General Discussion

Heidi

(58,630 posts) Sun Aug 31, 2025, 10:58 AM Sunday

Books that impacted your worldview? [View all]

In this era when we grasp for answers to why we are where we are in the US, I offer the titles of a few books that have impacted my worldview and continue to provide context. I hope you’ll share some titles, too, in the spirit of “the more you know.” There are many, but I’ll start with three:

The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
https://archive.org/details/truebeliever0000unse_u5j3

The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
https://archive.org/details/wretchedofearthf0000fano

War against the weak: eugenics and America's campaign to create a master race by Edwin Black
https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781568582580/mode/1up

(Hat tip to Kid Berwyn in particular for reminding me of the importance of this community. )

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Books that impacted your worldview? [View all] Heidi Sunday OP

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee cos dem Sunday #1

Thank you! That book was important for me, too. Heidi Sunday #2

Same. I went on to stufy róisín_dubh Sunday #22

Shocked me malaise Sunday #33

Gandhi: The Story of My Experiments with Truth ultralite001 Sunday #3

I will check that out! Heidi Sunday #4

Thanks for the reminder PatSeg Sunday #24

I try to read it once a year... ultralite001 Sunday #26

That's quite an endorsement PatSeg Sunday #29

Off the top of my head. Ping Tung Sunday #5

Catch-22 has a special place in my heart. Heidi Sunday #10

I first read it when I was in the marines in the early '60s. I laughed my ass of. Then I read it again. Ping Tung Sunday #11

He included a catch in every paragraph. Went mad cachukis Wednesday #155

I've finally met someone who has also read I Will Bear Witness! chia Monday #66

I find it to be the very best book on what fascism/nazism is really about. Ping Tung Monday #74

In addition to "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer (a very insightful work), anciano Sunday #6

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa - Walter Rodney malaise Sunday #7

Excellent list. Heidi Sunday #9

Early readings peggysue2 Sunday #8

I love good literary fiction, Heidi Sunday #16

Yup peggysue2 Sunday #21

Wasn't a book but I took a university class Tree Lady Sunday #12

Very, very formative experience, I agree. Heidi Sunday #14

I was raised Presbyterian and mostly Tree Lady Sunday #17

The Arms Of Krupp by William Manchester berniesandersmittens Sunday #13

Thank you! I'd forgotten "Animal Farm." Heidi Sunday #15

Animal Farm malaise Sunday #18

"All animals are equal, but some ... Whiskeytide Monday #48

Machiavelli's The Prince TheProle Sunday #19

YES! Heidi Monday #49

Of course! TheProle Monday #116

Another vote from me for "The True Believer" by Hoffer. keep_left Sunday #20

Excellent recommendations! Heidi Monday #50

You're welcome. keep_left Monday #113

Open Veins of Latin America róisín_dubh Sunday #23

I haven't read Open Veins of Latin America. Heidi Monday #51

Books from early life Dave says Sunday #25

Very interesting list, Dave says. Heidi Monday #52

"Language in Thought and Action" by S. I. Hayakawa. Walleye Sunday #27

Isn't that the truth? Heidi Monday #54

The Terrible Secret by Walter Laqueur BlueKota Sunday #28

This sounds fascinating! Heidi Monday #57

The Real Book and Story justaprogressive Sunday #30

Just read the Wiki entry; will definitely be reading this novel. Heidi Monday #58

What a great topic! MorbidButterflyTat Sunday #31

Two books I've never even heard about! Heidi Monday #59

A few more: To Kill a Mockingbird; Spartacus; All Quiet on the Western Front Ping Tung Sunday #32

Both worth rereading. Heidi Monday #61

Ben And Me, a children's book that made me curious about looking at history a bit deeper for what I may otherwise miss Attilatheblond Sunday #34

What a lovely gift from your daughter! Heidi Monday #62

It IS a very cool introduction to Dr Franklin for kids. Lawson also wrote Mr Revere and I Attilatheblond Monday #76

'A Theory of Justice' by John Rawls Celerity Sunday #35

+1 for Shock Doctrine and Art of War nt berniesandersmittens Sunday #41

Excellent recommendations, Celerity. Heidi Monday #64

The Autobiography of Malcolm X. H2O Man Sunday #36

I was going to lead with that one myself NoPasaran Sunday #39

Love Carl Sagan MorbidButterflyTat Monday #43

Absolutely agree! Heidi Monday #65

A Team Of Rivals RainCaster Sunday #37

Thank you for the recommendation, RainCaster. Heidi Monday #68

When I was young, Calvin & Hobbes and Doonesbury. meadowlander Sunday #38

There are all kinds of ways to learn. Heidi Monday #72

Grapes of Wrath senseandsensibility Sunday #40

It was required reading in my family. Heidi Monday #75

Tao Te Ching tinrobot Sunday #42

Thank you, tinrobot! Heidi Monday #84

Don't laugh LeftInTX Monday #44

Why would anyone laugh? Heidi Monday #88

Thanks. My books aren't very sophisticated and were assigned reading. LeftInTX Monday #91

Oh, hon. Heidi Monday #95

I grew up in Wisconsin. I had a progressive education. LeftInTX Monday #106

That makes you even *more* Heidi Monday #108

One book turned my worldview upside down. Another Jackalope Monday #45

Well, that seals it. Heidi Monday #90

You'll regret it, but you won't regret it. Another Jackalope Monday #119

Black Like Me. DiverDave Monday #46

Yes indeed. Heidi Monday #82

The Whole Earth Catalog BluesRunTheGame Monday #47

Oh, wow! Heidi Monday #81

Catcher in the Rye, or johnnyfins Monday #53

I definitely need to reread The Catcher in the Rye Heidi Monday #83

Zinn - A Peoples History of the US JanMichael Monday #55

Can you believe that I first read The Handmaid's Tale Heidi Tuesday #120

The Jungle displacedvermoter Monday #56

Absolutely! Heidi Monday #73

The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State - Weinstein bucolic_frolic Monday #60

