Books that have shaped my thinking

Talking with a friend at work last week, she was in a bit of a funk and the conversation soon turned to books that have inspired us. She showed me a book she was starting to read, which reminded me of the books that have really been a great help over the years, and whose message seems to be lost in this age of get-rich-quick schemes or people dreaming of hitting it big via Real Estate. (I am no fan of Robert Kiyosaki.)

Anyway, at the top of my stack is the classic "The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck.  This book's lessons and insights are nothing short of amazing. Any book that starts with the following paragraph has got it nailed: "Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters." The four great themes he treats are Discipline, Love, Growth & Religion, and Grace. A worthwhile read, worth reading and thinking and discussing.

Another book high on the list is Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning". An account of a Holocaust survivor, he relates many of his experiences in such a vivid manner that it is difficult to forget for a long time afterward. His philosophy that analyzes the psychoanalytical aspects of his suffering puts all the difficulties and struggles of life into perspective, as well as the all-important need to have an overarching sense of purpose. The philosophy that results may not be the most well known (I frankly have not heard of logotherapy before or since) but there's a lot of good stuff here.

I would be remiss if I neglected that well-worn classic of Western Literature the Bible, and perhaps I assume too much from others when I make a comment quoting Agag the king of the Amelekites during a meeting ("Surely the bitterness of death is past"), but there is a lot of useful concepts there. I admit I'm something of a strange bird, combining a background in molecular biology with a comprehensive understanding of religion and church history. If the Bible hasn't shaped your thinking I'd say it's never too late to learn some of the literary riches it offers, not to mention how it puts the current political / economic / ethical world in which we live in context.

Only three books for now - and these are the first that come to mind. Others that are on my list will be posted in the future.

Comments

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[Biotech Insider]

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