Thursday, August 25, 2011

Sparkfest #3



It's time for the
Sparkfest Blogfest. so for the next few days, I'll be blogging about the things that inspired me to become a writer. Here's the third question to be answered:

Or, Is there a book or author that changed your world view?

Again, this is a tough question to answer. Books and authors are constantly changing the way I think about things, or forcing me to think about things I may not have thought about before. That's what reading is all about, isn't it? Opening your eyes to new worlds or new ways of looking at the world around us. Certainly, that's what I dive into a book for. I love to get caught up in someone else's life, see things I face everyday through a different set of eyes. It's fascinating to see how someone else deals with the same issue or situation I've faced in my own life. And often, seeing that alternative solution can be life-changing.

Of course it can be life-changing in a negative way. Some people can learn destructive behaviors from books. I had a friend who never thought about cutting as a way to deal with mental anguish until she read about it in a book. But at the same time, I know another girl who was helped by reading about this same behavior in a book because she thought she was the only one who did it.

I've read so much over my life, and learned so much from reading, I think my entire worldview has been shaped by books. Even now, there are things I think I remember from my childhood that may not be real, but things I read.

But if you're going for real lifechanging stuff? I'll have to say Willard Price because he saved my life. I wrote a whole post all about it here.

What book changed you?




3 comments:

  1. The Diary of Anne Frank. I read it at the same age Anne was when she had to go into hiding. Intense stuff! Definitely made me appreciate my life, and remember to see the good in everything no matter how horrible it may seem.

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  2. There are so many books that changed my life, I really can't place my finger on which one. Being an avid reader since I was a little kid has shaped my whole life.

    Also, I’m a new follower—wonderful blog! Stop by my blog and follow me too? :) http://rachelbrookswrites.blogspot.com/

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  3. Isn't that interesting how books can give us negative inspiration? It seems like some books romanticize the criminal life, and I think it leads to some oddballs aspiring toward it. And then sometimes the same ideas can have the opposite effect. Insightful for you to point this out.

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