Book(s) that changed your life (and optionally: why?)

[Nodice83]

Hello Folks,

First of all, I do not want this thread to be any sort of competition to https://forums.taleworlds.com/index...-you-reading-now.101738/page-139#post-9716878 which is great readers' thoughts exchange platform!

My point here is: I feel life is too short to read everything that has ever been published. The more I look into it the more I think - I am interested in books' that will shake me and oppose the sense of security that for me is equal to stagnation.

My answer to the poll question is "Yes", there are at least 3 books that shook me and altered my perspective (at least for some time, maybe for life).

Those are Bulkhakov's "Master and Margarita", Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and Philip K. ****'s "Valis".

I could recommend them to anybody without a blink.

 

[Mad Vader]

Good thread!
If you are a confused alt-righter youth, a single Jordan Peterson self-help book ordering you to stop masturbating will change your life!

I think the life changing stuff can happen in your early life only, or at most during a serious crisis later when you look for new answers. Otherwise, even the most revolutionary book would fail to move you (much).

Having said that, the most life-changing book in my confused youth was "Journey to Ixtlan" by Carlos Castaneda. If you overlook his later cult leadership and don't take the magic stuff seriously, it's a fine book about a personal philosophy based on responsible no-bull**** individualism (which was just what I needed at the time).
Several books by D.H. Lawrence and Henry Miller put sensuality and incoherent, but powerful yearnings into words, an experience that can change your outlook and inspire you to feel and know and appreciate your feelings.
"History of WW2" by Liddell Hart introduced me to real history, not that patriotic stuff for popular consumption. He is somewhat full of it as a contemporary who had some influence at the time (like overclaiming his contribution to tank warfare). And he also somewhat simplifies history for didactic purposes - history is not like that, it's messy and lessons are not as clear cut as we would like to believe.
The "Oblivion" manual, a tiny booklet, was kept at my bedside to be read every evening when I first started playing. It was my first open world RPG experience (skipped Morrowind) and quite magical. You could live in that world, it looked real and beautiful! I know, it's somewhat embarrassing to admit this, but games can move you just as much as books.

 

[Piconi]

If you are a confused alt-righter youth, a single Jordan Peterson self-help book ordering you to stop masturbating will change your life!

I'm neither confused, nor alt, nor right, nor youth, yet "12 Rules For Life", especially the chapter about preparing your toddler for social life, was invaluable read to me.

 

[Adorno]

"Oblivion manual" ?

Funny. I also read Dostojevskij's "Crime and Punishment" as a young man and was struck by the ethical questions.
But I've never cared much for fiction. It's all made up, as I would say, being young and naïve.
Instead reading Freud was fascinating. But especially Karl Popper was a delight (such as Logik der Forschung) - ironically, since one of his favourite aversions is psychoanalysis.
But that just shows you need to constantly broaden your mind.

And Adorno, of course

 

[Mad Vader]

But especially Karl Popper was a delight (such as Logik der Forschung) - ironically, since one of his favourite aversions is psychoanalysis.

I loved his takedowns of psychoanalysis and astrology as non-sciences (and I'm a fan of psychoanalysis too). The problem with psychoanalysis was that early proponents lived in an era where everyone tried to science up their field (Marx too) and share the high reputation of science. This needed some correction later and even the most devoted fan of psychoanalysis knows how inexact and unpredictable it can be.

 

[Nodice83]

If you are a confused alt-righter youth, a single Jordan Peterson self-help book ordering you to stop masturbating will change your life!

I'm neither alt nor right nor youth, yet "12 Rules For Life", especially the chapter about preparing your toddler for social life, was invaluable read to me.

Right-wingers just adore adapting everything that Peterson says. Although I do not agree with him completely (e.g. meat diet miracles being thrown in the face by @Kentucky 『 ＨＥＩＧＵＩ 』 James some other time ) I find much of his advice rational. But I find some concepts like "when you're an atheist - no moral code of laws applies to you" are quite stinky IMO. Hitchens could tell him a thing or two. I even bought the book as it was recently translated to my native language but still didn't read it. I definitely missed the chance to prepare my kids for life as they are no longer toddlers, but will read it next!

