Books that changed your life!!

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treadonme
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by treadonme »

Carousel I personally started with Mistborn trilogy with Sanderson. A little faster paced than way of kings although a little darker. Start anywhere they are all good though. I haven't done much writing myself but I am interested in hearing more from him. I too went to BYU but haven't heard any of his lectures
Silverado
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Silverado »

beyou wrote: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:11 am
bluebolt wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 10:24 am Plenty of books have changed my life in the way that great literature can - by altering my worldview, teaching me something significant, or moving me/transporting me in the way only an amazing book can. That said, I'll focus on the ones that changed the trajectory of my life or directly altered my behavior, since that appears to be what OP is going for.

Apple II Reference Manual
Applesoft II Basic Programming Reference
The C Programming Language - Kernigan & Ritchie
The C++ Programming Language - Stroustrup
The Intelligent Investor - Graham
Liar's Poker - Michael Lewis
My list too except change Apple Basic for Atari basic.
Ah, so you’re the one….just kidding. Man, I haven’t thought about Atari computers in quite some time. That’s awesome they influenced you.
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beyou
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by beyou »

Silverado wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 6:30 pm
beyou wrote: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:11 am
bluebolt wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 10:24 am Plenty of books have changed my life in the way that great literature can - by altering my worldview, teaching me something significant, or moving me/transporting me in the way only an amazing book can. That said, I'll focus on the ones that changed the trajectory of my life or directly altered my behavior, since that appears to be what OP is going for.

Apple II Reference Manual
Applesoft II Basic Programming Reference
The C Programming Language - Kernigan & Ritchie
The C++ Programming Language - Stroustrup
The Intelligent Investor - Graham
Liar's Poker - Michael Lewis
My list too except change Apple Basic for Atari basic.
Ah, so you’re the one….just kidding. Man, I haven’t thought about Atari computers in quite some time. That’s awesome they influenced you.
Well if it’s any consolation, I use only Apple products at home now. At work have to suffer with Windows.
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bottlecap
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by bottlecap »

The Road to Serfdom - It lifted the veil carefully placed by modern society and opened my mind to a whole line of thought completely ignored by modern education.

The Boglehead's Guide to Investing - Come on, without this, similar to the above, it would not have opened my world to a whole different line of thought. I'd still be chasing the next best thing. And losing money.

JT
jasper
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by jasper »

These were when I was young.

Tolkien (initially, the Hobbit, but then the rest) got me interested in reading at an early age

Vonnegut (initially slaughterhouse, but then all his books) advanced the bug, and expanded my reading. got me thinking

Nietzsche - pushed my thinking further. High school and college philosophy classes

As I got a bit older, I enjoyed Murakami

Nothing in the last 15-20 years has been as impactful. Unfortunately
doobiedoo
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by doobiedoo »

The 1st caveat is: “Your mileage may vary.” There is some overlap in these books, and I didn’t read them in the order listed. The order of reading, your life events and experiences (as compared to mine), and even other books you have read will certainly have an effect on the impact of any individual book.

Though I worked in a technical field, and some of these books may sound technical, they aren’t. I think all of these books are beneficial to people in non-technical fields.

1. The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck (Simon and Schuster 1978). To get to the top of this list, a book has to be eye-opening, worth reading several times, and easy to read. It’s hard for a book to be all three, but this one qualifies. “The Road Less Traveled” was an epiphany the 1st time I read it. The friend who recommended this book to me said to re-read it every 5 years or so, because things that didn’t mean much the 1st time will become clear 5 or 10 years later. He was right. The book is divided into sections on Discipline, Love, Religion, and Grace. Here are some quotes.
• “Life is difficult. … Most do not fully see this truth that life is difficult. Instead they moan more or less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens, and their difficulties … as if life should be easy.”
• “The feeling of being valuable ... is essential to mental health and is a cornerstone of self-discipline. It is a direct product of parental love.”
• “The myth of romantic love is a dreadful lie.”
• “True listening, total concentration on the other, is always a manifestation of love.”


