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You've GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life – A Collection of Life-Changing Insights for Personal Growth and Success
There's nothing better than a book you can't put down—or better yet, a book you'll never forget. This book puts the power of transformational reading into your hands. Jack Canfield, cocreator of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul ® series, and self-actualization pioneer Gay Hendricks have invited notable people to share personal stories of books that changed their lives. What book shaped their outlook and habits? Helped them navigate rough seas? Spurred them to satisfaction and success? The contributors include Dave Barry, Stephen Covey, Malachy McCourt, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Mark Victor Hansen, John Gray, Christiane Northrup, Bernie Siegel, Craig Newmark, Michael E. Gerber, Lou Holtz, and Pat Williams, to name just a few. Their richly varied stories are poignant, energizing, and entertaining.Author and actor Malachy McCourt tells how a tattered biography of Gandhi, stumbled on in his youth, offered a shining example of true humility—and planted the seeds that would help support his sobriety decades later. Bestselling author and physician Bernie Siegel, M.D., tells how William Saroyan's The Human Comedy helped him realize that, in order to successfully treat his patients with life-threatening illnesses, "I had to help them live—not just prevent them from dying." Actress Catherine Oxenberg reveals how, at a life crossroads and struggling with bulimia, a book taught her the transforming difference one person could make in the life of another—and why that person for her was Richard Burton. Rafe Esquith, the award-winning teacher whose inner-city students have performed Shakespeare all over the world, recounts his deep self-doubt in the midst of his success—and how reading To Kill a Mockingbird strengthened him to continue teaching. Beloved librarian and bestselling author Nancy Pearl writes how, at age ten, Robert Heinlein's science fiction book Space Cadet impressed on her the meaning of personal integrity and gave her a vision of world peace she'd never imagined possible. Two years later, she marched in her first civil rights demonstration and learned that there's always a way to make "a small contribution to intergalactic harmony." If you're looking for insight and illumination—or simply for that next great book to read— You've Got to Read This Book ! has treasures in store for you.
Paperback
First published August 15, 2006
68 people are currently reading
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About the author
Jack Canfield
1,045 books1,760 followersJack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.
Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.
Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.
In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.
Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.
Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.
Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.
Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.
Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.
In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.
Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.
Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.
Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
June 18, 2009
Well, in my opinion, this was a pretty okay book. The stories in the beginning and the end are better than those in the middle section. The middle section gets a bit new-agey, unoriginal, and ... to be honest, boring.
In a nutshell, someone got together a bunch of people (who more or less fall under the category of successful) and asked them about the book that changed their lives, then wrote a book about it. In fact, it says so on the cover, so there's your head's up--you might not relate to the things they say, you might not even have interpreted the same book the same way as they did BUT they already warned you on the cover, it's about what they learned, and you bought the book with that knowledge in mind.
I personally have read one or two of the same books, and I have to admit, I never saw it in the way the contributors did. For example, To Kill A Mockingbird never had that big an effect on me as it did on a certain Rafe Esquith. After reading To Kill A Mockingbird during a low point in life, he underwent a personal transformation and reevaluated his entire method of teaching!
Other stories I particularly enjoyed included those of Amilya Antonetti, Dave Barry, Jack Canfield, Ellyanne Geisel, Phillip Goldberg, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Catherine Oxenberg, Lisa Nichols, Chellie Campbell, Pierce O'Donnell, Gay Hendricks, Nancy Pearl and Stephen Covey. Reading their stories, I reflected a lot, and came to discover and understand how to deal with dilemmas of my own. At the very least I was amused, especially by Ellyanne Geisel.
This book highlights a sort of cycle: someone wrote a book, that inspired someone, who later on became successful because of it, and in turn, wrote a book that inspired someone else. The cycle goes on. I found it...very heartening. It's like a sort of family tree, and we are all connected by books and the wonder they bring.
But... even though the book was entertaining, it wasn't inspiring. Or perhaps it wasn't written to be inspiring. Maybe it was written just to let the reader know how they got where there are now with the guidance of a book. At the very least, You've Got To Read This Book will provide you with a list of books you might want to add to your to-read list.
In a nutshell, someone got together a bunch of people (who more or less fall under the category of successful) and asked them about the book that changed their lives, then wrote a book about it. In fact, it says so on the cover, so there's your head's up--you might not relate to the things they say, you might not even have interpreted the same book the same way as they did BUT they already warned you on the cover, it's about what they learned, and you bought the book with that knowledge in mind.
