General Discussion

anciano

(1,940 posts)

6. In addition to "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer (a very insightful work),

Sun Aug 31, 2025, 11:39 AM

Aug 31

"The Age of Reason" by Thomas Paine provides a thought provoking look into the influence of organized religion on society, and "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius draws attention to the concept of universal oneness and the cyclical nature of all things.

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ultralite001 rurallib Heidi raging moderate

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Books that impacted your worldview? [View all] Heidi Aug 31 OP

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee cos dem Aug 31 #1

Thank you! That book was important for me, too. Heidi Aug 31 #2

Same. I went on to stufy róisín_dubh Aug 31 #22

Shocked me malaise Aug 31 #33

Gandhi: The Story of My Experiments with Truth ultralite001 Aug 31 #3

I will check that out! Heidi Aug 31 #4

Thanks for the reminder PatSeg Aug 31 #24

I try to read it once a year... ultralite001 Aug 31 #26

That's quite an endorsement PatSeg Aug 31 #29

Off the top of my head. Ping Tung Aug 31 #5

Catch-22 has a special place in my heart. Heidi Aug 31 #10

I first read it when I was in the marines in the early '60s. I laughed my ass of. Then I read it again. Ping Tung Aug 31 #11

He included a catch in every paragraph. Went mad cachukis Wednesday #155

I've finally met someone who has also read I Will Bear Witness! chia Sep 1 #66

I find it to be the very best book on what fascism/nazism is really about. Ping Tung Sep 1 #74

In addition to "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer (a very insightful work), anciano Aug 31 #6

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa - Walter Rodney malaise Aug 31 #7

Excellent list. Heidi Aug 31 #9

Early readings peggysue2 Aug 31 #8

I love good literary fiction, Heidi Aug 31 #16

Yup peggysue2 Aug 31 #21

Wasn't a book but I took a university class Tree Lady Aug 31 #12

Very, very formative experience, I agree. Heidi Aug 31 #14

I was raised Presbyterian and mostly Tree Lady Aug 31 #17

The Arms Of Krupp by William Manchester berniesandersmittens Aug 31 #13

Thank you! I'd forgotten "Animal Farm." Heidi Aug 31 #15

Animal Farm malaise Aug 31 #18

"All animals are equal, but some ... Whiskeytide Sep 1 #48

Machiavelli's The Prince TheProle Aug 31 #19

YES! Heidi Sep 1 #49

Of course! TheProle Sep 1 #116

Another vote from me for "The True Believer" by Hoffer. keep_left Aug 31 #20

Excellent recommendations! Heidi Sep 1 #50

You're welcome. keep_left Sep 1 #113

Open Veins of Latin America róisín_dubh Aug 31 #23

I haven't read Open Veins of Latin America. Heidi Sep 1 #51

Books from early life Dave says Aug 31 #25

Very interesting list, Dave says. Heidi Sep 1 #52

"Language in Thought and Action" by S. I. Hayakawa. Walleye Aug 31 #27

Isn't that the truth? Heidi Sep 1 #54

The Terrible Secret by Walter Laqueur BlueKota Aug 31 #28

This sounds fascinating! Heidi Sep 1 #57

The Real Book and Story justaprogressive Aug 31 #30

Just read the Wiki entry; will definitely be reading this novel. Heidi Sep 1 #58

What a great topic! MorbidButterflyTat Aug 31 #31

Two books I've never even heard about! Heidi Sep 1 #59

A few more: To Kill a Mockingbird; Spartacus; All Quiet on the Western Front Ping Tung Aug 31 #32

Both worth rereading. Heidi Sep 1 #61

Ben And Me, a children's book that made me curious about looking at history a bit deeper for what I may otherwise miss Attilatheblond Aug 31 #34

What a lovely gift from your daughter! Heidi Sep 1 #62

It IS a very cool introduction to Dr Franklin for kids. Lawson also wrote Mr Revere and I Attilatheblond Sep 1 #76

