"Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson did it for me when I was in high school

I just looked it up on Amazon. Said purchased in August 2008. My older daughter had to read it in High School. Checking the bookcases now, looks like something I would want to read.

Jim, that's mine! I even made it required reading in one of the courses I taught at the community college back in SC.

I used the book as my focus in a paper for one of my Environmental Law courses in my own university studies. Some years later I acquired a first edition, which seemed important to me at the time

Ok, this is going to sound ridiculous to most people, in fact, it is ridiculous. The movie Jaws! I was late to seeing this movie, maybe somewhere in the late 70's. We saw it when we came back to the states on vacation. That shark totally freaked me out! As the years have gone by, I've gotten worse instead of better about it. After seeing the movie, I have been swimming in the ocean again, but not as much. Gradually I stayed out of the ocean... didn't even want to go ankle deep... didn't want my kids in the ocean... but I didn't stop them. I know this fear of sharks is irrational (???).But I've had several incidents over my life that fed the fear.

When I was a kid, we had a beach we used to go to on the weekends. The swimming area was protected by a shark net and a floating dock. I always pitched a fit that I wasn't allowed to swim out there like other kids. I was about 5 or 6 when my mom felt I had enough stamina to swim out to the dock by myself. Just as I was almost there, someone screamed "SHARK" and they all made a mad dash for shore. I made it to the dock and my mom was yelling at me to stay there, not to get in the water. The panic in her voice scared the heck out of me. My dad ended up swimming out and bringing me back to shore. I can't remember if there really was a shark or not.

Another time I was in the water, right along the shore line hopping from one big rock to another. Me and some other kids were catching tropical fish for our aquariums. None of us worried when the tide was coming in. Nothing new. But, some how a large (it wasn't really large, but seemed so at the time) shark was sunning/pupping/who knows in the water right beside me. The other kids were yelling at me to be careful, the shark could move fast. I stood on that rock for a very long time before getting the courage to get in the water and make it to the next big rock.

The shark at the beach and the shark at the rocks didn't have much affect on me until I saw Jaws. Now I have this ridiculous fear that has ruined many of the things I like to do. Haven't been swimming in the ocean in probably 20 years. A couple of times when we were out on the boat I've had a need to get in the water to grab a piece of equipment or something, and I did it as fast as I could. The longer I'm away from the ocean the longer it takes me to feel comfortable. When spring comes and we're out in the boat again, I'll spend the first few times making sure I keep my arms inside the boat. No dangling legs.

You can actually track sharks online. BAD IDEA! I thought it would help to know where they are. HA! They are e v e r y w h e r e !!! Just waiting for a tasty human morsel. One of the reason I was happy to buy waterfront property on the river was to not have to worry about sharks. Wrong! Bull sharks have a high tolerance of fresh water and often come into the rivers to pup. I've never heard of a shark quite this far up river, but Katherine, the great white shark, pinged just 10 miles from my house a few years ago. All 14 ft of her! So, no, I don't swim in the river very much either.

Whew! Sometimes it feels good to let the stupidity show itself! lol

The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff. I read it when I was pregnant and raised my daughter according to the principles put forth in the book. I consider it the most important book I have ever read.

Jean Liedloff, an American writer, spent two and a half years deep in the South American jungle with Stone Age Indians. The experience demolished her Western preconceptions of how we should live and led her to a radically different view of what human nature really is. She offers a new understanding of how we have lost much of our natural well-being and shows us practical ways to regain it for our children and for ourselves.

I guess it's really sad in many ways, both the book and the movie, "Gone With The Wind". I grew up in the south on a large farm, we had families that worked and lived on the property, I never thought as a child the differences in how I was growing up and how their children were. We played together but, if I wanted to ride a horse it was saddled and waiting for me. After I read that book and saw that movie I was so ashamed. I should have done so many things for myself.

The original Father of the Bride with Elizabeth Taylor. I thought this was how a wedding was planned. I always pictured myself walking into that giant cake showroom. As an only child, I was always fanciful, so movies such as this had a huge influence on my thinking, even if they were totally not based in reality. High Society had an influence, too. The list goes on and on and on...

For me it was studying the Bible in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. Also reading MAN'S Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl. I want to read Silent Spring. It is on my list.

Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-Read. I picked it up and read it when I was around 16. Almost a decade before I would give birth to my first child but it made such an impression on me I knew natural un-medicated birth was my goal.

