So it seems as though everyone likes to make lists as the year ends. The top 10 this, the top 20 that. And it makes me realize that I have been meaning to put a list out there for those of you who might find some of my points of view interesting-a book list! I have compiled a list of my Top 10 Most Influential Books thus far in my life-in no particular order. There are dozens more that would make it easily into my "favorite" list, but these are those books that parts of which will pop into my mind at times and help me to make choices or to relate to something differently.
Many of the books I have chosen to share are controversial in the sense that there is a line blurred between fiction and non-fiction, and the media has been fond to point this out. Rather than try to weed out what is 100% true or not, I simply enjoy taking the beautiful messages from each. We always have the choice of what to keep and what to leave behind. What I can say 100% is that these books left behind a profound shaping of my current life. I would love to hear about your favorites too so please do share!
Enjoy &Happy 2012!
- Essays on Death and Dying by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. I found this book in a box in the attic when I was about 16. I read it and it changed my life. I remember crying and crying as Dr. Kubler-Ross described her experiences working with dying children. Their accounts of what they saw as they were near death moved me so deeply. My quest for understanding the mysteries around life and death started here and continue today.
- The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Another tear-jerker for me (at the time). I first tried to read this around the same time as the above. I have two uncles who are ministers and on our family summer vacation that year it was the hot topic. But it wasn't until a friend gave me a copy when I was 21, just weeks after the passing of my brother in a car accident, that the book not only made sense, but made a big impact. It is written as a fictional book but the message is quite beautiful. There are more books in the series, some I have read and some not. I have enjoyed them all.
- The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. Simply amazing. Read each line again and again-never gets old. Full of wisdom. A gift from a friend-thanks Andrea!
- Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. This was a book I had heard of but up until my Peace Corps experience hadn't read. Thankfully another volunteer found a copy in our library and strongly suggested I read it (thanks Maryam!). It was the perfect story for me at the time and I am sure I will read it again and again, as it confronts the issues of living IN the world vs. OF the world. A topic I can't seem to get enough of!
- The Witch of Portabello by Paulo Coelho. I actually read this Coelho book before his more famous one, the next on the list. My roommate when I lived in Providence just loved him and had a bunch of his books. The Alchemist was on loan so I read this one. I still often think about that girl, twirling on stage, bringing her magical energies to every business, practice, and town she traveled.
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Another book of magic! An adventure for sure, but with a beautiful message around dreams and destiny.
- Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (as translated by Stephen Mitchell). Just as with The Prophet I can open this book at any time and gain some new insight, some fantastic reminder, some wisdom-imparting knowledge. There are many translations of the Tao and some can be quite different from others. I like the messages in this one and it was given to me by a friend while I was living and studying at the Yoga Farm in California. (Thanks Gary!)
- Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras. Pantanjali is the author but there are a vast number of books out there by the great yogic sages with translations and commentaries . I can't say that I have sat and read all 194 sutras, but the study and dispersion of the wisdom from them has molded my life significantly. This is where we obtain wisdom of Raja Yoga, the Eight Limbs of Yoga, and henceforth the Asana practice so many of us partake in today!
- Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford. If you have ever had a health problem that no matter what you did, who you talked to, you couldn't get to the bottom of, then you would understand how I felt at 25 when I was covered with hives. Taking my health into my own hands, I enlisted an acupuncturist and signed up for a holistic health training course. One of the books we received in the course was this one and it completely changed my view of how both food and emotions help or hinder our health. I don't follow this book's philosophy 100% but know that in times of need health-wise, this will always be one of the first places I go.
- Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan. Another controversial one but again, one that shaped how I see the world. I think I found this in the same box as book #1. (I am thinking it was books from my older sister's college philosophy classes...) This book explores one women's journey with an aboriginal tribe and their relationship to the Earth and to the world of spirit. It's quite beautiful regardless of whether it is based on a true story or not.
Wishing you all the joy, love, and peace in the world and beyond.
XOm
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