2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (Simon and Schuster 1989). I re-read portions of this book more often than any other. You probably already know a few of these habits. The trick is to put all of them together in practical every day usage. The 7 habits are:
• Be Proactive
• Begin with the End in Mind
• Put First Things First
• Think Win/Win
• Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood (i.e. listen first)
• Synergize
• Sharpen the Saw


3. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2013). I read this book in the summer of 2020 during Covid-19. I had previously heard about loss aversion many times and thought I understood it. But ... not really. Loss aversion doesn't hit home until you do the problems in the book and understand why you (and everyone else) make the choices you make. It's an eye opener! Kahneman won the 2002 Nobel prize in economics for his work in behavioral economics. Captivating topics include:
• Loss aversion
• Reference points
• Anchoring bias
• Diminishing sensitivity
• Endowment effect
• Prospect theory
• Fourfold pattern

4. The Secrets of Consulting by Gerald M. Weinberg (Dorset House 1985). This book isn’t just for consultants. It’s really a guide for giving and getting advice successfully. Gerry Weinberg’s work is based on the psychological work of Virginia Satir. He also has 1 week workshops, which I hope to attend someday. Some of Gerry’s secrets:
• “No matter how it looks at first, it’s always a people problem.”
• “You’ll never accomplish anything if you care who gets the credit.”
• “The wider you spread it (influence), the thinner it gets.”

5. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson (Putnum’s Sons 1998) This is a book about change and can be read in less than 2 hours. Everyone has time to read this one. Are you Sniff, Scurry, Haw, or Hem? Exceprts from the Handwriting on the Wall:
• Change Happens (They keep moving the cheese.)
• Monitor Change (Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.) [My favorite.]
• Adapt to Change (The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can find and enjoy the new cheese.)

6. Money Dynamics for the 1990s by Venita VanCaspel (Simon and Schuster 1988). I read this book in 1989. It may be out of print now and is out-dated in some areas (e.g. It predicts the Dow going to 3000, 4000, and 5000), but most chapters are still relevant. I am sure there are many books just as good or better on today’s shelves. (Suze Orman’s “Road to Wealth” book comes to mind.) Rather than reading Venita VanCaspel’s book, my recommendation is to read any good personal finance book. However, reading a personal finance book is like taking a college course. It requires steady reading and even diligent homework, day after day, for weeks. It takes a long time and it’s not easy. But the payoff is worth it. These personal finance concepts are never taught in high school or college, but they are far more important than calculus, history, or economics. Some principles include:
• Power of compounding
• Rule of 72 (At 4% inflation, prices double in 18 years.)
• Owning vs loaning (i.e. stocks vs bonds)
• Dollar cost averaging
• Term insurance vs whole life

7. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (Pocket Books 1936). This book was on everybody’s recommended list (from Gerry Weinberg to Lee Iacocca). It didn’t disappoint me. Even though the book is 85 years old, it still works because people are still the same.

8. The Psychology of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman (Basic Books 1988). If you ever design something, this book is a must. Even if you don’t design, this book will help you differentiate good and bad designs and the reasons why. If you can’t figure out how to program a VCR, it’s not your fault! It’s a bad design! Some of the User-Centered Design principles are:
• Make things visible (i.e. obvious, give feedback).
• Get the mappings right. Exploit natural mappings.
• Design for error.
• When all else fails, standardize.

9. Becoming a Technical Leader by Gerald M. Weinberg (Dorset House 1986). This book is about becoming a problem-solving leader.
• “Anyone can improve as a leader simply by building the strength of our weakest elements. Mr. Universe doesn’t have more muscles, just better developed ones.”
• “The inability to see ourselves as others see us is the number one obstacle to self-improvement.”
• “Most personal growth seems to come in leaps from one plateau to another. Although there is slow steady growth between the leaps, it accounts for only a minor part of the total growth pattern. The really big progress comes from just a few breakthroughs. … but you don’t really leap between plateaus. In order to climb, you must leave the sure footing, letting go of what you already do well and possibly slipping into a ravine. If you never let go of what you already do well, you may continue to make steady progress, but you’ll never get off the plateau.”