The "Oblivion" manual, a tiny booklet, was kept at my bedside to be read every evening when I first started playing. It was my first open world RPG experience (skipped Morrowind) and quite magical. You could live in that world, it looked real and beautiful! I know, it's somewhat embarrassing to admit this, but games can move you just as much as books.

I've had the same with the Medieval Total War manual I used to read it all the time. At breakfast, in the toilet, later during the day, and before bedtime ;D

edit:

I think the life changing stuff can happen in your early life only, or at most during a serious crisis later when you look for new answers. Otherwise, even the most revolutionary book would fail to move you (much).

@MadVader Interesting, I used to know a Latin teacher who once said "books should never change emotionally stable and well-shaped human beings". She gave us "Mein Kampf" and Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" as examples. The fact we read them doesn't mean we will become a Nazi Satanist Cult the very next day. It is not the "shake" I'd expect but rather something moving, challenging, inspiring, maybe thought-provoking... I hope I did not misunderstand you.

 

[Piconi]

Right-wingers just adore adapting everything that Peterson says

He was in fact, and by his own admittance, called both a "nazi" and a "jewish shill" no less than on the same day, so i wouldn't and don't worry about who tries to appropriate what, not in any case, not just this one and not just books.

Of course you don't have to agree with everything you know abouth an author, what he says or what you and others think he represents.

If i read books exclusively by the authors i think i would agree with the most, i would have probably never read anything.

I too , for example, among other things, do not like Peterson's discrete embracement of mysthicism and propagating morals in a structured manner (when there is no other, choose religion and so on), sometimes oversimplifying things to be more appealing to wider audience, other times overcomplicating things for no good reason (so i think), but on the other hand i also don't like Hitchens' warmongering, not so discrete elitism of whatever he thought he belonged to, nihilst approach to certain issues when it suits him, and some arguments in debates he participated that sometimes didn't feel like it was coming from an intellectual, but to a retired drunken professor.

I definitely missed the chance to prepare my kids for life as they are no longer toddlers, but will read it next!

That chapter is the sole reason why i bought the book, and it completely blew me away how it all added up after i started taking some advice and the reactions i was getting from my boy.
Didn't take it too seriously as children were being thought manners, values and socialised naturally without any guidance and by illiterate parents since times immemorial, but it was quite interesting to read.

 

[Nodice83]

He was in fact, and by his own admittance, called both a "nazi" and a "jewish shill" no less than on the same day, so i wouldn't and don't worry about who tries to appropriate what, not in any case, not just this one and not just books.

Wasn't that because he wanted to make a point in defending "free speech" he felt was threatened at Toronto Univ.?

If i read books exclusively by the authors i think i would agree with the most, i would have probably never read anything.

Fair enough.

but on the other hand i also don't like Hitchens' warmongering, not so discrete elitism of whatever he thought he belonged to, nihilst approach to certain issues when it suits him, and some arguments in debates he participated that sometimes didn't feel like it was coming from an intellectual, but to a retired drunken professor.

Wouldn't put it better myself. Especially his support of the Iraqi War, Bush, Blair, and their lapdogs (polish gov't at the time) leaves a stain on Man's resume. Even though his oratory skills are extraordinary and many assumptions (he would for sure call them facts) especially those related to religion(S) - stay valid.

That chapter is the sole reason why i bought the book, and it completely blew me away how it all added up after i started taking some advice and the reactions i was getting from my boy.
Didn't take it too seriously as children were being thought manners, values and socialised naturally without any guidance and by illiterate parents since times immemorial, but it was quite interesting to read.

