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General Interest > Philosophy, Sociology & Psychology
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Books that changed your perspective on life
    #330544 -

As Thoreau said "How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book!"

Back in highschool (seems so long ago) early in my career, I read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. I guess that just triggered something in me and I stopped caring about a lot of things I thought were important (and started reading better liturature). Maybe the timing was good and it just had to do with my maturity at that age... I dunno.

So what book did it for you? Why do you think it made a difference?

btw, soon after that I read The Doors of Perception (although I didn't think it was that great a book). We all know what direction that probably lead me ;)


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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #330554 -

brave new world definatly made me rethink my priorities..

But the real book that changed my perspective on life was "Stranger in a Strange Land" the uncut version. This book was my bible for my junior and senior years at high school...


--------

"give me shoes so i can tapsy" --Ween~


--------------------
Men look at themselves and they see flawed humans, we look at women and we see perfect
GODDESSES
Women look at themselves and they seem utterly human, when looking at men they see proud
GODS.

~Casil



:cactus:

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Todcasil]
    #330592 -

ah, hehheh... mein da gimme his paperback copy of heinlein's _stranger_ back in 1963 or so... & i was what, like 11 years old... twisted my mind into a pretzel... i mean i had read the heinlein juvenile novels (and this did seem to be set in the same universe as _red planet_) but... well, it took several re-readings over the next few decades... ya, a real page-burner, heh... (gave my copy of the "manuscript" version to pastor at my church as he & his wife went off to shepherd a new flock over in PA; had to inscribe book to them "may you never thirst" --- now i want a book report, hehheh...)
alan watts (joyous cosmology, the book, cloud hidden, a few others...)
jack kerouac (on the road, the dharma bums, etc)---(which led to ginsburg, snyder, ferlinghetti, burroughs, and back to whitman... (and neal and kesey and wavy and krassner and lenny bruce and, and...) which led to bucke's _cosmic consciousness_ and away we go.....)
and ram dass (BE HERE NOW, etc...)(and thus to leary, lilly, wilson)
and olaf stapledon and doc smith and zenna henderson and cordwainer smith and...
and aldous huxley's last novel _island_
and more that slip through my porous memory vessel... i dunno...
~~~
so the master asks the student: "that boulder, is it inside your mind or outside it?"
and the student replies: "inside my mind, sir..."
& the master replies: "you must have a very big head to hold such a large rock inside it..."
~~~
and these words we use to exchange ideas are symbols, like markings on rocks that we hope others will be able to decipher somehow... here, have a rock...



--------------------
old enough to know better
not old enough to care

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #330621 -

principia discordia by gregory hill (malaclypse the younger) and the illuminatus! trilogy and cosmic trigger by robert anton wilson were of the most influential mindfucks for this boy.


Repent! Repent! Floss Often!


--------------------
Everything is better than it was the last time.  I'm good.

If we could look into each others hearts, and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.

It takes a lot of courage to go out there and radiate your essence.

I know you scared, you should ask us if we scared too.  If you was there, and we just knew you cared too.

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: gnrm23]
    #330629 -

"Here, have a rock." hahaha

"The Book: on the taboo against knowiing who you are" Alan Watts

"Notes from Underground" Fyodor Dostoevsky

"The Mind's I" Douglas Hofstadter and Daniel C. Dennett


I've read alot of other good books, but they just sort of went along with how I thought, the ones above put words to my feelings.

Other stuff, that sort of helped:
Ginsberg's poetry, Jungian Philosophy (sans ritual), Tibetan Buddhism's Philosophy (also sans ritual), Plato (well Socrates), Aristotle.......

Oh yeah... I can't believe I forgot them:
"Electric Kool Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey

no beginning....no end

Edited by Sclorch on 06/01/01 03:37 PM.



--------------------
Note: In desperate need of a cure...

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #330814 -

These are the books that got the ball rolling, listed in order

Dune - Frank Herbert (I think)
The Giver - Cant remember
Brave New World - Huxley
Catch-22 - Heller
Mother Night - Vonnegut
This Side of Paradise - Fitzgerald
Walden - Thoreau

Now it seems no matter what book I read my perspective is changed at least a little bit



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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #330824 -

Autobiography of a Yogi. Everyone should real this book. Especially those of us who are interested in psychedelics.


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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #330905 -

well... a few books have changed my life, among the more important are...

Magic's Pawn - Mercedes Lackey
Magic's Price - Mercedes Lackey
1984 - what's-his-name
Ringworld - Larry Niven
Wren and the (Eagle, Hawk, Something), The - Mercedes Lackey
and Some other books from Mercedes Lackey.

'The fool on the hill sees the sun going down,
and the eyes in his head see the world spinning 'round'
-The Beatles



--------------------
[pot]Think left and think right[pot]
[pot]and think low and think high[pot]
[pot]Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try[pot]
-Dr. Seuss

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #330930 -

1984 (Orwell) was the first book i read that really made me think; it introduced ideas into liturature id never seen before. But 'The Communist Manifesto' (http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html, Marx/Engels - I think everybody should read it) & 'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenece' (Pirsig) were the first pieces i read that opened my eyes, really made me think



--------------------
The sea was red and the sky was grey, wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today.

