Books that changed your life!!

[Aggieland]

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!!

[nisiprius]

Stars, by Herbert S. Zim, a Little Golden Nature Guide (possibly still in print?). I was about six when my mom gave me a copy, and I was completely puzzled at first as to why there was a planet that had the name "Earth." I mean, was it named after the Earth, or what?

Along the same lines, there was a rather strange thing called The Book of Knowledge, which was a twenty-odd volume set of books vaguely resembling an encyclopedia, but was really just a grab-bag of articles on various subjects. It wasn't organized alphabetically. There would be an article on the story of William Tell, and then an article about what the pancreas does, and so on. Anyway, something that I remember--and that many people remember from it--was the frontispiece of the first volume. Because our copy was out of date it actually showed trains... anyway, a picture of the sun and the Solar System, railroad tracks running from the sun to each planet, and the number of days it would take to travel from the sun to each planet by train.

When I was a little older: Mathematics and the Imagination, by Edward Kasner and James R. Newman; and One, Two, Three... Infinity, by George Gamow.

Oh, and Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, by Edwin A. Abbott. An introduction to multidimensional space mixed up with satire--I think it was satire--was it satire?--on the social structure of Victorian England.

I'm not completely sure that the books that enchanted me and opened my mind are necessarily the same ones I would recommend to others, everything is so personal. The Book of Knowledge was, frankly, a piece of... anyway, inspiration and enchantment are where you find them.

Recommend? I would definitely recommend that everyone read Edward Eager's Half Magic, though. And Nathaniel Hawthorne's re-telling of Greek myths, A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys and Tanglewood Tales.

[davibi02]

The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk, MD. - It completely changed how I interact with others. Game changer, especially in dealing with difficult people.

Sickness Unto Death by Soren Kierkegaard - Introduced the concept of looking at myself from a third-person perspective which helps me reason through issues objectively.

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis - Despite being an irreligious book, brought me to faith in a higher power. I remember the very paragraph the veil was lifted and my perspective on reality shifted.

[protagonist]

1. Age 15: Mostly song lyrics, especially Bob Dylan and The Incredible String Band.
2. Age 16-25: Books about relativity, cosmology and quantum physics. And The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell.
3. Age 40 (more or less or exactly): Reading about Chaos Theory. And The Book of Predictions, by Wallace, Wallechinsky et al. Also I listened to The Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant on cassette tapes while commuting over the course of a year or two which further gave me a sense of perspective on my life.

The Alexandria Quartet pulled me out of my adolescent dogmas and taught me that there are many ways to look at the same realities. The Book of Predictions confirmed what i was learning about chaos theory, that despite how smart you think you are and how much you think you know about the future (especially your own) and plan accordingly, it remains a constant mystery and a surprise lurks around every corner...i.e. the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. And The Story of Civilization taught me that progress is illusory and that there is little new under the sun, that human civilization mostly boils down to a constant cyclical struggle between inherent forces of faith vs those of reason. And all that physics confirmed that reality , whatever that means, is so much different than anything one can perceive or comprehend...that it is way stranger than anything anybody can dream up or put in a sci-fi novel.....that our worldly problems don't amount to more than a hill of beans....that I can laugh at my misfortunes and try to live the best life I can in the short time that I am alive, in order to infuse personal meaning into my insignificant life in an incomprehensible universe. Those are all lessons I internalized and they have guided my thoughts and actions to this day.

That's about it. I do enjoy reading, fiction and nonfiction (and watching TV and movies too!), but the rest , in retrospect (I'm almost 70 now), was mostly entertainment and little more. Even those books that meant a lot to me at the time I read them.

[Trader Joe]

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!!

Yes:

1. https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Comm ... UTF8&psc=1

and,

2. https://www.amazon.com/Live-Without-Out ... UTF8&psc=1

Best of luck.

[protagonist]

Stars, by Herbert S. Zim, a Little Golden Nature Guide (possibly still in print?). I was about six when my mom gave me a copy, and I was completely puzzled at first as to why there was a planet that had the name "Earth." I mean, was it named after the Earth, or what?

