Posted on 05/01/2018 3:18:41 PM PDT by Simon Green
Here's one that definitely influenced me: "Red Planet" by Robert A. Heinlein.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Planet_(novel)
It's the first novel I can recall reading, around age 8 or so. It was the start of a lifelong love of speculative fiction, and Heinlein's Libertarian(ish) philosophy certainly put its imprint on me.
(The main chsracter's father discusses getting a pistol permit for his daughter. The grandfather chimes in:)
"That a free citizen should have to go before a committee, hat in hand, and pray for permission to bear arms - fantastic! Arm your daughter, sir, and pay no attention to petty bureaucrats."
That's my #2.
Anthem, by Ayn Rand.
My fourth grade teacher (who I was madly in love with) gave me a copy, and told me that I was either going to embrace freedom or crime. Some people make a difference in influencing your life. She was one of those. God bless her.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven.
Bible.
The Medium Is The Message, by Marshall McLuhan. It explains the different impacts between radio and television. I heard Rush Limbaugh talking all around the issue of how radio impacts people a few days ago, and realized McLuhan had explained the whole thing in 1967.
Television is a “cool” medium, whereas radio is a “hot” medium, addressing or appealing to the tribalism inherent in humans.
One Second After is a great book, too.
It was a blog and you'll have to bow down and pay me some clicks.
The Gulag Archipelago. I got an abridged copy from my college roommate. It opened my eyes completely about communism and made me realize what Ronaldus Magnus was fighting against. It was instrumental in me embracing conservatism as a college sophomore. Thanks for making me read that Dave!
Oh yeah, One Second After scared the crap out of me too, Mathews.
Alas, Babylon. By Pat Frank, 1959. One of the first paperback novels that I remember reading. Liked it so much, I also read “Forbidden Area, by the same author. Those two got me started on a lifetime of reading.
The Word of God; and if many more Americans would study it, and apply His precepts, it would renew our republic!
“The Circus of Adventure,” by Enid Blyton. It was the first real book I read on my own. It was so exciting that I pretended to go to bed, only to get up later to continue reading. I then read everything I could find by that author. It kick-started a lifetime habit.
Atlas Shrugged, in 1969.
JC Whitney parts catalog!
“The Only Dance There Is,” Dam Daas.
“1984”
“Animal Farm”
“Atlas Shrugged”
Oops Ram Daas
Gulag
I call the Bible the owners manual. It has multiple meanings when you think about it.
I guess it sounds a bit silly but another book or rather series of books which influenced me were the James Bond books.
I applied to the CIA and got a form letter, “Thanks but we are not hiring now”. Eventually did go into an interesting field.
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