What’s the book that unknowingly of you has influenced your life?

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

I won’t be the only one as this book has greatly influenced a lot of people in the world.

At the tender age of 10, disturbed by my asocial and nerdy character I opened “How to win friends and influence people” and I made it my goal to better myself. Not only I read it but at the end of each chapter, I gave myself a week or two to practice - at school in real life setting - what I had read in that chapter. Used those techniques in daily life and checked their effect.

As a result, some of the traits I’ve admired in people I read about there - developed as a part of my personality.

With a lot of time on my hands, I went back to rereading the old books and I realized that a lot of my success with people in real life, in business or friendly settings - comes from the fact that unknowingly of me, I was so impressed by the people in this book that I’ve molded some of their habits into my character.

Only now, I am reading and I realize, that my morals were greatly influenced by this book.

Updates

+1 y

For the people who didn’t understand the question, what’s the book that at the time of reading influenced your life but you only realized it later on in life.

[abc3643]

I don't understand this question; it is illogical.

If I recognize that a book has influenced my life then I knowingly - not unknowingly - understand this fact.

However, if I had to list books that influenced my life substantially, they would be (not necessarily in any order) the ones listed below, grouped by type.

TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCES

"Physics: Principles and Problems" by James T. Murphy and Robert C. Smoot

"Physics, Third Edition, Parts I and II" by David Halliday and Robert Resnick

"Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, 3rd Edition" by William Boyce and Richard C. Di Prima.

"Complex Variables for Applications, 3rd Edition" by Ruel V. Churchill

"Classical Mechanics, 2nd Edition" by Herbert Goldstein

"Linear Systems in Communication and Control" by Dean K. Frederick and A. Bruce Carlson.

"Linear Systems" by Thomas Kailath

"Optimal Control Theory" by Donald E. Kirk

OTHER NON-FICTION

"Love" by Leo F. Buscaglia

"Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association" by Terry Pluto.

"The Foundation Trilogy" and "The Complete Robot" by Isaac Asimov. These books are somewhat connected, so I treat them as one.

"2081: A Hopeful View of the Human Future" by Gerard K. O'Neill

FICTION

"The Starfleet Technical Manual" by Franz Joseph

"The Power" by Naomi Alderman

"God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

"Spoon River Anthology" by Edgar Lee Masters

[abc3643]

UPDATE:
For the people who didn’t understand the question, what’s the book that at the time of reading influenced your life but you only realized it later on in life.

RESPONSE TO UPDATE
That never occurred. When a book influenced me, I immediately knew it. Reading a book is like getting splashed with a bucket of cold water, not like a pregnancy. You know it influences you.

However, I will cut you some slack on this. Of the books I listed, it is the ones I read when I was not an adult that "unknowingly" influenced me... that is, I was too young to understand something like a life-changing moment.

So, of the books I listed, the ones I read before I was an adult (18) are:
"Physics: Principles and Problems" (textbook for 11th Grade Physics)
"The Foundation Trilogy"
"The Starfleet Technical Manual"
"Spoon River Anthology" (required in 11th Grade English class)

All the other books I read later.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

As I said I was 10 years old while reading that book and at that time, I didn’t fully realize the influence that book had on me. Understandable?

[CalmUntilAbused]

So... There was that series of adventure novels in my early childhood about a young man reuniting with his exiled father (OK, now that was just mentioned in the first piece of the series) and travelling around the world catching wild animals on behalf of the zoos around the world. It did make me interested in geography and travelling, but unfortunately, it also implanted me with an idealistic worldview, including a subconscious and outdated attitude towards women (basically chivalry on a level comparable with what is contemporarily known as being a white knight, just without any hidden evil intentions). Let's just say that to say that to say it backfired would be an understatement would be an understatement itself. At this point I'm conflicted between not being willing to get hurt anymore, possibly in a way that would permanently increase my distrust towards the world I live in, and wishing to experience true, dedicated love the way it was depicted in this novel series and in In Desert and Wilderness (I'm sorry if the title translation is a little faulty). I guess if I continue with my opinion, it will turn into a pitiful rant, so I'd rather end it here.

[Anonymous]

read a kid comic book when i was 9 about the 1960s revolution, that made me obsessed with the 60s for a year which then shaped my personality i think for the next 3 ish very strongly by making me a money whore, obsessed with social status & fancy jobs, rich people and having a preppy posh style. that faded out when i turned 13 but still kept the love for posh things and stuff like that. when i was 12-13 got super obsessed with percy jackson, which totally shaped my personality even when i stopped caring about the series until i was 15. made me more of tomboy, made me like dangerous stuff, also got me obsessed with ancient greek stuff, war movies, etc yea.. some of that has still lingering traces today. when i was 15 i read a book (dont remember what it was exactly) and a bunch of other stuff like that after that was like those kind of omg depression is so quirky teen girl book things. got me into that egirl emo tumblr mental illness is pretty uwu i'm quirky phase for a couple years. i swear my whole personality at some point was that i was an egirl, a bad teen & mentally ill. it has a lot of its origins to that book lol

[Chandelier8]

I absolutely loved that book also and read it as a young teen!

