life changing books

Has anyone read a book that they believe has changed their life for the better?

If so please let me know as I am currently looking for more reading matter.

Thanks

Changed many people's lives, famously so;

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

I see it as a mixture of philosophy / self help ideas / fiction and poetry.

You didn't specifiy what sort of books you wanted, so I gave you one which is a great mixture.

I'm reading P.J.O'Rourke's Peace Kills, which is a hilarious piss take of the democrats and liberalism in general.

It's not something I would normally read, but refreshing to view things from the 'other side.'

Hi Guys,

I read loads, what else do you do if you cant interact with others??

Coversations with God.

It is not about religion. But i thought it was fab and have recomended to loads of people who have mostly agreed.

Give it a try and see how you get on.

Beth x

[pboy]

Oooh I know I shouldn't be venturing in here but I saw the thread title and had to pop in...

A good book I would reccomend is "The little prince" by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry. It is written as a childrens book but contains some very good messages, it's an adults book too really. Not 'life changing' for myself, but then I need to re-read it as there are bits I didn't understand.

[darkhorse]

I've ordered the prophet from amazon, thanks for the recommendation black mamba.

And yeah I would agree with the little prince, its a very good book and can be read on many levels. Philosophically / spiritually or just a nice little story.

I've also heard of conversations with god before, is it associated with findhorn? I've heard someone say that you find that book when you're ready for it. Might give it a try sometime.

Hi Darkhorse,



Im a great believer in if something is meant to happen or change by your actions signs will keep appearing in your life til you notice what it is that needs your attention!

So i wait for three indicators of something then take it as a sign.

Conversations with God did find me.

Three times within a week it was brought to my attention the last person actually gave me a copy!

It is great and for me it was/is life changing!

So when the time is right the book will come to you!

Beth x

[pboy]

I've read both the Prophet now and Little Prince and can't say my life has changed lol...but the Prophet has some very good messages though, ESPECIALLY about love, it's helped me see it in a different light totally.
I suppose these sorts of books will change your life by bringing out what is already inside you.

[Jennie]

I've just finished reading "Help yourself" by Robert Pelzer and it was very inspirational. If a man that has been through so much can acheive the things he has then i think i can do a little better.

[ellen]

Hi all, i've just finished reading the da vinci code, its not life changing but i certainly found it a great read, lots of riddles and puzzles and double meanings ect. very clever book.

ellen

[Claireabell]

I came across an author called Torey Hayden a few months ago. She is an educational psychologist and a special education teacher who has chronicled her struggles in the classroom. I just could not put her books down, she is such an inspiration to me. So much so that I am due to start college in September. I am absolutly petrified but her books have given me confidence to do it.

Take Care
Claireabell

[Cheshire Cat]

I'm an imposter in this over 30s section... sorry!

But the most wonderful & humane book I've ever read is 'Person to Person - The Problem of Being Human' by Carl Rogers and Barry Stevens. It has done far more for me than any CBT or self-help has ever done. I guess because it spoke to something deeper within me.

[tiptop]

Change your Life in 7 Days by Paul McKenna is meant to be really good. I haven't read it yet but have just ordered it from Amazon.

[watervoilet]

The Bible is the one that did it for me

[tabanner]

"The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale is truly Brilliant!

[pboy]

Originally Posted by tiptop

Change your Life in 7 Days by Paul McKenna is meant to be really good. I haven't read it yet but have just ordered it from Amazon.

I read the first chapter and havent touched it since, I dont like the man, hes obsessed with money.

[billy_brown]

'geek love' by katharine dunn. she's a boxing commentator by day. this is her only book. its like nothing else ive ever read, and ive read a few.
it tells the story of a travelling freakshow run by married couple. their three children are the main attractions of the show, the mother having been fed a cocktail of pharmaceuticals and nasty substances by her hubby, to ensure that their children were born, um.. 'special'. exhilarating and heartbreaking stuff, one that stays with you for a long, long time afterwards. and with particular resonance for anyone who's ever felt a little bit different...

[veracocha]

'Understanding Power' and 'Media Control' by Noam Chomsky. The first one took some reading but was well worth it.

I read the book how to change your life in 7 days by Paul Mcenna which came with a hypnosis cd to listen to and to be honest, it didn't work for me.


Sam

[Jessie Phillips]

Status Anxiety, by Alain de Botton

Good bits about class structure, social skills and the power of advertising. Thought provoking.

[pboy]

Originally Posted by sam

I read the book how to change your life in 7 days by Paul Mcenna which came with a hypnosis cd to listen to and to be honest, it didn't work for me.

