Anonymous A started this discussion 15 years ago#12,880
One of the most important books in my life that changed me and gave me a desire to study was The Cobra Event by Richard Preston. It's a fictional story about a man who bioengineers a supervirus that mimicks the common cold but also has traits similar to Ebola. Very scary stuff. It was one of a few novels that convinced me to pursue the medicine field.
Depressionman !0oDERPONYY joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 16 minutes later[^][v]#231,964
Bleak House, by Charles Dickens.
Ks !KansasxqvM joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 35 seconds later, 17 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,965
I'd have to say a book called 'Red Dog', a teacher gave it to me in the 3rd grade, I've never stopped reading since.
Anais joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 5 minutes later, 23 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,970
The Prophet, by Khalil Gibran. Made me go and visit where he grew up in a small village in the mountains of Lebanon. He was an artist/poet/philosopher. I used to have quotes from him up on my bedroom wall. Think William Blake. I'm not heavy on fiction, but more into poetry etc. Lovely jubbly. :)
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 15 years ago, 1 minute later, 24 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,973
Could you all give a short summary of these books you read please? I would like to know what they are about.
sluggy joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 27 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,976
@231,970 (Anais)
That sounds really interesting. Do you travel a lot?
Anais replied with this 15 years ago, 1 minute later, 28 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,980
@231,973 (A)
Mine's a book of poetic prose. Just about life, love etc. The Prophet is about a man who's seen as some messenger of truth, he simply expresses his take on life. Pretty simple.
Anais double-posted this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 31 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,983
@231,976 (sluggy)
My dad is from Syria. So I've been to the Middle East a lot. He took us to Lebanon and I insisted we visit Gibran's birthplace. Beirut is beautiful, and the village was about an hour away up the mountain from the main city. Stunning. Gibran had a similar style to the English artist and poet William Blake, sort of uncanny.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 34 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,985
@231,980 (Anais)
Is it a long book or just random poems?
Anais replied with this 15 years ago, 3 minutes later, 37 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,986
@previous (A)
Not long at all. Kind of a long monologue. Read it when I was 15/16 though. But haven't revisited it. I tend never to re-read things. btw im drunk. so fuck you all! And where the hell is simbo! Sim!!!!!
(Edited 8 minutes later.)
Anonymous F joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 12 minutes later, 50 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,998
The Bible, Origin of Species
uh most other books I read after I have a leaning towards what they argue, these ones change/d my life without me wanting to change
(Edited 25 seconds later.)
marvin !H0G.H/BnJg joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 52 minutes after the original post[^][v]#231,999
Diet for a New America got me turned on to veganism awhile back, then I read a few other similar books and made the switch. I was a vegan for something like 7 years after that.
Anais replied with this 15 years ago, 1 minute later, 54 minutes after the original post[^][v]#232,002
forgot, 'God is not Great' by Christopher Hitchens. Very influential. Also 'Why I am not a muslim' by Ibn Warak.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
Anonymous H joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 14 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^][v]#232,007
Catcher in the Rye and Atlas Shrugged
[^_^] !yyQ9.ZkX3. joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 25 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^][v]#232,018
1984
Freecode !!4IKKtS9GG joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 16 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^][v]#232,021
1984
Crime and Punishment
War and Peace, affected my philosophical views quite a bit
The Brain That Changes Itself
Various technical manuals and textbooks, obviously. The computer programming books together have probably affected my thought process more than any individual book.
sluggy replied with this 15 years ago, 5 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^][v]#232,024
@232,007 (H)
Explain, specifically, how catcher in the rye changed your life.
Anonymous H replied with this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^][v]#232,026
Anonymous H replied with this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,028
@previous (sluggy)
I came to the United States at 16. I came here alone, and I felt very lost because everyone I knew was in Peru. I learned English by listening to the radio, watching tv, and reading newspapers and books for children. The first grown up book I read in English was the Catcher in the Rye. I cried a lot while reading it because I was able to identify with an American for the first time. Holden taught me that people are not all that different because the pains of adolescence affect us all in very similar ways. After Salinger I read Kerouac, and to this day they are at the top of my list of authors I would love to meet.
Anonymous K joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 3 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,031
fountainhead
beach house
sluggy replied with this 15 years ago, 21 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,037
@232,028 (H)
Interesting. You might encounter some difficulty meeting them.
