What books have influenced your life?

[Hari's Chick]

I see on the scrimp/splurge thread a lot of us are book lovers. So, which books have left deep impressions on you?

[VersusBatman]

This might be weird, but a cookbook influence me(I read them like novels). It's Mexico: One Plate At a Time by Rick Bayless. He really inspired me to improve Mexican cooking and to not compromise the authenticity unlike many TV personalities who pass of using cans and seasoning packets as the real thing, Sandra Lee I'm looking your direction.

Joy Luck Club is one that touched a nerve. I often felt like the daughters in this book who just can't understand thier mothers old ways.

War On Crime is a Batman graphic novel that was light on action and more on the philosophy on why Batman fights crime.

The Marvels is a wonderful set of graphic novels. It's about the superheroes told from the point of view of an ordinary newspaper photgrapher. It made me think about the fickle nature of the media and the public.

The Book Of Morman and the Bible has inspired me more than once. Sometimes if I feel confused I open the books and the answers are there in front of me.

[Hari's Chick]

That is really cool about the cookbook. Have you learned the trick of grinding corn and making fresh tortillas? In Mexico I got an asphalt looking morter/pestal (spelling?) and was going to try it. It was sooo cool seeing them grinding the corn ... and the fresh corn tortillas were out of this world! I still have yet to try it myself though!

[Hari's Chick]

The Book Of Morman and the Bible has inspired me more than once. Sometimes if I feel confused I open the books and the answers are there in front of me.


That is a beautiful idea.

[VersusBatman]

That is really cool about the cookbook. Have you learned the trick of grinding corn and making fresh tortillas? In Mexico I got an asphalt looking morter/pestal (spelling?) and was going to try it. It was sooo cool seeing them grinding the corn ... and the fresh corn tortillas were out of this world! I still have yet to try it myself though!
No. Corn for grinding is next to impossible to find here. However I buy masa and I use a tortilla press to make tortillas. They are delicous. I try to make fresh ones when I make quesadllas and tortillas for refried beans.

I do have one of these guys:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Molcajete.jpg/450px-Molcajete.jpg
It's a molcajete. It's a mortar and pestle made from lava rock. Mine has the head of a dog on the front. I use it to make salsa and just to mash up roasted garlic.

[Hari's Chick]

This is making me hungry! :drool:

Oh, that is the same one I have. :) I guess I wondered if on the first use I would accidentally get little rock pieces in the food, lol. (crunch...) I have to get my courage up and use it. Very cool to use it for things other than corn. I've got a whole cookbook just of salsas!

[sourmilkpinky]

Very interesting topic. My choice are on complete opposite ends of my spectrum.

I would have to say The Bible, for obvious reasons.

And Forbidden Flowers by Nancy Friday for opening my eyes.

[VersusBatman]

This is making me hungry! :drool:

Oh, that is the same one I have. :) I guess I wondered if on the first use I would accidentally get little rock pieces in the food, lol. (crunch...) I have to get my courage up and use it. Very cool to use it for things other than corn. I've got a whole cookbook just of salsas!
They say you should season it by grinding wet rice until there aren't anymore pieces of rock. I only had to do it twice with mine because mine is not that porous.

[chaitanya]

On the road - Jack Kerouac
Dharma bums - Jack Kerouac
writings of M.K.Gandhi
To have ot to be - Erich Fromm

[Hari's Chick]

To have ot to be - Erich Fromm

I love this book, too! My copy was reread until it was falling apart.

[Hari's Chick]

They say you should season it by grinding wet rice until there aren't anymore pieces of rock. I only had to do it twice with mine because mine is not that porous.

Ooh, I did not know this. Very cool... that makes a lot of sense because mine is so porous. That is what had me concerned... that I'd have a pebble tortilla and need to see a dentist after. :)

Wet rice... okay...gotta do that...

[instant karla]

i know i've said this a million times, but the beatles authorized biography by hunter davies, read when i was 11, left an immeasurably deep impression on me and ignited a lifelong passion.

another one that impressed me, also read and re-read in my youth, was fahrenheit 451 by ray bradbury. imagine, reading books a crime! *shudders*

[kmac]

Rendezvous with Rama,
Fahrenheit 451 as well,
2001 Space Odyssey,

Were the first SciFi books I read and they are responsible for spawning a life long attraction to the genre.

[motherTheresa]

i know i've said this a million times, but the beatles authorized biography by hunter davies, read when i was 11,


:read:

you beat me to the punch carla! er, to the book! i read it when i was

14 or 15.


also the bible for me.....it helps to have a scholar explain some of the

passages, tho! :lightbulb: then, it really comes alive!