10. Sam Walton Made in America by Sam Walton (Doubleday 1992). I like to read autobiographies. Good ones include Colin Powell’s, Lee Iacocca’s, John Sculley’s, and Pat Riley’s. Sam Walton’s is one of the best. I find it incredible that Sam Walton didn’t start the 1st Wal-mart until he was 44 years old. Of course, by then he knew what he was doing. He had already made his mistakes and learned more about retailing than anyone else.

11. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S Clason (Signet 1926). This is the fast and easy-to-read version of the personal finance book, so read this one first. “The Richest Man in Babylon” is the 1-day, easy-to-read condensed course that tells stories about Arkad and how he becomes the richest man in Babylon.
Last edited by doobiedoo on Mon Jan 03, 2022 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
UpperNwGuy
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by UpperNwGuy »

doobiedoo: Excellent list and summaries!
MAKsdad
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by MAKsdad »

Am I the only person who finds self-help books to be too boring to read?
protagonist
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by protagonist »

quantAndHold wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:27 pm
Randolph Mortimer wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 2:37 pm
Taylor Larimore wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 10:15 am
Randolph Mortimer wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:49 am Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions

I never read it, but it changed my life.
Randolph:

Sorry, I don't understand. How could the book change your life if you never read it?

Taylor
Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: "An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."
Hi Taylor.

I was working for a troubled company at the time. I came in to the office one morning and everyone had a copy of this book in their chair. It spurred me to look for another job, which I had in short order. Company continued downward spiral and everyone was laid off within a few years. Leaving was a great decision for me.
LOLOL. I worked for a defense contractor where the iceberg book became required reading, and the company mascot went from being a meerkat (meerkats work together in teams) to being a penguin. I immediately found another job as well.

In my case, the company survived and is thriving now, but the intervening years were somewhat painful for everyone still working there.
RANDOLPH....That is hilarious. Good for you. I never heard of the book , but following your fine recommendation I won't read it either.
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Aggieland
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Aggieland »

I was not able to find the workshops online. would you please share a link. Also, are there any personal finance courses one can enroll( teachings of the quality of Bogleheads!!)

Thank you!

doobiedoo wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:51 am
4. The Secrets of Consulting by Gerald M. Weinberg (Dorset House 1985). This book isn’t just for consultants. It’s really a guide for giving and getting advice successfully. Gerry Weinberg’s work is based on the psychological work of Virginia Satir. He also has 1 week workshops, which I hope to attend someday.
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vanbogle59
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by vanbogle59 »

MAKsdad wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 9:24 am Am I the only person who finds self-help books to be too boring to read?
Ha. In reading this thread, I wondered how many people had both of these reactions:
1) I love that list. Genius.
2) I hate that list. Idiot.

I'm happy most of the reactions in the second category were muted. It would have just started arguments and killed the willingness to share.

It's almost like people are different!
:sharebeer
Shambolic37
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Shambolic37 »

Aggieland wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 8:24 pm Hi,

Are there books (any category not just finance) that had a positive/ strong impact on your future? Books you wish you read early on in life. Books you would recommend your kids should read early on!!

Thanks for Sharing!!
My first post! I've been reading the forum for a while but haven't commented yet. My input for this topic

1). Tolkien - Hobbit/LOR trilogy. Like others have said, this is the series that really got me hooked on reading, a lifelong habit that has yielded enormous dividends. For my children the Twilight and Harry Potter series have served the same purpose.
2). Covey - Seven Habits. I feel like this had had an enormous impact on my career and work life. I've read several of his other books. but he never really moved far beyond the Seven Habits
3). This last one is going to be strange. While it had a huge positive impact on my future, I would not recommend it to anyone else. In fact, instead of donating it to the library like I do for most of my used books, I threw it away. The book is Wealth Without Risk by Charles Givens. Not sure if anyone else is familiar with it. It is a lot of bad advice and kooky investment theories. But it had the motivational aspect in it to take charge of your financial life. It got me started in investing and interested in personal finance, and ultimately led me to financial happiness (and reading this blog). I guess the lesson is that even a bad plan is better than no plan? And that even a bad book can have a great and positive impact if it gets you pointed in the right direction?
Mr. Rumples
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Money Dynamics for the 1990s by Venita VanCaspel deserves a shout out as a good overall investing book for a layperson; the only investing book I read start to finish.