I personally have read one or two of the same books, and I have to admit, I never saw it in the way the contributors did. For example, To Kill A Mockingbird never had that big an effect on me as it did on a certain Rafe Esquith. After reading To Kill A Mockingbird during a low point in life, he underwent a personal transformation and reevaluated his entire method of teaching!
Other stories I particularly enjoyed included those of Amilya Antonetti, Dave Barry, Jack Canfield, Ellyanne Geisel, Phillip Goldberg, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Catherine Oxenberg, Lisa Nichols, Chellie Campbell, Pierce O'Donnell, Gay Hendricks, Nancy Pearl and Stephen Covey. Reading their stories, I reflected a lot, and came to discover and understand how to deal with dilemmas of my own. At the very least I was amused, especially by Ellyanne Geisel.
This book highlights a sort of cycle: someone wrote a book, that inspired someone, who later on became successful because of it, and in turn, wrote a book that inspired someone else. The cycle goes on. I found it...very heartening. It's like a sort of family tree, and we are all connected by books and the wonder they bring.
But... even though the book was entertaining, it wasn't inspiring. Or perhaps it wasn't written to be inspiring. Maybe it was written just to let the reader know how they got where there are now with the guidance of a book. At the very least, You've Got To Read This Book will provide you with a list of books you might want to add to your to-read list.
November 5, 2020
Fifty-five people share books that changed their lives. Most of the people are folks who became big in business but some contributed to the betterment of others through the creation of a nonprofit. The books they chose are, by and large, self-help books and/or mystical/woo-woo books, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Alchemist, Learning to Love Yourself, The Science of Getting Rich, A Guide for the Perplexed, and How to Make Millions with Your Ideas. Some non-self-help books include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Profiles in Courage, The Human Comedy, Don Quixote, Siddhartha, and Franny and Zooey. The publication date is 2006, so a lot of the people in the book are no longer seen frequently by the public.
October 5, 2007
I was stuck in Pittsburgh without a book (gasp!) and ran by a nearby Barnes and Noble to pick something up. I LOVE books where people talk about their favorite books and why they like them, so I snapped this one up without looking at it carefully. That was a mistake.
This book is edited by Jack Canfield, "author" of those Chicken Soup books, and he basically got all of his friends to recommend each others' books. A waste of time.
This book is edited by Jack Canfield, "author" of those Chicken Soup books, and he basically got all of his friends to recommend each others' books. A waste of time.
February 26, 2010
This is a book I really would like to have so I can mark passages I want to remember. It is a fantastic read. It is amazing how one book can change a person's outlook. It reminded me of the Buddhist proverb, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
Max Edelman's transformational book was Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. "That irredeemably evil book considered the bible of Nazism, rearranged not only my future, but the face of the world as well." He goes on to state that the book changed his life constructively & destructively for more than 65 years.
There were 54 other people who told about the book that transformed their life. This is not a book to read in one sitting. It is not really a book to be read in a 2-week-marathon-to-get-back-to-the-library. It is a book that should be read & savored, pondered & maybe search out the books these people read that gave them such an epiphany.
Over the course of the last 2 weeks I have tried to narrow down the hundreds of books that I have read to just one book that has "transformed" my life. What is yours?
Max Edelman's transformational book was Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. "That irredeemably evil book considered the bible of Nazism, rearranged not only my future, but the face of the world as well." He goes on to state that the book changed his life constructively & destructively for more than 65 years.
There were 54 other people who told about the book that transformed their life. This is not a book to read in one sitting. It is not really a book to be read in a 2-week-marathon-to-get-back-to-the-library. It is a book that should be read & savored, pondered & maybe search out the books these people read that gave them such an epiphany.
Over the course of the last 2 weeks I have tried to narrow down the hundreds of books that I have read to just one book that has "transformed" my life. What is yours?
January 4, 2011
Checked out from the St. Louis Public Library - Carondelet branch.
