That is a tough one since I have many books that I would put under the category of being my favorite, and even more movies that I would place under this category, than I could probably count. If I had to pick one book it would be “Atheism: The Case Against God” by George H. Smith. If I had to pick one movie it would be “Shawshank Redemption”.
The book by George H. Smith, pretty much encapsulates my views on religion quite well, but a close runner up would Sam Harris’ “End of Faith”. The reason why I hold Smith’s book in such high regard is because I have always had a fervent desire to examine religion, but I never was able to articulate my objections to religious belief with much precision. Though Smith’s book contains within its polemic, ideas that directly corresponds to some of my own ideas which I held prior to reading it, it articulated them in such a lucid way in which I never could. It has become my cornerstone book, ideologically and rhetorically, which I frequently employ in order to elucidate my position of unbelief to religious people. It is more than a treatise against the belief in God, it is a treatise on how to reason PROPERLY. Therefore, it is a must for those who love the truth.
The movie Shawshank Redemption is a movie that I draw great inspiration from, because it demonstrates the strength of the human spirit, in times of deep adversity, and how that spirit can triumph above all things. It is a story that gives me great solace when times are tough. From the first moment I saw the main character tunneling his way ingeniously to freedom, that movie was permanently etched into my consciousness, and has become a metaphor for how I would like to resolve the conflicts in my life.