'A Theory of Justice' by John Rawls Celerity Aug 31 #35

+1 for Shock Doctrine and Art of War nt berniesandersmittens Aug 31 #41

Excellent recommendations, Celerity. Heidi Sep 1 #64

The Autobiography of Malcolm X. H2O Man Aug 31 #36

I was going to lead with that one myself NoPasaran Aug 31 #39

Love Carl Sagan MorbidButterflyTat Sep 1 #43

Absolutely agree! Heidi Sep 1 #65

A Team Of Rivals RainCaster Aug 31 #37

Thank you for the recommendation, RainCaster. Heidi Sep 1 #68

When I was young, Calvin & Hobbes and Doonesbury. meadowlander Aug 31 #38

There are all kinds of ways to learn. Heidi Sep 1 #72

Grapes of Wrath senseandsensibility Aug 31 #40

It was required reading in my family. Heidi Sep 1 #75

Tao Te Ching tinrobot Aug 31 #42

Thank you, tinrobot! Heidi Sep 1 #84

Don't laugh LeftInTX Sep 1 #44

Why would anyone laugh? Heidi Sep 1 #88

Thanks. My books aren't very sophisticated and were assigned reading. LeftInTX Sep 1 #91

Oh, hon. Heidi Sep 1 #95

I grew up in Wisconsin. I had a progressive education. LeftInTX Sep 1 #106

That makes you even *more* Heidi Sep 1 #108

One book turned my worldview upside down. Another Jackalope Sep 1 #45

Well, that seals it. Heidi Sep 1 #90

You'll regret it, but you won't regret it. Another Jackalope Sep 1 #119

Black Like Me. DiverDave Sep 1 #46

Yes indeed. Heidi Sep 1 #82

The Whole Earth Catalog BluesRunTheGame Sep 1 #47

Oh, wow! Heidi Sep 1 #81

Catcher in the Rye, or johnnyfins Sep 1 #53

I definitely need to reread The Catcher in the Rye Heidi Sep 1 #83

Zinn - A Peoples History of the US JanMichael Sep 1 #55

Can you believe that I first read The Handmaid's Tale Heidi Sep 2 #120

The Jungle displacedvermoter Sep 1 #56

Absolutely! Heidi Sep 1 #73

The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State - Weinstein bucolic_frolic Sep 1 #60

Thank you so much! Heidi Sep 2 #121

These are books about political change and shifting ideologies bucolic_frolic Sep 2 #131

A few JustAnotherGen Sep 1 #63

Thank you for your honesty, JustAnotherGen. Heidi Sep 1 #70

Thank you JustAnotherGen Sep 1 #99

Oh, don't *even* get me started Heidi Sep 1 #101

Wow, what a great story, wonderful! betsuni Sep 1 #114

Demon Haunted World Mz Pip Sep 1 #67

YES to all three! Heidi Sep 1 #97

The Straight Dope - Cecil Adams & The Book of Lists 1,2,3 Brainfodder Sep 1 #69

Will check 'em out! Heidi Sep 2 #122

Mine are kind of eclectic Mossfern Sep 1 #71

Excellent list, Mossfern! Heidi Sep 1 #79

When I was in grade 8, I read Frankenstein, then Rifles for Watie, then 1984 in the first month of school Swede Sep 1 #77

Stand Watie is a hero where I grew up Heidi Sep 1 #78

Autobiography of Malcolm X ALBliberal Sep 1 #80

Changed my worldview. Heidi Sep 1 #96

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson Scrivener7 Sep 1 #85

Omg! We ordered that two weeks ago Heidi Sep 1 #98

It's kind of devastating. I had to read it in sections and put it down at times. Scrivener7 Sep 1 #109

My high school English teacher had us read Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye KitFox Sep 1 #86

I'm so glad you're here, KitFox! Heidi Sep 1 #93

"The Uses of the Past: Profiles of Former Societies" Golden Raisin Sep 1 #87

Thank you! Heidi Sep 1 #94

1. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass, 2. The Life of Gandhi RandomNumbers Sep 1 #89

