They say that you will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read. It can be (but is not necessarily) difficult to determine which people you will meet. It is, however, the matter of a few mouse clicks to determine exactly which books you will read in the coming days, months, and years. There are millions of books are at your fingertips thanks to sites like Amazon.com, and you haven't an excuse in the world not to buy, beg, borrow, or steal something that could possibly revolutionize your life for the better.
Anne Lamott, author of such works as Bird by Bird and Traveling Mercies, said that her life was changed by The Only Dance There Is by Ram Dass. U.S. Senator John McCain says that Ernest Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls "seized (his) attention." World-famous career coach Dan Miller credits Earl Nightingale's book The Strangest Secret as giving him the vision to go beyond his family's Mennonite farm to pursue an amazing life.
Which books will you read before the end of the year?
If you look at the next five books on your reading list, you will find an uncannily accurate foretelling of the kind of person you will soon be. If you don't have a reading list, the same holds true.
Who might I be after reading these books?
- A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller = a better Christian
- Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson = a better Anglophile
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky = someone with a better understanding of social alienation, Nihilism, and the idea of the superman
- Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk = a social-media-savvy girl who cashes in on her passion
- On Writing by Stephen King = a better writer
Read about The Book That Changed My Life at Suite101.
Hi Abby!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I went to leave you a comment a few weeks ago and was going to leave you my email address, but then I saw that your blog automatically posts the comment w/o you having to look at it first and I didn't want to leave my email address for everyone to see. :]
I love your idea and would love to be a part of it. The link that you gave me to show where you had gotten the idea was really good! Your invitation warmed my heart and I think that an online community for "kindred spirits" is a fantastic idea. It can be very hard to live counter-culturally (differently) and knowing that there are others out there living in a similar way and going through similar trials can be very encouraging :}
If you could leave your email address in comment form on my blog, then we could email back and forth if you want to :]
Again, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. August and Sepember are the busiest months for us and I've been away from my computer a lot.
Hope you're having a great day!
In Him,
Devin
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing all the books listed, I do not read much, except the Bible. I like fiction, or truth books, books that give ideas or inspire. I am headed right this moment to check out the first book on your list, A Million Miles Ina Thousand Years....I have not heard of it. You are super talented and such an amazing person...found you while blog hoping....hope you have a wonderful weekend!
enjoy *~*