What books...
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Lifecrafter
Member # 4682
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 09:18
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...really changed the way you thought? For me it was The Dechronization of Sam Magruder by George Gaylord Simpson. It's about a scientist who accidentally sends himself back to the time of the dinosaurs and can't get back because the future has happened already. He wrote about his experiences and thoughts on stone slabs and they are being read by some scholars soon after he disapeared. -------------------- Do not underestimate the power of the mechanical pencil. Join the Dark side. We have cookies. Played in: Fiddler on the Roof Bye Bye Birdie "Hey, Patrick, feel this random pipe. It's squishy"-Nils Posts: 834 | Registered: Thursday, July 8 2004 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 1468
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 09:22
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Books. Hmm... Aren't those the things like PDF files, but on paper? -------------------- "We can learn a lot from crayons. Some are short, some are dull, some are sharp, some are tall. Some have funny names and they are all different colors, but they all learn to live in the same box." "Happy is the man that has wisdom and gets discernment. For having wisdom as gain is better than having silver as gain and having wisdom as produce is better than gold itself" Proverbs 3:14-3:15 The horrible part about life is, you'll never get out of it alive. Currently boycotting: AngelFire, GameFAQ's, Macintosh PC's Posts: 818 | Registered: Tuesday, July 9 2002 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2836
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 13:41
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You think of books as PDF files? What a sad life you must lead. Take a break from the computer for once, see if the sun has changed from the last time you saw it. Posts: 587 | Registered: Tuesday, April 1 2003 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 1468
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 14:50
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It was a joke. I've read books before, and I have to use them in all my classes. However, I still hate books, because they have no search function. [ Saturday, November 12, 2005 14:51: Message edited by: Eldibs ] -------------------- "We can learn a lot from crayons. Some are short, some are dull, some are sharp, some are tall. Some have funny names and they are all different colors, but they all learn to live in the same box." "Happy is the man that has wisdom and gets discernment. For having wisdom as gain is better than having silver as gain and having wisdom as produce is better than gold itself" Proverbs 3:14-3:15 The horrible part about life is, you'll never get out of it alive. Currently boycotting: AngelFire, GameFAQ's, Macintosh PC's Posts: 818 | Registered: Tuesday, July 9 2002 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 14:52
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I think you missed the dash of humor Eldibs threw in. —Alorael, who can't think of any real life-changing books. Some have been good, thought provoking, and educational, but none have turned on the great lightbulb above his head and made him rethink everything. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 17:21
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 And then all that other literature that taught me most of what I know. -------------------- -ben4808 Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 17:25
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Ben reminded me that I lied. Reading Paradise Lost was truly eye-opening. —Alorael, who recommends Milton's masterpiece to everyone who feels religiously inclined. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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BANNED
Member # 4
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 17:29
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Jameson really did help- scroll through the archives, you might even be able to pinpoint where I started getting into him a little. Other than that, I've rarely been influenced by books- it's usually books and people (and people usually affect me by antithesis). EDIT: And ben, I'm glad to see that you've finally decided to accept the bible! Does this mean that you've finally listened to the words of Jesus and let go of your militaristic politics of hate, violence and disenfranchisement? [ Saturday, November 12, 2005 17:32: Message edited by: Shingai no Junkyousha ] -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 34
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written Saturday, November 12 2005 20:11
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Let's see. Most of my vocabulary I got from 'Calvin and Hobbes' (which isn't really a book, but hey). The other ones that have really changed me are 'Lord of the Rings' (ah, bite me), 'The Chronicles of Narnia' (my first books), 'The DaVinci Code' (even if it's not very accurate), 'A Brief History of Time' (absolutely amazing and you can understand it, too!), 'Watership Down' (you can't go wrong with talking rabbits), and 'Good Omens' by Terry Prachett and Neil Gaimen. I love Terry Prachett. Actually, just about every book I've liked has changed my life somehow. So you can slap Harry Potter up there too. -------------------- Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck. 'Spiderweb Software' anagrammmed: 'Word-bereft A**wipe' Posts: 702 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 1993
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written Sunday, November 13 2005 15:17
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What Robin said: every book I liked influenced me somehow. The first books changing my thoughts (twisting them into uncontrollable fantasy) have been: Grimm's Fairy Tales, Thousend Nights and a Night, The Silver Nutmeg from Palmer Brown, the Dr. Doolittle-series ... ^_^ all the children's books that include adventures and magic. -------------------- Slartucker: * facepalm facepalm facepalm * Dikiyoba: Are you unconscious yet? Posts: 1420 | Registered: Wednesday, October 2 2002 07:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Sunday, November 13 2005 15:33
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I can't take the time to make a really careful answer to this question, but I remember being in fifth grade and finding Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light in the small in-class library. I was pretty much stunned, and couldn't decide what to make of it. Only after a long time did I decide that I had really liked it, and by then I had forgotten both the title and the author's name. I looked for it for years afterwards. All I could recall for sure was that I thought the author's name was strange. Eventually I found it in a bookstore, and discovered happily that Mr. Zelazny was quite prolific. I guess I should mention that the influence LoL had on my thinking was just that it made me like science fiction. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5274
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written Sunday, November 13 2005 19:49
