My Half-Year Reads And What They Taught Me
Books are immense source of wisdom and knowledge. They have the potential to shape your life and change what and how you think. Therefore, reading is the most fundamental habit you can inculcate for a successful future.
Let’s keep philosophy aside and discuss for what I begin to write down my thoughts in this post.
I love reading books/novels. Every year I try to expand my domain of knowledge and wisdom to the great extent and importantly, in the different genres. I’ve been trying to achieve the same thing this year as well by including in my readings from Psychology to History to Biology.
The purpose of this post is to express my thoughts about the books I read and encourage you to explore uncharted domains that may be outside your comfort zone. Initially, some things may not make sense, but over time, they can become clear. Exploring new things not only broadens your horizons but also helps your knowledge to grow rapidly.
My Half-Year Readings And What I thought About Them:
Thinking Fast And Slow By Daniel Kahneman
I vividly remembered the day when I ordered the book. I heard about Nobel laureate Daniel Khaneman and his chef d’oeuvre ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’. After finishing an easy-read novel, my mind was bubbling to go for Psychology now. I decided to start this book as I read some good reviews and suggested by a friend of mine.
Talking about the human mind and its flaws, Kahneman takes us to the world of behavioural Psychology and economists. Humans seem rational while taking decisions, though they aren’t, in fact. He explains the concept through various time-tested theories such as Framing effect, Anchoring effect, and many more.
Heuristics and cognitive biases are so deeply ingrained in our brains that we make irrational decisions all the time without even realising them. Give the book a chance and I am damn sure it will be an eye-opener and provide you new insights and perspective regarding the life.
The Origin Of Species By Charles Darwin
After Psychology, it was a time for a classic. Since childhood, I had heard the name of Charles Darwin and his ‘evolutionary theory’. I knew what it was. But I was planning to go in depth to satiate my curiosity. Hence, I went for this book.
It’s very obvious what you will find in the book. Charles Darwin in his entire book delves into his theory ‘Evolution of species’ by giving in-depth insights of his researches and various propositions. He even tries to answer some questions that might have occurred among people regarding his theory.
The Adventures Of Tom Swayer By Mark Twain
Two heavy profound knowledge book exhausted my mind and I couldn’t find more energy to take another information loaded book. So, I sticked to a soft, lucid and adventure novel.
The popular 20th century US novelist Mark Twain is known for its deeply intertwined stories, lucid and enjoyable narrative and witty style. ‘The adventure of Tom Swayer’ talks about the journey of a boy named Tom Swayer and his different adventures along with his friend Huckleberry Finn.
The Naïve And Sentimental Novelist By Orhan Pamuk
Being an avid reader and writer, I felt the urge to go deep into the dichotomy of two kinds of novelist. None could have been better than a Novelist itself: Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel laureate and writer of Red, The Museum of Innocence, etc.
The theory propounded by Friedrich Schiller talks about how naïve writers, those who write spontaneously, are different from sentimental, those who are reflective and aware. Pamuk points out that a novelist can be both at the same time while writing a novel, depending upon the several aspects.
Make Something Wonderful By Steve Jobs Archive
It hadn’t been in my list. The book came out of thin air and became one of the best reads for this year. It was published by Steve Jobs Archive, the organisation that collected and curated all the memos, letters, and speeches Jobs had ever written or spoken.
Reading the story of Apple’s founder is always inspiring and motivating. It becomes more profound and powerful when it backs on his personal memos, letters, and speeches. When you read them, it’s feel like peeking into the mindset of a genius entrepreneur, his thought process, and how he saw the world.
The Intelligent Investor By Benjamin Graham
Heard several times and suggested by Billionaire investor Warren Buffet, I took this old time-tested book. As the name suggests, the book aims at exploring the fundamentals of investment: Equity and Bonds.
The book itself reads that there’s no secret that will make the investor rich. And the book won’t deceit you by claiming to invest this or that much in this or that kind of stocks/equities. It’s a simple book which is trying to tell you how to invest or trade in the equity market and how you should divide your investment between bonds and stocks, depending up on your approach.
If you want to understand the stock market and how to be an intelligent investor who won’t suffer a heavy loss, you can go through this book.
Cannibals And Kings By Marvin Harris
It’s time to go for history. I chose ‘Cannibals and Kings’ By Marvin Harris, which talks about the human history with a different perspective.
The book explores the connections between human culture, environment, and social systems to understand the development of diverse societies and practices.
That’s enough for now.
P.S I am reading currently a translated novel of ‘Lying Life of Adults’ by Elena Ferrante. Hoping to add more reads down the line.
