The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Quiz

Answer: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Bored with a life he considers mundane, the hero of this novella decides to follow his heart and perfect his flying skills. After he's exiled from his community because of his refusal to follow the norm, he embarks on a fascinating journey of self-realization as he pursues his dream. Eventually he learns that while hard work is important, love and forgiveness are the most essential ingredients in achieving true peace and freedom.

"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" was released in 1970 and remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for thirty-eight weeks.

Answer: Traveled

The 1960s and 70s saw a movement toward the quest for self-acceptance and spirituality. Dr. Peck's most well-known work was first published in 1978, eventually selling over seven million copies and becoming a road map for thousands in the search for personal growth and happiness. His 1983 "People of the Lie: the Hope for Healing Human Evil" explores the concept of the presence of true evil and is based in part on his experiences as a psychiatrist.

Dr. Peck authored over a dozen books before his death in 2005.

Answer: A young boy's near death experience

In 2003, four-year-old Colton Burpo underwent emergency surgery and astounded his parents afterward by describing his visit to a bright, colorful place that was filled with angels and warm, loving people. After Colton related stories of events and people that he couldn't possibly have learned during his young life, his father, Todd Burpo, co-wrote "Heaven is for Real" with author Lynn Vincent.

Despite criticism from the secular world, the book hit number one on the New York Times best seller list just weeks after its debut and sold over a million copies during its first year in print. Colton has continued to tell his story through interviews and television appearances and has stated that he is happy that his story is helping people as they deal with losses of loved ones.

Answer: Change

Spencer Johnson's parable of four characters and their unique reactions to change has sold millions of copies worldwide and remains a favorite in bookstores. As Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw move through the "maze" (life) in search of "cheese" (success, happiness, and security), Sniff and Scurry anticipate change and adapt accordingly.

Hem and Haw become complacent and fall victim to the confusion and resentment resulting from their lack of preparation. Eventually, each learns in his own way to adjust.

Answer: Hinds Feet on High Places

The story of Much Afraid and her journey from the Valley of Humiliation is not without pitfalls and obstacles. The protagonist must learn trust, dedication and (most frightening of all) love in her quest to dance "in the high places". During her transformation from timid, crippled young girl to joyful woman, the heroine encounters tribulations that nearly force her to give up, but she pushes forward with the aid of a gentle and somewhat mysterious Shepherd.

Answer: The Greatest Miracle in the World

Og Mandino's follow up to his best selling "The Greatest Salesman in the World" became a popular choice in the 1980s among readers struggling with self-esteem issues, indifference toward life and even substance abuse problems. The simple, often humorous story of two men bonding after a chance meeting in a snowy parking lot ends with a surprising and unforgettable revelation.

Mandino became a successful motivational speaker before his death in 1996, drawing on his own life experiences to inspire others to overcome adversity and achieve success and happiness.

Answer: Grief

Inspired by her work with terminally ill patients, "On Death and Dying" addressed a topic that had been previously avoided in many cultures. Her five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) have served as a model for counselors and clergy when working with people facing all types of loss, including divorce, financial crisis and estrangement from loved ones.

After the success of her book, Dr. Kubler-Ross went on to teach her groundbreaking theory in university and hospital settings, and was a strong supporter of the hospice movement before her death in 2004.

Answer: The Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank's diary was published in 1947 after it was discovered by a family friend and passed along to Otto Frank, who was Anne's father and the only immediate member of the Franks to survive the Holocaust. After the release of the English translation in 1952, the book became a best seller and inspired a film and play.

It continues to encourage people in all walks of life as they share the insight of a teenage girl's journey through the worst atrocity in modern history.

Answer: Parent, Adult and Child

Dr. Harris's groundbreaking work examined Transactional Analysis, or the belief that human behavior is based on the inner personalities of Parent, Adult and Child and that life experiences set the responses for these personalities, much like an inner tape recorder in the brain. (For example, a stern and unrelenting rule maker early in life can cause an overly strict "Adult" inner personality later in life.)

The TA approach to psychological treatment was considered innovative at the time and, in some ways, in conflict with Freud's earlier models of Id, Ego, and Super-Ego. "I'm OK, You're OK" attempted to guide the reader into learning to recognize the three states, with the goal of validating some feelings and suppressing others based on which part of the "tape" was playing.

One of the best-selling self help books to date, "I'm OK, You're OK" has sold over fifteen million copies since its release in 1969.

Answer: Desiderata

Featuring the line "You are a child of the universe", "Desiderata" was written in 1927 by the American poet Max Ehrmann. Its origin became the topic of an urban legend after it was reported that the poem had been originally found in a church in the seventeenth century and that the writer was unknown. It has been published in a number of forms, including a popular poster version in the 1970s, and is still widely quoted by politicians, clergy and public speakers.

The title is derived from the Latin for "desired things".