That's really funny. I guess O. Henry solved that conundrum for you.

I need to ask my daughter what books changed her life. She would probably quote something similar.

I recall she read a picture book about the 4 forces of the universe in the early to mid 90s (nobody believed in the cosmological constant at that time). I remember her explaining to me that the universe worked because the electromagnetic force made things light up, the strong force made things stick together, the weak force made things pull apart and gravity made things fall down. "Yep", I said. "That's pretty much it."

Now she teaches biology and chemistry.

[boogiehead]

How to win friends and influence people… Not a kids book but I would recommend it to anyone that’s starting a full time job in their life.

[runner3081]

I spent my entire life "hating" and avoiding history and anything related to it. Then, I read: A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bryson.

Really opened my eyes and piqued my interest in history and has led me down a path of embracing, not ignoring history. Have read numerous history books after that.

Another good one that makes you think: "When Breath Becomes Air" Paul Kalanithi

Also.
"Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life" by Gene O'Kelly

[GuyInFL]

Then, I read: A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bryson.

+1

[protagonist]

I spent my entire life "hating" and avoiding history and anything related to it. Then, I read: A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bryson.

Really opened my eyes and piqued my interest in history and has led me down a path of embracing, not ignoring history. Have read numerous history books after that.

Another good one that makes you think: "When Breath Becomes Air" Paul Kalanithi

Also.
"Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life" by Gene O'Kelly

Bryson is a lot of fun. Maybe not so life-transforming for you, but I also really liked A Summer: America 1927 and A Walk in the Woods. If you liked A Short History you might enjoy those as well. I tried his book about Australia (A Sunburnt Country), but couldn't really get into it.

[Bogle64Pilot]

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!!

Yes, The Brothers Karamazov.

[jabberwockOG]

Seeing that I was a voracious (one could say addicted) reader, my grandmother gave me a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica - the adult as well as the junior edition for my 10th birthday. Over the next couple of years I read the junior set cover to cover, and then started in on the regular set and read most of it. This early intensive reading was life changing in that it provided me with a significant advantage in school and my life in general.

In terms of literature - most profound for me, anything by - Saul Bellow, Isaac Singer, and John Updike.

[Oreamnos]

How to win friends and influence people… Not a kids book but I would recommend it to anyone that’s starting a full time job in their life.

Yup, this. My grandfather was in sales, and the book was lying around my grandma's house after he died. It had to have been about 5th grade when I read it. I firmly believe that what I read there permanently altered my interactions with people, which has helped fuel certain success.

[treadonme]

Great question. Following responses.
1. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. Highly recommend for anyone but especially those dealing with aging family members or in the medical field. Gave me a new perspective on elder care and end of life conversations.

2. Johnathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Fictional book that teaches good life lessons.

3. Any Brandon Sanderson series. Best fantasy books I have read.

[Eastwest]

#1 Flow - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
No other book has answered the eternal question "what is life all about" more than this. Applies to all aspects of life.

#2 How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World - Harry Browne
If you're open-minded and ready for some self-exploration, take a look.

#3 Maximum Achievement:- Brian Tracy
I know that the self-help category draws a fair amount of ire, but as a young man in business, Mr. Tracy provides some well-rounded business principals that have stood the test of time. Also recommend his books "Focal Point" and "The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success".

[StartedAt22]

Outliers
The Wealthy Gardener
Feed
The Richest Man in Babylon
The Simple Path to Wealth
A Random Walk Down Wall Street

*Edit -
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Intelligent Investor
Lord of the Flies
Animal Farm / 1984

[protagonist]

Only one philosophy book mentioned by anybody so far. Interesting.

[JupiterJones]

I guess every book you read changes your life in some way, to at least some degree. While I can't point to any specific, big life change, I don't think I'd be the same person I am now if I had never read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (numerous times) as a kid, or never poured over the various volumes of "The Book of Lists".

And I certainly would have a different forum name if I never read any of the "Three Investigators" books!

Not to mention various high school and college textbooks, and things like "The C Programming Language", that gave me what I needed to know to chart the path I've taken so far.

