Other - What is the book that made the largest impact? from adammjw: MarketingProfs Question 23718

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What Is The Book That Made The Largest Impact?

Posted by adammjw on 5/2/2008 at 11:04 AM ET 1000 Points

Hello my friends

If you were to name 1 book only that made the largest impact on you what would it be?The book that has not gotten outdated,at least not in your mind and soul.I do not mean the business book as my question addresses the way you feel and think as a human being, not only a professional business person.I mean the book that influenced your life the way some people can do when we chance upon them sometimes only once in our lifetime.The book you would insist your kids or grandchildren read,hoping deep inside it will help them find their own way in life.

Adam

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RESPONSES

Posted by Levon on 5/2/2008 at 11:09 AM Accepted

I know someone is going to place the Bible in response to your post. I can just feel it.
Posted by adammjw on 5/2/2008 at 11:14 AM Author

Levon

Thanks.
Yes, I thought about it.
By no means is it a provocative question.I want to really know if I miss something I should not.
Posted by adammjw on 5/2/2008 at 11:36 AM Author

Steve

Thank you for your post.That's what was on my mind when asking this question.A book that has changed or formed the way you think about life,people.
I do not mean a momentary 'wow' which passes off next day.

Adam
Posted by malkosbm on 5/2/2008 at 11:54 AM Accepted

Salem / Hi / Salut

For me it's clear that 's CORAN is the most important Book i read i and i ll read.

Malek
Posted by adammjw on 5/2/2008 at 12:01 PM Author

Malek

Thank you very much for you input.Of course, the Koran must be of the same importance to Muslims as the Bible to catholics and the Tora to Jews.

Adam
Posted on 5/2/2008 at 12:15 PM Accepted

How To Win Friends and Influence people. Not only improves you people skills, but is the basis for all successful marketing.
Posted by adammjw on 5/2/2008 at 12:44 PM Author

Mark

Thank you for you response.I have not read this book, so good to know it.
Posted on 5/2/2008 at 12:50 PM Accepted

There are many books and I read a lot. In recent times the most important book I have read for me was John C. Maxwell, Thinking for a Change. I have more sticky page markers in this book than any other book I have read.
Hazel Wagner
Posted by adammjw on 5/2/2008 at 12:53 PM Author

Hazel

Many thanks, but is it a book you can say that changed you? Do you look at the world in a different way than before?Was it like a revelation to you?

Adam
Posted by MKT on 5/2/2008 at 1:42 PM Accepted

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
2. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
Posted by johnb847 on 5/2/2008 at 1:57 PM Accepted

Permission Marketing by Seth Grodin. It was a swift kick after 20+ years of push marketing.
Posted on 5/2/2008 at 2:23 PM Accepted

Whenever I need a dose of "you can do it," I pick up my tattered version of "Maximum Achievement" by Brian Tracy. I have given away multiple copies of this book. It is a great resource for me personally, professionally and spiritually. I usually just pick it up, randomly select a page and read for about half an hour. You know that feeling after a good workout at the gym?? It's like that for your soul.
Posted by adammjw on 5/2/2008 at 3:29 PM Author

Monica,thank you for reminding me of The Alchemist, the New Earth is new( nomen omen) to me, I must read it.
Johnonebox-thanks as well.I must admit you did suprise me with your choice.
Gemstone- so good to learn from you about a book I never laid my hands on.I promise I will.
Barq,I got to say that around 30 years passed since I last read Rilke.I have to revisit his poetry again.Most probably I was a way too young to find that experience you write about.Thanks a lot for driving it home to me.

Adam
Posted by Levon on 5/2/2008 at 6:03 PM Accepted

The Elements of Style is the book that I will make my kids one day read. Having a good command of English - being able to communicate with laser precision is the key to becoming influential.
Posted by Jessica_Castro on 5/2/2008 at 6:28 PM Accepted

I have 2 books actually that come to mind....