Wonder if this can still be applied to 2.5 y.o. spoiled princesses who suppose to be twins

 

[Pentagathoos]

Looking back I'm sure the various fantasy novels I read as a kid made a huge impact on my life and my personality. As an adult I'm afraid the dreaded Dr Peterson was probably my first introduction to "self help" style thinking and without his book/youtube fame I doubt I would have read any works of philosophy at all and probably very little if any psychology.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Putting Ancient Wisdom to the Test of Modern Science by Jonathon Haidt was a big one for me. There's a very short "book" which is really an essay by Sam Harris on lying, arguing that one should avoid it in pretty much every situation which has also had a pretty hefty impact on my life. iirc it was actually called Lying. Essentially it helped me see that if I don't find myself in situations where I feel the need to lie then life is likely to be much more enjoyable, and if I commit myself to not lying then I'm not going to put myself in such situations. It's also quite liberating to just tell someone an uncomfortable truth rather than lying and then having to worry about whether or not they believe you or will found out or whatever. Probably makes you a better person too. Eh.
The last ones not a book and is probably not quite what you're thinking of when you talk of life changing information, but the Hubermanlabs podcast has had a profound impact on my life simply because the Hubes generally discusses protocols that are incredibly useful for daily life and are usually best followed on a daily basis, e.g getting early morning light exposure to help regulate sleep pattern and hormone fluctuations. So if you do actually follow any of those protocols it obviously is life changing in the sense that it has a huge impact on your daily routine if nothing else (although hopefully it will also have a big impact on quality of life).

 

[ShakenSpeare]

I definitely think a book can be life-changing, in the sense that it can either change significant perspectives or become a part of you. The one that sticks out to me the most personally is Storm of Steel, a diary turned into a memoir by a German Stormtrooper by the name of Enrst Jünger in WW1. He fought in all four years of that war as an officer, suffered 14 injuries in combat, participated in some of the most major battles of the war, and earned a bunch of honors including the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military honor until it's discontinuation after WW2, and he was the youngest to ever receive it.

The book is the best WW1 experience you can have in my opinion, and the most moving thing about it is how this guy was able to keep such a positive attitude throughout all manner of death and mayhem and keep his head. The book got a fair amount of backlash years afterward for painting the war as a developing experience for the author, and also allegations of Nazism due to his German nationalism in the book. Despite this, the guy was never a fan of Hitler, writing scathing allegories against Nazism, sarcastically reproaching Hitler's attempts at courtesy when Hitler came to power, and he even served jail time for suspected association in the 1943 bomb plot. I guess the main takeaway from the book for me is that attitude and mindset are everything, no matter how terrible something is to experience. This man went into the most firey depths of hell that mankind could craft and got out of it okay and with a sane head, because he kept a positive attitude about it.

"History of WW2" by Liddell Hart introduced me to real history, not that patriotic stuff for popular consumption. He is somewhat full of it as a contemporary who had some influence at the time (like overclaiming his contribution to tank warfare). And he also somewhat simplifies history for didactic purposes - history is not like that, it's messy and lessons are not as clear cut as we would like to believe.

I love Liddell Hart! While what you say about him overclaiming his contribution to tank warfare is true, I can't say I too strongly agree about him oversimplifying history. He brought together examples and wanted to teach countless common lessons that you can encounter throughout history, and for a reader's sake that may require what may come across as simplification, but it's really for the purposes of teaching lessons. Why Don't We Learn From History? is one of my favorite little books and one of my most influential. Some of the best pragmatism and far-sightedness I've seen of any author, frankly. Strategy is probably my second favorite of his.

 

[Mad Vader]

I don't understand this sentiment on Jordan Peterson, most of what he says has helped thousands of young people whip their lives into shape. Is that not enough to be respected? No person in the history of the planet has been right on everything and thirty years ago no one would blink an eye at that. I'm not going to read the responses to this for some time, I only skulk on this forum these days.

His political activism on behalf of the alt-right, that's the problem. And that's how he got famous in the first place and got to write self help books that monetized his fame among the edgy reactionary youth that thrives on hate.

 

[Nodice83]

His political activism on behalf of the alt-right, that's the problem. And that's how he got famous in the first place and got to write self help books that monetized his fame among the edgy reactionary youth that thrives on hate.

