Books That Shaped Me
Perhaps the greatest habit my sister ever instilled in me was one of reading. While it took a while to see reading as a gift rather than a chore, the opportunity to learn and explore worlds from people I’ve never met has given me insights like no other. Here are 5 books which have had a massive influence on how I now see myself, the world or others – in roughly the order in which I read them. For each, I’ll try to give a brief overview of what it taught me.
Steal Like An Artist
Austin Kleon
This book was perhaps the biggest reason why I decided to start writing in a public domain – a notion which initially terrified me. A short read, but one which transformed the way I now think about creativity, networking and creating.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Gail Honeyman
I’ve never been as captivated by a fiction book as I was with this one. There were points in this book that were so engrossing that I seriously thought I could hear the characters’ voices through the pages. It was through this book and following the lens of Eleanor in which I began to understand the concept of sonder: that people are much more complex than they may seem.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Haruki Murakami
Often regarded as one of the most mystical and moreish fiction writers out there, Murakami stands on a creative pedestal in my head – a pedestal reserved for minds that have that extra creative reservoir. I was pleasantly surprised to find out Murakami also runs marathons and this memoir of his gives a glimpse into his life as a distance runner and artist, revealing insights related to creativity, sacrifice and running. In particular, it helped me see how running can be much more than the physical act itself, but as a medium to test one’s resilience and to step into a void.
I personally tend to find personal development books a little simplistic and cheesy, but this one was pivotal in reshaping my attitudes towards habits and motivation. This book came at a time where my identity felt scattered between various domains and I wasn’t going anywhere. After reading this book, I was convinced on the idea of consistency and the importance of having a clear identity – ideas which helped get me out of many ruts since.
This was the first real theology book I’d ever read. While I found the topics in here heavy and complex, it helped clarify Christian teachings which I’ve struggled with for decades such as the incarnation of Christ, predestination and the nature of the Trinity. While I’m doubtful I’ll ever truly understand these, this book now serves as a useful resource for my walk as a Christian.
Other shout-outs include The Old Man and the Sea – the first work I’d read of Hemingway (who is now one of my favourite authors). Why We Sleep was also a big wake-up call (ha) on the importance of sleep and I’ve begun to prioritise it since. Antifragile is a book recommended by my brother-in-law I’m currently working through which is slowly changing my perceptions towards challenges and resilience. And of course, the Bible – which has shaped the lives of billions around the globe and continues to shape mine to this day in unexpected ways. I look forward to discovering new worlds through books this year and have all my current notions challenged in spectacular ways.