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: chuwie]
    #331240 -

There's been a few for me. The Diary of a Drug Fiend made me realize the importance of goals. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test made me realize the importance of every waking moment. Human All Too Human made me question the very nature of my existense. I think everyone should read at least one of these books. Probably The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

"If a man has character, he has also his typical experience, which always recurs."-Nietzche


--------------------
"If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn't rub out even half the 'Fuck you' signs in the world."- J. D. Salinger

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: the universe]
    #331363 -

Whitman is a damn prophet. Pirsig was great at first but after a few reads gets stale. Emerson always pumps me up to be real. The first three in the Carlos Castenada series were eye opening. Gibran's The Prophet is beautiful.

I really liked Anne's Mescaline experience in Pikhal.


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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #331364 -

The Doors of Perception led me straight to San Pedro (via The Psychedelic Encyclopedia) and to the eternal golden oneness of a plus 4!


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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: coyote]
    #331422 -

"Conversations with God" -- Neale Donald Walsh

"Psychedelic Experience" -- Tim Leary/Richard Alpert/Ralph Metzner... although it wasn?t the book itself that changed my life... it was what i achieved with the directions i got from it...

"Friendship with God" -- Neale Donald Walsh

In(di)go

"All this pain is an illusion... of what it means to be alive"


--------------------

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: overtone]
    #331428 -

who's this book by? (autobiography of a yogi)


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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #331433 -

the lord of the rings & the hobbit, when I was about 7...

the dhammapada, forget which translation but it had mad photos and a great preface by ram dass...

"mindfulness in plain english" by some sri lankan monk, absolutely the most useful life improving book i've ever come across.

"the incredible voyage" by tristan jones, made me want to explore the world.
walden.
teachings of don juan and all those that followed...what's the second book called again i forget...?

the chronicles of dao!!!!
and of course many many more......still, each of the above books began new phases in my life, puttng things on track.


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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #331435 -

Seeing it all as a path, I guess the path of a wider opening of my thrid eye came as a concequence of a comedian rather than a book. He lead me to books, learning, Autobiography of a yogi, meher baba, and basically a direct chain of learning of realising how much more there is to life than the census majority accept...

Good old Bill hicks.

"How come you never get a positive drug story on the news? The news is meant to objective isn't it. THE news, but all you get is negative drug stories. Well, hang on. I['ve had some killer times on drugs. Let's hear the whole story. Same one every time 'today a young man on acid thought he could fly, jumped off a building, what a tragedy. No. What a dick. If you think you can fly you take off from the ground first. Duh! You don't see geese lined up to get into elevators do you?
So how about that positive drug story on the news?
'Today a young man on acid realised that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that there is no such thiong as death, life is a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves.... Here's Tom with the weather'

"Did you see the news, Ma!"

Namaste,
Pan


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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #331719 -

There is a great book titled "How to think about wierd things". I forget the authors name. This book will really make you stop and think about the things you believe in. You will get a much clearer perspective of the realities of the world around you after reading this book and you won't be nearly as prone to believeing in bogus shit.

I recommend this book to anyone who believes in ghosts, aliens, psychic powers, etc.!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------

I nuked my brain in '92.....I don't miss it much


--------------------
You invented the wheel....You push the motherfucker!!

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: ToTheSummit]
    #331880 -

Jesus.. Am I the only person who didn't like "Brave New World"? No offense or anything.. but it seemed to me that the author spent the first part of the book to obsessed with details and develepoing insignificant parts of the story and then at the end every started happening really fast and it almost seems like he changed his mind about what the book was gonna be about halfway through... But, besides that... I definitly wish I could get my hands on some soma :)

--------------------------------------------------------------
Do you know the muffin man?
The muffin man?
The muffin man!
Yes, I know the muffin man... Who lives on strawberry lane?


--------------------
---
If sometimes you feel yourself little, useless, and depressed, always remember that you were once the fastest and most victorious sperm out of hundreds of millions.

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: Deckard]
    #332025 -

I've read a lot of great books, but I'm with several of you in saying "Stranger in a Strange Land" was a biggie. I first read it when I was 13 or 14, and it had a massive influence on me. I've read it countless times, and did a few reports on it in high school and college. I've also given away a lot of copies to various friends.

GaijinZ

I missed the boat once when I was young and stupid, but now I am able to miss the boat repeatedly with great skill and accuracy.


--------------------
I missed the boat once when I was young and stupid, but now I am able to miss the boat repeatedly with great skill and accuracy.

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Re: Books that changed your perspective on life [Re: GaijinZ]
    #332137 -

theres so many great books, but I'd have to say the first book I read that really made me question things was, The Wheel of Life and Death, by Philip Kapleau. ;) Another book I enjoyed was Siddhartha, that book really made me check myself and my priorities. The book I'm reading at the moment though is: The Hollow Earth, by Dr. Raymond Bernard, A.B, M.A., ph.D. ^-^ it's very interesting to say the least. I'd recomend doing a search on the subject, *wink* =).

Hey LostSoul do me a favor and tell me where/what that symbol came from under your name, cause its on the spine of this book. I'm thinkin it's Egyptian but I'm not too sure.



~~Curiosity killed the cat~~


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