I think the level of enjoyment a reader will get out of this book highly depends on their expectations. Admittedly, I checked this book out hoping to get leads on books I might want to read based on the writers' experiences. However, it reads as a more "inspirational" book than a reference. I probably should have expected this, as it is a collaboration between Jack Canfield (co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Gay Hendricks (co-author of Conscious Living). If you've enjoyed either of those types of literature, I might recommend this. In particular, it seemed a bit heavy on recommendations of eastern religion/philosophy and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - in fact, this book might leave you to believe that the Western world was built mostly on the teachings of Buddha and Stephen Covey. So, while this book might prove as an inspiration or provide sources of inspiration for you, I would not recommend it highly as a book reference.
I think the level of enjoyment a reader will get out of this book highly depends on their expectations. Admittedly, I checked this book out hoping to get leads on books I might want to read based on the writers' experiences. However, it reads as a more "inspirational" book than a reference. I probably should have expected this, as it is a collaboration between Jack Canfield (co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Gay Hendricks (co-author of Conscious Living). If you've enjoyed either of those types of literature, I might recommend this. In particular, it seemed a bit heavy on recommendations of eastern religion/philosophy and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - in fact, this book might leave you to believe that the Western world was built mostly on the teachings of Buddha and Stephen Covey. So, while this book might prove as an inspiration or provide sources of inspiration for you, I would not recommend it highly as a book reference.
March 6, 2014
I was really disappointed by this book. The books were mostly feel-good religious/spiritual or business success secrets. Only about 1/4 of them were actual novels, and one of the people suggested a book written by one of the editors. It might appeal to someone looking for books to help them improve their lives or grow a business or something, but I was looking for books that opened the reader to well-written and amazing stories.
May 1, 2022
This book title jumped out at me while shelving books at the library so I thought, "why not?" However, it's dated so it doesn't really capture the times we are in right now and many of the influential people represented are unfamiliar. Nevertheless, I liked the premise of books being life changing and reading some of the stories of transformation, particularly Debbie Macomber's experience of the Bible. Another story that stood out was a Jewish man's experience of reading Mein Kampf after having been tortured and how this drove him to advocate for truth. Overall though... you don't "have to read this book."
March 21, 2020
A fantastic read! A very diverse group of people tell about the book that has made the biggest impact on their lives and how it changed them. There's no other way to say it, you've got to read this book!
January 16, 2011
I wanted to like this book more than I did. Most of the books people read were self-help or spiritual/inspirational kinds of books. Being the fiction reader that I am, I wanted more of those kinds of stories from people. The only real ficiton books were A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and To Kill a Mockingbird. I really wanted to be inspired to read some books I hadn't. But I find that some spiritual books appeal to a limited audience and not to a wider one. I guess it was interesting, but I also had never heard of some of these "important" people before. Oh well.... I plowed through it, none the wiser for my efforts.
June 19, 2012
As a lover of reading, I picked this book up to learn about other treaured books and why I should read them. Instead, I got a seemingly endless set of recommendations on good self-help and spiritual guidance books which was not at all what I wanted. It's sad when one of the only recommendations in the book that was what I'd hoped for was the very first one, and I was left with the other almost 300 pages looking for more.
I ended up leaving this book at my gym. Perhaps someone else will find more value in it than I did.
I ended up leaving this book at my gym. Perhaps someone else will find more value in it than I did.
January 22, 2014
Just don't do it.
Compilation of famous people saying how easy it's been or what they've overcome to get famous.
Compilation of famous people saying how easy it's been or what they've overcome to get famous.
December 23, 2014
Not what I thought this was at all. I don't care about any of these people or the books they've read. It all seems fake.
April 26, 2016
Inspirational stories told by a variety of individuals, who each share the title of a life-transforming book.
May 3, 2016
Wrong book. Hated it.
October 20, 2018
I read this book for potential reading material, but was disappointed. Most of the entries are about glurgey self-help books. The essays themselves aren't that interesting either.
May 7, 2017
"Life becomes richer when we're reading a great book."
Bagi seorang pembaca, pasti akan ada satu buku yang menjadi titik tolak perubahan dalam kehidupannya. Begitu juga dengan 55 orang ini. Yang dipilih untuk berkongsi buku yang mengubah persepsi dan kehidupan mereka.
Charles "Tremendous" Jones once said; "You will be the sam person in five years that you are today except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read."
Deepak Chopra once said that reading has a special transformational power because "it gives you the opportunity to pause and reflect".
Tapi bukanlah bererti setiap orang akan mengalami perubahan yang sama setelah membaca buku yang sama. Bergantung kepada individu tersebut.
