Six Books that have Influenced Me

oskilo85 By oskilo85, 20th May 2015 | Follow this author | RSS Feed
Posted in Wikinut>Writing>Columns & Opinions

The books we read tend to influence us; whether positively or negatively, it is posterity's place to judge. I list here several books that have affected my world (not all of them, mind you) if you disagree with me, please remember; it is my own opinion. Enjoy

Six Books that have Influenced Me

I picked my first non prescribed book when I was in primary school, around 1990 or there about. From then on, I have not stopped reading till date. I have had issues with my parents: did you ever picked a school textbook and in the middle you put a James Hardly Chase or a Sydney Sheldon, Harold Robbins, Robert Ludlum, James Patterson, etc? I did (made them go mad); my school teachers: reading an awesome novel while a class was ongoing ( was reported to my parents and school authorities several times) and my friends, who were irritated by my toting a book about and opening it in odd places or while they were saying something important.
(Tore some of my novels too)

My romance with novels and books in general still burns unabated. I have finally evolved to ebooks with collections to make people go green with envy (sorry). From Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories to Stephen Kings' horrors; from the fantasy of Lewis Carroll's Alice in the Wonderland to the fantasy of robert Jordan's huge epic, Wheel of Time; from the timeless Illiad to the fearful 48 Laws of Power; I have ebooks in different genres, some I have not looked at in ages or at all.

Some books that I have read have influenced my thinking, the way I see the world and what I make important in life. It is truly good, I must say this, to read carefully and selectively. This is because books are very subversive. Yes! That might sound negative but its the truth. Books will get under your skin, make you think, make you think more and then make you take an action. That's subversive! Anyway, there are good books and bad books; there are books that improve, books that distract, books that give you power and books that take everything from you.

BOOKS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED ME
The books that I have read are numerous, but certain books have held me captive over time. These books have affected my life in different ways. Please note that this is my personal opinion and I am in no way marketing any of the books below. Besides these books market themselves.

1. The Holy Bible: Book of Proverbs- this particular book I have read numerous times. The wisdom in it is unarguably first class. It changed my thinking on money, debt, relationship and family. A really great read.
(Recommended)

2. The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason- this awesome book is second to no other in the money management sub genre. The systems taught in this book are so simple, you will feel so ashamed, you did not know it. Whether you have access to a fund manager or not, you can make, spend and invest your money properly following the laid down laws stated in the book. Its a must read for the spendthrift (recommended)

3. 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene- this is one book I am never comfortable reading. It is a book that teaches systems of belief that lots of people will not openly ascribe to, but it tells the truth about the psychology of man and I love the historical references. I warn that following the laws stated in the book might cost you but if you want the ruthless road to success, this is the book for you.....*winks*

4. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins- considered by certain quarters to be the first detective novel,this novel was and for me still is a tour de force in the detective genre. The novel captivated me again and again. (Almost stole it from my uncle's study..yes, I was that desperate). This novel opened my eyes to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries; made me loan a huge volume of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories from my school library while my second year exams were ongoing ( never mind, I passed all my courses). Great read (recommended)

5. George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire- of all the book mentioned so far besides 48 laws of power, this is another title or work, you will not catch me reading. It simply was the first true fantasy novel I read, I mean the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones. I know it is all the rage and all, but Ned Stark's death dampened my mood. Any way it is this book not The Lord of the Rings trilogy that made me read great fantasy books like robert jordan's wheel of time (read it twice), Steven Erikson's Malazan, Book of Fallen (great read), Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker, Elantris, Way of Kings, Words of Radiance (cool books) and so on. I thank Martin for introducing me to fantasy books but I will never touch the series or watch episodes of it on cable tv until I can accept the fact that there are no heroes.

6. Ben Okri's The Famished Road- this is a love affair. I don't have this novel, I saw it on my university library's book shelf in the literature section. I picked it and devoured it from front to back. This was before we made use of it in one of our courses. The blend of surrealism, mysticism, african traditional beliefs, myths, superstitions, etc was awesome plus the book had great dialogue and action. During my four years in the university, I read that book until I knew where every copy was on the bookshelf and which one was still perfectly preserved. I finally ended up using it as the text for my final year project. Lovely read. (Recommended)
CONCLUSION
If I go on, I might need to write a book..lol. The books mentioned above are, as I said earlier, based on my own personal opinion. If you don't find books you like here, do not feel bad, I don't like all the books here but they all have influenced me.
Do not stop reading good books; they will make you much more; not just a walking dictionary but a knowledgeable fellow that can hold his or her own on any topic the world over. Peace.

Tags

Books, Ebooks, Education, Fantasy, Finances, Growing Up, Intellectual Development, Reading, Wisdom

Meet the author

author avatar oskilo85
I am an amateur poet, writer, amateur blogger, social critic, teacher and book junkie. My writings are focused on literature, social issues, entertainment and politics

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author avatar Sivaramakrishnan A
21st May 2015 (#)

Good that you have read many good books as nowadays that habit is tough to practice due to many distractions - siva

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author avatar oskilo85
21st May 2015 (#)

yes. the internet and daytime TV being the major culprits.

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