What book change your life?

[Alexander de great]

Damn.. Tolstoi is amazing. Ivan Ilich's death is awesome too in that regard.


Mine has to be Camus. The Plague and The First Man. The way he paints the whole picture and absurdity of life is life changing. Some poeple find it depressing.. I find it inspiring and liberating.

 

[IloveTHIS]

But as much for giving me a new perspective on the psychology of belief as it's help in giving up smoking.

can you give me a TLDR version? would it apply to other forms of nicotine than smoking specifically?

 

[Patrick Jane]

Introduced me to a lot of bizarre ways to contort human bodies.

 

[Wizzlebiz]

 

[sleepwalk]

Got me out of a job that was going nowhere and, although I didn't stay in the profession, leaving to work in a gym got me on the path to keep moving forward.

 

[monkeyrhythm]

can you give me a TLDR version? would it apply to other forms of nicotine than smoking specifically?

Yes, I expect it would work for vaping etc.

The book breaks down and addresses the addictions "lies" and "brainwashing". Smokers have convinced themselves (consciously and subconsciously) of certain benefits and positives of smoking e.g. "I enjoy it", "it relieves my stress/anxiety" etc. The book systematically addresses each of these beliefs and shows you that there are zero positives to smoking, only negatives; there is no actual pleasure from nicotine, by smoking you are simply relieving a craving, which starts to build again the minute you put a cigarette out (or put the vape down).

I gave up smoking for years (without the book) but I was always a smoker who didn't smoke; and I would have an occasional cigarette when out socially until I eventually started smoking full time again.
I read this book a few years ago and haven't touched a cigarette since, and it's been easy.
I can honestly say that I'm now a non-smoker.

 

[Merlotte's]

Best thing ever put to paper

This book here taught me how to be a prick

 

[Congo66]

Trainspotting - I realised that I could read a book in a Scottish voice in my head, you ken what I mean?

I don't read particularly inspirational books.

 

[ElKarlo]

Norwegian wood by Haruki Murakami. Friggin amazing. Premise is that life isn't easy, especially ir it was easy for you as a child.

 

[ConorFacts]

 

[zapataxiv]

The first doom novel it’s like saw series is to horror (GOAT) just for dweeb movies (books).

 

[dirtypablo]

As a man thinketh by James Allen - surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

[BFoe]

This book saved me.

Yessss! Thich Nhat Hanh is the Man. “Living Buddha, Living Christ” is excellent too.

 

[BFoe]

I don’t know if I can pick just one. Here are the Big 3:

@-Magua- have you read Godel, Escher, and Bach? From the other books you listed it seems like it’d be right up your alley.

 

[Xianders]

Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science. It showed me how stupid I am.

 

[D3THRONED]

Captain Underpants

 

[Jack Reacheround]

 

[meauneau]

I like how everyone explains how their book changed their life.

 

[ctrlaltdelete]

I felt for Larry. Made me feel better about being a loaf.

Made me feel manic, starved and mad.

Don't laugh lol. I know it's cliche, it's my first book on philosophy I ever read. But it opened me to many forms of existentialism, which led me to many different philosophies and philosophers.

Going with the above,

This was not only entertaining and informative, but it left a trail of breadcrumbs in which I can pick up and recognize when I read different works.

 

[heavyarms21]

Can't Hurt Me