What makes a book influential? That is a loaded question!
In the case of "Conagher", it was the sheer ordinariness of the main character. He wasn't anybody special, didn't have a superpower of any kind. He was just a man, with a code of ethics by which he lived, and he ended up having quite an impact on people just by being that man and living by that code.
I've found that to be a pretty powerful thought, the idea that we don't have to be supermen to make a difference, just men.
For me, the magic of a book (or any writing) is whether or not there's a thought that hangs around after I'm done. It might not even be the main thought in the book. It could be something offhand like Tyrion Lannister's advice to Jon Snow "wear who you are like armor".
If my own writing leaves people with some nugget of thought to chew on later, then I'm amply rewarded.
Peter this kind of exploration is exactly why I’d like you to write a post on here! Any chance you can drop me a note on booksthatmadeus@substack.com or leave your own substack email here? Thanks!
1) The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier -- one of the first real adventure memoirs, and a memoir of a truly unique feat of solo ocean sailing, a life lived outside, and outside and beyond the norm. Moitessier could have won the 1968 Golden Globe race—and along the way he invented a new way to sail the roaring forties—but instead of finishing he chose to sail on, to a new life.
2) Siberian Education, by Nicolai Lilin -- another memoir that showed me that memoir doesn't have to be all true. Lilin called it memoir at first, but then realized that it made more sense to call it something like auto-fiction, a term he hadn't been familiar with when writing. Entirely true or not, it's a brilliant chronicle of life outside the law in Siberia, and the source of several pearls of wisdom that I call upon often.
3) Sexus, by Henry Miller -- another work of autobiographical semi-fiction that broke all boundaries, that was banned and celebrated simultaneously, and that showed me personally that it would be possible to write how I wanted to write. Not that I write like Miller, but he showed me the way.
4) I Wrote This Book Because I Love You: Essays by Tim Kreider -- the book of memoir, in the form of autobiographical essays about ex girlfriends, that I was about to write, but didn't have to, because Tim did. Brilliant.
5) Practical Jung: Nuts and Bolts of Jungian Psychotherapy by Harry A. Wilmer -- the book that cracked Jungian psychology open for me, and, along with that, much of the lens through which I see the world.
My other substack is a travel substack so I’m fascinated by the first two you’ve included here. I’ll definitely check them out. Fairly sure I’ve heard of Moitessier for his ocean advocacy work, if indeed I’m thinking of the right Frenchman
I'd love to popularize the book I read when it was published in the '80s -- and so many times since then that it's falling apart. It has shaped all that I do to try to move the world to a better place, including being the basis for most of these Substack posts: https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/s/changemaking-now. “The Universe is a Green Dragon,” a "cosmic creation story,” by physicist/mystic Brian Swimme, I think is the most important book of our time. I buy all the secondary market copies and I’ve given away more than 2,000 of them. Good old Copernicus took Earth out of the center of the universe and massively changed human consciousness. Mess around with the cosmos and you mess with the human mind. “Green Dragon” could cause an even more massive shift, taking us out of a dead Earth that’s here for us to consume, and showing us, according to modern science we haven’t caught up with yet, that we’re one-humanity in an alive, expanding, evolving universe. It’s a matter of being here to use Earth vs. being here to cherish her and take care of her, which is the shift of awareness we need to save us from how dangerous to one another our exploitive humanity has become. Watch the Brian Swimme videos and you'll be awed and inspired, too, by the understanding that revolutionary book provides.
Yes. At the end of his life, he could’ve also used some of the revenue from present day sales. Just another reason why the players in the Modernist movement, particularly the Lost Generation writers and artists, intrigue me.
That is most welcome news Charlotte as you were on my list to contact for this! Please drop me a note on booksthatmadeus@substack.com or give me your substack email and I’ll message you
5th one: You can watch here as the book is just a transcript of this speech. About 25 minutes. One of three best commencement speeches that I have read/listened.
One of the first books to make an impression on me wasn't a book I read, but one that a teacher read out to us in grade 8 English class. THE SNOW GOOSE by Paul Galico. I don't know if it was listening to that man read it out to us--by far one of the best versions I'd ever heard--or the magic of the language, but I was hooked. I've never forgotten that class, or that teacher.
I think it had a lot to do with it. I was young, and discovering all sorts of different books in the school's library. THE THREE MUSKETEERS and the poems of Kipling. I fell in love with BARRACK ROOM BALLADS AND DEPARTMENTAL DITTIES, as well as Tennyson's IDYLLS OF THE KING later in grade 11/12. But listening to that teacher read opened up everything, because he read with emotion. The beauty of the language is what I look for when I read, as well as when I write. I don't know if I succeed, but I keep trying.
