Top Ten Books That Have Inspired Me
Categories: Emotional Health, Love, Mental Health, Personal Development, Recovery, Spiritual Health
When I look at posts about the top ten books of inspiration, they’ve always got the same drivel on them. Make a Million in 30 Minutes, Your Life is Awful-Let me Hypnotise You, Get Rich and get Rich Now….I know I’m being flippant but you get my drift. When I think of the books that have inspired me, they are a mix of fact, fiction and perosnal development. So here goes, my Top Ten Most Inspirational Books list (in no particular order)!
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
This was the first book that I read and understood and taught me the concept of Self Love. This book literally changed my life.
Making a Living Without A Job by Barbara Winter
An entire book written about the life I wanted…
Forget You Had a Daughter by Sandra Gregory
Sandra Gregory’s story of life in prison after getting arrested in Thailand in possession of drugs…
Teachings of life for everybody.
Single Mother on the Verge by Maria Roberts
Well socially observed story about life as a single parent, the strange relationships available and finding yourself amongst all the chaos.
Stuart, a life backwards by Alexander Masters
Beautifully observed and compelling book about Stuart Masters, a thief, homeless, alcoholic, lost man….told backwards to the age of 12 explaining most poignantly the life one might have to lead one to the life he now has and a life that will inevitably end early.
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach
“…people who know there’s more to this living thing than meets the eye; they’ll be with Jonathan Livingstone Seagull all the way.”
Laws of the Bandit Queens by Ali Smith
If ever I am to remembered in a book, I would want it to be a book about Bandit Queens. Oh yes!
The Four Faces Of Woman by Caroline Ward
A profoundly inspiring book about a woman’s spiritual journey.
Golly In The Cupboard by Phil Frampton
A moving story about Phil Frampton…growing up in the North West of England in the 50′s and 60′s, parentless in the care of Barnardos dealing with rejection, rascism, abuse and deception.
I hope you see something here that inspires you to read on.
Of these have only read “Forget you had a daughter” which was absorbing. Remember reading Richard Bach’s “The bridge across forever” years ago which I can’t remember in detail but made me think at the time. You’ve now set me thinking about mine……need to go ponder it! I’ll try not to put Tolley’s Yellow Tax Handbook on the list !!!
Ha! Yes…lay of the anything to do with HMRC :0) Forget you had a daughter certainly absorbed me. I loved it and there was much to learn from her experience… I was fascinated to discover that she found Durham Prison far worse than the Thailand prison…
I read Jonathan Livingstone Seagull recently, after you’d talked about it and then it started cropping up everywhere – it was astonishingand has stayed with me very firmly.
As has A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson which is *the* life-changing book for me and has infomred one of my core approaches when I’m coaching people. I think it’s just wonderful and if I could, I buy everyone in the world their own copy of it
x
I’ll look that one up Cathy, thank you x
A couple on this list I’ve got but not read so I’ll dig them out now!
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom is a bit cheesy but very inspiring, but the book I’ve been most inspired throughout my life is Lynne Reid Banks’ The L Shaped Room. It was written in the 60s and is very dated but I must have read it a dozen times and it has got me through some really rough times in life!
I love the L Shaped Room Alison…I read that book when I was about 17 and it will stay with me forever. Thanks for posting…I’d forgotten about that one.
OK here’s a few for a variety of reasons:
The Selfish Pig’s Guide to Caring (Hugh Marriott) – Despite a seemingly offputting title, this is a really practical & humourous guide to anyone who has a PIGLET (Person I Give Love & Endless Therapy too). An absolute must for anyone who has caring responsibilities and demonstrates the absolute need for the carer to care for themselves too and not feel guilty or selfish.
Go Ask Alice (Anon)- A controversial, often dark and uncomfortable read but a book I read as teenager that put me off drugs for life.
Self Help for your nerves & Peace from nervous suffering (Dr Claire Weekes) – Immensely helpful and practical book for anyone that has ever suffered from panic attacks. This woman suffered herself & devoted her life to researching and helping fellow suffererors.
The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat (Oliver Sacks)- A neurologist’s book of case studies which helps explain why people with a variety of brain disorders behave the way they do. A great insight for anyone close to someone with a brain condition.
My Land My People (Dalai Lama) – The extraordinary and inspiring life of the Dalai Lama and the history of Tibet and the Tibetan people’s fight for freedom.
I used to travel alot and I always read books along the way to give me a deeper insight into the countries I visited. Most of the following and many many more were books that had a profound effect on my during my travels:
When Broken Glass Floats (Chanrithy Him) – The harrowing memoirs of a girl in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, the hell of the Killing Fields, the loyalty of families and her survival and her determination to succeed and live life to the full despite this horrific start and her massive achievements in life since in helping others.
Red Lights & Green Lizards (Liz Anderson) – 2 English Doctors VSO experience helping women in Cambodia – fascinating insight for anyone passionate about this country.
Letters from Burma (Aung San Suu Kyi) – The story of one incredible woman’s dedication, humanity & commitment to democracy, peace & harmony in her country.
There are so many more I could add eg. Wild Swans (Jung Chang), The Bookseller of Kabul (Asne Seierstad) etc etc
Travels on my Elephant (Mark Shand) – A moving tale of a journey across India and the moving “love story” of Mark and Tara the elephant as their relationship develops. I love Elephants, although they seem to come from a prehistoric world they are incredibly emotional animals with seemingly strong sense of loyalties.
And for fiction that is inspiring thoroughly recommend The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
Hope some of the above may be of interest, help or inspiration to you xx