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Perosnally I've always liked Arthur Koestler, check out Darkness at Noon or Arrival and Departure for some thought provoking stuff. -------------------- I assume my reputation for arrogant presumption precedes me Posts: 107 | Registered: Thursday, December 9 2004 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Sunday, November 13 2005 22:03
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quote:As opposed to just whacking evil gays over the head with the book and getting warm fuzzy feelings when gazing at the golden cross on the cover, you mean? --- LotR. No, I wasn't trying to be original. I'm going to list a few more later when I get home. [ Sunday, November 13, 2005 22:05: Message edited by: NaNoWriMo ] -------------------- Encyclopaedia Ermariana • Forum Archives • Forum Statistics • RSS [Topic / Forum] My Blog • Polaris • I eat novels for breakfast. Polaris is dead, long live Polaris. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Sunday, November 13 2005 22:14
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Teddy Geisel's stuff. Social commentary disguised as bedtime reading for little children. The Lorax in particular seems to have had a profound impact on the direction my life has turned. *this message sponsored by Watty Piper* -------------------- quote: Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Sunday, November 13 2005 22:46
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Among others, Daniel Quinn's Ishmael, Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy, and Terry Pratchett's The Science of Discworld have all contributed to the current unhinged mental state I enjoy (or suffer, or tolerate). Of those, Ishmael probably produced the most recent change, and The Science of Discworld probably produced the biggest change. All in all, most of my college reading is slowly warping my mind... -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 3171
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written Sunday, November 13 2005 23:02
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My favourite book (which I don't yet think is a book) is John Dies at the End . It's bloody good and everyone WILL enjoy it. Posts: 776 | Registered: Friday, July 4 2003 07:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 14 2005 02:27
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Dr Geisel's On Beyond Zebra is a profound philosophical work. It advances the premise that the world is full of marvelous creatures which most people never see, merely because their alphabets lack the extra letters needed to spell their names. Ironically, of course, the book itself names both the extra letters and the extra creatures using the standard Roman alphabet. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 5806
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written Monday, November 14 2005 03:55
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Books are propaganda, so, of course they all changed me. And now I am holding the type... ops, it's broken out of overuse, ahem. ...keyboard, writing the novel that will change the whole spidweb! But who needs propaganda when you got stealth, a fiber wire, AWR 50. cal-sniper rifle, KR MP5 SMG and all the time on earth to assasinate every witness in the world? Or better up, Hitler. -This message introduced to you by the stressed RSI-damaged hitman/novel writer community. Posts: 437 | Registered: Friday, May 13 2005 07:00 |
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Monday, November 14 2005 06:30
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Magician by Raymond E. Feist. If not sure if I'd say it changed my life, but it's a good book in and of itself and introduced me to the adult fantasy genre. More life changing was Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey. Though "life changing" is probably more due to my personal circumstances, I would definately list as a must-read for absolutely everyone. Learning about Artisans, Guardians, Idealists, and Rationals makes it much easier to understand those that are completely unlike yourself. The personality test in my signature is based upon a small section of it, but the book itself different and far better. -------------------- Take the Personality Test! Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Monday, November 14 2005 09:17
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Masterminds are the best people there are. I should know. —Alorael, who found Ishmael to be well-written, very pointed, and at the end somewhat creepy. It's very well written, but the conclusion is hard to swallow. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Monday, November 14 2005 11:10
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quote:I didn't. I have not yet ceased to regularly sleep with the lights on this year. -------------------- Encyclopaedia Ermariana • Forum Archives • Forum Statistics • RSS [Topic / Forum] My Blog • Polaris • I eat novels for breakfast. Polaris is dead, long live Polaris. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Monday, November 14 2005 12:59
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quote:Agreed. A bit depressing, really. All that build-up of hope and fresh ideas, then a downward spiral to the end. Actually, it was more of a straight drop to the bottom. And thus began (or rather, continued) the warping of my mind. (Wow, every sentence in that paragraph began with A. Unintentional, I believe.) Still, the book gives you a fresh perspective on some normally-immutable ideas. Thus, a really good book, particularly for something that was required reading. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 5991
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written Monday, November 14 2005 13:44
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word to the wise do not read or try reading the book necronomicon [ Tuesday, November 15, 2005 11:47: Message edited by: Shuan Wuan ] -------------------- George Bush is a Nazi - Eric Cartmen I'm not as think you stoned I am Visit the RIFQ Forums Posts: 462 | Registered: Tuesday, June 21 2005 07:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 14 2005 13:55
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Anyone ever read or been tempted to read The Man without Qualities by Robert Musil? It's built up to be this great 20th century classic on a par with Remembrance of Things Past and Ulysses, but what none of the builders-up mention is that the thing was never finished. Perhaps this is supposed to matter less because it is a 'novel of ideas' in which actual plot development is secondary, but if you ask me, a novel which does not suffer from being unfinished is suffering otherwise. On the other hand MWOQ does have a remarkably high density of memorable observations. It should probably have been born as a collection of essays. [ Monday, November 14, 2005 14:05: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ] -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, November 14 2005 13:59
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quote:... which is a book about making very tiny zombies. The fiddly little rituals involved will strain your eyes and make your fingers feel all twitchy, and don't you just hate it when that happens? -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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