Sunday, July 10, 2005

Most Influential Books

In 1991 there was a list in Parade Magazine entitled, “The top ten most influential books.” The authors of the list surveyed Book of the Month Club members and Library of Congress users and asked them, “What one book most influenced your life?” Here they are: (There are actually thirteen because four tied for the last spot.)

1) The Bible

2 ) Atlas Shrugged
- Ayn Rand

3) The Road Less Traveled
- M. Scott Peck

4) To Kill a Mockingbird
- Harper Lee

5) The Lord of the Rings
- J.R.R. Tolkien

6) Gone With the Wind
- Margaret Mitchell

7) How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Dale Carnegie

8) The Book of Mormon

9) The Feminine Mystique
- Betty Friedan

9) Gift From the Sea
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

9) Man's Search for Meaning
- Viktor Frankl

9) Passages
- Gail Sheehy

9) When Bad Things Happen to Good People
- Harold Kushmen

I feel bad because I have only read 4 of these all the way through. Can you guess which 4?

I've read parts of most, and saw the movie versions of three. (I DO NOT count the "movie" version of "The Book of Mormon Movie" because technically it was not a movie, just a roadshow on steriods.)

At least I have heard of all of them and their authors. I have some work cut out to do. (Isn't it cool that the BoM is on it??!!)


3 Comments:

At 7/11/2005 5:41 PM, Blogger Becca said...

I'll bet we've read the same four books.

 
At 7/22/2005 5:31 AM, Blogger Conrad Deitrick said...

I've read four.

Um, and probably the same exact four as the rest of you (Bible, BoM, TKaM, and LotR).

We're a predictable bunch...

 
At 7/22/2005 7:33 AM, Blogger word sneezer said...

Ahh, but mine are different! Not as predictable as you thought. But your are right on three of them, so I guess we are fairly predictable. I've never read LoTR. There. I admit it. It's hard to admit that in this family!

 

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