Last year on my birthday (August 15) I asked people to recommend a book or movie that really made them think, and had an impact on their life. I read about 10-15 of the recommended books, which were excellent. Some of the ones I remember off the top off my head are listed below.

So, again, this year, as a hello/present, I’d love to get a recommendation here (or preferably on my facebook) for a book (or movie or music album) that you read / watched / listened to in the past that really made you think, or even changed the way you view the world. It would mean a lot to me. Thanks guys.

Book recommendations I read from last year (and still remember) are:

• “Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior”
• “God Delusion” by Dawkins
• “Reading Turgenev” by Trevor
• “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• “All Quiet on the Western Front” (finally)
• “Down and Out in Paris and London” by Orwell
• “Ham on Rye” by Bukowski
• “Cod” by Kurlansky
• “Catch-22″ (finally)
• “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bryson

There are many book recommendation that I haven’t gotten to but will definitely read soon:

• “Stalin: Court of the Red Czar”
• “The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia”
• “Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”
• “The Culture Struggle” by Michael Parenti
• “The Power of One” by Courtenay

And many more that I’m forgetting now, but have it written down at work. Thanks again, it’s remarkable how many intelligent people I know, and also how many exceptional books are out there. Constantly reading, learning, thinking is essential. I believe that a life of inquiry is a life worth living.