Most Life-Changing / Mind-Altering Non-Fiction Books You've Read

Hi!

I am a non-fiction book lover and love a good book that changes my entire world view in a way. I am seeking a new non-fiction book that will do that - some examples from some that have done that for me are Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss (cliche I know), and Fatal Conveniences by Darin Olien. They basically altered my entire perception of sleep, work and health.

Are there any books you have read in the past that have completely altered your perception deeply on something in your day-to-day life?

No.

I think the likelihood of reading something that is "life-changing" reduces with age as I become more set in my ways, and I believe this applies to people in general. If I look further back and try to identify one, I find it wasn't the book itself that prompted the change but rather I chose to read that book after some event began to change me, and the book only reinforced it. People tend to read books with perspectives they already agree with, unless they make a conscious effort to do otherwise.

A couple of significant ones for me were The Rhetoric of Fiction (helped me to better appreciate literature, especially the classics) and Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World which helped crystalize and put into words what I already felt about maintaining a healthy level of skepticism.

1) Food Matters by Mark Bittman - probably the best and most accessible read on responsible eating.

2) Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan - an American woman accompanies indigenous group in Australia for a months long "walkabout", and learns a lot about herself and humanity's place in the world.

>4 jilldugaw:

Touchstones:

Food Matters, by Mark Bittman
Mutant Message Down Under, by Marlo Morgan

>4 jilldugaw:, while you cite it as a book you learned valuable lessons from, I hope you are aware of the story behind Mario Morgan's work? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlo_Morgan