5 Books That Shaped Who I am in Relationships and Beyond
And Surprisingly, They Are Not Relationship Books
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A little while ago, I came across a post by E.L. Byrne, in which she listed out a few books that changed her views on Relationships and Sex. Of course, this got my brain thinking about that very thing. What books have really shaped how I view relationships, sex, and beyond? The books that came to mind surprised me, because not one of them is defined as a relationship book. Instead, they are books that helped me grow as a person, shaped my outlook on a number of topics, which ultimately laid the foundation for my relationships. While this post contains no affiliate links, I do hope you will check out a few on your own time, and perhaps even share in the comments section at the end a few books that shaped your relationships and beyond. So, in the order that read them, let me share my list of not relationships books that shaped me.
Book 1 — A Skeleton in God’s Closet by Paul L. Maier
I grew up with a fairly religious upbringing, which included both a Presbyterian family life, and a Catholic school education. For some reason, neither of these two faiths seemed to place much value on providing a relationship framework for anything other than that of your God. When I lost my faith, I felt very alone in the world, because I no longer had the relationship with God, nor anything that I could apply those teachings to. When I read this book, it gave me something incredibly surprising. It gave me the first glimpse into how I could question things, do research, and ultimately shape my life in a way that went beyond blind faith. Admittedly, I’m not positive the author meant any of that to be the take away from this book, but it remains the first book that challenged my way of thinking, and gave me confidence in reaching my own educated conclusions. Yes, only I could take a riveting novel of a religious hoax, and walk away with the life lessons of how incredibly powerful a tool questioning everything can be.
Book 2 — The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene
Robert Greene has been my favourite author since I first read his The Art of Power at the age of 19. His books are the perfect mix of historical…