Bernie Siegel writes in his story; "To be honest, I really don't believe any book can change your life - only you can. Look, two people read the same book: One is inspired while the other is bored. It's the person - not the book - that creates the transformation."
Saya kongsikan ringkasan 55 insan terpilih tersebut dan buku yang menjadi inspirasi mereka.
1. Jacquelyn Mitchard
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
2. Kenny Loggins
- Siddhartha and Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi by Hermann Hesse
3. Catherine Oxenberg
- The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
4. Jim MacLaren
- The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas that have Shaped Our World View by Richard Tornas
5. Wyland
- The Silent World by Jacques Cousteau
6. Lisa Nichols
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey
7. Rafe Esquith
- To Kill a Mockingbird
8. Chellie Campbell
- When I Say No, I Feel Guiltly by Marvel Smith
9. Malachy McCourt
- A History of India
10. John St. Augustine
- Instant Replay: The Green Bay Diary of Terry Kramer
11. Sheryl Leach
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
12. Gay Hendricks
- The Book of Life
13. Pierce O Donnell
- Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy
14. Pat Williams
- Veeck as in Wreck: The Chaotic Career of Baseball's Incorrigible Maverick by Bill Veeck
15. Lou Holtz
- The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
16. Rudy Ruettiger
- Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
17. Danny Edward Scott Casalenuovo
- Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul
18. Farrah Gray
- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
19. Louise Hay
- The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scorel Shinn
20. Rhonda Byrne
- The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles
21. Mark Victor Hansen
- Resurrection by Neville Goddard
22. Michael E. Gerber
- Cummings's books
23. Tim Ferriss
- How to Make Millions with Your Ideas by Dan Kennedy
- Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
24. Christiane Northrup. M.D
- Natives of Eternity
25. Doreen Virtue
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
26. John Gray
- The Science of Being and Art of Living by Maharishi
27. Philip Goldberg
28. Bernie Siegel M.D
- The Human Comedy by William Saroyan
29. Dave Barry
- Inside Benchley by Robert Benchley
30. Sue Ellen Cosper
- The Great Divorce
31. EllynAnne Geisel
- Gone with the Wind
32. Earl Hamner
- The Time of Man by Elizabeth Madox Roberts
33. Nancy Pearl
- Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein
34. Wally Amos
- Love is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky
35. Jack Canfield
- Life After Life by Raymond Moody
36. Jim McCann
- Scripts People Live
37. Larry Jones
- Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret
38. Debbie Macomber
- Bible
39. Arielle Ford
- Key to Yourself by Dr. Venice Bloodworth
40. Michael Toms
- Inferno by Dante
41. Bob Young
- Don Quixeto by Cervantes
42. Craig Newmark
- The Cluetrain Manifesto
43. Kate Ludeman
- Learning to Love Yourself by Gay Hendricks
44. Amilya Antonetti
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
45. Tim Guy
- The Teachings of the Buddha
46. Gary Heavin
- The Secret Kingdom by Dat Robertson
47. Stephen Covey
- Man's Searching for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- A Guide for Perplexed by E. F. Schumacher
48. Maynard Webb
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey
49. Marc Bekoff
- Mutual Aid by Petr Kropotkin
50. Max Edelman
- Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
51. Diane Wilson
- The Hero with Thousand Faces
52. Gary Erickson
- The Legacy of Luna
53. MO Siegel
- The Urantia Book
54. Doris Haddock (Granny D)
- Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words
55. Lois Capps
- The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey Sachs
Rumusan, setiap orang pasti melalui saat paling menyakitkan dalam kehidupan mereka. Dan ketahuilah saat itu jika mereka hanya bergantung pada kudrat seorang hamba, mereka pasti merasa lemah dan berdaya. Tetapi jika mereka meletakkan kebergantungan mereka pada Allah yang Maha Kuasa, mereka akan tabah dan bangkit.
Adalah lebih baik bagi kita sebagai seorang Muslim, mempunyai ayat Al Quran yang dijadikan sebagai ayat kekuatan kita disaat kita merasa lemah.
Ketika bersedih, baca dan hayatilah Surah Yusuf. Ketika kamu berhadapan dengan musibah, ketahuilah dalam setiap kesusahan itu ada kesenangan.
