Social tissues become cancerous when the duties of some are transformed into the rights of others.
– Nicolás Gómez DávilaThe man who believes that the secrets of the world are forever hidden lives in mystery and fear. Superstition will drag him down. But that man who sets himself the task of singling out the thread of order from the tapestry will by decision alone have taken charge of the world and it is only by such taking charge that he will effect a way to dictate the terms of his own fate.
– Cormac McCarthy - Blood MeridianTen Influential Books
These are 10 books that have had a big influence on me. I got the idea for doing this from this Ahsan’s site. What are ten books that have changed your life?
War and Peace - Tolstoy was my introduction to and first love in Russian Literature, a genre that has since enriched my life beyond measure.
Suicide of the West - Burnham helped me realize that when it comes to political philosophy, I know nothing. Am I a conservative? A liberal? Since reading this I feel I’m no longer ignorant of the meaning of the words but also that my ideology is shaky at best.
The Fabric of the Cosmos - Greene restored some of my faith in science and gave me a glimpse into the beauty and power in the very small and the very big in our universe.
The Gulag Archipelago - I’m only 1/2 done with Vol II, but I can tell this one will change the way I view politics, life and freedom. I don’t think I can ever feel justified in complaining about anything again.
The Power of Now - Generally, I don’t like New Age books. At all. Tolle is onto something though. There really is a power in living in the present moment, after all, what are the past and future really?
Rich Dad Poor Dad - The way I think about money is broken. Kiyosaki helps me fix that.
Economics in One Lesson - There is a lot of crap out there when it comes to the dismal science. Hazlitt presents the good stuff in a way that is very difficult to contest. After reading this (and similar books) I’m an Austrian through and through.
The Art of Learning - This is a beautiful book about the process of learning. It’s changed the way I drive, the way I play the banjo, the way I wash dishes and almost every other aspect of my life.
The Happiness Hypothesis - I don’t know if it’s because it’s an especially great book or just because this is where I first encountered a lot of what is positive psychology and… related topics. I’m not sure if I like or hate Haidt but the book definitely influenced me.
Getting Things Done - What’s the next action? Learning to break things up into actionable items has been an extremely powerful concept for me. It seems so simple, yet has cleared my head, enabled me to get things done and focus on the real stuff of life.
The forceps of our minds are clumsy forceps, and crush the truth a little in taking hold of it.
– H. G. Wells - Scepticism of the InstrumentI aint heard no voice, he said.
When it stops, said Tobin, you’ll know you’ve heard it all your life.
Is that right?
Aye.
– Cormac McCarthy - Blood MeridianWhen you don’t create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. Your tastes only narrow and exclude people. so create.
– _why
About Me
Upon which many were tumbled.
