It became clear to me as I was thinking that there certainly were books that had a major impact on my life and while they did not have that high intellectual sound to them...they became a part of me and changed and helped me in all that I undertook and ....all that I am currently undertaking...
The first such book was by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle....Sherlock Holmes....I was in the fifth grade...I don't know how I found out about Sherlock Holmes but I talked to the librarian and gained permission to take out an adult section book....I do not recall the first Holmes that I read....but by the sixth grade...I read all of them....I took them to heart and started to practice the qualities he wrote about..it was fun as I played Sherlock with the people around me ...and I feel to this day these books drove home the point of paying attention to details and helped make me the detail oriented person than I am....I have a quote on one of these musing by Doyle on just that issue....I revisited these Holmes books thru out High School...I never tired of them...so , I would put Sir Arthur and all his books on this list for sure.......
The book that I read and that was on my FB friend's list was Jonathon Livingston Seagull...I was young when I read it and reread it several times....it was reassuring to me as I personally related to Jonathon ..I would put this book on my list also.....
When I started the career push and needed new skills...the first place I went was to books....Napoleon Hill, John Maxwell and Zig Ziglar taught me how to sell....and that started my career ....I sold stuff outside my day job company....I was selling real estate on the side and I sold more houses working week ends than the owner of the business did ...I did everything these guys said and read everything they wrote....these 3 authors and their books would certainly be on my list...
Then there are the motivational authors, Wayne Dyer, Jim Rohn, and my favorite fellow, Brian Tracy..... these guys kept my thinking straight thru the years and even today as I pursue my dream , I always need vitamins for my mind....I have a section on this site called that and I feel it is critical to personal success that I supplement my thinking with the right kind of messages ...These authors and their many books would also be on my list ......
As I am currently pursuing my cello and music dream, there are a few books I could not be without....Maurice Eisenberg's Cello Playing of Today....Eisenberg was Casals student and when I read his words I feel Casals is teaching me ....another valuable book that I use for a cello technique resource is Complete Cello Technique by Diran Alexanian....Casals did the Preface to this book and said...that all cellists should consider these words to be his....that is a strong statement coming from him...and I certainly do....There are three books for my composing efforts that I rely on and have from the start....the most valuable as it was found for me on ebay...a most lucky find...is Chord Construction and Analysis by Ray Cassanno who makes chord study so very clear and is a wonderful reference now...and Michael Miller's two books...one on Composition and one on Theory...this man makes the most complex issue that I could not understand from other books so clear and simple to implement...he is noted for this special gift as mentioned by one of his peers in the preface....his books are very useful and helpful to me..and his philosophy of composing is one I agree with , ..he is not rigid and always says...trust your ears not the rules...I am paraphrasing ....I believe that totally...but, the rules usually(but not always) match my ears and that is a good thing too :-)
As I read over what I have written , I can see why I could not put all this in a simple list...books have been an integral part of my life and activities from the time I was a very young child getting books for Christmas...I remember two of my favorites....The Shaggy Baggy Elephant and The Pokey Little Puppy.....to now . as I pursue my music dreams.... and all the countless books of unremembered fiction that entertained me better than a movie...no....a list just wouldn't do for something so important...that is why I wrote... this musing....
QUOTES:
“Those who will not read are no better off than those who cannot read.” -- Jim Rohn
"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important."
Arthur Conan Doyle
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."
Joseph Addison
Note: This is my personal favorite ...
"He that loves reading has everything within his reach."
William Godwin
"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."
Ray Bradbury
Note: a bit of humor for a smile:-)
"I was reading a book... 'the history of glue' - I couldn't put it down."
Tim Vine