Bagi seorang pembaca, pasti akan ada satu buku yang menjadi titik tolak perubahan dalam kehidupannya. Begitu juga dengan 55 orang ini. Yang dipilih untuk berkongsi buku yang mengubah persepsi dan kehidupan mereka.
Charles "Tremendous" Jones once said; "You will be the sam person in five years that you are today except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read."
Deepak Chopra once said that reading has a special transformational power because "it gives you the opportunity to pause and reflect".
Tapi bukanlah bererti setiap orang akan mengalami perubahan yang sama setelah membaca buku yang sama. Bergantung kepada individu tersebut.
Bernie Siegel writes in his story; "To be honest, I really don't believe any book can change your life - only you can. Look, two people read the same book: One is inspired while the other is bored. It's the person - not the book - that creates the transformation."
Saya kongsikan ringkasan 55 insan terpilih tersebut dan buku yang menjadi inspirasi mereka.
1. Jacquelyn Mitchard
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
2. Kenny Loggins
- Siddhartha and Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi by Hermann Hesse
3. Catherine Oxenberg
- The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
4. Jim MacLaren
- The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas that have Shaped Our World View by Richard Tornas
5. Wyland
- The Silent World by Jacques Cousteau
6. Lisa Nichols
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey
7. Rafe Esquith
- To Kill a Mockingbird
8. Chellie Campbell
- When I Say No, I Feel Guiltly by Marvel Smith
9. Malachy McCourt
- A History of India
10. John St. Augustine
- Instant Replay: The Green Bay Diary of Terry Kramer
11. Sheryl Leach
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
12. Gay Hendricks
- The Book of Life
13. Pierce O Donnell
- Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy
14. Pat Williams
- Veeck as in Wreck: The Chaotic Career of Baseball's Incorrigible Maverick by Bill Veeck
15. Lou Holtz
- The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
16. Rudy Ruettiger
- Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
17. Danny Edward Scott Casalenuovo
- Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul
18. Farrah Gray
- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
19. Louise Hay
- The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scorel Shinn
20. Rhonda Byrne
- The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles
21. Mark Victor Hansen
- Resurrection by Neville Goddard
22. Michael E. Gerber
- Cummings's books
23. Tim Ferriss
- How to Make Millions with Your Ideas by Dan Kennedy
- Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
24. Christiane Northrup. M.D
- Natives of Eternity
25. Doreen Virtue
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
26. John Gray
- The Science of Being and Art of Living by Maharishi
27. Philip Goldberg
28. Bernie Siegel M.D
- The Human Comedy by William Saroyan
29. Dave Barry
- Inside Benchley by Robert Benchley
30. Sue Ellen Cosper
- The Great Divorce
31. EllynAnne Geisel
- Gone with the Wind
32. Earl Hamner
- The Time of Man by Elizabeth Madox Roberts
33. Nancy Pearl
- Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein
34. Wally Amos
- Love is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky
35. Jack Canfield
- Life After Life by Raymond Moody
36. Jim McCann
- Scripts People Live
37. Larry Jones
- Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret
38. Debbie Macomber
- Bible
39. Arielle Ford
- Key to Yourself by Dr. Venice Bloodworth
40. Michael Toms
- Inferno by Dante
41. Bob Young
- Don Quixeto by Cervantes
42. Craig Newmark
- The Cluetrain Manifesto
43. Kate Ludeman
- Learning to Love Yourself by Gay Hendricks
44. Amilya Antonetti
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
45. Tim Guy
- The Teachings of the Buddha
46. Gary Heavin
- The Secret Kingdom by Dat Robertson
47. Stephen Covey
- Man's Searching for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- A Guide for Perplexed by E. F. Schumacher
48. Maynard Webb
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey
49. Marc Bekoff
- Mutual Aid by Petr Kropotkin
50. Max Edelman
- Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
51. Diane Wilson
- The Hero with Thousand Faces
52. Gary Erickson
- The Legacy of Luna
53. MO Siegel
- The Urantia Book
54. Doris Haddock (Granny D)
- Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words
55. Lois Capps
- The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey Sachs
Rumusan, setiap orang pasti melalui saat paling menyakitkan dalam kehidupan mereka. Dan ketahuilah saat itu jika mereka hanya bergantung pada kudrat seorang hamba, mereka pasti merasa lemah dan berdaya. Tetapi jika mereka meletakkan kebergantungan mereka pada Allah yang Maha Kuasa, mereka akan tabah dan bangkit.
