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Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

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Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#1
Hi all, Nearly an year ago, I faced a life-shattering crisis that completely wrecked my world view. Since then I have rebuilt up from scratch, and I have found that a lot of the things that I used to believe were false. Books such as Man's Search for Meaning have been very pivotal in that regard. What books could you recommend for the same?

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#2
A friend gave me a copy of this book following a crisis. He had had a similar experience and it had helped him. I read it 3 times in a row over the period of a few weeks and it really helped comfort me.

Fear - Thich Nhat Hanh

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fear-Essential-Wisdom-Getting-Throu...

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#4
post #3

“A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy” by William Irvine has taught me appreciate what I have and take it easy on myself when things don’t go as planned. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040JHNQG/

Yes, this was another one of the books I read last year. I liked how it separated the world into internal and external. I realized how much smoother life became once I focused on living with an internal set of principles, rather than external expectations.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#5
Well if you've read Frankl then I think you should read Primo Levi. The Drowned and The Saved and also If This Is A Man. One could say he came to less easily swallowed conclusions, but I think it is essential reading.

For me personally however I think Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment more or less informed my world-view from a very young age and continues to do so.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?

#8
post #5

Well if you've read Frankl then I think you should read Primo Levi. The Drowned and The Saved and also If This Is A Man. One could say he came to less easily swallowed conclusions, but I think it is essential reading. For me personally however I think Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment more or less informed my world-view from a very young age and continues to do so.

Bookmarked.

I picked up Crime and Punishment a few years ago, but had to put it down, due to both foreseeable and unforeseeable circumstances. How would you introduce it if you were to recommend it to someone?

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