I would say, besides really rare books that can't be obtained, this one: The Complete Guide to World Mysticism by Freke, Timothy; Gandy, Peter

Also, Genesis: The First Book of Revelations - David Wood

They're both amazing reads that you'll learn so much from.

[Chandelier8]

Regarding your update, they all impacted me later and immediately.

[love_conquers_lust]

The Crazy Horse Electric Game

This talented baseball player (Willie) becomes crippled after his head got sliced in a water skiing accident. His life fell apart as his whole identity revolved around his athletic prowess. He suffered severe bouts of depression and contemplated suicide. He eventually up and left his hometown in Montana for Oakland, California. He had to rediscover himself as he encountered others in the inner city who also were enduring hardships. He learned how to adapt to his condition as he related to others. The people he encountered also learned from him. He eventually returned to his hometown to find his previous life had been utterly dismantled. He still felt disabled in his hometown seeing how his parents had divorced, his father was an unemployed alcoholic, his mother had remarried, and his former girlfriend was still tense about seeing him. He decided to return to Oakland where he had built his new life and had almost regained almost all mobility.

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

[lightbulb27]

For the sake of all living things... about Cambodia Khmer Rouge. It struck me deep.

Also "When Rabbit Howls"... about Trudy Chase whom was tortured as a child and developed Multiple personality disorder... now called something else.

[AmeerX]

I think three books influenced me a lot.

I wish I could say it was Quran but I was more influenced by Old testament and New testament stories.

And I was especially influenced by Leo Tolstoy and his books. Man that guy is living in 1800s and he is writing like he lives in Pakistan 🧐.

[AmeerX]

Still answer remains same :)

[exitseven]

This is a cheesy science fiction book, the first of the series. I read this in college and I would probably cringe if I read it today.

[AviatorTom]

A Catcher in the Rye, which we read in High School English class Holden Caulfield helped me learn quite a few things about myself... and life.

[Worst]

[Andres77]

You’re milking this one for all it’s worth, aren’t you?
No pun intended.

[Worst]

Yeah lol I thought about not using it

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

Rule number 1. Relax and don’t resist

[Worst]

Sure lol

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

Glad to help 🤣

[TonyMetal___86]

I have no specific book, no one has inspired me in my life except Jesus-Christ...
I'm just myself and how did i become like that, well i guess it's just life, a lot of things i seen in this life, watched, read, heard and experienced about had influenced me in many aspects...

[RedInnocent68]

I have a profound affinity for The Old Man and the Sea.

[Jennz6]

I read that book too

[RedInnocent68]

When I’m lazy I rewatch the movie instead of reread the book, but only the Spencer Tracy version from 1958.

[RedInnocent68]

It’s always so humbling. Sometimes it’s not about you. You can do everything right but you’re unlucky. You win but you still lose…

[RedInnocent68]

I’m sad now. And I’m not exactly sure why. 🤔😕

[NathanDavis]

The Little Prince and Pinocchio... read them when I was four

[OddBeMe]

This one bio about a Polish intellectual who was executed by the Soviets, but before that wrote beautifully about his wife and their life together. Then hid his diary. And later his wife also wrote the epilogue- from her grave as she was executed as a Jew by the Nazis a year later.

It was not a good time for Eastern Europe. Im told it’s a bit better today. Right? Guys?

[Jennz6]

I read the same book 📖 Dr. Norman Vincent Peel

[Andres77]

Man’s Search for Meaning.

-Victor Frankl

[Andres77]

Will to pleasure. Frued
Will to power. Nietsche
Will to purpose. Frankl

[Andres77]

Victor Frankl was writing his masters thesis and psychology in Austria when he was put into a concentration camp by the Nazis. His hypothesis was dead if you have a clear enough purpose, and it is much easier to deal with many kinds of hardship. So, in fact, being a prisoner in a concentration, camp was the laboratory in which he proved his hypothesis.. He also thought that we should have a statue of responsibility on the West Coast to balance out our statue of liberty on the East Coast.

[Andres77]

* His hypothesis was that

[sawno]

Isn't that impossible to answer by design? If I don't know I won't know which book it was.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

At the time of reading you didn’t realize it influenced you. You figured out years later.

[sawno]

Probably 1984 and animal farm.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

I loved them too

[loveslongnails]

If it unknowingly influenced me, how could I tell you what it was? LOL

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

At that time When it influenced you didn’t realize it did.

[Alex8736]

"The facts don't care about your feelings" and "The coddling of the American Mind"

[justabuddy]

Their has been a few. Freedom flight by Lenny bassham is a great short read, highly recommend 10 habits of highly effective people by Stephen covey.

[MissStrawberry912]

One of the influential books I can think of is Atomic Habits by James Clear :)

[collie22]

After my kj bible it has to be Edgar Cayce my life as a seer.

[LiamJHayden]

At the time I was forced to read it I did not realize it, but Atlas Shrugged.

[RavVid]

7 Habits for me

[Sevenpointfive]

the encyclopedia

[Anonymous]

How would we know if it's unknowingly?

[Pterodon]

Bible