Favorite Authors
The following is
a list of authors that have greatly inspired me. I share them
with you along with a short explanation of why I like them.
- Richard Bach
- Johnathan
Livingston Seagull
- Illusions:
The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. Delacorte Press:
- The Bridge
Across Forever: A Love Story.
- One:
A Novel. New York, NY: Silver Arrow Books, 1988.
Johnathan Livingston Seagull was recommended to me
by a friend. "It's about you, Jay" she said. It was the
first book I picked up for pleasure, and it changed my life.
Richard Bach's story of Jonathan gave me permission to
be myself and live the life I choose. I proceeded to read
many of the rest of his books and I fell in love with reading.
- Scott Peck
- The Road
Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love Traditional Values and
Spiritual Growth. New York: Simon & Schuster,
1973.
- The People
of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1983.
- The Different
Drum: Community Making and Peace. New York: Simon
& Schuster, 1987.
I received The Road Less Travelled as a gift.
I put off reading it for several months. At the time,
psychology did not hold an interest for me. I finally
picked it up and began reading parts of it. I was surprised.
Peck was my first introduction to humanistic psychology.
I came to view psychology in quite a different light.
I regard Peck's work as professional loving. "Love"
being defined by Peck as, "The will to extend one's self for
the purpose of nurturing one's or another's spiritual growth."
- Erich Fromm
- The Art
of Loving. New York: Harper & Row, 1956.
- Man for
Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics. New
York: Fawcett Books, 1947.
- To Have
or to Be.
I was introduced to Fromm's work by reading Peck.
I decided to investigate further. Fromm, through
his professional career working with people provides many insights
into the understanding of humanity. It was by reading
Fromm's work (although he admits he knows nothing about it)
that I first became intrigued by consciousness and began to
question what it is.
- R. Buckminster
Fuller
- Operation
Manuel for Spaceship Earth. New York: Pocket Books,
1970.
- Critical
Path. New York: St. Martins Press, 1981.
Fuller was a revolutionary thinker. He was
willing to break out of every mold and recreate a reality that
is by far more practical than anything the human race has yet
created. His numerous inventions include the geodesic
dome, the most practical and efficient way to enclose space.
Fuller wrote about the selfish ways of humanity and the
threat that has toward the survival of our species.
- Steven Hawking
- A Brief
History of Time. New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
I was interested in physics and cosmetology for some
time before picking up Hawking's book. Hawking explains
all of this in a very clear and easy-to-understand manner. It
was through this book that I began to notice the mystical elements
to the discoveries in modern physics.
- Fritjof Capra
- The Tao
of Physics.
- The Turning
Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture.
- Uncommon
Wisdom. New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
Capra takes the discoveries of modern physics and
compares them to the teachings of the mystics. He also
takes these discoveries and gives them a practical application
toward the healing of humanity.
- Julian Jaynes
- The Origin
of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976.
Jaynes' view on consciousness is highly controversial.
I don't think what he explains is in fact the origin of
consciousness, but rather, the origin of the imagination. Regardless,
his book introduced me to many fascinating insights about
the human mind
- Gregory Bateson
- Steps
to an ecology of mind: A revolutionary approach to man's understanding
of himself. New York: Chandler, 1972.
What can I say except Bateson was one of the most
brilliant minds of the century. He excelled in many disciplines
and integrated them in such a way that provides some profound
insights into the nature of humanity.
Return
Jay Ligda Page
|