[jackieburgundy]

Hmmm...when I was younger, anything by DH Lawrence & Hermann Hesse. I love the writing styles of Flannery O'Connor & John Gardner (October Light). Now I'm reading the fun, catty & chatty books of Dominick Dunne as well as mysteries by Minette Walters & Donna Leon. And yes, I read all 6 Harry Potter books & have ordered the 7th :>

[Lady Madonna]

On the road - Jack Kerouac


I'm reading that now. :teeth1:


When I was younger, "Little Women" had a big impact on me.

[MaccaGirl2891]

The Bible. Obvious reasons yet again.

I was inspired by "She Said Yes," by the mother of Cassie Bernall, a girl who was martyred during the Columbine school shooting in 1999. It was an amazing book to read. To think, being asked if you believed in God with a gun pointed at you, and saying yes. Wow.

[Mccartneyluvr]

Fahrenheit 451
Fear In Loathing In Las Vegas
To Kill A Mocking Bird

I dont know if its influenced my life, but I love anything by PG Wodehouse, especially the Jeeves & Wooster books. I also love The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hamett.

[El Gos Coix]

When I've read Hari's Chick's first posting in this thread I've wondered what I should consider as "deep impressions". It seems it should be something related to mind, thought, attitude towards life... Or maybe books one'll remember all his/her life? Well, I don't know. Much as I like reading, I'm not of the "deep" type, I'm afraid (and anyway, perhaps that was not the idea). Though sometimes I read theater or essays, most of the time it's novels for me. And I suppose none of them has left deep impressions on me, since I forget absolutely everything about a book about one month after finishing it! (Well, not everything; I usually remember whether I've liked it or not; it's the same with films.) If I had to choose, I'll say anything by Dickens or by Galdós (a Spanish writer some thirty years after Dickens).

But there is a book (a collection of books, rather) that influenced my life in some ways: "Just William" by Richmal Crompton. They're more than forty books, I think. My parents had the entire collection, which I read when I was about nine. I got quite a few ideas for pranks and other activities from them. The day I was eleven was a great day, since at last I was William's age! I still read those books now and then (perhaps once every five years), so I might consider them the biggest influence in my life, as far as books are concerned.

By the way, I love cookbooks, even though I never put my mind to doing it! All I do is think about how great this or that looks, and so on. I'd like to have a good book about Indian cuisine (I know I would cook something), but then I doubt whether I would be able to get the ingredients over here. One of the few things I cook is a rice with curry with ingredients an Indian friend sent to me through somebody while he was living in Europe (now that he's gone back to India we cannot find anybody who acts as courier anymore!)

[Hari's Chick]

By the way, I love cookbooks, even though I never put my mind to doing it! All I do is think about how great this or that looks, and so on. I'd like to have a good book about Indian cuisine (I know I would cook something), but then I doubt whether I would be able to get the ingredients over here. One of the few things I cook is a rice with curry with ingredients an Indian friend sent to me through somebody while he was living in Europe (now that he's gone back to India we cannot find anybody who acts as courier anymore!)

Oh, I know some really wonderful Indian cookbooks. :smile1:
This first one is excellent and the first Indian cookbook I bought, years ago....
http://www.thekrishnastore.com/Detail.bok?no=369&bar=

This cookbook is written by Yamuna Devi, who is George's pal. She is the lead vocalist on his "Hare Krishna Mantra" song. Yamuna has numerous cookbooks out, but this one even is award winning. She has cooked for the Fabs, for Indian royalty, and most importantly, for her guru, Srila Parbhupada! She was there in the early days of the Krishna's and one of the 'original gang'...
http://www.thekrishnastore.com/Detail.bok?no=2590&bar=

This book is not only Indian, but various dishes including some Indian dishes. In this one you will never be disappointed. Kurma Dasa has a tv cooking show which airs from Aussie land. He is really popular and his things are so so delicious. Paul used to eat Kurma's recipes (like the lasagne in this book) when he would go to the Krishna restaurant in London (often)...because it was a few doors down frm MLP on Soho Square.
http://www.thekrishnastore.com/Detail.bok?no=721&bar=

Hope that helps!

Thank you for the tip on the Just William books~ they look wonderful. I'm ordering them for my kids (and secretly me, too). :)

[FPSHOT]

When I've read Hari's Chick's first posting in this thread I've wondered what I should consider as "deep impressions". It seems it should be something related to mind, thought, attitude towards life... Or maybe books one'll remember all his/her life? Well, I don't know. Much as I like reading, I'm not of the "deep" type, I'm afraid (and anyway, perhaps that was not the idea). Though sometimes I read theater or essays, most of the time it's novels for me. And I suppose none of them has left deep impressions on me, since I forget absolutely everything about a book about one month after finishing it! (Well, not everything; I usually remember whether I've liked it or not; it's the same with films.)