Thank you, RandomThoughts. Heidi Wednesday #152

Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein. I was in grade 6, 7, or 8. "Beginner's Mind, Zen Mind" Shunryu Suzuki in my 20's Bernardo de La Paz Sep 1 #92

Yup! Heidi Sep 1 #100

I added the zen book. Slim volume, comes with a fly. Bernardo de La Paz Sep 1 #102

Apostles of Disunion by Charles Dew. Sneederbunk Sep 1 #103

Nonfiction about the South is important to me. Heidi Sep 2 #123

Tnx. Sneederbunk Sep 2 #128

So many. Against Our Will - Susan Brownmiller; Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown; LoisB Sep 1 #104

LOVE James Baldwin! Heidi Sep 2 #124

Oh so do I. Baldwin should be required reading in every high school. You are very kind, thank LoisB Sep 2 #142

Computer Lib: Dream Machines, by Ted Nelson (and others, Buddhist in nature) usonian Sep 1 #105

Thank you, usonian! Heidi Sep 2 #126

Depends on what you mean by World View... WarGamer Sep 1 #107

Thank you! Heidi Sep 2 #130

still hard to believe it's an ancient text. WarGamer Sep 2 #132

Greath thread. Bookmarking to refer to it often for my booklist. Thanks! Scrivener7 Sep 1 #110

Also: EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! Heidi Sep 2 #133

Two books on the opposite spectrum LogDog75 Sep 1 #111

I'm not a huge sci-fi consumer, but I love Asimov. Heidi Wednesday #153

Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor Wiz Imp Sep 1 #112

LOVE ALL! Heidi Sep 2 #138

I can't really think of a book that impacted my worldview and I feel a little weird about it. betsuni Sep 1 #115

That's not weird. Heidi Sep 2 #134

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig Kid Berwyn Sep 1 #117

No words. Heidi Sep 2 #135

The Ox-Bow Incident Ping Tung Sep 1 #118

I *have* to read this! Heidi Sep 2 #136

Here's the full movie on Youtube. Ping Tung Sep 2 #140

You rock! Heidi Sep 2 #141

Love the part at the end, with Fonda reading that letter... (nt) Paladin Sep 2 #147

The New Testament GusBob Sep 2 #125

Thank you! Heidi Sep 2 #127

To kill a mockingbird uponit7771 Sep 2 #129

It was my awakening about racial injustice. Today, I have mixed feelings. Heidi Sep 2 #137

The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran spanone Sep 2 #139

This book was a gift to me Heidi Sep 2 #143

My mother gave it to me spanone Sep 2 #144

Slaughterhouse 5 and Weinberg's The First Nuclear Era... NNadir Sep 2 #145

Same here. Heidi Sep 2 #146

Feminism Unmodified by Catharine MacKInnon Stargleamer Sep 2 #148

I need to reread Catharine MacKinnon. Heidi Wednesday #157

"Be Here Now" by Babba Ram Das lark Sep 2 #149

Yes, and "Grist for the Mill." Heidi Wednesday #150

Actually, my favorite book of all time. FalloutShelter Wednesday #151

Yes, an absolutely beautiful opening line. Heidi Wednesday #156

Thanks for adding that Gatsby quote. FalloutShelter Wednesday #162

Wrapped in the flag samplegirl Wednesday #154

Ohhhhh, I just read the publisher's synopsis and will definitely buy this! Heidi Wednesday #159

Huck Finn Topomi Wednesday #158

I received--as a gift--my late high school American literature teacher's desk copy of "Huckleberry Finn." Heidi Wednesday #160

Hobbes - and I don't mean the stuffed tiger (though I do own the boxed C&H)... sir pball Wednesday #161

So many great recommendations! Heidi Wednesday #163

Avec plaisir! sir pball Wednesday #166

Have three favs. First is The Ugly American by William Lederer and Eugene allegorical oracle Wednesday #164

Agree on all three! Heidi Wednesday #165

Feminist works that impacted my worldview Heidi Thursday #167