What Has Been the Most Influential Book in Your Life?
Has there been one book that has really changed or shaped you? Is there one book that you are continually recommending to others?
For me, I would have to say that is C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. It is not just the content of the book, although that is fantastic, but the way in which Lewis communicates. Part of this is because it began as a series of BBC talks. What I like about it is that is intellectually sound but is not communicated in an overly academic manner. There is a reason why this book has had so much impact over the generations.
What about you? What is the book that has the most impact on you?
Since many of my readers are Christians, let’s take the Bible as a given. Other than the Bible, what book has really shaped you?
Leave your comment here on this blog post (as opposed to social media where you might find this) and I will compile a list of the most influential books. Thanks for your participation!
Mine’s the same. I was impressed by the way he built up his argument, first arguing for ”a Something”.
”Do not think I am going faster than I really am. I am not yet within a hundred miles of the God of Christian theology. All I have got to is a Something which is directing the universe, and which appears in me as a law urging me to do right and making me feel responsible and uncomfortable when I do wrong.”
By far, Mere Christianity was the most influential book in my life. I’ve read it twice and listened to it on audiobook and written summaries of different sections of the book for a newsletter. Every time I read it I’m blown away with how insightful Lewis is.
Of course the book that most changed my life was the Bible, specifically Paul’s epistle to the Romans but the book that made the biggest change in how I act is a single chapter (10) in Love God With All Your Mind by J.P. Moreland. For years, I was frustrated by the anti-intellectualism within the church. Yes there were scholars doing amazing work in many areas related to the faith but that work wasn’t translating down into the pews or even into the majority of the books available in the local Christian bookstore. In chapter 10 Moreland laid out practical ideas of how to change that culture. From the first day I read those suggestions I have worked to implement them. Finally having found a church open to these ideas, we are seeing radical changes in people.
One book: Knowing God by JI Packer. Theological but practical.
One author: Philip Yancey. I’ve read many books by Yancey, and his honest writing about faith has really helped and influenced me. But can’t really choose one book.
Animal Farm and Will Lane’s NICNT commentary on Mark.
I would have to say I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Frank Turek and Norman L. Geisler. I read it while going through some serious doubts about my faith and was backsliding. That book really helped to strengthen my faith. It was the first book on apologetics I ever read.
Definitely C.S. Lewis’ Mere Cristianity, The Problem of Pain, and Miracles. Highly influential especially during my undergrad.
Karl Barth’s Prayer, Evangelical Theology: An Introduction, and The Christian Life. I did my MA thesis on Barth’s understanding of the Lord’s Prayer.
A.W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy. A great devotional classic on God’s attributes.
Eugene Peterson has been a favourite writer of mine, especially his five volume series on spiritual theology that began with Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.
I also read a lot of Canadian philosopher George Grant while in my undergrad and grad years. Was impacted at the time by his analysis of modernity.
The one book that made the biggest impact on my business life so far has been EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey. There are many more, but this book was the catalyst of improving my business acumen.
For life change, one book strongly comes to mind. When I first became a pastor, I purchased “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” by Philip Yancey. It opened with a story about a prostitute doing some pretty heinous activities to get enough money for drugs. When asked why she wouldn’t got to a church for help, she said, “Why would I go there? I feel bad enough already!” I swore that day our church would be a church of grace, never judgment; a church where sinners would feel welcomed, loved and invited to the Savior. From there the book continued to challenge me – nearly daring me to turn the next page. It truly altered my thinking.
Lewis’ Mere Christianity and Golding’s Lord Of The Flies. LOTF gave me one of my earliest and best metaphors for man’s depravity.