AnonymousAnonymous
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ProfessorJohn
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ProfessorJohn
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Location: The Room at the end of 2001
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18 Mar 2023, 4:38 pm
If you were profoundly influenced by Bridget Jones’ Diary, I want to hear about it.
The Bible, The Millionaire Next Door, Rich Dad Poor Dad.All of these books greatly influenced my perspective.
18 Mar 2023, 5:13 pm
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techstepgenr8tion
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MuddRM
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auntblabby
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26 Mar 2023, 11:34 pm
27 Mar 2023, 4:19 am
1984, George Orwell. I'll likely re-read this novel periodically for the rest of my life. I'm sure I was impacted by it in essentially the same way most other people have been, so I won't beat a dead horse about this one. That said, I do think I was personally influenced especially by Winston's all-consuming loneliness, and how that loneliness was eventually leveraged against him ("Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood"); this aspect of the story was especially horrifying to me and, I think, helped me develop both a healthy skepticism of political social engineering and an appreciation of how important it is to be able to tolerate loneliness (and other unpleasant experiences).
The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux. I don't think this one had much philosophical influence on me as, frankly, it's not a very well-constructed or consistent novel. It is a great story, though, and it impacted me tremendously when I read it as a kid and fell in love with it. Phantom in all its various adaptations became a special interest that persisted for many years and resulted in a massive collection, and I still have a deep fondness for it as an adult. Even today, although my interest in Phantom specifically is significantly less intense, its influence can still be found in my love of detective/mystery stories in general (especially those with a gothic, occult, or supernatural twist). By far the most impactful book I've ever read in terms of time, money, and long-term interest.
auntblabby
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27 Mar 2023, 5:11 am
welcome to our club, Xenosaur 
*"return from tomorrow" [dr. george ritchie MD]
*"life after life" [dr. raymond moody]
*"you cannot die" [dr. ian stephenson IANDS]
*"journeys out of the body" [robert monroe]
*"many mansions" [gina cerminara]
and one not-so-metaphysical and more purely physical-
*the only investment guide you'll ever need" [wall street journal]
the first 5 books gave me hope of something better after my passing, and the last book gave me a semi-practical means of making the present life better at least in a fiduciary sense.
27 Mar 2023, 4:17 pm
Thanks! I'm glad to be here.
27 Mar 2023, 5:06 pm
I once dropped a Victorian Welsh language family bible on my bare toes , it was quite impactful 
Seriously though I have only read a handful of actual fiction books, the last one was the first Harry Potter which I read to my daughter at bedtimes. I do like reading reference books though like antique guides and I made a successful online business because of it, so it's probably a Miller's that impacted me the most.
