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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 22 of 22. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
I love asking this :)
My life changing book was "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeline L'Engle. I read it in fifth grade and it opened up an entirely different world of fiction to me.
Anyone else?
Posted by noa on April 5, 2004, at 19:02:29
In reply to What book changed your life?, posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
"A Wrinkle In Time" is a favorite of mine too. I read it the summer between fifth and sixth grade, on my older sister's recommendation.
I reread it as an adult twice--once about 15 years ago, and again about 4 years ago. As an adult, it was enjoyable, with the added amusement of seeing the obvious cold war era themes. The last time I reread it, it prompted me to pick up some other workds of Madeline L'Engle's, as well.
Posted by fayeroe on April 5, 2004, at 21:11:27
In reply to What book changed your life?, posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
"Silas Marner" for me. I read it when I was about 10. I had been given all of the Pollyanna books and I always thought she was full of it! So when I got to sink my teeth into "Silas Marner", I was elated to find something entirely different and grown-up. I became a voracious reader after that. All of Ayn Rand's books affected me too!!
Posted by Jai Narayan on April 7, 2004, at 22:45:13
In reply to Re: What book changed your life? » rainyday, posted by fayeroe on April 5, 2004, at 21:11:27
I loved the Nancy Drew books.
I also loved "Alice in Wonderland"
Little LuLu books.
The Bobbsy Twins....I am not even sure how to spell this as it was so long ago.
I loved to read...it took me away from this life of pain and suffering.
The black stallion.....
The book of St. Francis...
thanks for bring this up, I love to do this remembering.
Posted by fayeroe on April 8, 2004, at 6:40:36
In reply to Re: What book changed your life?, posted by Jai Narayan on April 7, 2004, at 22:45:13
ah, the Bobbsey Twins.......Nancy Drew...you bring back sweet memories of being in my room, curled up on the bed...reading, reading, reading. i wonder why i liked the Bobbsey Twins but did not like Pollyanna????
Posted by rainyday on April 8, 2004, at 6:50:36
In reply to Re: What book changed your life? » Jai Narayan, posted by fayeroe on April 8, 2004, at 6:40:36
Yikes, my first Nancy Drew!!! I was jealous of her from the first read. And I thought Trixie Belden was a scamp.
Posted by noa on April 8, 2004, at 8:31:26
In reply to The Clue In The Crumbling Wall!!!!, posted by rainyday on April 8, 2004, at 6:50:36
I can't think of a book that "changed my life" but one that made a big impression on me was "Up a Road Slowly" by Irene Hunt. I think it is possible that it was the first book that actually made me cry. I also liked "No Promises in the Wind" by the same author.
Posted by Penny on April 8, 2004, at 10:45:20
In reply to Re: Up a Road Slowly, posted by noa on April 8, 2004, at 8:31:26
OMG - I did a book report on that book back in junior high! I wrote a "journal" from the perspective of the main character at different ages as she grew up ...I got an A. :-)
Hmmm...life changing books...I don't know. One that often sticks in my mind is "The Velvet Room" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It's out of print now, unfortunately, but I own two copies. Also, "The Shoeshine Girl" and the "Little House on the Prairie" series.
P
Posted by karen_kay on April 8, 2004, at 13:06:26
In reply to What book changed your life?, posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
well, i think the book the changed my life was "the stranger" by albert camus. i read it the first time just out of high school. not only was i struggling with the question of existence (sorry to get so serious at this point :) and 'oh, what is this thing called life and death and what exactly does life mean and just WHAT is existentialism?' but also wanted to read a powerful novel about an outcast of sorts who just didn't seem to fit in, and didn't always say the 'right things'. i reread it again last christmas and it made even more sense to me. honestly, the best work i've ever read. it's truly powerful. i highly suggest this wonderful work of art to anyone who loves to read a book and after finishing sits back and thinks "wow!" and you just can't move for half an hour. it's honestly that powerful (not that it may affect you in that way, but it did me. check out some reviews. it's no wonder camus' so highly acclaimed. he truly was a genuis. i only wish i knew french so i didn't have to read translations, you know? another good work is "a happy death" by camus, which has the same character, only with happier moments. not to give away anything in "the stranger" but the character has a better life and "a happy death" was his first work, not meant to be published. i may pop on over to amazon and reorder a few books, as i've given away my copies.......
Posted by tinydancer on April 8, 2004, at 15:11:03
In reply to What book changed your life?, posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
> I love asking this :)
>
> My life changing book was "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeline L'Engle. I read it in fifth grade and it opened up an entirely different world of fiction to me.
>
> Anyone else?Oh my! I had forgotten all about this book. It was amazing. I can still see the images in my head....The beating heart controlled by that "being"....And cooking warm milk on the stove. Weird the things we remember!
Posted by octopusprime on April 8, 2004, at 20:22:33
In reply to Re: What book changed your life? » rainyday, posted by karen_kay on April 8, 2004, at 13:06:26
oh my god karen_kay you are my twin!
