In my case, I would have to say that Atlas Shrugged, by Ann Rand, has had the biggest influence on my life. It was through this life-changing book that I discovered the beauty of capitalism and the importance of self-esteem to happiness. Atlas Shrugged is the kind of book that makes you reconsider your deepest values, while you are being entertained. I just re-read the book again from cover to cover and I will probably do the same every year just to keep things in perspective. Have there been any books that have impacted your life in the same way? How did they change your life and what did you do differently after reading them?
On November 20, 1991, the Library of Congress released the results of a survey (Source: NYTimes, November 20, 1991) in which they asked pretty much the same question as above. Perhaps not surprisingly, the number one choice of readers was The Bible. However, some of the other choices may surprise you. Here is the list of the top 10 (actually 13 since 4 tied for 10th place) most influential books as rated by readers.
- The Bible
- Atlas Shrugged, by Ann Rand
- The Road Less Traveled, by M Scott Peck
- To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
- The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
- How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
- The Book of Mormon
- The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan
- A Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
- Passages, by Gail Sheehy
- When Bad Things Happen to Good People, by Harold S. Kushner
Since one of my personal passions is listening to audiobooks, one of the first things that I did when I saw this list was to check to see how many of the books of the list are also available in audiobook format. The good news is that all of the books above, with the exceptions of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book of Mormon, and Passages, are available as audiobooks. I’ve already managed to listen to the entire Bible and my goal for the next six months is to make it through the entire list.
All the best and happy reading!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Steph
