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Tarek Seif el nasr

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Which books have inspired you the most?

There are millions of books but there only a few that could really inspire you

Topics: books
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    Dec 13 2011: Hello Tarek, here are some of them:

    Illusions - Richard Bach
    Demian - Herman Hesse
    Canek - Ermilo Abreu Gomez
    Billions and Billions - Carl Sagan
    Understanding Power - Noam Chomsky
    A People's History of the United States - Howard Zinn
    Adam's Fallacy - Duncan K. Foley
    Mutual Aid - Peter Kropotkin
    ...

    (the list is loooong....)
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    Dec 13 2011: Powers of Ten, About the Relative Size of Things in the Universe by Morrison and Morrison
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    Dec 13 2011: Z.

    but I became depressed till now .....
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    Nov 29 2011: The King James Bible.
  • Nov 28 2011: My family and other animals. by Gerald Durrell.

    absolute delight. If you want to feel happy read this
  • Nov 27 2011: My short list:

    War and Peace.
    I picked it up when I was a very, very young girl, so young I couldn't understand too much of the language. At first I was frustrated, but then I made it my goal to learn enough so when I grew older, I could understand the words and situations represented in the novel. Now that I am older, I haven't read it, but it inspired me in a sense, more than reading it could have.

    The Bible.
    Now, when reading it, I did not literally interpret the stories as things that actually happened in history. I thought I was a wonderful compilation of fiction meant to entertain my young mind while teaching me simple morals to live by. I thought it was amazing, and growing up coming to the realization that some actually believe these things happened, the amazingness never ceased, but it helped explain a lot about human nature.


    The Origin of Consciousness and the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
    I bought this book of a whim; I saw it in between two books I knew I'd hate and instantly felt like I had to save it from its initial resting place. I don't regret buying it one bit. It introduced to me a new way of looking at a past no one is old enough to have anything but theories about. I view this book as the one thing that introduced me to the study of the mind-an interest I was almost searching for in order to validate its need to exist in my life.

    Edit:

    Ender's Game.
    I just looked down the list and remembered this book. It changed the way I viewed novels when I was a child. Something about the story hit home for me, maybe the indirect pressure and importance a child does not realize that society tries to place on them due to their potential. Its exhausting.

    There was also a book of logic puzzles I used to mull over, something I stole from my bookshelf. Again, I was too young to correctly answer at least 50-75 percent of them, but first learning the answer and then challenging myself to figure out how it was reached was pretty cool.
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    Nov 27 2011: Book on Steve Jobs-"Inside Steve's Brain" has inspired me most...his obsession of perfection and challenging the tradition and making unusual vision true...oh gosh he is the smartest person till now in business world...and now i am reading "coming jobs of war" by Jim Clifton...that is more amazing book...i strongly recommend all entrepreneurs and explorer and also to those who love to see weirdest things happening around them.
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    Nov 27 2011: Dear Tarek,

    Of the innumerable books that I have read over the years I mention just a few, including the year of publication (is also when I read it) and what it meant to me at that time.

    01.Thea Beckman – Kruistocht in spijkerbroek (1976) (Eng: Crusade in Jeans)
    (Loved the time-travel in history and a close-up on religion)
    02.James Mitchener – Chesapeake Bay (1978)
    (Was mesmerized by the research done and the magic of words to vividly visualize a possible history)
    03.James Clavell – Shogun (1979)
    (Loved the insight in a totally different culture. Read it in 4 days despite being in the middle of my exams)
    04. Anaïs Nin – Erotica (1979)
    (Eye-opener on sexuality)
    05.David Yallop – In God’s Name (1984)
    (Eye-opener on religion, politics and power)
    06. The Norton Reader (1984)
    The Anthology of English Literature &The Norton Anthology of American Literature (1986)
    (A cornucopia of fabulous classics and essays)
    07.Cynthia McLeod – Hoe duur was de suiker (1987) (Eng: The cost of sugar)
    (At last, another view on Surinamese history)
    08.Tony Buzan – Make the most of your mind (1988)
    (Mind mapping brought some structure and calmness to the chaos of information in my head)
    09.James Allen – As a Man Thinketh (1989)
    (Much needed food for the soul)
    10.Gavin de Becker – The gift of fear (1997)
    (Understanding that a fear can be a gift and how to deal with it was mind-shifting)
    11.Neale Donald Walsch – Conversations with God (1997)
    (Brought peace of mind to my thoughts on religions and life)
    12.Shiv Khera – You Can Win (1999)
    (Loved the examples from everyday life in application in business and life in general)
    13.John Taylor Gatto – Dumbing us down (2005)
    (Great view on public education)
    14.Carolien Roodvoets – Niemandskinderen (2009) (Eng: Nobody’s children)
    (The insight was further helpful in dealing with the consequences of an unsafe youth –my own and other’s- and coming to terms with it)

    Regards,
    Astra
  • Mr Khan

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    Nov 26 2011: There are quite a few books that have inspired me but more recently its:

    1. Curfewed Night: A Frontline Memoir of Life, Love and War in Kashmir by Basharat Peer

    2. Orientalism by Edward Said

    3. Myth of Independence by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
  • Nov 25 2011: enders game - orson scot card
    The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
  • Nov 25 2011: horton hears a who - Dr. Zuess
    Mein Kampff - Adolf Hitler
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    Nov 25 2011: “Atlas Shrugged” - Ayn Rand
    “The Fountainhead” - Ayn Rand
    “I’m Ok; You’re OK” - Thomas A. Harris M.D.
    “The Bible”
    “The Book of Job”
    “Hamlet” - William Shakespeare

    Many others of course; but the above struck a chord early in my life

    Don [From The Silent Generation - 1930's]
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    Nov 25 2011: In tune with the Infinite- Ralph Waldo Trine
    To kill a mockingbird- Harper Lee
    The pillars of the earth- Ken Follett
    As a man thinketh- James Allen

    Books I come back to over and over
  • Nov 24 2011: SHOGUN, James Clavell

    This book has definitely opened a new side in my point of view of life,
    A very enchanting and ancient one i must say.
    This book i think also made me more understanding and accepting for other cultures.
    Right, it's 1000 pages novel... But when it's about to end.. U WISH FOR A 1000 MORE!
  • Nov 24 2011: Steppenwolf, Herman Hesse
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    Nov 24 2011: My #1 choice would have to be "Chaos" by James Gleick. It made me look at the whole world in a new way, as well as re-awakened my interest in mathematics and computation.
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    Nov 24 2011: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life - Brian Tracy
    The Simple Secrets For Becoming Healthy Wealthy and Wise - David Niven
    My Big Idea - Rachel Bridge

    Etc
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    Nov 24 2011: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. A good self-help book which helps me dealing with people in my social-life.
  • Nov 24 2011: Totto Chan: The Little Girl at the Window. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

    Experience and Education. John Dewey

    Mindfulness. Ellen Langer
    • Nov 24 2011: Totto Chan: The Little Girl at the Window. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
      this book is great. I much enjoyed it when reading. the way how to educate the kids. showed their nature stuffs.
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    Nov 23 2011: Gut Check-Tarek Saab
    The tipping point- Malcolm Gladwell
    Outliers: Malcolm Gladwell
    Blink: Malcolm Gladwell
    Predictably Irrational: Dan Ariely
    The upside of irrationality- Dan Ariely
    Oedipus the King
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    Nov 23 2011: This book deeply influenced me a lot:
    "Myself and Other More Important Matters"
    by Charles Handy

    In this book Handy had a honest reflection on life, work and business.
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    Nov 23 2011: Also sprach Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
    La Chute by Albert Camus
    El Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges
    The art of war by Sun Tzu
    The Odyssey by Homer
    Der Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
    Lord of the rings and the hobbit by JRR Tolkien
    The Golden Apples of the Sun by Ray Bradbury
    El corazon de piedra verde by Salvador de Madariaga
    El obsceno pajaro de la noche by Jose Donoso
    A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
    Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
    Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
    Historias de cronopios y de famas by Julio Cortazar
    Sobre heroes y tumbas by Ernesto Sabato

    I will stop now…
    I got exited and wrote many names. Refreshing exorcise and interesting that I read almost all these books as a teen.
    With the exception of El obsceno pajaro de la noche. More resent books (even books I liked a lot) don’t evoke such strong memories/emotions.

    Thank you for making me remember all this.

    Regards!

    JB
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    Nov 22 2011: The Foundation by Isaac Asimov. This series is the basis for my big plan.
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    Nov 22 2011: a walk to remember- nicholas sparks
    gone with the wind-margaret mitchell
    little women- louisa may alcott
    the adventures of huckleberry finn-mark twain
    i'll be there-forgot the author
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    Nov 22 2011: Number One The Biblie in his differents version (OT & NT).

    United States of Banana - Giannina Braschi (spanish)
    La Nueva Novela Latinoamericana - Carlos Fuentes (spanish)
    The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - Naomi Klein
    The End of History and the Last Man - Francis Fukuyama
    The Knight in Rusty Armor - Robert Fisher (spanish)
    Conspirators Hierarchy: The Story of the Committee of 300 - John Coleman (spanish)
    Emotional Intelligence - Daniel Goleman (spanish)
    Quantum computation and quantum information - Michael A. Nielsen, Isaac L. Chuang
    Thinking in complexity: the computational dynamics of matter, mind and mankind - Klaus Mainzer
  • Nov 22 2011: The Bible... Disregarding the veracity or lack thereof, it has taught me more than any other book. (I'm not religious, so save any harsh words.)

    Crack open Proverbs or Ecclesiastes for a wealth of wisdom, insight, (and depression).
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    Nov 22 2011: Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion. The former inspired my studies to take a whole new orientation towards biology.
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    Nov 22 2011: Sex At Dawn: The prehistoric origins of modern sexuality