My favorite books that have changed my thinking permanently

Why am I passionate about this?

My books are non-fiction. However, the best stories are always how a character really changes. These books brought permanent change to me. One important value I see evaporating in this world is the ability to ask honest questions and the courage to willingly follow the evidence. I try to give readers a fresh and inspiring look at things like never before. Similarly, with every book recommendation, each author brought me a new perspective and added unexpected formats for learning. My advice is if you want to specialize in something, pursue diversified learning to maintain solid footing instead of specializing yourself into some specialized niche. Never lose your curiosity. 


I wrote...

Nature Never Stops Talking: The Wonderful Ingenuity of Nature

By Samuel J. Alibrando,

Book cover of Nature Never Stops Talking: The Wonderful Ingenuity of Nature

What is my book about?

Genius exceeding man’s ability found everywhere in nature has big implications. There is also joy in pondering how exquisite, elaborate, and clever the designs are in nature.

If Stonehenge, a circle of rocks, is an undeniable sign of intelligence, then sophisticated engineering far beyond man’ ability is a sign of something too. We cannot make a living tree, a living cell, or a woman’s eyelashes grow longer. We see we are immeasurably inferior but happy to celebrate the stars and seas, the mountains, and flourishing life all around us. Zoom in on the instincts, interdependence, and power of nature with a willingness to allow nature’s message to be heard on a level children can understand.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul

Samuel J. Alibrando Why did I love this book?

I would recommend several of McManus’ books in my top five but that would narrow explaining what influences me.

In Uprising, we see the overlap of our need to achieve, our need for meaning, and God’s answers laid out in philosophical terms so we can see how maybe God isn’t so religious but tremendously right on, for our benefit. I underline sentences in books so I can quickly reference them at a later time.

I measure the personal value of a book by how many times I mark my book that way. This book has underlines, stars in the margin, comments above and below, and in different ink colors. It is packed with so many quotable nuggets of wisdom.

By Erwin Raphael McManus,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Uprising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Warning: This book may not be for you!

This book is dangerous!

It is only for those who are ready to join an uprising?a revolution of the soul that will change an ordinary life into an extraordinary one. It is only for those who want something more out of life, who desire to tap into the divine potential that was placed in them at their creation.

You were in God's imagination before you were ever born. All the talent, gifting, and creativity you possess was placed in you by God Himself. Can you imagine the things you could do, the…


Book cover of Success Secrets of the Motivational Superstars

Samuel J. Alibrando Why did I love this book?

This book aimed to enhance public speaking abilities using legendary speakers of the time (in 1996), these are mostly old-timers while the new “kid” is Tony Robbins.

More than 500 pages of 15 successful motivational speakers share their key content, their own motivation, their methods and practices. You get the incredible content. You get universal tips on communication. You get personal testimonies of struggle and overcoming. Sit down with these 15 masters of motivation and feel the side effect of being challenged.

This book will still be valuable 100 years from now because it is practical and inspiring. Hey, you might aspire to public speaking.

By Michael Jeffreys,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Success Secrets of the Motivational Superstars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

America's greatest motivational speakers reveal their secrets of success in this one-of-a-kind collection of interviews. Author Michael Jeffreys interviewed fifteen of the top leaders in the speaking world, including Anthony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Barbara De Angelis, and Jack Canfield. These charismatic communicators share their personal triumphs, passions, and pearls of wisdom that have molded their lives.Here is some of what you will learn from Success Secrets of the Motivational Superstars:
the way to conquer fear is to face it head on
giving up is not an option
personal growth never stopsAbout the AuthorMichael Jeffreys is also the author of Selling…


Book cover of The Little Prince

Samuel J. Alibrando Why did I love this book?

How does a fiction-fantasy inspire a non-fiction writer? This classic touched my soul. Never, do I wish to lose touch with my soul to become an expert in any field.

I first read this as a cynical teen in 1970. This book awakened my affection for innocence, goodness, and the painful course of pure love and honesty existing within some hard realities. 

We live weaving love, inspiration, spirituality, and the wonders around us, all together. Meaningful relationships and learning from mistakes add real purpose to life. Any book that awakens such things in a soul will enhance whatever else you are doing.

By Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Richard Howard (translator),

Why should I read it?

15 authors picked The Little Prince as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as 'The Little Prince'. Richard Howard's new translation of the beloved classic-published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's birth-beautifully reflects Saint-Exupery's unique and gifted style. Howard, an acclaimed poet and one of the preeminent translators of our time, has excelled in bringing the English text as close as possible to the French, in language, style, and most important, spirit. The artwork in this new edition has been restored to match in detail and in colour Saint-Exupery's original artwork. By combining the new…


Book cover of The Book That Transforms Nations: The Power of the Bible to Change Any Country

Samuel J. Alibrando Why did I love this book?

I have stereo-typed Christian influence throughout history as mostly religious and for changing people’s eternal destiny.

My attitude has always been respectful but these historical accounts raised my eyebrows not only about how much one man can lift a nation without being a political leader, but it also made me reconsider what the Bible itself was commanding for “disciple the nations”.

It covers multiple men and multiple countries: India, China, Ireland, South Korea, Switzerland, and more. Uplifting to me, except the part about how much more they did than I ever will. Still incredibly inspiring.

By Loren Cunningham, Janice Rogers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Book That Transforms Nations as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

No country is too hard, too poor, too filled with crime, too divided by war, or too spiritually dark to be changed. God has given us basic principles that are keys to every problem we face in the twenty-first century. The answers lie between the covers of one book the Bible.

In The Book That Transforms Nations, missionary statesman Loren Cunningham demonstrates how, together, we can use the Bible, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, to change the whole world. In more than fifty years of continual travel, Loren's ministry has taken him to some of the world's poorest…


Book cover of Handbook on Population

Samuel J. Alibrando Why did I love this book?

I came across this, now out of print, booklet as a 19-year-old who could not believe the majority of the planet would believe something incorrect. This guy was a lone voice against the tide of overpopulation panic. 

The information he provided was easily confirmed with math or encyclopedia references. It is completely a Q&A format. Very strange, at first. It was as if he expected me, the reader, to reach my own conclusions based on the information alone. That was new for me. He did not coax me or summarize his conclusion. This influenced my writing style for life. It respects the reader as having a mind of his own.

The 2nd most impacting part about this was ultimately, that yes, the whole world could literally be wrong. Shocking!

By Robert L Sassone,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Handbook on Population as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


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What You Do To Me: A Novel

By Rochelle B. Weinstein,

Book cover of What You Do To Me: A Novel

Rochelle B. Weinstein Author Of When We Let Go

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Not only am I the author of seven women’s fiction novels, I’m a voracious reader who believes she was raised by Judy Blume and Sidney Sheldon. In our broken home, reading was an escape, a salve for the wound, a place where I felt heard and understood. My novels touch on deep emotions—real and relatable. If I don’t capture that feeling when I’m reading through my drafts, I dig deeper. And that’s the thing about a great book, that gut punch, that slide under my skin, I get you. There’s no better read than the one that pulls the heartstrings and gives you all the feels.    

Rochelle's book list on tugging on every one of your heartstrings

What is my book about?

What You Do To Me follows Rolling Stone reporter Cecilia James on the hunt to find the muse behind a famous love song, all while managing an estranged relationship with her father and boyfriend Pete.

Inspired by Hey There Deliah, the dual timeline stretches across the sunny beaches of 1970s Miami with star-crossed lovers Eddie and Sara, to the glittery music industry of 1990s LA. For music lovers and fans of that first, unforgettable love, What You Do To Me is the story of a love song with equal parts heart and harmony.

What You Do To Me: A Novel

By Rochelle B. Weinstein,

What is this book about?

From the bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends comes a moving novel of two unfinished love stories and the music and lyrics that bring them together.

Journalist Cecilia James is a sucker for a love song. So when she stumbles across a clue to the identity of the muse for one of rock’s greatest, she devotes herself to uncovering the truth, even as her own relationship is falling apart.

While writing an article for Rolling Stone, Cecilia works to reveal the mystery that has intrigued fans and discovers a classic tale of two soulmates separated by fate and circumstance. Rock…


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