Adalah lebih baik bagi kita sebagai seorang Muslim, mempunyai ayat Al Quran yang dijadikan sebagai ayat kekuatan kita disaat kita merasa lemah.
Ketika bersedih, baca dan hayatilah Surah Yusuf. Ketika kamu berhadapan dengan musibah, ketahuilah dalam setiap kesusahan itu ada kesenangan.
August 3, 2022
Chicken Soup for the Soul meets "Jack Canfield & Friends Book Club."
This collection features a few authors whose books I've read (Dave Barry, Christiane Northrup, John Gray, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen). There are a couple I've heard enough about to have at least some idea of who they are (Kenny Loggins, Louise Hay). The rest of the 55 are complete unknowns to me (which is fine because I don't believe that being famous necessarily makes you an authority on things). I get the impression that they all move in the same (Canfield-centric?) circles. They seem to be people who value things like kindness and forgiveness; who believe in various forms of spiritual interconnectedness; who read books about how to manifest their desires into reality; and who inspire the rest of us to be better people (and, I'm guessing, themselves and each other to make more money off their insights).
The stories are Chicken Soup for the Soul caliber: vignettes of various people's inspiring, thought-provoking, life-changing, sometimes redemptive experiences centered around a book they read at some point in their lives. The most interesting and touching for me was Danny Edward Scott Casalenuovo's story about a group of prisoners connecting over Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul. There's lots of vague Eastern spirituality and self-help, and authors that run the gamut from Hitler to Viktor Frankl; from Gandhi to JFK; from Epictetus and Buddha to Robert Heinlein. There are angels, chicken soup, the Bible, and books on how to make it big.
I would imagine most people could find something to like here, but there's nothing much that you can't find on any inspirational speaker's program or book blog. For me this book isn't particularly memorable, but there's something to be said for trying to bring a bit of inspiration and kindness to people.
I would have liked to see the name of each contributor, the book they recommend, and the page number all in one place. The table of contents at the beginning of the book has each contributor's name (not in alphabetical order) + the corresponding page number. A second list at the end of the book has the contributors listed in alphabetical order and then the book they suggest, but no page number. So this makes it difficult to cross-reference, or to quickly find an entry based on the corresponding book suggestion.
This collection features a few authors whose books I've read (Dave Barry, Christiane Northrup, John Gray, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen). There are a couple I've heard enough about to have at least some idea of who they are (Kenny Loggins, Louise Hay). The rest of the 55 are complete unknowns to me (which is fine because I don't believe that being famous necessarily makes you an authority on things). I get the impression that they all move in the same (Canfield-centric?) circles. They seem to be people who value things like kindness and forgiveness; who believe in various forms of spiritual interconnectedness; who read books about how to manifest their desires into reality; and who inspire the rest of us to be better people (and, I'm guessing, themselves and each other to make more money off their insights).
The stories are Chicken Soup for the Soul caliber: vignettes of various people's inspiring, thought-provoking, life-changing, sometimes redemptive experiences centered around a book they read at some point in their lives. The most interesting and touching for me was Danny Edward Scott Casalenuovo's story about a group of prisoners connecting over Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul. There's lots of vague Eastern spirituality and self-help, and authors that run the gamut from Hitler to Viktor Frankl; from Gandhi to JFK; from Epictetus and Buddha to Robert Heinlein. There are angels, chicken soup, the Bible, and books on how to make it big.
I would imagine most people could find something to like here, but there's nothing much that you can't find on any inspirational speaker's program or book blog. For me this book isn't particularly memorable, but there's something to be said for trying to bring a bit of inspiration and kindness to people.
I would have liked to see the name of each contributor, the book they recommend, and the page number all in one place. The table of contents at the beginning of the book has each contributor's name (not in alphabetical order) + the corresponding page number. A second list at the end of the book has the contributors listed in alphabetical order and then the book they suggest, but no page number. So this makes it difficult to cross-reference, or to quickly find an entry based on the corresponding book suggestion.
December 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this book by Jack Canfield and Guy Hendricks. Like Canfield's "Chicken Soup for the Soul", this book also deserves a series of its own if it doesn't already. I wouldn't mind reading about what other authors, musicians and others who didn't make the cut for this edition would get their fair share with a Volume 2, 3, 4 and so on!