1.) Let the Circle be Unbroken
2.) Street Lawyer

The first because as a child it really opened up my eyes and always helped me to feel better about anything that went wrong in my life because it taught me that someone out there had it much worse. (still kind of does that for me from time to time) and the Street Lawyer because it made me realize I didn't want to be a lawyer...but I read those as a kid and quite honestly I can't think of a single book that I have read now that impacted me in the same way that they did.
Posted by adammjw on 5/3/2008 at 4:10 AM Author

Levon, thanks.I will have it noted down for myself.
Lieca_Villareal,my thanks to you for your input.That is one of the points I had in mind when asking this question i.e. is it so that so few books come out these days that can really influence the way we are, feel and think or there are so many of them that we find it impossible to choose the right ones or this is not books anymore that can really impact our life?

Adam
Posted on 5/3/2008 at 6:46 AM Accepted

New Rules of Marketing and PR, David Meerman Scott
Permission Marketing + Purple Cow, Seth Godin
Made to Stick
Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
Posted by adammjw on 5/3/2008 at 7:25 AM Author

Mike

Thank you.I see you opt for business books mostly.
I also agree both Made to stick and especially Tipping Point a great reads.
Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/3/2008 at 9:06 AM Accepted

Different books at different times of my life:

Orbiting the Giant Hairball (Gordon MacKenzie)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)
Illusions (Richard Bach)
The Road Unseen (Peter/Barbara Jenkins)
Way of the Peaceful Warrior (Dan Millman)
Love Is Letting Go Of Fear (Jampolsky)
Tuva or Bust (Leighton)
Impro for Storytellers (Johnstone)
Posted by adammjw on 5/3/2008 at 9:28 AM Author

Jay

Thank you.Does the fact you ennumerate quite a few of them mean that what makes a large impact on us depends on who we are and what's important to us at that moment?Did you try to revisit one of these books later on to see if it still matters so much to you?

Adam
Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/4/2008 at 9:36 AM Accepted

What mattered to me depended upon where I was in my life - what challenges I was facing or what I needed to be reminded of. Some of these books I revisit much less often, but simply seeing their spines on my bookshelf remind me of the lesson/time period, without having to read it cover-to-cover.
Posted by adammjw on 5/4/2008 at 9:43 AM Author

Thank you Jay.
The truth is we,all of us, do not have all the time in the world to read books,let alone re-read them.
However I try sometimes to dip into old reads to see how much I care now for what was once so important to me.
Posted by adammjw on 5/4/2008 at 12:20 PM Author

Juliet

Thank so much for such a personal posting.I see Illusions coming up for the second time.I must admit I do not know this book.
I wonder if is it still books that can offer us that much to make us wiser and more empathetic these days?
Posted by adammjw on 5/5/2008 at 4:07 AM Author

Miss G.

Thank you for sharing with me your thoughts and feelings.
Posted by adammjw on 5/5/2008 at 5:19 AM Author

Juliet

I totally agree.It is close to impossible bookmarking specific sentences or sections of online resources making them readily accessible when needed, which we can do with books.
What sort of surpises me is the fact that so far some of the books I've thought will turn up, actually do not.
I was personally thinking of The little Prince and Alice in Wonderland.Is it the case that they are not that universal and impactful as I thought?

Adam
Posted by adammjw on 5/5/2008 at 8:58 AM Author

Miss G
The truth is last time I read The little prince and Alice... I was 20-odd.It sort of opened me up and let me see things in a different light.Never again did I revisit these books.
So as it seems putting it all together we are left with the pillars i.e. The Bible,The Koran and the Tora.
Posted by adammjw on 5/5/2008 at 12:53 PM Author

I would like to close my question now.I want to thank all of you for your participation and feedback I got.
I think it's good sometimes to step back, look at oneself to see if something which seemed so important and right many years ago still matters.
I do not know if books can change our life or make a huge impact on the way we think and feel.
It seems people we meet and experiences we have can influence us much more.
It does not mean, of course,we should not have our eyes wide open and keep on checking if the books to come could turn into a revelation.

Adam

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