But for the purposes of this forum, I guess my most obvious and appropriate answer is "The Millionaire Next Door". Despite its well-discussed methodology flaws, it nonetheless was the book that flipped a switch somewhere in my mindset--where I learned that normal schmucks not too different from me can achieve impressive financial success through their own deliberate actions and smart choices.

[bikechuck]

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!!

When I first learned to read ... "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish"
Later circa third grade ... The Hardy Boys books

Both put me on a path to becoming a life long reader, today in retirement I read at least 50 books a year.

[Riprap]

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.

A Random Walk Down Wallstreet. That book provided the "ah-ha" insight into the idea that your return is likely the market return minus fees. Such a simple concept with profound implications. That book led to more learning and eventually to self managed passive investing with a very low cost, simple, and clearly defined investment program. My IPS is basically a simple one page spreadsheet that all members of my immediate family can follow and execute in my absence.

I've read plenty, but these two really were influential and prompted a change in the course of my life.

[BogleKev]

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.

[runner3081]

"Sun Up"

I still remember the intro, the first book I read.

The Sun was up, Buffy was up...

https://www.amazon.com/Sun-bookmark-rea ... UTF8&psc=1

[Silverado]

Marine! The Life of Chesty Puller by Burke Davis

Handed to me by my seventh grade teacher just before Christmas break. That solidified an awful lot of my path/attitude/dreams as I devoured it. Getting close to forty years ago, but I can still recall how he handed it to me and the homemade book cover that was on it, including the faded pencil 'top' with an arrow on one side. I bought a hardback copy while in high school and later a paperback version that I carried with me for years.

[Taylor Larimore]

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

Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: “It is the power of words and books - explaining and dramatizing great ideas and articulating high ideals - that is the greatest weapon in the missionary's arsenal.”

[jebmke]

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande

Appropriate for any age adult but I highly recommend it for anyone over 50.

[jebmke]

A Random Walk Down Wallstreet. That book provided the "ah-ha" insight into the idea that your return is likely the market return minus fees. Such a simple concept with profound implications.

This was required reading in my undergraduate economics curriculum -- sophomore(or junior, can't recall exactly)year when it was first released.

[eddot98]

The title says it all:

If You Haven't Got the Time to Do it Right, when Will You Find the Time to Do it Over?
Book by Jeffrey J Mayer

[yougotitdude]

I would say my top 3 would be Mere Christianity by also CS Lewis (really head turning for me, at least), Millionaire Next Door and (adding to the train here) How to Win Friends and Influence People.

[Brewman]

The Wealthy Gardener

Was this the sequel to the Wealthy Barber?

[Greentree]

Yes, The Brothers Karamazov.
[/quote]

Thanks, adding this to my list. I read "Antifragile" this year and Taleb noted one should not read any recently published books (ironic of course). I then read my first Tolstoy book and feel like I've been watching "Everyone Loves Raymond" when there is "Breaking Bad" out there. Too many good books out there.

Here is my official list:
"The Art of Happiness" by Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler (read it a few times)
"Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor Frankl. (read it when 16 and again at 43)

This in particular hit me in middle age:

“The pessimist resembles a man who observes with fear and sadness that his wall calendar, from which he daily tears a sheet, grows thinner with each passing day. On the other hand, the person who attacks the problems of life actively is like a man who removes each successive leaf from his calendar and files it neatly and carefully away with its predecessors, after first having jotted down a few diary notes on the back. He can reflect with pride and joy on all the richness set down in these notes, on all the life he has already lived to the fullest. What will it matter to him if he notices that he is growing old? Has he any reason to envy the young people whom he sees, or wax nostalgic over his own lost youth? What reasons has he to envy a young person? For the possibilities that a young person has, the future which is in store for him?

No, thank you,' he will think. 'Instead of possibilities, I have realities in my past, not only the reality of work done and of love loved, but of sufferings bravely suffered. These sufferings are even the things of which I am most proud, although these are things which cannot inspire envy.”

[dt123]

Agree with a few prior entries: The Richest Man in Babylon, and A Random Walk Down Wall Street.

