You've GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life

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You've GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life

by Jack Canfield, Gay Hendricks (Goodreads Author), Carol Kline

3.31 of 5 stars 3.31 · rating details · 273 ratings · 72 reviews

There's nothing better than a book you can't put down—or better yet, a book you'll never forget. This book puts the power of transformational reading into your hands. Jack Canfield, cocreator of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, and self-actualization pioneer Gay Hendricks have invited notable people to share personal stories of books that changed their li...more There's nothing better than a book you can't put down—or better yet, a book you'll never forget. This book puts the power of transformational reading into your hands. Jack Canfield, cocreator of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, and self-actualization pioneer Gay Hendricks have invited notable people to share personal stories of books that changed their lives. What book shaped their outlook and habits? Helped them navigate rough seas? Spurred them to satisfaction and success?

The contributors include Dave Barry, Stephen Covey, Malachy McCourt, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Mark Victor Hansen, John Gray, Christiane Northrup, Bernie Siegel, Craig Newmark, Michael E. Gerber, Lou Holtz, and Pat Williams, to name just a few. Their richly varied stories are poignant, energizing, and entertaining.Author and actor Malachy McCourt tells how a tattered biography of Gandhi, stumbled on in his youth, offered a shining example of true humility—and planted the seeds that would help support his sobriety decades later.

Bestselling author and physician Bernie Siegel, M.D., tells how William Saroyan's The Human Comedy helped him realize that, in order to successfully treat his patients with life-threatening illnesses, "I had to help them live—not just prevent them from dying."

Actress Catherine Oxenberg reveals how, at a life crossroads and struggling with bulimia, a book taught her the transforming difference one person could make in the life of another—and why that person for her was Richard Burton.

Rafe Esquith, the award-winning teacher whose inner-city students have performed Shakespeare all over the world, recounts his deep self-doubt in the midst of his success—and how reading To Kill a Mockingbird strengthened him to continue teaching.

Beloved librarian and bestselling author Nancy Pearl writes how, at age ten, Robert Heinlein's science fiction book Space Cadet impressed on her the meaning of personal integrity and gave her a vision of world peace she'd never imagined possible. Two years later, she marched in her first civil rights demonstration and learned that there's always a way to make "a small contribution to intergalactic harmony."

If you're looking for insight and illumination—or simply for that next great book to read—You've Got to Read This Book! has treasures in store for you.(less)

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published August 15th 2006 by William Morrow (first published 2006)

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Jun 17, 2009 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, in my opinion, this was a pretty okay book. The stories in the beginning and the end are better than those in the middle section. The middle section gets a bit new-agey, unoriginal, and ... to be honest, boring.

In a nutshell, someone got together a bunch of people (who more or less fall under the category of successful) and asked them about the book that changed their lives, then wrote a book about it. In fact, it says so on the cover, so there's your head's up--you might not relate to the...more Well, in my opinion, this was a pretty okay book. The stories in the beginning and the end are better than those in the middle section. The middle section gets a bit new-agey, unoriginal, and ... to be honest, boring.

In a nutshell, someone got together a bunch of people (who more or less fall under the category of successful) and asked them about the book that changed their lives, then wrote a book about it. In fact, it says so on the cover, so there's your head's up--you might not relate to the things they say, you might not even have interpreted the same book the same way as they did BUT they already warned you on the cover, it's about what they learned, and you bought the book with that knowledge in mind.

I personally have read one or two of the same books, and I have to admit, I never saw it in the way the contributors did. For example, To Kill A Mockingbird never had that big an effect on me as it did on a certain Rafe Esquith. After reading To Kill A Mockingbird during a low point in life, he underwent a personal transformation and reevaluated his entire method of teaching!

Other stories I particularly enjoyed included those of Amilya Antonetti, Dave Barry, Jack Canfield, Ellyanne Geisel, Phillip Goldberg, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Catherine Oxenberg, Lisa Nichols, Chellie Campbell, Pierce O'Donnell, Gay Hendricks, Nancy Pearl and Stephen Covey. Reading their stories, I reflected a lot, and came to discover and understand how to deal with dilemmas of my own. At the very least I was amused, especially by Ellyanne Geisel.

This book highlights a sort of cycle: someone wrote a book, that inspired someone, who later on became successful because of it, and in turn, wrote a book that inspired someone else. The cycle goes on. I found it...very heartening. It's like a sort of family tree, and we are all connected by books and the wonder they bring.

But... even though the book was entertaining, it wasn't inspiring. Or perhaps it wasn't written to be inspiring. Maybe it was written just to let the reader know how they got where there are now with the guidance of a book. At the very least, You've Got To Read This Book will provide you with a list of books you might want to add to your to-read list.(less)

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Jan 03, 2011 Sarah Wagner rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those seeking inspiration

Shelves: checked-out-from-library

Checked out from the St. Louis Public Library - Carondelet branch.

