Ask HN: What book had a big impact on you as a child or teenager?

How to Win Friends and Influence People. I know it’s such a basic book, but it really gave me a head start when I was surrounded by bullies and a toxic family culture. It served as a guideline on how to interact with people when I didn’t have a role model to look up to.

It has helped me a lot in understanding how to respect others and navigate social interactions. I found it really grounding and useful, especially during times when I needed a framework for building healthy relationships.

We had plenty of books at home, but none that I recall picking up out of sheer curiosity. However, starting around middle school, these books—discovered on my own in a bookstore—had a profound impact on me:

- The Elenium series by David Eddings (The Diamond Throne, The Ruby Knight, The Sapphire Rose)

- Starlight and Shadows series by Elaine Cunningham (Daughter of the Drow, Tangled Webs, Windwalker)

- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

- The Legend of Drizzt series by R.A. Salvatore (the first 16 books)

- Dragonlance series by Margaret Weis (Tales I and II, Raistlin Chronicles)

Now I have them in my own library at home, waiting my kids to grow up enough so they can grab and read (hopefully :)