The Happy Hollister series and before that Uncle Wiggily (which I read by flashlight under the covers), got me hooked on reading.

On a more serious note, growing up the segregated south and within that in an insular community, life was full of contradictions. I decided to go back to the sources when a friend's father loaned me his first edition (1866) of John Minor Botts' The Great Rebellion: Its Secret History, Rise, Progress, and Disastrous Failure . Botts was the nemesis of the next writer I took up: The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (Vol. 1 &2) by Jefferson Davis. I then started questioning the entire narrative and basis of the social structure I was growing up in. (Botts most familiar picture is of him and his family at their home in Culpeper VA - he won it gambling.)

Shirley Chisholm's Unbought and Unbossed brought me further out of my insular world.

Later, Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is something I still refer back to. The change of paradigms is not only applicable in science but also history and even investing.

And always, the Torah which even in my eight decade is a guide still.
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
CoastLawyer2030
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by CoastLawyer2030 »

I have read many of the others mentioned in this thread, but I'll add two:

Escape Everything by Robert Wringham

The Freedom Manifesto by Tom Hodgkinson

Just absolutely brilliant and hysterical books about how silly the modern work/consumerist culture really is.
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bertilak
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by bertilak »

Mr. Rumples wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:10 pm The Happy Hollister series and before that Uncle Wiggily (which I read by flashlight under the covers), got me hooked on reading.
LEARNING TO READ --- truly life-changing

In my case it was, early on, comic books ...
  • Tarzan
    Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge
It was the adventure that got me hooked.

From Tarzan (the earliest of my comic book adventures) I not only learned to read but was introduced to the idea of multiple languages. The different peoples Tarzan interacted with had different vocabularies. I made a cheat sheet so it also helped me learn to write, and maybe to be organized.

From the duck stories I learned the difference between formal languages and spoken languages. The nephews spoke of "Unca Donald" and used other slang.

That was how I learned reading was fun!
May neither drought nor rain nor blizzard disturb the joy juice in your gizzard. -- Squire Omar Barker (aka S.O.B.), the Cowboy Poet
arajeshn
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by arajeshn »

The Blind Watchmaker (Richard Dawkins): Changed my view of about religion, evolution, life

How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street (Allan Roth): Converted me into a Boglehead, continues to earn me money and will hopefully lead me into a comfortable retirement
doobiedoo
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by doobiedoo »

Aggieland wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 9:30 am I was not able to find the workshops online. would you please share a link. Also, are there any personal finance courses one can enroll( teachings of the quality of Bogleheads!!)

Thank you!

doobiedoo wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:51 am
4. The Secrets of Consulting by Gerald M. Weinberg (Dorset House 1985). This book isn’t just for consultants. It’s really a guide for giving and getting advice successfully. Gerry Weinberg’s work is based on the psychological work of Virginia Satir. He also has 1 week workshops, which I hope to attend someday.
Sorry. Gerry Weinberg died in 2018 and there aren't any workshops now. I originally wrote this in 2001. I should have updated number 4. [Sadly, I never did get to go to a workshop.]
Imadeit
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Imadeit »

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
Finridge
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Finridge »

The Pleasure Trap: Mastering the Hidden Force that Undermines Health & Happiness, by Douglas J. Lisle and Alan Goldhamer (This is a book I first became acquainted with via Bogleheads.org. And if there was just ONE book I wish everyone read, it is this one. Easy to read, but sort of short on science. For scientific support, you'd want to turn to the books by Robert Lustig, M.D. and Daniel Lieberman, listed below)

How to Make Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie (Some people do not need the advice given in this book, they know it all intuitively. But for the rest of us, this books is invaluable. And we all know people who could use this information...)

