Books I Recommend (that Transformed My Life)

When I was a child I was an avid reader.  I read 100’s of books.  Looking back now I still vividly remember the Little House books, Robinson Crusoe, The Swiss Family Robinson, and The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle.  These adventures played a big part in shaping my life and probably in part turned me into the adventurer and explorer that I am today.  There is little doubt in my mind that reading is one of the most beneficial ways that I spent my time as a child. 

I wish I could say that I stayed an avid reader for my whole life but in college I think partying took over to a great extent and in recent years the computer has largely replaced books for me.  In 2011 I began a transformation from From Drunk Dude to Dude Making a Difference and that was fueled more by documentaries than anything else.  I’ve shared the influential documentaries at 23 films that changed my life.  Although documentaries were my greatest source of education and inspiration in my transformation there were also many books that had a profound influence on me.  I can’t remember all of them but the following is a list of books that have made their mark in my mind and that I encourage you to read as well.  Of course there are many other books out there that could have had a huge impact on me had they come into my hands but these are the books that I have read and that I recommend. 

I was sleeping on the streets of downtown San Diego spending time with people with no home and checked out a copy from the public library.  I don’t recall which biography it was exactly that I read but every one has great value to it.  He was a great inspiration to me before reading his biography but the inspiration grew after this read.  See this page for some of my favorite quotes by him. 

Yvon Chouinard is the founder of Patagonia and 1% for the Planet and a huge inspiration to me.  Through his business, nonprofit, and personal life he truly is leading the way into a more sustainable world.  These books really inspired and informed me on how to carry out my business in an ethical manner.  In his mind the answer to living in a healthy world is simple; know the affects of your actions and do what is right.  It comes down to living simply, reducing consumption, buying quality products that last, and giving back to what gives to us. 

In Defense of Food just happens to be the Michael Pollan book that I got my hands on but even having not read any of his other books I would recommend every one of them.  He is a brilliant man who explains food so simply yet so deeply.  I recommend his books to anyone who wants to know whats going on with the food they are eating. 

Through my years of dumpster diving activism Tristram Stuart has become a great friend of mine.  It wasn’t until after we became friends that I finally read this book.  I was already widely versed on the topic of food waste this book still managed to teach me so much.  It’s a must read for anyone who wants to make an impact in the world of food waste. 

I first saw the movie and a few years later read the book.  Christopher McCandless is hugely inspirational to me and I have a lot of respect for him.  This is an adventure worth reading and that should get you thinking. 

A year of eating only local, mostly only food that Barbara and her family grew themselves.  This is an experiment that I plan to embark on myself, only to a bit of a greater extreme than them.  This book really made me want to dive into growing my own heirloom food and to connect with the soil. 

This is the little shelf of books that I kept while I was living at The Teeny Greeny. 

“An illuminating perspective on the science of meditation—and a handbook for transforming our minds, bodies, and lives.  In The Joy of Living, world-renowned Buddhist teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche—the “happiest man in the world”—invites us to join him in unlocking the secrets to finding joy and contentment in the everyday.  Using the basic meditation practices he provides, we can discover paths through our problems, transforming obstacles into opportunities to recognize the unlimited potential of our own minds.” 

The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama XIV and Howard C. Cutler“Nearly every time you see him, he’s laughing, or at least smiling.  And he makes everyone else around him feel like smiling.  He’s the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, a Nobel Prize winner, and an increasingly popular speaker and statesman.  What’s more, he’ll tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that “the very motion of our life is towards happiness.”  How to get there has always been the question.  He’s tried to answer it before, but he’s never had the help of a psychiatrist to get the message across in a context we can easily understand.  Through conversations, stories, and meditations, the Dalai Lama shows us how to defeat day-to-day anxiety, insecurity, anger, and discouragement.  Together with Dr. Cutler, he explores many facets of everyday life, including relationships, loss, and the pursuit of wealth, to illustrate how to ride through life’s obstacles on a deep and abiding source of inner peace.” 

There are so many thousands of incredible books out there and these are just some of the ones that have had a positive impact on me.  And for many of them it was sheerly a matter of luck or coincidence that I ended up reading them.  The library is one of my favorite places to spend time and I highly encourage you to support your local library and spend time there.  Used book shops and Little Free Libraries are also great resources for expanding your knowledge. 

What books have had a great impact on you?  Please share in the comments section below! 

For more inspiration and education check out these lists of resources that have had a positive influence on me:

12 comments

Awesome!  I've been waiting for the list from you.  Loved "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle."  Thanks for posting.  One book on food, and food regulation that really struck me was "Folks, This Ain't Normal" by Joel Salatin.  The other that I really enjoyed was "The Good Life" by Helen and Scott Nearing.  Also check out "This life is in your Hands" by Melissa Coleman and "The One-Straw Revolution" by Masanobu Fukuoka

Rob, the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was and is the most affecting book for me.  If you're yet to read it I can't recommend it enough.  Any outer purpose to life is always secondary to our primary, inner purpose – to be fully present in the now and all outer purposes are awash with joy and grace when one has their main focus on the inner purpose. 

I already put many of these on hold at the library!  Here are some that have inspired me over the years:

Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash-Edward Humes, This is a must read for those trying to understand how we deal with the trash placed on the curb which magically disappears week after week. " Edward Humes investigates trash—what’s in it; how much we pay for it; how we manage to create so much of it; and how some families, communities, and even nations are finding a way back from waste to discover a new kind of prosperity"

Stranger in the Forest: On Foot Across Borneo- Eric Hansen, First westener to walk across Borneo, I have endless respect for people who venture into the sheer unknown. "… provides a rare and intimate look at the vanishing way of life of one of the last surviving groups of rain forest dwellers.  Hansen's absorbing, and often chilling, account of his exploits is tempered with the humor and humanity that prompted the Penan to take him into their world and to share their secrets"

Eating Animals-Jonathan Safran Foer “I'm not better than anyone, and I'm not trying to convince people to live by my standards of what's right.  I'm trying to convince them to live by their own.”  -Jonathan Safran Foer, Finding works about food that are not preachy can be difficult.  I dont want to be told one way is better than the other, but to be presented with views you can pick and choose to align with your own morals and beliefs.  Enjoyable and informative read.