Inspiring Books.

What kind of books inspire you?

I still remember years ago when I read "Gitanjali" by Tagore for the first time. It's inspiring collection in every sense.

The first book that truly inspired me was Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. In time it led me to Zen Flesh, Zen Bones compiled by Paul Reps. Two other books rank: Aion by Carl Jung and Science & Human Behavior by B F Skinner

I don't read much anymore, unfortunately. Not that many books inspire me as a result. I guess one that I really enjoyed that I read relatively recently is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. There was a film made a few years ago, directed by the author (Stephen Chobsky) so it was a good representation of the book. I think I got a mini flash of inspiration and wrote a poem or two not long after reading the book.

^ Have seen Perks and loved the film but have not read the book yet.

I really enjoyed Girl Interrupted (movie and book which both have neat variations). I'm in the middle of It's Kind of a Funny Story and The Impossible Knife of Memory which are both thought-provoking. On my list to read is a Paulo Coelo book though. I've read quite a few of his quotes and found them inspiring.

And anything by C.S. Lewis or Tolkien!

Is the Coelo book "Veronika Decides to Die?"

It is excellent!

Best book I ever read and it probably saved my life, "the autobiography of Malcom X

Larry, I have wanted to read that! I came across the film adapted from the book a month ago. It moved me a lot.

Bob, I was happy that the recorder of Malcom X's autobiography later authored Roots.

MA: I'm sure you are fully immersed in the Narnia series, but have you also read the Ransom Trilogy?

I read the Warrior of the Light only. the English version of his books not much available in my area. I think the Secret (which is fantastic book) by Rhonda Byrne is much influenced by Coelho's writing.

No, I haven't, Larry. Will have to check it out though!

Can't wait to start reading Coelho.

What kind of books inspire you?
Anything written by Hafiz or Rumi is beyond inspirational but if I have to choose something from this dull existence I have to go with The Spiritual Brain

The last books that inspired me are books by the artist and photographer JR titled 'Can Art Change the World' and 'Women are Heroes' and 'Face 2 Face'. These books not only show JR's intentions to change the world through art displayed in a public setting (the streets of many countries around the world), but also his underlining concepts of freedom limits and what he calls 'art and act'.

'Face 2 Face' depicts his journey when he created a pretty brave and illegal exhibition. I was inspired by his courage as an artist but more so his conceptual thinking when he took portraits of Israelis and Palestinians and pasted them up side by side in the cities and most shockingly on the separation barrier.

'Women are Heroes' documents his intentions to pay tribute to women who are often targets during conflict. The portraits he took of these women were pasted up every where, on walls in the streets, on buses, flights of stairs, he even managed to paste them on a variety of buildings so that when you look at the city from a distance, you see only their gaze looking back at you.

He doesn't stop there either. He has created a global event where he asks the world to become involved by sharing their own portraits and a statement of what they stand for. They can email him their portrait and he will then send back to them everything they need to be part of the movement. Easy to see why I was inspired by his books.

I think art indeed can change the world. Isn't it the photo of the Syrian child "Aylan" that drew the attention of the whole world to the tragedy of the Syrian refugees?

I'll be looking for JR's books, thank you very much for highlighting him.

Koan I'm almost mad about Hafiz and Rumi. they are a great source of inspiration.

"The wings of fire" by our former president "A.P.J Abdul Kalam" is truly a master piece. It is so damn inspiring.
There's another one
......."My experiments with truth" by "Mahatma Gandhi"

I read more inspirational books as a child than I ever have as an adult. Mainly because I spent most of my adult life being a workaholic with only the time to read fantasy books.

I know that Enid Blyton books have fallen out of fashion for various reasons but from her books I learnt about honour, honesty and doing the right thing, being generous and kind, the strength of friendships and putting others before yourself. That nothing is insurmountable and good will always win in the end

"The discovery of India" by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru is inspiring in the true sense.

I have read "The Forty Rules Of Love", a novel by Elif Safak last month. I can't say I'm in agreement with most of the thoughts there, still it's very inspiring book and I strongly recommend it.

My favorite of the moment is to kill a mockingbird. The novel is renowned for its warmth and humor, despite dealing with serious issues of rape and racial inequality. The narrator's father, Atticus Finch, has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers. One critic explained the novel's impact by writing, "In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and its protagonist, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism. I like quotes atticus finch in this nowel like this https://freebooksummary.com/quotes-a...us-finch-82804

Is that a movie o never read the book but saw the movie

Currently reading Stephanie Foo's memoir, "What My Bones Know". Really love her voice and it sheds a light on C-PTSD, which a lot of people in the medical field don't acknowledge yet since it's not an official diagnosis. Powerful, emotional story that has made me feel less alone and she has some fantastic insight on mental health.

Temple Grandin, Thinking in Pictures.
It brings my autistic mentality into focus brilliantly.