What Book Changed You?

I was over at Nathan Bransford's blog (if you don't know it check it out, there's a link on this page) and Nathan asked his readers, What Book Changed You? I like reading these posts to see if there are any books that I might want to check out. Invariably on a post like this there are fledgling writers who post the name of their own WIP. At first I figured that these people are only trying to gain someone's attention, but then I thought that what book could impact a person's life more than the one that they themselves have written (or are attempting to write)?

Writing like reading (only more so I think) is a journey of self discovery. When I'm in the "zone", scenes, characters, dialogue, it all flies out of my fingers and onto the page in some odd and lovely subconscious way. Afterward, I may pause and see snippets of myself, my life and the people in my life and have an AHA! moment. This feeling of fleeting clarity, of how my life has come together in the way it has, always delights and satisfies me. It's better than therapy! A lot of times I don't see myself on the page so much as my readers do. Often they will ask about how I came up with a name for a character or a unique situation and I honestly can't answer them. But with a bit of self examination I take a closer look at what i have written and and it's like looking into a mirror. There I am!

So for anyone who dreams of being a writer, I would say forget about the fame and the wealth that drive you. Rather, why not view writing as lovely and mysterious exploratory journey where the ultimate treasure trove is YOU!

And P.S.: What books have changed you?