A Random Walk Down Wall Street, by Burton g. Malkiel (There are other good books out there on investing, but this is the one that set me on the pathway.

Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Emil Frankl (This book needs no introduction. In times of adversity, I think of this book and it helps me persevere.)

The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins. (Completely changed my worldview. By the way, in one of the more recent editions, Richard Dawkins more or less admits that a better title for this book would have been "The Cooperative Gene" and he could have used this title without changing a word of the book... I agree. It to often gets a bad rap due to its title.)

The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan (More important than investing success and financial security is keeping and maintaining good health. Reaching financial success is easy by following a few simple rules and once we were on the right track, as a general rule, the older we get the the wealthier we become. Unfortunately, the opposite is generally true of health--and so "The Pleasure Trap" up on the top of my list, this book and the rest of the books on my list are mostly focused on health and mental well-being. It's beyond the scope of this forum, I know, to get into any extended discussion of the content matter, so I won't go there--but these are books that have helped me change my life for the better. This book changed the way I think about food.)

Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, by Robert H. Lustig, M.D.

The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains, by Robert H. Lustig, M.D. (I don't like the title, but if you get past that, there is a lot to learn. This isn't a conspiracy screed, it's a serious work by a respected physician who is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease, by Daniel Lieberman (Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman is a Professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. You can think of this as a manual to the human body. Long and detailed, and really worth reading.0

Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry, by Randolph M. Nesse, M.D. (This book is by a psychiatrist who also considered to be a founder of the field of evolutionary medicine. For me, it provided more "actionable" insight and knowledge into the workings of the human mind and our emotions than any other book.)
SGM
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by SGM »

The first thing that changed my life was the daily comics. I called them the funnies. I was so interested in them that I taught myself to read at age 4. This put me ahead of most kids as I was reading at a high level by the second or third grade and put me in advanced classes in junior and senior high school. I read everything I could get my hands on outside of school books.

Mark Twain, Freud, B.F. Skinner, Kerouac, Festinger, a variety of philosophers, Ken Kesey, J.D. Salinger, Frankel, Lee,, Darwin, and many others too numerous to name.

Our fathers had all fought in WWII so we read all the books the school library had on the history of WWII.

Early on I read the poetry and stories by Dr. William Carlos Williams. He awakened an interest in the beat poets and medicine. My 3rd career was as a physician. "So much depends upon a red wheel barrow".

Principles of Industrial Chemistry by Chris A. Clausen and Guy Mattson two of my professors was on the desk of every chemist I met during an interview with a big oil and chemical company. It led to me taking a position there that led me to an advancement as an internal consultant for another big oil and chemical company. This involved national and international travel and the ability to earn and save to give me financial independence rather early on.

Investment books by Boglehead authors and Saint Jack had a strong influence on me. James Lange's books on retirement influenced me regarding converting all my tax deferred accounts to Roth accounts.
bluebolt
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by bluebolt »

Finridge wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:59 pm The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins. (Completely changed my worldview. By the way, in one of the more recent editions, Richard Dawkins more or less admits that a better title for this book would have been "The Cooperative Gene" and he could have used this title without changing a word of the book... I agree. It to often gets a bad rap due to its title.)
It wouldn't have sold nearly as many copies with that title. :D
Cruise
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Cruise »

Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Struc ... evolutions

Gavin de Becker's Gift of Fear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gift_of_Fear

Stanley's The Millionaire Next Door.

Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Bad_ ... ood_People

Bronson's What Shall I do With My Life: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/sto ... yId=896041
Finridge
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Finridge »

Finridge wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:59 pm The Pleasure Trap: Mastering the Hidden Force that Undermines Health & Happiness, by Douglas J. Lisle and Alan Goldhamer (This is a book I first became acquainted with via Bogleheads.org. And if there was just ONE book I wish everyone read, it is this one. Easy to read, but sort of short on science. For scientific support, you'd want to turn to the books by Robert Lustig, M.D. and Daniel Lieberman, listed below)

How to Make Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie (Some people do not need the advice given in this book, they know it all intuitively. But for the rest of us, this books is invaluable. And we all know people who could use this information...)

