the text size

Of course computers can similarly help convert text to speech or allow you to hear books and text read to you

Rich: I am already "with the times" LOL in the sense that I have Audible. 

And your other suggestions are also excellent for anyone whose eyesight is not real good. 

Some day I may have to go the audio book route, but thankfully not yet. 

Bob

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Without a doubt, the "Bible" (in particular, the books of John and Romans). Back when my memory was sharp, I pretty much memorized the book of Romans and much of the book of John. For over 10 years I would read a chapter a day of Proverbs and pretty much committed that to memory as well because of it.

Close second, "Pilgrim's Progress".

The most negative impact: Marx's and Engels' "Communist Manifesto".

I read a tremendous amount of books, many technical, a lot just for entertainment. But I can't say any of them had an impact on my life other than either learning things I had an interest in or just for fun and sometimes laughter like the Carl Hiassen books I'm reading lately.

[MightyGiants]

Rich: I am already "with the times" LOL in the sense that I have Audible. 

And your other suggestions are also excellent for anyone whose eyesight is not real good. 

Some day I may have to go the audio book route, but thankfully not yet. 

Bob

I am pretty sure the last time I saw you, Bob, you had a flip phone.   Not only a flip phone but I am pretty sure it looked like this

[Bob In PA]

I am pretty sure the last time I saw you, Bob, you had a flip phone.   Not only a flip phone but I am pretty sure it looked like this

Rich: That is a great photo.   

[Ed Vette]

I am pretty sure the last time I saw you, Bob, you had a flip phone.   Not only a flip phone but I am pretty sure it looked like this

[LennG]

I am pretty sure the last time I saw you, Bob, you had a flip phone.   Not only a flip phone but I am pretty sure it looked like this

Hey Bob, how did you get that phone? The guy I bought MINE from said it was an original. 

[Bob In PA]

Hey Bob, how did you get that phone? The guy I bought MINE from said it was an original. 

Len: Mr. Wizard and I built it using left-over parts from an Erector Set....

[LennG]

I really don't read many books anymore and really never got into those 'deep' books when I did read.

One book I have always loved and have read several times was 'Centennial' by James Mitchner.

Another one that I would say I have always remembered very fondly was 'Exodus' by Leon Uris

And finally, since I was a die-hard Brooklyn Dodger fan, Roger Kahn wrote a book about my hero's 'Boys of Summer'.

I'm sure there were others. I can't say if any of them really influenced my life, but they all made me feel better on reading them.

[Bob In PA]

One book I have always loved and have read several times was 'Centennial' by James Mitchner.

Lenn: If you liked that one, try "Hawaii" by Mitchner.  Great author.  Bob

[LennG]

Lenn: If you liked that one, try "Hawaii" by Mitchner.  Great author.  Bob

Bob

I have ready Hawaii as well as The Source, but those are all from him.

Since I was and still am, a HUGE Western movie person, CEntenial was right up my alley. They later made a TV series of shows on Centennial and then they did an end-around with another version as How The West Was Won. Both were very good.