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James Howells

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Have you ever read a book that honestly changed your life and or way of thinking?

I was going outside my "comfort zone" a few weeks ago and started reading Jonathan Safran Foer's book "Eating Animals".

There was a chapter on the processing of cattle that would make Stephen King have nightmares. It was also filled with a lot of other interesting points that if they are indeed facts made me feel outraged.
.....I was not a vegetarian before I read the book and ...I am still not a vegetarian. but it definitely changed the types of meat I eat. I wont get into that as I am sure there is a thread somewhere already on that...

My point is I would like to here about a book that you may have come across that became a part of you and your life.

Topics: books
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    tuba asln

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    Apr 7 2012: a very good topic for discussion.Of course,ı read a book that changed my life or my thougths.its name isThe Sorrows of Young Werther ...this book changed my thoughts about love.ı cant tell the person ı loved :ı love you...but ,after this book,ı leaerned that if you love someone,it worths eveything...

  • Eric Hazelle

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    Apr 5 2012: Yeah, and I find myself re-reading it for the 5th or 6th time since the early '70's. Solzhenitsyn's "Gulag Archipelago". For some reason, I've always been a student of the Holocaust, even since I was a kid. In the immaturity of youth, I felt that I could have gone through those things and survived with my honor and integrity intact. Then I read "Gulag". I ultimately grew up . . . coming to the conclusion that I was a weak and mortal human being like everyone else, and that if I truly could survive such conditions with my basic decency and humanity intact, it would be a miracle indeed, and would no doubt require "outside" help. For this and many other reasons, I consider Alexander Solzhenitsyn the greatest writer and thinker of the 20th century.
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    Ella Ben Zvi

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    Mar 29 2012: Thank you for this conversation.

    I hope that you, and more ppl that will read the book, will become vegetarians.
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      James Howells

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      Mar 29 2012: Your welcome... Like I said it was a powerful book. It opened my eyes to a lot of mindlessness that goes on in the industries.... like
      Inspector..." Hey Your breaking this rule and its in humane to animals the public would be outraged if they knew!"
      Industry..."everyone does it"
      Inspector.." ok we will change the rules...don't tell the people."

      It reminded me of the Morlocks and the Elois in " The Time Machine" the fact that the meat industry has to keep secret what it does and how it does it because they know people would be horrified if they knew... but of course many people would just assume ignorance is bliss and not want to know.

      I still eat meats I don't find anything totally morally wrong with it as a concept The book just made me realize the profit driven way modern society does it is inhumane.... I don't think the Native American way was wrong...So I try and go for Kosher prepared meat. I am not Jewish but it seemed the preparation of these meats is more monitored than any other...I have also been finding that a well prepared Mushroom can taste as good as any stake or pork chop...so I may be on my way.
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    brian herring

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    Mar 28 2012: It's cool how at first I hung on every word, and thought he had access to something I didn't but have since come to know and he says so hisself, he is no diffrent from you or I or anyone. I now feel everything I read is something I already am aware of in some form or fashon, just some folks are better at explaining it.

    • Mary M. 100+

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      Mar 28 2012: "some folks are better at explaining it"....yes.

      Many of us feel the same.....but have a hard time wording our feelings and beliefs.....Tolle is a master communicator....

      Thank you Brian for your insight and reply.

      Mary
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        brian herring

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        Mar 29 2012: thank you. sometimes no words are needed or avaliable to convey meaning
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    brian herring

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    Mar 28 2012: The power of Now by Tolle, but the 1st time I read it, I thought it was the biggest piece of garbage. Now I realive every book, just like every past moment brings me to this present moment.
    I also like Tao Te Ching

    • Mary M. 100+

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      Mar 28 2012: Google had Tolle give a talk for them a couple of weeks back.

      You can access the talk at google talks......he said some eye opening things about technology.
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    Vivek Trivedi 10+

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    TED Translator
    Mar 28 2012: Recently I read a book called "I am another you". It was about journey of a motivational leader who felt like killing herself after some mid-life crisis, in her young age. She took a spiritual journey to Netherlands for spiritual awakening and the book is all about lessons about life she learned during her stay with the spiritual gurus.

    This book gave me a better idea about motivational speakers, no matter how much they can uplift your personal thoughts by their strong words and intelligent techniques, they are also under the trap called life at times.

    Lesson : There were many, I pick one for myself, everybody is searching for the meaning of their lives, don't feel worried, you are not alone :-)

    • Mary M. 100+

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      Mar 28 2012: Sounds like the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
      Which by the way, they made into a movie.
      There is a great youtube video in which she states that
      she is the same as all of us....trying to make sense of life.
      Your comment reminded me of this.
      Thank you.

  • Mary M. 100+

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    Mar 27 2012: Yes, when I read "The grapes of wrath" I was able to see the hardship people will go through to survive.

    The book revealed to me how the poor are always oppressed.

    It made me have much respect for farmers, but also much disrespect for bankers and those with power who take advantage of people in their hour of need.

    It is a fine read!
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