Three books that have influenced you most

This came out of 'Health and Relationship' thread. I was wondering which three books people where most influenced by, even if you don't agree with what's said in them. For me, the three that immediately spring to mind are:

1. Arthur Schopenhauer - The World as Will and Idea
2. Jean-Paul Sartre - Existentialism and Humanism
3. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon - What is Property?

Reply 1

Jums

1. George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four: Clumsily told at times but such an important point even now, he was really ahead of his time.
2. W.L. Warren - King John: I know it's a history book but it has influenced me because of it's analytical and objective style while still remaining quite gripping.
3. Naguib Mahfouz - The Cairo Trilogy: Gives an excellent insight into modern Islamic culture in the format of a very readable trilogy of novels.

Reply 2

Charlieee

2

The Diary of Anne Frank: Anne Frank has had such a big influence on my interests and I've become much more interested in anything to do with the 1930s and 40s since.

I don't think any other books have influenced me as much as that one has. I suppose I could put the biographies Roses from the Earth by Carol Ann Lee and The Biography of Anne Frank by Mellisa Muller on that list too

Reply 3

Pikeymikey22

Jums

1. George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four: Clumsily told at times but such an important point even now, he was really ahead of his time.

I would put that first too. Have you read any of his essays?
http://www.george-orwell.org/l_orwell-essay.html

"Shooting an Elephant" is a good story, and "A Nice Cup of Tea" is fun, if a little intense. "Down The Mine" is a good read, and "You and the Atomic Bomb" is similar in style to parts of 1984 in which Orwell describes the warfare.

Reply 4

randomuser#6

The Quran
Sahih Al Bukhara
Sahih Al Muslim

Reply 5

Jums

Pikeymikey - thanks, I'll have a look at those this evening.

Reply 6

Happyness

14

Pikeymikey22

I would put that first too. Have you read any of his essays?
http://www.george-orwell.org/l_orwell-essay.html

"Shooting an Elephant" is a good story, and "A Nice Cup of Tea" is fun, if a little intense. "Down The Mine" is a good read, and "You and the Atomic Bomb" is similar in style to parts of 1984 in which Orwell describes the warfare.

I have read one his essays titled "The English language in Politics" or something similar. A treat to read.

Reply 7

History_is...

6

Aristotle - the Politics
EH Carr - Wht is History? (not a great book but it captured my interest in history as a discipline rather than just a subject at school and helped to determine my uni choices which will influence the rest of my life!)
Audrey Niffeneger - The Time travellers wife (realise thats not a very academic/serious book but it helped me to come to terms with things in my own life and thereby changed the way i look at the world and think about things!)

Reply 8

sparkly_tiara

2

The colour purple by Alice Walker- just a very moving book about strength and courage
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood- this was brilliant!
Sadly, Jane Eyre left my mind thinking a long time afterwards!

Lou
xxx

Reply 9

Mangaroo

12

1. Di vinci code influenced me to never read a book again
2. n//a
3. n/a

Reply 10

curryADD

12

the bible
the scarlett letter
annnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddd
the truth about forever, by sarah dessen

Reply 11

Gem

14

Hmmmm I've read loads of good books since I was little, but the ones that had the biggest effect was probably when I was young, and the two that stick out was 'The Diary of Anne Frank' and the Helen Kellar book - can't remember the name of it :redface:

I guess when I was about 9 I read rubbishy books, so them 2 stick in my mind :redface:

Reply 12

Happy1

14

To Kill A Mockingbird - i first read it when i was younger, and it really made me think about racism and how people are treated, even today in England.

Psycho - That influenced me because i still have nightmares about it :frown: