It used to be that people would spend their free time doing things that required a little concentration and effort. Now, we see hundreds of people every day who are pushing a screen with their thumb, not likely to remember anything they’re seeing.
A meme or an Instagram post might have a little short-term value, but if you feel like making a change to your habit of scrolling without purpose, consider picking up a book and digging in.
Books allow us to reflect, concentrate, and learn things about ourselves and the world. In many cases, books are just waiting to change our minds, make us happier, and put us in touch with ideas that will stick with us throughout life.
For your new expedition into reading, we’ve compiled a list of 10 books that will change your life.
Books That Will Change Your Life
Each book will hit everyone differently, but there are a number of texts that people almost universally appreciate, and those are the ones we’re covering here. If any of the books in this list strike you, do yourself a favor and just order it online.
There’s nothing stopping you, and most books can be found used for less than ten dollars. Enjoy!
1. The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and popularized by a movie starring Leonardo Dicaprio, is a timeless book. Themes of love, power, ambition, and introspection all come through the pages, leaving a vivid impression on the reader’s imagination.
While opinions vary, most people take the text to be a beautiful critique of the American dream. It also offers a number of perspectives that are easy to empathize with, making the reader reflect on their own thoughts and ambitions.
2. Brave New World
Aldous Huxley’s masterpiece, Brave New World, is an almost prophetic depiction of a future where people are minimized to narrow, controlled paths. People are created in castes, mindsets are carefully controlled, and there are a lot of safeguards for people who think differently.
The book is a prediction of the future, one where humanity is limited to the things that the power structures provide for them.
There’s a pervading sense that humanity still has a worth that can’t be contained, though, and that the human spirit will continuously reach out to be set free.
3. Chronicles: Volume One
This autobiography by Bob Dylan reads like an extended beat poem, cut in the tone of one of the 21st century’s greatest poets. You may have a problem with the tone of Dylan’s singing voice or the style of music that he plays, but you must respect the fact that this Nobel Laureate broke popular music open and changed it forever.
This book details his upcoming, his mindset as a young man, and some of the trials that he endured as he went through the sixties.
You can take a lot of inspiration from knowing how great people became who they were, realizing that they were not all that different from yourself once.
4. Ego and Archetype
Written by Edward Edinger, Ego and Archetype covers a lot of ground in the field of Jungian psychology. Edinger gives us an idea of what dreams might mean and how they relate to our mythology and culture as a whole.
What is interesting, though, is that the grander areas of our culture may boil down to something that we all contain.
The book covers a number of religions and how they relate to archetypes, myth, and the human soul. It’s definitely a good choice if you’re looking for spirituality but don’t believe in a specific religion.
5. Peace is Every Step
This book, written by the Vietnamese monk, Tich Nhat Hanh, will give you an avenue to explore the vast, peaceful areas of your mind. In his own simple way, Hanh relays huge ideas with the simplest metaphors.
There’s no belief required to enjoy this book, only the concentration to sit down and observe yourself.
6. As a Man Thinketh
If you’re feeling as though you don’t have a good structure in your life, you may want to pick this book up. As a Man Thinketh gives a guide to structuring your thoughts into a strong, vigorous order.
It’s a short one, too, so you can get to the good stuff right away.
7. Life of Pi
You may have seen the movie rendition of this book, but not many people have read the text. It tells the story of a boy who has been stranded at sea, joined by a zebra, Bengal tiger, and an orangutan.
It may seem like a silly story, but the book provides a lot of deep insights into the struggles and journeys of individual people and the way that they cope with difficult situations.
8. The Art of Happiness
The Dalai Lama’s book, The Art of Happiness, comes from one of the world’s happiest and peaceful people. Who better to take advice from than the leader of the Buddhist faith?
The book covers a lot of ground, guiding you on handling negative thoughts and making an attempt to extend compassion to everyone you meet.
9. The Stranger
Albert Camus’, The Stranger, is an exploration of the absurd, and how a human can reasonably face it. It is written almost like a memory and gives the personal account of a man who is faced with a mundane and beautiful life that he just can’t pin down.
10. Candide
The language in this book might be a little dusty at first, as the text was written in 1759, but you’ll soon learn to enjoy it. This story, written by Voltaire, gives us an example of someone who has their rose colored glasses removed and get’s a glimpse at the realities of life.
Everyone can relate to that feeling, and this book explores the ideas that are associated with this sort of coming of age.
Want to Improve Your Life in Other Ways?
There’s always a little room to “trim some fat” off our lives. There are a lot of books that will change your life, but there are a lot of other things you can do to help yourself as well.
If you’re interested in improving yourself, we have the information you need.