I think the level of enjoyment a reader will get out of this book highly depends on their expectations. Admittedly, I checked this book out hoping to get leads on books I might want to read based on the writers' experiences. However, it reads as a more "inspirational" book than a reference. I probably should have expected this, as it is a collaboration between Jack Canfield (co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Gay Hendric...more

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Mar 15, 2009 Patricia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Takes a look at what books inspired successful people in different walks of life.

Some stories were inspirational, others were bland and too good to be true stories.

I placed many of the books mentioned in the book under my "to read" category just to get a sense of them on my own. However, many of the books seem like they will be new-age, spiritual journey books which I will most likely put back on the library shelf after browsing through them for a minute or two. Want to give them a try anyways.

T...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Mindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, on-and-off-reading

I think the concept of this book is interesting and while I didn't know many of the people in the book, I knew most of the books and could relate with their stories. I liked the fact that it was written in little vignettes that made it easy to pick up and read off and on.

In the back it has just the list of contributors with THE book(s) that changed them, and I started reading it by looking at that. I picked out the books that I had read before and was interested to see why they touched others'...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Rayni rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who is seeking ...

Recommended to Rayni by: It jumped out at me.

Shelves: non-fiction, 2010-reads, want

This is a book I really would like to have so I can mark passages I want to remember. It is a fantastic read. It is amazing how one book can change a person's outlook. It reminded me of the Buddhist proverb, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Max Edelman's transformational book was Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. "That irredeemably evil book considered the bible of Nazism, rearranged not only my future, but the face of the world as well." He goes on to state that the book changed...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Edwin Si rated it 3 of 5 stars

Really just a compilation of people talking about their favourite books. Not many famous individuals are among the 55 people who told their stories. Did not leave any unique experience or uncommon idea while reading this book, thus I suspect the contents will be easily forgettable. Nonetheless, the 55 stories might make you visit the book stores to look for what you think you wanted to read. The title of the book "You've got to read this book!" is merely a marketing word and, it's not worth the...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Sandi rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is the same as all those other books of compilations where authors and celebrities of all calibers tell you about the book that changed their lives. Some of the essays are moving, but a lot of them seemed rather calculated to me and their book choices were less than surprising. In addition, I didn't find one of the essays in this book moved me to pick up any of the books they recommended...and I can usually find a book recommendation I can't wait to check out in almost any newsstand ma...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Garrett Zecker rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got this book for a dollar at the dollar store, and I always enjoy an experience like that because I can simply say that there are no preconceptions about how excellent the text is or how much I am going to enjoy it. If I get a dollar's enjoyment out of it, I am all set. On top of that, I was also aware that the editors of the text were of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and if it got too cheesy, spiritual, or just plain annoying, I could put it down without regret. What I found was that...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Carole rated it 5 of 5 stars

What an interesting collection of stories! 55 well-known people share the one (sometimes two) book that changed their lives. There is a great deal of variety in the books shared and lots of amazing insights into where these famous, rich, successful. . .people came from.

This was an easy read as each chapter is only about 5 pages long. And you can read their stories in any order you like.

Now I'm working my way through reading many of the books they recommended.

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Sep 16, 2012 AJ LeBlanc rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned

Nope.

I somehow missed that this book is from the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and the coauthor of something called "Conscious Loving". My cynical self checked out by the twelfth short entry. I flipped through a few more sections to see if there were any non-glurgy moments. Then I quietly placed the book on the pile going back to the library and crept away without reading what Dave Barry had to say.

I am not the target audience.

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Jul 04, 2012 Teena in Toronto rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a reader, I wanted to read about the books that had inspired others.

Quite a few of the books listed are religious and spiritual, which didn't interest me. But there were some that sounded appealing. I have requested some from the library.

As I was reading this book, I was wondering what book has inspired me enough to be listed in a book. I'm read many many books ... and I can't think of just one.

What book has inspired you?

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Nov 12, 2011 Brianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I guess I really just wanted a book about classics I hadn't read yet; this was more about the words of inspiration that successful people have found. There were some books I'll check out (Franny and Zooey, for one) but not 55 of them. Or even 15 of them.

I did enjoy reading about how various people came to the realization that they needed more positive, giving outlooks. And the short essays made it very easy to read.

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Mar 30, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an easy read (especially in large print) and gave me some great ideas for other books to read, as well as reminded me of some books I have always meant to read but haven't gotten to yet (ie A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Anna Karinina to name a couple). I only gave it three stars because it wasn't that interesting a read and overall only gave me ideas for other books to get to. So, I finished it fast and am now back on my reading journey.

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Jul 19, 2012 EMP rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like many, I really picked this up to get some good ideas for books I hadn't read yet. Some of the stories were really boring and quite honestly, I want to vomit most times when people say "This book changed my life!" or "This book will change your life!" Whatever. I've read lots and lots of books. Many that I loved, but I'd be hard pressed to name one that had THAT big of an impact.