I was first exposed to Camus by reading "The Plague", which was a fantastic book. I read it when the SARS outbreak was happening, which was just huge in Canada. So bleak, life under quarantine. And the real life parallels are still there 70 years later. Underlying philosophy astounding. Said some real things about the human spirit. But it didn't change my life, that's for the next post ...
Posted by octopusprime on April 8, 2004, at 20:30:44
In reply to What book changed your life?, posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
The book that changed my life was "The Tao of Pooh", by Benjamin Hoff. I highly highly recommend it.
It is a primer on the eastern philosophy of Taoism using parables from Winnie the Pooh. It is a fast read, very accessible, and really gives you a lot to think about.
For example, there is a big section on "The Wisdom of the Small" - which is great for the budding socialist in you. (ok the budding socialist in me :) And of course, there is a lot on the wisdom of doing nothing, the curse of idle busy-ness, the wisdom of going with the flow, and the wisdom of listening to nature and being attuned to one's surroundings. It is a very interesting philosophy for those who want to peacefully co-exist with the universe.
I read this boook again when my grandmother passed away. My grandmother had some lovely AA Milne (Winnie the Pooh) books at her place, and my sister and I would go over and read them. I remember so much "Halfway down the Stairs" and other poems from my childhood. My grandmother, should she have been a Winnie-the-Pooh character, would have been rabbit - when I try to conjure my grandmother's voice in my head, sometimes I just hear Rabbit. When she passed away, they read some Winnie the Pooh at her funeral, and I re-read the Tao of Pooh. And I was comforted by nature coming full circle.
"The Te of Piglet" is also pretty good, but not as world-view-changing as the first book for me.
Posted by gardenergirl on April 9, 2004, at 1:03:56
In reply to The Clue In The Crumbling Wall!!!!, posted by rainyday on April 8, 2004, at 6:50:36
Oh my gosh, yes! My grandma used to send me a new Nancy Drew for Christmas and my birthday every year. I love Nancy Drew. But I really wanted to be George.
gg
Posted by rainyday on April 9, 2004, at 7:50:27
In reply to Re: The Clue In The Crumbling Wall!!!! » rainyday, posted by gardenergirl on April 9, 2004, at 1:03:56
All the Ayn Rand books I read when I was younger struck a deep chord within me. Even 15 years ago they were dated; but her passion views swept me away.
I actually replaced my paperbacks of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead" with hard backs because I read them so many times they had fallen apart.
Posted by fayeroe on April 9, 2004, at 8:34:30
In reply to Ayn Rand, posted by rainyday on April 9, 2004, at 7:50:27
She totally moved me.....then I had my teen age daughters read her and they all have hard back copies to re-read and cherish.........I would have loved to meet her and just sit and talk....
Posted by karen_kay on April 9, 2004, at 14:30:26
In reply to a camus fan! » karen_kay, posted by octopusprime on April 8, 2004, at 20:22:33
i've read "the plague" but it's been several years ago. i didn't feel as much of the ah-ha from it as i did with "the stranger" though. i remember that. and i have "the tao of pooh" right here on my book shelf. suppose i'll have to start that tonight. i've been looking for a good reason to pick it up again. i tried it once but lost interest fast. my old man loved it. and about "atlas shrugged" fayeroe, is it a 'hard' read? i started it once for a scholarship, but decided i didn't have time to complete the book and write a paper... doubting myself yet again :(
Posted by fayeroe on April 9, 2004, at 20:41:48
In reply to woooo-hooo!! » octopusprime, posted by karen_kay on April 9, 2004, at 14:30:26
I don't think that any of her books are hard.......maybe I'm weird. But they are very interesting and enjoyable to me.
Posted by Annabel Lee on April 24, 2004, at 18:52:11
In reply to What book changed your life?, posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
It's the story of a carnival family of freaks seen through the eyes of the albino hunchback dwarf daughter.
It's brilliant, disturbing and eye-opening.
It helped me to realize that normality doesn't exist.
Posted by fayeroe on April 24, 2004, at 19:20:17
In reply to Re: What book changed your life?, posted by Annabel Lee on April 24, 2004, at 18:52:11
> Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
>
> It's the story of a carnival family of freaks seen through the eyes of the albino hunchback dwarf daughter.
>
> It's brilliant, disturbing and eye-opening.
>
> It helped me to realize that normality doesn't exist.I've read it twice! It is one of the most disturbing books that I've ever read. It is a brilliant piece of work. I'm thrilled to find someone else who has read it. I gave it to my daughter and she read it but thought it was really weird.......Pat
Posted by Dr. Bob on April 26, 2004, at 3:13:34
In reply to Re: What book changed your life?, posted by Annabel Lee on April 24, 2004, at 18:52:11
> Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by AuntieMel on May 10, 2004, at 10:06:07
In reply to What book changed your life?, posted by rainyday on April 5, 2004, at 15:51:43
my physics textbook. Argh!
Posted by Fallen4MyT on May 11, 2004, at 22:58:33
In reply to Re: What book changed your life?, posted by AuntieMel on May 10, 2004, at 10:06:07
A book called God's Psychiatry it gave me much of my mellow
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