Ten books which have influenced my life

Now I'm aware that there have been a few of these lists in response to the question of your top ten books that have influenced your life so I'm going to try and include ones that haven't been mentioned previously.

A great deal of the other answers contain books which I would certainly have included in my list - you can find them by clicking the following link: http://hubpages.com/request/780/best

I hope you enjoy this list as much as I have reading them all! Where possible I've included a link to find a seller of the book.

Thanks for looking and happy reading, Dan O'Neil.

1. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

I really enjoyed this book and it helped me to begin to understand how we generally live in the past and the promise of the future and forget completely about the moment of now. It's practical, well written and an essential read if you want to learn to feel inner peace and joy.

2. The Hobbit (and Lord of the Rings) by J.R.R Tolkein

This is really the book(s) that got me into reading in the first place! I can remember hiding under the duvet with my torch reading into the small hours (well ok it was probably about 9.30pm) when I was 9.

I've never stopped since really and I think that above all I love the journeys that people make in stories (and in life). They mirrors life itself and it is one of the reasons I love my work so much!

3. Your Owners Manual by Burt Hotchkiss

This is quite a tricky book to get hold of, but for me was one of the most amazing reads. Written in the style of a car "your owners manual", the lessons in this short book are wonderful. If you are human and want to understand this thing you own, this is a great read!

4. Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

I found this autobiography a fascinating and frank insight into the life and mind of this amazing man. The journey he has undertaken from his childhood to where he is today and the way he chooses to live his life - to maximise every moment of every day - is an example to us all.

5. Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg

This book arrived in my life when our daughter was nearly born and I'm so glad I read it upfront! It really took away all the doubts and fears I was experiencing and meant that I could focus on enjoying myself! It's such a simple book filled with wonderful and practical advice - I'd recommend it to anyone with babies under 6 months old.

There is a follow up for toddlers which is also great - imaginatively titled secrets of the baby whisperer for toddlers.

6. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray

My wife and I swear by this book and I believe there is a fair chance we would not be together without the learnings and nuggets we've got from this book. Whether you want to learn about what makes a successful relationship; how to get and keep the partner of your dreams; or you simply want to improve and already successful partnership, this book is a must! It's light hearted and easy to read and it will make you cringe at times as you learn the truth about yourself and the opposite sex.

7. Conversations With God (Series) by Neale Donald Walsch

There is a whole series of these books and each one contains wonderful information to challenge your thinking on how the world and the universe works. In this wonderful journey we call life, there are a few books that help you to construct and define your own meaning and purpose in your life and this for me has been one of the major parts of this process.

8. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

When I first considered this book, an account of the life of a survivor of the Nazi holocaust, I thought that it would be a really harrowing and difficult read. The style of writing and the attitude with which Viktor lived his life through that period and beyond, really helped the message to emerge. Clearly the content involves some horrific episodes, but the general outcome is that we can endure any amount of suffering provided that we have clear what our purpose and meaning is to our lives. Life changing stuff.

9. Sign with your Baby by Dr. Joseph Garcia

When our daughter was born we got hold of this book and began to teach her baby signing (which is increasingly popular now) and the results were quite wonderful. She was able to let us know what she wanted very early in her life and the "terrible twos" never seemed to materialise. The website associated with the book is www.sign2me.com.

10. The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

Last and by no means least, the inner game of tennis (and indeed the others in the series - golf, work, music etc.) is an insight into how we learn and how we can maximise our performance by giving the conscious brain something to do while the all-powerful un-conscious brain takes over. Check out the YouTube videos I've posted on my free personal development resources Hub for this extraordinary process in action.