Your project, "The Books That Made Us," is captivating and thought-provoking. Exploring the context behind writers' foundational books adds depth and understanding to their impact. Count me in! Subscribed and shared! 📚
This is just wonderful!! Such a fantastic question to explore. The first three books that immediately come to mind are Chimamanda Ngoizi Adichie's 'Americanah', which I believe should be a required summer reading in the U.S. I still think about the characters all of the time. Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is why I write today. Jhumpa Lahiri's Namesake comes to me in my dreams from time to time. There are others, but I have to be still and think.
I can't wait to read from other writers about the books that mad them. Thank you for creating this community.
You had me at the very first quote by Louis L'Amour. He is by far my favorite author of all time. One can get an education in history, philosophy, moral conduct, proper etiquette, courage, and how to be a gentle yet manly man and a strong, confident yet gracefully feminine woman. All in one book. A bygone era for sure.
A friend shared your question with me. Imagine the one book that woke you up to your family history and your own potential to make a difference in the world. The anchor for my library collection of Latino literature is the award-winning family saga Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor. Now I dedicate my Substack, Diverse Voices. Bravo!, to introducing readers, teachers and librarians to books with Latino characters and authors. A reviewer wrote, “With love and humor, Villaseñor shares this passionate love story that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit. An all-American story of struggle and success, Rain of Gold focuses on three generations of Villaseñor’s kin, their spiritual and cultural roots back in Mexico, their immigration to California and overcoming poverty, prejudice and economic exploitation.”
Hi Susan, it's Anita from Diverse Voices. Today I decided NOT to serialize my newest YA Fiction. I am recontracting once again with my Hybrid Publisher, Bublish.com. I may, however, consider serializing my weekly posts on Diverse Latino Lit and publish an anthology after a year of posts. Hope you are doing well. Cheers.
That sounds interesting! I’m going full speed ahead with the information pages for each chapter. I should be ready to start serializing in a couple of months.
I’m fooling around with serializing a middle grade novel I wrote. Let’s keep in touch. It will take several months for me to get things in order and get a head start before I start posting. We can lend each other a helping hand when the time comes!
Wonderful idea. It would be so hard to settle on even 3-5 books that "made" me who I am today at 63. Will read this substack with great interest, and thanks to @Writersatwork for the intro.
This is a great idea! I’d love to submit in the future, although I think I was more influenced by other forms of storytelling (video games, movies, etc.)
Hi Lily, thanks for your interest! As a gamer/movie lover myself, I think it would be really interesting to explore these other mediums too, now that you mention it. I think you’ve hit on something there, in the sense it’s the stories that resonate and this impact us, not the medium in and of itself.
Would welcome a pitch on one of these other mediums from you at some point. Details here:
What makes a book influential? That is a loaded question!
In the case of "Conagher", it was the sheer ordinariness of the main character. He wasn't anybody special, didn't have a superpower of any kind. He was just a man, with a code of ethics by which he lived, and he ended up having quite an impact on people just by being that man and living by that code.
I've found that to be a pretty powerful thought, the idea that we don't have to be supermen to make a difference, just men.
For me, the magic of a book (or any writing) is whether or not there's a thought that hangs around after I'm done. It might not even be the main thought in the book. It could be something offhand like Tyrion Lannister's advice to Jon Snow "wear who you are like armor".
If my own writing leaves people with some nugget of thought to chew on later, then I'm amply rewarded.
Peter this kind of exploration is exactly why I’d like you to write a post on here! Any chance you can drop me a note on booksthatmadeus@substack.com or leave your own substack email here? Thanks!
Sent you an email.
As I memoirist, I read mostly memoir. Here's a discussion of nearly 50 of the books that made me:
https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/43-favorite-memoirs-youve-never-heard
My top five
1) The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier -- one of the first real adventure memoirs, and a memoir of a truly unique feat of solo ocean sailing, a life lived outside, and outside and beyond the norm. Moitessier could have won the 1968 Golden Globe race—and along the way he invented a new way to sail the roaring forties—but instead of finishing he chose to sail on, to a new life.
2) Siberian Education, by Nicolai Lilin -- another memoir that showed me that memoir doesn't have to be all true. Lilin called it memoir at first, but then realized that it made more sense to call it something like auto-fiction, a term he hadn't been familiar with when writing. Entirely true or not, it's a brilliant chronicle of life outside the law in Siberia, and the source of several pearls of wisdom that I call upon often.