I am a bit like this too when I think about books.

So from there..

Books which impressed me are amongst others;

Autobiography Of A Yogi - just an amazing experience to read this way about the Yogis Of The Himalaya and what they are capable of.

Closer To The Light by Melvin Morse and Paul Perry about near-death experiences from children

I'd Rather Laugh by Linda Richman

Rogue Trader "How I Brought Down Barings Bank and Shook the Financial World" by Nick Leeson about this amazing "bomb" he placed under the Barings Bank which lead to the end of this banking empire that had funded the Napoleonic Wars

a Dutch book by author Geert Mak about the history and existence of Amsterdam

a Hillary Clinton biography I read a few years ago.

[george_on_cloud9]

Mine is "Like Water for Chocolate" by mexican author Laura Esquivel. It's my favorite book ever.

[SF4-EVER]

I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in high school, and that had a big influence on how I view science and philosophy.

[Hari's Chick]

Autobiography Of A Yogi - just an amazing experience to read this way about the Yogis Of The Himalaya and what they are capable of.




Autobiography~ like Dhani said, you can just keep rereading it and learn new things each time. It's some kind of magical book... wonderful wonderful to read. :smile1:

That bank book sounds really interesting, too!

What is the Linda Richman book about? (don't say laughing) :tongue1:

[FPSHOT]

What is the Linda Richman book about? (don't say laughing) :tongue1:

LOL ok.... then it is about the excess of smiling :smile1:

in a few words; Linda Richman is a writer who came from a life full of depression and tragedy and now tells and writes about it to share and help and it can be for any kind of sadness in ones life, big or small, and even to be just a cheer up.

She is also the inspiration for the SNL sketch "Coffee Talk" (she's Mike Myers' mother-in-law), hosts this program, designed to help those experiencing personal hardships.

This is a piece from chapter one

"I learned that we can withstand a lot of pain and loss and not just survive it but rise above it. I learned that no matter how sad you are today, happiness and laughter and even joy are still distinct possibilities for tomorrow, or if not tomorrow, the day after that. And I learned that you and I have in our power the ability to get all that and more. Everything important is in our control. Everything necessary is ours to decide. It's work. But it's all there, waiting for us to make up our minds.

Okay, I hear you saying, Ms. Big Shot, tell me how. I can't. It's different for everybody. I don't have your directions. I can't draw your map. Look, I couldn't draw my map—it took me a while to find my way. It was a hell of a journey too, a lot of starts and stops and wrong turns and backing up and doing it over. A lot of wondering if I was headed in the right direction. A lot of wondering if there was a right direction.

But there was. And there is. And if I could find it, believe me, you can find it. I can even help you, if you'll let me.

One night not long ago I actually had dinner with Deepak Chopra.

"Tell me, Deepak," I said, "what's the most important thing you have to teach people?"

"We are the tinkers of our taughts," he said.

"We are the tinkers of our taughts," I repeated. "What the hell is that?"

He said it again.

Even when I finally figured out what he was saying, I knew it wasn't going to work for me. Deepak Chopra is a brilliant man who sells millions and millions of books and has millions and millions of followers. But nobody wants to hear a chunky Jew from Queens saying, "We are the tinkers of our taughts." Life doesn't work that way."

but about the laughing...she has a great sence of humor which comes out in her book so much.

[BeatleChick]

Autobiography of a Yogi--Yogananda
On the Road--Kerouac
In His Own Write (John)
The Holy Science by Swami Yukteswar
Walden by Thoreau

... among other things...

[El Gos Coix]

Oh, I know some really wonderful Indian cookbooks.

(...)

Hope that helps!

Sure it helps! I'm going to buy one, to begin with, and I hope that'll help me get in the kitchen a bit more than now! I think I'll get them from Amazon (I haven't got a credit card, so I usually ask someone who's placing an order to ask a few things for me and share the packaging and posting expenses... And I don't know whether I would be abe to persuade them to buy something for themselves at the Krishna Store :cross6). I've seen the first and the third are easily available at Amazon, although the second one is there only as second-hand. If you had to buy only one, which one would you recommend? I see that they're more or less oriented to western kitchens and utensils (luckily!)



Thank you for the tip on the Just William books~ they look wonderful. I'm ordering them for my kids (and secretly me, too). :)

I see you've got the idea. But in a short time it'll be a secret no more, believe me. Just make sure to get them more or less in chronological order, since the first are the best. And pleeeease, make sure they're illustrated by Thomas Henry!!! That's essential!!!



Autobiography Of A Yogi - just an amazing experience to read this way about the Yogis Of The Himalaya and what they are capable of.

That's another one I've just added to my wish list at Amazon.

[digdad]

You know, John Lennon was a big "Just William" fan.

[Hari's Chick]

LOL ok.... then it is about the excess of smiling :smile1:

in a few words; Linda Richman is a writer who came from a life full of depression and tragedy and now tells and writes about it to share and help and it can be for any kind of sadness in ones life, big or small, and even to be just a cheer up.

She is also the inspiration for the SNL sketch "Coffee Talk" (she's Mike Myers' mother-in-law), hosts this program, designed to help those experiencing personal hardships.

This is a piece from chapter one

"I learned that we can withstand a lot of pain and loss and not just survive it but rise above it. I learned that no matter how sad you are today, happiness and laughter and even joy are still distinct possibilities for tomorrow, or if not tomorrow, the day after that. And I learned that you and I have in our power the ability to get all that and more. Everything important is in our control. Everything necessary is ours to decide. It's work. But it's all there, waiting for us to make up our minds.

Okay, I hear you saying, Ms. Big Shot, tell me how. I can't. It's different for everybody. I don't have your directions. I can't draw your map. Look, I couldn't draw my map—it took me a while to find my way. It was a hell of a journey too, a lot of starts and stops and wrong turns and backing up and doing it over. A lot of wondering if I was headed in the right direction. A lot of wondering if there was a right direction.

But there was. And there is. And if I could find it, believe me, you can find it. I can even help you, if you'll let me.

One night not long ago I actually had dinner with Deepak Chopra.

"Tell me, Deepak," I said, "what's the most important thing you have to teach people?"

"We are the tinkers of our taughts," he said.

"We are the tinkers of our taughts," I repeated. "What the hell is that?"

He said it again.

Even when I finally figured out what he was saying, I knew it wasn't going to work for me. Deepak Chopra is a brilliant man who sells millions and millions of books and has millions and millions of followers. But nobody wants to hear a chunky Jew from Queens saying, "We are the tinkers of our taughts." Life doesn't work that way."

but about the laughing...she has a great sence of humor which comes out in her book so much.


This is a must read now. I'm going to order this for certain. It sounds awesome. Funny how she and Deepak missed connecting, lol!

[Hari's Chick]

Sure it helps! I'm going to buy one, to begin with, and I hope that'll help me get in the kitchen a bit more than now! I think I'll get them from Amazon (I haven't got a credit card, so I usually ask someone who's placing an order to ask a few things for me and share the packaging and posting expenses... And I don't know whether I would be abe to persuade them to buy something for themselves at the Krishna Store :cross6). I've seen the first and the third are easily available at Amazon, although the second one is there only as second-hand. If you had to buy only one, which one would you recommend? I see that they're more or less oriented to western kitchens and utensils (luckily!)



I see you've got the idea. But in a short time it'll be a secret no more, believe me. Just make sure to get them more or less in chronological order, since the first are the best. And pleeeease, make sure they're illustrated by Thomas Henry!!! That's essential!!!


Oh definitely, any Western kitchen can use any of the three books. You won't need lots of special equipment or anything. I'd say the first one (The hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking) is best because it covers the most wide range of recipes. It has so so many really yummy things, and there is such a variety. It explains all the basics you'll need to know step by step and makes following along really simple. They have chapters on milk based recipes, rice, breads and pancakes, vegetables, dals and soups, sweets, beverages, you name it! It's fun too, how they will tell little things in between to make the recipes even interesting. The photos are also tempting- you'll want to try them all!

My second pick would be Kurma's book (the third one), but it has all types of cuisine, not just Indian. Still, it is maybe a good next title for the inspired cook? :)

I found the Just William 's that say 'original illustrations'... here's hoping! *fingers crossed* These books will be wonderful for our homeschooling. They are going to fit right in!

[Hari's Chick]

You know, John Lennon was a big "Just William" fan.

That's cool!

[El Gos Coix]

I'd say the first one (The hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking) is best

Then that's the one I'll get first. I hope that in the future I'll be buying the third one, too (and after that why not the second one), because that'll mean I've cooked a lot of the recipes in the first book and that I'm still hungry for more.


I found the Just William 's that say 'original illustrations'... here's hoping! *fingers crossed* These books will be wonderful for our homeschooling. They are going to fit right in!

You won't be disappointed, I'm sure. Trust John Lennon's taste! :teeth1:

Thomas Henry died while he was working on the 34th William book (I think), so up to that number don't accept anything else! (I don't get commission for this, it's only that I'm that man's number one fan!)

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5148/justwilliamig7.jpg

[62hofner]

Those "Tao of Pooh" and "Te of Piglet" books were a real influence on me way back. Really opened my eyes up to things.

Also, a book (not really a "book", but a short poem sandwiched between two hard covers!) called "Desiderata", that a lady friend gave to me back in 1995, was also very influential.

[Hari's Chick]

Then that's the one I'll get first. I hope that in the future I'll be buying the third one, too (and after that why not the second one), because that'll mean I've cooked a lot of the recipes in the first book and that I'm still hungry for more.


You won't be disappointed, I'm sure. Trust John Lennon's taste! :teeth1:

Thomas Henry died while he was working on the 34th William book (I think), so up to that number don't accept anything else! (I don't get commission for this, it's only that I'm that man's number one fan!)

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5148/justwilliamig7.jpg

Please let me know how you like the books and which recipes you enjoy most!

Awww, I understand about loving the William books so much. Books touch our hearts so deeply. :smile1:

[Hari's Chick]

Those "Tao of Pooh" and "Te of Piglet" books were a real influence on me way back. Really opened my eyes up to things.

Also, a book (not really a "book", but a short poem sandwiched between two hard covers!) called "Desiderata", that a lady friend gave to me back in 1995, was also very influential.


I loved the Tao of Pooh! Shortly after it came out, we had a tight knit group of friends and this book inspired us to give each other nick names. We named my friend Adam after Pooh Bear. Adam was always cheerful and very very Tao in a Pooh kind of way (still is!). And now Adam is the guitarist for Norah Jones!

"Desiderata"~ what a beautiful poem!

[VersusBatman]

One cookbook that influenced me is the ones by Sandra Lee. For those who don't know, Sandra Lee is a Food Network personality. Her show is called Semi-Homemade. She shows you how to cook by only using store bought products. This made me so sad. If you look through it, you will find nary a fresh or homemade ingredient. Just processed food filled with artificial flavors and chemicals. She brags about how her cooking is not from scratch. It scares me to think people are buying her books and forsaking cooking from scratch. You don't even want to know what she did with Indian food.

[Hari's Chick]

That is scary!! (I am curious how she masequered Indian food!) I don't understand why anyone would be proud of using no fresh ingrediants! lol

Using a lot of say canned, old-fashioned recipe 'starters'... like soup mixes? People would be surprised if they do not read the packages. Many of those have MSG. It's almost impossible to find a soup mix which you can add into things which is not full of preservatives and MSG. I think Korr brand had no msg, but only the ones found at health food stores have recognizable ingrediants!

[VersusBatman]

True that. With cooking from scratch you can regulate how much salt goes into your food. I am sensitie to salt. I usually cut salt content in half if I can.

(I am curious how she masequered Indian food!)
One recipe involved making naan out of refridgerated pizza dough and chicken masala with cream of chicken soup.

[Hari's Chick]

:nono5::nono2:

Refrigerated pizza dough naan??! Say it is not so!!!

[VersusBatman]

Yeah it's pretty bad.

I once checked out an Indian cookbook. I don't remember who wrote it, but it was about holidays. Each chapter involved a holiday like The Festival Of Light. There was even foods for Christmas.

[Hari's Chick]

Oh, that sounds cool. Do you remember the title? Oh, yeah, lots of Hindu's worship Jesus and celebrate Christmas and things. Have you seen this picture? Jesus is often seen as Son of God... and Lord Krishna as God the Father.

I love this picture...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c56/Gerards_mango/More%20Photo%20Room%202/Random/krishna-christ.jpg

[VersusBatman]

Cool!

I'll know the book if I see it. I found it at the library It's painstakingly slow to find it on amazon.com.

[El Gos Coix]

One cookbook that influenced me is the ones by Sandra Lee. For those who don't know, Sandra Lee is a Food Network personality. Her show is called Semi-Homemade. She shows you how to cook by only using store bought products. This made me so sad. If you look through it, you will find nary a fresh or homemade ingredient. Just processed food filled with artificial flavors and chemicals. She brags about how her cooking is not from scratch. It scares me to think people are buying her books and forsaking cooking from scratch. You don't even want to know what she did with Indian food.


Ugh! What's the point of cooking like that? Those products should be only used when you really don't have time to cook proper food, but in that way you need time to cook anyway! I cannot see any advantage (but I do see the disadvantages!) Sandra Lee, not to be confused with Sandra Dee. I'll try to remember that name (and avoid it).