Panel Discussion on Personally Influential Books

[Aegon]

Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

[Angrboda]

First and foremost, The Tao Te Ching by Laozi

Second, Neurophilosophy by Patricia Churchland

And to a lesser extent, Zhuangzi: Inner Chapters by Zhuangzi

[John V]

I'm not interested in the debate, but FWIW I would have gone with The Federalist Papers.

[Angrboda]

I'm not interested in the debate, but FWIW I would have gone with The Federalist Papers.

I've only read select papers, but that is a good choice, if not personally, but for its impact on my world.

[Aegon]

First and foremost, The Tao Te Ching by Laozi

Second, Neurophilosophy by Patricia Churchland

And to a lesser extent, Zhuangzi: Inner Chapters by Zhuangzi

I respect the Tao Te Ching but I really, really liked the Inner Chapters. Disproportionately so.

[Crossless2.0]

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl is important to me.

I was heavily influenced during a certain period of my life by Nietzsche and, I suppose, remain so. However, I say that with trepidation, since I find that people often jump to conclusions about where I'm coming from based on some cartoonish sense they have about his work. Let's just say my relationship with Nietzsche is complicated and based less on agreement than with my finding a sort of kindred spirit who helped me to consider a host of topics in ways that probably wouldn't have occurred to me on my own. Even when I vehemently disagree with him, which is often, I find his shifting positions (and his reasons for them) to be stimulating. My favorites among his books are Human, All Too Human, Daybreak, and Twilight of the Idols.

Montaigne's Essays are very nearly my favorite book.

Hannah Arendt's work has been important to me -- especially The Origins of Totalitarianism.

I don't know whether I will actively participate, though it sounds tempting. Given my work commitments and the resulting crazy sleep schedule I live on, I find it hard to sign up for a lot of things I might otherwise enjoy. I'll think about it. Even if I don't sign on, I look forward to reading the thread.

Great idea, Neo!

[Rev. Rye]

1. Catcher in the Rye
2. Brothers Karamazov
3. Essays and Aphorisms by Schopenhauer
4. Ulysses

[Peebothuhlu]

At work.

"Escher, Goddel and Bach. An eternal golden braid." Left quite the impression on me back in the day.

[Brian37]

Where's Waldo?

[Angrboda]

I forgot an important one.

On Lies, Secrets, And Silence by Adrienne Rich