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Original poster

Have you ever read a book which significantly changed your life?

42 replies

sorkycake · 20/12/2007 19:43

If so what was it and why did it change you so?

My most recent is John Holt's "why children fail" and a close second comes Alfie Cohn's "Unconditional love".

OP posts:
Monkeytrousers · 20/12/2007 21:09

yes, but none of them were works of fiction

lulalullabye · 20/12/2007 21:01

The celestine prophecy. Made me realise that it is ok to but in if you really have something to say, politely though !

Swedes2Turnips1 · 20/12/2007 20:53

How To Spot a Right-on Thread If Ever There Was One
by Imfartoo Shallow-Clearly.
'mazing read.

frostythesnowmum · 20/12/2007 20:53

Mine is The Rules too

Borrowed a friends copy and passed it on - all in all six of us did it at the same time about 8 years ago:
4 of us married our next boyfriend (though one is now divorced!)
1 of us is still with her next partner but as they don't want kids the wedding part has never come up - they do live together though.
1 of us is still single and has a shit time with men - she never stuck to The Rules properly though and has paid the price ever since

Now whenever a friend gets dumped or divorced I buy them a copy

Tommy · 20/12/2007 20:48

I'm rather to admit that it was The Rules - how to get him to marry you (or something like that!)

It wasn't just about sexual relationships athough I did practise them on a couple of blokes and - hey ho, married one of them but there was also quite a bit on friendships and I realised that there was one friendship I had where I did all the running and it had got me very upset and I managed to sort that out.

Kathyate6mincepies · 20/12/2007 20:45

Bad Food Britain by Joanna Blythman changed my shopping/eating habits, which I suppose is pretty significant.

Otherwise I could say The Second Sex because it was the first feminist book I read, but OTOH I think I would have been a feminist no matter what I read.

moondog · 20/12/2007 20:42

That must be a reprint.
Due to phenomenal demand created by me bleating about it continually on MN I am sure.

Original poster
sorkycake · 20/12/2007 20:41

try abebooks snaf, it's where I head for outta print, hard to find books.

OP posts:
Snaf · 20/12/2007 20:39

Yes, have just seen on amazon that new ed isn't out until Aug 08. Bugger. Will scour around and try ABM too, ta moondog!

moondog · 20/12/2007 20:37

It's fantastic.
Bloody hard to get hold of at the moment though-try through Assoc. of Breastfeeding Mothers' website.

Snaf · 20/12/2007 20:36

Right, that's the 47th time I have seen that Gabrielle Palmer book mentioned on here - am ordering it right now.

moondog · 20/12/2007 20:34

The Politics of Breastfeeding Gabrielle Palmer

No Logo Naomi Klein

Snaf · 20/12/2007 20:33

Spiritual Midwifery.

It was very inspiring at a time when I really needed inspiration (and still is, actually).

I had a very strong, visceral reaction to it, and that in itself persuaded me I was on the right road, iyswim. I don't think it changed me, it just revealed bits of me that were previously very well hidden

accessorizemybaublessanta · 20/12/2007 19:51

Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. I think I should read it again right now actually! I'm just too cautious and inward, I love books (and movies) which make you want to soar.

Original poster
sorkycake · 20/12/2007 19:48

I'm going to store these up and spend my Christmas Waterstones vouchers on them.
Both my chosen books were a revelation for my own childhood memories and spurred me to change the way I parent to avoid the same mistakes. If there is one gift I would love this Christmas it's the reassurance that I don't parent the same way I was parented, priceless
Thank you sm

OP posts:
Shitemum · 20/12/2007 19:45

Which btw is about the modern world's effects on our children and what we can do to palliate them.

Shitemum · 20/12/2007 19:44

Toxic Childhood