Most influential Books you've read

[Baby Hercules]

exorcism movies have no effect on me

Sooooooooo true! Most horror stories out there have their roots in religious fairytales, so if you don't buy into the fairytale, the scary parts are pretty silly. Very freeing. A lot of horror movies turn into comedies.

Baby Herc

[robert]

I read a ton of nonfiction books in many categories. The most influential to me were Super Rich by Russell Simmons and Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness by Robert Cheeke.

Wow! Thanks so much for the shout out!

I really appreciate it!

[AlexNLP]

I read a lot of books these days. So there are so many. But if I am to choose one, no doubt that would be anything by Anthony Robbins. He made me wanna change every single area in my life. One of my biggest role models.

[starling1]

Nothing to do with vegetarianism or veganism, but probably Mrs Dalloway (Virginia Woolf).
With respect to temporality, I will say that this book is an absolute masterpiece.

That, and generally everything Kurt Vonnegut ever wrote.

[VeganEssentials]

Two of the best books I've ready lately: Under the Bar and Raising the Bar by Dave Tate, former top-level powerlifter and founder of Elite Fitness Systems. Great books for helping find one's center and learning to balance life between business and pleasure without losing your identity, something I've needed help with for a long time. Haven't felt this motivated after reading books by the guru du jour who claims to be able to help one find more harmony in their life, guess I just needed to read something by someone who has been to hell and back themselves vs. someone who only relays the stories of other people. Anyone who works for themselves and finds that they're not able to hold it down well enough and maintain happiness can definitely benefit from Dave Tate's writing!

[Rawmatt]

David Jubb's Lifefood recipe book. First book handed to me and been 100% Raw from then on.

[crashnburn]

Building the Gymnastic Body - Coach Christopher Sommers.
www.facebook.com/GymnasticBodies
www.gymnasticbodies.com

[Biglance]

The china study
Eat to live
How to win friends and ifluence people
The godfather
The enzyme project
The complete idiots guide to plant based foods

[msmoon]

Slaughterhouse by Gail Eisnitz and Howard Lyman's Mad Cowboy were influential when I was transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. Work has crept into my reading time, but a book that made a lasting impression was Planetwalker by John Francis. Part travel journal, part sketchbook, it's an interesting memoir about a guy who walked around North America in silence for over 15 years.

[KarakD.]

exorcism movies have no effect on me

Sooooooooo true! Most horror stories out there have their roots in religious fairytales, so if you don't buy into the fairytale, the scary parts are pretty silly. Very freeing. A lot of horror movies turn into comedies.

Baby Herc

idk - H.P. Lovecraft rocks my boat.

[adrianisgnarly]

Currently reading "Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness" by Robert Cheeke.

[Fallen_Horse]

The Story of Stuff:How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health - and a Vision for Change
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Stuff-Obsession-Communities-Health/dp/143912566X

The Age of Absurdity: How Modern Life Makes it Hard to be Happy
http://www.amazon.com/Age-Absurdity-Modern-Makes-Happy/dp/1847396275

Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Life-Everything-Healthy-Plant-Based/dp/0738214930/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325803661&sr=1-1

[donniedarko]

children of the matrix
third reich of the rich
crimethinc
tao of physics
society of the spectacle

might not be for everyone but made me wake up

[joelbct]

As for Veganism, what convinced me was the images and sounds in Meat your Meat, followed by hearing Gene Bauer speak, followed by coming across this very website of vegan athletes 7 years ago. The video was more powerful than all the books in the world could have been...

For non-vegan influential books, I may have posted on this thread years ago, but here is my list now:

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations
Basically a journal of brief philosophical musings.

Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris' books had a lasting impact.

For fiction, William Gibson, Gary Shteyngart, Jonathan Ames, to name a few....

[KarakD.]

The Story of Stuff:How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health - and a Vision for Change
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Stuff-Obsession-Communities-Health/dp/143912566X

OOOooo! I like that one. Thanks for the link.