Ten Books Which Have Changed My Life
I wouldn't call myself a voracious reader, in fact, I rarely read for
entertainment. I do like to read for information, though. Although the internet
is a good place to find information, the variety available in print and the
depth into which a book can go means that books are a unique source for much
knowledge.
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel
This book was required reading in a very interesting and innovative
religion class I took in high school. Frankel describes his experiences in a
Nazi concentration camp, but the purpose of this book is not to describe the
horrors of the concentration camps. Instead this a very hopeful book because it
is about survival. Frankel, a psychiatrist, used these experiences to formulate
a new theory of psychotherapy called Logotherapy based on power of the search
for meaning in human life.
Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dyer
The human potential movement is a 70's cliche, I admit. Your
Erroneous Zones talked about all those things that hold people back from
achieving their goal in life. Perhaps these ideas were put forth by many others,
but this book puts them in a concise and readable manner. Before you spend $500
for a seminar to teach you how to achieve your goals, try reading this and see
if it answers your questions.
The Way of Zen by Allen Watts
No doubt there are many good books on Zen, but this is the one I read.
Strangely popular in our culture, Zen presents a viewpoint very different from
the traditional American one.
Behind the Sex of God by Carol Ochs
This book examines the elements of matriarchy and patriarchy in
religions. Without being one of those feminist diatribes which leave no way for
a man to relate, Ochs closely examines the implication of matriarchal vs.
patriarchal religion on such things as cosmology, the problem of evil and the
meaning of life. It was this book that led me to the beliefs I have
today.
Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler
Drawing Down the Moon described the contemporary neo-pagan
movement, it's religious and philosophical beliefs and the communities that
practice neo-paganism. Neo-paganism presented a view on life that was both
innovative and strangely resonant with what I already believed. The book was an
important signpost in my spiritual journey.
The Nine Nations of North America by Joel Garreau
Not so much changing my view of life, this book gave me a new
understanding of North America, one that divided the continent into Nine
"nations" based not on political boundaries, but on cultural and social
phenomena. I found his ideas fascinating and totally accurate.
Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior by Judith
Martin
Not simply a reference book for "which fork to use" Miss Manners'
Guide presents a philosophy of manners which I find both benevolent and
practical. Judith Martin's delightful wit permeates the book making it totally
entertaining.
The Homosexual Matrix by Charles Tripp
This book about homosexuality written not by a psychologist, but by an
anthropologist, presented a positive and rational assessment. Tripp takes the
position that homosexuality is not a pathological condition, but rather a case
of human variation. It was a book that helped me a lot with my coming
out.
Inside the IBM PC by Peter Norton
Because I read this book in the 80s, I found myself ahead of most people
in my understanding of computer hardware and software. This book (now obsolete,
as the machine it describes) was very readable and yet presented a lot of
detailed information which made a good basis for my further explorations in the
world of computers.
Sexual Personae by Camille Paglia
I don't know if I like what this book did to me, but Sexual
Personae showed me the emptiness in the liberal philosophy. These faults
were something that I knew already but simply ignored. Since I already know the
faults of right wing philosophies, I am left without committed political
beliefs. Kind of a quandary, isn't it