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Books That Have Changed My Life/Artistic Inspiration W-ODec 17 '04 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Hope you'll join the write-off! BTW, it's my 5th anniversary at this site! Woohoo, me!
I have compiled a list of books that have made a lasting impact on my life that have shaped the person I am today. While quite a few books have made me a better person for having read them, I narrowed my choices down to these ten, which started me on new paths of understanding and being in this world. Member trust12345 has recently observed in an essay that a list of favorites will allow one to see into that persons soul and so with my list of spiritual books and others that have influenced me, introduced by portions of my reviews of them, you may see into my humble soul. I hope you will wish to make the books a part of your life too! The Good Heart by the Dalai Lama I had not at that point read the Dalai Lama or anything about Buddhism save what Thomas Merton had written before he died. After reading it, I was completely sold on their vision. I have read since more books about Zen Buddhism or Buddhism in general, but none impressed me so much as a major religion's spiritual leader humbling himself to comment on another religion which is alien to him...and without preparation (he is never stuck for a comment as his quick wit emerges!), commenting in real-life at the John Main Seminar in a friendly conversation that bridged the two religions together with their similarities as well as their unique and necessary differences. http://www.epinions.com/The_Good_Heart_A_Buddhist_Perspective_on_the_Teachings_of_Jesus_by_Dalai_Lama Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore (a fictional Dr. Freudine review, Fr. Kurt Messick guest starring) He (Fr. Kurt) chuckles. Remember that part where Moore recommends a therapist for buildings in need of attention? He says eccentricity is good, though... Oh, yeah! We are soul-filled if we are weird, hahaha, so I must have plenty of soul! Moores a bit wordy and repetitive, but fascinating and insightful all the same. I really want to approach my work with the souls needs in mind to better help my clients, so I am very glad I called you and you asked me to read Care Of The Soul, Fr. http://www.epinions.com/content_143557299844 The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran I've read this several times and continue to be entranced by the facets of his spiritual understanding sparkling like diamonds gleaned from the mine of his soul. My (poetic) interpretation condenses his thought, so you can see his patterns of thought; it is his advice on all aspects of life that will await your pleasure. No doubt its enflamed your sense of curiosity and a hunger for Gibrans own melody of words, which is as it should be. His passion for all things and people is boundless. As a lonely soul in real life, Gibran looked no further for inspiration of his Prophet than himself. http://www.epinions.com/content_105798340228 Process Theology by John B. Cobb Jr. and David Ray Griffith (4 stars because of reading difficulty) I will come right out and say it. I wish we all understood and accepted the challenges of process theology. Reading this book seems to me as good of a place as any to begin the process (pun intended), although it probably wont be available off the shelf of your favorite bookstore! Prayer was never mentioned as such, but a reflective openness to the spirit and insights of Jesus Christ definitely was. It should be noted that doing so will not mean that everything will work out as we expect or even hope, but if we and those in worldly power do not abide in Gods creative (persuasive) love, we are unqualifiedly lost to the ways of death... So is it akin to atheism? No, but neither is it what we know as traditional religious formulation, thank God. Nor New Age-y. Whitehead intimates that there is a soul life after death, immortality in other words, but the emphasis is on how our lives affect God everlastingly, which seems like the same thing. It is a theology that puts the choice in our hands and hopefully we will let God help us choose life. http://www.epinions.com/content_74505490052 When Bad Things Happen To Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner I think all eight questions or feelings he addresses have been ones I have known in my heart at some point in my past; his answers demonstrate years of counseling and personal experience with the suffering and loss of his son. Kushners God is found in the midst of other faith-filled people moreso than in time alone contemplating God or Jesus (never mentioned), or at least for the purposes of healing grief/anger in this book. It no doubt was a very difficult book to write, one he had planned in his sorrow for so long, and is sure to encourage other suffering souls to seek God through friends and family...or conversely, friends and family to seek them out in the role of Gods agents. http://www.epinions.com/content_43183083140 The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone I do not know how anyone could get bored reading this, but the