Books that Changed Your Life?

Pubb asks: "I'm a Computer Science teacher at a school with an interesting tradition. Every year, the graduating student who has performed best in a particular subject area is given a book prize. Rather than give this particular student the usual book on Java or Linux, I would like to get something more impactful. I ask you, fellow Slashdot readers, to name the books that helped unleash your geek within. All I ask is that the book be reasonably available, even if it is no longer in print."

Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell

[benjamindees]

...that is all. :-)

Re:Books that changed my life.

[Matt Perry]

Fahrenheit 451 (which was on the restricted reading list at my jr High and High School.)

I find it ironic that a book about preventing people from reading books was on a restricted reading list at a school.

Re:Godel, Escher, Bach

[AKnightCowboy]

A must book for anyone serious about CS.

Also, I highly suggest "The Big Book of Masturbation" by Martha Cornog for students looking to pursue an advanced CS degree.

Dianetics

[MarsDefenseMinister]

by L. Ron Hubbard. It's much easier to avoid the potholes of life if you know what a pothole looks like. Dianetics is truly what I'd recommend if you want to curl up on a winter evening by a nice warm fire. My copy burned for about 20 minutes!

this is slashdot

[zoloto]

we don't even RTFA and you expect us to give you BOOK SUGGESTIONS?

you must be new here, right? /jab