Eight Books
Lou Plummer recently listed 15 books with the most impact on his life. Of course it got me thinking about what would be on my list.
What books have had a lasting impact on me? I’m not sure exactly what “lasting impact” means here. Books that changed my life? Or made me think or act differently? Of that just stayed with me because they were so memorable? I’m inclined toward the last interpretation because I fear that if I try to follow either of the others my list would be very short indeed. I’m not a very prolific reader, which is why this is so hard for me. In any case, here is my list of books that have at the very least left a lasting impression—and why.
| Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig stands out in my memory for how utterly BAD it is. How is this book so popular? It’s a book-length rant by a lunatic who doesn’t know he’s a lunatic. There are far better books about Buddhist wisdom than this. | |
| Buddhism: Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen is one such book that delivers exactly what the title suggests. It should really be called “Buddhism without all the mystical gobbledygook” because that’s what it is. My copy is well worn and heavily marked up. | |
| Life of Pi by Yann Martel was an unexpected delight. One of the rare occasions when I simply could not put the book down. The ending took me by surprise. My wife and I were each 100% convinced of exactly opposite interpretations. | |
| Contact by Carl Sagan is a solemn and honest exploration of the tension between science and faith. It moves me to tears every time I read it. | |
| God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens is a book I come back to year after year. It’s not (just) about making the case against religion. It’s also a defense of a way of thinking that elevates all that is beautiful and sacred and transcendent in the world that does NOT depend upon religion for its existence. | |
| Philosophy: Who Needs It? by Ayn Rand. Yes, she was a crackpot and a terrible writer, but this short book impressed upon me the importance of understanding philosophical thought and the role philosophy plays in our daily lives. | |
| Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume is the first book I can remember reading for enjoyment and not because it was assigned. (I never read anything that was assigned.) | |
| I can remember reading The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama during a beach vacation in North Carolina. It was May 2007 and seems like it was early enough that few people really know who he was yet. I still have my underlined copy, and I remember writing in my book journal that “I hope this man becomes president.” |
2024-09-27: Updated to replace the book cover images with the versions/editions I remember most.