average rating of three reviewers is just average. Perhaps they expected a sensationalist tale of homosexuality and maniacal mayhem instead, I don't know! Honestly he portrayed nudes because of their beauty and not for lust. But even if you have not the desire to be an artist and create, even if you have not laid eyes on a sculpture by Michelangelo, I promise you will understand the agony and its sister ecstasy of trying to release the images within an artist when you settle down with Stones loving tribute to the Florentine. http://www.epinions.com/content_15848148612 The Gift of Shyness by Dr. Alexander Avila (my first fictional Dr. Freudine review) What did you think of the chapter about getting your fools out? the new client asks. I tried a couple of the exercises and making noises at furniture only made me feel self-conscious and embarrassed. I'm just not spontaneous and never have been. Irish exclaims, How can you be spontaneous if you dislike being silly? The point of spontaneity in this chapter is to help you be assertive and say what you feel or think, but getting your fools out didn't help you do that. The new client grunts. It sure didn't. Probably nothing would. http://www.epinions.com/content_98783891076 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald I love the metaphorical, sensuous style of writing. It is the first romance I ever read and it made a big impact on me. The way the characters became larger than life and you just loved them and wanted things to work out for Gatsby. You have a tragic feeling all throughout because of the way the book's written, but that makes it suspenseful and you want to read more quickly. I daresay you couldn't put it down until finished. Is it an unsatisfying ending? No. I don't need happy endings, but realistic, honest ones that help you understand life a little better. This book with its image of the green light over the flowing water does just that. http://www.epinions.com/content_95475699332 The Omega Diet by Dr. Atemis Simopoulos and Jo Robinson I think I have done my research on this subject. Ever since I started using a computer four years ago, I have studied fatty acids and myriads of other things and it never fails to fascinate me how much nutrition plans can differ. I read books by John Robbins, Dr. Barry Sears and Dr. Robert Atkins; researched the radical Hallelujah Diet, the Macrobiotic Diet, vegetarian and vegan diets and numerous studies done by scientists, cardiologists and other doctors; and finally I came to this book, The Omega Diet, put out by the worlds foremost expert on Essential Fatty Acids (EFA), Dr. Artemis Simopoulos, and co-author Jo Robinson. For four years also, I have been supplementing my vegetarian/now vegan diet with a balanced blend of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, in the beginning to eliminate menstrual cramps, but with continued research and now this 366-page book, which includes three sections of info about EFAs, how a balance restores health and menu suggestions, recipes and grocery lists, I realize just how crucial basing our diet on our fat choices really is. http://www.epinions.com/content_51333205636 Diet For A New America by John Robbins Carl Lewis and Dave Scott are only two World-class athletes who have broken records in running and the Ironman Triathlon year after year since adopting a pure vegetarian diet. When you are healthy and your body can work in an environment without excess acid, saturated fat, cholesterol or phosphorus from animal sources, you will never feel better or perform better physically. Adding up all the facts, my conclusion to be a vegan will add at least six active years to my life and, if we all draw that conclusion, many, many more healthy years for our home, Earth. I fervently hope you will check out John Robbins who received thousands of letters and the hatred of the meat and dairy industries after publishing this passionate, well-documented expose of the myths they have instilled in us. http://www.epinions.com/content_32991514244 Essay on Carolyn Keenes Inspiration My grade school years were literally a haze of mystery books. I breathed them in like fresh air one after another and felt as heroic and beloved as Nancy Drew, as clever and resourceful as Frank and Joe Hardy in another mystery series for kids by the same author. Consequently I was inspired at age nine to write mystery stories along the same lines and even completed my own novel called The Mystery of the Underground Castle. I became Nancy Drew, teenage detective extraordinaire who always solved the mystery to the amazement of the good and bad guys. http://www.epinions.com/content_2670698628 I should mention that member lyagushka had a write-off a long while back called The Book That Changed My Life. I entered with a review of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which is in the form of a letter to people hooked on television instead of books. This has been an entry into the Artistic Inspiration Write-off hosted by myself and goldmoon. You can join anytime. See here for details: http://www.epinions.com/content_4161642628  |
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