Tao Te Ching, attributed to that old man, Lao Tzu.
The translation I keep by my bedside, although reviled by some scholarly critics, is by Stephen Mitchell.
His alternate use of male/female pronouns, and his attempt to grasp the “essence” of each passage, and place it in somewhat modern language, has made it an invaluable comparison tool. I keep it in conjunction with several more “traditional” translations, and compare each with each.
Without a doubt, every time I crack the book, I have a life-changing experience…
Hmmm yes,
Can’t quite decide between “Cat’s Cradle”, “Slaughterhouse-5”, and “sirens of Titan”, or maybe perhaps all.
And I think part 2 of “Once and Future King” by T.H. White, not quite sure of name. Gives one a whole new aspect on wars, ants and humans though:)
“The World According To Garp” by John Irving. An odd choice, I realize, but it was my first “adult themed” book. I first read it in high school. The librarian (I’ve always been the type to befriend librarians, teachers, etc., without actually being a teacher’s pet) gave me a copy because she thought I was mature enough to handle the subject matter.
I generally lean towards sci-fi and shy away from “drama”, but “…Garp” made a big impact on me. Also, Irving’s “A Prayer for Owen Meany” (which was made into “Simon Birch”, sort of, which Irving thankfully distanced himself from) was another book that hit a deep cord with me. John Varley’s “Steel Beach” was quite good, as well.
Raptor Red (Robert Bakker). Life through the eyes of a dinosaur, wonderfully written.
Gulag Archipelago (Solzhenitsyn). A man in Poland told me once that he went on vacation and took this book along. He started reading, and realized that he couldn’t finish it while being surrounded by such good times, so he went home to read it. I was so struck by this that I got the book. Now I understand what he meant. Horrifying.
The Coming Plague (Laurie Garrett). A handbook for our times. Worth it for the footnotes themselves.
Illuminatus! by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. First read it when I was a sophomore in high school, right at that critical moment, you know? Totally changed the way I think. I’ve read it maybe 10 times since then, and I understand it a little more each time. I have a damned relationship with that book. I still maintain it’s literature, though it’s probably too smartass and weird to ever be considered such. I dunno. Not the most beautiful or lyric book I’ve ever read, but it did indeed change my life.