I don't really know if this post is going to be a tip or a rant, but hopefully some people will benefit from this.
Lately, I've gotten tired of reading self-help books. You know, the type that you would find being talked about on these forums (no offense to anyone). The funny thing is I don't even read that many. Anyway, so I spent the last half of the summer and now looking for something to replace them. For some reason, I've always felt there was something missing from self-help books.
After some time searching, I found out what I was seeking was inspiration. I figured that the small short stories in self-help books were not enough. You know, the little short stories they have of peoples' success in every chapter. Or the common pep talk you always get. I wanted something better. I wanted the full story, not some short story of somebody. Not the good part without the bad part. If there is anything that can move a man so greatly, it is being inspired and I wanted to be inspired. So I started reading biographies of people I admire. I started with Mozart, and then Ben Franklin. There's just something about reading biographies that blow self-help books out of the water. It's hard to explain, but it just feels more real. Not only that, but it also forces your mind to think because everything isn't laid out. Plus, in a biography you get everything- How a person socializes with people, how they tried to improve themselves, ...everything (even a history lesson)! You also get to see if what they did worked or not. Who wouldn't want to read biographies?!
But I sometimes think I'm trying to get at something else here. I look at book lists on sites like this and I feel the lists could use a little balance (not saying they are wrong). I feel we can all benefit from reading famous writings of the past or studying people of the past. For example, Pook was big on Shakespeare and it seemed like he got a lot of inspiration and wisdom from his plays. I'm sure it benefited him. Maybe the stuff they told us to read in school was always good for us (too bad they didn't know how to teach it). Does anyone here read Emerson? I feel his essays are really mind blowing and very inspirational. I also find The Federalist papers to be very inspirational (for political reasons).
So my question is, are we reading what we should be reading? Not that it is wrong to choose what you read (obviously), but are we tapping our full potential? Are there much greater avenues of inspiration, knowledge, and wisdom that we write off because we feel we are too busy with our own lives?
Lately, I've gotten tired of reading self-help books. You know, the type that you would find being talked about on these forums (no offense to anyone). The funny thing is I don't even read that many. Anyway, so I spent the last half of the summer and now looking for something to replace them. For some reason, I've always felt there was something missing from self-help books.
After some time searching, I found out what I was seeking was inspiration. I figured that the small short stories in self-help books were not enough. You know, the little short stories they have of peoples' success in every chapter. Or the common pep talk you always get. I wanted something better. I wanted the full story, not some short story of somebody. Not the good part without the bad part. If there is anything that can move a man so greatly, it is being inspired and I wanted to be inspired. So I started reading biographies of people I admire. I started with Mozart, and then Ben Franklin. There's just something about reading biographies that blow self-help books out of the water. It's hard to explain, but it just feels more real. Not only that, but it also forces your mind to think because everything isn't laid out. Plus, in a biography you get everything- How a person socializes with people, how they tried to improve themselves, ...everything (even a history lesson)! You also get to see if what they did worked or not. Who wouldn't want to read biographies?!
But I sometimes think I'm trying to get at something else here. I look at book lists on sites like this and I feel the lists could use a little balance (not saying they are wrong). I feel we can all benefit from reading famous writings of the past or studying people of the past. For example, Pook was big on Shakespeare and it seemed like he got a lot of inspiration and wisdom from his plays. I'm sure it benefited him. Maybe the stuff they told us to read in school was always good for us (too bad they didn't know how to teach it). Does anyone here read Emerson? I feel his essays are really mind blowing and very inspirational. I also find The Federalist papers to be very inspirational (for political reasons).
So my question is, are we reading what we should be reading? Not that it is wrong to choose what you read (obviously), but are we tapping our full potential? Are there much greater avenues of inspiration, knowledge, and wisdom that we write off because we feel we are too busy with our own lives?
