Influential books: A Personal List

I do alot of reading. I used to read books a great deal, still do, but less so with the Internet available. I am typing this from my home office, where I have decent size library,( but it does not look like Alan Weiss' library.) As I sit here looking at my books and wondering what to write about I got the brilliant idea of books! (Aren't I clever?)

I started thinking about the books that have been influential in my life. Maybe not so much influential but the ones that were memorable. And perhaps they did have an influence. Here is a list of mine:

• Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I feel this is the reason that I originally studied apes and monkeys in college. Tarzan of the Apes (Signet Classics)
• Foundation Trilogy by Issac Asimov. I can still picture that book today. It was one of the first I bought from a mail order book club. (Long before Amazon). The Foundation Trilogy
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This little book had been a gift from a teacher to my mother when she was 7. She passed it on to me along with a love of reading. Reading it each Christmas brings back pleasant memories. A Christmas Carol
• Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough. A biography of Theodore Roosevelt that launched a passion for TR. I now own about 15 TR biographies. Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt
• Megatrends by John Naisbett. I was fascinated by his view of what the world might hold. My fascination with trends and the future still holds, as you can tell from what you have read in my blog posts. Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives

I have many, many other books that I have learned from and enjoyed. The list is too long. I will confess I still love the feel of a book in my hands. A reader, while practical, especially if you travel, just doesn't do it for me. I imagine I will one day succumb. (Any company out there want to send me one? I will use it and post about it.)

What books have been influential in your life? Please share with us readers, perhaps we too will become influenced by your favorite read(s).