Same here - its a pile of crap.

[sabbath92001]

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change by Steven C Hayes, Kirk D. Strosahl and Kelly G. Wilson. ACT teaches us to accept and embrace our private events (thoughts, feelings, memories). ACT has turned my life around. ACT is awesome, check out the book excerpts on amazon.com.

[Runner]

The Gulag Archipelago - frightening...

(50 posts - hurrah!!)

[scarlet_diva]

I’m not really a major fan of self-help books, but 'Reinventing your life' by Jeffrey E. Young was interesting and insightful, for me.

What made it interesting for me is that it doesn’t only deal with one subject (e.g. self-esteem / depression, etc) since the author acknowledges that most people with emotional disorders have a number of different issues which are causing them to be stuck in one or more ‘lifetraps’.

Also what made it particularly interesting is that the author recognises that people may react in different ways to their ‘lifetraps’ – e.g. surrender, escape, or counterattack … I think most self-help books seems to assume that everyone with the same condition (be it depression, low self-esteem) reacts in the same way. For example, I have reacted to some of my issues by ‘counterattacking’ whereas someone else may have reacted by ‘withdrawing’ or running away. If that makes any sense?

The Questionnaire at the beginning of the book gives you an idea as to your particular lifetraps are, and then offers advice on how to deal with them in a positive way. I scored a fair number of different ones (surprise surprise!), including for example 'defectiveness', 'social exclusion', 'unrelenting standards', and others (there are 11 in all)... once you've found out which ones relate to you, you can skip to the chapters dedicated to those particular issues, which include tips and also insightful comments as to what caused you to develop that particular lifetrap.

I’m not saying this book literally changed my life, but I found it quite interesting and helpful, some of you might want to check it out.

[Sara B]

Originally Posted by scarlet_diva

I’m not really a major fan of self-help books, but 'Reinventing your life' by Jeffrey E. Young was interesting and insightful, for me.

What made it interesting for me is that it doesn’t only deal with one subject (e.g. self-esteem / depression, etc) since the author acknowledges that most people with emotional disorders have a number of different issues which are causing them to be stuck in one or more ‘lifetraps’.

Also what made it particularly interesting is that the author recognises that people may react in different ways to their ‘lifetraps’ – e.g. surrender, escape, or counterattack … I think most self-help books seems to assume that everyone with the same condition (be it depression, low self-esteem) reacts in the same way. For example, I have reacted to some of my issues by ‘counterattacking’ whereas someone else may have reacted by ‘withdrawing’ or running away. If that makes any sense?

The Questionnaire at the beginning of the book gives you an idea as to your particular lifetraps are, and then offers advice on how to deal with them in a positive way. I scored a fair number of different ones (surprise surprise!), including for example 'defectiveness', 'social exclusion', 'unrelenting standards', and others (there are 11 in all)... once you've found out which ones relate to you, you can skip to the chapters dedicated to those particular issues, which include tips and also insightful comments as to what caused you to develop that particular lifetrap.

I’m not saying this book literally changed my life, but I found it quite interesting and helpful, some of you might want to check it out.

That book does sound good -will have a look for that one-thanks.

[Jihan]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. It makes sense.

[hardy]

"The shy person" book by Claire Rayner made a lot of difference.
I doubt its still in print and I would probably recomend " overcoming social anxiety " by Gilian Butler as a better more modern book.

[timmyb]

I've always been fond of books on anthropology.I read the naked ape when I was a boy and the selfish gene about ten years ago.Recently I read "The Red Queen" by Matt Ridley which I can highly recommend.I wouldn't say that they changed my life exactly but they certainly help to explain a lot about human behavior.

Hello there,

I am new here but also had to reply, I love books (as someone in a previous reply said, if you can't interact with people......!)

I don't know that the books I will mention are 'life changing', but they certainly made me think about my life, re-evaluate, and helped me calm down about things in general. And, they're so well written. They are both written by Richard Bode. The better of two (I think) is 'Beachcombing at Miramar'. It's like going on holiday. The other is 'First you Have to Row a Little Boat'. It's been a long time since I read it, but if I remember right it is mostly about having patience and giving yourself time to learn, which was certainly necessary for me in dealing with the social anxiety thing.

Heidi

[talkdoctor]

I like "Notes from a Friend" by Anthony Robbins.

On days when you feel scared or down, its not the right book, because it all just becomes a bit glib.

BUT - It's a very very good read when you want some help to spur into action with positive thinking and ways to drive yourself forward.

Its a thin book, less than 100 pages, and straightforward to read as well.

worth a go, in my opinion.