3) Sexus, by Henry Miller -- another work of autobiographical semi-fiction that broke all boundaries, that was banned and celebrated simultaneously, and that showed me personally that it would be possible to write how I wanted to write. Not that I write like Miller, but he showed me the way.
4) I Wrote This Book Because I Love You: Essays by Tim Kreider -- the book of memoir, in the form of autobiographical essays about ex girlfriends, that I was about to write, but didn't have to, because Tim did. Brilliant.
5) Practical Jung: Nuts and Bolts of Jungian Psychotherapy by Harry A. Wilmer -- the book that cracked Jungian psychology open for me, and, along with that, much of the lens through which I see the world.
My other substack is a travel substack so I’m fascinated by the first two you’ve included here. I’ll definitely check them out. Fairly sure I’ve heard of Moitessier for his ocean advocacy work, if indeed I’m thinking of the right Frenchman
Likely so. I didn’t know what he went in to do afterwards. The Long Way is from 1968 or so...
I'd love to popularize the book I read when it was published in the '80s -- and so many times since then that it's falling apart. It has shaped all that I do to try to move the world to a better place, including being the basis for most of these Substack posts: https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/s/changemaking-now. “The Universe is a Green Dragon,” a "cosmic creation story,” by physicist/mystic Brian Swimme, I think is the most important book of our time. I buy all the secondary market copies and I’ve given away more than 2,000 of them. Good old Copernicus took Earth out of the center of the universe and massively changed human consciousness. Mess around with the cosmos and you mess with the human mind. “Green Dragon” could cause an even more massive shift, taking us out of a dead Earth that’s here for us to consume, and showing us, according to modern science we haven’t caught up with yet, that we’re one-humanity in an alive, expanding, evolving universe. It’s a matter of being here to use Earth vs. being here to cherish her and take care of her, which is the shift of awareness we need to save us from how dangerous to one another our exploitive humanity has become. Watch the Brian Swimme videos and you'll be awed and inspired, too, by the understanding that revolutionary book provides.
Hi, The books that stay with me are:
- Gilead by Marilyn Robinson
- Any book by Amor Towles
- The Great Gatsby by you know who
It saddens me to think that Fitzgerald will never know how many lives he touched with that book. He deserved recognition in his own lifetime.
Yes. At the end of his life, he could’ve also used some of the revenue from present day sales. Just another reason why the players in the Modernist movement, particularly the Lost Generation writers and artists, intrigue me.
Looking forward to reading a long-form dive into this! Have received your email, will be in touch soon!
I love this idea!! Former English teacher here. Are you still seeking guest submissions?
Yes please Alecia! Drop me a note at booksthatmadeus@substack.com
Love, love, love this! And I’d love to write a post at some point because my adoration for formative books knows no bounds. 💛💛💛
That is most welcome news Charlotte as you were on my list to contact for this! Please drop me a note on booksthatmadeus@substack.com or give me your substack email and I’ll message you
My list of 5 books:
1. Men’s search for meaning
https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0807014273/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=34NNPMIGEDSR3&keywords=man%27s+search+for+meaning&qid=1691638178&sprefix=man%27s%2Caps%2C288&sr=8-1
2. Being Mortal
https://www.amazon.com/Being-Mortal-Medicine-What-Matters/dp/1250076226/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=BGXABPLWM9AX&keywords=being+mortal&qid=1691638221&sprefix=being+mo%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-1
3. Endurance
https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2I4TISUF1H87U&keywords=endurance+book&qid=1691638293&sprefix=endurnace%2Caps%2C238&sr=8-1
4. When Breath Becomes Air
https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X/ref=m_pd_aw_sim_sccl_20/136-4611466-0110851?pd_rd_w=j2TfR&content-id=amzn1.sym.51b0dfa2-441b-4a70-8c43-527bcecb0c8a&pf_rd_p=51b0dfa2-441b-4a70-8c43-527bcecb0c8a&pf_rd_r=1Z69QND6E1PEVANSEM8F&pd_rd_wg=hdN4j&pd_rd_r=47051692-2984-4c18-a8d3-56079d7e2846&pd_rd_i=081298840X&psc=1
5. This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life (A commencement speech turned into a book)
https://www.amazon.com/This-Water-Delivered-Significant-Compassionate/dp/0316068225/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=1NQDD8U30I0Y7&keywords=David+Foster+Wallace&qid=1691638843&sprefix=david+foster+wallace%2Caps%2C704&sr=8-4
I’ve only read number 1 but it was brilliant
5th one: You can watch here as the book is just a transcript of this speech. About 25 minutes. One of three best commencement speeches that I have read/listened.
https://youtu.be/DCbGM4mqEVw
One of the first books to make an impression on me wasn't a book I read, but one that a teacher read out to us in grade 8 English class. THE SNOW GOOSE by Paul Galico. I don't know if it was listening to that man read it out to us--by far one of the best versions I'd ever heard--or the magic of the language, but I was hooked. I've never forgotten that class, or that teacher.