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Nov 25, 2010 Tony Derricott added it

In reading this book I added 98 books to my reading list; usually the most popular book written by the author of each chapter in addition to the book that changed their lives. I'm coming to the realization that my "to-read" shelf may continue to grow into perpetuity. I'm learning that that's a good thing. I'm learning to enjoy the ride and to not get caught up in finishing.

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Dec 06, 2009 SmarterLilac rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is terrific. I was happy to find out most of the essays in here are detailed and sincere, featuring a lot of inspirational stories. There were a few too many favorite books about making money, but what else should I have expected from a collection created by the guy who invented those Chicken Soup for the Soul series? Still, entertaining.

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Aug 01, 2010 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

35 people were asked to recommend the book that changed their lives. Some of the books I have read and liked and many I had not read. As I think back, I can’t think of any one book that changed my life. There have been many that influenced me, just as each daily meal has nourished me. I’ve shared some of my lists of books that I really liked with some of you. All of those had an influence on it. Yet, I would recommend reading this book to see if there are books that you might want to tackle.

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Jul 09, 2009 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiography

Really quite interesting to see how it's not necessarily the book or the person but the timing of the two that gives an aha! moment. The majority of the authors were highly sucessful people and it was interesting to me that most of them in their life found material sucess to not be enough, they needed to give and love.

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Mar 12, 2010 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people looking for interesting books to read that have influenced others.

This book is a compilation of two or three page stories by many people who have had a single book or two that really influenced their lives. I read a number of them but not all. I found it fascinating to see how a book can grab a reader to make them rethink or take action in their lives. Great for motivating.

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Jun 02, 2012 Joanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-on-books

The title really says it all. This is a collection of personal book recommendations from successful people who feel passionately that "YOU HAVE to read this book." Some of the stories were incredibly moving, others didn't interest me at all. There was a strong "self help" trend but otherwise a mix of types of books. Overall, I'm glad I read it.

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Jun 12, 2008 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: book lovers who are sentimental over favorites

Recommended to Karen by: found it at the library

What an interesting book. I love to hear about books tha tother people like, what they are inspired by. Books that change peoples lives aren't always the classics, its just something that they needed just at the right moment.

My favorites essays in this book are by Earl Hamner who wrote The Homecoming (The Waltons)a series of my childhood. What an unusual book he chose.
Pierce O'Donnels discussion about what the rule of law means, what a hero is. Reminding us that John Adams defended British soldi...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I liked this book ok. I checked it out hoping that I'd get some ideas of other "inspiring" books I might like to read. I was familiar with only a few of the people featured, and most of the books they cite are "self-help" type books. Not really what I was looking for, but it was ok.

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Feb 10, 2013 Scott Staley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Quick read - good if you're looking to see what other people have found impactful; however, if you're a dedicated 'student' of learning, I wouldn't read this one - you should probably already have an agenda for reading material appropriate to your situation.

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Oct 02, 2012 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

The title of this book excited me b/c I am always looking for avenues to find new books to try and read. Of the many listed in this book, the majority were self-help types of books with a few classics thrown in. The stories of why people chose the titles were sometimes interesting (enough to keep me reading) but also followed the inspirational vein. Basically, if you want a pep-talk about how you have the power to change your life, read this book. If you want some good book recommendations, chec...more

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May 11, 2012 Suzanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: about-books, nonfiction

I loved the chapters written by Nancy Pearl (Space Cadet), Earl Hamner (The Time of Man), Ellynanne Geisel (Gone with the Wind), and Rafe Esquith (To Kill a Mockingbird). The other chapters seemed pretty "skimmable" to me.

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Aug 12, 2011 Kathi rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book to read a little at a time. It has 55 essays written by famous and some not so famous people. These people write about what book inspired them the most and why. SOme are very, very inspiring.

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Apr 20, 2009 Junnaini.ismun Ismun rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you don't know where to start, what book to read, most of the book mentioned in this book, may be suitable for you.

The authors get a bunch of 'famous people' to list books which practically changed their lives.

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May 16, 2012 Masnita rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is quite a good book especially while travelling. It's short, straight forward simple stories and the messages convey is inspiring and some are thought provoking. Recommended for a light reading.

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Sep 22, 2010 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was interesting to see what types of books had influenced people. I wish there had been a more diverse cross section of writers, is all. I got many ideas for future books to read!

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Jun 30, 2009 Denise rated it 2 of 5 stars

I faithfully read every story to about half way through. Then I started reading just the stories of people that I was familiar with. I would have to say this book is okay but not wonderful.

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About Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.

Canfield received a BA in Chi...more Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.

Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.

Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.

In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.

Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.

Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.

Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.(less)

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