Three Books of Enduring Influence

Here are three book that have continued to influence my thinking long after I read them for the first time. This is an off the top of my head list, so don't read too much into the particular order or the exclusion of any book from this list.

1. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
2. Knowing God, J. I. Packer
3. Paul: An Outline of His Theology, Herman Ridderbos

Added Lists:

From The Sinner

1. Practical Christianity, Arthur Pink
2. The Marrow of Modern Divinity, Thomas Boston (I think this is right. If Thomas Boston is not the author, someone please enlighten me.)
   [Update: The Sinner has enlightend me:

   I haven't looked at your blog for almost a week. I noticed that you tenatively put Thomas Boston as the author of The Marrow. Boston was greatly influenced by the book and was embroiled in a controversy because of it, but it predates him. The author is unknown, although some attribute it to a man named Edward Fischer. Boston did write a set of notes that accompany most modern editions of The Marrow, so maybe that is where you got his name.]

3. A Crook in the Lot, Thomas Boston

From Darren

1. The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2. Streams of Living Water, Richard Foster
3. Church Dogmatics II.2, Karl Barth

From Kim in ON

1. The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul
2. No Place for Truth, David F. Wells
3. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt

From jmark

1. Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul
2. The Cross He Bore, F.S. Leahy
3. Questioning Evangelism, Randy Newman

Mick Porter post his list on his blog, Unveiled Face.

From Kim in IL

1. Knowing God, J. I. Packer
2. The Holiness of God, R. C. Sproul
3. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer

From Violet

1. My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
2. Confessions of an Organized Housewife, Deniece Schofield
3. Mistress Pat, L. M. Montgomery

From Paula

1. The Shaping of a Christian Family, Elisabeth Elliot
2. My Utmost for His Highes, Oswald Chambers
3. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Sherry gives her list at Semicolon.

From Bill Lueg

1. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
2. Knowing God, J. I. Packer
3. Desiring God, John Piper

From ChrisK

1. The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2. A Cry in the Wilderness, Keith Green,
3. Christianity in Crisis, Hank Hanegraf

From David Fisher

1. By Searching,Isobel Kuhn
2. The Knowledge of the Holy , A. W. Tozer
3. How God Answers Prayer, George Muller

From William Meisheid

1. Knowing God, J.I. Packer
2. Know Scripture, R.C. Sproul
3. The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis
4. The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, James W. Sire (Yes, he's pushing the boundaries, adding that fourth one!)

Monika posts her list at Monika's Message.

Catez's list is here at Allthings2all.

From Sven

1. The Crucified God, Jürgen Moltmann
2. Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan
3. My Dear Child, Colin Urquhart

From Cathy

1. Surprised by Joy,C.S. Lewis
2. The Pleasures of God, John Piper
3. Letting Go, F. de la Mothe Fenelon

[While we're at it, let's make this another cooperative list. What are three books, other than the Bible itself, that you've read and that have continued to influence you? Feel free to repeat books already included in someone else's list, but don't include books you've only read for the first time recently (like last month), even though you think they've changed how you think.

There are a couple of ways you can add to the list. If you want to post your list on your own blog, leave a link in the comments or trackback this post and I'll move your link up to the body of the post. You can also list your three influential books in the comments to this post and I'll move your list up into the post.]