I reached my July 2016 goal of reading 100 books in Oct 2019. It took me 40 months, instead of the 60 months I had initially set aside. Before my Ego gets too big for its britches (that’s another story about how I am trying to diminish this self-destructive persona), the following quote is very apt.
“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” ~ Mortimer J. Adler
Which books have I read where I can honestly testify that certain aspects ‘got through’ to me?
Ted Chiang’s two science fiction books, ‘Stories of your life’ and ‘Exhalation’ had short stories that definitely got to me. Example, in latter, Ted was able to create a story about a device, that one can press to predict one’s response in a certain situation. And the entire story was predicated whether man actually possessed ‘free will’ in the light of this invention.
Even fictional stories, such as the ‘Price of Time’ by Tim Tigner, on the discovery of a formula that stops the aging process, can be a self discovery journey. Where do you weigh in on the argument that Earth’s resources cannot sustain a non-aging population for the masses? Should the formula be then restricted to all those who can pay? If one was part of this select group, what will one do with one’s life? Finally, seeing the likely outcome, is this fountain of youth quest still a noble one?
But it’s the spiritual books and the Bible that have had the most impact on me. Where I dwell on the life enriching messages which encourages and motivates me to make transformative changes.
Perhaps the genres that will work its magic on you could be health, nutrition, relationships or even copying with life and death. Perhaps you aren’t sure. The only way to find out – happy reading!
Let me end with this thought. Reading widely, reading extensively, reading with an open mind results in many splendored things – imagination, passion, hope, zest for life, re-birth and all things good.
Postscript – I have an xls where I record the books read, my rating and a one-two sentence about the book. If I wish to re-read the book at some future point, I give it 6 out of a 5 point rating scale.
Journey Within 