The book that changed it all for me was The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell. An absolutely astonishing book about, inequality, poverty and early socialism.
One day a secretary I worked with handed back this book to another guy at work, I casually asked what it was about. The guy’s father had been an active member of the Trade Union movement. I asked him if I could read it - he said I could keep it and to this day it is prominent on my bookshelf.
As a result of reading this I went back to university aged 30 and studied social policy research. I am a committed socialist, I believe as a direct result of this book. It shapes all my views about the world.
I remember in my mid 20’s reading about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s expulsion from Russia and how at that time the Western World became aware of him and his books. Young, emotional and quite zealous I first read ‘One day in the life’, then ‘The Gulag Archipelago’ and finally ‘Cancer Ward’ and can only say to anyone contemplating embracing a ‘socialist’ type doctrine, read these first. They should soon make you revise your thinking.
One other book which I could say has had a somewhat long term effect on my thinking and belief system is by Frank Yerby and is called Judas my Brother. A historical novel set in the time of Jesus and told in first person by a ‘thirteenth’ disciple, it has many footnotes citing supposedly real historians of the time (if I remember rightly I looked these up at the time and they actually existed and the quotes etc were real) The thing is the author very cleverly has explanations for all the miracles. And this got me truly thinking and wondering. How if something which seemed truly inexplicable 2000 years ago, could be easily explained with today’s knowledge then should we, then, continue to believe the explanation proposed by those ignorant of the possible truth. After all we no longer believe that thunder is the noise of the gods playing bowls, or moving furniture, we no longer believe that volcanic eruptions are caused by angry gods demanding sacrifice; and yet we continue to believe in an invisible, all knowing, all seeing, deity who demands in total obeisance? So this book was my first step in questioning Christianity as we know it, and science etc were the following steps.
This is not to say that I do not hold true the basic concepts of right and wrong, or of compassion and helping others, I do.
Dunno if any particular book actually changed my life but, as a child, Tom’s Midnight Garden (Philippa Pierce) made a huge impression, especially the skating to Ely.
I used to ice-skate and the thought of skating on the frozen river sounded amazing. I could almost smell it
I have been influenced at times by books on the spiritual dimension in my life. Authors as varied as Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, St Augustine, Krishnamurti & others.
I can’t say that any ONE of their books changed my life but they gave me a little more light.
Diogenes the world’s greatest thinker was visited by Alexander the Great, who proclaimed himself to be the greatesr warrior in the world.
Standing in the front of Diogenes’s home, a large barrel, Alexander shouted
“what have you to say to me?”
I have read quite a few books I suppose but can’t say that any really changed my life as I learn, and have learnt, from each and every one of them.
Thinking back to when I was younger and very troubled it was either Carl Young or Freud that helped me get out of a particularly difficult time. Not sure which book it was but one did more or less answer a terrible nagging doubt I had about religion. It provided the final piece of the puzzle that enabled me to lay aside such considerations and become an atheist. A big weight lifted off my shoulders and I have never questioned my findings since. The book might have been about anthropology or something. Well maybe that one book did indeed change my life - one aspect of my life anyways.
The one standout book that did change me was Walt Whitmans “Leaves of Grass”
He only wrote one book of poetry and this was it,he added to it all his life,the first edition was first published in America (his home) in 1855,it consisted of 12 poems,the main poem being “Song Of Myself”
He added to it his whole life,it was really his lifes work,the final edition was published in the year of his death 1892,and it was called “The Deathbed Edition”
He was friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau,he was a great man,he kept good company,Thoreau’s “Walden” or “Walden Pond” is itself a classic!
It was an old family hymn book with notes from previous generations in the margins, started reading the hymns and then singing them. Lot of truths in hymns I found and was how I found my Faith.
