Interesting idea - Most Influential Books In My Life
This is actually ganked from Prettier Than Napoleon
1) Scientist Biography Comic Books - I don't know if they still have these, but before I was 10, I have read the comic book bios of: Galileo, Pasteur, Marie Curie (Cool. Girl Scientists!), Edison, Wright Brother, and probably others (Jenner?). There was a nice element of heroic opposition to orthodoxy there - mainly in Galileo, but also even in Pasteur. So my general perspective of Science in opposition to powerful stupidity.
2) World Book Encyclopedia (1957) - I'd take one to bed to read at night. I recall being drawn to history and industry, very specifically the essays on coal and oil. By age 7, I was familiar with the differences between Anthracite, Bituminous, Sub-Bituminous, and Lignite. Oh! Also atomic energy. Kind of nice to associate all this power with anti-stupid-collectivist-orthodoxy people.
3) Singing Wheels/Engine Whistles/Runaway Home series - Yep. Something actually read in reading class. A mix of American History, progressive and adventurous spirit, technological change from the perspective of a boy and girl (a really great move in involving the 7-10 year old reader) in each of 4-5 generations, plus a picaresque trip across the country in modern (circa 1955) America.
These were all before age 11.
After that
Age 14 - Conscience of a Conservative - probably formative of political views. Except that Barry Goldwater was far more Libertarian than Conservative. As am I. The present "Conservative" alignment owes primarily to Reagan and even more so to Bush I. It has little to do with the anti-Communist (and derivatively anti-Totalitarian ethos of what was once considered "Conservative").
Age 22 - The Conservative Mind (by Russel Kirk). This was an interesting review of Conservative thought from Burk to the present day. It manifestly clarified in my mind that I was definitely NOT a Conservative. There are things I would like to conserve, but there are plenty of things I would gleefully uproot.
Age 25 - Man and His Gods (by Homer Smith) - In outlining the history of the western and near-Eastern gods, I came to see gods as generally counterproductive. If I absolutely had to, I would tilt in the pagan direction, since it is harder to get a good Inquisition or Jihad going if there is no "one true god".
I might edit this later.
1) Scientist Biography Comic Books - I don't know if they still have these, but before I was 10, I have read the comic book bios of: Galileo, Pasteur, Marie Curie (Cool. Girl Scientists!), Edison, Wright Brother, and probably others (Jenner?). There was a nice element of heroic opposition to orthodoxy there - mainly in Galileo, but also even in Pasteur. So my general perspective of Science in opposition to powerful stupidity.
2) World Book Encyclopedia (1957) - I'd take one to bed to read at night. I recall being drawn to history and industry, very specifically the essays on coal and oil. By age 7, I was familiar with the differences between Anthracite, Bituminous, Sub-Bituminous, and Lignite. Oh! Also atomic energy. Kind of nice to associate all this power with anti-stupid-collectivist-orthodoxy people.
3) Singing Wheels/Engine Whistles/Runaway Home series - Yep. Something actually read in reading class. A mix of American History, progressive and adventurous spirit, technological change from the perspective of a boy and girl (a really great move in involving the 7-10 year old reader) in each of 4-5 generations, plus a picaresque trip across the country in modern (circa 1955) America.
These were all before age 11.
After that
Age 14 - Conscience of a Conservative - probably formative of political views. Except that Barry Goldwater was far more Libertarian than Conservative. As am I. The present "Conservative" alignment owes primarily to Reagan and even more so to Bush I. It has little to do with the anti-Communist (and derivatively anti-Totalitarian ethos of what was once considered "Conservative").
Age 22 - The Conservative Mind (by Russel Kirk). This was an interesting review of Conservative thought from Burk to the present day. It manifestly clarified in my mind that I was definitely NOT a Conservative. There are things I would like to conserve, but there are plenty of things I would gleefully uproot.
Age 25 - Man and His Gods (by Homer Smith) - In outlining the history of the western and near-Eastern gods, I came to see gods as generally counterproductive. If I absolutely had to, I would tilt in the pagan direction, since it is harder to get a good Inquisition or Jihad going if there is no "one true god".
I might edit this later.