I have to admit that I'd like to read several of the books mentioned in the book. They include "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey (who wrote a chapter for "This Book"), "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse and other motivation books written by Frances Scovel Shinn, Neville and even Canfield's co-author of the "Chicken Soup" series Mark Victor Hansen.
I know that I'll be adding quite a number of those books listed in the back for myself to read down the road. How could you not after reading "You've GOT to Read This Book!"? It will not only open your eyes to good reading but it will continue to enhance and enrich your life as well.
Rating: *****
I have to admit that I'd like to read several of the books mentioned in the book. They include "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey (who wrote a chapter for "This Book"), "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse and other motivation books written by Frances Scovel Shinn, Neville and even Canfield's co-author of the "Chicken Soup" series Mark Victor Hansen.
I know that I'll be adding quite a number of those books listed in the back for myself to read down the road. How could you not after reading "You've GOT to Read This Book!"? It will not only open your eyes to good reading but it will continue to enhance and enrich your life as well.
Rating: *****
November 20, 2020
How many times has someone said to me, “You’ve got to read this book!” And I’ve taken the book, with all intent to read it before handing it back. How many times have I said to a fellow reader, “You’ve got to read this book!” It will change your life!
Can a book change your life? 55 readers answer that question with the stories of their lives,
focusing on a book which completely changed the trajectory of their lives.
Since this book is part of a transformational reading circle, I should not have been surprised by the number of contributors or titles that have do with self-help, personal growth, Eastern religion, spirituality, positive thinking, motivation, or human potential. I expected more
literary novels. However, each story is fascinating, and I learned about many books and people I’d not heard of before.
I was caught up by the power of a simple sentence to change a life. Men and women became entrepreneurs, teachers, speakers, writers—all because someone handed them a book and said, “You’ve got to read this book.”
Can a book change your life? 55 readers answer that question with the stories of their lives,
focusing on a book which completely changed the trajectory of their lives.
Since this book is part of a transformational reading circle, I should not have been surprised by the number of contributors or titles that have do with self-help, personal growth, Eastern religion, spirituality, positive thinking, motivation, or human potential. I expected more
literary novels. However, each story is fascinating, and I learned about many books and people I’d not heard of before.
I was caught up by the power of a simple sentence to change a life. Men and women became entrepreneurs, teachers, speakers, writers—all because someone handed them a book and said, “You’ve got to read this book.”
May 10, 2025
This is a wonderful book to jump start your book club. I read the book and loved the process that the people went through when they read a book that they felt really touched their lives. I have had my book clubs do the same thing. We have asked everyone to read the book and think about a book that they felt changed their life or touched them in some great way. At our book club meeting everyone was given 5 minutes to tell about the book they selected. They also could tell which chapter in this book meant the most to them. We have had some profound and stimulating discussions. Some people remembered a book from elementary school that touched them - and even still had the original copy of the book. One member told about a collection of poetry that led him to major in English in college and eventually he became and English professor. In some cases someone mentioned a book we eventually put on our list to read for book club. This has been a wonderful exercise in my book clubs and I'm so glad I found this book.
February 22, 2020
I was sorely disappointed with this book, but on a personal level, not because it wasn't good. I just wanted something different. I was excited when I found it, as I love personal stories and books, so I thought it would be there perfect combination and be a book I had to read. But the stories were very boring to me, because the books discussed were also boring to me! All but one or two were spiritual or self help books, and I wanted fiction!!! Come one, people - are you really trying to say the Seven Habits meant more to you than Are You There God? Yeah, I don't believe that for a second. I want this book done again, without the contributors feeling that they have to be high brow in their reading choices, and pick they book that REALLY changed their life (for me it was one called Love is One of The Choices by Norma Klein, and only because it was how I learned about sex. :))
August 27, 2021
As can be expected, a book with multiple contributors is going to be patchy. The stories that were based on sports, business/finance, and religion just did not interest me at all. Some of the ones based on self help books were a bit cliched. But amongst all those were a few stories worth reading. All in all though, as one contributor noted - it’s not so much the book but the reader. Two people can read the same book but have totally different opinions and experiences with it. I have read a few of the books mentioned in this book - some I liked but didn’t find significant or life changing. There are a few that were discussed that I want to read but they were already on my reading list before reading this book. In fact, this book didn’t really inspire me to add any others to my ever growing list of books I want to read.