I've never read catcher in the rye or any kerouac, for that matter. My housemate has all his writings. Ive been meaning to pick it up, but I fear disappointment. I do like reading about the beat writers. They were crazy fuckers.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 7 hours later, 10 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,104
Perverting the Course of Justice was a big influence on me. It made me look at the Police and modern British society in a whole new way.
The book is a former policeman talking about his experiences on the job and how weighed down by paperwork, bureaucracy and political correctness the police are. It's interesting to see how much bullshit these guys have to deal with every day.
dreamworksage !AUIkTW/L46 joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 31 minutes later, 10 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,115
i think it's more of a collection of all media then just one book or movie or whatever
Anonymous N joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 6 minutes later, 10 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,118
@231,999 (marvin !H0G.H/BnJg) > 7 years after that.
Are you no longer a vegan now then?
Anonymous N double-posted this 15 years ago, 49 seconds later, 10 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,119
@232,115 (dreamworksage !AUIkTW/L46)
This. Not many books have a profound effect on me anyway.
SQUARED :3 !L.....AlN. joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 1 hour later, 12 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,164
I've never actually finished reading a book. :')
marvin !H0G.H/BnJg replied with this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 12 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,165
@232,118 (N)
Yeah, I've been eating meat again for quite awhile.
SQUARED :3 !L.....AlN. replied with this 15 years ago, 1 minute later, 12 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,166
Anonymous N replied with this 15 years ago, 16 minutes later, 13 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,170
@232,165 (marvin !H0G.H/BnJg)
What made you start again?
Anonymous N double-posted this 15 years ago, 16 seconds later, 13 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,171
@232,166 (SQUARED :3 !L.....AlN.)
You've only read 1 book in your life?
marvin !H0G.H/BnJg replied with this 15 years ago, 4 minutes later, 13 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,172
@232,170 (N)
I read more and stopped buying into a lot of the health claims. Also, the pain-in-the-ass factor got to be too high -- not necessarily finding food to eat, but just maintaining a reasonably healthy diet (some of the B vitamins, and enough iron) could be a hassle when busy.
[^_^] !yyQ9.ZkX3. replied with this 15 years ago, 3 minutes later, 13 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,174
Lol did anyone say the Bible yet?
SQUARED :3 !L.....AlN. replied with this 15 years ago, 45 minutes later, 14 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,188
@232,171 (N)
I've only finished one book. I have a few where I've read like half of it, but then got bored.
hamfist !!snnYcROO9 joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 44 minutes later, 14 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,227
Cat's Cradle, Crime and Punishment, Sex Drugs and Coco Puffs
Triptych !LightPenis joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 1 hour later, 15 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,259
Every Contact Leaves a Trace. Forensics guys talk about their experiences. I liked it a lot.
The Lays of Ancient Rome. Kinda realized that...people are people, y'know?
sluggy replied with this 15 years ago, 41 minutes later, 16 hours after the original post[^][v]#232,303
The Miracle of Mindfulness
hamfist !!snnYcROO9 replied with this 15 years ago, 10 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,782
@232,259 (Triptych !LightPenis)
PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE SO WHY SHOULD IT BE
Unintentional Jackass !LASXURl1b6 joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,795
Harry Potter, because it alienated me from my peers in my developing years
Green !6PPj7P5Iag joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,814
Encyclopedia of unusual sex practices.
Leo Vegas !gNoGoD5HzQ joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 25 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,829
Shitlisted! The Kimmo Alm Story. That book changed my life.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 15 years ago, 4 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,832
@previous (Leo Vegas !gNoGoD5HzQ)
Oh god. This needs to be a real book.
Leo Vegas !gNoGoD5HzQ replied with this 15 years ago, 19 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,845
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 15 years ago, 2 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,848
@previous (Leo Vegas !gNoGoD5HzQ)
But what actor has the skill to play Kimmo? It would take a true actor to capture Kimmy's charm on the big screen.
Leo Vegas !gNoGoD5HzQ replied with this 15 years ago, 30 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,865
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
We would need someone who can display both madness and genius. The only person who comes to mind is Daniel Day Lewis. He's older but with the right movie magic it could happen.
Triptych !LightPenis replied with this 15 years ago, 6 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#232,999
@232,782 (hamfist !!snnYcROO9)
YOU AND I SHOULDN'T GET ALONG