A Random Walk Down Wall Street, by Burton g. Malkiel (There are other good books out there on investing, but this is the one that set me on the pathway.

Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Emil Frankl (This book needs no introduction. In times of adversity, I think of this book and it helps me persevere.)

The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins. (Completely changed my worldview. By the way, in one of the more recent editions, Richard Dawkins more or less admits that a better title for this book would have been "The Cooperative Gene" and he could have used this title without changing a word of the book... I agree. It to often gets a bad rap due to its title.)

The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan (More important than investing success and financial security is keeping and maintaining good health. Reaching financial success is easy by following a few simple rules and once we were on the right track, as a general rule, the older we get the the wealthier we become. Unfortunately, the opposite is generally true of health--and so "The Pleasure Trap" up on the top of my list, this book and the rest of the books on my list are mostly focused on health and mental well-being. It's beyond the scope of this forum, I know, to get into any extended discussion of the content matter, so I won't go there--but these are books that have helped me change my life for the better. This book changed the way I think about food.)

Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, by Robert H. Lustig, M.D.

The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains, by Robert H. Lustig, M.D. (I don't like the title, but if you get past that, there is a lot to learn. This isn't a conspiracy screed, it's a serious work by a respected physician who is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease, by Daniel Lieberman (Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman is a Professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. You can think of this as a manual to the human body. Long and detailed, and really worth reading.0

Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry, by Randolph M. Nesse, M.D. (This book is by a psychiatrist who also considered to be a founder of the field of evolutionary medicine. For me, it provided more "actionable" insight and knowledge into the workings of the human mind and our emotions than any other book.)
kbjeffrey
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by kbjeffrey »

Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas Hofstadter

The Fractal Geometry of Nature, by Benoit B Mandelbrot

"Polyhedron Models" and "Dual Models" by Magnus Wenninger

A several articles and books by Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter. I even made a trip to the library at Cambridge (in UK) to see his original Ph.D. thesis and the physical models he built as a part of it.

All beautiful!

and also, The Dune Trilogy and the Foundation Trilogy (rereading them before the movie/tv show(?), come out.
AnEngineer
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by AnEngineer »

kbjeffrey wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:19 pmThe Dune Trilogy
You know there are six Dune novels by Frank Herbert, right?
MathWizard
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by MathWizard »

My older brother's Algebra textbook. Read it in 4th grade, on my way to becoming a mathematician

Azimov's science fiction books had lots of science in them, which might explain why I went into science/engineering first.

Finance:. The Intelligent Investor.

Computing: My course in Fortran-66 in college,the first encounter with a computer. The Prof wouldn't believe me when he asked what could be improved in the course, and I said more assignments.
I ended up working with computers.

I learned technical things from books, but about life,
mostly from my mother and observation.
kbjeffrey
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by kbjeffrey »

AnEngineer wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:22 pm
kbjeffrey wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:19 pmThe Dune Trilogy
You know there are six Dune novels by Frank Herbert, right?
Yeah, but the trilogy changed my life... The rest not as much.
ReadyOrNot
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by ReadyOrNot »

Probably simple early books:
The Golden Book Encyclopedia -- not bad, and readable -- maybe $1 per volume with qualifying purchase at Safeway, originally.
Danny Dunn books made science sound interesting, but not really realistic.
Nonfiction books by Isaac Asimov made scientific ideas understandable and interesting
Science and engineering books by D. S. Halacy, Jr. Reader's Digest -- short readable articles on a lot of subjects
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bertilak
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by bertilak »

MathWizard wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:29 pm Computing: My course in Fortran-66 in college,the first encounter with a computer.
It was probably in 1966 that I got my first taste of programming. We were assigned a very small Fortran program to write. We did NOT have access to a computer. The professor graded our assignment simply by reading through our programs. Two years later I was working as a programmer!
May neither drought nor rain nor blizzard disturb the joy juice in your gizzard. -- Squire Omar Barker (aka S.O.B.), the Cowboy Poet
Parkinglotracer
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Parkinglotracer »

BogleKev wrote: Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:40 am
Riprap wrote: Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:12 am Gamechanger books for me were:

How to Win Friends and Influence People. That book made me take a critical look at myself and I didn't like some of the things I saw. It motivated me to try to become a better person.

