What We’re Reading is a column about readers and the books they love, in their own words. This month, three readers volunteered to share which book had the most impact on their life – and why.
Tracy Lee Bird
Book: “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss
“This book had an impact on me because I was six when this book came out. It made me an early and vocal environmentalist and has informed my relationships with animals and the Earth since that day. I believe it teaches values that should be passed down to every child as we face down our current environmental struggles.”
Patricia Grayson
Book: “Gone With the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell
“When I read this book, it stayed with me all my life. I read it at twelve, then at fourteen. Indomitable, passionate and tough, Scarlett was always my hero. Her blind foolishness made her even more sympathetic, and the sad ending of the novel is hard to bear. A life lesson. She loved Tara and her father more than anyone in the world. She sacrificed her life for The Land.”
Carina Krehl
Books: “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer and “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle
“‘The Untethered Soul’ is a text that opened my mind and marked my conscious awakening. Michael Singer is a deeply spiritual individual who I’ve had the great privilege of meeting and getting to know a bit. He owns a plot of land in Alachua County, Florida — creating his world renowned Temple of the Universe. There, he gives talks much like the lessons he covers in this book. He begins the book by pointing out how there are two voices in our heads: the one who talks, and the one who listens. It’s the truth that getting extremely intimate with the voice that listens, connects us better to our Selves.
“‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle is how I continued digging deep into my conscious awakening. His writing is very informational, and he draws on references from world cultures, science and personal history. He explains that we all possess a pain body: an energy of pain that we carry with us and can even take us over. This is why phenomena like road rage or gossip are so prevalent in our society. He confronts the Collective Ego, and individual ego, and offers tangible solutions to forming a level of introspection that heals.”