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?