Have you ever Read a life changing book ?

The books of T.H.White,I don't know that they changed my life, but they definitely set me in a certain direction. I remember a quote in Mistress Masham's Repose about it being wrong to own people even if you only wanted to do what was best for them.

What's it about

Great Question Great Thread. WOW

Lizziethelab

I read a Dennis Wheatley novel when I was about 14. (Can’t remember the title) but it taught me to never, ever pick up a horror story again. It scared the living daylights. I’m 69 now and haven’t read a horror story since.

I read Dennis Wheatley around that age, too. It had the opposite effect on me and left me with a lifelong love of horror/supernatural stories.

Lizziethelab

I read a Dennis Wheatley novel when I was about 14. (Can’t remember the title) but it taught me to never, ever pick up a horror story again. It scared the living daylights. I’m 69 now and haven’t read a horror story since.

I read Dennis Wheatley at that age as well. To The Devil a Daughter and The Haunting of Toby Jugg are two titles that I remember.

Moby Dick, read when I was 10. Awakened me to the horrors of whaling, which I have opposed ever since.
Silent Spring has been mentioned…I read it as a young woman, it’s a powerful book and had much the same effect on me.

I read a Dennis Wheatley novel when I was about 14. (Can’t remember the title) but it taught me to never, ever pick up a horror story again. It scared the living daylights. I’m 69 now and haven’t read a horror story since.

The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer helped me understand the world better.
Hilary Mantell's Thomas Cromwell trilogy helped me enjoy reading again.
I don't have much formal history education. 1066 and All That helped me feel a bit better about it as well as convulsing me with laughter.
FYI because I don't have much formal history education , most history fascinates me so I'm really very lucky!!
1984 also helped me understand better certain aspects of the world. As a critique of totaliterianism it gives us all a lot to think or possibly worry about at the moment.

Some interesting titles. I cannot recall reading any life-changing volume but several, read long ago remain clearly in my memory and were very thought provoking. Two biographies that gave me an insight to war, politics and diplomacy but were easy to read. The first is ‘Testament of Youth’ by Vera Britain who was the mother of Shirley Williams and the second ‘Old Men Forget’ by Duff Cooper. I must reread them as they give a wonderful account of life in the first half of the 20th century and the horrors of war.

A more recent book was ‘American Dirt’ it really made me think about the desperation of people who flee their homeland, ready to face terrible dangers that nobody would if life was not intolerable .

The Mighty Micro, this was the start of the computer chip revolution. Fifty years later retired after working with computers all my life.

To understand the mind set at the time managers where asking if a single transistor fail how could it be replaced? Would they need miniature screw drivers on the like.

They did not like the answer you throw away a $1000 chip with 999 working transistors because you can't replace the failed one.

Magenta8

The first adult book I read was Animal Farm which led me to read 1984. I have read 1984 several times since and it becomes more alarming each time I re-read it.

I sometimes wonder which was most accurate 1984 or Brave New World. The fact I think to ask that question is scary.

HelterSkelter1

Thank you OP for this thread. Lots of good suggestions. I am making a list.

I have just reserved You Can Heal Your Life at the library hoping it will help DD with ME/CFS. I will read it first and hope it will help my life too.

HelterSkelter1 I have also found this book very helpful and Alan Gordon also uses Instagram to post short reminders of how to manage pain. I find they help to reinforce the message.

Thank you OP for this thread. Lots of good suggestions. I am making a list.

I have just reserved You Can Heal Your Life at the library hoping it will help DD with ME/CFS. I will read it first and hope it will help my life too.

We need to talk about Kevin still haunts me

marta74

You can heal your life by Louise Hay. Briliant book,helped me at a very stressfull time in my life.

I was about to mention You can Heal your Life by Louise Hay too. I read it when I had just collapsed with M.E. plus my marriage was very rocky. Like marta74 this book helped me at a very stressful time.

Ultra Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken. I read this recently and it definitely made me think more about the type of food I eat. There's a lot of scientific information but it's written in a very easy to read style. The history of manufactured foods is fascinating and the book shows how the huge food conglomerates operate.

BluebellGran

Mine was a book I read when a child. It made me realise that all animals have feelings and that kindness is everything. It was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

We are just watching the film today. It was a wonderful book.

Mine was a book I read when a child. It made me realise that all animals have feelings and that kindness is everything. It was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

Frogs

CariadAgain

Frogs

The Way Out by Alan Gordon.
It’s about how to relieve the symptoms of chronic pain - worked for me, although I didn’t expect it to.

Thanks. I've just suggested it to a good friend of mine who has been living with severe pain for years now. I know it's bothering her a lot - as a comment came out the other day (with her being just a few years younger than me) of not being able to face the risk of having a long life still with the pain going on.

Knowing she doesn't think the same way as me on that (ie I wouldnt even contemplate whether to put up with it or no - I just wouldnt do so) = that felt like a pretty strong statement if the pain goes on much longer - as it's showing every sign of doing permanently.

So - fingers crossed it will be helpful to her...

I’d read lots of books about chronic pain trying to find answers but this one struck a chord with me as it offered practical advice not just words. Alan Gordon has a FB page and there is another FB page I like ‘Tell me about Your Pain’.

I’ve got both the hard copy and Audible version of the book. I found the audio version particularly good because of Alan’s calming voice. I got it for free on a free trial as a new member although you have remember to cancel your membership.
Good luck to your friend. 🤞

Thanks. I'll let my friend know.

She said she's going to check out the book you mentioned and I can tell she's having it particularly bad at the moment - as, when I mentioned the book, she said how she'd missed her new granddaughters christening because of the pain. There is no way on earth she'd miss anything she wanted to go to that's to do with her two grandchildren if she could help it - as she's a very doting grandma.

Oh, and "Stop Walking on Eggshells" changed the way I interacted with my daughter which really helped to tone down the tensions in our relationship. It will always be difficult but it is so much easier to navigate now.

"Go Ask Alice" in my teens made me absolutely decide I would never touch drugs, not even weed. I have never changed that view.

CariadAgain

Frogs

The Way Out by Alan Gordon.
It’s about how to relieve the symptoms of chronic pain - worked for me, although I didn’t expect it to.

Thanks. I've just suggested it to a good friend of mine who has been living with severe pain for years now. I know it's bothering her a lot - as a comment came out the other day (with her being just a few years younger than me) of not being able to face the risk of having a long life still with the pain going on.

Knowing she doesn't think the same way as me on that (ie I wouldnt even contemplate whether to put up with it or no - I just wouldnt do so) = that felt like a pretty strong statement if the pain goes on much longer - as it's showing every sign of doing permanently.

So - fingers crossed it will be helpful to her...

I’d read lots of books about chronic pain trying to find answers but this one struck a chord with me as it offered practical advice not just words. Alan Gordon has a FB page and there is another FB page I like ‘Tell me about Your Pain’.

I’ve got both the hard copy and Audible version of the book. I found the audio version particularly good because of Alan’s calming voice. I got it for free on a free trial as a new member although you have remember to cancel your membership.
Good luck to your friend. 🤞

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As long as you realise Terribull, that it was a work of fiction and not the true story it was originally promoted as!

That's not to say that much of it wasn't based on some facts.

A precursor to 'The Salt Path'!!
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I have to say The Joy Of Sex made quite an impression at a seminal point in my adolescence 🤗

TattyBluebell, your post immediately reminded me of reading and rereading Heidi when I was 7 -8. I’d always loved stories, lucky to have parents who read to me but learning to read fortunately came easily,