Has your life ever been changed by a book?

Changed forever ! wrote:

OMG yes. I read 3 books and progressively changed my world forever. You cannot stare into the chasm without the chasm staring back into you!

Here is my story of why I have never been truly happy again after reading a couple of books... disclaimer: DON'T DO WHAT I DID!!!! I was in graduate school in a Phd program in evolutionary psychology and neuroscience, and I was getting the impression from "behind closed door" chats I overheard between professors, in combination with what I was learning about brains and evolution, that some of my cherished politically-correct illusions about human history might be wrong. Before that, I noticed some illogical stuff in an anthropology course I took etc etc as an undergrad. Something was wrong with the big picture of what I was learning. SO, to make a long story short, through a series of unfortunate events, I ended up at a book store staring at a copy of Hitlers "Mein Kampf". Then, like an idiot, I bought it and read it. Even through the poor, politically-hostile translation It turned my world upside-down forever. For example, quotes I read in the book in-context that I had heard before apart from the book to show how bad Hitler was actually meant the OPPOSITE in the way they were being used as quotes compared to what was being said in the book. It was a hard to read book, but it was no less mind-blowing. Now here's where I really screwed up in my "fun reading" list -- I thought, gee now let me read something by that whack-job David Duke to see if he really is a crazy monster-idiot too like I was always hearing! I read "Jewish Supremacism". When I read that, it changed my world forever. Knowing what I do about evolution, and human brains, just underlined the points he made. It was like someone drove a railroad spike into my brain. In sum, after I read it, I was in such an emotional state, I went outside and went for a walk. Except for one thing -- it was a torrential downpour thunderstorm. I kept walking for a couple of hours. The final thing I read which completed the path to forever being unhappy (and fed most directly into my past training in evolution and the brain) was reading California State University Professor Kevin MacDonald's book "The Culture of Critique: An Evolutionary Analysis of Jewish Involvement in Twentieth-Century Intellectual and Political Movements". (wow fun reading list!) I am sitting here typing this with tears in my eyes. No joke. Half my family has disowned me, I lost friends, just for bringing up these books to them. NO ONE will help you, speak with you, or listen to you about these things. Doors just slam shut when you need them open the most when you are hurting… So yes, they changed my life, plunged me into yawning loneliness, and yes I am giving warning (although you people here probably have better judgment -- I actually took up surfing because I used to have a phobia of water... and can’t swim very well). DO NOT EVER READ THESE BOOKS because they will tear you apart emotionally and socially. You will maybe never recover. They WILL change your life. Honestly, this is one of the major reasons I took up running again -- to regain my happiness, to let off steam, to forget. I run with others too -- and only talk about RUNNING to get my life and social life back. Sorry this is so long. I just had to get that out there. YES a book can change you life -- it can also DESTROY IT, so watch out!

Changed forever ! wrote:

OMG yes. I read 3 books and progressively changed my world forever. You cannot stare into the chasm without the chasm staring back into you!

Here is my story of why I have never been truly happy again after reading a couple of books... disclaimer: DON'T DO WHAT I DID!!!! I was in graduate school in a Phd program in evolutionary psychology and neuroscience, and I was getting the impression from "behind closed door" chats I overheard between professors, in combination with what I was learning about brains and evolution, that some of my cherished politically-correct illusions about human history might be wrong. Before that, I noticed some illogical stuff in an anthropology course I took etc etc as an undergrad. Something was wrong with the big picture of what I was learning. SO, to make a long story short, through a series of unfortunate events, I ended up at a book store staring at a copy of Hitlers "Mein Kampf". Then, like an idiot, I bought it and read it. Even through the poor, politically-hostile translation It turned my world upside-down forever. For example, quotes I read in the book in-context that I had heard before apart from the book to show how bad Hitler was actually meant the OPPOSITE in the way they were being used as quotes compared to what was being said in the book. It was a hard to read book, but it was no less mind-blowing. Now here's where I really screwed up in my "fun reading" list -- I thought, gee now let me read something by that whack-job David Duke to see if he really is a crazy monster-idiot too like I was always hearing! I read "Jewish Supremacism". When I read that, it changed my world forever. Knowing what I do about evolution, and human brains, just underlined the points he made. It was like someone drove a railroad spike into my brain. In sum, after I read it, I was in such an emotional state, I went outside and went for a walk. Except for one thing -- it was a torrential downpour thunderstorm. I kept walking for a couple of hours. The final thing I read which completed the path to forever being unhappy (and fed most directly into my past training in evolution and the brain) was reading California State University Professor Kevin MacDonald's book "The Culture of Critique: An Evolutionary Analysis of Jewish Involvement in Twentieth-Century Intellectual and Political Movements". (wow fun reading list!) I am sitting here typing this with tears in my eyes. No joke. Half my family has disowned me, I lost friends, just for bringing up these books to them. NO ONE will help you, speak with you, or listen to you about these things. Doors just slam shut when you need them open the most when you are hurting… So yes, they changed my life, plunged me into yawning loneliness, and yes I am giving warning (although you people here probably have better judgment -- I actually took up surfing because I used to have a phobia of water... and can’t swim very well). DO NOT EVER READ THESE BOOKS because they will tear you apart emotionally and socially. You will maybe never recover. They WILL change your life. Honestly, this is one of the major reasons I took up running again -- to regain my happiness, to let off steam, to forget. I run with others too -- and only talk about RUNNING to get my life and social life back. Sorry this is so long. I just had to get that out there. YES a book can change you life -- it can also DESTROY IT, so watch out!