Name one book that helped to change your life.

[RockRaven]

186. The Iliad (Robert Fagles translation)

The first assigned reading from the first class, first day, first year of college.

Up to that point, I had read a lot of classics, but not any Classics.

There was no "AHA!!!" moment, but in hindsight it started something in my reading appetite which, as I satiated said appetite, helped me shed the sticky bits of "but surely there must be *something* truthful/worthwhile about this, b/c it has lasted so long" perspective, which when applied to the Bible was hindering my acknowledgement of my lack of belief in the things many people around me were espousing. To be clear, to that point I was between "having a LOT of doubts" and "not believing" so it did not make me a non-believer, but rather allowed me to be comfortable in embracing my non-belief.

[this looks like something which would confirm the evangelical, right wing attitude that education is bad. whoops.]