Literature

Beyond Reading

One, if not the best way, to gain perspective and shape values is through written works. Literature can encompass a variety of different forms and in the digital world we live in today, I define it as anything that starts with words being assembled creatively to communicate an idea or invoke an emotion. This could be a novel, business book, audio book or a movie/television script.

In separate blog posts, I have highlighted my favorite and most impactful pieces of literature including:

My Biblio-Biography

I think at one point or another, everyone has a period where they don’t read that often. Fortunately for me that didn’t last too long and I now have a hard time remembering when I didn’t have a book I was reading. Throughout high school, I had required reading, through college and after, I read classic self help books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People, Think and Grow Rich, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you haven’t read these, I highly recommend them as a foundation.

From there I began to get more specific into authors and topics that I was interested in and also alternating fiction books with non-fiction books. Because I was interested in marketing and economics, I read books by Malcom Galdwell, Michael Lewis, and Seth Godin while alternating in The Hunger Games series, Shantaram, and the Bible.

At some point, I realized there was a pop-culture revolution that I was missing out on and that we were in a golden age for television and I replaced fiction books with popular TV series like The Wire, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones. I know this might not be for everyone and that many successful people do not watch TV. For me, there is a beauty in character development, artistic expression through costume and stage design, and complex storylines. I make sure to limit myself to one hour of television per day and do not condone binge watching or watching the something twice.

Now at this stage in my life, I always have one-two books that I am reading and another book that I am listening to. As far as what I read, I am interested in books that use stories (fictional or real) to convey a deeper message about sociology, the economy, psychology, and human performance. Some examples are Lila, 48 Laws of Power, and The Denial of Death. Also, similar to my taste in music, I like new books on relevant topics, particularly related to technology and that might give me an advantage in my service work. I recently completed The Amazon Way, The Sentient Machine, The Seventh Sense. I also am always open to suggestions from my social network and enjoy the social aspect of reading a book together with someone. If I am ever at a house where there are a lot of books or someone expresses an interest in reading, I don’t hesitate to ask them for recommendations. This has led me to some great books like The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***, The Outsiders, and The Goldfinch.

Literature, like anything, is a habit, find a time to do it and then stick to it. For me, I read at least every night before going to bed, and on some mornings when I am not working. I will also bring a book with me when I travel or go to the park. Just reading a couple pages here and there will keep your mind sharp and give you new thoughts and ideas to reflect on.