I could also list a mountain of books that I was told by others would/should change my life, but they did nothing for me. People should have healthy skepticism whether or not any book will open their eyes to anything, no matter how many others say it did for them.

Rater than specific books, I'll list some concepts that to me were life changing when I studied them: Carl Jung's concept of Individuation; Einstein's concepts of special and general relativity; general astronomy (for a sense of scale and age of the universe, and it's origins); relearning algebra/geometry/calculus as an older adult, very beautiful.

To my mind, the only philosopher who ever really understood the predicament of life, and who could reflect it through writing, was Giacomo Leopardi. Any translation of his philosophical works would be eye-opening to us modern Americans, I'd expect.

Many death poems of the Samurai are also very enlightening.

[Sandtrap]

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!!

Books:
(as a child read this constantly) All of the "Horatio Alger" short stories of a poor boy in poverty that struggles and succeeds.
The Greatest Salesman In The World: Og Mandino (books and tapes)
Think and Grow Rich: Napolean Hill (books and tapes)
As a Man Thinketh: James Allen (books and tapes)
The Richest Man In Babylon (books and tapes)
Hoofprint of the Ox (translation)
Silent Illumination (translation)
Man's Search For Meaning: Viktor Frankl
Sieze the Day: Saul Bellow

Recently and in progress:
The Delusions of Crowds: W. Bernstein.

Authors:
Thich Nhat Hanh, Dalai Lama, Chuang Tzu, Shunryu Suzuki, etc.

Biographies:
Douglas McArthur
Aristotle Onasis
etc.

What I have given my children and grandchildren in recent years:
"Life Strategy", "Life Code", by Dr. Phil McGraw.

j

[iamblessed]

The Bible- read it everyday love it.
Millionaire next door-All three books
John Bogle-common sense on mutual funds

[BernardShakey]

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!!

Not sure of any specific impact but these two were illuminating for me:

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" for its message of perseverance through difficult times

"To Kill a Mockingbird" for its message of courage in the face of injustice and hatred

[MoonOrb]

Another vote for How to Win Friends and Influence People. Was really a gamechanger for me and I still do my best to apply its lessons routinely.

When I was about 8, I read a two-volume set of books called Our National Parks that paved the way towards a lifetime love of US national parks.

[Boglelicious123]

For me it has to be “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism ironically applies directly to Boglehead-ism - “control what you can control and don’t worry about what you can’t”

Amazing book that changed my entire life outlook

[forgeblast]

Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins--Changed my way of thinking, helped drop the baggage that I carried around, put me on the path of physical fitness.
The Gift of Fear--helps you trust your 'gut' amazing book
Anatham by Neil Stevenson--science fiction but gets into thinking about thinking and big picture things, I read it about once a year.

[Sandtrap]

For me it has to be “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism ironically applies directly to Boglehead-ism - “control what you can control and don’t worry about what you can’t”

Amazing book that changed my entire life outlook

+1
Also: Writings by Seneca

j

[catdoctor]

How to win friends and influence people… Not a kids book but I would recommend it to anyone that’s starting a full time job in their life.

+1

[vanbogle59]

Only the first 2 stand on their own merit. But each of them started me down a path I am still following years later.

Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg - I hated history in school. This showed me that was school's fault.
Plato's Dialogs - On the train on the way to freshman year of college. The world was my oyster. Still is.
Freakonomics- Not great. But I hated economics before that. I was wrong.
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - Not great, but my wife made me. She was right.