January 20, 2020
Though this book is now 15 years old, I found it full of people who were in a much later stage in life, usually people born in the 40's, 50's and 60's. While I don't discount those voices are important, I would have preferred a balance of ages ranging from old to young, as I feel this skews the book. There is also an over reliance on spiritualism (especially Protestantism) in many of the stories. People from more varied backgrounds might have given a wider variety of answers. After the fourth or fifth person with a sports background I zoned out. I ended up skipping a few of the stories as they were obvious carbon copies of prior stories. I wouldn't recommend the whole book, only certain stories of the book.
August 20, 2020
I liked this book. It was interesting to read about which books had influenced people's lives and why.
Some chapters were better than others. Many touched on self-help or religious books, but there are some others too. The chapter about a teacher who read To Kill A Mockingbird and the influence it had on his life and classes was particularly good. I added many of the books mentioned to my TBR (To Be Read) list so I remember what they are.
I would have liked an index of the books that people mentioned. There is a list, not an index of books written by the contributors, but an index of the books that influenced them would've been most helpful. As far as I can tell, the chapters are in no particular order.
Some chapters were better than others. Many touched on self-help or religious books, but there are some others too. The chapter about a teacher who read To Kill A Mockingbird and the influence it had on his life and classes was particularly good. I added many of the books mentioned to my TBR (To Be Read) list so I remember what they are.
I would have liked an index of the books that people mentioned. There is a list, not an index of books written by the contributors, but an index of the books that influenced them would've been most helpful. As far as I can tell, the chapters are in no particular order.
June 14, 2025
Well most of the books recommended are self-help books, which is fine and of course I sure need them but…I read for entertainment. I still enjoyed most of the short candid chapters. Inspirational. I have read a few of the books recommended and own even more. The more entertaining suggestions.
The books I read are mostly fiction. Thrillers. The really good ones inspire me. To write a novel.
This book does have some famous business entrepreneurs explain how they did it. Dave Berry, Malachy McCourt, John Grey and the authors themselves (Creators of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series) and many more.
Entertaining, inspirational, and educational.
The books I read are mostly fiction. Thrillers. The really good ones inspire me. To write a novel.
This book does have some famous business entrepreneurs explain how they did it. Dave Berry, Malachy McCourt, John Grey and the authors themselves (Creators of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series) and many more.
Entertaining, inspirational, and educational.
July 5, 2024
The book was pretty good for what it was. I only wish I had run on to it when I was much younger. There was information and advise that would helped me before I was too old for it to do me any good. What the book was 55 blurbs from 55 different people telling what books were extremely important in their lives and why. The people for the most part were very successful in life and they say that a book absolutely changed their lives. By the way the reason I say I am too old is that I am 81 and there is little that can change my life any more.
September 25, 2021
I liked the premise, and it is a timeless one - share the books that shook you, made you cry, laugh, gave you joy, meaning and so on. I really want to like this one, because I like the idea, and it's always a good idea to "collect" a list of what people enjoyed reading, to read it yourself. But it's better to just read fiction; much better. I give you my favorite book on the month to add to the list: "Uprooted".
October 23, 2022
Would you like to know about 100+ good books to read, while just reading one book? then this is the book. I totally loved how the 55 celebrities described the myriad set of books that changed their respective lives. Why the list became longer is because I did not know about many of the celebrities and the books that they themselves have penned. You are not a genuine book lover if you do not read this one!!
July 21, 2021
DNF, boring.
I was expecting a collection of book recommendations: people taking about why a book is so great and what's great about it, maybe a little bit about how it's affected them personally.
This is a collection of people talking about themselves, and the way their lives changed after reading a particular book. It's 98% navel gazing.
I was expecting a collection of book recommendations: people taking about why a book is so great and what's great about it, maybe a little bit about how it's affected them personally.
This is a collection of people talking about themselves, and the way their lives changed after reading a particular book. It's 98% navel gazing.
July 19, 2023
Hard book to rate…
While I found a few of the books mentioned worth reading, others sound like a total waste of time. The stories of the people were more interesting at times, than the book that one of them read. I think this could have been better with more “everyday” people, no those that ended up making a ton of money.
While I found a few of the books mentioned worth reading, others sound like a total waste of time. The stories of the people were more interesting at times, than the book that one of them read. I think this could have been better with more “everyday” people, no those that ended up making a ton of money.
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