Can you recall a particularly powerful book that you read recently or even some time ago? If it comes to mind quickly, it probably made an impact on you in one way or another.

Reading can be quite creative. If you can get hold of a book that has meaning for you it will in all probability add a new dimension to your life. Or at the very least, it will open a new window for you.

Creative reading means discovering a powerful book with a special message that resonates with you. A message that can influence your thinking and point you to a new direction in your life.

Clearly this is not something that you will find every day.  A book like this is a rarity.

But if and when you do find it – it becomes an important landmark in your life. Not only because it’s a good read – but because it encourages you to think in a different way.

So where and how do you find such a book?  By reading of course and through recommendations. And sometimes from a lucky browsing session in a book shop.

Sometimes a single chapter from a book is enough to make it memorable for you. But then again there are books that start off with a lot of promise only to fizzle out towards the end.

Don’t let that stop you from seeing its merit. It’s possible that you got what you needed from the first part of the book and that’s OK.

Some books that I found powerful

Here are 5 books that resonated with me – remember I don’t necessarily mean the most enjoyable books I have read -  I mean powerful because they made some kind of impact on me.

The Odyssey by Homer – because of its magnificent and evocative prose.

Think and grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – because of its inspiration – and because it’s the mother of all motivational books

Women who run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes – a brilliant and thought-provoking understanding of the female psyche.  And I thought the writing was poetic and wonderful – I have a weakness for great writing.

On the Beach by Nevil Shute – a dreadful and ominous book published in 1957 predicting the end of human life as we know it as a result of nuclear radiation.  A little too close to the truth today to be comfortable.  Remember, I said powerful and not necessarily enjoyable and this one fits the description perfectly. Spine-chillingly horrible because of its prophetic insight!

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton – Laugh if you like! I forgot the story long ago but I remember the happy magical feeling it gave me as a child.  And happy magical feelings can influence one’s life for the better. What more can I say?

You have to admit that I have given you a wildly mixed selection.  But then these books did influence my thinking in some way.

I challenge you to find a stranger and more disparate selection than I have given you!

In fact, I would like to invite you to add your particular “powerful book” to the comment section below.

So if you have read a book that affected you deeply please write about it and explain why it resonates with you. It would make a valuable contribution to our reading list.

Craft and Create - The Creative Route to Personal Development