that one book that ultimately made you look at yourself and life differently...

I would def have to say Still like with woodpecker by Tom Robbins completly changed my life, you guys should def read it. It was written beautifully

 

ANTHEM - Ayn Rand

 

There were two books that I really wanted to see on the thread. I got the both, though I thought one would never come, Ishmael and Holographic Universe

1. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn (really made me take a second look at the things we have been taught to believe. I actually expected more Ishmaels on the list)

2. Holograpgic Universe by Micheal Talbot (really didn't expect to see this one)

3. Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut (I love most of the stories in this book, especially EPICAC and Thomas Edison's Shaggy dog. It was EPICAC that made me re-evaluate the way I look at the pursuit of love)

4. Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain (I lost a great deal of respect for the human race reading this book. Didn't help I was given some mushrooms right after I read the book, and I was living in a tree at the time....)

 

The Bible.....

 

I read ishmael, it was amazing!!

 

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chobosky.

It didn't really make me look at myself differently, but it made me look at other people and the world slightly differently. It really made me realize that I'm not as weird as I think I am, that I'm just a dreamer and a wallflower that watches and thinks toooo much, but not in a bad way. Ok, I guess it did make me look at myself differently. It made me feel better about my awkwardness, that's for sure. I think everyone in the world should read this book. I have more for this list, but this one is at the very top, hands down.

 

actually upon contemplating i must add (from my post on like the 4th page) sophies world by jostein gaarder. i read this when i was like 14 and it rocked my world, intoroduced me to the notion that i should actually think about this life im living and this weird world im in

 

Go Ask Alice.......... yeah yeah yeah I know it's bout a girl who does a lot of drugs etc.... but I read it a few times in the same week. Made me look at life a lil differently.
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haha, i read go ask alice during bonnaroo while it was storming and shit

 

Jack Kerouac - The dharma bums

 

Daniel Quinn

 

A few that dealt with manifesting and your perception.

Wherever You Go, There You Are gave me some insight.

The Teenage Liberation Handbook let me see alternate ways of learning.

The Vagabonder

Open Your Mind to Receive

The Writings of Florence Scovel Shinn (haven't finished)

There's others I can't remember, but I remembered their impact - that's the most important thing for me.

Hm... readings from Bo Lozoff/Abraham-Hicks/metaphysical/spirituality/motivational/inspirational newsletters, posts from teens/adults/parents on freethinking/free-thinking lists, reading from classmate about principles of UU, someone's insightful comment...

 

My "earth shattering" books include Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman; James Redfields Celestine Prophesy; The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck; Genesis Revisited by Zecharia Sitchen; and I'd probably have to throw in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Larry Niven's Ringword, and hmmm.... anything by Mr. Jack L. Chalker to round off my sci-fi/fantasy love affair.