FACT CHECK: Is Jordan Peterson ‘Alt-Right’?

'A sick game'

checkyourfact.com

 

[Ling*]

Is this a political thread or a thread about books?

I can't say I have ever had a life changing or altering experience from anything in particular that I have ever read personally, but it's interesting to hear what others have experienced.

 

[Nodice83]

I can't say I have ever had a life changing or altering experience from anything in particular that I have ever read personally, but it's interesting to hear what others have experienced.

Maybe you are hard to amaze therefore the "changed your life" phrase does not match your individual standards. Anything you found exceptionally valuable or just good to read would do.

 

[Adorno]

Most books are political - if they're good.

 

[Mad Vader]

FACT CHECK: Is Jordan Peterson ‘Alt-Right’?

'A sick game'

checkyourfact.com

And you would be wrong. While he may be trying to disassociate from nasty people, they do hail him as their intellectual prophet and savior. No disclaimers can change this.
Just go to any internet place where people are being racist, mysogynist and/or homophobic, sharing right-wing memes and praising Trump while demonizing liberals, and you'll find his uncritical followers.

 

[Althix]

12 rules for life and beyond order by Jordan Peterson

 

[Nodice83]

And you would be wrong. While he may be trying to disassociate from nasty people, they do hail him as their intellectual prophet and savior. No disclaimers can change this.
Just go to any internet place where people are being racist, mysogynist and/or homophobic, sharing right-wing memes and praising Trump while demonizing liberals, and you'll find his uncritical followers.

Right-wingers just adore adapting everything that Peterson says.

I'm not that naive to claim his statements do not serve alt-Right well. Yet there are still people having a hard time defining him as an alt-righter. Including myself. One day some nasty people may say you are their inspiration, what will you do about it?

 

[Mad Vader]

I'm not that naive to claim his statements do not serve alt-Right well. Yet there are still people having a hard time defining him as an alt-righter. Including myself. One day some nasty people may say you are their inspiration, what will you do about it?

I'll be worried that my personal philosophy matches theirs to an alarming degree.
For example, in Peterson case, I would have asked myself isn't my opposition to the idea of structural racism actually crypto racism? My opposition to the idea that gender pay gap exist, hidden misogyny? and so on....
I'm sure it's just a coincidence though and everything is perfectly fine!

 

[Nodice83]

I'll be worried that my personal philosophy matches theirs to an alarming degree.
For example, in Peterson case, I would have asked myself isn't my opposition to the idea of structural racism actually crypto racism? My opposition to the idea that gender pay gap exist, hidden misogyny? and so on....
I'm sure it's just a coincidence though and everything is perfectly fine!

I'm not entirely cool with the fact he avoids those questions. But to my question - let's face it, acknowledging it is just a job half done. What you would do about it is another topic. You may try to explain, prove, etc. You will still be that guy whose ideas served those bad guys...

As for racism, I'm not the best person to discuss it as this is very hard to experience when you live in such a homogeneous society as the one I live in. But Peterson is wrong on structural racism - I'm sure it exists.

The gender gap. In the area (Engineering, Tech, Mfg) I work 60% of higher-level specialists are Women and almost 70% of Supervisors are Women with Women at the top of the company. It hasn't been changed yesterday it was at least for 10 years like that. Payments are strictly defined by the ranges so you won't earn less than is written there. Another example - I'm professionally active for 14 years my Wife 8 years. We earn the same money in similar positions in similar businesses. However, I'm aware the problem may exist - often in so-called typical patriarchal areas with little or no auto-control. So if it exists - it does not affect anyone from my area and me personally. Do you have such experiences, please share.

P.S. Dear Vader, I have an impression we go in circles with this topic and this is not the political thread. Just want to say we won't settle the dispute as I am not really 100% convinced defending Peterson is something I am willing to die for. Just feel like a "contrarian on duty" sort of person here rather than a fanatic fan etc. But I feel he has been demonized too much. I started to read 12 Rules and I find it a great read so far.