I've read plenty, but these two really were influential and prompted a change in the course of my life.
I second this. Read it myself years ago and I even gave copies to my kids when they were teenagers and it made a real difference in their personal growth. At first glance it seems like obvious stuff, but it really is eye-opening for anyone.
+1+1+1
I won a dale Carnegie course in junior achievement in high school. Reading how to make friends and influence people just made sense. It was responsible for any success I’ve had. In pilot training in the AF it helped me by learning “when you are wrong admit it quickly and emphatically”
Set aside your ego and fess up.

After 22 years in the AF I walked into a Job interview at a large defense contractor - one of the three job interviewers was the former maintenance commander from my flying squadron. As a general rule the maintainers did not like the pilots because we broke their airplanes and screwed off while they fixed them. I got along great with the maintainers because dale carnegie taught me how to do that. I got the job and worked there for 15 hrs post AF.

Great book.

Your money or your life was another great book. Helped me understand the power and idea behind financial independence.
mkc
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by mkc »

kbjeffrey wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:19 pm
The Fractal Geometry of Nature, by Benoit B Mandelbrot
My father was friends with Benny (as we knew him) and worked with him on some of the really cool manifestations of fractals in nature, like a scale model of a section of the Rocky Mountains based on fractals what were programmed into a CNC mill (Dad was the model maker). I know it wasn't the intent, but thank you for bringing a happy memory to a proud daughter.
Mike Scott
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Mike Scott »

The first book I learned to read (memorized since I could not actually read yet) was The Tawny Scrawny Lion. I would "read" it to anyone who would stand still for a couple of minutes and they had to look at the pictures too. I can still remember the words without looking at the book. My next favorite book (picked up from my kids early years) is The Crabby Crab Apple. I was maybe age 10 when I read Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land and this book probably had more lasting influence on me than any other book I can think of at the moment. I usually read about 3 books a week mixed fiction and nonfiction. I will try almost anything and that reminds me that I picked up new books at the library today so I need to get off here and see what I have to read tonight.
Finridge
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Finridge »

ReadyOrNot wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:30 pm
Danny Dunn books made science sound interesting, but not really realistic.
These books had a lasting impact on me. And in recent years, one of my kids read them and really enjoyed them--still found them relevant. A number of the books were very prescient and ahead of their time. Others are more in the realm of fantasy, at least for now. But they were always entertaining.

https://medium.com/message/the-politics ... 171601b82b

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200 ... hine.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Dunn
MsPickles
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by MsPickles »

I’ve been reading the forum for a few years now, but this is my first post.

I Don’t Want to Talk About It by Terrence Real.

On Desire: Why We Want What We Want by William B. Irvine
Last edited by MsPickles on Sun Sep 05, 2021 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
bigskyguy
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by bigskyguy »

Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Tale of Two Cities - Dickens
War and Peace - Tolstoy

Now 72, I seem to reread each of these about every 10 years (presently about 1/2 way through Les Miserables for the third or fourth time). Seems to me that when there is turmoil and disruption in our world, there is so much to learn from those who have gone before us. I must say that the quality of the writing for each of these books has little comparison in modern literature. These authors, for me, speak to our humanity, our frailties, and our possibilities.
smectym
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by smectym »

Malcolm Lowry, “Under the Volcano”
Bellarmine, “Seven Last Words From the Cross”
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

Elena Ferrante, My Brilliant Friend
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
Voluntary Simplicity
Leslie Bennetts, The Feminine Mistake
Marseille07
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Marseille07 »

Another vote for How to Win Friends and Influence People.
halfnine
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by halfnine »

Running With The Moon

I had to look it up to remember the title as I read it around 25 years ago or so. It might not even be that good of a read for me anymore. But it was the right book that I happened to come across at the right time. It directed me towards the possibility of a life of global adventure and away from the much more passive life I was living.
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by bhwabeck3533 »

Sorry, didn't read the entire thread.

