"Show me a family of readers and I will show you the people who move the world"-----Napoleon Bonaparte.
Those words of Napoleon echo the truth of what happens to the mind of an avid reader. Reading books brightens a person's horizon, stirs your imagination, build your character and helps to promote deep thinking. In my little years of life, I have read a few books that have impacted greatly on me.I will like to write about a few of them and will recommend that you read them too.
SAPIENS BY YUVAL NOAH HARARI:
In the scientific world humans are referred to as Homo Sapiens and this book chronicles a brief history of the human species from the Stone Age to our present time. In the book, the writer believes that humanity has been shaped or influenced by three major events that have changed the cause of humanity. They are: the cognitive revolution, the agricultural revolution and most recently the scientific revolution. It describes how humans formed habits,social, religious,political and economic systems.
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The book notes that humans may not continue to exist in this form in about 1,000 years from now. Although I do not completely agree with all the thoughts in this book due to my conscientious believes but this book gave me some insights into what has shaped some humans societies.
START WITH WHY BY SIMON SINEK:
I passed through the Tafawa Balewa Square some days ago in Lagos the city I live in, I was awed by the look and history of the edifice. The place was the venue where the event to grant sovereignty to my country took place. This place also witnessed the great speeches ever made by the greatest leaders in my country. Those speeches sent people thinking and inspired them to action. The book Start With Why helps to explain the difference between leaders and those who lead and it identifies why some leaders are able to inspire people to follow their lead without being swayed or seeking personal benefits.
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The book clearly explains what inspiration is and how it is different from manipulation as it pertains to the world of business,politics and others. It makes you always want to ask and to know why in everything you do.
RICH DAD POOR DAD:
I remember how I lost my first copy of this book, I had read it about two decades ago and I recommended it to everyone I met who needed lessons on financial intelligence. I borrowed the book to a friend Kingsley who had just started reading it but later suffered a stroke and died a day later. This book summarizes the mistakes many people have made by following a stereotyped pattern of life set by the social and economic systems.
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The book also examines the life of the writer Robert Kiyosaki while he was growing up as he compared the advice he received from his biological father and the rich the father of his friend. The book x-rays what the rich teach their children about money and what the poor teach their children about money. Some key takeaways from this book are: how to make money work for you, the need to get financial education so as to be financially intelligent and why you should not work for money but let money work for you.
THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON BY GEORGE CLASON:
The book although small in size teaches deep lessons on practical ways to manage money and build wealth. It tells the story of a man Arkad who lived in the ancient city of Babylon and was from a very poor family but grow to become the richest man in Babylon by applying timeless methods that attracted wealth and made it stay.
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The lessons that I will never forget from the book are:to always reward yourself first, the 10% rule, only entrust your money to those who have demonstrated over time that they know how to use money, control your expenditure and guard your treasures against loss. The simplicity and potency of this book will keep you glued to it. It is a must read.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING BY NORMAN VINCENT PEALE:
I read this book about 30 years ago and it impacted me greatly. This book uncovers the root of personal success: your mind. It helps you see the need to break free from worry and anxiety and gives practical suggestions on how this can be done. It suggests that for your problems to shrink you will have to build confidence in yourself.
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To think positively, you have to live worry free and imagine a worry free life. The book stresses the fact that cultivating a positive mindset will improve your relationship, physical and mental health and empower you to take control of your life.
THE 48 LAWS OF POWER BY ROBERT GREENE:
This book draws from the experience of historical figures by stating 48 different laws or principles that can help one gain power and control as well as to sustain it. Some of the suggestions offered may be frowned upon by some but the failure of people in leadership positions can be attributed to a failure to apply the lessons in this book.
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The book stresses that the better you are at handling power,the better you will be at making people around you feel better and dependent on you. It makes you a better partner and friend.
THE YOUNG PEOPLE ASK BOOK PUBLISHED BY JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES:
This book molded my adolescent and teenage years, it is a must have for every young boy or girl and all those growing into adulthood. To me this is the best book ever written for youths, the answers, suggestions and practical advice in this book are gleaned from discussions with hundreds of youth from diverse backgrounds and cultures across the world. It offers answers from the Bible to almost all the problems and concerns faced by youths all over the world.
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It provides answers and advice on questions like: why don't my parents understand me? Why do I get so depressed? Am I ready to date? Is it real love? How can I make real friends? Why did dad and mom split? And a host of other questions.
HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE BY DALE CARNEGIE:
How would life be like without friends? Making friends and sustaining the relationship is not always easy.
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This book helps us know that if we are fond of criticizing people,we will not achieve anything good because they will resist and resent us. The writer wrote:
"criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes them strive to justify themselves"
If you make people feel important, they can do anything for you. This book highlights the need to give people what they want so as to keep them in your circle and ways to control our emotions when we disagree with people. The suggestions offered in this book are evergreen.
THE BIBLE:
To me this is the greatest of all books. Apart from being a religious book, it is a guide for humankind. Some may argue that it is not scientific but the evidence shows that what it says about hygiene, the water cycle and the shape of the earth are scientifically accurate. It's historical records are truthful and it offers the best advice for daily living. Almost all the great writers have a copy of this book and they have read it too.
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It's timeless principles like the golden rule and give to Caesar what is Caesars and God's things to God has been used by billions of people world over. It offers advice on how to be happy, successful and have a happy family. It also offers guidance on morality and practical solutions to life's big problems like hunger,crime, pollution and war.Of all the books ever written, it is the most widely distributed book in human history but unfortunately billions who have read it do not always follow it's advice or live by it's principles.
CONCLUSION:
The books that I have recommended above covers diverse areas of life and their contents have greatly impacted and shaped the lives of billions of readers all over the world. They have contributed in enriching the knowledge of their readers by providing a rewarding reading experience for those who seek to brighten their horizon.