[deserat]

For me it has to be “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism ironically applies directly to Boglehead-ism - “control what you can control and don’t worry about what you can’t”

Amazing book that changed my entire life outlook

+1
Also: Writings by Seneca

j

Changed my life and/or outlook:

+2 on Meditations
+2 on Man's Search for Meaning
Add: Writings by Cicero
Add: Starship Troopers by Heinlein
Add: I, Claudius and Claudius, the God (people have *not* changed much over thousands of years) - this would be along with the Durant books mentioned above
Add anything by Thomas Sowell, but best for me are Conflict of Visions and Conquests and Cultures
+xxx on Millionaire Next Door
Add: West with the Night, Beryl Markham
Ecclesiastes, Book of Ruth and Acts in the Bible
A lot of stuff on Bogleheads and the Early Retirement Forum
Terhorst -You can retire at 35
The Tightwad Gazette series by Dacyczyn
An essay by James Stockdale that I was assigned to read in Squadron Officer School (1992) that briefly explained how Stoicism helped him survive his POW experience - amazing....I think it was titled "Master of my Fate"

[Sandtrap]

For me it has to be “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism ironically applies directly to Boglehead-ism - “control what you can control and don’t worry about what you can’t”

Amazing book that changed my entire life outlook

+1
Also: Writings by Seneca

j

Changed my life and/or outlook:

+2 on Meditations
+2 on Man's Search for Meaning
Add: Writings by Cicero
Add: Starship Troopers by Heinlein
Add: I, Claudius and Claudius, the God (people have *not* changed much over thousands of years) - this would be along with the Durant books mentioned above
Add anything by Thomas Sowell, but best for me are Conflict of Visions and Conquests and Cultures
+xxx on Millionaire Next Door
Add: West with the Night, Beryl Markham
Ecclesiastes, Book of Ruth and Acts in the Bible
A lot of stuff on Bogleheads and the Early Retirement Forum
Terhorst -You can retire at 35
The Tightwad Gazette series by Dacyczyn

+1
Yes yes.
Just "discovered" Thomas Sowell. His recent comment on learning "how to think for oneself" vs "what to think as taught or inputted by outside sources, etc." is memorable.

Yes+10000
Millionare Next Door.
Absolutely inspirational.
(reminded me in real life of friends and family, and someone even closer.)

Aloha
j

[DarkHelmetII]

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!!

"You Have the Right to Remain Innocent" - absolutely changed my perspective on the police and the court / judicial system

"The Permanent Portfolio: Harry Browne's Long-Term Investment Strategy" - note, I generally do not advocate the Permanent Portfolio for a typical long-term investor as I think it is just too conservative. Said that, I still think the book has relevance to cover some topics less discussed in what I would call the typical scope of BH investing:
1) Role of gold - it's insurance, not an investment
2) Why institutional diversification is worth considering
3) An argument for long-term bonds (total bond is medium term)
4) For super-conservative investors and / or where there are medium-term investment horizons (e.g. 2 to 5 or 10 years) I think PP is worthy for consideration

[Randolph Mortimer]

Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions

I never read it, but it changed my life.

[MAKsdad]

Desert Solitaire - Edward Abbey
One Long River of Song - Brian Doyle
"Self Reliance" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Bible - God

[Taylor Larimore]

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."

[bluebolt]

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

[lightheir]

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

I'm similar - I'd identify a few textbooks I read in college and professional school as life-changing. Not because of the particular content material per se, which is super-specific and of no value to the general person who is not a professional in the field, but for the discipline, rigor, and growth these books required from me, that helped bring me to a true technical expert level.

I actually can't identify any fiction or general non-fiction (not for professionals) that were life changing for me. Oh - maybe one - for real not even lying, my parents bought me the "Kids World Book Encyclopedia Set" when I was 4. Read it quite quickly, all 15+ volumes (large text, lots of pictures, fun format). Seriously, after I read that, I literally didn't have to learn almost anything in school until 8th grade (!!).

Sadly, my daughter had no such interest in such encyclopedias or references at that age. But to her credit, I think she's passed me at her age already by following her own interests. So to each their own!

[cbs2002]

The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene. Conflicts, hypocrisy and benefits of Christian and humanist moral/ethical approaches in a historical novel about the Mexican revolution. Was quite young when I read this.

Cosmos - Carl Sagan. requires a basic understanding of physics. so valuable. Wish I read it sooner but only did so recently.

[bmelikia]

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis - Despite being an irreligious book, brought me to faith in a higher power. I remember the very paragraph the veil was lifted and my perspective on reality shifted.

Do you mind sharing the paragraph?