Do you think that played a role in your wanting to become a storyteller yourself?
I think it had a lot to do with it. I was young, and discovering all sorts of different books in the school's library. THE THREE MUSKETEERS and the poems of Kipling. I fell in love with BARRACK ROOM BALLADS AND DEPARTMENTAL DITTIES, as well as Tennyson's IDYLLS OF THE KING later in grade 11/12. But listening to that teacher read opened up everything, because he read with emotion. The beauty of the language is what I look for when I read, as well as when I write. I don't know if I succeed, but I keep trying.
Your project, "The Books That Made Us," is captivating and thought-provoking. Exploring the context behind writers' foundational books adds depth and understanding to their impact. Count me in! Subscribed and shared! 📚
Woo! Thanks Ava!
This is just wonderful!! Such a fantastic question to explore. The first three books that immediately come to mind are Chimamanda Ngoizi Adichie's 'Americanah', which I believe should be a required summer reading in the U.S. I still think about the characters all of the time. Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is why I write today. Jhumpa Lahiri's Namesake comes to me in my dreams from time to time. There are others, but I have to be still and think.
I can't wait to read from other writers about the books that mad them. Thank you for creating this community.
Thanks Summer! Adichie is one of the great writers of the world, there is no doubt!
She is truly brilliant! Best of luck to you!
You had me at the very first quote by Louis L'Amour. He is by far my favorite author of all time. One can get an education in history, philosophy, moral conduct, proper etiquette, courage, and how to be a gentle yet manly man and a strong, confident yet gracefully feminine woman. All in one book. A bygone era for sure.
The most recent guest post on here was on a Louis L’Amour book actually!
https://booksthatmadeus.substack.com/p/an-ordinary-man
A friend shared your question with me. Imagine the one book that woke you up to your family history and your own potential to make a difference in the world. The anchor for my library collection of Latino literature is the award-winning family saga Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor. Now I dedicate my Substack, Diverse Voices. Bravo!, to introducing readers, teachers and librarians to books with Latino characters and authors. A reviewer wrote, “With love and humor, Villaseñor shares this passionate love story that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit. An all-American story of struggle and success, Rain of Gold focuses on three generations of Villaseñor’s kin, their spiritual and cultural roots back in Mexico, their immigration to California and overcoming poverty, prejudice and economic exploitation.”
And now, I've written my own award-winning historic fiction books for young readers. https://anitaperezferguson.com
Are you thinking of serializing your young reader books on Substack?
Hi Susan, it's Anita from Diverse Voices. Today I decided NOT to serialize my newest YA Fiction. I am recontracting once again with my Hybrid Publisher, Bublish.com. I may, however, consider serializing my weekly posts on Diverse Latino Lit and publish an anthology after a year of posts. Hope you are doing well. Cheers.
That sounds interesting! I’m going full speed ahead with the information pages for each chapter. I should be ready to start serializing in a couple of months.
That sounds interesting! I going full speed ahead on my information pages to complement each chapter!
Thanks for asking, Susan. I have a novel in process and yes, I may consider serializing it. Do you wish to help spread the word?
I’m fooling around with serializing a middle grade novel I wrote. Let’s keep in touch. It will take several months for me to get things in order and get a head start before I start posting. We can lend each other a helping hand when the time comes!
Sounds like a great series
Thanks ME. Check it out & Diverse Voices. Bravo! on Substack.
Wonderful idea. It would be so hard to settle on even 3-5 books that "made" me who I am today at 63. Will read this substack with great interest, and thanks to @Writersatwork for the intro.
Excited 😊
Recycling note from SubStack Sidebar:
https://substack.com/profile/142390340-burkhartrj/note/c-18000179?r=2crx38&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
This is a great idea! I’d love to submit in the future, although I think I was more influenced by other forms of storytelling (video games, movies, etc.)
Hi Lily, thanks for your interest! As a gamer/movie lover myself, I think it would be really interesting to explore these other mediums too, now that you mention it. I think you’ve hit on something there, in the sense it’s the stories that resonate and this impact us, not the medium in and of itself.
Would welcome a pitch on one of these other mediums from you at some point. Details here:
https://booksthatmadeus.substack.com/p/write-for-us
Thanks! I’ll work on a pitch right away!😁