The book that saved my sanity while breast feeding was Nursing Your Baby by Karen Pryor. It became my bible. Like so many others who were unsuccessful at breast feeding I would have also been a casualty of mis-informed medical practitioners had I followed their advice. Got me through all the hard times including a horrid case of milk fever.

As far as entertainment media it would be the Westerns I watched as a child. The shows imparted a can do attitude, a value system of fiercely protecting what is mine and a not letting fear get in the way of what doing the right thing. None of the but, but, but "I can't" nonsense.

moonie, I totally get the fear about sharks! I lived in a coastal community in SC for many years, including years in a beach front flat, just off the front boardwalk.

I used to love to walk the beach and the water at night....not swimming but waist high, if the tide was up. It was breathtakingly beautiful out there at night. And then someone showed me some recent aerial images of my beachfront.

Harbor Island has a very expansive shallow beach front....it went out for hundreds of yards past the shore at low tide. Then there was a sudden cliff edge, a real drop off to a black depth. The aerial photographs showed dozens of large sharks swarming the edge of that cliff, waiting for high tide when they could swim close to the shore.

My nighttime strolls changed after that.

“Rape of Nanking”.

Just about all books about war based on true events really, but not all of them reveal such stark accounts of unimaginable brutality. That book had no heroes, just survivors.

The Shack is the most recent book that made me think of God in a different way. I am not a particularly religious person and this beautiful story really got into my heart.

I never understood how WWII could impact anyone until I saw Saving Private Ryan. The final scene when Ryan is at the cemetery with his family to pay his respects to those who died to save him and he looked at his wife and asked her if he's lead a good life. I couldn't stop crying. Literally could not stop crying at that scene. I called my mother and said, "I finally see what you and dad lived through in Holland during the war." I finally understood. And since that day, Remembrance Day and my respect for the Canadian Military has been huge.

I cried during pretty much the whole last half of Saving Pvt Ryan, @Debby_ab, so I totally get it. I cried during a few scenes in Full Metal Jacket too though, so I can’t explain that part but the mister knows not to have us watching war movies or movies with dogs if he can’t tell me the dog lives happily through the entire thing.

Dogs always deserve the best life and that they don’t outlive their people is why the short time we get with them is so precious and they need us to help them live it to the fullest.

“A Language Older Than Words” by Derrick Jensen. Felt like something written by a kindred soul, really incredible. And he’s alive and can be reached on Facebook! He has a lot of other good books, too. Especially “Thought To Exist in the Wild” and “Dreams”.

I also had an astounding experience at a poetry reading when I was in college. Most times readings are pleasant, at best, or thought-provoking, but James Tate’s poetry reading was HILARIOUS. Not in a cheesy jokey way, but in a surreal, absurd, and shockingly silly way. The crazy imagery/scenarios would just build and build until the entire audience (it was a big audience) was roaring with laughter, including me. And I do not generally laugh easily, at least not deep belly laughs (I’m one of those quiet laughers). I don’t even know how he did it because when you just read his poetry on your own it’s pleasant and amusing but not laugh out loud funny! It was a really special experience perhaps once in a lifetime. I feel grateful to have been part of it!

I recently read "Life Without Limits", a true story about Nick Vujicich. What an inspiring read about him living and thriving without arms or legs. If he can do it, few of us have a reason for complaining about our problems!

The Bible

The Metamorphosis by Kafka

Janie, have you seen the movie? I just watched it and I really liked it. I'm also not particularly religious. I'd like to read the book next.

1978 book written by M. M. Kaye called 'The Far Pavilions.'

Chi, sorry for this late response! I did not see the movie, actually I didn't want to ruin my ideas of how it all looked. I'm glad you liked it.

The Bluest Eye and To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Marie KondoWhen you're a perfectionist it can be hard to keep things organized when it's yours because it's never good enough. When it's someone else's stuff you don't have the attachment so it makes it easier to see where things should go. This book helped me become better organized and have more of a routine. It's helped reduce my stress and bring less junk home. :)

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie J. Davis

This book makes me want to help people more and also showed me how spoiled and thoughtless people can be in first world countries. I always knew but after you read this book it stands out a lot more. It shows you how much some people are willing to give up to help others and how your faith really can get you through a lot. This book really struck a cord with me and I really want to put things I learned from this book to good use soon.

Harry Potter. All of them. :)

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Got me back on track again spiritually.