INTP discussion

What book has had the most impact on your life, and in in what ways has it influenced you? How did it change the way you think or do things in everyday life?

"Mind Wide Open" by Steven Johnson. (the PBS "How we got to now" guy) I serendipitously found it sitting on table at a Barnes and Nobles. (I was looking for political books at the time)

I was an INTP without a theory so everything seemed frantic. That book brought me to life, gave me a foundation. It wasn't the book itself necessarily, it's the paths it opened up. I spent the next year just hanging out in Barnes and Noble reading.

I'm not sure I got the essence of your question? I can't pin point to one book and think "That's the one" I can only point to where I started and a collection of authors.

Thanks, Brian! That sounds like a book I need to read. Yes, you got the essence of my question alright. I had a similar experience with a book called "Pragmatic Thinking and Learning" by Andy Hunt, although it focuses on more practical things than theoretical things, about how to obtain, retain and recall knowledge. Totally changed the way I think about learning.

I recently did one of those facebook things and it was similar to this, but it was the top 10 books. It's hard to say which single book influenced me most, because they all influenced me in different ways. But for right now, if I had to pick one that has definitely led to me making major changes in my life, I would say The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. But there are two books that are almost as important as that. One is In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan, and that was the first book I read in this vein, so it led me to Omnivore's Dilemna. And the other was Eating Animals by Jonathan Saffran Foer, which I read after Omnivore's Dilemna but it kind of spurred me to action.

Edit: Oh I forgot to say how it changed my life. Well I learned a lot about farming practices and how they affect the environment in Omnivore's Dilemna, and how they affect our health. So after reading that I basically stopped eating beef, because the idea of corn-fed beef was horrendous to me (not just for the animals, but for how unhealthy it was for me too). And Eating Animals was kind of a reminder of what I had learned in Omnivore's Dilemna, along with new information and points of view. (sidenote: I just realized that "Dilemna" has been underlined on my browser a bunch of times. I'm only going to fix it in the first reference, because I think it is a correct alternative spelling considering my brief research, language and grammar are only what people actually do, after all.) So Eating Animals really got me going to find sustainably sourced meat. So now I eat almost exclusively pastured beef, and sometimes "organic" poultry, which isn't necessarily pastured or sustainable, but I think a better alternative than the standard grocery store variety.

Brian, did that book change your career path or is it more of an interest you spend a lot of spare time reading about?

And Leif, is Pragmatic Thinking and Learning your most influential book?

Leif: Just picked it up used on Amazon. Maybe the book I need, the preview sold me.

I'd say "Mind Wide Open" may be too sophomoric, but it's fun as Steven Johnson is an effective writer.

Leman: It's a spare time thing. I like to "play" with ideas, not apply them. I don't have the energy when it comes to being practical. (causes anxiety) I'm a strong *repressed* auxillary iNtuitive. INTP. "It" has me, I don't have "it"

Yes, I think "Pragmatic Thinking and Learning" is my most influential read so far, also because it led me to so many interesting new topics in epistemology and and also some areas of psychology. I also started doing some of the practices, like actively using mind maps and having my own "personal wiki" and "learning journal," which has really helped me to think more clearly, remember and polish my ideas.

Cool, I hope you like it, Brian. It will be interesting to hear what you think about it :)

Leif, that sounds interesting. Is that book relevant to non-programmers?

Yes, although there are some parts that are more relevant to programmers, I would say that it is a more generic book that offers a lot of value to anyone interested in how to become better at thinking and learning. Because it is so well structured and clearly written, even the parts that are geared more towards programmers are simple enough to understand for most people, I think. In a way, it's a bit of a shame that the description of the book makes it seem like it's a book only for programmers, because more people might have read it if it wasn't.

By the way, thanks for those recommendations you made, Lemanakmelo. They're way out there compared to what I usually read, so it will be interesting!

I have queued them up in my to-read list.

I'm glad you mentioned Pragmatic Thinking and Learning then, because it sounded interesting and I immediately wanted to read it based on your descrition, but when I looked it up I was like "wait, is this for me?". I'm definitely adding it to my list.

Awesome! I love branching out to new book categories, I hope you find some interesting stuff in there.