++++ to "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing" by John Bogle.

I was with my friend's Edward Jones' business before I retired. Transferred a seven-figure lump sum into the EJ account when I retired. I saw the exorbitant fees, and read Bogle's book. Moved it all to Vanguard one year later. We would not be enjoying the lifestyle we have today if I had not read this book six years ago.
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by KlangFool »

Aggieland wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 9:30 am I was not able to find the workshops online. would you please share a link. Also, are there any personal finance courses one can enroll( teachings of the quality of Bogleheads!!)

Thank you!

doobiedoo wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:51 am
4. The Secrets of Consulting by Gerald M. Weinberg (Dorset House 1985). This book isn’t just for consultants. It’s really a guide for giving and getting advice successfully. Gerry Weinberg’s work is based on the psychological work of Virginia Satir. He also has 1 week workshops, which I hope to attend someday.
Aggieland,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Weinberg

You are too late! Jerry passed away on 2018 at the age of 84. I took his workshop on 1990. I read almost all his books.

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30% VWENX | 16% VFWAX/VTIAX | 14.5% VTSAX | 19.5% VBTLX | 10% VSIAX/VTMSX/VSMAX | 10% VSIGX| 30% Wellington 50% 3-funds 20% Mini-Larry
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

I really shudder to think where I’d be today if I hadn’t read the WSJ’s pull-out personal finance section, The Millionaire Next Door and Your Money or Your Life when I was 27. Thank you, authors!
Last edited by AnnetteLouisan on Sat Oct 09, 2021 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Padlin
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Padlin »

Taylor Larimore wrote: Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:47 am Bogleheads:

I have read Hundred's of books about investing. Jack Bogle's first book, "Bogle on Mutual Funds" was the book that changed my investing life.

"Waldon," a book about "simplicity" "Our lives are frittered away with detail," was another book that changed my life.

Thank you Mr. Bogle and Mr. Thoreau!!

Best wishes
Taylor
"Bogle on Mutual Funds" is one of 2 books that in truth changed my life, the other being "The Big Book".
Regards | Bob
ASpenderInRecovery
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by ASpenderInRecovery »

Great thread! Just added a few books to my list. Here's the books that have been the most impactful for me.

- 1984
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Outliers
- Factfulness
- AI Superpowers
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Herekittykitty »

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie.
I don't know anything.
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AllMostThere
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by AllMostThere »

While it is a book that I didn't read, I did listen to audio version. It helped open my eyes and got me more interested in the thirst for investing knowledge ultimately leading me here to Bogleheads.org:

"The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley & William Danko"
It is not about how much you make; it is about how much you keep and how well you invest it. - Author Unknown | Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today. - Author James Dean
Nicolas
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Nicolas »

bigskyguy wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:00 pm Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Tale of Two Cities - Dickens
War and Peace - Tolstoy

Now 72, I seem to reread each of these about every 10 years (presently about 1/2 way through Les Miserables for the third or fourth time). Seems to me that when there is turmoil and disruption in our world, there is so much to learn from those who have gone before us. I must say that the quality of the writing for each of these books has little comparison in modern literature. These authors, for me, speak to our humanity, our frailties, and our possibilities.
Of the French and Russian novels you mentioned what translations would you recommend? Or did you read in the original languages? I haven’t read them but I should.
Norsky19
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Norsky19 »

Personal Finance for Dummies
Learned about investing and Vanguard.
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Ralph Furley
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by Ralph Furley »

On The Road by Jack Kerouac
FandangoDave5010
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Re: Books that changed your life!!

Post by FandangoDave5010 »

THE PLAGUE by Albert Camus. The book changed my POV in life and I became an existentialist, for worse or better.
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