Thank you so much! Heidi Tuesday #121

These are books about political change and shifting ideologies bucolic_frolic Tuesday #131

A few JustAnotherGen Monday #63

Thank you for your honesty, JustAnotherGen. Heidi Monday #70

Thank you JustAnotherGen Monday #99

Oh, don't *even* get me started Heidi Monday #101

Wow, what a great story, wonderful! betsuni Monday #114

Demon Haunted World Mz Pip Monday #67

YES to all three! Heidi Monday #97

The Straight Dope - Cecil Adams & The Book of Lists 1,2,3 Brainfodder Monday #69

Will check 'em out! Heidi Tuesday #122

Mine are kind of eclectic Mossfern Monday #71

Excellent list, Mossfern! Heidi Monday #79

When I was in grade 8, I read Frankenstein, then Rifles for Watie, then 1984 in the first month of school Swede Monday #77

Stand Watie is a hero where I grew up Heidi Monday #78

Autobiography of Malcolm X ALBliberal Monday #80

Changed my worldview. Heidi Monday #96

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson Scrivener7 Monday #85

Omg! We ordered that two weeks ago Heidi Monday #98

It's kind of devastating. I had to read it in sections and put it down at times. Scrivener7 Monday #109

My high school English teacher had us read Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye KitFox Monday #86

I'm so glad you're here, KitFox! Heidi Monday #93

"The Uses of the Past: Profiles of Former Societies" Golden Raisin Monday #87

Thank you! Heidi Monday #94

1. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass, 2. The Life of Gandhi RandomNumbers Monday #89

Thank you, RandomThoughts. Heidi Wednesday #152

Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein. I was in grade 6, 7, or 8. "Beginner's Mind, Zen Mind" Shunryu Suzuki in my 20's Bernardo de La Paz Monday #92

Yup! Heidi Monday #100

I added the zen book. Slim volume, comes with a fly. Bernardo de La Paz Monday #102

Apostles of Disunion by Charles Dew. Sneederbunk Monday #103

Nonfiction about the South is important to me. Heidi Tuesday #123

Tnx. Sneederbunk Tuesday #128

So many. Against Our Will - Susan Brownmiller; Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown; LoisB Monday #104

LOVE James Baldwin! Heidi Tuesday #124

Oh so do I. Baldwin should be required reading in every high school. You are very kind, thank LoisB Tuesday #142

Computer Lib: Dream Machines, by Ted Nelson (and others, Buddhist in nature) usonian Monday #105

Thank you, usonian! Heidi Tuesday #126

Depends on what you mean by World View... WarGamer Monday #107

Thank you! Heidi Tuesday #130

still hard to believe it's an ancient text. WarGamer Tuesday #132

Greath thread. Bookmarking to refer to it often for my booklist. Thanks! Scrivener7 Monday #110

Also: EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! Heidi Tuesday #133

Two books on the opposite spectrum LogDog75 Monday #111

I'm not a huge sci-fi consumer, but I love Asimov. Heidi Wednesday #153

Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor Wiz Imp Monday #112

LOVE ALL! Heidi Tuesday #138

I can't really think of a book that impacted my worldview and I feel a little weird about it. betsuni Monday #115

That's not weird. Heidi Tuesday #134

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig Kid Berwyn Monday #117

No words. Heidi Tuesday #135

The Ox-Bow Incident Ping Tung Monday #118

I *have* to read this! Heidi Tuesday #136

Here's the full movie on Youtube. Ping Tung Tuesday #140

You rock! Heidi Tuesday #141

Love the part at the end, with Fonda reading that letter... (nt) Paladin Tuesday #147

The New Testament GusBob Tuesday #125

Thank you! Heidi Tuesday #127

To kill a mockingbird uponit7771 Tuesday #129

It was my awakening about racial injustice. Today, I have mixed feelings. Heidi Tuesday #137

The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran spanone Tuesday #139

This book was a gift to me Heidi Tuesday #143

My mother gave it to me spanone Tuesday #144

Slaughterhouse 5 and Weinberg's The First Nuclear Era... NNadir Tuesday #145

Same here. Heidi Tuesday #146

Feminism Unmodified by Catharine MacKInnon Stargleamer Tuesday #148

I need to reread Catharine MacKinnon. Heidi Wednesday #157

"Be Here Now" by Babba Ram Das lark Tuesday #149

Yes, and "Grist for the Mill." Heidi Wednesday #150

Actually, my favorite book of all time. FalloutShelter Wednesday #151

Yes, an absolutely beautiful opening line. Heidi Wednesday #156

Thanks for adding that Gatsby quote. FalloutShelter Wednesday #162

Wrapped in the flag samplegirl Wednesday #154

Ohhhhh, I just read the publisher's synopsis and will definitely buy this! Heidi Wednesday #159

Huck Finn Topomi Wednesday #158

I received--as a gift--my late high school American literature teacher's desk copy of "Huckleberry Finn." Heidi Wednesday #160

Hobbes - and I don't mean the stuffed tiger (though I do own the boxed C&H)... sir pball Wednesday #161

So many great recommendations! Heidi Wednesday #163

Avec plaisir! sir pball Wednesday #166

Have three favs. First is The Ugly American by William Lederer and Eugene allegorical oracle Wednesday #164

Agree on all three! Heidi Wednesday #165

Feminist works that impacted my worldview Heidi Thursday #167