Sat 10 Jan 2009
Other than the bible, what is the most inspirational book you have ever read?
Posted by echan76 under Books & Authors
betatesterwood asked:
I believe in the bible, and also believe it is inspirational. But since that was the only answer I recieved for the last question, I had to rephrase it. So, besides the bible, what is the most inspirational book you have ever read?
I believe in the bible, and also believe it is inspirational. But since that was the only answer I recieved for the last question, I had to rephrase it. So, besides the bible, what is the most inspirational book you have ever read?
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers were very interesting to me, and also very inspiring.
The Art Of Happiness, Dalai Lama. Check it out.
How To Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
Dostoevsky’s “Notes from the Underground.”
A Child Called It, by Dave Pelzer. It inspired me to get up and keep going, no matter who knocked me down or what was holding me back.
A fiction book called Stones From the River by Ursula Hegi….its set in Nazi Germany, and is the story of a dwarf woman. You can well imagine why, given the main character, I find it inspirational!
testimonials, books that reflect in our lives the real touch from God to his children as in His Promise being kept.
The Bhagavad-Gita, As It Is. It contains the summum-bonum of the philosophy of God, and is known as the spotless purana of the vedic knowledge.
Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture
by Maulana Karenga
Night by Elie Wiesel and The Diary of Anne Frank. Both show great courage and bravery in a world that was very difficult to live in. Wiesel never knew what was going to happen and, although he questioned God, he managed to get through this horrible ordeal and triumph over the bad guys. Anne Frank showed courage while at such a young age and spunk despite her circumstances. Both these books can show us how lucky we are and how brave some can be in the face of such treachery.
The Hagakure, by Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
This book is considered a guideline to life as a Samurai, but many of the ideas presented can be put to great use in the modern day and age.
The question assumes the Bible IS the most or one of the most inspirational books I’ve read. (maybe I haven’t read it, maybe I did but didn’t find it inspirational - doesn’t matter)
Either way, the two most inspirational books I’ve read are:
Aikido and the Harmony of Nature, Mitsugi Saotome Shihan.
Zen in the art of Archery, Eugen Herrigel
I have a pretty eastern way of looking at things and always have so consider the source I suppose. I grew up in America, but my family is not exactly western in its thinking. My parents had copies of the Bible, but also of many other religions and philosophies.
Their take was read them all and come to my own conclusions. I did and came to realize they are “all paths leading to Rome” metaphorically speaking of course.
Need for speed - that would have been my third book.
There were a two-volume set of books written in the late 1950’s early 1960’s during the cold war that told what if you survived nuclear war how would you be able to bring back the rudiments of civilization. The two-volume set of books today is in one volume and in my opinion is not as well-written or as good as the original set. The books are entitled ‘ THE WAY THINGS WORK ‘ and what it tells is how to make soap, vinegar and other simple things like how to build and use a simple lathe. There are tons of things in the book that will not only help you build a better place without knowing a huge amount of technical stuff and the two-volume set is a facinating read at the same time. Enjoy.
“Stranger In A Strange Land” by Robert A Heinlein
Other than the Bible, I would have to say anything by William Shakespeare. I would also include a book entitled Living Wisdom of the World’s Religions, which offers a cross section of comfort, inspiration, and life affirming passages from all major faiths. To add to this list I would put , The Amazing Laws of Cosmic Mind Power by Dr Joseph Murphy as another inspirational favorite.
The Peaceful Warrior trilogy by Dan Millman
-Way of the Peaceful Warrior
-Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior
-The Journeys of Socrates
Excellent series of books about overcoming struggles and finding yourself. Wonderfully weaves together multiple religious traditions.
NOT the Bible… My choice is probably Carl Sagan’s “Demon Haunted World”; another is Ayn Rand’s “For the New Intellectual”.
Also Richard Dawkins’ “Unweaving the Rainbow”…
Party of One, by Anneli Rufus. The bible wouldn’t even make my top ten list.
The Alchemist
,
“Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse.