If you could recommend just three books to all your friends, which three would you choose? The only rules are that they each have to be very different from each other (different authors, genres, etc.) and your list cannot include the Bible.
Here are my three:
Reading Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda at the age of forty-two was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. From the beginning chapter, I felt like I had finally come home. This was the life I had always wished was possible but never dreamed it could be. Read my full post on this book.
Picking up a battered old copy of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead when I was twenty-nine was a life-changing experience that snapped me out of my routine-induced stagnation and reignited my thinking processes. Ayn Rand and I differ on many positions but this tale of architect Howard Roark, the living embodiment of integrity, is a thrilling portrayal of what a human being is capable of becoming and creating. After reading this book, I put off reading Rand’s follow-up magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged, because I wanted to delay the pleasure I knew I would receive from reading it. A couple of years later, I did read it; I laughed, I cried, I cheered. It was, in a word, awesome. Say what you want about Rand’s philosophy but give the lady her due—boy, could she write!
Frank Deford is one of my writing heroes. His book, Alex: The Life of a Child, is the most moving memoir I have ever read, probably because my daughter Erin and I feel like Frank’s relationship with his daughter Alex mirrored our own. Alex was eight years old when she died of cystic fibrosis on January 19, 1980, seven months after Erin was born. This book, the story of Alex’s life, is so eloquent and intimate that neither Erin nor I can read it without sobbing. But that’s a good thing. Reading about Alex’s short but heroic life inspires us to be better, to appreciate every drop of life we are given, and to express our love and appreciation of others. Read an excerpt here.
So what are your three books? I look forward to hearing from you!
HERE ARE MY POSTS FEATURING YOGANANDA AND SRF:
BATHED IN LOVING ENERGY IN ENCINITAS
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA: HIS HISTORY AND INFLUENCE
“AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI” CHANGED MY LIFE
MASTERS CONTINUE TO WALK THE EARTH
WHEN THE SPIRIT IS READY, THE TEACHER APPEARS
NBAer JIM PETERSEN’S ENCOUNTER WITH BROTHER ANANDAMOY
LIVE YOUR LIFE AS ONE LONG PRAYER
ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA
Phil is the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten.
Here is a three-minute video that introduces you to Phil and his book. Click here to buy Sixty Seconds. Click here to ask Phil to add you to his e-mail list for updates on his blog and books.
Reading this book is like spending a few minutes face to face with each of the contributors and listening to their personal stories. Click here to read unsolicited testimonials from readers. Learn more by visiting the official Sixty Seconds website.
Sixty Seconds was one of three finalists in the General Interest/How-To category at the 12th annual Visionary Awards presented by COVR (Coalition of Visionary Resources) in Denver on June 27, 2009.
Tags: paramahansa yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi, Ayn Rand, Frank Deford, Alex Deford, Alex: The Life of a Child, recommended books, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged
